My Mistake

The post before this one is dated today.  I had written in July, thought I posted it, but just realized I hadn't.

      I had ended that post with going to a family reunion in KY.  It was a delightful time.  So good to get together with everyone.  We surely missed the ones who couldn't be there.  Thanks to Larry and Becca for hosting.
     After leaving Berea, KY, I headed to Ravenna, KY to Aldersgate UMC camp.  I had been there several years ago.  I stayed just over a week this time.  It was the end of their camping season and I spent the time deep cleaning a couple cabins, especially the kitchens.
     I headed to Nashville airport after that and flew to NYC.    It was great to be able to visit there.
     Upon my return, I drove to Arkansas.  During that travel time, I was able to have brief visits with friends.  I headed to Mount Eagle UMC Retreat Center.  I spent my week there power washing and sealing the decks around a couple cabins.  What a beautiful setting.  So glad to be there.
     Then I was headed to San Antonio, TX.  I had never been there and was excited about the work and to see the city.  I worked at a UMC educational facility for challenged adults.  They have a deaf program.  I was able to chat with some of the students, interpret chapel, and do some touch-up painting in a couple buildings.  On the weekend I was able to go to the Alamo and enjoy the Riverwalk.
     I left that area and headed to AZ.  It was a week later that Hurricane Harvey went through the area I had traveled across.
     I am now settled in AZ again.  I have some short trips planned, some NOMADS projects planned, and some plans to visit with friends.  I continue to enjoy being in AZ even though the month of September was quite hot.
     Until next time.  Happy Trails
   
   

     

It's Been a Long Time

      I spent the fall and winter in Mesa, AZ  at my favorite RV resort.  In December I spent a week in Globe, AZ helping with ''stocking week" at Arizona Reservation Ministries.  I was able to help sort items, fill some of their huge stockings, sort blankets, load the van with boxes of stockings each day, and be a part of the controlled chaos that happens at distribution.  I also went to the assisted living home on the rez while ARM conducted Bible study.  I was surprised to find that one of the residents is deaf.  When she found out that I understood sign language, she just began telling me her life story.  She was so glad to have someone to talk to.  I decided, then, to go once a month to visit her and try to interpret Bible study.  So for a couple days during the next three months, I would go to ARM and be a part of their daily children's ministry one day, spend the night, and go to the assisted living home Bible study the next day.  I look forward to doing that again if the resident is still there.

     Christmas week, my daughter and I spent sightseeing different places in southern CA, Utah, and northern AZ.  The highlight was Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ.  Amazingly beautiful.  

     In February, I was able to tour parts of southern AZ with friends.  Quartzite is an annual destination, Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, Tucson, Bisbee, Douglas, and a couple border towns in Mexico.  Highlights from that trip were San Xavier Mission Church in Tucson, copper mine tour in Bisbee, and historic hotel in Douglas.  

    Another trip in the spring was to Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument.
      It's been awesome to be able to enjoy so many of the National parks and historic places.

      I left AZ the end of April.   There was a stop at Mojave National Monument and Sequoia National Forest before getting to Gleanings for the Hungry.  This was my third time to Gleanings.  I spent two weeks there doing the different aspects of making the dry soup mixes that gets sent to the hungry around the world.  Millions of servings are made each week by all the different volunteers there.  It's a great place to volunteer.  Nice housing, great RV sites, and three wonderful meals/day.

     Then there was a disappointing trip to Yosemite.  It was so busy, roads under construction, traffic, and no parking that we unable to park and get out to see anything.  

     Sequoia National Park was better.  Calvaras Big Trees County Park was awesome.  The giant sequoias in all the parks are impressive.  Two days at Calvaras County Fair was so much fun. The famed frog jumping contest was just crazy. (Mark Twain made it famous).  The rodeo was one of the best. 

    After spending time with my sisters, I headed up the coast of CA and OR to do a NOMADS volunteer mission project at a UMC church camp in WA.  The weather was not the best, but the work was good.  I spent a few days with a tank on my back spraying invasive nasty weeds, helped split and stack firewood, and painting.

   Tripping  to Mt Rainier and Seattle was how I spent my birthday.  

   After the work at camp, I began my trip east by following the Oregon Trail-backwards.  It was a wonderful two weeks of stopping at historic sites, landmarks, wagon ruts, museums, and parks.  I thoroughly enjoyed being submerged into that part of our country's history.

     It's now time to visit with family and attend our family reunion in KY.  

   

    

SD, NE, OK, MO and Places in Between

      Leaving Mesa in July was a good idea.  Hot!!  I visited a few national parks and monuments along the way, getting good use of my senior pass.  I went to ancient cliff dwellings, pueblos, Bryce, Zion, and others.  Utah/AZ border area has spectacular places to see.  I then headed to Rapid City, SD.  I got to have a brief visit with family along the way and the opportunity to visit the Wounded Knee Indian Massacre site.   In Rapid City I renewed my driver's license, visited the place of my address, and spent time (and money) in Deadwood.
     I then volunteered a week just south of Rapid City at Storm Mtn UMC camp.  It is just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore.  There I cut, drilled, & stained 72 boards that would be used to mount memory plaques in their new gazebo.  It was a good week.  I was able to hike with some other visitors and go into the old gold mine that is on the camp property.
     Driving from there to NE, I stopped at the Archway Museum.  It stretches across I-80.  If you ever get the chance, stop there.  Great museum about the Oregon Trail.  The next week I spent at Camp Fontanelle just northwest of Omaha, NE.  There I spent the week painting and detailing both sides of their large entrance sign.  After ten years of weathering, the sign needed the paint job.  What a difference.
     It was then on to Tahlequah, OK.  I spent 3 weeks there with a great team remodeling the inside of one of the houses at the UM Children's home.  I did a lot of carpet removal, painting and, trim work.
While there we went to Cherokee historic sites, a rodeo, and even attended a Cherokee UMC service.
     I am now in Branson, MO waiting for the start of our NOMADS annual meeting.  Also, I am awaiting a new ac unit.  The other one quit about a week ago.  ugh.  hot and humid here.  Luckily I am in the shade.  Along the way to Branson, I visited the Will Rogers museum and had the opportunity to spend a few days with family.  During this time of waiting for the meeting, I am visiting with friends from AZ, going to a show, and catching up on paperwork.
     After this I will head west.  I plan to see some of the sights in Las Vegas, NM and Santa Fe, NM which I missed when I went through a couple years ago while following the Santa Fe Trail.  Then it's back to Mesa.  Let the parties begin.
     Someday I will figure out how to add the pictures.
 

Summer Travels

   Time to go. After moving stuff into the park model, I had to move stuff into the RV.  

The first week of my trip was spent visiting national parks with a friend.  We went to cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon, pueblo ruins in Wupatki National Monument, Cameron trading post, Horseshoe Bend in Page, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, Bryce National Park, Zion National Park, and St. George.  The senior pass that I got last year had a work out this year.  All those places were free!  

      From St. George, I left to go on to NOMADS projects.  I headed to South Dakota, first meeting family in Grand Junction, CO for dinner.  Then in SD I visited the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.  In Rapid City, I renewed my driver's license.  (My permanent address is still here.)  I also picked up my mail in person.  I visited Deadwood and supported their economy.    

     Then it was on to Storm Mountain UMC camp just south of Rapid City.  I will spend a week here. I then will go to Camp Fontanelle in Nebraska for a week.  I have been to both of these places before.  

I will be part of a team for three weeks at a girls' home in Tahlequah, OK.  After that the NOMADS have an annual meeting in Branson.  When that concludes,  I will head back to AZ and volunteer at the Arizona Reservation Ministries.   

June

     I spent the rest of April moving into the park model (see previous blog).  I enjoyed May living in it and traveling in the RV for a week to other parts of the state.  I had never stayed so late in the year in AZ.  It was getting hot.
     I still had a storage unit in PA and decided that I needed to clean that out, now that I had a place.  So June 1 I flew to Buffalo and rented a car.  I spent a week in Ohio visiting family and friends.  I went from there to Pittsburgh for a former student's graduation from the school for the deaf.  After that I went back to the Duke Center area.  I stayed with friends and visited others.  I worked in the storage unit, sorting stuff.  I had an auctioneer come and take away all the stuff I thought I would use once I settled.  (I had saved some stuff thinking I would need it in a place, didn't know the place would come with everything.)  Then I loaded the car and drove to Harrisburg to visit family.  My sister-in-law and I drove to NYC to take the load of stuff to daughter number 1.  While there, she surprised us with tickets to Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House.
    Back to Harrisburg and Duke Center.  I finished sorting more stuff in the storage unit, returned the rental car, and picked up a Budget truck. With the help of friends, I got the truck loaded with the rest of the stuff and I was on my way.
     I visited daughter number 2 and got rid of some more of the stuff.  We had a nice visit and I was on the road again.  It took me three days, two nights to get to AZ.  I only locked the keys in the truck once.  sheesh.
     I spent a couple weeks moving that stuff into the park model.  Then it was time to get on the road.

It's about time !!!

     Forgive me friends, it's been a long time since my last blog.
     For the most part, I didn't have anything to say.  I was in Mesa, AZ at Towerpoint RV Resort and spent the winter there.  I did the same boring things-swim, party, happy hour, make jewelry, party, visit with friends, explore the area, and party.  I also volunteered at the nearby school for the deaf once a week.
     I spent February away from Towerpoint.  Friends and I drove our RVs to Yuma and spent time in Algadones, Mexico.  We then went to Quartzsite, AZ to the rock show and flea market.  Then on to Scottsdale, AZ for two weeks.  We worked at the Arabian Horse Show.  What fun!! We parked our RVs right on the property (Westworld), worked 4 hours every other day, and attended any of the shows we wanted.  There were at least 5 arenas going on all day every day for the 12 days of show.  We had a lot of perks as a volunteer and had a good time.  Then we spent the last week of the month at Lost Dutchman State Park, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains.  We hiked and enjoyed the time in that beautiful park.  We also, sadly, watched a helicopter search and recovery of a hiker.
   March was another 'boring' month at Towerpoint and then........I bought a park model.  That's what they call the small trailer homes that are more permanently placed in those RV places.  I hadn't thought I would do that for a few years.  My plan was to reassess my traveling lifestyle after ten years    (it's been seven).  I knew I liked Towerpoint because I keep going back, so I figured I would end up there, and then downsize the RV.
     I had my eye on this one place since it was for sale a couple of years ago.  I liked the location, interior, set up, etc.  Since the new owners just bought it two years ago, I didn't think they'd sell, but I would let them know that I was interested if they should decide to do so.  The Canadian dollar was so bad last year, many Canadians were selling there places.  And surprise!!... I got a call from the owner that she would sell.  Oh my.  Decision time.
     April 1 I moved in.  I couldn't believe all the stuff in the RV that I could now store in the park model and it's storage shed.  Woohoo, but the park model was loaded- it came with everything;  dishes, pots, silverware, furniture, appliances, towels, sheets, vacuum, bike, grill.  I almost didn't have room for my stuff.  hehehe.  I made it fit.
    Now the downsizing of the RV.  I thought I would start doing 'homework' on smaller ones.  I found one right away.  It's a Pleasure Way.  Very small compared to the ones that I had.  I loved living in the Sunseeker and hated to see it go, but, in my mind there's no reason to have two big places.  This way I have a vehicle to go around town and still go on trips.  yeeehawww! Lots happened in a short time.
  So yep, that makes four.

Globe

     I spent two weeks at Arizona Reservation Ministries.  Their bus was in the shop for major repairs so the children's ministry was not being done during that time.  I was, though, able to help with other things.  A new bus is being prepared to be put into use an the children have been tracing handprints on the outside and requesting a color for them to be painted.  I painted many of the handprints.
     I was able to attend a house blessing.  This is a ceremony/party that ARM does when they have completed a house and turn the keys over to the owner.  Because the director's wife had hurt her back, I baked the cakes that were to be taken for the party.
     I also helped at a Fun Day.  This is a designated day that ARM goes to a neighborhood and provides a hot dog dinner, games, prayer, and support for children and adults.  A couple of volunteer groups from other areas were in for the weekend, so there were lots of people doing lots of things.
     I also helped with some clerical work and general odd jobs in the office.
     After that I headed to Mesa and back to Towerpoint.

I actually wrote this the end of September, but for some reason it wasn't posted (probably had something to do with trying to learn how to use a new computer).  So here it is now, one month later.
Still having trouble putting on pictures.  Oh well.