Our Bus Trip To South Dakota - #133

Right in the middle of everything going on at home; getting ready to sell the house, preparing to move to Texas, and then being diagnosed with Lyme and Babesiosis again- we had an 11 day bus tour planned to South Dakota. This actually turned out to be the best thing for us - getting away from the stress and craziness of the open house weekend and just having our minds on something else besides this giant task before us. And so here we are, the last day into our tour and really enjoying this special trip. 

We left early on June 19th - a group of about 50 heading west. Our first day was a travel day with many stops ( every 2-2-1/2 hours). It took a bit to make our space on the bus comfortable; I felt it was very tight for a trip where you spent so much time on the bus.  If at 5’2” my knees touched the seat in front of me - that’s not exactly spacious. But, once I adjusted my seat, removed any excess we didn’t need in the seats with us (we had an overhead compartment to keep things too) we felt better.  The total mileage to South Dakota is about 2000 miles; this was broken up over 4 days. Each day after the first, we had a small excursion- a museum or roadside attraction, that helped to break up the 500 mile leg. This was definitely helpful on this long journey but also made for a really long day. We stopped for lunch at various locations- malls, travel stops, etc… I tend to bring a good amount of food with us - peanut butter, crackers, baby bel cheese, fruit - it’s not so much the extra cost as it’s just the amount of food you could consume eating three meals a day at restaurants when doing a lot of sitting. Sometimes if there wasn’t a place to picnic, we would just browse the shops and have lunch back on the bus. Many of us took walks on all our stops to get our bodies moving;  At night, I was exhausted and would just shower and fall into bed. On occasion I would use the fitness rooms at the hotels if I had the energy. Our daily breakfast was provided by the hotel. Usually I had a half cup of coffee, eggs, piece of toast and yogurt ( I have to take care of my gut with the meds I’m taking) I also need to eat before I take my Lyme/Babesiosis medicines. Dinner has been at various venues, some definitely better than others. Our itinerary was jam packed during the 11 days - we saw a lot and for us, it was a trip of a lifetime! 

  

We were in Iowa, of course! 

! Divinity Statue

Good- It was great to have the trip all planned by others, great to have someone else driving. It was reasonably priced and included just about everything.  

The Bad - For someone like myself who doesn’t like to be under pressure - the itinerary was a little daunting at times. Getting up at 6/6:30 in the morning to get dressed, making sure you’re packed, eat breakfast and load onto the bus by 8 or 8:30 am to start the day. Our day was nonstop until 9 or even 10 pm.  This was day after day and exhausting to say the least.  I would have liked a little more personal time. Charlie and I actually stayed back at the hotel mid-tour to rest a day and just met the group for dinner.  I needed it! At one point, we were at a venue that I really had, had enough of and I commented to Charlie - “I feel like a hostage”  because we had to wait to leave.  While having someone else in charge is a wonderful change of pace, you have given up control of your day to someone else and have to just suck it up when you may not want to do it.  

The other issue I had was the seating. There was just not enough room to really be comfortable. Most of our time was on the bus; we really needed those breaks to move around.  It was definitely tighter than flying coach - which isn’t exactly roomy.  However, we had brought neck pillows, blankets and metal water bottles along with snacks so we had everything we needed.  

The Good - We got to see a lot! MT Rushmore and Crazy Horse were the highlights.  The Black Hills, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park were also amazing.  We enjoyed the Corn Palace and Amana Village - places I had never heard of before but nonetheless worth seeing!  And the Divinity Statue is just breathtaking! It was fun visiting Wall Drug and several little western towns including the film set from Dances With Wolves.  As we head home,  we’ll be stopping at a botanical gardens and Studebaker Museum.  

Mt Rushmore 

           Crazy Horse

Custer St Park 

 

          Dances With Wolves Film Set

 

 Badlands

The Bad - I really have no specific negative thoughts on our stops. Some of the choices for hotels or dinner stops could definitely have been better - but we’re usually not too fussy. I would have mixed things up a little more as I start to lose focus if I’m going to 2-3 museums in the same day  - I need different types of stimulation.  But it was fine.  

As we begin our trek home today, I think I’ll look back at this trip with good memories. Would I do a bus trip again? Possibly- never say never - but I think I would definitely look into other ideas ( like a train trip) or another cruise out of Galveston, TX now.  

Life’s Unexpected Twists and Turns - #132

I have always embraced change. I’ve been good at going with the flow, finding the positive and making lemonade out of lemons for most of my life. But I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, change seems to be more surprising, challenging and less exciting. The prospect of starting over has always been a great option, except when you’re happy with where you are in life, the change seems daunting. I know change is inevitable, which is why I never fight it… but I don’t always have to be happy about it  

It looks like we will be moving to the suburbs of Houston. This came as a big surprise to me and Charlie. While we like that part of the country, we still think of the northeast as our home. After all, I’m just a girl from Brooklyn. 10 years ago when we sold our house and made the change to move with Brooke and Rakib, we also made a commitment to be a generational family - our own “village”. While we do have options, we feel it’s best to be near family- we look out for and help each other. And on their end, it is probably even more of a challenge for them - taking our needs and happiness into consideration in their decisions. I recognize this. And so we are moving and they have our full support and cooperation.

I have already gotten into the mindset of “ what we do not need to take”. Even with my minimalist approach to living, things still have a way of creeping in and then, of course, I live with the anti-minimalist who has a problem getting rid of anything. But, he’s actually getting better… finally getting rid of old papers and gifting his children whatever jewelry and old silver coins we came across, assorted furniture and a boat. Although Brooke has repeatedly commented they will be hiring packers to take care of everything - I want to at get rid of excess. I’m sure they’ll be plenty that will slip through the cracks.  I’ve given assorted things away on our local “ buy nothing” site. I feel I need to go through everything- and although we are moving sooner than later, we should have enough time to go through our things without getting too stressed. 

So where are we going? We will be moving to Cypress, TX; it’s about 25 miles northwest of Houston.  Our kids took a weekend trip down to the area a couple of weeks ago and toured several homes for sale. There were many they liked, ultimately offered on one but were turned down. Now our home’s open house is this weekend and they will wait to see if they get an offer before bidding on another home in Cypress.

There has been a lot whirling around in my brain. It’s getting better as we make decisions and start to work towards our packing goals. I have decided to sell my car; I feel sad to let it go but it was something I was considering anyway. 

The exact future is uncertain but in the words of my 8-1/2 year old granddaughter in response to questioning her mom about the move “ Well, I’m just going to have to trust you”. I couldn’t have said it better!  

North vs South - #131

I wasn’t sure how I felt about coming home this spring. Over the past several years, the South has come to feel more comfortable, more like home. I love our simple life, tiny living, access to fun activities, the weather and the natural beauty all around. But it was time to go north…family, friends, doctor appointments, and other commitments beckoned our return.  

And then I walked through the door of our apartment and a big smile came across my face. Wow - I love this place! 

Everything I love is here; my people, memories, the space itself and special possessions. I had forgotten how wonderful this place makes me feel! As much as I enjoy our travel trailer, our apartment is great! I missed my stove and oven, my dishwasher and space to cook! I love my giant photo canvases of wonderful places we have visited, my retro kitchen set, and our adjustable bed! Deena pops down with a big hug for me every afternoon when she returns from her daily activities and I’ve been available to hangout with the kids while Brooke and Rakib pursue their evening activities and meetings. We enjoyed family dinner together as well. I have started to reach out to friends to get together and am looking forward to restarting my regular activities at the senior center and library- plus taking part in new. 

Charlie has been so busy working on his shed, radios and antennas; he has a particular problem with one antenna he’s been trying to resolve. I have hardly seen him since we returned home and I have to say it - it’s been wonderful! After 6+ months of togetherness, it’s good to have some alone time!

A lot of things in our lives are showing signs of age. I have been dealing with leg/foot pain on my left side. I’m trying to do what I can to help myself - ice, heat, stretching and walking. It does feel like it’s improving but it does curtail some of my activities. Charlie’s back has been bothering him; he probably did too much physical work between putting the cover on the trailer, moving things in and out of the truck and then spending 6 days driving in the truck where we didn’t move around a lot. My car, which is 11 years old now - required a new transmission just before we returned home, and though our truck gave us a wonderful, reliable ride home- now needs attention to the power steering. At 16 years- issues are expected. Minnie at almost 17 is holding steady and seems to be doing well! 

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In the week we’ve been home I’ve been reacquainting myself with our northern life. Firstly, I have been cooking every day and really enjoying it! I’m making some really nice meals but the key to my renewed interest is definitely my dishwasher. It’s the cleaning up I hate and being able to put my used pans and utensils in that wonderful appliance out of sight is truly wonderful! After 6 months of hand washing in a tiny sink… well you get my drift. 

The weather has been decent during the day - 50’s mostly and certainly warm enough to be outside, especially with some sun. I started working on our yard - raking to clean, edging all the beds, weeding, spreading the mulch, sweeping, cleaning out all the potted plant containers. A little everyday and I’ve really gotten a lot done. I ordered new cushions for the outdoor furniture; Brooke and I have been discussing flowers and adding some new features to the garden beds. A lot to do! This year will be interesting having the new pool - installed late last summer; Charlie and I never actually got a chance to use it then.

I’ve been at the senior center a lot this week. I played Rummikub on Monday. Tuesday, Charlie and I played Bingo and I actually won a game! Wednesday I participated in a chair yoga class, played Scrabble afterwards and then drove over to the “Y” for the Fair Food veggie bag.  A full day!  And other upcoming plans are going back to the gym, a volunteers’ luncheon Friday.  We’ve registered for wine bottle painting and a painting class at the library and then my annual Mother’s Day Tea. There is no doubt we can keep ourselves busy if we want to! 

 

Well - off to Planet Fitness, breakfast out and then a small food shopping! Yeah, it’s nice to be home!

Canadian Geese - #130

It’s that time of year again when our feathered friends migrate home, flying north for the summer months. This is always a sure sign the seasons have shifted. Lately, we have noticed flocks of Canadian Geese stopping over in our lake for a brief respite before continuing on their journey. 

We too are like the Canadian Geese, waiting for the weather up north to warm up for our return home. I have been watching the weather and we are getting ready to leave on 4/16. 

I started slowly going through drawers, cabinets - getting rid of items I no longer needed or used.  

Yesterday, we packed up Charlie’s radio equipment in the truck storage box. That made room in our under camper storage to pack away chairs and Minnie’s playpen ( she’s just using her stroller outside). Today, I plan to sort through clothes and make room in our shower-closet for storage containers. 

I am trying to use up whatever food we have and will buy only what we need for a day. I will have to defrost both refrigerators (inside and out). 

Although it’s seemingly a lot of work, there is a certain rhythm going through this process. 

As the days move forward, we complete more of our chores and some minor repairs. 

Last week I took advantage of a heavy rainstorm during the night that continued as intermittent showers throughout the morning (though much less severe). Since it was warm out, I decided to wash our camper using the rain as my water source. Worked out well!

                                            

Being organized allowed us to enjoy our last few days at the campground, going to the casino, lunching with our camping neighbors. On our final night at the campground we moved into the glamping tent. Everything was done and covering the trailer was our final task on the day we left. It was a warm, sunny morning and no wind which made the chore a little easier - though in the future, I think we will have to get help to do this. It’s not easy to admit that aging does work against your abilities. 

                                            

And by 10:30 am on Thursday, 4/16 - we were on the road again, headed home to Massachusetts. Our first stop was a short leg - only about 160 miles to Meridian, MS. We just needed to put some distance between us and the Gulf but also knew we would be tired after the final chores that morning. We stayed at our favorite hotel chain; had dinner delivered and relaxed. Home ETA is Tuesday, 4/21.

Traveling several hundred miles everyday and staying overnight in a different location is like being in a time warp. You kinda lose track of what day it is. The mission is just to move further across the country. Charlie and I both shared the driving; it’s a relatively easy drive - just long. Minnie really takes it in stride. She sleeps the whole way, occasionally popping up to look out the window making sure we are going in the right direction. 

And voila! We are home! 

March-ing On -#129

It is Friday, March 6th - a warm, cloudy morning. The sun has unsuccessfully been trying to poke through a solid white sky.  A lone duck is skimming the surface of the lake and a slight breeze ruffles branches of the pines edging the water. It has started to mist; I’m sitting under our wonderful new awning. It’s quiet in the park.  I’m drinking my coffee. 

Just chatted with a couple of camper friends as they passed by. 

We have been down in Bay St. Louis for over 5 months now. At this time, we are scheduled to leave 4/15 but that is dependent on how weather conditions are at home. 

We had a wonderful visit with the kids a couple of weeks ago! They loved the park and really enjoyed staying in the glamping tent right on the property. We bought kites for the kids ( and ourselves) as it gets pretty windy here and is the perfect venue for kite flying! They had a ball! They also loved the pool, hot tub and playground. We visited the aquarium and model train museum.  The time was short but we did a lot together. 

Although we’ve been trying many more different restaurants we’d been curious about (rarely do you find a place that isn’t good) I am trying to cook more; the downside is I hate doing the dishes! I am getting so lazy! 

Friday was a full day. I attended a diamond art class in the morning. I bedazzled two small magnets which took me no time at all to complete. I chatted with a couple of really nice ( younger) ladies as we worked on our projects. 

Then, I drove back to the park and picked up Charlie. We headed to the casino for slots and lunch buffet.  We always enjoy our time at the Silver Slipper! Back to the park and I did a couple of walking loops as I distributed books to our bathhouse “libraries” .  I’ve been picking up free books and magazines our local libraries have been giving away and stocking up for the campers to enjoy.  And finally, in the evening - a rousing game of Rummikub with Jo and Mike.  This is a typical day in our lives! 

It is now Saturday. It’s is raining a bit, but we took a chance and headed out to the town wide yard sale in Diamondhead.  This is a neat little town. It is a planned community developed in the 1960’s and the highest point of elevation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast hence given the name Diamondhead. Streets and businesses also follow suit with Hawaiian themed names.  We stopped off at half dozen yards; not really anything interesting though I did find a craft material I needed and the homeowner gave it to me free! We decided to head home just as the rain started - good timing! I made us eggs and toast for brunch and after digesting, we drove to Planet Fitness to exercise. The rest of the afternoon was relaxed- Charlie on his HAM radio in his newest tent ( #3) and me crocheting. Still working on pillow cover - also #3. 

It is now Sunday. The clocks jumped an hour forward early this morning. It rained and thundered all night long though with our a/c on - we didn’t hear very much. We are well into spring/summer weather now. The azalea are blooming, trees filling out. We are about 2-1/2 mos ahead of Massachusetts, season-wise. The temperatures are consistently in the mid to high 70’s - stretching to 80. It just started pouring again; this will be an on and off wet day. I’m in desperate need of food so a trip to Walmart is planned for later. A good time to defrost my refrigerator (an outdated chore I have with my TT). I’ll probably work on my taxes again a little later. Many things planned for the upcoming weeks again - including St Patrick’s Day parade and activities, a Souper Fest in town ( you buy a bowl and taste soups!) painting classes, an Audubon program, bingo and a dentist appointment. 

I think about returning home. The kids, my apartment, my poor car that now needs a new transmission, my dishwasher, my bed….I’m not quite ready to leave here yet.  

Trees - #128

“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree”…  Joyce Kilmer

One of the most amazing and impressive natural wonders of the southern landscape are their live oak trees. If I were to make a list of my favorite things - live oaks would definitely top the list. They are truly something special!

So a little about live oaks…. To begin, they are an evergreen, meaning unlike other types of oaks that go dormant during the colder months and lose their leaves, live oaks keep their leaves and stay green year round. Most trees grow up towards the sky, live oaks grow out. A mature tree might be 50’ in height, but its canopy can spread over 150’ wide! It is common to see beautiful live oaks draped with Spanish moss- much like garland hanging from a Christmas tree. Their massive, gnarly branches stretching out like tentacles and curling back up towards the sky; every one of them with their own unique personality. You can’t help but feel awed in their presence; there’s a wisdom in their age and endurance.

My first encounter with live oaks was in Texas. They were different than trees I was used to seeing up north. In Mississippi, I found them even more prolific. Often when driving along the coast, live oaks line both sides of the road giving the feeling of driving up to an elite estate or old time plantation. 

One of the ways Mississippi is preserving and honoring these great trees is through a registry. Significant trees ( determined by measuring the circumference ) with a girth of 16+ feet - can be sponsored and listed with one of these services. The Champion Tree Program also tracks the largest specimen of every tree in the state; a professional forester verifies measurements. Tree protection ordinances help to protect the trees particularly on the Gulf Coast where laws are strictly enforced. The monetary fines are hefty as well as jail sentence in some instances. 

A Southern Winter - #127

While states north of us have been inundated with mounds of snow and endless arctic temperatures, we experienced heavy rains and thunderstorms in south Mississippi. Luckily, we were able to get out and do some chores in between the rain; inside our trailer was dry and cozy warm. This week was dry and temperatures climbed to almost 60 (colder at night) but today 1/31 - is our true winter day.  It will be windy and freezing all day; temperature hovering at just about 31 but the wind chill lowers our perception to 20. Our only saving grace is our bright southern sun. ☀️ 

 

        Here

 

                           Back  Home

In the meantime, we are looking forward to Brooke and the kids visiting us about 2-1/2 weeks; hoping the weather will be good for them. They will be staying at our campground in the “ glamping tent”, which is roughly 150 steps from our trailer ( yes - I counted!).  It is equipped with both heat and air conditioning. It will certainly be a fun experience for the children!

The little heater we purchased to use instead of our propane continues to be an amazing investment! It keeps our trailer toasty warm, is so quiet. It is so much more convenient than using our propane too. I can only imagine how often we’d have to refill the tanks when we consistently are using heat. The worst part is when a tank runs out during the night; Charlie has to get dressed and go out to switch it over.  

                    

Today we are staying in our trailer all day. We did a lot activities yesterday- laundry, walking, showers, casino, visiting, shopping, playing games - which set us up for a good day to stay in and relax.  I will work on my pillow projects today, complete my writing, play some games, cook and watch TV. The day will go by quickly as all days seem to…

I’ve also been having fun learning and using the Gemini AI app. Been using it to decide on new paint colors for our apartment. It's a great tool to get a perspective on how different colors will look! 

( all white is how it actually is; color is AI generated)

I’m loving the accent walls; what do you think?

                                                               

Charlie and Minnie are still snuggled up in bed.  It’s almost 10 but no rush to get up. I guess I’ll go make some coffee. Keep warm everyone!