Catching the Sunset

These pictures were taken on our last evening at Neskowin Creek RV Resort. We drove into the little town of Neskowin and then walked down to the beach. It was a perfect evening.

Love,

Jenni

Not So Out of Touch

The Internet has been down, here at Neskowin Creek RV Resort, but it really hasn’t been an issue. Not for me, anyway. I see some people acting like addicts in search of their next hit, as they ask in the office and then ask random people if they’ve gotten on lately.

For me, it has been so peaceful. I have wanted to log on and write a post or two. It just wasn’t in the cards.

In the time I’ve not been spending online, I've had many actual conversations with real flesh-and-bone people and I've learned so much about myself and others in the process. Plus I haven't laughed and smiled this much in a long time.

I’ve also had time to work on editing my book. In a few weeks’ time, I should have the final edit finished, and my manuscript will be ready for publishing. Yes, I realize I’ve been talking about this book off and on for the past several years. I thought I had it finished two years ago. I really did. I had Office Depot print copies, and I handed them out to a few friends, family, and trusted others. I really thought I was ready. But God said, “Not yet.” He was basically telling me the book wasn’t finished because I had one more Major, dare I say Super Major, test to go through. Having now finished that trial, I feel the peace that I believe means I can now finish and publish.

Plus, Ken and I have had time to just relax without stressing about anything other than not being organized full-timers yet.

This past week has been good, very good. Maybe God’s been using this time to reinforce the last trial He put me through.

Thank heaven for limited internet!

We should all go net-less once in a while.

Peace, love, and joy to you all!

I'll be checking out again!

Neskowin, Once Again

Well, here we are on leg two of our journey of a lifetime. We decided to make a side excursion westward to say goodbye to some travel buddies. They are regulars here at Neskowin Creek RV Resort, coming and going often during the year. We’ve been here a few days already, and we’ve hardly seen anyone we know. Well, there is Hank, but his wife had to stay home this trip. The staff seems to have changed, as well.

I could be a bit lonesome, if it weren’t for the community room, and as I hang around, writing, drawing, or working on a puzzle, people wander in, and conversations and laughter are always not far behind.

Today I was working on the preliminary drawings for a painting I have in mind, and a young girl, maybe 13 or 14, asked to watch. I asked if she wanted to draw, and so we shared wonderful chit chat as we sketched together.

There’s a peacefulness around this place. Sometimes I wish we could live here fulltime, but I know my body cannot handle this climate for much longer.

Besides, the Southwest is calling.

PRIORITIZE

If you only had twenty eight days until "hit-the-road" day, and you knew that at least half those days would be stolen by pain, how would you prioritize your time?

I have a house to go through, making decisions on what to keep, take, store, sell, or donate. Ah, but the good thing is, if we leave stuff behind, the boys (son Trevor and his best bud William) will say, “Score!” They will be taking over the lease on the duplex.

I have friends to say goodbye to, at least for a year, though we will still have email (though sporadic at times) and the good ole tellie.

I have financial and medical/medication issues to magically make "transportable."

I have a neighbor who wants me to finish up our cooking lessons before I jet out of here. She still needs my secrets on lemon meringue pie, yeast dough, and pad Thai.

I have two boys I worry about. I pray we have raised them well enough, Ken and I with Trevor, and William’s parents, that is. I know they are both 21 and I had a kid on the hip by that age, but they are boys and I worry. I pray I’ve imparted enough of my hard knocks wisdom (ha ha) to them to keep them out of trouble, to keep them in their jobs and in this duplex. They do listen. I will give them that. I will miss them dearly when we go. I cannot seem to convince them to move south with us. But I think mama is having trouble cutting the apron strings.

I have my doctor, finally, wanting to send me to a pain specialist, finally. Did I say finally? Only in order to see a pain specialist, I have to be physically available in one area for months, until we find resolve. Finally, he makes this decision, but I only have 28 days left in Portland, and we won’t make it to New Mexico until October.

Winter was not kind to me. Winters never are. I joked often that the week wasn’t complete until I had fallen. Then it was fallen twice in a week. Then it was daily falls. It isn’t funny any longer. I now walk fulltime with a cane.

I’ve added another diagnosis to my list, and we are contemplating yet another, if we can figure it out. Yipee. But if we do figure it out, maybe we could finally get a handle on why my pain has gotten so out of control this past year. It has been far worse than in a long time.

My father passed away on the first of Spring. With the passing of my father, it has been like a major chapter in my life closing. Emotionally painful, yes, and yet there is a release. Maybe this is why God kept us here in Portland for so very long. That and all the surgeries my guys went through. Ken three and Trevor two in the span of two years. It has been a very tough three years we’ve spent in a duplex only slated for one year.

When God closes a door, He opens a window. For a breath of fresh air? A change of scenery? Or to at least have an opportunity to empty the chamber pot. Excuse the humor being a bit crass. It has been a very tough few years, frankly. And a very tough day, to boot.

We will be leaving Portland, Oregon, on June 30, 2013, whether we are ready or not.

Ken has been feverishly remodeling the Raven to accommodate my needs and so that we have the most economical use of space possible. After travelling some over the past few summers, we really found out what would work best for us.

I am sorry I have not been around lately. As I mentioned, winter was very hard on me. The pain and the migraines were too much. I’m trying to find the quality in a life so full of pain, but it is difficult. Life goes on, even with the pain, and so we must get on the road. We must get on the road, especially if we plan on wintering down south this year.

It may be a month before I write again, but I will be back. Thank you for hanging in there. Thank you for all your prayers. I know there must be many souls out there praying for me, because I experience God’s miracles every day. Even in this life so full of pain. I am so grateful for all of you.

Our first destination is actually only about 50 miles away from home, but what a sendoff—spending the Fourth of July at the rodeo in St. Paul! Next will be Neskowin, to say goodbye to some friends. And then we travel in a generally southerly direction until we reach Mexico (at which time we will bounce off the border and stay put in New Mexico or Arizona for the winter).

The St. Paul Rodeo in St. Paul, Oregon, July 2-6, 2013.

See you then!

Chunky Dunking

This whole “being a grandmother to a teenager” is more fun than I had ever imagined, but then again, I loved it when my own kids were at Charlie’s age, too.

Charlie has always been reluctant to call me Grandma. I’m not sure why. He has said that I am too young to be a grandma. (Talk about knowing how to earn brownie points.) I was only 31 when he was born, and technically I am a “step,” but that doesn’t matter when love abounds.

But now, for whatever reason, he’s changed and he has started calling me Grandma Jen about half the time. Maybe it has something to do with all the other grandma types here at the RV park calling me his grandma. My inclination is to believe it is Grandpa’s doing, wanting Charlie to call me Granny.

I don’t know, but I do know that I love it. It is a special privilege to be his grandma, and as I said, I loved those early teen years with my own kids.

Besides, I have just enough insanity coursing through my veins to make me a big kid at heart, anyway.

At thirteen, Charlie’s appropriateness filter hasn’t fully developed, yet his curiosity is fully engaged, and so he will ask some of the oddest questions—and some of the most personal. I answer at my own discretion, and often with tongue in cheek.

Yesterday afternoon when we took the dogs for a walk, Charlie and I found a secluded—and deep—hole in Neskowin Creek, which runs through the park property.

I dared him to wade in, and then he dared me to do the same. I told him that if I were to get in, I would have to take my pants off, at least. His face turned red, and he threw up his hands, “You are not going to remove your pants, Grandma Jen!”

We both laughed, and of course I waded in fully clothed, stopping only when the water reached the bottom of my bra. I did not want to win any wet T-shirt contests on my way back to camp (not that this fluffy girl couldn’t pull it off still ☺).

We talked yesterday after our swim about my skinny-dipping past. Yes, I have a past. Then he asked if Grandpa was with me when I skinny dipped. No, it was long before I met Grandpa. “Oh, well, then were there boys there?”

“Okay, kiddo, you are getting a little personal.”

Then he burst into laughter, turned red, and rolled on the floor. Yes, the tiny, limited floor of the Raven. Poor dogs had to run for cover.

My only regret is that the only “proof” of my dip is a picture of my soggy feet, and me in desperate need of a pedicure.

So if anyone knows where I can get a pedicure out here on the North Oregon Coast, then hook a girl up. I would like to be a sexy young grandma, not just a grandma. There’s still a lot of fire, secrets, and smoldering desire under all this fluff. But maybe that is TMI. My filter isn’t fully developed, either. ☺☺☺

I Love You, My Charlie Brown

We have been having the most splendiferous time these past few weeks with our grandson, and yet, (drum roll, please) it has all at once become exponentially better.

We have finally made it to the coast (Neskowin) with our Charlie Brown (that’s what Grandpa calls our grandson).

Even though the weather isn’t that great, I have already sunk deep into relaxation mode and have been lifted out of depression, the depression that was the result of our eldest dog passing away.

After our swim today, we went into the clubhouse for a rousing game of Aggravation (just for you, Angie!).

As we were finishing our packing up to leave yesterday, I debated whether I should take any of my drawing supplies. Ugh, another thing to pack. Another thing to trip over in the Raven. And then, Charlie came up to me and said, “Grandpa says you might be able to hook me up with a sketch pad.” I gave him the biggest hug and said a heartfelt “I love you.” This is a child after my own artistic heart.

We have also brought my guitar, with plans of videoing Charlie playing (because he is much better than I) while I try to sing along. Again, he steals my heart.

Oh, and the knitting. He’s asked if I have extra needles along for him. At this point I could cry happy tears.

I adore an uninhibited creative spirit, and Charlie definitely has one.

For his thirteenth birthday, which was not too long ago, Grandpa and I got Charlie a book on how to never grow up. It has all the silly pranks and experiments that he just loves to do. That book, though he has only had it a few weeks, is already dog-eared and smudged, obviously well loved.

I do love my Charlie Brown and all his imagination and creativity. And I thank his parents for bringing him into my life. I don’t know how else to say it. Charlie could not be any more special or any more dearer in my heart, even if he tried.

Charlie obviously takes after his grandpa.

☻Taco salad face ☻

Too Many Bananas

What do you do when you find that your surplus of bananas have ripened faster than you could eat them?

Why, make banana milkshake pops, of course!

We have been so busy around here lately, running from here to there for all of Ken’s therapy appointments, plus all the other appointments, that sometimes things, like bananas, get overlooked. When that happens, I am forced to make a decision—toss them, freeze them for later, or make something now.

Well, part of the reason we have been so busy is that our grandson will be here in one week and I want everything to be ready for his arrival. Once he gets here, we have many fun things planned, including a trip to Neskowin.

Needless to say, I am very excited.

So I decided to make the banana milkshake pops for when he gets here. And here is the recipe:

Banana Milkshake Pops

• Six overripe bananas
• One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
• Four cups low-fat milk
• One-half to one cup Splenda granulated, or to taste
• One teaspoon vanilla extract

Mash the bananas well. Beat in the other ingredients. Pour into 5-ounce Dixie cups, which are in a cake pan to keep them upright in the freezer. Place a plastic spoon in each cup and then place the whole pan in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, cover each individual cup. Alternatively, you can cover the tray with foil or plastic wrap and then carefully insert popsicle sticks, but I happen to like the plastic spoons instead—less chance of spilling as I try to insert sticks. Freeze overnight and enjoy.

They taste just like a banana milkshake, and since they are only 5 ounces and health-consciously made, they won’t spoil my diet, like an entire milkshake would.

Rainy Nights and Favorite Places

 

This weekend we are checking out a new private RV campground. Neskowin Creek. On our arrival, which was about an hour late because of traffic and a wrong turn, it was pouring cats and dogs. Did you know that the phrase “raining cats and dogs” comes from in the olden days when they had thatch roofs. When it would rain really hard, the pets, who slept in the thatch, fell through the roof when the thatch became too saturated with water. I imagine it probably also rained rodents. Yikes!

Anyway, on to Neskowin Creek. It must have been raining here long before we arrived, because everything was soggy, with puddles everywhere.

As another side note, (yes, I seem to have a lot of them some days), Tink seems to not be afraid of water any more since we played in the ocean. She was sloshing right through the puddles as if they weren’t even there. Darn her pink little butt. Last winter when we went to Seattle, I had to walk her in the rain before bed. When we were attempting to cross the street back to our motel, she put on her brakes and refused to cross because there was a tiny stream of water running down the gutter. Meanwhile, I was already halfway into the street. Just then a car whipped around the corner, going at a very reckless speed and nearly hitting me—all because Tink is tugging me back toward the wrong curb and I was stuck in the middle, trying to get us to the other side.

Wow. Do I get side tracked easily when I am tired.

Neskowin Creek wasn’t too impressive at first glance, but that was because it was almost dark and raining heavily. Accordingly, I reserved judgment until this morning, and I am glad I did. As you can see by the first picture, the sun was shining brilliantly. The puddles were gone.

And Ralph wasn’t lying. (You say, Huh?) There were rabbits absolutely everywhere, and they were coming right up to us, so long as we didn’t have Tinker Belle with us. They were even going right up onto people’s RV steps. Talk about getting to know the locals, which is another thing Ralph recommended. (Hi Ralph, and thank you.)

After taking care of some business in the office this morning, and getting plenty of tips from a well-seasoned full-timer, we meandered over to the puzzle table, just to see the progress.

Over two hours later, we remembered that Tink was still waiting for us to take her on a long walk. Oops. But it was so wonderful to just sit and relax. Idle conversation with others who came and went. No pressure to be anywhere or do anything. Not even any pressure to talk. Breathe. Pure. Simple. Aahhh.

The best part came this evening, however, when we returned for Joker Bingo. I was expecting simple Bingo. How exciting could it be, after all? The only exciting part about normal Bingo is when you get to yell, “BINGO!” If you are lucky enough, that is. When we entered the clubhouse and they were dealing out decks of cards, in my mind I was saying, “Wait a minute. Did I read the sign right?” Despite the confusion, Joker Bingo was a blast.

I even took one step toward crossing something off my bucket list. The main goal of my bucket list is to do all those things I have feared doing in the past. One of my fears has been singing in public. So on my bucket list is Karaoke. Well, tonight, as part of Joker Bingo, the “joker” part involved different things the players had to do. I was fortunate enough to be one of those who had to entertain the rest of the group. I decided to sing a camp song from way back in my school days. On top of spaghetti. Maybe you sang it as a child, too. I’ve never laughed so hard among strangers.

So, the final review of Neskowin Creek RV Resort: Two thumbs way up.