Most winters it seems that as soon as I get the trailer completely unpacked and cleaned from top to bottom, it is about time to start loading it up again. This winter wasn't like that at all. In fact, the months seemed to kind of drag by. The overcast skies and the cold temperatures filled more days than just about any past winter. The cold cut into my practice time and those overcast skies just mostly made me want to stay in bed. But, I practiced every day the weather and my schedule allowed and I pressed on with errands, chores, kid sleepovers, trick or treating, dance classes, dental appointments, cleaning out the garage, teaching classes, church and occasionally spent time with friends and family. I have to admit, we made a detour every so often to my favorite coffee shop amid all that running around. ;)
After a quiet Christmas at home, we did manage to take a trip out of town to spend New Year's Eve with friends. I was thrilled to spend a few New Year's Day hours perusing the floors of Ikea for the very first time and I came away with a few well thought out purchases for my kitchen.
The winter is not only filled with national holidays but is also the time of year I celebrate my own personal holiday. I turned 44 on January 31st which doesn't seem the least bit possible. Hard to believe I am the baby of the family. My friends and family put together a wonderful party for me at our church. I was so honored at the effort they put into making my birthday so very memorable. I ate a lot of baked spaghetti and tons of salad expertly made by my friend, Donna Moos and I indulged in a few of Simone's birthday red velvet cupcakes. I came home with armfuls of Bath and Body goodies, candies, clothes, a colorful circus tent coffee mug and even a much needed water pump for my trailer! I am always grateful that I have such thoughtful people in my life.
While Valentine's Day is usually reserved for dating or married sweethearts, I like to indulge my little sweethearts in some candies and a favorite stuffed toy. The seasonal aisles at our Dollar General yield more than plenty of choices for February 14th. A couple of brightly decorated gift bags filled with chocolates, candy hearts, ring pops and a few other miscellaneous heart shaped candies and my kids are smiling for days. I always get a kick out of seeing their faces light up.
The shortest month of the year was colder than usual, like the rest of the winter months, yet our flowers still showed the slighted signs of new growth. Every year, without fail, the yellow and purple flowers planted by the previous owners so many years ago pop up through the sparse blades of grass. It is upon the first signs of color that either Georgia or I will remark that the flowers are showing...it's coming up on time to go.
I've had lots of practice packing my trailer for the season. I know just what the kids are capable of helping me with and what I should tackle on my own. The one thing about packing is that "in between" stage where we are still living in the house, but so many of our belongings are in the trailer. It's in this stage that we have to occasionally make a run out to the trailer for something we thought we wouldn't need till we were on the road. I have two of some things, and should have two of other things. In any case, the packing is a good time to inventory what we have. Some things get donated, others get tossed and others get reassigned to another room. Since I consider myself the opposite of a pack rat, I sort of like the purging and organizing part of packing for the year. The last thing I do each year before I lock the house for the last time, is scan each room in a last ditch effort to find what we may have forgotten to pack. There is usually one or two little things I will think of a month or so into the season that I wish I'd have remembered but found I could still live without.
We took off for Bokchito, OK the day before opening. The trip was short, the lot was familiar and a little tight and the crowds were decent. I enjoyed meeting our new cast members as we went over the do's and don'ts in the show meeting. The Midwest tour has taken us up to Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and we are currently wrapping up our Ohio run. We see more grassy lots and less miles on this tour. It's a nice change of pace from the more rugged west coast tour. But, more about all of that in the next entry...
Thanks for checking in.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
George Bailey
Preparing for Christmas took my mind off the ice storm and its effects to my property. While I was able to haul most of the fallen branches to the back of my pasture where I wouldn't be able to see them on a daily basis, others were struggling with having to hire professionals to cut, trim and haul off branches torn down from the storm. With every trip to town it seemed I would see more and more houses with neatly stacked piles of evenly cut branches positioned at the edge of property lines awaiting pick ups. On our way out of town in mid March, I saw a few tree service trucks pulling utility trailers full of wood. Hard to believe all those weeks after the icy weather that Paris residents were still cleaning up the mess.
Shortly before Christmas I discovered our local theater had scheduled one showing on Christmas Eve of my very favorite movie, It's A Wonderful Life. I have been a Jimmy Stewart fan since I first discovered his films in the late '80's. I worked at a video store where I rented Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and I was an instant fan. Between Rear Window, Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation and his role in The Shootist, it's pretty near impossible for me to choose which role I could say is my second favorite after that of George Bailey. Maybe it's the comforting believability of his acting, or the fact that he puts me in mind of the grandfather who raised me, or maybe both, but there was always something about Jimmy Stewart's acting that made me feel happy. And, sort of like I knew him. It's A Wonderful Life is a movie that I, like many others watch every Christmas season. I've probably seen it over a dozen times. And, like many others, I have cried each and every time at the end. Just thinking about what Clarence wrote in the book makes me well up just a little. Because it's true. It's a Biblical principle. It is a truth that has been lost by some people. But, I can say, with all honesty, it is a truth I am reminded of daily when I log on to my Facebook page and am able to connect and communicate with friends and family. Corny? Yes. True?? Very.
Watching this movie on the big screen with my girls was an event that is etched in my mind forever. My oldest, like myself has a fondness and deep appreciation for the past, particularly the Victorian age up to about the 1940's. We have talked about what we think living in that span of time was like. I have relayed many stories from my grandparents and other relatives who have given me first-hand and second-hand accounts of daily life way back in the proverbial day. We wonder what everything looked like in color because pictures and movies are all black and white. :)
Georgia instantly fell in love with the movie and asked if I could fix her hair with the big braid like Donna Reed wore. Tootie's attention was held throughout; she really loved when the dance floor opened up and the dancers fell in the pool. Georgia appreciated the humor, the clothes and décor and we still say, "I wish I had a million dollars! Hot dog!" every once in a while. We felt sorry when the druggist slapped George and made his ear bleed and we smiled big when he helped Mr. Martini get his first house. We were angered when Mr. Potter told George he was worth more dead than alive and when Nick didn't recognize him. We cheered along when George shouted, "Merry Christmas, you old savings and loan!" And everyone watching sniffed and wiped their eyes at the end when George read the message. The message I think we should remind ourselves of from time to time. I don't need to write it. We all know what this movie speaks of. I have tried to convey it to my kids since they could understand the concept; everyone matters; everyone counts; everyone can make a difference.
And, life is truly wonderful, even when it's hard.
Shortly before Christmas I discovered our local theater had scheduled one showing on Christmas Eve of my very favorite movie, It's A Wonderful Life. I have been a Jimmy Stewart fan since I first discovered his films in the late '80's. I worked at a video store where I rented Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and I was an instant fan. Between Rear Window, Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation and his role in The Shootist, it's pretty near impossible for me to choose which role I could say is my second favorite after that of George Bailey. Maybe it's the comforting believability of his acting, or the fact that he puts me in mind of the grandfather who raised me, or maybe both, but there was always something about Jimmy Stewart's acting that made me feel happy. And, sort of like I knew him. It's A Wonderful Life is a movie that I, like many others watch every Christmas season. I've probably seen it over a dozen times. And, like many others, I have cried each and every time at the end. Just thinking about what Clarence wrote in the book makes me well up just a little. Because it's true. It's a Biblical principle. It is a truth that has been lost by some people. But, I can say, with all honesty, it is a truth I am reminded of daily when I log on to my Facebook page and am able to connect and communicate with friends and family. Corny? Yes. True?? Very.
Watching this movie on the big screen with my girls was an event that is etched in my mind forever. My oldest, like myself has a fondness and deep appreciation for the past, particularly the Victorian age up to about the 1940's. We have talked about what we think living in that span of time was like. I have relayed many stories from my grandparents and other relatives who have given me first-hand and second-hand accounts of daily life way back in the proverbial day. We wonder what everything looked like in color because pictures and movies are all black and white. :)
Georgia instantly fell in love with the movie and asked if I could fix her hair with the big braid like Donna Reed wore. Tootie's attention was held throughout; she really loved when the dance floor opened up and the dancers fell in the pool. Georgia appreciated the humor, the clothes and décor and we still say, "I wish I had a million dollars! Hot dog!" every once in a while. We felt sorry when the druggist slapped George and made his ear bleed and we smiled big when he helped Mr. Martini get his first house. We were angered when Mr. Potter told George he was worth more dead than alive and when Nick didn't recognize him. We cheered along when George shouted, "Merry Christmas, you old savings and loan!" And everyone watching sniffed and wiped their eyes at the end when George read the message. The message I think we should remind ourselves of from time to time. I don't need to write it. We all know what this movie speaks of. I have tried to convey it to my kids since they could understand the concept; everyone matters; everyone counts; everyone can make a difference.
And, life is truly wonderful, even when it's hard.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Ice Storm of 2013
Arriving home after about 8 months of traveling is an event we start counting down to around the beginning of September. Of course, once you start counting the weeks and then the days, each hour passes at a ridiculous agonizing pace. By the second week of October I can see the "finish line" at my front gate in my head.
Every year, I park the trailer in roughly the same spot in the pasture. It gets enough shade from the giant tree Georgia likes to climb from time to time, yet is far enough away that the branches won't brush against the skin if heavy winds pick up. This winter, it wasn't just heavy winds, or even heavy rains that threatened us. It was an ice storm that came in the middle of December that sent everyone in a survival mode of sorts.
There was the memorable ice storm of 2000 that the Paris locals still talk about from time to time. That was before we settled our winters in Texas. Every winter from 2003 on has presented the occasional snow fall, light ice, some rains, winds and I can expect certain parts of my drive way to be too muddy to park on. (Fourteen loads of gravel later, I can now park my truck anywhere and everywhere in the driveway without fear getting buried to the axles.)
The 2013 ice storm was apparently on par with the storm that invaded Paris and surrounding communities years before. In any case many residents, myself included were left with no choice but to find a warm place elsewhere. Thanks to the unfailing generosity of friends in Hugo, we were made more than comfortable at the Brown home. We ate good, laughed hard and stayed up a little too late once or twice. I tended to my errands, chores and dogs and drove Georgia to school the days classes were in session. The time I spent at home during the day clearing what fallen branches that were manageable gave me a little work out. Some branches were coated so thick with ice, they sat in my yard and driveway for days till the ice was gone. With little to no signs of ice, I could drag them to the thickly wooded acreage at the back of the pasture. I often heard what sounded like gun shots echoing all over the countryside. While it's not the least bit unusual to hear target practice where I live amidst hunters, these cracks and pops weren't bullets or pellets, but the sound of branches being weighed down so heavily by the layers of ice that had accumulated so quickly. Some fell hard and fast and threatened the occasional passing car. Other branches fell in an almost creepy slow motion eventually succumbing to the weight of that white ice. But, still we were very thankful despite the overcast skies and the ice coated everything. Not everyone had a warm welcoming place with friends who are more like family like we did. The five days in Hugo were fun and reminded me that the value of friendship is something you can't put a price on.
Our church's living nativity was cancelled because of the ice storm. Atwoods, TCS and Wal-Mart ran out of those little green propane tanks. McQueen's propane was hopping while other stores were rushed upon by folks stocking up on water, gasoline (for generators) and propane. Some parts of Paris were a bit frenzied while other neighborhoods were left with empty houses, unlit street lamps and felt a little hollow.
The ice storm lasted about a week, and there were more cold days than not all winter long which made the off time creep by slowly. The icy wet weather isn't kind to my back or joints. While we are currently getting pelted with the sporadic rain storm here in the Midwest, I'm not sore and the time is moving right along.
Every year, I park the trailer in roughly the same spot in the pasture. It gets enough shade from the giant tree Georgia likes to climb from time to time, yet is far enough away that the branches won't brush against the skin if heavy winds pick up. This winter, it wasn't just heavy winds, or even heavy rains that threatened us. It was an ice storm that came in the middle of December that sent everyone in a survival mode of sorts.
There was the memorable ice storm of 2000 that the Paris locals still talk about from time to time. That was before we settled our winters in Texas. Every winter from 2003 on has presented the occasional snow fall, light ice, some rains, winds and I can expect certain parts of my drive way to be too muddy to park on. (Fourteen loads of gravel later, I can now park my truck anywhere and everywhere in the driveway without fear getting buried to the axles.)
The 2013 ice storm was apparently on par with the storm that invaded Paris and surrounding communities years before. In any case many residents, myself included were left with no choice but to find a warm place elsewhere. Thanks to the unfailing generosity of friends in Hugo, we were made more than comfortable at the Brown home. We ate good, laughed hard and stayed up a little too late once or twice. I tended to my errands, chores and dogs and drove Georgia to school the days classes were in session. The time I spent at home during the day clearing what fallen branches that were manageable gave me a little work out. Some branches were coated so thick with ice, they sat in my yard and driveway for days till the ice was gone. With little to no signs of ice, I could drag them to the thickly wooded acreage at the back of the pasture. I often heard what sounded like gun shots echoing all over the countryside. While it's not the least bit unusual to hear target practice where I live amidst hunters, these cracks and pops weren't bullets or pellets, but the sound of branches being weighed down so heavily by the layers of ice that had accumulated so quickly. Some fell hard and fast and threatened the occasional passing car. Other branches fell in an almost creepy slow motion eventually succumbing to the weight of that white ice. But, still we were very thankful despite the overcast skies and the ice coated everything. Not everyone had a warm welcoming place with friends who are more like family like we did. The five days in Hugo were fun and reminded me that the value of friendship is something you can't put a price on.
Our church's living nativity was cancelled because of the ice storm. Atwoods, TCS and Wal-Mart ran out of those little green propane tanks. McQueen's propane was hopping while other stores were rushed upon by folks stocking up on water, gasoline (for generators) and propane. Some parts of Paris were a bit frenzied while other neighborhoods were left with empty houses, unlit street lamps and felt a little hollow.
The ice storm lasted about a week, and there were more cold days than not all winter long which made the off time creep by slowly. The icy wet weather isn't kind to my back or joints. While we are currently getting pelted with the sporadic rain storm here in the Midwest, I'm not sore and the time is moving right along.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Continuing Right Along
Where I left off...
The end of the 2013 season came before I was ready. The western tour, as I have mentioned on more than one entry, is a tough one with lots of miles and mountains. However, those rough parts are quickly forgotten when we are lost in the beauty of the sky scraping redwoods or listening to the ocean pound the giant rocks in West Port.
I left you in Washington state, where we visited the beaches, boardwalks, tourist shops and got to spend time with relatives we don't see often enough. Our virtual Facebook visits do help our Washington family, and all other out-of-state friends and family stay close despite the miles apart. But nothing can beat time spent together in person whether it's just hanging out in the tent or catching up over lunch. Those moments are treasured and stored up in our memories and hearts.
Washington's site gave way to the rocky windy roads of Idaho. One of the toughest states to tour, yet one of the most beautiful. With rushing rivers that parallel most of the roads we traveled, some of our morning chats were interrupted by the gushing sounds of the waters rolling over the rocky river beds at top speeds. Our quick Idaho run makes a much anticipated stop at the Three Rivers Resort in Lowell. We all took a breather in the shade amongst those rushing waters and the never ending landscape of mountains. Most of us spend the day off poolside or immersed in a hot tub and try hard not to look at the clock. A few of us, me not included, brave the white water rafting, but we all wind up in the restaurant/souvenir shop/general store more than once for supplies, snacks, coffee and fridge magnets.
They don't call Montana big sky country for no reason. Our time there was all too brief yet thoroughly etched in my memory. The enormity of the mountain ranges and that infinite span of sky is something that has to be experienced first hand to truly appreciate. No picture or video sequence can do justice to a live and in person view of Montana's natural beauty. I think you could close your eyes, aim your camera somewhat skyward and have a masterpiece in your view finder every time. I marveled out loud at every single mountain peak the broke through the clouds in Montana. Needless to say, I did a lot of marveling. The capper to our big sky days...more memories made with loving family. And, huckleberry coffee. ;)
The three day stand in the nation's highest peaked town was also a vacation of sorts. The plumbing is slow because Leadville sits 10,000 feet on top of a mountain and it takes a day or so for the pain in your chest to go away. Visits to the historical opera house, the Delaware hotel, the antique stores, the paint-it-yourself pottery shop, the hipster second-hand store (where I bought my Laura Petrie apron), the ultra cool local coffee shop and my personal favorite, Leadville's own Golden Burro Café, kept us in tourist mode for our entire 72 hour stay. These sites were made extra magnificent with the spikes of mountain tops and ever-changing clouds as the town's backdrop.
Our Colorado time was also made extra special with family visits over dinner. It was fun to see Georgia and Genevieve hit it off with their second cousins right away. While I am thankful for modern technology making miles shorter, I also wish our visits came around more than once every few years.
We wound up the 2013 season in my home state, but not before we hit those old familiar Kansas and Oklahoma roads. Elkhart, Texas' ball field was transformed into our highly anticipated Halloween party site that last Saturday night. All the show kids and I prepared for the pumpkin carving contest using our imaginations, mad skills and pumpkin carving sets. It didn't take too much effort for us to transform an old dug out and backstop into a cobweb-laden grave yard and all around general spooky jack-o-lantern gallery. Games, eats, drinks, music, costumes, contests and generous prizes were the focus, not the chill in the air.
We traveled to Paris the next morning but didn't make it home before we made a spur of the moment, yet not so out of the way stop. Our church is on the way to my house so the kids and I thought it'd be fun to wait for our church family in the parking lot and greet them after service. Turns out, my family had the same idea. We took the TaMolly's exit and pulled into the church parking lot and waited for service to let out. Our pastor was the only one who was able to view our rigs pulling in, so he ducked out the church's front entry and eagerly invited us to sit. We sat in on the remainder of his message and were warmly welcomed home by our close-knit church family.
The remaining 6 mile trip to the blue house, as the kids call it took what seemed like seconds. Each time I park the trailer in the pasture ending the season and beginning the off time, I exhale and say out loud to myself...."It's good to be landed," like my dad used to say.
The end of the 2013 season came before I was ready. The western tour, as I have mentioned on more than one entry, is a tough one with lots of miles and mountains. However, those rough parts are quickly forgotten when we are lost in the beauty of the sky scraping redwoods or listening to the ocean pound the giant rocks in West Port.
I left you in Washington state, where we visited the beaches, boardwalks, tourist shops and got to spend time with relatives we don't see often enough. Our virtual Facebook visits do help our Washington family, and all other out-of-state friends and family stay close despite the miles apart. But nothing can beat time spent together in person whether it's just hanging out in the tent or catching up over lunch. Those moments are treasured and stored up in our memories and hearts.
Washington's site gave way to the rocky windy roads of Idaho. One of the toughest states to tour, yet one of the most beautiful. With rushing rivers that parallel most of the roads we traveled, some of our morning chats were interrupted by the gushing sounds of the waters rolling over the rocky river beds at top speeds. Our quick Idaho run makes a much anticipated stop at the Three Rivers Resort in Lowell. We all took a breather in the shade amongst those rushing waters and the never ending landscape of mountains. Most of us spend the day off poolside or immersed in a hot tub and try hard not to look at the clock. A few of us, me not included, brave the white water rafting, but we all wind up in the restaurant/souvenir shop/general store more than once for supplies, snacks, coffee and fridge magnets.
They don't call Montana big sky country for no reason. Our time there was all too brief yet thoroughly etched in my memory. The enormity of the mountain ranges and that infinite span of sky is something that has to be experienced first hand to truly appreciate. No picture or video sequence can do justice to a live and in person view of Montana's natural beauty. I think you could close your eyes, aim your camera somewhat skyward and have a masterpiece in your view finder every time. I marveled out loud at every single mountain peak the broke through the clouds in Montana. Needless to say, I did a lot of marveling. The capper to our big sky days...more memories made with loving family. And, huckleberry coffee. ;)
The three day stand in the nation's highest peaked town was also a vacation of sorts. The plumbing is slow because Leadville sits 10,000 feet on top of a mountain and it takes a day or so for the pain in your chest to go away. Visits to the historical opera house, the Delaware hotel, the antique stores, the paint-it-yourself pottery shop, the hipster second-hand store (where I bought my Laura Petrie apron), the ultra cool local coffee shop and my personal favorite, Leadville's own Golden Burro Café, kept us in tourist mode for our entire 72 hour stay. These sites were made extra magnificent with the spikes of mountain tops and ever-changing clouds as the town's backdrop.
Our Colorado time was also made extra special with family visits over dinner. It was fun to see Georgia and Genevieve hit it off with their second cousins right away. While I am thankful for modern technology making miles shorter, I also wish our visits came around more than once every few years.
We wound up the 2013 season in my home state, but not before we hit those old familiar Kansas and Oklahoma roads. Elkhart, Texas' ball field was transformed into our highly anticipated Halloween party site that last Saturday night. All the show kids and I prepared for the pumpkin carving contest using our imaginations, mad skills and pumpkin carving sets. It didn't take too much effort for us to transform an old dug out and backstop into a cobweb-laden grave yard and all around general spooky jack-o-lantern gallery. Games, eats, drinks, music, costumes, contests and generous prizes were the focus, not the chill in the air.
We traveled to Paris the next morning but didn't make it home before we made a spur of the moment, yet not so out of the way stop. Our church is on the way to my house so the kids and I thought it'd be fun to wait for our church family in the parking lot and greet them after service. Turns out, my family had the same idea. We took the TaMolly's exit and pulled into the church parking lot and waited for service to let out. Our pastor was the only one who was able to view our rigs pulling in, so he ducked out the church's front entry and eagerly invited us to sit. We sat in on the remainder of his message and were warmly welcomed home by our close-knit church family.
The remaining 6 mile trip to the blue house, as the kids call it took what seemed like seconds. Each time I park the trailer in the pasture ending the season and beginning the off time, I exhale and say out loud to myself...."It's good to be landed," like my dad used to say.
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