You are living my life...

I got an interesting letter from my friend Sue. We date back forever, well, nearly. We became friends when we were 18 and that is forever in my book. Anyway, she and husband Gordy live what she joingly calls the "Orange County Life Style". The beautiful home and all the trappings surround this extremely down to earth family. Looking in you see one thing and talking you hear something different. Gordy is a very successfull CEO and travels the world all the time. Sue has been a secretary by choice and recently stopped working so she could travel more with Gordy. They spend about a week every month it would appear out of the country. Most recently they returned from the huge Air Show in England (Gordy's work was at the airshow) where Sue had a week to tour the UK. She saw all the places one would want to see and even was granted the priviledge of seeing Queen Elizabeth, rather unexpected but nice all the same.

Growing up I was sure I would marry a professional and call the world my home, she thought she would stay planted and manage a family. We have switched identities it would seem. We are both satisfied with our lives, but there is this piece of me that still desperately wants to travel and to expand my reference. I don't do much, just parent in all the vastness of that word. All important and it is my choice, but there is still the world out there and I have seen none of it. I try to keep an eternal perspective and that helps, because I will be able to see and do so much when I leave this world for the better one to come....but I still wish I were not so tied sometimes. I would love to take each of the grandchildren on a tour of somewhere and do something. That, however, will not be happening so I will just leave them lots of writings and that will have to suffice. My mind and I can still travel at will and will continue to do so as long as it is functional...and that better be a dang long time because I have lots to imagine doing!

The 21st century

Well, I think I have officially arrived at the 21st century. What allows me to draw that conclusion? A simple fact, I have no car for the rest of the week. Gas prices are crazy and only seem to be getting more crazy and life has thrown me a curve. My car has gone South while I have LJ's car here to fix, and the fix is not happening in a timely manner...hence no car. Larry is taking the Saturn to scout camp and that leave me with the RV, or nothing. I have decided to take a short camping trip on one night just to get away from the house. Local but still out of the house, I love those short trips almost as much as I love the real ones.

Gas locally seems to run about 25 cents a gallon higher than everywhere else. One of the joys of living here I guess. I keep thinking it will round a corner but it doesn't. It has affected my lifestyle and will continue to do so more and more as time moves on.

But as I am forced to stay closer to home I also have the benifit of a good berry crop. The raspberries are in full swing and just now turning the corner to lesser production. The blueberries are slow this year, but they are constant and I think there will be plenty. The Marion berries are now showing some ripe but are still a week out to the real deal. And the black caps are producing slowly and steadily, I freeze them as I wait for enough to deseed....those little rocks in your mouth are very unpleasant so I remove same and make a seedless jam with them. Nothing much else happening in the garden until beans and corn, and those will be in September I think. Late year for almost everything.

That said I will go start my day. Larry has the car so I can't go to the gym again. Makes me sad, I was doing so well and now I am not doing as well. Such is life. I am determined to meet my goal however, so I will just keep picking away at it until I get my life under control and then I can work hard again.

Patience

I am getting a crash course on patience this week. Lawrence's car has decided to take the long road to nowhere so he has my car while I try to get his car back on the road. Meaning a new engene installed, something I know next to nothing about but have a lot of people willing to help, some a plus and many a minus. Anyway, Larry and I are sharing a car and that has never worked well. I got to church barely in time to play prelude and then sat in the car for half an hour after church. I arrive early and leave early, he arrives late and leaves late....not a good combination. But I used my time wisely and read scriptures so it was not for nothing, and tried to manage my attitude. That too was necessary.

Tomorrow I will get started on the tasks at hand, finding a engene for the 2002 honda and cleaning all the messes the past three weeks have hatched in my home. In my house, the beach house and the RV. The major three all could stand some serious cleaning. I am going to take them one at a time. Tomorrow I address the car and then the house, Tuesday I address the RV and go camping at South Whidbey State Park so that I can dump all tanks, Wednesday I address the cabin because Linda and Curtis will be installed there and she will help me as much as she can. But, you know, it was all worth it. I had a wonderful week with my entire family here. I really don't mind paying the bill now....it was worth it.