Hope for the Best – Plan for the Worst!

[Author’s Note:  I wrote the following in September, but this was my first chance to post it.  It’s been a challenging, transitional year, but I’m back in the saddle!]

“The optimist says the glass is half full.  The pessimist says the glass is half empty.  The engineer says the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.” — author unknown

Blue Ridge Parkway

My husband is always an engineer.  Sometimes, he is also a pessimist.  It can be quite a challenge for an optimist like me to convince a pessimistic engineer to look at the bright side.  His favorite phrases are, “That’ll never work,” “they won’t show up,” “they’re going to overcharge me,” and “it’s going to rain the day of our cookout.”  I reach deep inside myself to muster the energy to counter these chronic “Eeyore” statements.  “It will be fine,” I tell him.  “Think positive,” I plead.  All my enthusiasm and bubbliness rarely has any affect on him.

I have to say, however, when it comes to raining on our cookout, or anything else we have planned, I often fall into a less than optimistic mode myself.  We do seem to have bad luck with weather on days we most hope for the sun to shine.

There were the three days of torrential rain for a Disney World trip with our young girls. The locals told us they had never seen rain like this during that particular season.  Another Disney trip we experienced record cold weather — 30 degrees!  Even Donald Duck’s beak had a little frost.

In 2004, I searched far and wide for a B & B with a pool for our summer vacation in the English countryside.  I never even put so much as my big toe in the pool water due to the unlikely rain and cold to befall that community that year.  I easily recall the year we took a lovely mother-daughter get away in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  I could barely tolerate the cold rain soaking me while touring the Mayflower, though it did help me to empathize with the original passengers who endured months of inclement weather on the rickety barge.  It was later in the day  when the management decided it was prudent to evacuate our side of the hotel due to “unusually high tides and freezing rain” for mid-May.

Oh the places we have been trapped and the airports where we have been stuck thanks to the rare, unusual, and non-typical blizzards, wind, hurricanes and other prominent weather phenomenon to find its way to our long-planned excursions.

When our daughter, Robin, and her fiancé, John, chose October 29th (anniversary of Connecticut’s infamous “Snowtober, 2011 and Hurricane Sandy, 2012”) as the date for their wedding, I confidently declared to the bride and groom-to-be, “What are the chances of another bad storm on that date?”  Shame on me for even uttering those words, I thought to myself as I waded through the reception hall’s parking lot wearing my expensive gold shoes.  Tropical storm “Phillipe” made his appearance in time for the big day with the heaviest of rain pouring down during the vows.

After 37 years living in the same home in Connecticut, we made the difficult decision to relocate near Robin and John in Raleigh, North Carolina.  It’s been a stressful and exhausting year of cleaning out, packing up, and saying goodbye to long held and cherished friends.  There have also been numerous trips back and forth between states as we made the transition of buying and selling homes.

Needless to say, our poor Delta Flyer remained stationary through the summer waiting for us to take her out.  At long last, we decided it was time for a little glamping trip.

As we have dear friends who live in the eastern part of North Carolina, it seemed like a good plan for our first outing of the year to not trek terribly far.  This would be a great opportunity to visit friends as well as explore the coast of the state we now call home.

Because it had been a year since our last RV trip, it felt like we were starting anew.  The

Bear Den Campground

Delta Flyer was empty of even the basics.  I printed out all my lists and did all the necessary shopping.  Then I loaded up clothes, toiletries, food, and more.  My Fitbit calculator logged easily over 10,000 steps a day for several days in a row as I ticked off the items on my lists and walked them out to our camper.  I was quickly reminded of how much more I needed an RV vacation after getting ready for it.

In the weeks leading up to and all the while I was preparing, somewhere in the background was the noise of our TV with meteorologists and newscasters speaking of doom and gloom all related to a possible, impending hurricane — “DORIAN” — but it was headed to Florida NOT North Carolina.  “How sad for Florida,” I said to Ted.  There I go again — SPEAKING!

Our “Delta Flyer” finally out

As everyone knows now, Hurricane Dorian, what must have been the slowest moving hurricane ever, took a northern turn and made landfall on North Carolina’s Outer Banks on the day we had planned to drive down the coast to visit an aquarium and have lunch overlooking the ocean waves.  It was not to be.  We canceled our trip.

With a stocked-full RV, we defied pessimism and hit the road in a westerly direction instead.  Ted found a beautiful campground, Bear Den (www.bear-den.com) in Spruce Pine.  It wasn’t the adventure-filled, partying with friends we had planned.  It was a peace-filled and restful break in the serene Blue Ridge Mountains.  In the midst of our rest, we realized, this was just what we needed after such a stressful and hectic year.  Perhaps it was the result of God’s mysterious ways.

Our next trip is in Orlando, Florida, for our first RV experience in Disney World.  What’s this new storm the Weather Channel keeps yapping about?  Hurricane Karen?  (https://sewwritetopray.wordpress.com/2015/11/22/her-name-is-karen/)  I think we’re good.

Stay tuned . . .

 

 

Forget Paris!

In 2007, my husband’s employer asked him to attend a conference in Paris.  Most of his business trips did not appeal to me, but this was one I was not going to miss.

Since childhood, visiting Paris seemed like a dream trip. According to all my best sources (i.e. mostly romance novels, old movies and Saturday morning cartoons), aspiring artists traveled to Paris to become notable.  With a béret properly adorned on his head, an artist in the movies typically set up  an easel along the banks of the Seine and then began to create. It wasn’t long before a wealthy widow, strolling by, took notice.

“I must have it!” She would say as she does a double-take on the artist’s unique rendition of the Eiffel tower, detailed in newly stroked paint on the canvas. She begs him to sell it for 10,000 francs, while insisting the starving artist stay in her guest suite where she’ll plan a special showing of his work to her millionaire friends. The evidence seemed clear. All artists must find a way to make a trip to Paris to be inspired and get noticed.

In addition to being artistic, I’ve had a yearning to go to France because I am of French descent, making me curious about family roots.  I was raised by French speaking parents, though except for a few words and expressions, I was never conversant.  Still, listening to the French language is warm and comforting, reminding me of the years spent  with my parents and grandparents.

On another note, for the sake of this story, I feel the need to mention I am, at times, easily confused and bewildered. I wish I could claim this is merely a senior-itis issue, but it is not. I have had this problem for as long as I can remember. With complete confidence, I can attribute this trait to the hazard of possessing an artsy brain. I am easily distracted by inspiring sights. A colorful mother bird feeding her young, an exceptional sunset just beyond the hills, or an empty porch swing as the clouds roll in for rain, are the sorts of visions which stop me in my tracks. My brain enters into creative overdrive. My mind wanders to the possibilities of permanently capturing the magnificent scene in fabric, paint, beads, threads, or most often, a story. In this mode, I have been known to miss the exit, forget where I parked, or blank out as to whose number I was dialing.

As with most tribulations of life, there’s an upside. Besides the art I have created from those inspiring events, my little blank-out episodes have offered some comic relief for my family. Church, where I am most inspired (see my other Blog: Sew Write to Pray), is a place where I have been very entertaining when trying to remember which pew we were sitting in after receiving communion.  Usually, my past bewilderment episodes are a source for humorous conversation following holiday meals.   Who needs Seinfeld when you can tell “Mom” stories!

When our daughters heard we would be going to Paris, and that their father would be in meetings all day while I was left on my own to make my way through the streets of a foreign city, they had concerns. However, despite how it sounds, I am not senile nor do I suffer from dementia. Temporarily scatterbrained is a more accurate diagnosis, and ninety-five percent of the time, I find my way back to what I was doing or where I was going.  To a logical-thinking engineer who most often is focused and clear minded, dealing with a scatterbrain wife requires remarkable patience.  Since I didn’t want Ted to spend any time worrying about me while he was working and while I was out seeking inspiration, I recommended a phrase for him to commit to memory in case  help was required from locals — Je ne sais pas où est ma femme! (I don’t know where my wife is).

Unfortunately, while working on a home project, Ted injured his back just days before we were to leave on our trip. We had to cancel.  We were disappointed, but it was just one of those things that happens in life. Blessedly, the injury was reparable with surgery and Ted recovered just fine. For various reasons, we have not gotten around to planning another trip to Paris.

We bought our RV at the end of last summer, just two months shy of our youngest

Robin & John – Oct. 29, 2017

daughter’s wedding. I was preoccupied with all the plans that you would expect the mother of the bride to be immersed in. We originally had in mind to  purchase our RV after the wedding, but when the Winnebago View (enhanced with our desired bells and whistles) became available, we jumped on it.  It was purchased with the understanding there would be no long trips until after the wedding.

Our first trip was just an overnight excursion. I had a family meeting at the senior home where my aunt lives, and it turns out there was a highly rated park nearby.  This seemed like a good opportunity to test our abilities for our first time out.  Though the park was nice and the owners helpful, this park was probably not the best place for first-timers.

Mind you, our home is in a very rural area. We cannot see our neighbors because of the acres of trees between us. The RV park we pulled into on our maiden voyage was quite crowded.  It was the end of August when families were likely trying to get in one last vacation before schools opened.  In every direction there were children.  We had to be extra careful about getting around due to the number of kids on bikes, playing games, and running around.

We enjoy children but because this was our first experience setting up our Delta Flyer, we were a little unnerved by all the activity.  I felt somewhat conspicuous as I tried to portray the look of a seasoned camper, while I set out my silverware and wine glasses on the linen-covered picnic table.

The RV’s on either side of us were just feet away. The family on our starboard side

Class “A” RV

seemed quiet and subdued, much like us. The family on our port side were apparently “the regulars.” They had a Class A decorated with Chinese lanterns. There were two tables with chairs, several comfortable looking outdoor seats, a few children’s bikes, multiple toys, a dog pen, and a rocking chair, all set up under the very long awning.

In the rocking chair sat an elderly man who seemed to be staring into our dinette window. At first I thought I just happened to make eye contact with him when he glanced our way, but then he didn’t move his head. He just kept staring. I went about my tasks, setting up for the night and making dinner. Every time I looked out the window, he was staring back in. It was a little creepy, so I pulled the shade and tried not to think anymore about him. The next morning, I made myself a cup of coffee, sat down to enjoy it, and opened the shade. There he was! That guy was still sitting in the rocking chair staring!

“Do you think he’s been there all night?” I asked Ted. “Maybe he died!”

“No, he might be blind, though,” Ted responded.  I pulled down the shade.  He was still there when I left to attend my aunt’s meeting.  We weren’t at the park long enough to get to know our neighbors or their quirky habits.

A few weeks later, when school was in session, we parked at a quiet camp in New Hampshire.  Though we could see other campers, it was much more woodsy and peaceful.  Best of all, our spot was right on the bank of a small river.  After several tries to park just so with our door and awning facing the river, we were finally ready to set up and settle in for a two-day respite.  The weather was ideal and friends were on their way.  I was beginning to understand the appeal of the “rustic” life.  I happily went inside our little camper home to start preparing dinner.

Halfway through chopping vegetables, I was shaken from my complacency due to a very loud “KA-POW.”  Something hit the RV!  Within seconds, there was another!  The Delta Flyer was under attack!

When we were shopping for RVs, Ted and I debated whether it was best to have a couch or a dinette.  We could not have both in this model.  I really loved the dinette, perhaps for nostalgic reasons.  It was the feature I was most drawn to, and the idea of it helped me to get onboard with Ted’s desire to own an RV.

I became especially grateful for the decision of that dinette as I dove under it seeking cover from whoever was firing at us at that otherwise peaceful campsite.  I called out to Ted, who was immediately reassuring.  He courageously sought out our attacker — an overactive squirrel hurling nuts.  We dared to park under this bushy-tailed rodent’s oak tree.  What might normally sound like a slight “kerplunk” on a sidewalk, reverberated into a loud “KA-PLOW” in the confines of  a mostly metallic dwelling.  Luckily, the bombardment eased off at night.  Every time we have camped, we acquire helpful information and this time we learned to never again park under an oak tree.

Thus far, trekking in the Delta Flyer has afforded us new contacts with seasoned glampers, free-spirited youths, and narcissistic tree dwellers.  In the short time since embarking on this journey we have seen stunning sunrises, beautiful sunsets, and magnificent starlit skies.  We have spent evenings listening to the music of nature while having long conversations about our surroundings and our future plans.

Whether I was distracted by a playful child, a motionless neighbor, or a nut-hurling squirrel, each time I thought, “now there’s a story,” or “I can’t wait to tell my friends,” or “I have to write this down!”  Then it occurred to me, “I have to Blog about this.”

The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe can wait.  Who needs Paris?  Inspiration is wherever you are willing to be distracted.

 

 

Green Acres meets Star Trek

When I expressed concerns about my abilities for camping to various friends and family, most everyone’s response was to explain this new adventure is not really “camping” in the traditional definition.  What we will be doing is “glamping” — the activity of camping with some of the comforts and luxuries of home.  I took this definition to heart because, obviously, my husband wants me to have every convenience I am accustomed to while we venture out into the unknown.

Going with the glam theme, I first purchased really nice bedding.  There’s nothing like a down comforter tucked inside a stylish duvet to help one forget about sleeping in the woods amidst nature’s elements and non-domesticated creatures.  If we are going to spend time in unfamiliar territory, the least I can do is help ensure we get plenty of rest.

I also bought a coffee maker, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, linens, and of course, durable dinnerware which coordinated with my handmade, quilted placemats.  As a proud homemaker and a bit of a shop-aholic, I thoroughly enjoyed all the houseware shopping.  I was determined to make our traveling vacation home as comfortable as possible.

I stocked the cabinets and drawers with all the important necessities — hair dryer, curling iron, lotions, nail polish, make up, and my special hair products.  There is no need to check baggage with this mode of transportation, so why shouldn’t I bring several outfits and multiple pairs of shoes?  I like to be ready for any occasion.

During my packing madness, I was reminded of the 1960’s sitcom, Green Acres.  For those of you under 50, it was a story about a wealthy couple, Oliver Wendell Douglas and his wife, Lisa.  He yearned to become a farmer, but she loved their New York life.  Eva Gabor performed the part of “Lisa” perfectly.  She lounged in the old farmhouse donning feather boas, silk negligées, and high-healed slippers.  She called everyone, “Darling,” never quite getting the hang of the agrarian routine.  I don’t think I am as ill-chosen for camping as Lisa Douglas was for the rustic farm scene, but I do have the same lack of desire to completely cut ties with the conveniences I so enjoy.   Lisa preferred Times Square, but Sur la Table is where I’d rather be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbk81X6WHA4).  I won’t be wearing high-healed slippers, but do not expect me to give up my curling iron!

Though I might be channeling a bit of Lisa Douglas, there is no comparison  of the inept “Oliver Douglas” to my husband.  Ted is more like the brilliant engineer, “Montgomery Scott” of Star Trek fame.    No one understood the innerworkings of the Enterprise starship better than Scotty.  He could tell how well the ship was performing by the feel of the nacelle thrusts and the hum of the engine.  No matter how grave the situation seemed, Chief Engineer Scott could fix any technical and mechanical problem the ship required.

Ted began to understand and love engines of all sorts at a very young age.  Attending a small high school, he was sometimes called upon  to figure out what was wrong with the old city bus the school owned for transporting students to sporting events.  He was always fascinated with how things worked.  This helped him to decide early on, he wanted to pursue engineering.

We met each other when we both worked at a television/radio broadcast station, a likely venue for left brains and right brains to become acquainted.  From the start of our relationship, he helped me with my car problems, which of  course, was a very appealing quality in a boyfriend.  Having a tall, smart and good-looking guy around who could fix my car blinded me to his strange clothing choices and the geeky little screwdriver he always had clipped in his shirt pocket.  Without hesitation, I accepted his proposal.

One evening, after I had already headed home, Ted went out to the employee parking lot to find the station’s receptionist, “Kathy,” in a panic.  Her car battery seemed to be dead.  Ted opened the hood and immediately diagnosed the problem.  He pulled that geeky screwdriver from his pocket and stuck it between a corroded cable and the battery connection and then instructed Kathy to turn the key.  The engine promptly roared to life!

The next morning when I arrived at work, Kathy jumped out of her chair exclaiming, “Your fiancé is a GOD!”

“What?” I asked, somewhat startled.

“Your fiancé is a GOD!” she said again.  She then relayed the story of what had happened the evening before.  I suppose from the point of view of a young woman sitting behind the wheel of a nonfunctioning car, not sure of what to do or who to call, and then this man appears, gleans a “magic wand” from out of nowhere, and suddenly her problem is solved, that man could seem like a god.  I didn’t know a lot about marriage back then, but I did not think feeding my future husband’s ego by referring to him as a deity was a good idea.  I prefer to just say he’s really smart about things with wires and motors, and he’s all mine.

I may have many reservations about my abilities to adjust to camping life, however, I have no doubts about Ted’s skills in keeping the Delta Flyer running smoothly.  I have absolutely no concerns about it breaking down or not functioning properly.  Even if it does, Ted will fix it.

While I busied myself with the décor, Ted spent hours on our RV’s internal parts.  He went online to find more information from experienced glampers who knew all the tricks and short cuts.  Every day for weeks, packages arrived filled with hoses, cables, extension cords, filters, gauges, valves, chargers, racks and other components for which I was clueless to comprehend, but I knew these things would make our life easier.  He also ordered a new mobile Ham radio, a purchase which leads me to believe there’s a portable sewing machine in my future.

With the Delta Flyer still parked in our driveway, we sat under the awning toasting the next phase of our life.  We felt comfortable and safe, as our sturdy home and real toilet were just steps away, but the risk taking was about to begin. Park reservations were made.  Our route was entered into the GPS.  We would be taking off soon.  What will it be like?  “Lisa” and “Scotty” hitting the road, going where no married couple quite like us had gone before!