Rolling right along…

What your heart desires is not too good to be true. It is good enough to be true. —Alan Cohen, author

May 29th, 2022. Oak Grove, Arkansas.

Now that we’ve been here a few weeks, we’re finding life at an RV resort to be interesting, especially when it comes to the parade of recreational vehicles rolling past our corner-lot site. Many of the ones that come in for a few nights are newish, high-end, late models with names like Tiffin, Newmar, Coachman and Berkshire. They are shiny and impressive in their own right, but their basic designs are similar and, if you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all. So when something very different came along the other day, my curiosity was piqued…especially since it was parked right across the street.

Robert came over to introduce himself shortly after setting up and invited us to come over for a tour. Even though this is nowhere close to my idea of traveling, I couldn’t help being curious to see the inside because I already knew I wanted to share the experience with You in a blog. After all, this is not your typical RV nor something that one sees everyday. Besides, I’m always eager to learn how the other half lives.

A few years ago, when Julia and Robert Barclay decided to downsize from their 5,000 square foot home in Princeton, New Jersey to an RV, it was with the understanding that there would be no compromise in their lifestyle, one that included a lot of travel and entertaining. Even though neither had any camping experience, they knew exactly what they wanted. Thoughtfully, carefully, and methodically they designed and built their custom travel home, and for more than two years have been taking it on the road, proving that one can indeed have their cake and eat it, too.

Truly, this is one impressive, jaw-dropping creation. Calling it an RV just doesn’t seem to do it justice. It seems much more than that. And for heaven’s sake, don’t call it a tiny home. A tiny home could not stand up to the rigors of the road like this custom travel home does. Only the highest quality of materials, many European, were integrated in the fabrication. The appliances and electronics are second to none. The glass doors are guaranteed not to crack or break. Every conceivable space is utilized to the max, and there is a TON of storage. There was a space for everything and everything was in its place.

I asked Robert point-blank why they went this route and not one of those aforementioned pricey rigs. His reply was that none of them had everything he and Julia wanted, and as Julia guided me on a tour of their home, I understood exactly what he meant: a pot-filler faucet, two stainless steel countertops, and a composting toilet are not typical standard RV features, even in those wildly pricey Class A’s.

Wood burning stove. Used for heat, as well as baking.
Privacy beautifully achieved

The theatre/study was especially impressive. With a simple voice command to ‘prepare room for movie,’ the electronics (that now include Starlink) took center stage, elevating the television to the proper height and automatically drawing the curtains to darken the room. If Robert and Julia wanted to watch television in bed, another command would swivel the screen 180 degrees for that.

I was very grateful for being able to tour Julia and Robert’s truly beautiful home and also for their frankness and openness. When I asked the approximate cost to build their custom travel home, I was shocked, in a good way. (No wonder they didn’t buy a cookie-cutter RV!) They are continually on the move, traveling every 3-4 days, and if that isn’t a road test, I don’t know what is! Interested persons are invited to contact them for more information on this particular model (that has all the whistles and bells), or an alternative design that’s towable with a dually truck. Email Robert@customtravelhomes.com, 203-690-0638, or see their Facebook page, Custom Travel Homes.

Finally, after days and days of rain, the sun came out just in time for holiday weekend. This area’s had SO much rain that 8 of the 10 spillway gates at the dam at Table Rock Lake have been open for at least a couple of weeks.

And in other news, our grandson’s high school varsity baseball team (our reason for spending a month in Kentucky this earlier this spring) WON DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP in a thrilling come-from-behind victory earlier this week. The State Tournament in Lexington begins June 5th. Best of luck, Christian County High School Colonels!

Such is life in the country. Please take care and stay in touch. Have a wonderful and safe rest of the holiday weekend. Much love and long hugs…Maria

May Days

Time and time again we reconnect. It’s as though the universe nudges us to give it one more chance. –Nikki Rowe, author

May 17th, 2022. Oak Grove, Arkansas

Hello again, All.😃 I write this with the hope that you are doing well. This post comes with a warning: 13-year-old humor ahead. 🙃

This past Saturday was my 50th high school reunion in St. Louis, and I’m so glad I went! Last month I shared that I was on the fence about going, even though I had Zoom’d in all but one planning meeting. But it wasn’t until I offered to be the photographer that my going was definite. I was going to say that I didn’t know what possessed me to volunteer, but in fact, I do. It was the Spirit that moved me.

Following inner nudges is not foreign to me; I may be impulsive, but being like that has given me a lifetime of eclectic experiences—not to mention stories to tell. The planning committee hadn’t even thought of designating somebody to do that, so my offer was readily accepted. Of course, I immediately began to have doubts about my ability to take good photographs, but even that turned into a blessing!! The lessons for an iPhone photography class I’d taken three years ago were still on my phone, but UPDATED, which is great because I have a newer phone. For two weeks I reviewed lessons, and by the time Saturday arrived, I was ready.

As it turned out, it was the best thing I could’ve done. I actually think it ensured my good time because I had to move around and be sociable. Not that I’d be a wallflower otherwise; but I’m not on Facebook and I’ve lived away from St. Louis for 42 years, so I’m not as connected as the others. But by being the photographer, I spoke to just about everyone there and even chatted at length with some old friends.

At one point I walked towards the bar to get something to drink, and as I approached, I stopped dead in my tracks: One of the bartenders was an old family friend—more than 50+ years ago, her cousin married my cousin, but Jan and I haven’t seen each other in decades.

What an unexpected blessing it was to see her after all this time, as well as the other person tapped to tend bar, one of my very favorite people from the class that graduated the year after us. Seeing these two old friends made me even more grateful I made the trip back to St. Louis. I had a much better time than I ever expected. It was great.

As good as the reunion was, it was not the highlight of my weekend. There were several actually, but I won’t bore you with the details except for one.

Visiting Uranus for the first time.

The trip from Oak Grove to St. Louis is a little more than 200 miles via I-44. I love road trips, especially when there’s time to stop along the way and explore. On the way to St. Louis, I stopped in Uranus, a place I’ve always wanted to see. The billboards along the highway were intriguing, and I wondered what I’d find there.

This pun-filled, light-hearted tourist attraction is the brainchild of self-proclaimed mayor Louie Keen, who used to own a strip club located on the property where Uranus is now. He designed a whole new, family-friendly business around a quirky name, and began his marketing campaign. Just adding “in Uranus” or “from Uranus” to any sentence makes whatever said humorous. Immature to be sure, but it’s all done in fun. 🥸

If you ever go to Uranus, be sure to grab a copy of the local newspaper, the Uranus Examiner. With such features such as “Finding Love in Uranus,” “Check Out Some Things Happening in and Around Uranus,” and “You’ll Never Know What You’ll See in Uranus,” one is bound to get a good idea of what goes on in Uranus: Lots of fun and laughs.

Not surprisingly, I met a most interesting and quite unusual person in Uranus: Kat, the sword swallower and manager of the Uranus Sideshow. So much local knowledge! I was mesmerized as she expounded upon other roadside attractions along the interstate she thought I might like: (Stonehenge at Missouri U.-Rolla, the 2-story tall Rocking Chair in Cuba, MO, the Route 66 State Park, just outside St. Louis.) But it wasn’t that that captivated me; it was her body. It (as much as I could see, anyway) was completely tattooed in such pattern that she looked like a leopard! 😳 Odd though it was, the pattern was uniform and tasteful—not a mishmash of random designs that looked like they were done in a prison.

Talking with Kat was a very good reminder to not judge people based on appearances. Despite her very unusual physical experience, our brief conversation about roadside attractions was delightful. That one commonality connected us, two complete strangers. I’ll probably never see her again, but I’ll certainly never forget her.

Our travels are now paused for the summer. The price of diesel and a general, uneasy feeling of uncertainty surrounding the mid-term elections made the decision to hunker down an easy one. I’m sure we won’t be bored, not with all there is to do at the lake and all the shows in Branson (and 2-for-1 tickets are the way to go!).

Until next time, take care and please stay in touch. Peace, Love, and great big hugs☮️❤️🤗Maria

Kentucky: Baseball, Bonding, and Beer

As you get older, the clichés of life ring true. It’s the simple things that matter most: your family, the people you love, your health and sanity. -Ronan Keating, Irish singer, songwriter

April 30th, 2022.

Greetings from Cadiz, Kentucky where, if the saying about April showers is true, May flowers will be abundant and stunning (it has rained that much.)

Since last month’s post, everything has been going along smoothly with us, the pups, and Felix too, thank God, and there hasn’t been much to report. Unless you’d like me to bend your ear about our grandson’s baseball team, currently 20-3 on the season and ranked 16th in the state. I won’t, of course, but it is pretty amazing to see what’s become of the little guy whose t-ball games we attended not so long ago. Or so it seems.

It’s good to be back here, near Kate and the kids, though it’s made me aware of change and getting older. Bobby and Maeby are 15 and 13 now; Bobby hopes to get his drivers permit in June. In fact, one of the first things we did when we got here was to get the Juke (our old car) out of storage and tuned up and in-shape for him. Just being to drive himself to all of his commitments—baseball practice, games, and work—will help Kate tremendously.

Hopkinsville Brewing Company is in its seventh year already, which is hard to believe. Given the past couple of years—Covid and all its implications…lockdowns, masks, etc.—HBC not only survived, but has flourished, expanding its physical space and its production capability, too. How Kate manages to juggle family and business as well as she does amazes me. Dave, who spends Fridays and Sundays working on the HBC website often comments, “They’ve got a lot going on.” And they do. Live music. History On Tap. Comedy. Books at the Bar Book Club. Corn hole. Goat yoga. Yep, you read that last one right.

While we’re here, I’m helping Maeby with her very first sewing project, a gift for Kate for Mother’s Day. Sewing is one of those talents that looks so easy until you actually do it. Personally, it is not my forte, though in the past I have sewn a few items. One learns early on if a particular hobby is a good fit or not, and sewing was not something I liked enough to want to pursue. What I can do, though, is follow directions, and I was honest with Maeby about my limited ability.

While I prayed that God would make me the seamstress my granddaughter thought I was, Maeby learned that there’s a lot more to sewing than actually sewing: cutting out the pattern, pinning it to the material, cutting the material. It was slow going at first, but more actual sewing is happening now, so spirits have been lifted. I’m just grateful she didn’t choose to make a pleated skirt, which is what I chose to make as my first project so many years ago. In plaid, no less. No wonder I never really took to sewing. 🤪

We’re here for another week and a half, and then we’ll head straight back to our pad in Arkansas. I’ll only be there a couple of days before driving to St. Louis for my 50th high school reunion. I went to St. Elizabeth Academy, an all-girls, Catholic high school, and graduated in 1972. At last count, 51 of 134 classmates are coming, as well as three nuns who taught there then, so it looks like there’ll be a good turnout.

I’ve known the date of this reunion for at least six months, and I have vacillated between going and not going all that time. Even today, despite RSVPing “Yes” and sending in my money for the dinner, I’m not all-in. Seems that I still have tinges of the inferiority complex I had when I was a teenager—that “I’m not enough” feeling, Always something to work on…

I had to laugh at myself the other day, though…I wandered into T.J. Maxx and automatically started flipping through the blouses with the thought that I’d find something to wear to the reunion. Then I stopped myself in my tracks; it was as though a moment of clarity hit me upside the head. I am so anal about the space anything and everything takes up inside the RV, and here I was looking at getting something new to wear for maybe four or five hours, max. I laughed to myself. I will probably never see these people again, and here I’m thinking about what I’ll wear. What a waste of time and money; I think I’ll wear something I already have. Assuming I go, that is. 😉

Even though there is basically one route from Oak Grove, Arkansas to this part of Kentucky, I hope that we find a new and interesting place to stay overnight when we leave. Coming here, we stopped at BOOMLAND in southern Missouri. It is the world’s largest fireworks warehouse, and the write-up about its campground on the All Stays app made us curious enough to want to stop and check it out.

We’re glad we did, and we’ll probably stay here again. The location couldn’t be better (right off I-57), the cost is minimal ($15/night) and all the sites are pull-thru and have full hook-ups (electric, water and sewer.) When we walked the pups that evening, we discovered that just across the street was a memorial commemorating the importance of this very area—the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers—to the journey of Lewis and Clark in 1803. After spending five harsh and challenging days here marking time and map making, they determined that more recruits, more supplies and more money would be needed for the westward journey. It’s unexpected finds like this that make getting off the beaten path so worthwhile!

That’s about it from us aboard Felix. Until next time, take care, and if you have time, please comment 👇🏽 or email. I would love to hear from you and learn what’s happening in your world! Much peace, love, and great big hugs! ☮️ ♥️🤗 Maria

P.S. I am on social media again, Truth Social. Maria Russell@midwestgypsy

Biscuit update

Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What’s one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully. – Jon Katz, American journalist

Friday, March 25, 2022

Since the last post elicited responses from several friends wishing better days for Biscuit here and in text messages and phone calls, I thought I’d write a quick update. But before I do, thank you so much for your concern and kind words. That meant very much to me. 😘

Thanks to our friend Jaan’s suggestion, we began giving Biscuit Immodium on what was Day 5 of her diarrhea dilemma. The pet anti-poopy medicine we’d begun giving her two days earlier wasn’t doing the job, in our opinion, and on this particular day, we had to check out of the Airbnb/trailer we’d rented for a week while Felix was being worked on.

Thank goodness the work on Felix was completed and we were able to move back aboard the RV that afternoon (Monday.) Just having had one dose of Immodium, the dilemma still existed. But now it was compounded by the challenge of getting a sick pup from our rig to the designated doggie area. No longer did we have the luxury of a grassy area just steps outside the door like we did when we were in the trailer, nor the hose used so often for clean-up. Now we had to traverse at least half a dozen Tiffen motorhomes (averaging at least $300,000-400,000, conservatively speaking) as discreetly as possible, at least a couple of them with their owners aboard.

Oh, and as if that in itself wasn’t enough, around 6 p.m., the tornado sirens sounded.

In a situation like that—in an RV, with no tornado shelter available—all one can do is pray. The sky was the most ominous, sickly shade of yellow. Soon the rain pounded our new roof and the wind made Felix sway a time or two, but eventually it passed. Thank goodness the storm went farther north, and all we had to contend with was very windy and cold conditions for the next 36 hours. It still wasn’t easy getting Biscuit to the doggie area, but I slept on the recliner and we got out the door as fast as we could every time she wanted to go outside, which was several times both nights we stayed in Lewisville.

By Wednesday, both the weather and Biscuit’s situation improved enough that we felt comfortable making our way to our permanent spot in Arkansas. I felt badly for Biscuit, who was laying on the couch, completely worn out, but we couldn’t stay at the RV-dealership indefinitely. We went as far as McAlester, OK, and we finally arrived at our destination yesterday around 3 p.m.

Today is Day 9, and Biscuit is much, much better. She is not yet 100%, but she’s finally drinking water and eating a little (dehydrated chicken treats we got at the pet store the other day.) We will be here in Arkansas until we go to Kentucky early next month, so this will be a good opportunity to keep a low profile for a while.

Dave and I sometimes muse that our lives revolve around the pups, and because they’re the age they are (16 and 14), they do. But it is what it is. There will always be some situations not under our control, but oftentimes those are the very ones I end up writing about. Like this!! We just do the best we can and remember to be aware of all the blessings hidden here and there along the way. There is always something to be grateful for.

As always, I will keep in touch, and I hope you do the same. Take care, and stay well. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Great Big Hugs! ♥️ Maria

We’re Here.

The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but your thoughts about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. -Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

March 20, 2022

Denton, Texas. We’ve been here for almost a week, having left Felix at NIRVC in Lewisville on Monday for some work.

‘Here’ is an Airbnb, 3-bedroom trailer at a great location about 17 miles north of Felix that wasn’t overpriced, that allowed pets, and that got relatively great reviews.

‘Here’ is Hickory Creek Mobile Home Park, the latter part of the name being something new to me. I admit I had a slanted view of that type of lifestyle. I never knew anyone who actually lived in a trailer or a trailer park. It just seemed ‘different’ (says the person who’s lived on a boat—twice—-and now an RV.)😄

‘Here’ is the most barebones Airbnb we’ve ever rented. It’s obvious a guy (and, given our communications, a single one at that) owns what is called “Vacation Spot @ the Trailer Park” on the Airbnb website. All of the walls are completely bare, except for a clock whose batteries are dead. There are no towel racks or toilet paper holder in the bathroom, but at one point there had been as evidenced by the holes in the wall.

There are four bath towels, but no hand towels, no wash cloths, no dish towels, and only a partial roll of paper towels. There is only a sponge for washing dishes. For some reason, with the exception of the smoke detector in the bedroom, all others have been removed. On the upside (and what would later be considered a godsend) it’s got a relatively new, commercial-grade Maytag washer and dryer, awkwardly positioned in the hallway.

You may be asking yourself, why did we rent such a place. Quite simply, because of the pups. Having them in a hotel can be such a PITA (my way of saying, “pain in the ass.”) Little did I suspect that being ‘here’ would also be a godsend.

In the middle of the third night here, Biscuit woke me up, and I immediately sensed she had to go out. We both made a beeline for the front door (I forgot to mention that the back door is useless because the storm door shielding it is hanging precariously on one hinge, and would probably break if forced open.) Barely making down the porch steps and onto the grass, I soon heard and then smelled what I suspected to be the problem. Biscuit had diarrhea.

That was three nights ago, and we are still dealing with it. Being the one who volunteered to sleep on the couch with both pups so that I could deal with Biscuit throughout the night, my sleep has been as intermittent as it was when my children were babies. I’ve really had to adjust my thinking about the current situation because it’s quite shitty, excuse my candor.

I am not complaining. I’m being literal.

But it is what it is, and you’ll probably laugh when I tell you this, but right this minute, I am extremely grateful.

I am so grateful we are ‘here.’ For one thing, a store I’d never heard of before, Pet Supermarket, is less than a mile down the road. Two days ago we went there and bought some diarrhea medicine (Pet Pectillen) and a washable doggie diaper. Yesterday we took Biscuit in to be bathed. They have a do-it-yourself doggie wash that’s apparently very popular because we arrived ten minutes after opening and two of the three bays were already occupied. But the best part of Pet Supermarket is their staff. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been as favorably impressed with the staff of any retail store as I was with the staff ‘here.’

The longer this goes on, the more grateful I am that we are ‘here.’ I’m grateful for the conveniences of a deep kitchen sink and that it’s near the front door. Instant hot water. The bright porch light that illumines the night at o’dark:30. A couch large enough for the pups and me to sleep on. A long, long hose that helps wash away telltale poopy stains. The Maytag washer and dryer. And so much more.

What a PITA this would be if we were in a hotel!

Check out is noon tomorrow, regardless of whether or not the work on Felix is done. Hopefully, we’ll see a change for the better in Biscuit’s constitution in the next 24 hours🙏🏽

I’m not even going to speculate on “what ifs.” There are too many of those, more than enough to drive me insane. But like the quote mentioned reminds me, the way I think about things will determine my happiness. So, I just have to focus on the blessings and not the minutia. If we were in a hotel, it would be so much worse!!

I never imagined I’d be happy ‘here,’ but all things considered, I am. Hopefully, you’re happy where you are, too. And if you’re not, maybe my current situation will help you see yours in a different light.

And, if nothing else, Happy 1st day of SPRING!🌷

I’ll write more once we get rolling again. Until then…Peace. Love. And long, long hugs. -Maria♥️

Nudges from God

Has nothing to do with the story…just an ordinary day in Bandera, Texas.

If you have carefully examined hundred people you met in your life journey, it means that you have read hundred different books! Every person you know is a book; world is full of walking books; some are boring, some are marvellous, some are weak, some are powerful, but they are all useful because they all carry different experiences of different paths! -Mehmet Murat ildan, Turkish novelist

Has the thought of someone you hadn’t seen in a really long time ever popped into your head for no apparent reason? How about several of those people, all with something in common? That’s what happened to me yesterday, and it was a tremendous start to a day that turned out to be a very warm and fuzzy experience.

Because we’ve moved around so much over the years, I don’t have very deep roots anywhere. I wish I did, but such is not the case. Ironically, because we’ve moved around so much—and now, with this life-on-wheels—I’ve been blessed with friends from a lot of different parts of the country. And what I have in common with all of them is ‘walking.’ I have met every one of these friends while out walking.

Yesterday morning while knitting, I thought about one such friend, Beth, whom I’d met briefly on a walking path in an RV park in Hot Springs, Arkansas four years ago. Which got me to thinking about Tracey, with whom I hiked for about an hour in High Falls, Georgia the year before that. My oldest such friend is Carol, whom I got to know nearly 30 years ago while walking in a Susan B. Komen 5K in Washington, DC. And I’ve been blessed with at least a couple more of these special friends whom I’ve met walking…actually, more.

When I think of people randomly like that, I always try to send them a text immediately to let them know I’m thinking about them. I don’t know why, but I regard those kinds of thoughts as nudges from God. All I know is that sending a thinking-of-you text results in me getting a loving message in return. It doesn’t take but a few minutes, but its positive effects lasts all day long, and sometimes longer. It was no different with the text messages I’d received from Beth and Tracey. I am so grateful.

Then, out of the blue and just as I’d gotten home from a hair appointment that afternoon, came a knock at the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but here was Diane from Minnesota, who was passing through with her husband Jeff on their way back from the coast. They were in Bandera only one night. Did I want to go for a walk. Of course, I did!

For someone who’s gone through life like a tumbleweed, these friends, who’ve literally walked into my life, have made more of a positive impact on my life than I could have ever imagined. The fact that I’ve kept in touch with people I met briefly years ago truly blows my mind. The saying about people coming into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime rings true.

I wonder what it is about walking that brings certain people together.🤔 I guess it takes getting outside (ourselves) to avail oneself to blessings that would not otherwise be had…to make eye-contact, smile and say “Hi” to complete strangers. At least that’s what I’ve found works. So, get out. You never know what blessings await!♥️

February update…

Genuine tranquility of the heart and perfect peace of mind—the highest blessings on earth after health—are to be found only in solitude and, as a permanent disposition, only in the deepest seclusion. -Schopenhauer

February 27, 2022.

Hello, Friends 😊 I hope this finds you healthy, sane, and faring as well as can be expected despite world events continuing to spiral out of control.

I have been in a little bit of a funk recently. The waning days of this already-short month seemed to be the only thing that spurred me into writing today. My journal, in which I wrote almost daily, now goes unopened for days. I’ve been trying not to be too hard on myself, but still, writing has always been important to me, so I hope my slump is short lived.

Whether or not it’s related to just being fed up with government overreach, I can’t be sure. I’m just so tired of conflicting messages received from the ‘experts’ on the ‘news,’ whatever that means these days. The past couple of years—where we’ve gone from 2 weeks to flatten the curve to worldwide protests against tyrannical mandates—has changed me, as it has many people, unfortunately. I have become skeptical and don’t trust people as much as I used to. I used to very sociable. Lately, I’m not.

Consequently, I have been knitting a lot. It’s amazing that a hobby that’s relatively monotonous has captivated my attention so. My ADHD seems to have been somewhat harnessed. ‘Somewhat,’ because I couldn’t be content to work on just one project, so I’m working on two, a long-term (a scarf) and a short-term (a blanket block.)

Having just begun a couple of months ago, I make a lot of stupid mistakes, but I’m learning a lot in the process. Thank goodness for YouTube videos and friends here at the park who know how to knit! I’m especially indebted to my friend Melody, wintering here from Minnesota, who somehow figured out a mess I’d knitted myself into on the scarf and made it right. There truly are angels among us.

Earlier this month, our older pup, Victor, was diagnosed with an ocular ulcer, and subsequently has been on three medications, given at 5 minute intervals, 4 times a day. Meaning that one whole hour every day is spent administering meds. I don’t do it; Dave does. He has a way with animals, and besides, I am too squeamish to do anything eye-related, so I keep time. Poor Victor. He’s weathered the ordeal like a champ, considering he is 16 years old. So far, there have been 3 follow-up visits in a month’s time with at least one more before we leave. That’s in less than two weeks.

Around the same time that started, we got an email from our boss at the dam visitors center in Branson detailing the Army Corps of Engineers’ official protocol regarding volunteers.

Since we cannot in good conscience comply with the new requirements, it looks like we won’t be volunteering this year there (or anywhere government-related, I guess.) 😕 That’s disappointing; we really enjoyed volunteering there last year.

But the world today is forcing us to make a stand on issues that we feel are important, as evidenced by the Canadian truckers protest and the miles-long People’s Freedom Convoy currently in Oklahoma, heading east. Alexander Hamilton, among others, is credited with some version of the saying, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This, the confidentiality of one’s medical and health information, is something we feel that important.

This is our fifth winter in Bandera. We chose it because of its proximity to Austin, where our son and his family lived. Unfortunately, we didn’t see them much over the years because that’s what his wife preferred. At first, this made us very sad, but time has a way of helping one accept what is. However, they are no longer together, so we have seen DJ and our grandsons more on this trip than all the previous years combined. It’s been SO good to have our son back.

As much as we’ve love it here, it’s time for a change and we’ve made the decision to winter elsewhere next year. ‘Where’ exactly has yet to be determined, but we’re exploring the Mississippi Gulf coast. We’ve only been back to Bay Saint Louis once since Hurricane Katrina, so it would be good to see what it’s like 17 years later. We made some calls to a few RV parks, but were told to call back after April 1st when they would know who was and who wasn’t coming back next winter.

So, wherever we go, proximity to both Austin and Hopkinsville will be a major consideration. Kate, bless her heart, occasionally broaches the subject we lovingly call “the end game,” when Dave and I can’t live like this (meaning, on wheels) anymore. It’s hard to say what will happen tomorrow, much less in a year, especially these days. Time will tell.

As it stands, we will leave here no later than March 12th, and deliver Felix to NIRVC in Lewisville, just north of Dallas. Solar panels and new shock absorbers will be installed in addition to recall-work on the front tires being made right. We (including the pups) be in an Airbnb in Denton, and our fingers are crossed that Felix will be ready to roll in a week.

Not much else to report, so I’ll wrap this up for now. Take care, hang in there, and if you’re a praying person, do that. Our world needs it. Until next time, much love and long hugs. -Maria

February in Bandera

February 7, 2022

Dear Family and Friends,

Forgive me for allowing January to go by without writing. I haven’t skipped a monthly blog in a long time, but there really wasn’t much happening, save for entering a Texas chili contest and my new hobby, knitting, which has become an unexpected and serious obsession. I can’t believe how hard it is to put down once I start.

If truth be told, I think most of the entrants just cooked up their best pot of chili, unaware that “Texas chili” doesn’t have beans. The cook-off rules were rather confusing; depending on how one interpreted the big black mark, it could be have been read either one of two ways—either that beans were permitted or they weren’t. It was only when one looked very closely that the word ‘NOT’ could be seen. In any event, those with beans were disqualified, and of the entrees that remained, mine was awarded 3rd place👍🏼

Winners received a chili cook off apron and a gift certificate to one of three local restaurants 😋

Other than Wednesdays—the day we deliver Meals On Wheels—our days are unplanned and typically uneventful. Since arriving here in mid-November, we’ve been to the big city (San Antonio) just once. We’re just two old people biding the winter months in relatively warmer climes with others of like mind. I say that because temps last week dipped into the teens, 🥶 so clearly we have not gone far enough south. We’re considering other venues for next winter…any ideas?

Besides knitting, I’ve really gotten into playing games most afternoons up at the rec hall here. Who knew playing dominoes could be so much fun? But it is. An entire game takes but two hours, and in that time there’s a lot of hilarity punctuated by periods of silence/dozing off, ending with someone finally asking, “Who’s turn is it?” It’s reassuring to be with others who forget from time to time. 😄

On a serious note, have you heard what is happening in Canada? Actually, it’s been going on for more than a week now. I’d love it if any friends who have Canadian friends would please confirm this.

https://www.rt.com/news/547796-freedom-trucker-protest-trudeau/

In a nutshell, on January 23, 2022, truckers all across Canada started a convoy to the capital of Ottawa to protest the policy that mandated unvaccinated truckers crossing the US/Canadian border to quarantine for 14-days after returning. Thousands of truckers made their way cross -country, cheered on by Canadian citizens coming out in droves to support them, lining overpasses and highways, waving Canadian flags and holding up signs of support, bringing food, offering lodging. Farmers have even joined in with their farm equipment.

The convoy arrived in Ottawa a week ago, January 29. The truckers’ goal is to have open dialogue with Prime Minister Trudeau. They have vowed not to leave Ottawa until this happens. Everything has remained peaceful.

Prime Minister Trudeau reportedly has Covid and has been ‘quarantined’ since January 29.

More than $10 million was raised on Go Fund Me to help provide fuel, food, and lodging for the truckers. Then, on February 5th, the CEO of Go Fund Me, Tim Cadogan, deemed the convoy a terrorist organization that promoted ‘violence and harassment’ in Ottawa, and blocked distribution of funds.

Undeterred, supporters set up a page on Give Send Go on February 5, and in just 2 days, more than 44,000 donors have contributed $4,287,797 to the Freedom Convoy 2022.

There are reports of U.S. truckers already waiting at the Canadian border to join the convoy. Some reports says the convoy will go to DC. Some say it’s going to Los Angeles and the Super Bowl. That’s in less than a week.

I don’t know if any of this is meaningful to you. But the truckers are traveling light (no trailers full of supplies), and the transportation of goods is going to be severely affected. And the price of what CAN get to the stores is going to be even higher than what it is now. We’re not what you’d call “preppers,” but we are trying to think ahead.

Aside from that, we’re already making plans to leave Bandera next month. We’re planning to be in the Dallas-area mid-March to have some warranty work done on Felix, as well as having new shock absorbers and solar panels installed.

Rather than trying to live aboard while the work is being done—which would involve bringing Felix in and out of the shop daily, and rather than live in a hotel for the duration—we rented an Air B&B in Denton, only 17 miles from where Felix will be. 👍🏼 It got excellent reviews, is pet friendly, and was priced right. The location is within a trailer park. I’ve never lived in a trailer park, so in an odd sort of way, I’m looking forward to it. I’m always looking for out of the ordinary places to visit so that I can write about it. There was a time I really wanted to experience camping at a nudist RV park, but I’ve outgrown that notion. Literally. 😏 Every RV park has an assortment of personalities, but can you just imagine the cast of characters there?!? 😆 I may have just rekindled an old idea…

After that we’ll head to our place at the lake for a couple of weeks before going to back to Kentucky to be with Kate and the kids for about a month. Lots of high school baseball games are on the calendar, plus special end of the school year events that we wouldn’t dream of missing. After that, St. Louis and my 50th high school reunion in mid-May😐 Sigh…1972 does not seem all that long ago.

Until next time, take care and be safe. Much love and great big hugs 🤗 -Maria

P.S. Here’s some of my knitting projects 🙂

Good-BYE, 2021!


Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering “it will be happier.”
– Alfred Lord Tennyson

Author’s note: Always having been terrible at filing, I’m currently going through lots and lots of posts that are ‘uncategorized’ in an attempt to organize them somehow. I thought this one was already published (and therefore sent to some automatically), but now I’m doubtful, so I’m hitting “Publish” again. My apologies if you’re seeing this again. -mr

December 31st, 2021.

I’ve been procrastinating about writing this month’s blog and even considered skipping it altogether. All things considered, I am ready for this year to be over. But just the other day, my daughter told me that my 15-year-old grandson recently discovered the blog I wrote after we were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He especially liked the posts about him; he was born just a few months after. It was just what I needed to get over my mental block and sit down and write.

I can’t believe how much has changed in Bandera since we were here in March. More people. More traffic. Not surprising, given all the people moving to Texas and discovering what a great place it is—especially the further one gets away from the cities and suburbs. I’m grateful we get to do that once a week on our Meals on Wheels route.

The last address on the route takes us to the very outskirts of Bandera. To get there, we drive about ten miles out of town, down a 2-lane highway at 70 mph, through a state-run natural area, down a gravel road, past an electronic gate, and finally, onto the property. Craggy, dead mesquite trees line both sides of the narrow and windy, rutted and rocky road that leads to the modest house where this elderly couple lives. Laying aside the creepiness of the dead mesquite trees, the harsh, simple and rustic beauty of this wide, open space is astounding. I can only imagine how heavenly the night sky must look from here and how quiet it must be.

Although living in the middle of nowhere is not my cup of tea, I can appreciate the idea of being far away from people. And I’m a people person! I don’t know if it’s all the BS our country—heck, our world—has gone through, but mandates and guidelines have definitely had an negative impact on me. It’s hard to be optimistic. The Truth is so difficult to ascertain anymore.

Aside from not watching television for almost two years and being totally off Facebook for almost one, I just finished seven days of not reading anything except necessary recipes, directions and text messages. (It was an assignment for a class I’m taking.) The first day wasn’t easy—especially the first couple of hours when I nearly drove Dave insane. It was almost like detoxing! I didn’t realize how often I looked at my phone out of boredom. But each day became easier, especially when he would give me the thumbnail sketch of current events. “Oh, is that what I’m missing?” I’d ask jokingly. And the truth is, the news IS a joke because you don’t know what to believe anymore. Anyway, a week of no reading was thought provoking, which may very well have been the whole point of the assignment: to discern information and think for myself.

Besides the writing class, I’m teaching myself to knit, which—if anything can be fun and frustrating at the same time—is fast becoming an addiction, probably as a result of not being able to read for a week. It all started when I saw that the library here was offering free classes. I went to one class and I was hooked. Literally! I’m sure it gets easier with practice, but right now knitting and purling provide challenge enough. One thing is for certain: I’ll never look at a sweater the same way again.

Let’s hope and pray for the best in the New Year, that things turn around in a good way, that we’ll all be happy, safe, healthy and solvent. Good riddance, 2021. I hope to never see the likes of you again.

Until next month, much love and long hugs…Maria

Back in Bandera

My, my. A body does get around. -William Faulkner, Light in August

November 22, 2021. Just when we were just getting settled into life in Oak Grove, the time came for us to leave Arkansas. We had to. As part of our buying the lot, we agreed to honor any reservations that had been previously made, and it had already been reserved for the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Leaving wasn’t easy; we already love being there.

An awesome sight seen from our rig ☺️

We never thought our home base would be in northwest Arkansas, but it ‘checked all the boxes’ as far as what we were looking for. If it weren’t for the fact that the average winter temperature is somewhere in the mid-20s, we’d stay there year round. Such as it is, November 14th was set as our departure date. Biscuit, our pup who’d had surgery, was healing wonderfully, and the saggy slide topper that had been a pain to deal with while traveling finally got replaced. All systems were go.

On travel days, we drive about 4 hours and travel somewhere around 200 miles. We take our time because Felix is big and heavy and besides, there’s no rush. I’m driving most of the time now, and I love it. The itinerary for Day 1, as determined by the gps, routed us through the Boston and Ouachita Mountains (my first real experience driving hilly, 2-lane, curvy roads). That was an experience. Sometimes there’d be a line of cars behind us, just dying to pass, but I tried hard not to let it get to me. They just had to wait.

Somewhere in Oklahoma, not one, not two, but THREE brown wasps somehow entered the rig as I was driving on a 2-lane highway that had no shoulder. I am deathly afraid of, and highly allergic to, insect stings—so, my anxiety level escalated more and more as the 2-lane went on and on. Dave knows how easily I freak out and kept repeating sternly, “Maria, keep your eyes on the road!” All I could think of was, When am I ever going to be able to pull over???

By the time we reached such a place, Dave and I surmised that a nest must’ve been built inside the air horn up on the roof, and that the sudden rush of wind caused by speed forced them down and inside the rig somehow. Once we were stopped, the wasps were dealt with in short order. And now a fly swatter has a prominent place in the front of the rig.

Would you believe that the same thing with the wasps happened on Day 2??? Again, I was driving. This time, though, we were caught up in Dallas traffic when the wasps appeared, so our speed was markedly less. I have never been so grateful for traffic to come to a standstill!

Up until this trip, Dallas has been a necessary evil, simply an unavoidable part of the north-south route. As with every big city, I dread having to drive through it, but this time was different: My good friend Pat had recently moved from California to one of its suburbs, and we planned to meet. It would be the first time in more than 30 years that we’d see each other. She and I had gone to college together, lived together, and she was my one and only bridesmaid when Dave and I married. At one point we’d been very close, but as the years flew by and Life took over for both of us, we had fallen out of touch.

I was completely unaware of and thrilled to learn that a state park laid just 10 miles southwest of Dallas: Cedar Hill State Park. Pat’s brother had camped there, and that’s how she knew of it. It’s good to know this place exists; it’s easy to get to and it’s only $30 for a full hook-up site. Our reunion went splendidly, and Pat and I yakked non-stop into the evening, catching up and reconnecting. It was wonderful, and now when I think about going back to Dallas in the spring, I’m excited.

After that we laid low for a few days at an Army Corps of Engineers park (Union Grove) until the weekend, when we went to Austin to spend time with our son and our grandsons. This was a good trip all the way around. We have so much to be grateful for.

We made it safely to Bandera late Sunday afternoon, and back to the park we’ve been coming back to for the past five years, Pioneer River Resort. We put more than 4,200 miles on Felix this year without any issues or incidents, thank God, and she has performed well and reliably. On more than just a few occasions, we’ve voiced sincere gratitude for the convenience of now having a car that we can tow on its own wheels rather than having one that needed to be hauled on a trailer. What a big difference that has made!

It’s good to be back in Bandera. We let Silver Sage know we were back and immediately were assigned a Meals on Wheels’ route which we’ll begin today. The route that was assigned is one we’ve had before, so it will be good to see familiar faces again. And tomorrow is the annual Thanksgiving potluck which, unlike last year, will be enjoyed without having to wear masks and cumbersome plastic gloves. Over the past 20 months or so, it’s the the little things like that that have come to mean so much.

Wishing you love, good health, and an abundance of Thanksgiving blessings. Until next time…Maria ☺️