First snow of the season

The above pics were taken from our back door. We had so many birds and squirrels this year but not near as many deer as we usually have. Trying to keep them all fed is a never ending, expensive job.


Been sitting here on the sofa the last few days doing my Christmas shopping. Have most of it finished. OMG!! The way things have changed through the years. Sit on my butt and shop until you drop. Oh, wait a minute....I'm already dropped....on the sofa. My sister-in-law, Carol, said it best. When we were kids we didn't get "new" things throughout the year. We were given our school clothes, church dresses, winter shoes and summer shoes. On our birthday and Christmas we received gifts. And not lots of gifts. Then there was Easter. The Easter basket and the poor, little dyed chickie and Lord only knows whatever happened to them. I know mine always died as I'm sure thousands of others did. When I see them in cardboard boxes today at farm stores I just want to put them in my purse and take them to some farm so that they can live a happy life. I'm a dreamer.

Anyhow....here's the point of this story from Carol; When we were young and our parents were young, gifts were appreciated....no matter how small or how inexpensive. To this day we still display our children's paper candy canes and clothes pin reindeer on our 10' Christmas tree. Those gifts, the ones from our children's heart, the gifts made or given to us years and years ago from family when we could afford very little; those gifts mean the most. Today if we want it we can buy it. So it is so with everyone I know. Just as society has made overweight people an oddity, not a part of the "acceptably attractive" group of people, so too have we made Christmas all about material things. And since I was once a size 7 and now carry many extra pounds I speak from experience. On both matters. It hurts my heart.

Last day at the groomers

Just got back from taking the furry ones to their groomer. For whatever reason, I teared up. And that's just dropping them off to be groomed for the last time. I wonder if she would just throw them in the car window so I don't have to tell her goodbye. She is such a sweet lady and my babes seem to really like going there so that tells me she treats them well. Anyhow, I hate saying goodbye to people I care about. I hope we can find PetCo's on the road every 6 weeks because even though they don't shed, I hate it when their hair gets too long and they look like little furry bears. Jack loves their hair long and it is pretty but I hate taking care of it. It's an expensive luxury but I like them shorter.

So many things to think about. Did our yearly doctor thing yesterday. I haven't packed a thing yet, though. Putting that off until the day before we leave.

Thanksgiving

Today was peaceful. Our sons were here with us and for that I am so thankful to God. I couldn't get out of my heart and mind though the sadness my sister must be feeling today as well as my brother and his wife. With cancer a person never knows which way is up and which way is down; or so it has seemed with my witnessing it first hand with mom and now Terry. Life is one big mystery. Anyhow, I loved having our sons here with us and couldn't help but wonder what their future would bring them as I sat and watched them sleep after dinner. When Jack and I were their age we had them and was on our way to, well, life as we know it today. I'm glad our sons didn't marry young. And if they choose not to marry at all that is fine with me too. It's their choice and I'm so thankful Jack nor I made them feel less than perfect because they haven't married yet. If it is God's will then it shall be. God gave us a grandchild but for whatever reason decided it wasn't the right time for this baby to come to us. He knows what He is doing and I trust HIS will. I grieved for our grandchild but I know that he/she is at God's elbow. I am happy about that. But back to my sister........I cannot, even in my most horrific nightmare, imagine my baby sis's pain. Michael we miss you. I miss you. Your mom knows no normalcy in her life any longer. She puts on a good face most days. It is hard for her to function normally. She fakes normalcy to please others.. Thanksgiving is a day for thanks. I thank you Lord for life. And love. family.

Trying to get everything in place to hit the road

We built our home over 10 years ago. Seems everything is starting to fall apart now in regards to the house. New stove, new microwave...waiting for the other appliances to take a trip down junk yard lane. Yesterday our gas grill bottom landed on the deck. Granted, it was old and well used but I do have a sneaking suspicion that our local raccoons had a hand in the mess we found out back. There was just too much crap under the bottom of the grill for there not to have been some help. Actually, I know they did it. I heard them out there about 2:00 a.m. and opened our bedroom drapes to watch them as they tried to gather some kind of dinner. But darn it, they looked so cute trying to climb their way up to the bird feeders. I say if I have enough to share with any person or animal then I am going to share. I just didn't think they'd tear up the grill while doing so. It was an expensive grill in it's day but it's day has long gone bye-bye. HUMMMMM!! I wonder if I let the little white eyed raccoons in the house if they'd do the same to the carpet......I want hard wood floors. I'm sick of carpet. Maybe one day after too many margaritas I'll forget to close the back door...New hard wood floors....Yea!!!! But new grill shopping today. And tonight if I didn't hear the raccoon's raising three shades of heck out side trying to get to the bird feeders!!! They did not like the new grill. I love animals and really don't mind the raccoon's helping themselves to the bird food...I just really did not want them tearing up the new grill. I pounded on the window to frighten them off and they (two of them) turned to look at me as if to say, "What? And we are bothering you how?" And it was business as usual. Again, I love all animals; Except for this white nose ant eater, actually an opossum who chases my little Sydney girl like she's tonight's entree'. And poor little trusting soul Syd who knows no enemies goes right to the opossum like it's her new BFF. It isn't until she is right up on it that I think her fear instinct kicks in and she gets the heck out of there. And me. I'm running down the back deck stairs like a crazy woman shooing the opossum. Jack wanted to buy me a b-b gun. I don't want to hurt any animal....I just don't want to have Sydney or Tanner end up any one's dinner. So I guess if it came down to it I'd have to kick the crap out of the opossum with my house slipper. And I would. Don't think I wouldn't protect my babies any way I could. Cause I would.

Jack's working life is coming to an end. Thank God.

Well, November 15th is fast approaching. That was to be R day. Submitting his resignation day. 26 years and he's had enough. He's planned for this day for several years. We've purchased the 5th wheel, his truck, the storage garage for the RV, paid off the house and made wise investments. We should be fine financially. It's the 24/7 thing that scares the hell out of me. We've never spent 24/7 together except for vacations so it will be very interesting to see how things go. At the end of a long vacation either he or I gets on the other's last nerve. Normally, it's me getting on his nerves. We've always been ready to get back home and back to work. To normalcy. We've talked about it several times realizing we'll need time to ourselves on a regular weekly basis. We both are looking for the same thing in retirement on the open road. Biking, hiking, relaxing, seeing new places, meeting new people and possibly going to places where we could help out in disasters. I'd love to take care of animals in need. Seems in disasters a lot of times it appears (at least what we see on TV) that the animals are ignored or put down by necessity.

Jack and I are both total animal lovers. If we could we'd have a house full of dogs and cats and a backyard filled with goats, chickens, cows and anything else we could fit in. But since we live in a subdivision that has a ton of regulations (few, by the way, that are followed) I'm pretty sure our neighbors would frown on a menagerie of animals in our back yard.

Back to the big retirement day. A whole new way of living. A whole new way of life. Going from a 3000+ square foot house, 5 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, 3 car garage, beautiful private wooded land behind us, to a small 5th wheel with 1 bathroom, 1 bedroom, 1 living area. No where to go during an argument....a cooling off place. I guess a brisk walk or a bike ride will have to be the cooling off place. Thank goodness we are keeping the house just in case two or three months on the road becomes too much. Jack and I are friends and the older we get the more, it seems, we can talk honestly to each other. We've vowed that we will be truthful and tell the other one if we need time alone. If we keep that vow to one another then I don't foresee any real problems that we can't solve together. I've just got to past the privacy issue. Sharing a bathroom is going to my biggest adjustment. We'll see how it goes.

I'll be happy to see Jack retire. He deserves it; he's earned it and he needs it.

Beale St. Memphis, TN

Spent the day downtown Memphis again today. Had a good time but as is always the case Jack gets me lost in the "not so desirable" part of town. Today we were on foot and as always I had to pee, so I was not a happy camper. All that seemed to surround us was empty and vandalized buildings; trash. All that was missing were signs around our necks announcing the fact that we were tourist. OMG!!! I could strangle Jack when he does that to me. And he's always done it...just ask our sons. If someone accosted us in Memphis I couldn't run as fast as a 90 year old to save myself; full bladder, bad knees. Yep. It's all good. I enjoyed seeing Memphis' history but I would rather have seen it in a car with the doors locked going 50 mph.
Janet

Sitting here on the sofa, looking out at the Mississippi River. Literally, the river no more than 30' away from our RV. With the huge back window of the RV it gives one the feeling of actually sitting on the bank of the Mississippi and watching the barges go by, wondering where they are going, what's on the barges and if the tug boat driver is bored or does he or she love the job. I always think, naively I'm sure, that everyone else in the world loves their job and I'm the only person who hated most of my jobs.

This morning we woke to rain and a storm front you could see coming in across the the river. To me there is nothing like being in an RV when it is raining or storming. I can do without the wind thing but the sound of the rain hitting the RV. It's almost like a sleeping sedative for me. Plus it reminds me of my mom. She lived in a mobile home with a steel roof and I loved sleeping at her home when it rained. Especially, too, when it was cool outside. Ahhhh...nothing better. I'm pretty sure I'd get sick of it after a few days of the rain but for a day or two while vacationing and relaxing it's a welcome relief to always having to go, go, go.

We do plan on driving in to Memphis later in the day to hit one of Guy's, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Of course Memphis is famous for Elivs but it is also known for it's BBQ. Jack printed out a list of Guy's stops here so hopefully we can hit a couple of them.

But for now it's still raining, the dogs are laying around, E Entertainment is on the tube, Jack is sitting at the table reading and of course I'm being totally productive and blogging. And lovin every minute of it.

My heart is still very wounded and will always be. My prayers, thoughts, and love is always, always, always with Brenda, Terry and Bill.

South Memphis, Arkansas

We are getting ready to retire. January 1, 2011 Jack will no longer be employed. Our plans are to travel per our Mobile Suite across these great United States. Through the years we've visited all but 4 or 5 states. When the boys were young we tried to take vacations with the boys in mind. And try to do it cheaply. We didn't have a lot of money when the boys were growing up so we tried to do inexpensive vacations but fun vacations for the boys. They were our first priority. Them and making memories for them with us. I think we did okay as they still talk about some of things we did when they were young. In fact, our oldest once said to me, "I didn't know we were poor." We weren't poor but we lived paycheck to paycheck. There was little left over for week long trips to Disney World or other really expensive places. We have camped since we were first married and camped with the boys many years. They loved it. Camping was our vacations for the most part. We did travel once in awhile and stayed in hotels, which for all of us back then, was a real treat. Janet

October 7, 2010

My baby sister's world ended today. Her oldest son, Michael William Gilland, passed away. She had to crawl through a small window, in Mike's mobile home, to get to him. He was dead and he was cold to her touch. The whole story needs told and I plan on telling it. The "Gentle Giant" as my brother, Bill, called Michael, lived a life that needs written down and understood by anyone who knew him. When the tears stop and my heart has healed somewhat and I can think more clearly I will write. Janet

Bluffton KOA

This week I am taking a break from reality. I wanted some time to myself to meditate, pray, and catch up on my blogging. Anyhow, my two dogs and I are getting some R &R. However, today I rode my bike in to Wal-Mart to buy dog food, a 14 mile round trip. Usually a piece of cake. But today I had to ride back in a down pour and I can't count the jerks who got so close to my bike I could feel the wind from their trucks. I say trucks because it seemed most were young, males who didn't have that extra 3 seconds to get over, thus assuring that they wouldn't kill me.

The weather was cool but nice and sunny most days. Except for the down pour day it was a usual Indiana fall days. I have enjoyed the time away from the day to day responsibilities. Just me and my furry friends. Bill, Terry and Brenda did come up to see me Wednesday. I loved it. The weather was nice enough to sit out and chat and walk around the campground through the fallen colored leaves. All of us were thinking of what lay ahead for Terry, the battle she was facing but no one wanted to talk about it much. Fearing the worst, praying for the best. Terry has been in our family for almost 40 years. She is our family and knowing that she has cancer but not knowing what it is doing to her body or what the chemo will do to her hurts my heart constantly. Prayer is on my lips constantly for her and Bill. Janet

A storm must be coming

My baby girl, Sydney, is following me so close her cold nose hits the back of my leg whenever I stop. I pick her up, she is shaking and her eyes tell me something is not right. A storm must be coming. She shakes so bad when it storms I wrap her in a blanket just to settle her down. Tanner, the old fart, is like, "You big baby. Suck it up and quit trying to steal all of mom's attention."

Dogs. Aren't they great??