Here we go again.

After several months of planning and finishing up health care issues, we are enjoying our freedom and adventures.  I am now more than 2 months post total hip surgery, my second one.  I went for a walk today for the joy of walking, and was pain free, could walk for about a block at a good clip, had no hip pain, my back slowed me down a little, but my knees were not an issue.  I think maybe eventually I can walk as far as I want to without all that pain.  Unbelievable. 

We spent 3 days at my cousins house in Endicott Ne.  She is doing quite well, although cares for her lung congestion (probably emphysema) almost full time.  She is cheerful, and as energetic as her “wind” will let her be.  It was good to see her free of pain too, as she had her hip done about a year ago.  She walks well.  We suffered the infestation of gnats while there, a typical Nebraska scourge.  I must be very allergic to them, and one shoulder and arm is covered in itchy welts.  Other than that the weather was lovely, it poured rain a couple of times, and they have had enough of that.  Things have greened up again like it was spring.  Prior to her place, we spent 3 days at a Colorado Chapter of Escapees rally in Strasberg, Co, about 45 min from home, but next to the RR track.  The same nuisance was present in Endicott.  Felt like we were in another KOA campground as that is typical – freeway on one side and RR on the other.

Tonight and for 2 more we are in Arbela Mo, a town that really doesn’t exist, but it is on the map.  US136 brought us here directly from Fairbury Ne.  It is really a little used US highway, but lots of construction and rebuilding going on.  We got into fresh oil again, as we did on the way to Fairbury.  Yuk.  Our tow car just gets covered in the stuff, top and bottom, so when we start it up, it smokes like something is burning up.  But it seems to be the oil on the bottom of the car smoking  as it burns off.  Stinks too.  Of course David loves spending a whole day scrubbing it off.  HMMMMMMMM.  Anyhow, Arbela Mo is the address of the camp ground known as the Catfish Cafe and Campground.  We got here Sun in time to go eat our fill of catfish, which was delicious.  They had a full buffet to go with it, and whole catfish-deep fried of course- but also some baked filets.  The campground is huge, mostly permanents, but nice, no RR track, and the highway noise is not noticeable.  Not much around except dying small towns, although we found a Pizza Hut tonight to feed our frustration over the amount of work needed to keep the Jeep clean.  We have had an issue with Dish TV since leaving home getting the network stations off the satellite.  We have always gotten Denver Stations, but no more.  At least now we can get network local stations if we call and check in every time we move.  At least that is what they tell us.  We shall see if it takes an act of Congress to do that next stop.  Not sure what changed to change the programming available to us. 

I look forward to spending my birthday with my brother and wife and their son and family in Indianapolis after a couple of days in Champagne-Urbana Ill at a favorite campground there.  We found out the hard way the width needed to pass safely with the coach is 8’6” .  We crossed a bridge over the Mo river under recovery act reconstruction.  Probably shouldn’t have tried it, but thanks to David’s skillful steady hand at the wheel, we made it across without a scratch or bump.  It was tense.  Hopefully won’t have to do that again. 

We are cozy and comfortable in the new coach.  We learned some more about boondocking in Endicott, so know we can do that comfortably.  I still haven’t learned to include pictures.  Sorry.  Thanks for plowing through, and know I would love to hear from you and your adventures. 

My Rehabilitation Center

Picture this:  Colorado blue sky, puffy white clouds (most of the time except when they are black and pouring), aspen glistening in the breezes (except when they are closer to gales), on the side of a mountain, across the highway the biggest reservoir in Colorado, white capping in the wind, and outside my window right now a lilac tree, bushy and healthy.  The entrance to the clubhouse is alive with columbines and flowering bushes.  We will have dinner in the clubhouse tonight and meet our neighbors, of which there are about 200.  Not all of them will come to dinner, but probably 50 will.  My “room” in this club house has all I need, all my own clothes, furniture, private bath, and if I get tired of this rehab center, I can start the engine and find a better one, which we will do for sure on the 23rd. 

Now having worked a greater part of my professional career in rehab centers, and knowing that that “rehab center” for anyone over 65 is code word for nursing home, I’d say my fortune is great indeed.  How I used to dread and be bored with those slow walks with the elderly patients who needed me to get them on their feet!!!  I walk here 3 times a day, which is more than Medicare requires, and enjoy mountain air at the same time.  But now I do know how those elderly felt.  It is painful and difficult to get back to an acceptable level of activity after somebody has chopped your leg off and reattached it to your pelvis with a piece or two of titanium.  How amazing is that???  I still am grateful that I only have two legs and two hips and I’m done!!!  The slowness of the walk is my style of stretching, far cry from sitting spread eagled on the floor and bending forward till my chin touched my knees, only about 8 years ago.  Not that I am showing my age, mind you, but things change.  It only took 5 years for the hips to go to hell in a basket, and when it started I was in the best shape of my life, in love, life was good.  Still is.  I just approach it at a different pace now. 

Oh yes, did I mention the ad free radio via satellite in my private room???  And my cat, who likes to be naughty and dart out the door at every opportunity, HD TV in the evenings, or if nothing out of nothing is on, we put on a DVD from Netflix, and transport to another realm.  Medicare won’t foot the bill for that.

While at home, David was busy getting the transmission fine tuned and reprogrammed for mountain roads, and the brakes adjusted.  He installed the new slim line HD TV, and a multitude of other things to give us the comforts of home and then some.  Then he had to do all my gardening, as the weeds out grew me as I became unable to get to them.  Rain has blessed this whole state.  The western slope is lush and green in August.  Can you believe that?  Pastures are bogs, rivers full but controlled, and reservoirs full to the brim.  Remember 5 years ago when Dillon Dam was empty?!!!!!!!!  Life’s cycles do provide. eventually.

I hope some of you watched “America’s Got Talent” this week. A 10 year old girl sang opera with a voice of a trained 30 year old.  She was beautiful, and in awe of the reception she received.  Watch for her – Jackie ?????-  .  She already has a Carnegie hall date. 

Dinner time.  Watch for more from me soon.  Wish you all were here – well sort of.  I hope Colorado can keep some of its free space for my lifetime.  But I do miss you all.  Lois

On loaves and fishes – ENOUGH ALREADY

I have been trying to learn to live by the mantra “there is enough” .  I mean by that that there is enough resources, money, love, relationships, water, air, etc. for everyone in the world to live a joyous sustainable life.  Now that may seem a stretch, but if God  created all this abundance, why would He withhold from some, why would He ration unequally?  Why would He choose a select few to starve, suffer, for others to trod upon???

HMMMMM as stated in “drop by drop”, (David Ridge, Living Water Unity Church)  praying to solve the oil spill problem must require a change in our behavior, which created the greed, which led to the carelessness of the accident in the first place, in order to change the out come, or change the occurrence  of such disastrous events.  O dear, must I take personal responsibility???

I have been reading SOUL OF MONEY by Lynn Twist.  In it she shares her experiences in fund raising, mainly for the Hunger Project, and the peoples and cultures she has experienced in the process of trying to solve the hunger problem in this abundant world.  One experience required her to teach the leader of a South American tribe to use money, as his culture had never experienced nor needed money as a tool of exchange.  All members of his tribe did what was necessary for the sustenance of all.  Now that time has passed for us, I realize.  But there must be a lesson here, and the whole book is full of “AHA” moments when you slowly realize it is not what you have, but it is your potential that defines your role in life, and that there is enough for all to live in peace, harmony and abundance when we all use our potential for the good of all.   

We had a wonderful party yesterday at our house.  Folks came from the two churches with whom we associate, and they all shared their food, fun, conversation, experiences, and money for a common good.  We love to throw parties, and would have done so for no reason whatsoever, but our dollar investment in this one was tripled  for the common cause for which we gathered.  Our one loaf was tripled to feed the many, but it happened because all those who took the time to enjoy the party chipped in, donated their share, and made the few loaves and fishes turn into enough.  Well, enough if we do this more often, or something similar, or just simply share generously enough knowing that there is enough, and what is given will be returned many times over.

What has this thought to do with the ugly oil spill on the Gulf Coast???  Change.  Change is hard:  giving up beliefs which no longer serve, or which constrain your potential, and adopting beliefs which will expand your horizons. 

Seeing this happen and helping to experience this is why we are glad to be at home.  We will leave again in a few days, but leave looking for ways to share the abundance, and new folks to share it with.  And then we will be glad to be home again soon, to continue connections which we hold dear. 

On being 70

Yipes!!!!!!!!!  when did that happen.

I don’t feel 70 – well, some of the time.  In my mind I don’t feel 70.  I feel like life has just begun – anew – that every day there is something to learn, something to do which will tire me out, something to hear that I have never heard before, and someone new to meet. 

I have spent time envying youth, their energy, creativity and stupidity.  I know all us “elderly” have done the same.  The young never stop.  They are always ready to go – if it’s play.  They are always ready for friends – if they can meet at a familiar place and do the same thing they did last time they were together.  They are always ready to push the limits – they seem to think no one else has ever been there, done that, and it is really cool.  And they never know when to stop, slow to figure out what comes next or the consequences of the next stupid experiment. 

I don’t envy youth any more.  Oh, when I creek and groan, can’t open a jar, or get tired in the afternoon, I think it would be nice to have boundless energy, all day long, because I can think of some pretty cool things I would like to do and try, but I just don’t have the energy.  I don’t envy all the unknowns in their young lives.  Had I known how much society and technology was going to change in my life span, I would have been tired before I began. 

But fortunately, one has to take those things as they come, make the best of them, or ignore them, and then you turn 70!!!! or not.  I miss those who didn’t make it.  They must be looking around for a better chance to catch up and be a part of all that evolution, picking their re-entry into life with care, so that the lessons this time around won’t be so hard – and so brief.

My 1958 high school class just had a mass 70th birthday party.  It was such a good idea, I wish I had thought of it myself, but fortunately some other of us have retained their creativity in relationships, and love to express their love of life.  We are all 70-or close to it.  None of us looked old and wrinkly.  I can’t speak about those who chose not to come, but at least half the class was there, and they were a pretty spry bunch.  We are all passed the excessive drinking and keggers, so talk was pretty sincere.  Only a couple of smokers left, I think, and as I was reminded many years before I quit – they will quit sometime.  That’s a definite.  Every one seemed pretty content to be where they were, with where they had been, and interested in other’s journeys. 

To those who chose not to be a part of the party, I am sorry that you missed it.  I hope it was for real reasons – other obligations, family ties. That sort of thing.  If you didn’t come for fear of being rejected and feeling out of place, believe me, there was no out of place, no extreme, no down and out.  Everyone is who they are, glad to be there, and we missed you. 

So when is the 55th reunion?????  (and who will still  be here – hmmmmmmmmm????????)  I hope there will be some first timers (who have never attended a reunion before) then as there were at the party.  I hope we will observe as much joy and prosperity as we did this time.  And I know we will all be more forgiving, accepting, and glad to be there by then.  Who knows what the world may be doing by then – and who cares??????  We have done our part – almost – and what we have to give will be mostly appreciated by each other.  The young know it all, and will go their own way, and do their own thing.  Didn’t we??????????  And what a ride it has been.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY            and thanks to those who worked hard to put on the party.  Party on.