The Dance

Holiday season is upon us and perhaps that is what triggered thoughts of my brother. I don’t think of him often enough, time has a way of doing that when someone close to you passes. Memories have a tendency to creep up on you when you least expect them. Perhaps a smell, a picture, a song triggers that memory. Yesterday quite the opposite happened.

A nostalgic feeling passed over me as I was driving to Staples Office Supply. I felt my brother’s presence. Memories came back to me, which is a rare occurrence since most of my childhood memories are lost to me. Did you know he buried my favorite pair of shoes in a sand pile that was taller than me? Even though I was only 6 or 7 years old at the time I never did find those shoes.

My brother was quick with words and bad puns.

Ray: Pepper, do you know what really REALLY burns my ass?
Pepper: No what
Ray: Grass fire this high.

The last year of his life he started calling me more and more. We would talk for an hour or more. I knew he was unhappy in his marriage, he didn’t have to say it in words, and I never asked him. I miss those late night talks. I would talk to him of my problems and I will never forget the story he told me when I first started “emoting” to him. A lesson I still follow today.

Once upon a time there was a nonconforming sparrow who decided not to fly south for the winter. However, soon the weather turned so cold that he reluctantly started to fly south. In a short time ice began to form on his wings and he fell to earth in a barnyard, almost frozen. A cow passed by and crapped on the little sparrow. The sparrow thought it was the end. But the manure warmed him and defrosted his wings. Warm and happy, able to breathe, he started to sing. Just then a large cat came by and hearing the chirping, investigated the sounds. The cat cleared away the manure, found the chirping bird and promptly ate him... ~~
The moral of the story: ~~
Everyone who ****s on you is not necessarily your enemy
Everyone who gets you out of **** is not necessarily your friend.
And, if you're warm and happy in a pile of ****, keep your mouth shut.

In a weird way thinking of him and our life stories that we shared, I never felt sorrow. It was more of a longing to talk to him once more. I made my purchase and left the store.

Driving home I flipped on the radio and the first song I heard was the song that makes me think of my brother. That is when the tears came.

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance

No pictures of the RV we are still unpacking and sorting.

Location: Las Cruces New Mexico

MY EX

Don’t freak out kids, I promised myself I would say only nice things about your dad. I kept my promise, with the exception of calling him a Teletubby; I will continue to do so now. I will be politically correct. I honor his love of his pet rats and field mice. I have honored his need for seclusion. I understand his paranoia and can even empathize with him. I will continue to honor him.

Back to my daily rant, like Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, my ex has become an artist. He has an exhibit at Drury College and a kind soul even wrote a book about him and his art.

Even though, I closed my child support case against and do not want compensation - the State of Missouri has not. I hope he will have enough cash to pay them off.

I am so happy that he found his medium and he has accomplished something that his children and grandchildren will talk about with pride.

Here is the websites if you wish to see his work.


The Book

Drury College

Website

In all fairness, I do hope he does receive some compensation for the book. I do mean that sincerely. It is his life, his work, his memories and even though you cannot put a monetary value on that, he should be compensated.

Nuff said.

Location: Las Cruces

Changes

I am stoic. Just ask my doctor, it is in my personal records. When I hurt I don’t’ complain. Sneezing and the flu is a different for me. I am not in pain I am miserable and I want the world around me to share my misery.

Somewhere between lifting dad and heavy boxes at work I did a number on my back. Now it is pretty much a daily pain. On good nights I will sleep on my mattress on the floor, on bad nights I sleep on the couch. When I drive I keep a pillow behind me but I can go only drive for a couple of hours before I have to stop and lay down. One of the problems is I can’t reach anything. If it wasn’t for the extensions I wouldn’t be able to drive.

Then there are a few issues that I won’t discuss in my blog regarding my home. I will say this all maintenance records are on file both in a cabinet and computer. It is the same with all vehicles. On that note I will say….

It is with a heavy heart that we say good bye to our Holiday Rambler.

We really wanted to keep our home for a long time. We started and have a lot of memories here. It has been more of a home to both mom and I than our home on a foundation. There is a time to throw in the towel and let go.

We take possession of our new home on Monday. It is only a foot longer. It drives like a dream. With a captain seat made for a person of “short stature.” No extensions, no reaching and stretching, and no gadgets. In fact this home is gadget free. We all know what that means…… fewer gadgets less maintenance. It also has four levelers instead of three so there is no worry about getting this one in a bind and popping out the windshield.

I can maintain the motor without the aid of a ladder. The roof is not rubberized. When we put out the slides it actually seals, keeping most cold air out, but more important it keeps us dry. The motor is FINE. The basement is smaller but I can deal with that. The levels are virtually maintenance free which means less crawling under the house.

The kitchen is a littler larger with more counter space and it has a very small oven. I call it a biscuit oven but mom loves it. It has a microwave which is great. I can use a microwave, I can’t use an oven. It also has bunk beds in the hallway. I will have a bed. This will definitely help my back. I will have a little tiny space to call my own and if Surely Not starts taking up most of the bed, well I can pitch her up to the top bunk. Mom will still have her own room. There is separation. The bathroom is bigger but the shower is not. It is the same size. There is also more storage in the actual living space. I wonder if mom will let me bring in my tool box….. Nah

We have been busy trying to pull this together and work out an agreement that suits us financially. Now we are in the process of packing. Most of what we owned is already contained but there is the loose stuff and the cleaning.

When we take possession I will be taking pictures and posting them.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Location: Las Cruces New Mexico

Brrrrrrr

I am still amazed at my daughter’s determination to camp out while visiting us in December. The average December temperature in Las Cruces, at night, is 27 degrees. Not exactly warm, sometimes they see snow, and I have a feeling Hannah and Robert will be bunking with us.

Yesterday was cold damp and a much needed rain had fallen. Mom and I had to turn on the heater and layer up, so to speak. Surely Not and I took a walk late afternoon and the mountains are spectacular. It made the cold weather tolerable.

I am a fan of Trace Atkins’ music. Last night I was watching one of my favorite shows, Glenn Beck and to my surprise Trace Atkins was a guest. What I did not know was he had written a book about his personal viewpoints. I almost died laughing when he compared terrorism with genital herpes. I am definitely going to check out his book. I was also surprised when he said he would support Mike Huckabee's campaign. Of course at the end of the show during Rapid Fire when asked if he would rather be a vegetarian or a liberal, his response was “I’d rather eat grass.” Amen Brother Ben.

On that note……





Location: Las Cruces

Front Window View

Where To Go For Calendars

Lilli, I go with Kodak or Shutterfy. I know WalMarts will make calendars. There is also Photoworks.

Right now I like the different options that Shutterfly has. I will probably go with that.

Yipee!

We are in New Mexico! It was a pain in the butt to get both car and RV here but I am happy we are here. It is a wonderful park with cable TV, and internet. I had to back the RV into the spot and had a little problem with a tree. The owners and employees came out with a saw and a chainsaw. They gave the Mulberry tree a trim and then directed me in. It is a nice spot with a concrete pad, picnic table, and a place to park the car. Happy happy, joy joy.

Every year friends and family receive a calendar from me. I try to remember what pictures (that I have taken) they comment on and make calendars. This is going to be interesting with Rusty aka James because the only comment he has made is on the picture mom took of the tire after the blow out. Last year Hannah received a cemetery calendar and my sister received flowers on her calendar. There are several good websites that I can upload my pictures to and I use their formatting. They come out pretty good, no one has complained and every year I receive requests.

I am so happy to be out of El Paso. Starting around 3:00 and ending around 7:30 the traffic backs up. The park we were staying was by the interstate and the noise would be so loud that it would block out the TV. It was really odd. Mom and I never stopped sneezing and coughing the whole time we were there. You could look out towards Mexico and see the pollution. They kept saying the air quality was fine but I have my doubts. There is not much Texas can do because Mexico’s laws governing air quality is not the same as the US.

What I found fascinating was the drive back to Las Cruces tonight. The wind had picked up and you could see the dust in the lights. It was eerie but in a beautiful way.

Thanks for all your comments, they are appreciated.

Adios El Paso

We are moving, come hell or high water.

I finally found the real cause for the brake failure and who is responsible for the damage done. A claim has been filed and I will be reimbursed.

We found a park in Las Cruces and will be there for a month. It will give me time to create my Christmas Calendars and update my photo albums.

Hopefully tonight I will be posting from New Mexico.

Until Later.

To Answer Your Question Lynilu

We are still in El Paso. We picked up the car yesterday afternoon. It still needs two back tires so we are cautious about driving it. Hopefully tomorrow we will have that repair down.

I am planning to drive to Las Cruces Tuesday, find a place to stay, and then return. We haven't figured out all of the details on how to get both the RV and car to New Mexico. I am hoping to have that resolved tomorrow.

The car now has four brand new tires, new brakes, and an oil change. It is running great. Rusty, there was no front end problems. I will also find out how much of this is covered by insurance.

It is a comforting feeling to look out the window and see my car. I absolutely feel helpless without it. Of course I could always drive the motorhome to WalMarts but it is not the same.

All in all we are in good shape for the shape we are in. We are both wanting to get back on the road again which is healthy.

The is the first time I have been able to get on the net today. The internet service at the park is iffy.

I will keep everyone posted on what is happening. Hopefully we will be in Las Cruces by the end of the week.

Living On Carmex and Tums

The car is still in the shop. They are going to have someone else look at the brakes.

This afternoon, when I called, I was told something about the brake oil overheating but I was distracted because I was digging through my purse for Carmex and Tums.

We will be staying here for another week.

Concordia Cemetery

Today, mom and I went to Concordia Cemetery in El Paso Texas. 65,000 people call this cemetery “home.” Filled with broken crosses, cracked concrete, trash, and one scrawny cat, it was a place of sadness because of the lack of care.

The history of the cemetery is interesting. In 1854, a chapel and cemetery were built on a ranch owned by Hugh Stephenson. The first person buried at Concordia was Hugh’s wife, Juanita. She was gored by a pet deer in 1856. Mr. Stephenson lost his ranch after the civil war but his son-in-law was able to purchase the property. He divided the property equally between Stephenson’s heirs. By the 1880s, various groups interested in establishing cemeteries were contacting the heirs. The city of El Paso bought its first part of the cemetery in 1882 as a burial ground for paupers.

By the 1890s, sections had been purchased by different groups and were designated Jesuit, Catholic, Masonic, Jewish, Black, Chinese, military, city, county and other ethnic and social groups.

Some of the residents of the cemetery are: Reverend Joseph Tays, an Episcopal missionary who found El Paso’s first Protestant church, Carlos Pinto, founder of five Catholic churches, James H. Bigg, WWI aviator for whom Biggs Field is named, to name a few. However, it is the grave of a gunfighter, John Wesley Hardin that gets all of the attention. It has been said that he killed more people than Billy the Kid and Jesse James.


Enjoy The Pictures

Four Hours On The Road

We spent four hours on the road, or rather on the side of the road. We were going to Las Cruces New Mexico from Van Horn Texas. When I crested the top of the hill, all was fine. It was just seconds after I started the descent that my brake light from my brake buddy came on. I pulled over.

The front tire was smoking and I heard the second one going down. I tried not to panic. I couldn't figure out what happened. In emergency situations I try to figure out why before I react. When I realized that thinking was not the solution I called Good Sam Roadside Service. One hour later I received the call that a tow truck was on its way and would be there in twenty minutes.

The tow truck driver's english was so poor. He wouldn't talk to us, and when he did he said "take tires be back in 40 minutes. I was floored. I figured they would tow us.... somewhere..... anywhere but not leave us on the side of I-10 with no front tires.

I called Robert, Hannah's boyfriend. Not only did I received sound advice but just hearing his voice calmed me down. I called Good Sam and told him I was concerned about the brakes on the car. I told him about the tow truck driver poor english skills and then.... I lost it.

My children will tell you I am not the kind of person who cries.

The gentleman at Good Sams was so calm, he gave his credentials and told me what to do and how to do it.

An hour or more the tow truck driver came by with two new tires and he brought his boss. His boss was very calm, spoke in that wonderful thick accent that I love, and said "brakes are fine, braking system doesn't work."

The tires were then put back on and I drove carefully down the rest of the incline.

We pulled into a park in El Paso. All I wanted to do was level the RV, set up camp, then curl up in a fetal position with my blanky and thumb.

Then the levelers started acting up and I was so close to a nervous breakdown, I was thinking seriously about guzzling Surely Not's knock out medicine. My neighbor came over and he was so helpful. The hour I spent with him I learned so much about my motorhome. Then he asked me "was that you stuck on I-10?"

Then we spent another hour going through by braking system. He showed me how to dismantle the power cord and check the contacts, then he checked my braking buddy. He then picked up my braking system and explained how it works. When he was talking to me, it suddenly went off. If the clamp was on my brake it would have put the brake on. That my friends was the problem.

We are fine. The car will be going in for a check up this week, the braking system will be replaced, and we will be on the road... eventually.

Now I need to go find my blanky and curl up in fetal position. Internet is poor so it will be sporadic posting until we leave El Paso.

Attack Of The Bee

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