He's Watching Me

 Getting ready for my trip south ... and constantly tripping over my husband. I know that all I really need to do is invent an errand to get him out of here.

I am sitting at my desk, phone in hand, credit card at the ready, about to make our reservations. HeWho runs errands was supposed to be on his way with my texted list of necessities. I look up to see him leaning on the counter, watching me. Thinking he wants to tell me something or ask me something, I pause before dialing. "Do you need something?" I ask. "No." he responds. "Then why are you watching me? Do you think I need help making a reservation?" Once again he answers with "no".

I hate it when he stands watching me with his full attention. It doesn't happen often, so you would think I might like being the center of his attention. But, it makes me feel like he is waiting for me to make a mistake. And I did. I screwed up my own phone number and had to correct it. I wanted to tell him I did it on purpose to see if he was paying attention, but that would be a lie.

He does this when I am driving, too. When I come home with a carload of groceries and back up to the entrance to unload. I can back up just fine. My car even has a camera to see the rear view, not to mention mirrors that I have been using all my driving life. But if he sees me coming in, he will go outside and direct me with hand signals. The car will be all askew when I finally put it in park and he will begin with a litany of things I almost hit. Why does he do this? I can back that car within mere inches of the door when left to my own devices.

When we lived in Albany, Ga, the twins were early teens and most all neighborhoods had alleys to access your driveway in the back. I would change seats with Jill and let her drive the car to our driveway and park it. It was a short distance, but she loved to do this. One particular day, both girls were in the car with me and, as usual, Jill took the drivers seat. As we approached our house, we could see HeWho is her Dad in the back washing our van. His Jeep was parked at an angle on the side where we always parked, where she had parked plenty of times.

I could feel her tension as he stopped to watch her pull in. "Mom, he's watching me, what do I do?" This makes it sound like he was the strict, unbending parent, but he was the big softie who would retract the restrictions he doled out almost immediately. I was the mean one! I knew exactly what she was feeling, so I said, "You are fine, you've done this before, just pull in next to Dad's Jeep and don't hit it."

She hit the Jeep. Why did I say that? It was like saying it went into her brain and she couldn't do anything else! The Jeep was uninjured, but the drivers door was stuck on our car. HeWho loved that stupid Jeep was yelling, "Why did you do that?" Jill was crying and trying to get out through the stuck door. Adrienne was in the back seat laughing with hysteria because I had said NOT to hit the Jeep and she hit the Jeep. Jeff was at the back door to see what the commotion was about.

I got out on the passenger side and pulled Jill through, still crying. I yelled back at my loving husband that is was my fault, that I was the one supervising and to shut up yelling at her. I sent her inside and Adrienne finally got out of the car and stood in the driveway, bent double laughing. She answered Jeff's query "Jill hit the jeep!" through spasms of laughter.

Jill and Jeff disppeared into the house and poor Adrienne became the center of attention for her angry Dad for thinking the situation was funny. It WAS funny, but I had enough sense to laugh inside where he couldn't see me. 

Later I explained to my still upset husband that this was how we learned and that I was quite certain he had done his share of mistakes while driving. Years later I could point out all the dents and dings on our vehicles that are all due to him!

I Won't Miss This

My Dad would have been 91 last week. I have been thinking of him all month. I called my sister to commiserate, then remembered that she was gone, as well. Never will I be able to talk to someone who knew me all my life again. Seems so final and sad.

I managed to reduce both our wardrobes by about 60%. I filled one of those donation boxes that sit in parking lots. That felt good, so I have been measuring all my fabric to have a yard sale. I am willing to bet I have over 500 yards of fabric in my sewing room. Even if I sewed all day every day, I would never use it all. One dollar a yard. These are good yards, too. No inches involved.

HeWho has been busy getting the RV ready for a trip to look at properties. I spoke with a realtor in North Carolina and now just have to contact the realtor in Georgia. There are only about 5 that fall into my category. If I had my way, we would not return until I bought one. Not that I usually don't get my way, but we have to come back. We will leave on Sunday and stay just south of Nashville that night, then on to Hiawassee to stay until Thursday morning when we will head back for the weekend. Hiawassee is central to the areas we want to look at. We could probably make the trip in one day, but we are old and need our rest.

Meantime, I still have the store phone to annoy me, along with campers! When I get a call saying they want to make a reservation, I automatically head to my desk. On my way, I ask pertinent questions. "Will you need 50 amp or 30 amp?" 'Um, I don't know' is not helpful as an answer. Another favorite answer is, 'we could use either one'.  It is helpful to know where to put the camper. 

After determining the electrical needs, I move on to "Would you prefer shade or no trees?" 'Huh'? I think the question should be easy to answer. Some of them will have a map of my park at hand and will start calling out site numbers they want. Since we are always 50% occupied, this can be a lengthy endeavor. It is easier to tell them what is available. All the while I can hear other calls going to voice mail.

After all this, they will say they need to think about it and call me back! Making me wonder why they begin with telling me they want to make a reservation. I won't miss this.

Singing Lessons

Cujo here. The "season" is over and the pool is closed, but my Mom says you wouldn't know it by the number of times the phone rings. But the good news is that we can go in the office with her now, because nobody can come in the store! Mom takes care of customers through the window!

I have been worried about my Mom lately. I heard her tell HeWho is our dad that if she didn't get out of this place she was afraid she might kill someone! I don't know exactly who she might kill, but they can't be good if she wants to kill them, right? That is when HeWho is our dad put that special window up for her.

Then, as if worrying about murders was not enough, she decided to teach Mr. BoJangles how to sing! No, I am not kidding. She will sing to him and then he tries to sing back to her. He can hit some really high notes that will send shivers down your spine. Mom seems to think his recent surgery might have something to do with it. You remember, he had his testicles removed. Well, Mom says that now he can sing soprano!

HeWho is our dad hates it when all of us dogs sing with Mom. Bo always starts, then Toni Louise joins in. She can hit some high notes, too, but not like Bo. Eddie and I feel that we should join in with some fabulous howling to help. Mom says it is a canine choir, but HeWho is our dad will simply leave the building. He yells at us to stop, but we don't. Mom is the only one who can make us stop.

In between all of this, Mom keeps putting stuff in boxes and throwing other stuff away. She tells us that we will be moving to a new place, but she doesn't really know where it is yet. This is confusing. I am not fond of changes! Mom says that when we move she will be able to spend more time with all of us dogs. 

Martha, the boy cat will be coming with us. Martha has never even been on a trip! He was born here and has lived here all of his life. Bet he will have something to say about this! I met Dora, the turtle that Mom has in her office. Dora probably won't even notice that we are moving. Mom calls her Adorable Dora. Have you ever seen a turtle? Adorable is not a good word for a turtle! She does seem to like Mom, though. Mom holds her in her hand and talks to her and Dora will look Mom staight in the eye and turn her head this way and that way.

Dora is really small. I gave her a good sniff and she stuck her head into her shell. Eddie and Bo both tried to get her in their mouths until Mom yelled at them. I suppose they thought Mom was offering them a snack. A fishy smelling snack. I like the taste of fish, but prefer mine to be cooked first. I knew that I shouldn't try to harm Dora, I could see that she was special to Mom. Mom says that I am very observant.

I just heard Mom say something about bedtime. I like bedtime, I get to snuggle next to my mom and Eddie. The ony thing I like more than bedtime is food! That's it for me today.

 

Count Your Blessings

The sky is leaden as I let the dogs out, matching my current mood. I think I might hear a distant rumble still far away. I woke this morning with a sense of foreboding. As the day wears on I seem to be drowning in my own darkness.

I make no secret that I am bi-polar and I dutifully swallow my magic pills daily. Contrary to what most people believe, this does not prevent depression. It only makes me able to cope and recognize it for what it is. I can't seem to settle today. My mind going in too many directions. I have plenty of busy work to do, but that won't occupy my mind, just my hands.

I don't want to talk to anyone, I just would love to escape into something. I tried to read, but the store phone keeps ringing with travelers not wanting to continue their journey into what looks to be a good storm brewing. I did try to nap, but a combination of factors prevented that. HeWho has fixed the air conditioner and it was blowing ice tinged air right on me and my dogs. All four dogs were touching me on the couch and I sunk lower and lower into thier body warmth, then the phone rang and just as I was about to drift off again, HeWho had left the building came back in and a symphony of barking dogs intent on alerting me jarred me awake and I left that idea behind.

I wondered outside for a bit and carefully dug up a few bulbs of various Iris plants to take with me when I leave. Then I got a little maudlin as I looked up at my trees that I so carefully dug up as tiny saplings and lovingly planted and coaxed into what they are now. That was not uplifting, as I thought about the new growth next Spring will bring that I won't be here to see. I will be leaving a rather large imprint of me in my gardens.

So, I came back inside. I went to my closet thinking I would do some more purging. I eliminated only 4 items before losing interest in that. Thought about calling one of my children and then decided thay had lives and didn't need to be burdoned with my problems. I could have called anyway, but felt like it was too much to pretend to be up beat.

I happened to see my hair in the mirror and it is literally standing on end. I suppose I should just count my blessings and grind out the remainder of the day and hope for a better one tomorrow.

I am ever thankful for my no-contact check-in. Not only saving me from others' free floating germs, but you only see a distorted view through that plexi, so all I did was to run my fingers through the hair to make it lay down. On a different note, I don't know these people and they don't know me, so who cares if I am well groomed or not?

I am thankful that there is interest in the park. I do wish the process was a lot faster, but ....

I am most thankful for my family. Everyone is currently healthy and thriving for the most part. Knowing they are happy makes me happy.

I am thankful for HeWho loves me. I am not easy to love. He seems to find the good in me in spite of my ever changing attitudes. He makes me crazy, um, crazier, but he is a keeper.

I am thankful for most of the people that adorn my every day life. They are those who do not wish me well, but that would be their problem.

I am thankful for all my fur babies, who love me unconditionally. Even Adorable Dora the turtle loves me and responds to my voice. I accidentally gave her a little kiss the other day, so I am thankul she did not transmit salmonella to my lips.

I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food to eat. I am thankful for my careful aim with a fly swatter, as well.

I am thankful for this platform to express my thoughts and that a day is only 24 hours long, giving an opportunity for a new start tomorrow. Almost like God knew what he was dong, right? So, last, but not least, I am thankful for an all knowing God. I will just leave all this in his hands and make it until night fall and bed.

Counting your blessings does help when you just want to wallow in self pity and despair. Now I just need the grace to check in the last campers of the day without being rude or offensive. I have a little sarcasm issue, in case you haven't noticed.   

 

Words Trigger Memories

I posed a question last week on a post. It was about a word that triggered a memory. The word was "south".

Many years ago when my children were small and in grade school we were searching for a home to buy. Seems like we looked at thousands, but it was only a few. At one such home there was a kitten in need of a home. We didn't find a home that day, but the kitten did.

A tiny Siamese female we named Misty. Misty never grew to be very big. Could be due to the fact that my overbearing child, Adrienne, forced her to wear doll clothes and walk upright. Adrienne was about 4 and yes, even at four years old she was a force to be reckoned with. Still is, but that is another story for another day.

Fortunately Misty was very docile and didn't use her teeth and claws to discourage Adrienne. When the rest of the children were in school, Adrienne would dress Misty for the day and subject her to being many things. She played school with her, she played house with her and Misty would succomb to whatever Adrienne wanted to do on any particular day.

Misty aged without growing big and, as cats will do, produced a litter of her own kittens. Several times before we managed to have her spayed. By the time she had her last litter, we had found a house to buy. Not a dream home, but one with "potential". So many pets came through that house, but once again that is not the story here.

Out of one litter, Adrienne chose a male kitten with tiger stripes. She named him "Southy". She never explained why she chose the name and no one argued with her about her choice. Southy did not possess Misty's calm demeanor. He was a fiesty one and Adrienne met her match. 

Southy objected to wearing clothes and walking upright. He was as determined as Adrienne was and let her know with bites and scratches. This went on until he was an adolescent cat. Rarely did Adrienne get through the day without crying and bleeding from scratches on her arms. No amount of counseling her about the nature of cats could convince her not to try to bend this cat's will to hers.

The day arrived when Southy  was nowhere to be found. My little girl searched and searched for days. Finally she accepted the fact that her cat was gone to parts unknown. Did she mourn the cat leaving her? No, she did not. She was mad, lamenting that Southy would be sorry about running away. Who was going to play with him and dress him and teach him how to walk?

I suppose Southy went south, in search of a home with an old lady fond of cats who would feed him and let him be a cat. Just one word can trigger a precious memory. So many words over so many years.

 

Purging

It was a quiet weekend. I made great headway in the office and purged all the files of unnecessary paperwork and personal stuff. Moved on to my sewing room. I could easily become overwhelmed in there, but I have zoned the room and am handling just one zone at a time.

The mindless folding and stacking of fabric is soothing. I am measuring the cotton prints in hopes of selling them to a quilting establishment nearby really cheap! I have lots of fabric. So far I have measured out 137 yards and not made a dent in my fabric stash. These are what is commonly referred to as "good" yards. 

Last time I bought fabric at Joann's, they measured inches!  Back when I was working in fabric, if the end of the bolt had an extra couple of inches after I measured out what the customer wanted, I just let them have it. Nothing you can do with a tiny slice of fabric. The person measuring at Joann's said I had to pay for the extra 2" and that I had to take it.

It was a man and he was more than a little perturbed when I insisted that he call the manager over. He discovered that he was wrong about making me take and pay for 2 extra inches. They cut it off, those 2 inches and threw it in the trash can. I suppose to make a point. A crowd had gathered by then and everyone close to my age applauded that I refused to pay for what I didn't need and then agreed that it was stupid to throw something away rather than garner a little good will.

 The weather has me longing to be outside and it is hard to stay on task. Hard, not impossible. I sent HeWho buys duplicate tools out to choose one of the FOUR giant rolling tool chests and to fill it with his tools that he will be taking. I warned him NOT to pack duplicate tools. I have not gone out there to see what he has managed to do. Perhaps I should, because he seems to be inside a lot .... resting on a "break". I could do it myself, but my plate is full taking care of my own stuff.

Nobody likes to move, but it can be done in an organized manner.  Unfortunately, my huband seems to be lacking in that particular skill. In the meantime, I will be frantically PURGING!

 

Dead Phones and Air Conditioning

"Gonna be hot tomorrow" says HeWho keeps up with weather trivia. Great. The air conditioner in our living quarters is dead. I am thankful for the cool nights and hope they continue. I am not replacing the air conditioner. The one in the store works and I can stay cool in there, take a nice cold shower and go to bed.

Things were going along like any other Friday in a campground when it occurred to me that the store phone had not rung all day. I like it when it doesn't ring every two minutes, but this was odd. It was dead, out of power, despite being on the charger all night. I take it off every morning and it becomes my constant companion all day long. Goes everywhere I go, even to the bathroom. Not one ring today.

I can't remember how long I have had this phone. When I started making regular trips to see my dad, I forwarded the number to my personal phone so I wouldn't have to keep up with two phones. This had more advantages than that. The store phone is an android and my personal phone is an I-phone. It is unfair to expect a woman of my considerable age to have to be adept at both phones. I have zero interest in learning to use another device.

I have spoken about passwords and HeWho can't manage to remember or record the ones he makes. He set up the store phone and when I asked how to retrieve the voice messages he discovered that it required a password that he had no recollection of making. Was I annoyed? Yes, I was. At least when I forwarded the number I could listen to messages and answer them!

The phone has been unforwarded for some time now and I am forced to go to "recent calls" and figure out which calls were answered and which were not. When I return a call, I simply say that I am returning their call to Kan-Do Kampground. Don't have to know the name of the caller or what they want. They will tell me when I call.

The drawback of calling from my personal phone is that the number is a Minnesota number and I end up having to leave a message and then they call me again. Even more calls. So, now that we are about to retire, HeWho decides to pay a visit to the AT&T store to learn how to use the phone! I know!

Apparently, while holding his chair down and playing on his phone he actually learned some things. Today when the phone died, he was able to access all the voice mail from his personal phone.

It was already close to 7 when I made the discovery of no phone calls and I was tired and hungry. I had ladled out a bowl of the soup I had lovingly prepared for nourishment, altering a recipe to lower the sodium and still taste like something good when he started listening to the voice mail. Fifteen calls. He listened to them, all of them without benefit of paper and a writing implement. Then again, volume on extreme while looking at me as if I should be dialing away. I was eating! I handed him a pad of paper and a pen. He would listen, then go back and listen again and write down illegible names and what he thought they wanted. I swallowed my last bite and dialed the number while he was trying to write it down and took care of the first call while he was still listening to the second one for the fourth time. I interrupted him to tell him to just write the number down and forget the rest ... making him go back to the beginning of the call.

I may have mentioned that he can't hear and refuses to go to an audiologist (costs too much) and will order them on line. I may also have mention how very much this annoys me. If I heard a name on a call that was already here and tried to tell him to just erase it he would wave me away and turn his back to me and GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING of the call again.

I seriously thought I might lose my mind! Just think, soon we will be spending ALL of our time together. He was still listening when I made the last call and left a message for a call back. 

The day is over and I am tired and I am sticky and sweaty. I see a shower and a bed in my immediate future!

Lost and Found

Tomorrow the vast majority of campers will be rolling out and heading home, having enjoyed the last hoorah of the summer. I will be singing my song about the most wonderful day of the week. "It's the most wonderful day of the week. All the campers are leaving and my heart is heaving a sigh of relief! It's the most wonderful day of the week,"

Will I miss singing this song? Not really. It hasn't been a bad weekend. My no contact check-in worked like a charm. I do wish the opening in the plexi was a little higher, eliminating the need to bend low to be heard, but all in all it worked quite well.

I did choose a ring tone that was not annoying, so much so that I would look around to see whose phone was ringing. It rained all day yesterday (Saturday), but that did not deter those longing to play in the pool.

I got to visit with my daughter and son-in-law and I didn't care what anybody did. It was pretty quiet until we all sat down to eat and that is when that door bell rang incessantly. They were tired and went to bed early. Since they were staying in our motorhome, they were able to leave very early without disturbing anyone. They reached the second stop in their trip early in the afternoon and will have a nice rest before continuing to their destination. They are at the home of HeWho's sister and are being well taken care of.

A little girl rang the bell awhile ago (I thought I put it high enough that children couldn't reach it) and when I responded at the window she asked if I had her phone. No, I did not, but decided an investigation into why she thought I would have her phone was necessary. Apparently her mother lost her cell phone and she wanted to know if anyone had turned a phone in at the office. I wondered why anyone would send a young child out on a mission to enquire about a lost object without giving them the words to communicate with. But I would have had my child with me, not wandering around in a park surrounded by woods and close to the interstate where truckers park regularly in the rest area right across the road. I didn't think anymore about it until the mother and another woman I assumed to be the grandmother came up with the same query.

She didn't seem to believe me. She had a cell phone in her hand and informed me that the tracker was telling her that the phone was "right here". Already knowing that the tracking device was not indicating the office, I asked her if the device was indicating the office. "Well, no, but it is in this area." She said she lost it in the dog park and I suggested she look there and maybe call it and that I would have my guys look for it. She was still looking at me suspiciously as she walked away. About five minutes later as I was texting the need to look for a cell phone she was back to tell me she found it.

It was in her camper! Mystery solved and I was vindicated! I could tell she felt rather sheepish, but I put her mind at ease, telling her I lose things all the time. True story. After that I learned that a young child was found, quite by accident, with a long stick that was being used as a torch with about 6 inches of one end glowing orange. He was attempting to set our woodpile on fire!!

Thank goodness he was discovered, as that wood pile is pretty close to the big propane tank that feeds the main building! He was taken to his parents and they were told of his adventures. They took the situation seriously, but when I was sitting here watching TV and smelling camp fires, it made me go out and peek through my fence just in case!

As long as nobody was hurt, the fire would take away my packing angst! Just kidding .... I think!

 

Humana Could Learn a Thing or Two!

 Still Friday here and the irritations of life are trying to stress me out! I got an email warning me that my prescriptions were perilously low. They aren't, but as I was filling the pill boxes anyway, I called Humana.

The prompt warned me that there was a high number of calls and suggested I use the internet. I hate calling almost as much as navigating their website. It is not user friendly at all and will close down on you without warning. Calling isn't that great either, but a little quicker. The automated voice asked for the birthdate, then asked that I verify my zip code and then asked for my member number. After every answer the voice will repeat what you answered and you have to say yes to proceed. I have my phone on speaker and just shout my response. Once they have decided you are who you are, the automated voice will tell you how many prescriptions need to be refilled and then ask if you want to have them all refilled, or if you want to hear the list and decide. I always want to listen to the list in case something has been discontinued by my doctor.

This is another painstaking process in which the drug name is often mispronounced and then repeated if you choose to order it. I finally finish my order and verify twice the address and method of payment. At the end the voice will ask if you would like to do a phone survey and I always answer "NO".

Having taken care of mine, I then call back to take care of HeWho knows not what he takes and lacks the patience to deal with the process. I learned long no to try to refill both of our prescriptions with just one call. Same thing again and I listen to the 6 prescriptions that have popped up as needing refills. I okay 5 of them and am in the process of verifying address and payment when the store phone rings. It is someone with a reservation today, checking on her reservation. I walk to the desk where HeWho is preparing a bank deposit and has his stuff atop my reservation book. He decides to take over the Humana call and I say, just answer yes to all the remaining questions.

He decides to challenge the payment method because he doesn't recognize the last 4 numbers of MY credit card. I finish assuring the reservation that her reservation is alive and well and there he sits looking astonished as the voce is now asking what payment method to use in lieu of the one already on file.

I take the phone from his extended arm and now I have to go dig out the credit card in a hurry, lest I have to start all over again. I verify the number, the expiration date and security code twice and then my address again. Then, the automation informs me that there is a problem with 3 of the 5 ordered prescriptions and asks if I would like to speak to a representative. Of course I want to know what problem there is. Another prompt telling me that the call lines are especially busy today and would I like to order my prescriptions on-line. No, at this point I want to go howl at the moon.

No wait to speak of. Once again I have to verify date of birth, zip code and "membership" number. Membership would imply that we are in this together and I would never be a member of such redundancy as this. I am already highly irritated that a task that should take minutes is already eating up the better part of an hour. Then she questions my authority to order drugs for someone else and tells me she needs to have verbal consent from the Member before we continue. He yells that he gives me the authority to take care of his drugs.

 She hums and haws and wonders aloud what I might be referring to, because she sees no problem with the prescriptions. She seem to think I am the one saying something is wrong. Deep breath and I slowly explain to her that I did not choose the refills, her automated system did and that her automated system told me there was a problem. I resist the urge to ask her to repeat what I have said so that we can VERIFY it. She tells me to wait a moment AND PUTS ME ON HOLD. Then comes back (maybe she asked her supervisor for help?) to tell me she cannot find anything wrong and if there is something else she can help me with today. I just want to have this one task DONE, so I say no. Then she asks if I would be willing to do a short survey!!!!!

I can feel my heart pounding in my temples and I say, "You REALLY do not want me to do a survey, sweetie, it would not shed a kind light on you. I am old and I am pissed off right now with your entire process, goodbye!"

I am just finishing up with the pill box of HeWho is oblivious and start to snap the lids closed and the entire week of pills flips over and dumps onto the counter. I wanted to cry, but the phone was ringing with a third call from someone try to make a reservation for next month. First call she asked for two 30 amp sites together. No problem, I take the information and complete the task. Calls back wondering if I could put them in 50 amp sites because she is not sure what her friend needs and she is sure she can hook up on either one. It doesn't make a difference to her. It does to me. I have fewer 50 amp sites than 30 and if she does not require 50 amps, she could be the reason I have to turn someone away that needs 50 amps. I suggest she call her friend and call me back.

She does call me back and then wants to chat about which sites might be available in the entire month of October weekends. I finally sort out all the pills and place them where they should be. No easy task, since some of his pills are to be taken at night. I dump both day and night pills together in my box, because I can easily fish out the night pills when I take my morning pills. Never would I ever do that for his pills, as it would require my attention every single day.

It is now 3:15 and I have answered countless calls about nonsense and tried to explain how to get into a site three times to the same person and finally sent HeWho over there to show them, warning him NOT to just throw the driver to the ground and park it for him. Now I am sitting here wondering about my ability to continue with the day. The caller just now says, "I been wonderin', do I gotta pay to make a reservation?" I replied, "To make a reservation I would need something to secure it, either a deposit or a credit card number." He said, "You ain't gotta be such a smartass."

I didn't even let my exasperation into my tone as I explained this. What is wrong with people?

Walmart Pharmacy has an automated system that requires very little time and is extremely simple. You call the number on your bottle of pills and use the prescription number on the bottle to order your refill. The pharmacist or the technician gets a printout of the information and the prescriptions are either filled or you doctor's office is notified if it is out of refills. Humana should take a lesson!

If You Stay, You Pay!

 As I anticipate selling the park and moving on, I thought I would feel more nostalgic than I do. I suppose this means I am ready to go. I was out weeding this morning, I should maybe have been packing? Anyway, I was content to put a garden bed that was neglected back to right. I do enjoy gardening and will no doubt continue to keep up with it until the day we pull out.

Speaking of that, I am overwhelmed as I look at the amazing amount of things we have acquired during the past 18 years. How are we going to move it all? We can live in the RV easily, as it is quite spacious and even has a washer/dryer. But what do I do with all this stuff? Maybe I should just get my girls to help. Adrienne is organized and Jill has not an ounce of sentimentality. Jill would quickly dispose of most of this stuff via the dumpster with nary a twang of regret and Adrienne would have everything boxed up with utmost efficiency. I would probably struggle with angst over every item.

I will just have to channel my girls and get tossing! I would absolutely rather be in the garden!

In the meantime, it is Friday on a holiday weekend. I have a mere hour left until I have to man the desk and begin the day. The has been ringing since 8am. Robo calls do not take a day off and campers informing me of their pending arrival times. I do not need to know when you are arriving, nor do I care. It is raining and I expect  cancellations galore. I managed to mow my dogs' yard and didn't get too wet. It is predicted rain all day and all day tomorrow.

This rain means that some campers will come and stay the entire weekend and then ask for compensation for the rainy days. A tiny Judge Judy will be sitting upon my shoulder as I tell them you can't eat the steak, then get your money back because you didn't like it. And like the litigants on the show, half of them will be confused.

I have a light heart knowing that tomorrow afternoon my daughter will be here!!

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend is upon us! The good news is that this may be the last time I will host a holiday here. We have an interested party and things would appear to be falling into place.

I am now in a mad rush to find a suitable landing spot. All my extra time has been spent searching and my mind is on overload as I have seen so many properties on line and am trying to narrow them down to a suitable number to go and actually see. I have a budget, of course. Initially I am the one who set the budget. HeWho has never adhered to a budget in his life and all of a sudden he thinks he is the one who will mandate how much we spend.

I paused for laughter. Anyone who knows us is laughing. In other good news, my baby girl, Adrienne, and her sweet husband, Chad will be here Saturday. On their way to Tampa, they are spending just one night here, but I will take every minute I get and be thankful. It has been two years since I have been able to see them. As excited as I am, I don't think I am as excited as my sister-in-law, whose home will be the next stop on their journey. Maybe it is the fact that they can look at each other and see themselves! They look a lot alike, except that Adrienne towers over her Aunt Pam, just like she does me.

Back to the search for property, a realtor from north Georgia has been keeping an eye open for us. He stayed here awhile back and must have chatted with HeWho fancies himself to be in charge. He kept sending me listings of houses in neighborhoods. He finally called and talked to me. I don't want neighbors close by. I have lived in a fishbowl for the past 18 years and I am ready for privacy and quiet. The only sounds I want to hear are those of nature. I want to look at mountains and hear water close by.

I have a specific area for my search and am open to looking in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. None of the listings the realtor has sent interest me at all. I will just have to hunt it down myself, I suppose! Good thing I am diligent in my hunt. 

When I close my eyes at night I see pictures of properties running in a loop and over-lapping. I dream about  mountain views and babbling brooks and cabins with decks and views.

In reaction to the growing number of the Delta patients and the conflicting "advice" coming my way, I have gone to a no contact check-in procedure. The window behind my check-in desk now sports a sheet of plexi and instructions on how to get service. My new wireless door chime arrived today and I spent some time listening to all 56 of the choices. I want something to let me know someone is there, but these last so long I may lose my mind! Really annoying. I liked the one that sounded like birds chirping, just two times. I am afraid I may burst into song with some of them and then have that stuck in my mind. Just how gentle is that rain that falls softly on the meadow? And, why do I want to know?