Moving Along

I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I posted. I have to admit, I think about it, but not much was happening while parked at Gary's sisters home, and I didn't think everyone wanted to hear over and over about what Gary did in the barn that day. We had originally planned to spend some time in Michigan, but we always have to say God willing. We had to replace the rubber roof on the RV and that is very costly. So needless to say, it was unexpected and put a crimp in the finances. We were praying about what to do. We decided to call to a place in Kentucky where our son-in-law was the associate director for 3 years and we had talked about volunteering there. When I got out my phone to call someone, I noticed a voicemail I hadn't seen before. Upon listening, it was the place in Kentucky calling and saying they really needed volunteers to come and would we be interested. The wonderful thing about it was the voice mail was 2 weeks old!! God saw our need before we did and supplied for us. So we have been here going on 3 weeks now. We started out working in the dinning hall. Cleaning tables, setting up tables for meals with ketchup, syrup, or whatever is needed for that meal, vacuuming,etc. It is really easy work for a place to park, 3 meals a day, laundry facilities, and good fellowship. When we arrived, there were several other volunteers. We had a wonderful time playing dominoes and just yakking. 2 of the ladies were always crocheting when not working and one day we had a chat and crochet time. I hadn't crocheted for awhile, and now I'm a whirlwind. The other day I made 4 items in about 8 hours, in between shifts. As of Saturday past, all the other volunteers left and its just Gary and I still here in our RV. The volunteer coordinator is on vacation this week and gave us the keys to things in the dinning room. The head maintenance man and his wife had to leave this morning because her father is dying and Gary was told he would be doing maintenance detail this week. I'm off for 3 days and some local gals are coming in to do the volunteer work. Because I still get worn out , they have been soooo good to not overwork me. The place we are at is Cedarmore Conference Center. It is in Bagdad, Kentucky. About 25 miles away from most populated areas. As I stated before, our son-in-law was here for 3 years and we have visited many times. It sits on 700 acres. There are an abundance of deer and wild turkey here. In the fall, they would come up in our daughters back yard in groups of as many as 6-7.

Here in the summer, they have church camp and can have as many as 500 kids at one time. They also have groups like cancer kids, YMCA, adult retreats, etc.There is a lake with a blob in it. A climbing tower, a fishing lake, horses, bikes, and a mud pit. That was sooo much fun to watch the kids do. Our granddaughter got to come as a camper for the first time this year and it was a great time for her. In the past, because she lived here, she got to hang out a lot but couldn't participate in too many things. The first day here, she came and hugged grandpa and I. The second day we sought her out and hugged her. The third day she waved at us and the last day, well I think she forgot we were here!!! This weekend we will go to our daughters' home and take care of our grandson for 3 days while they attend a wedding. My son-in-law will officiate the ceremony, our daughter will do the photography, our 2 little granddaughters are in the wedding, and so we get to watch our grandson. It is also his birthday and so we will do something special with him.

We got to have this past Sat off so we took a trip to Shaker Village. I was going to post pics and write about it but as I was downloading the pics, the battery on my camera died, so I will do that at a later date.

We will remain here possibly until the end of October. We hope then to swing by Gary's brothers in Pennsylvania and visit my brother in the D.C. area. Then on to Florida and Lake Yale where we volunteered last winter. We have communicated with a few others who were there last winter at the same time and are so excited that we will be working with these wonderful people again. We have been asked to go to Jamaica for 4 months to do some missionary work at that same time period. We are praying about it. Well, hubby is sitting here with me and ready to head back to the RV for the evening. Oh, we can't get cell phone in the RV or computer hookup, except in the dinning hall, so our kids can't call and I can't hang out on my computer for hours. Actually, I'm glad because I'm doing other things and realize I was spending too much time on it anyway.

There are highs and lows of this lifestyle, but it is an adventure we're glad we embarked on. Until next time, God bless......

Passing of a fatherly uncle

We received a phone call today we had been expecting. Gary's uncle passed away this am. He was more like a father to my husband. We had been able to visit him 3 times since we arrived here in April. What made is extra special was that he had been alert and communicative each time. When we talked to his daughter, she would tell us that the day before we visited,(all three times) he had been unresponsive and they thought that he was going to be gone before the next day. So my hubby was able to relay to unc how much he loved him and appreciated all his fathering. aThe last time we visited him at the hospice he actually looked better than he had for months. We haven't cried yet. Gary is remembering him fondly and thanking God for the blessing he was to him.
Mothers Day was really nice. We invited Gary's mom, his sister and her hubby and our youngest daughter over for grilled hamburgers and bratwurst, potato salad, baked beans, and pineapple upside cake(made by my sister-in-law.) I wasn't sure how we would all fit inside the rv as it had rained all the previous week and was very muddy outside. It worked out great. I love having company. Our daughter was so at home that she fell asleep on the couch for awhile. Just like the old days!!!
Gary continues to work in the barn, hanging plywood and doing electrical work. I worked in the gardens today, but became very tired after a couple of hours and so I've just hung out for the rest of the day inside on the computer. Last week, the day after Mothers day, Gary, myself, sister and bro-in-law, neighbors next door and neighbors on other side went down the road to a neighbors house and weeded her gardens and trimmed bushes. Her husband had passed away 3 days before and it was a way to bless her. Working with others, and blessing someone in such a way is what this is all about.
Just heard on the news tonight that the Superbowl is going to be played here in Indy in 2012!! Go Colts! What a boost to the economy here that will be. We aren't big football fans, but when the Colts played in the Bowl the past two years, we watched and cheered with the rest of you all. It really is (was) a great place to live.
We've been eating at home more, plus my sister-in-law has us for dinner about 3-4 nights a week. I think it is her way of thanking us for all the work Gary is doing here. But we keep telling her we are so grateful for being able to stay here that she doesn't have to do that. But she is and always has been so giving and good to us.
We got a call the other day that surprised us very much. It was from a collection agency. Apparently, we had charged some gas in Jan. on our Shell card. It had been sent to our old address and was posted as not living there. It happened twice. Well, we have not been at that address for almost 11 months and have had our mail forwarded since then. And we have gotten all our bills and several from them since we went on the road. As usual, you have to call more than one number before getting anywhere. Finally, we paid it over the phone. They are sending us a letter in a couple of weeks, and we will then call Shell back and try to get this taken off of our credit report as we had excellent credit and this could possibly effect it.
Well, I'm gonna try to retire earlier this evening. That means before midnight and it is now 11:19, so until nextime, we're just passing through....

Merry Month of May

Spring is definitely here and beautiful. On the drive to Indy from Fla., we saw spring breaking out everywhere. The Wisteria were gracefully swaying from the trees and it made me want to watch Gone With The Wind again. We saw redbuds and tulips and many flowering trees and bushes. Then when we arrived in Indy, it was a bit chilly and we had to get some warm clothes out again. A few nights, it got in the low 30's. But finally spring came again! The redbuds are blooming. We picked some blooms from a lilac bush today and the fragrance is permeating the RV. The tulips have come and gone, and now the daisys, tiger lillies, and all the summer perennials are beginning to bloom. We have got to see spring 3 times this year already!! This is one of the blessings of this lifestyle.
We have really been busy this past month. At first, I was really getting very tired and would work a day and rest a day or two, but this week I think that is starting to let up a bit. We spent the day yesterday helping my husband's sister and her hubby(where we are parked) put up particle board in a room in their 3000 sq. ft. barn. She and I did all the anchoring of screws in the boards while Gary cut them. Then we put a wall up in the middle of the room. I hadn't been able to do that kind of work for quite a while and thought I would be really sore today. But I wasn't. I don't know why but am so grateful to be painfree today. We(Gary and I) were then able to go today and help someone with some gardening and mowing.
This past weekend we visited a daughter in Plymouth. She has started a new job there. So we took a tour of her place of business. We also got a private tour of the Pioneer Seed Production Plant. Her boyfriend is an agronomist there. We did not grow up on a farm or have any interest in such things growing up, but I find as we grow older, we like to learn of anything new to us. My thoughts were just that farmers grow corn, took it to the grain elevator, shipped it to factories, and we get it in products, frozen, fresh or whatever. It ain't that way no more. Well, maybe in small towns. It is a big business and the tour was really informative and interesting. This plant is the second biggest in Pioneers businesses. I won't be able to tell you the procedures or anything, but I want to tell you a funny thing that happened. We were in a certain building, and we were going to go up 4 floors. I'm short and overweight and a bit old and I didn't want to do 4 flights of stairs,( wasn't sure I was up to it!)So while boyfriend and husband took the stairs, my daughter and I took a service elevator. It was probably 4'x4',had an accordian type closure, and a windowed door had to be opened when landing to exit the thing. We went upstairs, took the tour, and re-entered the elevator to to down. Down, down , down, and then we got to the destiny-except we stopped it about 4 inches shy of lining up with the floor. We tried to open the door and-nothing! We couldn't open the door. So we tried again. Couldn't open the door. At least there was a window and so we could see the guys descending the stairs and hopefully coming our way. They step off of the stairs and started walking around!! No-come over here. We had to beat on the window to get their attention and they did turn around and come over. They of course wondered why we weren't out yet. So we told them the door wouldn't open. They tried and it wouldn't open. Now, one of my greatest fears is getting stuck in an elevator!!! And here we were!! I started to panic a bit. I could just see it on the news-mother and daughter stuck in elevator and the local fire dept. had to saw them out!! We pushed the up button and the down button, trying to get it to move or do something! NOTHING. The guys tried the door 7 or 8 times, we were hitting the buttons. Boyfriend kept saying that the door and the beam wasn't quite lining up right. Somehow, after much jiggling, we pushed a button, it went up a bit, then we were able to lower it so it was level with the floor. and got out!!!! It only lasted about 5 minutes, and thank God there was a door with a window, but it took me a few minutes to calm down afterwards. Oh, I was laughing, as were the others, but I realized how much we,(I) don't like not being in control! What would I have done if it was a regular elevator without a window? We aren't in control of anything in life really. I thought I learned that when I had cancer. That was one of the first things I realized is that we aren't in control, God is. Seems like I'm trying to take things back again. Anyway, it will be something we as a family will look back on and have one more thing to laugh at.
Two weekends ago we headed the other direction, went to Kentucky to visit the grandkids and daughter and hubby. Well, our 8 year old granddaughter was getting baptized and we wouldn't have missed it for anything. She loves the Lord and is such a compassionate child for her age. And the other granddaughter was having a birthday the next week, so we did a lot of celebrating. On Sat, they went to the zoo with some friends for a different child's birthday, so Gary and I took a nice drive to a little town that a gal told us of. First we took the Kentucky Scenic Byway to arrive at the town of Midway. The drive alone is worth it. Just miles of horse farms and quiet, beautiful roads. I had taken my camera that day, and got a few pics of the town, and then my batteries died. All along the way is wonderful old, stone fences. The horse farms have many barns and a lot of them are new. I just can't imagine the finances that are in these farms. Then we arrived at the wonderful town of Midway. It was built in the early 1800's on a railroad line. It was midway between Lexington and Frankfort on the railway, and hence the name Midway. The town was restored buildings, which housed coffee shops, restaurants, and the usual what-not stores. It is a little pricey, but you could just walk and enjoy the town. There were 2 churches we saw that were from the 1870's and the architect was beautiful. And driving through the town we feasted our eyes on some wonderful homes. There is also a small college(but we can't remember the name of it.) We just think this is one of those places that is unknown, but well worth the drive there.
I REALLY am going to try to write more often. I wasn't sure anyone would really like to hear our day to day doings since we are parked here for a couple of months, but as I read other RV blogs, I realize that's just what this is about and even if we are parked, people can get a sense of what living in the RV is like. Till next time,....just passing through!

Back Home Again In Indiana

Well, we have been "home" for 9 days now. Thanks Terry for inquiring how I am doing. I was actually down for 2 weeks with the sinus infection. I coughed so hard , I , well, actually vomited sometimes (sorry) and hurt all over. I was afraid when we got back to Indy, I might get sicker because of the cold weather, but I'm doing good. We were greeted very warmly at church last Sunday morning. We had attended there 23 years before movin on and it is bittersweet coming back. We had a 12 hour day that Sunday. We lunched with some dear friends, went back to church for a special meeting that had been called, and spent about 5 hours with our middle daughter. It was probably the best time we have ever spent with her.
The next day, we went to my mother-in-laws , along with my sister-in-law, her husband and her daughter , to help clean up the lawn and get it ready for mowing. As we were leaving, everyone but myself were already outside, and as I headed out the door, it happened. Mom H. fell. She is 80 years old, and she still takes her class C and goes camping with her camp club. Anyway, I hollered to the others to come in and we got her up. Nothing was broke, but she did have some very sore places the next day. We insisted she get a cell phone to carry with her at all times in case she falls when no one is around. She did comply and now we can all rest a bit easier.
We had a busy week working around Gary's sisters' place. They have graciously let us stay here again. We were parked here while I went through chemo and they are so good to us. She made dinner every night last week and fed us. It was wonderful to dine and converse with them daily. We are helping shore thing up as they prepare to put their place up for sale in a couple years. This weekend we all went up to northern Indy to help their daughter and son-in-law tear out some lathe and plaster walls and put in a big new window in their 100 year old plus home. There was old insulation in the walls and it was everywhere!! I had the privilege of watching our 4 month old great niece. She is adorable and smiles much and just melts your heart. Her little brothers just kinda hung out . We ate well and had a great visit. We ended the weekend by attending their church. It is in a farming town and I would assume most of the local churches have been well established. They started 2 years ago meeting in a school and now meet in the community center. They have about 400 in attendance now! Like so many churches now, the pastor wears jeans and drives a Harley. There is a band. We love this kind of church. No stuffy suits. Jesus went where the people were. They were smelly fishermen and tanners.They came to hear him just as they were. No polished shoes or made up faces. Just come. Then we went back to the house, had lunch, and they finished up some electrical work. On the way home we stopped at a small drive thru ice cream place. Gary and I had an extra thick chocolate malt. It was soooo good. Tasted just like when we were kids. Oh, I forgot to tell you that we left Fla and it was 80 degrees and tonight it will be 28 degrees. And today there was icy rain coming down on the way back. I do not miss this weather and if we can plan it better, we will wait til nicer weather to return next year.
Tomorrow we have to go get our taxes. We owe! Ouch! Hopefully, next year we won't owe anything. One of the reasons we came back was Gary was going to sub bus drive to nest egg a little extra cash so we could spend the summer in Michigan and not have to volunteer. I still get worn out from the chemo and it could be awhile before the aftereffects stop. So we were going to spend at least two months resting. But with the price of gas, it looks like we will still volunteer along the way. We will stay here probably for 3 months and that will help. We also wanted to do some remodeling inside the RV but looks like that is to be put on hold. One thing we realized is we sure do like sleeping in our little home and own bed. Not that we didn't enjoy our visit. But I remember laying in the bed having trouble falling asleep and wondering if it was because the room was so big and I was missing my "cocoon" bedroom!!! Well, that's a good note to end on and until next time, we're just passing through.......

It

How Time Flies When You're Feeling Bad!!

I went to the blog today and saw that I hadn't written for almost 2 weeks. We do work hard here and evenings are really let down time. Mom and dad came back last Sunday from their train trip up north. Mom came down with pneumonia when they returned. I got what I believe is a sinus infection and was in bed Wed-Sat. I still feel lousy and am debating whether to go work tomorrow. I keep my self up at night coughing which really wears one out. So I'll see how I feel in the morning.
When I was working, we painted a kitchen in South Camp. It is purple, but it is clean and looks great. Some of the other volunteers ladies were sanding rusty legs on the stainless steel equipment in the kitchen. They then painted them and they look as good as new. We also had to repaint about 70 table legs that got splattered with floor paint. It is a wonderful group of people to work with here. I think it would be neat if young people could come here and be mentored by such hard working older people. Some of these people have health issues such as heart, sight, etc and they are amazing the way they keep going and giving.
I was priviledged to work in the cafe a few nights. Nothing great about that in itself, but the majority of the clientel were blind. It makes you really have to think about handing them a drink or giving their change. Most who were totally blind had guides or guide dogs. Several of them had been sighted at one time and now have macular degeneration. They can only see off to the sides, not straight ahead. One lady came in daily and we got to talking. She crochets by feel. She lost her sight about 10 years ago. She gave me some coasters she had made. When I asked her how much they were, she said she never charges, she just likes to make them and give them away. I enjoyed myself immensely.
We did go to church this morning to celebrate our wonderful Saviors' resurrection. It was wonderful to fellowship with other believers and hear the word of the Lord again. We haven't been able to attend anywhere for several weeks and it was like a drink of cold water. People were friendly. The thing I miss most about a home church is that you don't know anyone and can't stand around afterwards and visit.
We will leave on Sunday the 31st and head back to Indy, making a few stops along the way. Maybe I will be able to breath again by then!!
Gary had been working with another man on a tile job at the camp directors house. He is a jack of all trades. He had remodeled our two bathrooms in our stick house when we were getting ready to put it on the market. He did tile work in both and it was beautiful.
Talked to our girls today. This is another first holiday without the kids. Our youngest was making candles when we called. She said she was thinking about when they were little and we would hide eggs and baskets for them . She had to work today. Our middle daughter called us and said she starts her new job on Tuesday. So glad she finally found a job. They will give her a car and insurance and gas. That is great for a starter job. Our oldest daughter said they had an egg drop at their church. A helicopter dropped plastic eggs on ther grounds. I'm not sure how that works but she said it was better than she thought it would be.
The weather today was just beautiful. Warm breeze(except the pollen was high) about 79 degrees and a sunny sky. I did make a pork loin roast in the slow cooker, some mashed potatoes, veggies and a luscious dessert today. Our neighbors came over for some dessert and ice cream and we sat outside for a while, but I finally had to come in as the pollen was really getting me coughing.
Spent the evening making phone calls, doing some computer stuff, and watching our favorite show, Extreme Makeover, Home Edition. My hubby tears up almost every week. He is so tender hearted. Oh, I forgot to mention, he did the dishes for me after supper, since I'm feeling lousy. What a sweetie!
Well, goodnight for now, and remember, this place is not our home, we're just passing through.....

Working Hard for Our Site

Well, wouldn't you know it. Last night we couldn't get to sleep until 1:30. We lost two hours coming here from Texas, one from the different zone and the other because we set our clocks up an hour Sat night. No problem, we're tired, right? We couldn't believe we couldn't sleep. And we had to get up at 6 to get ready for volunteering. Today we did rake Spanish moss(and to think I used to pay for the stuff at the craft store) and picked up limbs and pieces of palm trees. I know all the volunteers were sore tonight. We sure were. And I got the privilege of working in the coffee shop from 2-4 and 8:15-9, which was 9:45 by the time we cleaned up. We being my dear hubby. I asked him to come help me in case a lot of people came in. They all came in at once and I couldn't have done it without his caring help. He is such a blessing. I know he was worn out from today. And I would have probably still been there cleaning up if he hadn't come. It was really extra special working there tonight because a lot of the patrons were blind. They're here all week for a seminar and most of them have a sighted person along to help. You have to be a little more conscious of handing people their change and their purchases. What a blessing to serve them. Gary has never worked in the restaurant business, but he caught on quick.!My early waitressing days have come in handy on both this job and the last. I just hope I smiled enough, because when I work I become very task oriented and because we were so busy, I barley had time to think . Well, time to retire and I don't think I will have trouble sleeping tonight. God Bless til tomorrow. We're just passing through........

Sending Mom and Dad off

Arrived back at Lake Yale on Friday amid tornado watches. It rained hard almost all 8 hours we were on the road. We saw 8 wrecks. Where we come from, it gets ice and snow on the roads, but most people drive cautiously, although there are a lot of slide offs when it snows. But it was the first time for us both to see so many wrecks from rain. We arrived at Yale about 6P.M. and were warmly greeted by Dorcus and Lew. Chet was there to help as we set up. He and his wife Rose are an older couple and we took to each other when were here before. We settled in for a stormy night, dressed appropriately so if we had to make a quick dash to the bathhouse for a tornado, we would at least have clothes on. Thankfully, one did not touch down.
Saturday morning it was up early to wash our laundry. They let us do it for free and it is such a blessing as we usually spend around $40 an month on laundry. We went to lunch at the dinning room with Chet, finished our laundry and then went to my parents house to visit. Today we again went to mom and dad's to take them to the train station. Dad's sister died last month and to insure everyone who wanted to attend could, they put the memorial service off until this month. Dad won't fly and since they are getting on in years, he no longer wants to drive long distances. So they booked a 17 hour train ride to Washington D.C. We arrived at the station 2 hours early because they didn't want to be late! It was a really different scenario sending my parents off. Mom was real worried about getting on the right car and we kept assuring her they would come off the train and lead her where she needed to go. The station was really quaint. It is situated in a town by the name of DeLand. There were probably only 30 people boarding. The ticket window was a barrel of laughs. Really. He really seemed to enjoy his job. It was very old timey feeling and the day was so beautiful. We watched mom and dad board the train and I felt for a moment like it was a role reversal. Strange. Afterwards Gary and I went into town to find somewhere to dine. But most everything was closed. So we walked the city streets for awhile. The architect was very eye pleasing. We sure enjoy old buildings. It is quite a good size small city and very well kept up.
Tomorrow we start volunteering again. We think we will be picking up broken limbs and twigs as the storm Friday night did a lot of mess here. Not damage, just stuff everywhere. I will enjoy working outside and hope this is the plan they are going with.
We got a call from a friend back home and they offered us their home for 2 weeks when we come home in April, May as they will be coming to Fla at that time. It would work out so great as we were hoping to do some remodeling to the RV while home but weren't sure how we were going to live in the mess!! What a blessing. We want to take out the carpet and put in tile or wood or something. Carpet isn't compatible with fulltiming , at least in our opinion. And since the decor is 10 years old(but in good condition) I would like to redo the window cornices(?) and maybe get a new couch, but that depends on the budget. The colors now are dark and victorian looking kinda and I would like to lighten it and brighten it up a bit.
We have lost two hours coming back here. One was just a time change and last night we sprung forward and hour. It is 11pm but my body thinks it is only 9pm, but I have to get up at 6 so I am going to try to go to sleep now. Hope to write more tomorrow. Just passing through on our way to tomorrow........

Been Awhile

I really need to become more disciplined about blogging. We left Texas on Sat the first of March. We stopped at the Escapees Plantation Park in Alabama. We had been there on our way to Texas. We met up with Darrly and Judy who we met through our blog. We had dinner with them and several other couples and a single man. It was a great time. Just too short.
We had heard about the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola and so we decided to take some time while at Plantation to visit there. Gary was concerned I would be bored. NOT! There were planes and copters from WWII and Vietnam. Also aircraft carrier replicas, dirigibles, Apollo Skylab 2, an art gallery, and even Blue Angels jets suspended from the ceiling as though in flight. One display that I really respected was the Vietnam P.O.W. camp recreation. Gary was there and even though he was a supply driver, it really got to me to see way the P.O.W.'s were treated. I suddenly was overcome and started to cry. They were playing a video about the Hoa Lo Prison(Hanoi Hilton as they dubbed it) and John McCain was speaking. I had seen a special on PBS several years ago about his capture. For those that don't know, he was imprisoned for 5 1/2 years. He shared some details of what life was like. But I teared up when he stepped off the plane after his release. You could feel the pain he was suffering with each step he took, and yet the look on his face said it all. I'm proud to be an American. I could go on and on, but it would be well worth your time if you're in the area to stop in. And it's free!
The last two nights we have stayed in Three Rivers State Park in Fla. I know now what has been missing the past couple of months! I miss camping. We have a beautiful site across from the water. There are only 30 sites here. And a cabin you can rent. It is peaceful and the sites aren't on top of each other. We went for a nature walk. Had a campfire. Ahhhh. Talked to the camp host about how to maybe sign up for work and he was very helpful. We think we would like to try our hand at camphosting. Especially at a smaller park like this one. And the cost was only $13.50 a night. We took off today to a town the host suggested called Graceville. It was okay, but we happened to stumble upon a lumber company and stopped for about half of an hour and watched them work. A big crane lifts the logs off of trucks and you could tell by the speed the man was working he was used to doing it. Gary got out and taked to a driver. The BIG crane was not working and usually they have 100 trucks a day that they unload. It was worth the trip there.
I forgot , while we were in Alabama, we went to the Gulf again. It started out to be a sunny day, but by the time we got there, it was overcast. Just like last month. But it was still a beautiful site to see. The water was choppy, but it was warmer outside than last month so we took our shoes off and walked on the beach. There were quite a few jellyfish on shore. The water was choppy and I just love the sound of the waves crashing on shore. After awhile, we were the only ones there! And all that for free. What a blessing to be alive and enjoy all that we have seen so far.
Tomorrow we head off to Lake Yale again. The same people that were there with us in January are still there, so it will be like homecoming. Can't wait to continue the journey. Til next time, God bless you.

Busy Week

Whew!! It has been a busy week. On Thursday, Gary and I had to take two residents to Houston, which is about an hour and a half south of us. We had to take one lady to MD Anderson Hospital. I thought Methodist and St. Vincents were big back home. I have never been in a hospital that had escalators in the lobby!!! After we dropped her off, we had to take a man to an orthopedic hospital to pick up his wife, who had just had shoulder surgery. Then it was back to Anderson to retrieve the other lady after her appointment. Easy enough. But alas, when we arrived, she hadn't gotten into see the doc yet. So we sat in the car in the parking garage and waited and waited and waited. After 3 hours, she had finally finished up with the doc and we finally got to head home. So we were gone from 11-7. I felt so sorry for the lady who had the surgery, but she was so good natured about it. And the conversation was sooo good. I don't think that there was a quiet 5 minutes all day. I love listening to the elderly talk about their lives. We are enjoying the traveling, but I think I enjoy meeting the people even more.
Yesterday I was conversing with another woman who was born in New York. She had spent some time in a children's home. According to her, they only were fed 2 meals a day and both of them were cream of rice. They had 2 gowns that they always wore. They were deliced frequently. And they were never adopted out. When I asked her why, she said the home would loose money!
There was a young boy who worked in the laundry there whom never spoke. But at night they would hear him screaming. He had been in a concentration camp and was one who placed the dead bodies in a wheelbarrow and took them to the furnaces. It was told that he had to take his own parents to be burned. What a horrendous burden to bear.
She shared that her grandma took her to live with her. The grandma lived in a three story apt. She said she remembers how they were going up the stairs one day and there was a man laying at the bottom of the steps. He was there every day for about 3 days. She remembers wondering why he just kept being there. Well, the morgue came and finally took him away. She stated he had been dead, just laying there. Nobody did anything because that's how it was in that neighborhood.
I keep encouraging these people they should write a book. I sure hope they consider it.
This is our last week here in Texas. We are enjoying it but we are tired. It has been a privilege to serve these elderly fellow RV'es. If you are a praying person, please remember these in your prayers.
Till next time-------

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DSC_0057.jpg (image) This picture goes with the post below. It is of our beloved Lizzie.

A blog about our granddaughter, Lizzie

A Mother's Life: Feminine Graces:

This blog was posted by our daughter about one of our granddaughters. It gave us such a laugh that we wanted to share it with you all!!!!

Recently, a little boy at church asked my five-year old, Lizzie, to 'be his girlfriend.' She asked me and I told her that he had to ask her father (knowing quite well what his answer would be). He took her hand and walked her over to Shane and asked permission to 'go out with her.' Shane, of course, lovingly told this young 5 year old boy that she was too young, but he had permission to be her friend.

A few weeks later, word was 'out on the street' that this little boy was terrified of my husband and would never ask Lizie out again.

So, Lizzie and I were talking the other day about it. She asked if she could be his girlfriend when they were older. I told her we would just have to wait and see what kind of a Godly man he became. My older daughter, encourager that she is :), said that he said he would NEVER ask her out again, EVER! I asked Lizzie if that hurt her feelings, and she said, 'No, if he doesn't, I'll just beat him up!'

Maybe it's time to read 'Beautiful Girlhood?' :)

Where have we been?

Well, my computer wouldn't connect for the last 3 days. So on Sunday I called my service and guess who I got? Someone from India!!!!! They couldn't find any record of me and said to call such-n-such a number. So I did and they didn't have anything on file . So I called the first number and they sent me to the same number I called before. Well, anyway, after several tries I got to the right place and got someone who speaks english. And he was really helpful. But after I did the download, it didn't work still. So I called back on Monday and we tried again. Still no connection. So today I spent 2 hours on the phone with a nice guy and we got 'er going! By the way, the other people who helped me were great also. The guy today thought the download was going to take an hour and took my number and was going to call back in 2 hours to see if things worked-however, it downloaded in 5 or so minutes and every thing worked. It is awful to be computerless for 3 days!!
Forgot to tell that last week we had to have the hot water heater replaced. It had been leaking and even though Gary is great at fixing things, this was one thing he couldn't fix. It started out that we thought it would cost around $675, than we found out because we have a Newmar, there are more bells and whistles and so it ended up costing a little over $1200, with tax and installation! Oh boy.
I have been trying to spend time talking to some of the residents here. There is so much interesting history that will be gone someday when this generation passes away. I've thought about writing a book as we travel and meet elderly people, but I'm will have to ponder it. Anyway, one lady had a dirt poor childhood during the depression. She started out as an office clerk , had various jobs, became a 6th/7th grade teacher, a college professor of Sociology and Anthropology and a Federal government sociologist. She has hiked, camped, traveled and has taught Elderhostels. She has also written some books and has 3 that are being edited now.
One gentleman I talked with today rode the rails from age 19-21. He related how important it was to find the right kind of terrain to land on when jumping from the train, but that it wasn't always possible to find the best spot and sometimes was a bit rough landing. He said he had a trade he learned in highschool, but would often go to work, look at the timeclock and say "The h---with this" and walk out and pursue his wanderlust. He had been to the pyramids, the great wall in China, Africa. He said there weren't too many places he hasn't been. I had to inquire of him if he was wealthy to have been able to travel so much. His reply-"Nope, just charged it!" So now I know the rest of the story.
Tonight when we were at the laundry mat, a lady came in to use WiFi. It wouldn't work, but we began to engage her in conversation and am I glad we did. She had so much to tell us about some of the places they had visited since embarking on their travels in September. I really enjoy how so many will share with you if you just draw them out. I don't think we will ever run out of things to see because so many are so willing to share their journey.
Tomorrow is our day off. I have to get my first bloodwork since being in remission. I must say that I didn't expect to have some anxiety about it, but I do. I suppose this is common to those who are in remission. Plus the fact that I learned of someone this week whose cancer has returned and so that probably fuels my fears. I don't want to always be wondering if it will return. Enough of that.
It was a beautiful day weather wise. We may just go out for breakfast tomorrow before the blood work and then go sit on the water at Lake Livingston. Be blessed today!!

Family time

Nacogdoches

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Well, here it is Wednesday and once again I'm behind in my blogging. So here goes.
Sunday was a day off, so we finally headed up to Nacogdoches. Here's some background on the town. It's called the "Oldest Town In Texas." It's named after the Caddo family of Indians who once resided there. Numerous landmarks and museums explain the town's historic past. Stephen F. Austin State University also makes its' home in Nacogdoches.
We first stopped at the visitor center. There are display cases with artifacts and in on room is a beautiful, stately sideboard. The center itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is worth touring. The two ladies who worked there were enjoyable to talk to and full of information. You can get a map that shows you where the highlights of the walking tour will lead to.
The first place we headed to was Millard's Crossing Historic Village, about 4 miles north. Now, one thing Gary and I aren't real fond of are crowds. Well, let me tell you, we couldn't have picked a better day or place to avoid the masses. There was only one other couple present and they left early. Our tour guide, Roz, was an animated, informative, and I must say, the best guide we've ever encountered. When I asked her how she got the job, she said through a friend who stated he didn't know anyone who can talk as much as she does!!!And she does!! But it is good because she has a wealth of information about the history behind the village, having lived in the area for many years. Just 3 facts-I don't want to tell all about it so you can see it for yourself. In one home we went upstairs to a childs room. Roz pointed out a portrait of a darling little girl with a lace collar and beautiful curled tresses. To our surprise, it wasn't a girl but a boy. Apparently, during that era, little boys and girls were dressed alike and it kept the little boys from playing with the older boys. In another home, we entered a room that had different kinds of wicker furniture. I love wicker, so this was a real treat for me. There was a platform rocker to die for. The next favorite was a beautifully scrolled childs bed. But our favorite was the fainting couch-or so we thought that was what it was. Roz set us straight on that. It was a laying out couch. The morturaries used it for displaying the dead. A fainting couch has a higher back for reposing comfortably. What a beautiful way to be displayed upon dying. And one last item that was really unique. Downstairs in one homes parlor was a fantastic dark brown wicker floor lamp that stood about 6 feet tall and was from around the early 1900's. Now here is the cool part. It was made to look like a lighthouse and when lit up, the light revolved inside and illuminated different colored glass panels, making it appear to work just like a real lighthouse. For more information on the Village go to http://www.millardscrossing.com/.
Next on our tour was the Stephen F. Austin State University. On the north end of the campus is an Arboretum. It boasts of such areas as a children's garden, an 8 acre azalea garden, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Demo garden and a 39 acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center. The peak bloom seasons for Azaleas are March to May, Hydrangeas May to August and Camelias October to February. Since it wasn't blooming time, we just drove past and observed it from a distance.
The one thing we were interested in seeing on the campus was the Old Stone Fort museum. During it's history, the original house served as a public building, grocery,candy store and saloon, and as a temporary fortification during the Magee-Gutierrez, Dr. James Long and Fredonia Rebellion filibusters. The Stone Fort Museum interprets the history of East Texas and Nacogdoches prior to 1900.
Next we drove around the historic area looking at Victorian houses and historical churches. We enjoy looking at headstones in old cemeteries and we happened upon the Oak Grove Cemetery by chance. Buried there are four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Several other persons of historical importance are buried there. We were enthralled by some above ground burial vaults dating back to the mid 1800's. We had never seen such vaults before. Gary found one stone that had Woodmen of the World Memorial carved on it along with some woodworking tools. And most all the headstones were in family plots set apart by concrete or brick low barriers. What a peaceful place to visit.
Lastly, we drove back to the center of town to admire the early architecture of the city. To end the day, we stopped at Red Lobster and treated ourselves to an early Valentines Day dinner.
Looking forward to tomorrow and to what God has planned for us. God bless!!

Tender Caring

Today was one of our days off. Yesterday, we took a resident to Houston's Hobby Airport to pick up his daughter. His wife had passed away earlier this week and she was coming for the memorial service today. It was an interesting drive. Bob shared many of his RV experiences with us and we learned how he and his wife had met. These elderly people have so many rich experiences to share with us if we will just take the time to listen. When they are gone, something will be lost forever from their generation. They went from horse and buggys, no electricity, phones, tv's, pizza, women wearing skirts only, and many changes in history. Anyway, today at the memorial service, I cried. I didn't know the woman who passed. She was in her last stages when we arrived here and wasn't able to get out and about. Her husband read a letter he wrote to her about his thoughts towards her and about her life. And it was very tender. But what made me cry was another couple that was attending the memorial service. They are probably in their sixties. Been married around 40 years. 24 years or so ago she had a stroke. She can play cards, talk, walk and feed herself, but she is very childlike. He has remained faithful and caring for her all these years. And as we sat in the back of the room today, a movement caught our eyes. There they sat, and he was lovingly stroking her cheek. He became my second hero. When I was going through chemo, I heard stories of women who were going through cancer and their spouse left them. I don't understand. I can't imagine. I had the love of my best friend, my husband, my hero, help me everyday. Staying with me through each fusion treatment, which usually took 6-7 hours each time: putting up with my antsyness because of the steroids they put me on, seeing me have no energy for almost 5 months. Kissing my bald head and telling me I was beautiful. Treating me like a queen. I'm so grateful for my honey that God has blessed me with. And I'm so glad for Ellie who has her honey to take care of her all these years. These are the guys who should be getting Grammys and Emmys!! Here's to all you spouses who stick with it for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. May God bless you richly!!!

Learning The Ropes

It has been a busy week! We are learning our volunteer duties and sometimes it changes day to day. The evening cook quit this week, and so the volunteers have to cook the evening meals. For 60 people!! Most of us have never cooked for that many and it has been a challenge. Tonight was my(Sally)night to cook the main soup. Another gal did an excellent job on the dessert. We did some deviled eggs and there is always salad to throw in. It all came together. Gary and I were also scheduled to be on call tonight. That job starts at 5:20. Only one problem. We aren't done in the kitchen until around 7:30. Thank goodness for such wonderful volunteers who filled in the gap for us until we finished up. I think my blood pressure went up tonight several notches!! Tomorrow we will be back in the kitchen, and at 1pm, Gary will drive a resident to Houston to an airport to pick up his daughter. His wife passed this week and Sat. there will be a memorial service for her.
Tuesday we had a day off. We didn't go to Nacogdoches because it was suppose to rain all day. But around 1pm we decided to take off and go for a drive since the rain didn't show up. We headed to Moss Hill and on the way, we saw a sign for a plantation, so we detoured. We drove several miles and came upon the sign in the first pic. It is Plantation Farm. Owned by Governor Daniels. We thought maybe it was a place to tour but it is a private residence. There were, to our guestimate, a couple thousand acres. And cattle were roaming everywhere. It was a wonderful sight.
We backtracked and continued our drive.On the road we saw the big gun in front of a bar-b-que place. Couldn't resist the picture! We ended up in Sam Houston National Forest in Coldspring, Texas. We drove to the campgrounds to check it out. There was only the camp host in the regular camping and a host and a couple of RV's in the other part. The sites were really nice and some were on the water. After we left the park, we drove down 2025 a ways further and came to the Big Creek Scenic Drive. It is a forest service road . That's the fourth pic above. It was a scenic drive through undisturbed areas. Be prepared to get a dirty car because it is a dirt road, but the peacefulness is worth it.
On the way home, we drove over the Livingston Lake causeway and were treated to a beautiful water scene and fluffy clouds. We had been told about a local Livingston restaurant that had great food. Apparently, it was started several years ago in a small building, and has grown over the years. It is named Florida's. Well after several tries and asking directions twice from strangers, we finally found it. There wasn't a car in the lot. We pulled up front and I got out to see if it was open. Nope!! and no times were posted. However, there was a sign that stated they needed cooks, servers and dishwashers!! Maybe everyone quit and they had to close til later notice---so no Florida's that night. We stopped at the City Grille. It was good, but nothing outstanding. We related our findings to others when we got home about Floridas, and they said they had eaten there just days ago. So, we will try it again sometime.
Time for bed, as we have to report to work at 7am tomorrow to open up the Care Center. God bless all, and can't wait to see what He has in store for us tomorrow!!!

Grumpy Day

I(Sally) do most of the posting. I have been kinda grumpy today. Haven't slept well for the past couple of nights. So Gary and I were kinda at each other but we are doing good tonight! We did our laundry around 10:30 and didn't get done in time to have lunch at the Care Center. I fixed some roll ups and cottage cheese and peach tea for our lunch.
We thought we were suppose to be on call tonight. Our schedule said so anyway. So we walked down to the Center and when we arrived found out that we weren't on call after all. They had changed the schedule and we hadn't seen it. We were informed that the schedule often changes and we have to check it daily. So we ate dinner and did our after dinner cleaning of chairs, tables, and vacuuming along with two other couples.
We came home and played some Rummy. I was winning most of the game but in the end Gary won. Tomorrow we have the day off and had planned to go to Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. But the chance of rain is 50% and some of the things we wanted to see are outside so we will wait till a nicer weather day.
Oh, did I mention that it was close to 80 degrees here today? It was a bit humid, but there was a nice breeze all day. I don't miss the snow back home. Tonight it will only get down to 70 and we are sleeping with our windows open!!!!
Well, it's 11:14 and I am going to TRY to get a good nights sleep. God Bless and if He is willing we will arise tomorrow and see what the day brings our way.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

First Day Of Volunteering At Care

It is now 7:40 and we just got in from volunteering. Care is a place in the Escapees network where people who are fulltimers but are recouperating or can't stay on the road because of health problems come and stay. There are people on staff, but a lot of the work is done by volunteers. Tonight we worked with a great lady by the name of Ellie. She too is a volunteer and was very thorough in training us. We helped prepare food, did dishes, cleaned up and such. My feet are killing me(Sally) but it was fun. Tomorrow we work from about 9-1 and again at 2-4.

Today was a beautiful day weather wise. It was in the 70's and sunshine and a cool wind blowing! We had a leisure morning(I didn't get up until around 9:30) and we sat outside for awhile before going to work.

Yesterday was a do nothing day. We didn't even get dressed til around 11. Gary commented how he felt guilty for that because for years he got up at 5am. I just told him this is a different life and enjoy it!

I talked to my good friend Kathy back home in Indy this am. It was sooo good to hear her. She has been a dear friend for about 4 years. Her sister passed from cancer about 3 years ago and so when I went through cancer and chemo she was such a help and support for me. Some of the feelings or questions I had, her sister had also had and Kathy was able to encourage me by the things her sister had said or experienced.

Again, because I didn't start this blog sooner, I want to throw in some pics along the way of some places we were. There is a campground in Carrabelle, Fla by the name of HO-HUM . It is right on thegulf. There isn't anything there but a beautiful view. We parked on the water and the sunset was awesome. And the price was only $29 a night on the water. So the pics at the top of the page are of that site.

Well, we are going to watch some t.v. and retire. Can't wait to see what God has in store for tomorrow. Be blessed!

We're now Texans

Yesterday was a "goat roping" day to quote my husband. We started out on Monday to get our RV and car registered and get new drivers licenses. We were told to go to the courthouse to start the procedure. Then someone else told us to start at the tax office. It was a small place where they pay their taxes and get their car titles and registrations. Well, they told us that we had to first get the car and rv inspected. So we drove to the place that does inspections and got the car done. We waited until yesterday to get the RV inspected, as that involves packing everything up and putting the slide in.

On with the story. We got up at 6am to prepare the rv for the day. Arrived at the inspection place and got in quick. Parked the RV and went to the tax building to get the car/rv registered and title them in Texas. We didn't want to do the last part but were informed we had to. We didn't have the curb weight of the RV and they wanted a picture of the RV. So we drove the couple of blocks back to where we had parked the RV . This is one of the blessings of having a home on wheels. We turned on the computer(with the new power converter that hooks into the cigarette lighter) and printed off a pic that we had in our Kodak pics. It was on computer paper and was 8x10 but they got their pic!! While there, Gary called the Newmar company and found out the curb weight as we couldn't find it in any info we had and the only weight printed on the driver side info was the GAWR. So back to the tax office. The reason they need the curb weight(this is the weight without fuel, water and packed)is because that's how they determine the tax rate. Next it was on to the police dept to get our new drivers licenses. Gary had no problem, but me, I had lost my SS card years ago, and they won't give you a license without one. (What bugs me about this is that at the bottom of Gary's SS card it says FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND TAXES ONLY, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION) and yet you are required to have it for identity purposes. Something is totally wrong with the picture.

Anyway, we then had to take the RV back to the Escapees RV Park, and then drive 45 minutes to a town by the name of Lufkin to the SS office. The directions they gave us at the license place were right on track. In less than 5 minutes, I had a copy receipt saying my SS card would be mailed in a couple of weeks . Then back to the license branch and I got my license in about 5 minutes. Well, almost. What you get is a piece of paper with all the info saying it is a temporary permit and you will get your license by mail in 2-4 weeks. Back home in Indiana, we got our license, titles and registrations all at the BMV AND we walked out with our new license, picture and all! Oh, and then we remembered that we needed to get a handicap placard because mine runs out in Feb. For that we had to go back to the tax place where we registered. And it cost $5.00. Back home in Indiana that also is gotten at the BMV and is free. So if anyone is reading this and plans to go to Livingston Tx., to establish residency as a full time RV'er, here is the procedure.

1. Get your car/RV inspected FIRST(we went to Harrison's body Shop up the road from the

police station)

2. Get your registration/title transfer at the county tax office. You will need to know the curb weight of your Rv and have a picture of the outside of the RV.

3. Get your drivers license at the police station in the building to the right and make sure you

have your SS card and current drivers license with you.

4. They don't accept debit cards(as of this posting) at any of the 3 places we went. Only cash or

a check that isn't out of county.

Hopefully this info will be helpful to you. It may be different in other cities in Texas(as per debits, etc.)

We are now officially TEXANS!! But we're still and always will be Hoosiers at heart!

The pics at the top of the page are of a place called Livingston Lake, about 10 miles from our RV park. We drove there on Sunday morning and found a secluded spot. It is a beautiful place. Gary took the bible and he read from Genesis. It was wonderful to feast our eyes on God's beautiful creation while reading about it. Well, the lake is manmade, but the sky and all the trees and birds are His creation. The one pic showing the phone booth struck our funnybone! I haven't seen a phone booth for who knows how long and never in a state park. But there it was!

The camping area is so nice we may leave here a day early and stay there a day. Many of the sites are very close to the water and heavily wooded. And the site are spacious and not right on top of each other. We recommend anyone visiting Livingston to stop by the Lake.

This may be a long post. I don't want to bore anyone. We have had several friends inquire about our travels since leaving Indy and since I didn't start our blog earlier, I'll do my updating now. I(Sally)was told on Nov 16 from my oncologist that I was in remission. The next day I had my port removed and on Mon., Nov 19th we left Indy and headed to Kentucky in our RV. Our oldest daughter and son-in-law lived at a Christian camp and conference center at that time. They have volunteers that help out and are equipped with hook-ups for about 15 rv's. So we were able to park there. Our son-in-law had been offered a job as an associate pastor at their church and they were in the process of buying and fixing up a house. Gary was able to do some carpentry work at the new house and I watched my three precious grandkids while daughter and son-in-law painted, fixed up and began the moving in process. We spent Thanksgiving day eating and resting. Our two other daughters were able to drive down and spend the day with us and it was a mothers delight. We ended up staying there for about 2 weeks and then headed down to Knoxville, Tennessee.

The reason we chose Knoxville is because we needed to return to Indy in Dec. for our daughters graduation from Purdue and we needed to be close enough to go but not where there was snow and cold weather. We also were able to help a fellow friend and RVer. He had been in an accident in Oct. and had almost died. His RV was parked in N.C. and he ended up being flown back to Indy. So Gary and I drove out there in a rented car. It was almost to the Atlantic Ocean in an area near Swans Quarter. It was a beautiful drive. Then we drove the RV back to Knoxville and parked it in a site. Our friends from Indy rented a car and drove to Knoxville, spent a few days with us, and drove the RV back to Indy. Our friend is recovering slowly and we are praying that he fully recovers and can get back on the road as he desires.

From Knoxville, we went to Florida. We met a lady in Kentucky who mentioned a place by the name of Lake Yale in Fla. that has volunteer opportunities. So we contacted them and applied and were accepted. We thought the lake sounded familiar. My parents happen to live on the other side of the lake from where we were staying! So we spent many days visiting mom and dad while volunteering.

We met some awesome people at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center. Most of these men and women are 12-20 years older than we are. And can they work!! We painted walls, washed walls, painted tables, sanded benched, made curtains, put in blinds, washed windows, etc. I think I'll go back to Indy and go back to my old job-(just kidding!). One lady, Romona and I, worked 2 eves in a cafe. I had thoughts of telling myself I would never waitress again after doing it years ago, but we just worked behind the counter and it was fun. It all came back. I even remembered how to take apart and clean the coke machine!! The volunteer coordinator was a caring, fine lady. Every day we start the day at 7:45 with prayer and singing. Then at 10am we break for 1/2 hour. Then back to work til 12 and break for an hour. Then back to work til 3. On Tues. eves we gather for devotions and we have game night Friday eve and they started having a pot luck one night a week. It was a great group to be with.

One desire of Gary and my hearts was to get involved with disaster relief somehow. As we were preparing to go on the road, I believe the Lord kept putting on my heart, a cup of cold water given in Jesus name. Okay, I reasoned, that just means that as we go along , we will be doing little things, in his name. Well, one bit of info we found out upon arrival at Lake Yale, was that they are one of two headquarters in Fla for disaster relief. They have 2 trucks that have kitchens in them and can serve 60,000 people. They have a water purifier that can take muddy water and make it drinkable. They have several generators. Anyway, the regional director just happened to be there and Gary just happened to talk to him. They are having a one day training in March for disaster helpers. One of the statements in their flyer is that their motivation is a cup of cold water in Jesus name! Ya think the Holy Spirit is leading us along? We do. So we will return to Fla. in March and volunteer again for the month after attending the disaster training. From what we have learned, we can then help out with any disaster, not just in Fla.

We are also hooking up with an outfit called Campers on Mission. We met several couples who are in this organization and we had heard about it while doing some research back in Indy. You can choose where you volunteer and if it doesn't work out for you , you are free to move on so you aren't tied into something that doesn' work out.

We are currently in Livingston , Texas. Starting Saturday, Feb. 2nd, we will volunteer for a month at Care. Care is a unique concept in RVing. This is an Escapees RV park. This is their headquarters. It was started 30 years ago by a couple who full time RV. There are chapters all over the U.S. and Mexico and Canada. Care is a place where RVers who are recovering from surgery, etc., can come and recuperate. Or if they can't travel because of age and health problems , they can come here and for $1200 per month per couple, they can be fed 3 meals a day, have transportation to doctors, have laundry done, have their rv cleaned once a week and have nursing care. They reside in their RV's. There are activities and outings planned for them. They also have an adult daycare that is open to the public. Where do the volunteers come in? Well, Escapee members(we are one) can get their site free for volunteering. You can only stay 2 months. You also get 2 free meals a day on the days you work. Usually 6 days a week, varied hours. And by volunteering you keep the cost down for the residents. They have a paid administrator,cooks, and maintenance. Also a nurse. We will help the cooks prepare food, take out trash, clean up the dining room after meals, do dishes, vacuum, etc. Also , since Gary has a CDL license, he will help with driving . Its a great opportunity to serve others.

Well, I know this post is getting long and I promise I am somewhat caught up and the other posts won't be this long. Will try to post daily. Love to our friends and family and see ya down the road!!

January 23, 2008
This is our first blog ever and are we excited!! We are driving on I-12 heading towards Texas. We will stay somewhere in Louisiana tonight and move on again tomorrow. This adventure has been wonderful. There is so much we want to share and it is hard to know where to start.
We drove through Biloxi, Miss. today and even though Katrina is now several years past, there is still signs of destruction, along with new growth, all along the Gulf. It really sobered us. Will post some pics. Til tomorrow, God bless.