Relaxing........Rainy day

Camp Lakewood Campground : Effingham, IL

Although I had a lot of phone calls to make today, I did not feel stressed or rushed.

This RV park has super fast wi-fi and the stereo in the coach is a really good quality with good speakers. I have listened to a few TV programs on the computer, also.  I am glad that I decided not to mount a TV screen in here, and decided to go with a good laptop, instead.  I can listen to the news or other programs on the computer.

After the mad rush to make sure the house was empty and trying to get out of Chicago before the RV freezes, it is soooo nice to be able to take my time with things.  It would have been smarter to make this move in the spring, but actually the timing of everything has worked out.

I still have to organize the cabinets and drawers and empty a few boxes of stuff that I put in the coach.
I don't want to keep these boxes in the space behind the drivers seat, this is just a temporary thing until I figure out what I need and what I can get rid of.

Many bloggers talk of selling their houses and going full-time.

I am so glad that I made this decision.
But, it is not an easy thing to do.

Emotionally and physically, it is exhausting. (I'm not trying to discourage anyone.)
And then there is the guilt for doing what I want and not staying around to help others.

If you are planning to do this, you will probably question yourself about why you accumulated all of this "stuff" in the first place. In 1988, we moved out of our first home into the house I just left. Back then, 23 years ago, I remember saying that this house would be sold with all of the contents included, that I did not want to go through the process of moving stuff again.

I think of my Grandma Mary's house, it never seemed to be cluttered and her basement was empty except for the washer and dryer. It seemed like maybe things were simpler then.

I didn't learn my lesson, and the difference now is that I didn't just pack it all into boxes and move it into the basement of the next house.  I could have put things into storage, it would have been less stressful and easier - just pack up the boxes and drive over to the storage area.

Storage is costly and I probably won't ever use the items again.

I had to deal with it now, I didn't want to think about it anymore.

My family and friends have most of the larger items from my home, I am glad that someone could use them.

I am not living a spartan life in the coach.  I have kept some things that I like to have around me. I have some quilts that I have made or purchased. I have decorated the walls and have photos. I have enough, but not too much.

It's been raining on and off all day, I am all warm and cozy in my little house.
There is more rain in the forecast. I am waiting for some phone calls tomorrow, so I will stay here Tuesday night, also.

large site with deck, table and firepit

The rain stopped around 3pm, I went for a walk around the campground, this is a very nice place, well maintained and clean and it's probably very busy in the summer. They have a boat ramp and its looks like they rent canoes and rowboats.

Update: Ended up staying here for 4 days, didn't want to drive in the rain and it was very peaceful here, parked by the lake.

The Walk

I was driving home a few days ago and took a slight detour and ended up at a library in a neighboring town. I was not sure why I was stopping there. When I went inside I decided to look at the RV books, I wanted to read about 12V systems. I have always stopped at campgrounds that have an electric hookup. Someday I may want to boondock or park somewhere without hookups.  The only RV book they had was more than 10 years old.

I decided to take a look at the "new books" shelf.

One book stood out. "Miles to Go" by Richard Paul Evans. I read the description and it sounded a little like my life. It is the 2nd book in a series, so I looked on the shelves for the 1st book, "The Walk".  I took the books home.

I have already finished reading both books. I haven't been reading too many books lately, and have never written a book review. These books are about loss and grieving and going out on a journey to start a new life.  The books are novels, but read more like a parable.

Of course, there will be more books in the series, the next one is not due out until April 2012.

As I was reading, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue - I felt like I was being used by mass media advertising, and the author/publisher was playing with my mind, by dragging out the story into a series of books. On the other hand, I enjoyed reading the story and could relate to a lot of what was written.

Then I was thinking, I just spent 2 days reading. I have so many other things that need to get done if I am going to head south in a few months.  Am I just procrastinating, or do I need this time to relax.

  TOO MUCH THINKING

I did get some work done around the house and in the yard. I did take my father shopping and finished some banking and other paperwork, so I guess it was not all reading.  I just have a hard time relaxing and taking time for myself. After the preparation for the garage sale and then the garage sale - you would think I could relax and enjoy this time to just read.

Some thoughts and phrases from the books:

We plan our lives in long, unbroken stretches

that intersect our dreams,

 the way highways connect the city dots on a road map.

But in the end we learn that life is lived

in the side roads, alleys and detours.

* * * * * 

The best way to heal your own suffering

is by helping to heal someone else's.

* * * * * 

We tell ourselves

that there's always tomorrow,

when we can no more predict tomorrow

than we can the weather.