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 will 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’! 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! 

It’s Mardi Gras Season! - #126

Right after the winter holidays and new year celebrations have passed, the trees and decorations come down and are packed away, we turn the calendar page to January … and voila! - we get ready for Mardi Gras season! 

So a little background about Mardi Gras for those unfamiliar:

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”. It is a vibrant festival of feasting, parades and revelry that marks the final days before the Christian fasting season of Lent. Much like Christmas, - everyone - regardless of beliefs, loves to take part in this fun, quirky, sparkly, colorful, exciting block of time in the south. The Mardi Gras colors are Purple ( representing justice) Green ( for faith) and Gold  ( for power). It is everywhere! Costumes and masks? It is said originated from European Carnival traditions - allowing people to “go a little crazy” without being recognized. And although New Orleans is known as Mardi Gras central - the first celebration was actually hosted in Mobile, Alabama in the early 1700’s. 

A centerpiece for most Mardi Gras celebrations is the “King Cake”. It is a festive, ring shaped pastry - like a cross between a giant cinnamon bun and brioche bread.  It is typically braided in a circle, the hollow center to resemble a crown and covered in icing and sanding sugar in the traditional Mardi Gras colors.  But the most unique feature of the King Cake is the plastic baby that’s hidden inside. Getting a slice with the baby means good luck or you’re in charge of bringing the next King Cake to an event. I have always wondered if anyone ever choked on that baby! But honestly- I’m not a big fan of the cake part of the King Cake.  

The hidden baby brings to mind a story about my first husband’s (Bob) grandmother. Her name was Bertha - a tiny lady who made me feel tall! Bertha was in her late 80’s when I met her, still lived alone and was president of her local B’nai Brith chapter. I never had a grandmother growing up so she was a real treat to have in my life. (My daughter Brooke was named in her memory). Whenever a new person would be joining the Schwartz family through marriage ( she had 8 grandchildren) and attended their first traditional Jewish dinner at her home, Grandma Bertha would make chicken soup with kreplach (dumpling) and replace the meat in the dough of one kreplach with a piece of “cotton” into the unsuspecting newcomer’s bowl.  Lucky for me my fiancée let me in on the secret otherwise I probably would’ve swallowed it whole! 

Continuing on with Mardi Gras… parades are prolific in this area; you can find one in just about every town along the Gulf Coast. These processions are actually organized and privately funded by social clubs called “Krewes”.  The clubs operate all year to plan elaborate themes, create floats and events that lead up to Fat Tuesday. 

So what’s the deal with throwing beads? Throwing and catching colorful beads (plus many other items) creates interaction between the “riders” ( revelers on the floats) and spectators but it also is considered a blessing at that moment of connection . My first experience watching and participating in our local parade culminated in a black eye for me - after getting hit in the face with a big heavy charm dangling from the end of a chain of beads! Not such a blessing but a good lesson to stand further back from the line of fire! Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!       (Let The  Good Times Roll) Baby!

Looking Back At 2025; Onward In 2026! - #125

2025 was a good year but definitely had its challenges. At this point, we have to appreciate every year we are given to spend with those we love. 

We had a wonderful start to 2025 in Bay St. Louis with great camping friends whom we sorely miss this year. Charlie and I both celebrated special birthdays - him 77, me 70 - and our 27th wedding anniversary to boot!

Our kids visited during the February school break and we created more memories with the littles. 

We left our trailer down in Mississippi mid April and traveled to southern Florida to meet up with the family for my mom’s unveiling and to spend time together. 

We then headed home north from that point. Home in Massachusetts we had lots of dr visits. I had a few issues this year. Arthritis has made its way into my body; at first only affecting my left knee, but now in my back. I was also apparently bit by a tick at some point and contracted Babesiosis, similar to malaria. Charlie has encountered some physical limitations as well. It ain’t easy getting older. We both are trying to work on ourselves to improve the quality of our lives as we age. 

We had a fantastic family trip in August to Montana and Yellowstone, WY. We really loved our time at Parade Rest Guest Ranch! 

Then, a few weeks after returning, we were packing up and and getting ready to head back to Mississippi at the end of September. Our camping plans didn’t go exactly as we planned but we are on track now in a nice new campground. We still have almost 4 months before we trek back up to the Bay State. And the cycle continues…

So what does 2026 look like for us? We will be enjoying our time in BSL until mid-April and then heading home. 

Our campground manager and her family are a young enthusiastic, hard working bunch and are creating all kinds of activities and get togethers for us. Tonight, we had a wonderful impromptu fish fry with all the fixings and played Left-Right-Center afterwards! It was a great evening!  Many more fun events to come! 

The kids may come again to visit in February and should be here right around Mardi Gras time. Again, we will make plans for our trailer to spend the summer down south; traveling is easier, faster without towing. We have tons of doctor appointments upon returning home. We’ve already booked a bus tour trip to South Dakota in mid-June; visiting Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills and many other landmarks to and from on this 11 day trip. We hope to enjoy the new pool Brooke and Rakib had installed late last summer and being home, seeing friends. In August, we are planning a family get together in France, staying at Holly and Gregg’s place. And then before we know it - packing up and heading back down to the Magnolia State. Lots of good things to look forward to!  Happy 2026!