5 Days and 5 Years

“Peace to all within these walls.” 

I’ve mentioned before that the hospital is right down the street from us.  More buildings related to healthcare are scattered about this area; the home health/hospice offices are right next door.  Well, not right next door; there’s a good-sized grassy area and ditch (both nicely manicured) separating our properties.  Anyway, the hospital is within walking distance and is on my walking route, so I pass by it all the time.

Marquee last night, all ready for today’s event.

Tonight is the celebration for the new Cancer Center being built; we can see the construction from here.  There’s a picnic, program and beam signing, the latter being the reason I wanted to attend.  So, I strolled down the street a bit ago, chatted with a few people and then signed the beam with the phrase at the top of this post.

We all want a cure for every cancer.  We don’t want anyone to hear the words, “I’m sorry, but you have cancer.”  We don’t want anyone to have to endure the path of being diagnosed with cancer at any point in their life.  We want everyone with such a diagnosis to come out the other side hearing the words, “No evidence of disease.” Every. Year. Thereafter.

Sometimes, though, all one can hope to attain is peace.  Peace when struggling to come to terms with one’s diagnosis.  Peace when undergoing treatment.  Peace when resuming life after treatment.  Peace at end of life.

Hence, the phrase I chose.

Today is the fifth “cancerversary” of hearing my second cancer diagnosis.  The synchronicity could not be ignored.  I felt a need need to sign the beam, my inscription being instilled with energy of hope, strength and … peace.

This Cancer Center is going to be great!  All services – oncologists, chemo center, radiation therapy and so forth - will be under one roof instead of being spread about the neighborhood.  A boutique for cancer patients will also be part of the new Center.  Kudos to Sanford Health!

Five Days

We are in the late afternoon of Day 5 of our vacation-at-home holiday.  It sure is/has been a great one, and we’re not done yet!  For the sixth day in a row, Dave was out on the bike this morning after watching a bit of the Tour de France.  I did a few things around here while he was gone, and then we treated ourselves to a late lunch at Mi Rancho, the amazing Mexican restaurant here in town.

A bit after our return, I went down to the Cancer Center celebration, as above.  My sole purpose in going, really, was to sign the beam.  Mission accomplished, I returned home shortly after that.  I’m about to wrap up this blog post, and I suspect there will be a chess session on the porch in a wee while.

We have really, really enjoyed our holiday.  We haven’t spent a bunch of money, there was no travel to a destination, we did a few things but weren’t rushing around with a schedule, and it was all done in the comfort of sleeping in our own home every night.  Such a deal!

There were a few home improvement things done – a few “nesting” activities – and we’re just about set for Winter when it appears in what will seem like a short few weeks.  Yes, I know it’s July, but this is Minnesota!  Ha!  We’ll need to add some winter outerwear geared for this climate, but house-wise, we’re settled in, looking and feeling cozy.

I totally like our cottage/townhome – not just the floorplan and location, but the way it’s shaping up, the way we’re making it “our own.”

Life is, indeed, guid!

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay safe out there, okay?

A Gentle Reminder from Mother Nature

 

View out my office window this morning!

Mother Nature is giving us a wee reminder of what Winter will be like here in northern Minnesota, so we’ll have time to prepare before the cold and seriously snowy months roll around later this year. 

We are on the waiting list for a detached garage.  There was one available when we reserved our townhome, but we didn’t take it.  We still had the truck (which was too big for the garage), we weren’t sure of our expenses, and so on. Hindsight is a lovely, precise 20/20, eh?  Wishing now I had included it.  Not only for the car, but for the bikes and other “garage” stuff that we have stashed away inside here.  We’re 3rd on the waiting list and hoping we’ll have the car snug inside before Winter kicks in.

Our vehicle was always garaged when we lived in Hibbing, MN 10 years ago.  If we don’t get a garage, I’ll need to study up again on the best ways for de-icing the car doors, windows, etc.  We had to do this in New Jersey, so it will just be a matter of refreshing the memory … and skills.  Hopefully won’t have to do that, though.

Our front porch and door is exposed to the North.  And the North wind.  Ha!  This morning, even with the small amount of snowfall we were having, there was a wee drift in the corner by the storm door.

So I’m thinking, “What if we get a blizzard with a foot or more of snow?  We’ll have a huge drift right here at the door! Might be tricky getting out.  Better get a shovel or something so we can dig our way out if we can get the door open a bit.”  Even though they did come clear the sidewalks a bit this morning, we’ll still want a shovel to tidy up our porch and sidewalk in front of our unit.

Here we are around 4:30 PM today

Even though today’s event is unexpected and a bit of a nuisance so late in the year, Momma is presenting us with a mild drill so we can be thinking about these things and preparing for later when Old Man Winter settles in.

I need to start a “Get for Winter” list.  Seriously.

On the domestic front, Dave got his computer desk and chair in place yesterday.  Drapes for that room should be arriving tomorrow (had to order them; can’t find pinch pleat drapes anywhere in stores around here).  If they are okay, I’ll order the same kind for the living room.  One of the 2 recliners we purchased had ongoing issues, so that was taken away today with a replacement on tap to arrive next week.  The other chair is heavenly, but this one was just not right in several ways. 

We’ve spent a good part of today finding places for our treasures that go on the walls.

Painting by my aunt Margaret, given to me by her years ago. It brings a sense of peace, comfort, and the joy of animal companionship.

Cougar was gifted to me about 15 years ago by my Reiki mentor in Austin.  It has hung over every entryway since then, even in our RV.

Baby was with us during our Hibbing, MN days and boarded with sled dogs while I spent Winter 2005-2006 with Dave in Scotland.  Maggie had her share of “snow days” in our New Jersey years.  Both our girls loved snow! (Sorry about the reflection on the photos.)

This storm started with an awesome sleet/ice storm last night shortly after we hit the blankies.  Such a sound on the windows!  It’s been snowing since we opened the blinds this morning and is still coming down.  The temperature today won’t get to the freezing mark, but will be warmer after that with sunshine for Friday.  Next week is looking good again with pleasant temps and a prolonged reappearance of Mr. Sun.

Hope your days are sunny and pleasant!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be safe out there, okay?

Settling In

We departed the RV park in College Station, TX the afternoon of Tuesday, April 4, and arrived at our new digs in Bemidji, MN that Saturday afternoon.  Our departure was a bit later in the day, by the time we loaded the truck with our belongings from the rental travel trailer.  Besides that, we weren’t in a hurry.  We drove each day until we decided we’d best look for a hotel for the night.  We ended up staying in Ardmore, OK; Emporia, KS; Sloan, IA; and Fargo, ND. 

We were fortunate to have no issues on the road, although the wind was incredible every day. One day it was headwind, the next tailwind, and so on each day.  We were sure glad it wasn’t a crosswind!  We were able to find lodging every night with parking to accommodate our truck and U-Haul trailer within walking distance to restaurants.

The AmericInn in Fargo was our fave of the trip.  They boast of being “Rated the Best Hotel in North Dakota.” I have no arguments with that!  Flipping through the cable channels, we found the move Fargo.  Even though we’d seen it before, you know we just had to watch it being where we were!

               Lobby of the AmericInn in Fargo. We enjoyed the lodge theme, which was found throughout the hotel.  Sitting by the fireplace for a while felt good!

After unloading and dropping off the U-Haul trailer Saturday afternoon, the process of unpacking and setting up our new home began.  All the boxes are gone now, and we’re awaiting delivery of some furniture tomorrow. 

We’re in a 55+ community, each building being a 4-plex of townhomes. Ours is a 2-bedroom unit.

The Monday after our arrival found us at the Ford dealership.  One of the truck batteries had gone bad and, while that was being addressed, we decided to look at cars while waiting.  We had plans to downsize in the near future, as we no longer needed our Beast – a Ford F-350 1-ton diesel – since we no longer had to tow an RV.  Well …

Our “new to us” ride, a 2014 Ford Edge Sport with low miles

After about 5 hours at the dealership, we had negotiated an excellent trade-in value on our truck (everybody wanted the Beast) and a whopping deal on this Edge.  I had been doing research for a while on the Edge and a Honda CRV, with the Edge having … pardon the pun … an “edge” over the CRV.  The Beastie here has all sorts of electronic gizmos and systems, and I still need to get the owner’s manual out and spend time with it.  For now, I’ve got down the basics – syncs my phone, plays my Pandora, I know about the basic computer screens and systems, and can get us around.  It has heated seats and a sunroof.  I’ve never had a sunroof (and that feature wasn’t a factor in our decision), but it might be nice in the climate here.  Personally, a sunroof in Texas just doesn’t make sense.  Anyhoo, it’s fun to drive and handles well.  We certainly didn’t anticipate making a car deal on our 2nd full day here, but there it was, and we won’t have to do it in the future.  Cross off one item on the “to do” list!

Requisite “touristy” photo with Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

We both started back to work on Saturday, and are settling into a bit of a routine once again.  I don’t think either of us would trade the years we spent full-timing in our RV, but this is a welcome change. Everything here is nearby – a nice walk or short drive.

I step out on the porch in early mornings and smell pine trees. Eagle makes morning rounds, and gulls (yes, gulls because of Lake Bemidji), ravens, and Canada geese are seen and heard throughout the day. I saw a fox and a deer in the field nearby last night.

It’s such a relief to be in a small town and closer once again to Mother Nature.  My stress level has diminished greatly over the past week.

Evening view from my home office

More later as we explore and settle into our new hometown!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be careful out there, okay?

Last Night in Alabama

This is our last evening in Hope Hull, AL. We’ll be on the road tomorrow headed to Gautier, MS for one night. We’ve got around 200 miles to go tomorrow. That’s not much for some folks, but it’s a full day for us.

Dave pedaled 51 miles today on his bike this morning, once again thoroughly enjoying the cycling here. He has racked up 208 miles in 5 days here. He has also been taking some photos with his new phone.

 

From the charity ride, alerting riders of the upcoming rest stop named Road Kill Café. Cute, eh? Each rest stop is named with a theme.

Also for the Road Kill Café, this says, “You kill it, we cook it.” Haha!

Route markers

The park is full tonight, with 4 rigs parked in the new sites. Those sites do not have gravel yet, but the utilities are functional. We hitched up the truck a bit ago; that’s one less thing to do in the morning.

Maggie was definitely feeling better today and has had a bit of food at reduced amounts. She is certainly more her usual perky and alert self. I am so grateful and am keeping my fingers crossed that she (and I) has another restful night.

Roaming dogs have been less of an issue today, at least so far. Perhaps someone dropped a word or two to their owner down the road?

I am also happy, no, thrilled and relieved, to report that we have had no ants in our rig from day #1 since leaving the work site in South Carolina. Obviously they were coming in from outside. We are both grateful for that and happy to be away from that location.

One other cool thing I have forgotten to mention. When we were getting ready to leave Lexington, SC after the rain event had passed, Dave noticed a wee frog that came out from under our Lynx pad under one of the tires.

Little wee Frog. Good omen. Sent by Cousin Karen, I betcha. Watching over us. Yep. Indeed.

Hope you have had a great Columbus Day. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in Canada!

Thanks for stopping by!

It Must Be a Totally Awesome Door . . .

First, I’ll take a minute to answer Susan’s question in the comments from my last post. An RV park in Bryan, TX will be our initial, and perhaps long-term, landing spot. I would really like to be closer to Brenham, but there is only 1 park there, and the most recent reviews on it were less than stellar.

Brenham really could use a decent RV park. I believe there would be enough business from overnighters, sightseers to the area and snowbirds to keep a good park ticking over. Anyone out there interested? Let us know if you want to put one in; we’ll run it for you! (In my dreams . . .)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have believed for many years that when one door in Life closes, another opens. Actually, I have known this to be true from personal Life experiences. I also know that everything happens for a reason in our lives. These are two concepts I pass along to my Reiki students.

One could easily say these two beliefs are being tested these days. I was notified today that my virtual assistant job is ending due to the project coordinator leaving the company. 

That was just a wee bit of a bolt out of the blue.

So . . . our security work ends October 1, my VA (virtual assistant) job of 2 years is gone (at least for the moment; I’m sure I will be contacted should they have projects in the future) and we’re being forced back to Texas so we can continue to have health insurance coverage.

Must be one heck of a door that’s gonna open, eh?

I had decided not to begin the job search for medical transcription employment until we land in Texas with the reasoning that I want to be available to begin work immediately upon receipt of an offer and to arrange for cable Internet service if needed. I think what I may do is follow the same path for the VA work, too. We have only a bit over a week before we depart this location and then 12 days of travel. I think I’ll take this time to rest, recharge my spiritual and creative batteries and enjoy our trip back to the Lone Star State.

Well, I actually do have an interview for another VA gig tomorrow, a possible opportunity that arose a few weeks ago. We’ll see how that goes. If it’s a match, I will, of course, jump on it.

These two job endings could be seen as setbacks and/or negative happenings and I could be very discouraged.

I am, however, hopeful.

“Really?”

Well, yeah, really, when I get in touch once again with my core beliefs.

I can see – envision – our new direction. I can see me doing medical transcription again, making a decent living and our having a laid-back and pleasant life, perhaps with Dave eventually doing some work for our site/pay somewhere. Yes, an enjoyable life, even in Texas.  (gasp)

I did it before, and my original plan (when contemplating going full-time as a solo back in 2003/2004) was to take my job as an MT on the road. At that time, I was a home-based MT living in Brenham. Sure, I put in a lot of hours at the keyboard, but I paid my bills and had enough left over to attend yoga classes once a week, have an occasional lunch out, keep my hair cut regularly, etc.  My critters never went hungry and neither did I. I also did more than just sit at the keyboard. Much, much more – cycled, camped now and then, did volunteer work, walked, took care of my yard and home, attended drum circles, taught Reiki on weekends, hung out with friends . . . you get the picture.

Why not have all that again? Well, not specifically those things perhaps (although I sure would dig hooking up with a groovy drum circle and I do miss teaching Reiki), but a well-rounded life with a profession I enjoy.

Indeed!

So, no, “Oh man, why is this happening?” but instead, “Wow. This is a whole new beginning!”

I can’t wait to see the reason for all this.

It’s going to be freakin’ awesome!

Thanks for stopping by!

T Minus 3.5

 

That’s 3.5 days until we roll through the gates here for the last time.  Dave is off on a prolonged bike ride this lovely Sunday, and I’m good with that.  He is winding up his cycling here in New Jersey; I told him to take as long as he wanted, stop by the little café where he likes to get a coffee and just really savor the ride.  His busy time preparing us to leave starts tomorrow.  He gets to do the “fun” stuff including torqueing the wheels, checking tire pressures, greasing wheel bearings, unhooking the sewer (PVC line) connection on Wednesday and so forth.  Wednesday will be busy, as we’ll hitch up the truck and 5er, too.  I’m hoping he has a blast on his ride today! 

Meanwhile, I’m doing our laundry for the last time here.  Our washer/dryer will leave Tuesday and should be at the site in South Carolina by next weekend.  I also continue to stow some things . . . our log tongs, being one of the items.

We found this item in a funky resale shop in . . . Florence, South Carolina, during our two-month gig there in September 2010.  They have gotten quite the workout since that time, being very handy for our campfires.  Interesting that they will be returning to Florence with us.  We had our last campfire here last night, and it was a good one.

Bringing in some warmth and good vibes through the chakras in my feet last night

Amazing how when you’re in one spot for so long stuff is everywhere . . . tongs on the rock by the fire pit, work boots in the office, there’s the outside garden hose that needs to be put away (check), beer glasses (inside a cabinet in the RV, naturally) wrapped and stowed for travel (check), etc..  Whew!

For several evenings lately, we have been visited by Toad.  Toad was out again last night, keeping a very still vigil by one of our ground lights for over three hours.  I think Toad was  waiting for bugs, i.e. evening meal . . . 

Hunting or meditating?  Or both?

Part of the symbolism of Toad in Native American views is the bringing of inner strength medicine.  That’s totally cool and very welcome, as I will be summoning up my inner strength persona during our trip South.  Thank you, Great Spirit, for sending Toad my way during this time of transition.

Oh yeah, Mole is busy again already this year.  The ground right next to the pavement in front of our RV is squishy/gives way a bit, and one can see the trails – upended earth – where Mole is burrowing around underground.  Mole is getting an early start; we didn’t see that until well into Winter last year when there was snow on the ground. 

Steak Bridies for dinner tonight

The meat is in the slow cooker and still has a bit to go, but bridies are on the menu tonight.  This is a Scottish treat and should be even more yummy this evening because we actually have a bottle (well, part of one) of HP Sauce.  Yay!

I think I’m pretty much done with outside stuff today, as it is fairly warm and quite humid.  Tomorrow should be cooler by about ten degrees and more pleasant after a cold front rolls through later this evening.

Well, at least with this move I have something to blog about these days.  I really appreciate you taking time to visit with me here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Duncan Lou Who and Panda Paws Rescue

 

For some time now, I’ve been a total fan of Panda Paws Rescue.  Amanda is truly an Angel on this Earth.  Check out her latest miracle, Duncan Lou Who.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and remember how to fly!