Maiden Voyage and Soapbox

Driveway
Clayton, NC

We enjoyed our maiden voyage of the PaddleSki 435 with Tricia and Dan on Monday at Falls Lake.  They are staying at their NC “home” for a few weeks and we enjoyed visiting with them some before going down the road to a put in that was in a quiet cove.  It was a breezy day so it was nice to be sheltered some.

  

No, they weren’t hitting each other in the head! 

We just can’t take a “proper” photo.

The sky was a beautiful clear blue which complimented the Spring green colors of the trees wonderfully!  I had commented to my Mom a few days ago that I have enjoyed the “greening” of Spring more this year than any other time.  She immediately knew what I was talking about because she said, “It’s because you’re retired!  You have time to enjoy it!”.  She is so right!

So we are still here in the driveway taking care of the money pit (aka house).  The garage door opener quit working so we called someone to come fix it.$  Then the air conditioner in the house was not blowing cool air.  Called someone to add coolant.$$  Now there is a beaver in the pond that no one wants to claim as their pet so we have made a call to have that taken care of.$$  Good to get these things done while we are here.

I did want to say thanks to Bill and Nancy for buying their Journey at Lazy Days.  LD sent us a nice gift card for referring them so we used part of it to pay for a seafood dinner with Gin’s parents.  They had come to see us and bring the new quiet water pump we had ordered.  It was a good meal.

(Stepping up on my soapbox) We have voted by absentee ballot today in the upcoming NC Primary.  We ordinarily wouldn’t bother with who is going to be our party’s candidate, but there is a referendum to add a NC Constitutional amendment to “provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”  There are already laws in this state that ban gay marriage.  Why do we have to put it in the Constitution too?  My personal opinion (which I seldom voice) is that it’s just plain discrimination!  I’m sorry if one’s religion doesn’t approve.  I can understand that.  Really, I do.  Don’t allow a gay couple to marry in your church.  However, marriage is a legal entity.  Many straight couples get married outside of their church but their union is still legally recognized!  So it should be with any two consenting adults!!  Why can’t a gay couple just go to the justice of the peace, exchange vows, and be legally recognized?  It’s just plain discrimination!  It should NOT be in any Constitution!  (End of rant…stepping off of my soapbox)

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Rainy and GBS

Crooked River SP (site #54)
St Mary’s GA

It’s been a couple of messy, drizzly days here but I did at least ride my bike around a little bit on Wednesday and took a pic of our site.  I think it’s the best pull-thru here.  We got out on Thursday afternoon and went to the waterfront part of town with it’s quaint, restored houses and ate shrimp at Lang’s.  Not really worth the price but it was nice to get out.

Since we’ve been conservative with our water consumption, there’s plenty of space in the gray tank so I’m washing a load of clothes today since we’re leaving tomorrow.  It sure is convenient.  We plan to stop at a PPA CG along I95 in SC tomorrow night and then back to the house for a few days by Sunday.  We like it here and hope to return when the weather is nicer.

One reason that I started blogging was to get better at expressing myself.  I’m a quiet person in general and my thoughts don’t always translate into the proper words.  I don’t think that my self-expression has improved much, but I wanted to share a link to a site that I think is well written with more “inner thoughts” and thought provoking questions than anything I can come up with.  It’s not RV related but there is an emphasis on the great outdoors.  It is written by my nephew Philip and is about his life’s experiences.  It’s Green Beret Skills.  As you may have guessed, he was in the Army.  If you have time, please check out his posts from January 25,2012 thru February 6, 2012 to help put life in perspective.

Life is what you make of it…it’s how you handle adversity that makes you who you are.

Stuff

Stix n Brix
Clayton, NC

We had a visitor Monday afternoon.  A hummingbird hovered at our big window at the breakfast nook.  I think she was trying to tell us something because I hadn't put the feeder out.  Is it possible that she remembered the feeder from last year?  Needless to say, I stopped what I was doing and got the feeder ready.

We've been a little busy the past couple of days getting some things ready for Saturday's yard sale.  We even gathered up two big bags of "stuff" to throw away.  It's a nice feeling to make progress even if it's just small steps.  Gin has also put our waverunners on Craigslist.  I hope whoever buys them enjoys them as much as we did.  It's a good time of year to sell them so wish us luck.

While gathering up some junk to throw out, I found a few fortunes from fortune cookies.  Let me share them.  "Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just having money or things."  "The most important things in life aren't things."  And the one that we really need to remember during the next few months, "All the effort you are making will ultimately pay off."

I want to welcome two recent additions to the list of followers.  Ruth who was at the rally and David & Maxine who were also at the RV-Dreams rally.  That was a great time in the Smokies and we are looking forward to going to another one.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life's journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Fortune Cookies; Escapees

Stix n Brix, NC

I want to give a shout-out to some recent new followers; Carol who is a gray anonymous person, Ken & Cindy who we met at the RV-Dreams Rally last April and have followed their blog ever since then, Froggi Donna who’s blog I have checked in on many times over the past year or more, Kate who has a very nice blog, and Rick & Paulette who often add comments to many blogs that I follow.

I may have mentioned it before, but I enjoy reading the little sayings in fortune cookies.  Many of them are just plain goofy but some hit home with me.  I want to share a few recent ones, and no I didn’t eat all these cookies at one time.  “A small house can hold as much happiness as a big one.”  “Happiness isn’t something you remember, it’s something you experience.”  “Peace comes from within.  Seek it from yourself.”  “Any day above ground is a good day.”  I especially like that last one. 

This past week, we took a formal step towards full-timing.  We joined Escapees.  I think every any-timer and full-timer should join them for a period of time.  We haven’t taken too many other steps towards our goal lately.  It’s just easier to hibernate during the winter plus we are adjusting to this new schedule.  Well there’s a good football game on tv so I’ll sign off for now.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life’s journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

New Work Schedule..198 Days left!!

Stix n Brix, NC

Today is my one day off instead of the usual 7 days off.  My new "work all the time" schedule starts tomorrow.  I've worked the old schedule for so long that my body will physically have a hard time adjusting to a month of day shifts and then a month of night shifts.  The old schedule went something like this; 4 nights,  off 3,  3 days,  off 1,  3 nights,  off 3,  4 days and then off a glorious 7 days!  These are all 12 hour shifts.  It was alot of flipping back and forth but it was well worth it to get a week off every month without taking time off. 

The new schedule is 2 on,  2 off,  3 on,  2 off,  2 on,  3 off,  2 on, 2 off,  3 on,  2 off,  2 on,  3 off.  These are also 12 hour shifts.  I'm not looking forward to a month of night shifts, but I don't like getting up real early for a month of day shifts either.  So if you ever encounter a grumpy cop, just remember that they don't know if they are coming or going.  Oh well, at least I'll only have to work it for a few months before I retire! 

On this schedule, we won't be taking the MH to the beach or lake or anywhere other than the RV-Dreams Rally in April.  We will use our time here at the house to get rid of stuff and put it on the market.  That's looking on the bright side of things, isn't it.  We try do see things in a positive light as often as possible.  I have always thought that a person chooses to be happy.  Life dishes out some tuff stuff sometimes, but it's all about how we handle it.  Many years ago when Gin was diagnosed with MS and could no longer work, we chose to think positive.  Sure we would have less money, but we would have more time together than most couples.  I know many couples out there who barely see each other during their working lives and upon retirement, find that they hardly know one another.  Throw in a totally incompatible work schedule, and it's no wonder that divorce is rampant with military and emergency personnel.  Well time for me to do a few things before I go to work early tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by, and enjoy each day of your life's journey by finding beauty in the ordinary.

Common things

Stix n Brix, NC

I'm off work today so I took Smudge to the groomer's.  Gin went back to her parents to work on the remodel for the next few days.  She has her IV treatment Monday so I know she'll be back Sunday even if she's not finished.  I work again tomorrow night so I'm staying here to get a few chores done (right...).

I'm re-reading the blog from the beginning because I know I have not been putting enough labels on the entries for  reference.  If old posts pop up, I apologize.  It's kinda neat to see how it's changed a little, and it's brought back memories to make me smile.

While Smudge was getting pretty, I did a little shopping.  They weren't finished with her so I had some time to kill.  I sat in the car down the street from the shop in the shade and watched the neighborhood cats melt on the front porch steps.  It's been so hot lately.  I'm at the house now listening to blue grass music which is something that I would never do if Gin were here.  Tomorrow will be classical music.  Today has been one of those times when I just paid attention to the little things in life.  Don't let it just go by, and never take it for granted.  Later.

Fortune Cookies

 Stix n Brix NC

I don't think I've yet mentioned the reason I chose the by line of "find beauty in the ordinary".  It's kind of corny how I stumbled upon it.  Perhaps it stumbled upon me.  I enjoy reading the little sayings in fortune cookies.  A few years ago, I was going through a little stress at work and I opened a cookie.  It said, "You have the ability to find beauty in the ordinary.  May you never lose it."  For some reason, it struck a chord with me and helped me calm down and put life in perspective.  I listened to the song of birds, smelled the flower blossoms, felt the gentle breezes, and enjoyed the sights of what I had ignored because I was just so accustomed to them.  I felt more alive and at ease with myself.  Oddly enough, I opened another cookie a few months after that which simply said, "You will find beauty in the ordinary."  It stumbled upon me and has become my mantra.

Yesterday I opened another cookie.  It said, "The change you started already has far-reaching effects.  Be ready."  This reflects well on our current place in life.  We are looking forward to the full-time life but know that we have a lot ahead of us this year as we thin the house.  Some times those sayings are spot on.

This is Easter week end and we will be spending time with Gin's family and also with mine.  It's nice to be close enough to spend a few hours with each family.  We'll then get ready for the rv-dreams rally in SC so we can learn more about the full-time lifestyles.

...but the Main Reason

Stix n Brix

LIFE IS TOO SHORT!!

I've tried to compose this post in my head for a few days now but I'm not sure how well the words will come out.  When I say that we try to take one day at a time because each good day is truly a blessing, I feel that we have had an earlier awakening to that fact than many people that we know.  I have led a very blessed life and couldn't be happier with where my journey has taken me.  Gin's MS has made for a bumpy ride at times.  She is a very strong-willed person and has pushed through a lot.  I want to share some of her journey.

She was going through life as any normal person does...taking tomorrow for granted...when suddenly one day, the left side of her body went completely numb and very weak.  It was January 1990 and she was just 26 years old.  It was as if she had a stroke.  She was using a walker just to get around.  She went to a neurologist and had some tests done.  It was Multiple Sclerosis.  It's an autoimmune disease which means that the body's immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissue.  In the case of MS, that tissue is the myelin sheath which covers and insulates the nerve fibers of the central nervous system.  The brain sends the signals to your body to do a certain thing, but the pathway is interrupted so that the signal is not received.  There is no cure and the treatments have a varying amount of success on improving the quality of life.

There wasn't much treatment available back then and she pushed her way through a lot.  Since her symptoms manifested so severely, she was able to get disability.  Everyone with MS has different symptoms, and each day is different for the individual patient.  As a reminder of that, she woke up blind in one eye in 1997.  She went to the hospital for a very high dose steroid treatment.  She walked in with complete ease of mobility but rolled out in a wheelchair.  MS hit her very hard for several months.  She used the wheelchair for about 6 months.  We got rid of a fishing boat and a pair of waverunners at that time.  We knew that "home" was important to us so we made plans to have a more accessible house built.  In 2000, while under the stress of dealing with a contractor, she relapsed and went to the hospital some and spent more time in her wheelchair.  She has been on several different treatments since 1997 and the one that she is on now is Tysabri.  She gets an IV treatment once a month.  It's hard on her for a couple of days but that wheelchair is getting dusty in the closet.  Currently, her symptoms aren't that noticeable to most people, and she get's the most she can from every day.

We know it may be hard for people to understand, but we tend to look at Gin's MS as a blessing in disguise.  It has made us aware how precious life is at an earlier age.  We have also been able to spend more time together since Gin hasn't had to try to battle with a job and the disease.  Fatigue is one of  the hardest symptoms for her to deal with.

We have been able to evaluate our life with open minds and we realize that "home" is very important to us yet we like to be on the go when we can.  The best way to have a condo at the beach, mountains, and lake is to have a home on wheels.  At times, it may be an up hill battle but we've been through a lot.  Gin is a rock and I guess I'm a pebble.  So you see, we really mean it when we say that life is too short!!

Present day and some reasons...

Stix n Brix NC

We enjoyed looking back at last years travels and hope it was a nice trip for you too.  As you can tell, we enjoy the natural settings offered by the CGs where we stayed.  It helps us to find beauty in the ordinary.  All totaled, we spent 62 nights RVing and enjoyed every one of them.  Wish it could be more.

When I tell folks that we plan to sell everything and travel in a MH when I retire, I sometimes don't think they quite understand our choice.  There are many reasons, and I want to touch on a few of them now.  Life can get to be a bit of a rut, and having a different back yard, so to speak, eliminates any ruts.  We'll be more active physically and mentally.  Gin's MS can act up at any time but fulltiming will keep her more active and healthier.  We can follow the weather.

One aspect that's important to me is the interaction with fellow rvers.  They are generally a nice friendly bunch of folks with a positive outlook on life.  I think we fall into that category also.  We would like to do some volunteer activities while we're on the road.  A couple of them that interests us are Habitat for Humanity and Escapees CARE.  Sure a person can get involved with a volunteer organization while living in a stix n brix, but it can sometimes feel like you are obligated to continue even if your heart isn't in it.

Schedule and budget

Stix n Brix: Clayton NC

Ahh...the end of a work cycle. It's different for me. I work a 28 day cycle. It's basically 3 weeks on and 1 week off. Sure, I get a few days off during the 3 weeks (about 5), but I get a whole week off every month! It's like a vacation. I work long hours and flip days and nights when I'm working so it's tough on the body and sleeping, but it's worth it. I got some good news from the office. If I'm really good and don't use any vacation time or sick leave, I'll be able to retire a month earlier than I thought. That'll be a great 50th birthday present! Now I just need to stay healthy and use my overtime wisely.

This past year is the first time that we have kept a written budget or at least kept up with the actual dollar amount spent. We did this because we wanted to know if our regular expenses would be under our target amount for full-timing. We learned a great deal from rv-dreams about the costs of the full-time RV lifestyle. There are many different budgets to fit your individual needs but as Howard summarized it, you'll spend about the same on the road as you do in a stix n brix. A comfortable amount is $3000 a month if you don't have any RV or car payments. You can easily stretch a buck by volunteering for a few months at a park or putting less miles on the road. It's quite a flexible lifestyle in so many ways. It's also a great way to appreciate nature with the comforts of home close by. That's what we look forward to.

We have been blessed by virtue of my work schedule, to take RV trips that last longer than just a week-end. It's great to see families enjoying quality time that only camping can provide. I believe that a kid that is fortunate enough to grow up in a loving family that enjoys RVing and nature, has a better understanding of their place in the world.

The opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver BC Canada are on right now. Perhaps in the years to come, we'll get up there to see the beauty of their wildlife. We hope it'll be during the summer however.