Midwest Gypsy

As it turns out, an old dog can learn new tricks. Last Wednesday was the first of several country western dance lessons here at the RV park where we’re staying. The first dance we’re learned was–what else?–the Texas 2-step.

The instructors are adorable. John and Jeannie are a retired couple in their mid-70’s (at least) and they’re full-time RVers too. It wasn’t until after they retired and started RVing that they learned to dance, and John admitted to not wanting to do it at first. The only reason he did was because Jeannie really wanted to learn.

He ended up enjoying it and they’ve been dancing ever since. And regularly, too–at least four times a week. Sometimes five! Plus, they volunteer to teach others at various RV parks throughout the Hill Country. They do it for fun.

Listening to John gave me hope that I could learn the 2-step and then teach Dave when his knee’s all healed. His knee replacement was not even four weeks ago, and even though his recovery is going really well, it’ll be a while before we’re out there on the dance floor. We’ve always admired watching couples who dance well, though, and we ourselves used to dance quite regularly, back in the day. When we were in our 30’s, we’d go out at least once a week and disco. Yes, we did!

I’m not a dancer, but I love to dance. It’s been a part of my life, having been raised in a big, Polish family where all major occasions like weddings featured a polka band and lots of dancing. Even smaller venues–like the parties my parents threw for me for my First Communion and high school graduation–often had an accordion player who played polkas.

Our class consists of six couples and me. Lessons are held in the rec room here at the RV park where all but one of us are staying for the winter. I think our average age is somewhere in the mid-60’s, at least.

John explained the dance; it seemed easy enough. Slow, slow, quick, quick. Slow, slow, quick, quick. Start on the ‘quick.’ Men begin with their left foot, ladies with their right.

The couples got into position as directed, and John started the music. Since I didn’t have a partner, I was content to watch from the sidelines, but Jeannie wouldn’t have it. Standing alongside me, she showed me the steps and pretty soon I got the hang of it. She and I danced to that song and then another. I did better when I repeated, “Slow, slow, quick, quick” to myself over and over rather than when I tried making conversation with her. But I love learning learn about people, so I tried talking anyway.

In between two-stepping halfway decently and getting confused and having to start over, I learned that she and John have been married for 55 years, and that they’ve been RVing full- time for 20…in the same RV (a Winnebago). Amazing on all counts, I’d say!

It’s encouraging that people their age are still RVing, because we sometimes are asked, “how long are you going to keep doing this?”

I guess what’s meant is “living in an RV,’ and the two possible answers are ‘as long as we can’ and ‘I don’t know.’ We’ve spent nearly half of our 40 years together living in confined quarters of some sort–whether it was the boat or in an RV–so we’re as comfortable living in 320 square feet as we are in a house five times the size.

Both John and Jeannie closely watched every dancer and corrected gently when needed. In between songs, John passed along tidbits of information, like what he thought would be the best times for us beginners to go dancing at the 11th Street Bar and Saloon or Arkey’s Silver Dollar, just two of the places here in Bandera (and within a very short walk from the RV park) where live music plays most nights of the week. It’s quite impressive to listen an old guy rattle off who’s playing where and when at the local saloons.

Jeannie sat on the sidelines observing each couple’s moves

By the end of this week’s lesson (our second), John pronounced us ready to get on the dance floor and assigned homework: to go dancing at least once before our lesson next Wednesday. He reminded us that the dancing rotation goes counter clockwise, and beginners ought to stay closer to the center and not on the outside, where the more serious/good dancers tend to be.

He also told us that next week we’ll be expanding our repertoire by learning the waltz. I’m already looking forward to it! Dancing is great exercise and it’s exciting to learn something new–no matter what age you are!

For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I’m camping.

When I awoke at 5 this morning, Felix was very frigid. The temperature was 37 degrees at the time. I’m glad we don’t have an inside thermometer because I really didn’t want to know how cold it was inside.

I assumed that our furnace had used up what was left in one propane tank, so I quickly dressed and went outside to switch tanks. Biscuit looked forlorn when I shut the door. Why wasn’t I taking her for a walk as usual?

The hose was easy to unscrew but not so easy to get on the second propane tank. I had to resort to waking Dave up, which I hated to do. He’s been dealing with one electrical issue after another here lately, while putting up with a painful knee. I was trying to give him a break and let him sleep.

I walked the dogs individually while he got dressed and ready to go outside and connect the propane, but when I got back he announced that it wasn’t the propane; it was our 12-volt battery that powers the fan that ignites the heater. It was dead.

So, while we have 110 volts coming in (appliances are still working) we don’t have lights. Or a furnace. And the toilet doesn’t flush.😝

It’s now 7:30 and the sun is rising. Daylight! I wasn’t able to use the lights above the couch, so I sat in the dark all this time. Believe it or not, even though I’m still bundled up and I’m not really sure what course this day will take, it wasn’t hard to start thinking of all the things I was grateful for. Not so much that I’m a Pollyanna; I know what’ll happen if I don’t do it!

I’ll get on the pity pot and complain. I’ll bite Dave’s head off. My day will not go well.

I hereby start my day over because it’s a great day to have a great day. (And I know that somehow, someway, this too shall pass.) Here is what I’m grateful for today:

That my basic needs are met. I have food, clothing, and shelter.

I’m grateful that we still have some electricity.

I’m grateful that the coffee maker works and that I was able to make coffee.

That I’ve got a warm clothes to layer. My ears are covered and I’m wearing gloves.

For the heat generated by the pups laying next to me.

That I have plenty of warm throws and blankets.

That my phone is charged so that I can still read most of my morning devotionals.

That it’s not raining because I deliver meals today.

That it’s not cloudy or rainy so that I may see sunrise.

That I am currently witnessing the most amazing sunrise and was able to capture some good pics from my seat here on the couch.

I’m grateful it will be sunny today, and that soon the sunlight will begin streaming through the front window. That should warm things up a bit.

There. I feel better.

I hope YOUR day goes well. Have a blessed day, y’all!🤠

A little while ago I returned home from delivering meals and this is what I saw.

A part of Felix’s door handle had broken, making our one and only door unable to be opened from the outside. The only way Dave could open the door was to climb up the ladder and go through the window. I wish I’d been home to see that!

When he took off the access panel for the handle, he was able to see the part that broke and then was able to get on the Internet and track down a replacement handle assembly that contains the tiny aluminum part necessary that will make the handle functional again.

Inner door; lock hole taped over.

It wasn’t easy; two places he checked that had the part couldn’t get it here until January. He finally located a company in California that could get it here by Monday, for a price, of course. Fortunately the nighttime temperatures won’t be too cold for the foreseeable future, but he taped over the hole in the door anyway.

As long as one of us is inside the RV to open the the door, leaving isn’t an issue. But if we both leave, then the only way back in is through the window. It was for this reason that we had to postpone plans we’d made for tomorrow evening with my cousins in San Antonio. This is Texas and I don’t want to be climbing in anybody’s window at night, even if it is my own. That sort of thing can get you shot here!

Other than winning a game of bingo the other night at the activity hall, this was the most exciting thing to happen this week. Things have been so quiet, that only yesterday Dave commented that his ‘to do’ list was nearly all done. Well, I guess the Universe must’ve heard him, because once that part arrives, he’ll have his work cut out for him. He’ll love the challenge.

Today’s Meals on Wheels delivery went without a hitch. I saw something that made me glad to be a part of the program. This is how many meals were delivered in Bandera County last year:

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend! Until next time…Maria

Morning in Bandera

12/7/18 My application to Meals on Wheels (MOW) was processed quickly, to include a background check.

I thought I was volunteering to be a “jumper,” the one riding shotgun who jumps out of the car and delivers the meals, but what they really needed were drivers.

It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a Texas drivers license or even know my way around town, for that matter. And I’m so bad with directions, which automatically disqualified me as a driver, I thought.

No matter. I had a baptism by fire last week with another retiree, Neal, who’d driven the “Friday Route 173” for about three years. I was so engrossed in talking with him that I didn’t pay too much attention to where he was going as we made our way to each of the client’s homes, twelve in all. I don’t know that it would have mattered much; I wouldn’t have remembered it all anyway.

What I do remember is that he used the word “deliverance” to describe a couple of the areas (referring to the movie, I’m guessing), which got my attention. Also, he said that at least two of the dirt roads are nearly impassable when it rains. Flash floods are a major threat here.

Early in the week, rain was predicted for Friday, but I tried hard to put it out of my mind because I just don’t need that kind of stress. 😉 Seriously though, I AM trying hard to practice ‘living in the present,’ and thinking about the weather five days hence is a waste of time.

Well, Friday is here and there’s a 100% chance of rain. It’s raining now.

My route is scheduled to start in about two and a half hours, and I’m getting anxious. I’m using my tools in an attempt to get myself back to feeling peaceful. Just wrote my Morning Pages for the day (my ‘brain dump,’ as I call it), and now this blog.

Writing has always been therapeutic for me, and this is one of those times that I need to be occupied so that my fear of being washed away in a flash flood doesn’t take over.

One of my morning readings referred to the Biblical passage suggesting that we ‘rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks for everything,’ which includes times such as this. I am trying hard!

So please keep me in your prayers this morning. Not so much for me personally, but for the people whose lunch I’m delivering. I might be bringing them the only meal they’ll eat today, and they are all so grateful.

I signed up for MOW thinking it might lead to stories to write about. Today just might be one of those times!

Howdy 🤠 and Happy Thanksgiving from Bandera, Texas!

After 35 days of being on the road, we put down stakes here on November 1st. It’s the same place we hibernated last year and a place we liked well enough to return to. It’s quaint and relaxed. Winter here is mild and there’s little chance of snow…although I questioned that the other morning when the temperature was a nippy 25 degrees.

All in all, we were pleased with how well Felix (our motor home) fared on the trip, a total of 1,445 miles. Normal wear and tear resulted in something being added to Dave’s to-do list nearly every day; things that wouldn’t have been noticed if we were just sitting idle. But that was to be expected given Felix’s age (17), and all of the to-do’s are relatively minor fixes.

The road to here was quite an interesting journey in learning more about myself, especially my fears. It turns out I have a lot of them: heights, especially in the mountains; other drivers merging onto the highway, of mechanical failure, of tire blowout, rush hour traffic, of getting lost or, even worse, ending up on a dead end street with no way to turn around. Hours of going for point A to point B gave me plenty of time to think.

At 40′ in length, Felix is enough of a challenge to maneuver, but we also tow a 20′ car trailer that usually needs to be disconnected at each campground or RV park. (If you’re wondering why we have the car on a trailer, it has all-wheel drive, and that fact alone disqualifies it from traveling on its own wheels.) To be truthful, I find it to be a pain in the ass, so I asked Dave if he’d consider trading the car in on something that could be towed without a trailer. His answer was a firm “no,” so that’s that. It’s not worth arguing about.

Last week I realized to my surprise that the middle finger on my left hand is bent upwards at the end! It must’ve happened on a trip we took in August. While I was pulling out the ramps of the car trailer, I yanked one so hard that it completely separated from the trailer and slammed down hard on the asphalt, right on top of my fingertip. It hurt like hell for a couple of weeks and was purple for the longest time.

I was feeling self-conscious about having a crooked finger and shared this with some people I met here. To my surprise, some of them showed me their scarred fingers and told me the story of how they got that way. What a relief! I’m not so unique after all and that made me feel better.

It’s good to have roots again, even though they’re shallow and temporary. Many of the RVers who were here last year are back again, so there’s comfort in the familiar. “Cowboy” and his wife Nancy are our neighbors on one side and are actually from Bandera, and our neighbors on the other side are Tom and Priscilla from Ohio who are winter Texans like us.

Yesterday when I went to the post office, I saw a flyer on the bulletin board that caught my eye, and within the hour I had signed up to be a bell ringer during the holidays for the Salvation Army. I also applied to volunteer for Meals on Wheels. They need ‘jumpers’ (people who jump out of the car to deliver the meals) and I could use the exercise.

The way I look at life today is much different than when I was younger. Then, I assumed I’d have all the time in the world to get around to doing all the things I wanted to do. Now, I’m more aware than ever that THIS day is all I have, and service to others is what’s on my heart. I’m grateful I’m able to do it.

Until next time…