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.

Magnets

I have a small collection of souvenir magnets. I want to display them in the coach. I was trying to find some tiles or a sheet of metal to attach to the wall between the kitchen wall cabinets and counter.


I came across "magnetic paint primer" while searching the web. There are several manufacturers. The instructions say to paint 2-3 light coats and then paint over it with the color of your choice. There is also a company that sells a powder that you add to your own primer. I found a forum, and the question was asked "What if you don't want the magnetic walls anymore?". An employee of one of the manufacturers said to put up wallpaper first and to apply the magnetic primer to the wallpaper. You could then strip off the wallpaper to remove the magnetic primer.


The walls in my coach are covered in wallpaper. I am thinking of trying out this paint/primer. 

The websites and forums also talk about hanging lightweight pictures using magnets instead the traditional picture hangers and nails, etc. But, some have mentioned that you can't hang anything real heavy on the walls, but no specific information on what is considered "heavy".  


I'm also thinking about doing the wall across from the kitchen cabinets with this magnetic paint. I want to duplicate parts of my "memory wall".  I am really concerned about putting nail holes in the walls of the coach and I am thinking that the magnets would be a good solution.


I read that the surface of the wall will be textured and can be sanded before you apply your top coat of regular paint. I'm thinking the magnets would adhere better to a smoother wall. 


I think I will buy some of this primer and experiment on the drywall in my garage. I may even hang a strip of wallpaper in the garage and paint over it to see what it looks like and make sure it will adhere to wallpaper.

Has anyone heard of this product? Or used it?

Prairie Flowers

Pictures from my front yard

I planted these perennial flowers more than 5 years ago

Each year they go to seed and more plants appear each year.

I have transplanted some to the backyard,

these plants are hardy and I do not water them.

 The butterflies do not look real, but they are.

Where's my lunch?

Change

"Change, change will do me good"

Etta James

Even God can not change the past.
  -Agathon


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Turbulence is life force
It is opportunity
Let's love turbulence
 and use it for change
-Ramsay Clark


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Human Beings,
by changing the inner attitudes
of their minds,
can change the outer parts of their lives.
-William James (1842-1910)






Change is the constant,
the signal for rebirth,
the egg of the Phoenix


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Memory Wall

Garage Sale..... selling on Amazon.....giving away to family and friends.....donating to Charities.   All of my stuff going out the door, I'm ok with all of that.




Except for..........


A memory wall in my house, this is the only thing I will miss.  We put the shelves up around 5 years ago. Last year I changed some things and added all of the different things in between the shelves. 

I do have a blank wall in the coach, I am afraid to screw anything into the walls. I will have find an RV shop to have someone attach some small thin shelves, not more than 3" deep. I should be able to duplicate parts of this wall in the RV. I can use super heavy duty velcro to attach things to the shelves or I may have to put away some items when I am moving down the road. I'll remove the glass from the frames and add some photo safe plastic.


I have also created a memory scrapbook. It covers the years 1974 to 2009. Photos, ticket stubs, dried flowers, charms, etc. This book travels with me in the coach, I am still adding to it as I find things in the house. 


Any suggestions for how to attach this stuff to the RV walls?

Attitude

I often find quotes that I like to share. I have bits of paper around and want to save the quotes before I throw them away, the blog is a good place to keep them.

It seems lately that everyone is complaining that the government is doing something wrong. I don't like to be negative and I think that if a great majority of us were more positive the energy of the country could change.

"We're at a moment when things

could get worse.

A timely dose of confidence

is overdue."

(Sorry, I don't know who wrote this)

Done

Done with the garage sale........  for now.

Prep work, pre-sale and a 4 day garage sale.

Everything is packed up. A huge pile of stuff is on the front lawn.... for pickers, or the garbage men in the morning. I will have a 2 day garage sale in October. I held back a few unsold items for the October sale.

I did not have time to empty the basement - or the shed - or the Christmas boxes from the upstairs crawl space..... so, there is more to sell.

I will have more furniture for sale in October.

Heading south for the winter.

Positive Thinking:  My house will be sold before winter.

I'm tired...... can't write anymore.

Thanks to everyone that helped me!!!

TIRED..... and 3 more days to go

Garage Sale  --  an extra night of sales

Last night was a preview night for family and neighbors. Several had asked and I thought "Why Not"?

Sold a lot of stuff last night

Couch, Hutch, Bike, Fireplace

Tools, Books, Rocking Chair,

Outdoor Umbrella, Bench

and More

This morning, the sale was advertised to start at 8am. We closed the gates across the driveway. People were waiting at 6:30. I wish I had taken a picture, they stood at the gate, peering inside, deciding what they wanted, and a few kept asking when they could come into the yard. 

I wasn't ready for them. There were boxes that I needed to look at, maybe personal stuff was in there. We put all of those boxes on the patio to the side of the garage. More sorting to do..........

At 7:45 am we opened the gates.

I can't complain, I am selling lots and lots of stuff, and will be able to buy a lot of gas for the coach.

Just wish I didn't accumulate all of this stuff in the first place.

  Oh well, the past is done...... time to move forward.

Stuff, stuff and more stuff

I am just overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in my garage,

and I haven't even dragged everything out of the house, yet.

It's amazing that I lived very comfortably in my coach for over a month without all of this STUFF!

And the hot, humid weather is not helping.

Last year when I had a garage sale, a lot of the stuff was in boxes on the floor, and people dug through the boxes and kept asking "how much for this?". I think this year it be like that again. 

Not enough tables to hold everything. My Dad helped me group some things together yesterday, but it just seems like there is too much to get it organized. 

The sale will be for 4 days and I can organize as we go along, as things sell, we can move things around. Today and tomorrow I will try to get price tags on most things. 

Can't post my address here. To those readers that have my address - tell all of your friends - and, please come and shop - I absolutely have to clean out the garage.

July 14-17

Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun

8am to 2pm

Low, low prices

Books and magazines

Fabric and quilting supplies

Tools

Furniture

Plastic Storage Containers

Kitchen Items

and lots and lots of STUFF

Thankfully, my neighbor offered her driveway

for the coach - so it will be parked there from

Wednesday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.

(I was planning on parking it in front
 and putting it back into the driveway each night.)

Thank God for nice neighbors!!!

Destiny

What do you think?

It's choice - not chance

that determines your destiny.

-or-

Some believe that our future is predetermined

and it does not matter what we do - because,

we will end up where we are supposed to be.

Meant to Be

Kismet

Fate

One's lot in life

One Day Getaway

Not much going on around here, except getting ready for my garage sale. It will be held next week for 4 days, Thursday thru Sunday.

On Wednesday this week, I went back to the Four Star Campground in Marseilles, IL. My friends Tom & Nancy were there and I went to meet them. No pictures, I left the SD card in the computer at home. We had a good time, sitting around talking and remembering good times at the campground. All of the Fourth of July campers had gone home and it was nice and quiet.

I could have driven my car to the campground and stayed in one of their campers, but I took my coach. I guess I just like being in my own space at night.

Free eBooks

I had loaded two boxes of books into my RV last month and never looked at even one of them during my 33 day trip.

I had enough to read with all of the free info that I picked up at visitors centers.....  some of the brochures give you the history of a place or town and are very interesting.

I listed many of the books on Amazon yesterday, I have already sold 3 books.

I have decided to limit the number of books I carry around. 

I will pick up used books and trade them or donate them when I am finished. I have to try and limit myself to one book at a time.

Not sure why I have this obsession to have every book ever printed.  I also have an E-reader (Liberati)  and have dowloaded the Kindle app to my netbook.

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If you are an artsy, crafty type of person

you may be interested in this.

Received an email today about some free eBooks

and thought I would pass on the information.

Of course, you have to give them your email...

so you will get advertising from them.

Nothing is free.

www.InterweaveStore.com

eBooks about

quilting, drawing, beading

sewing, collage,

spinning wheels, knitting and crochet

Dragonfly

Header photo shot at Hidden Lakes RV in Jacksboro, Texas

Advice from a Dragonfly:

Spend time near the water

Be colorful

Enjoy a good reed

Zoom in on your dreams

Appreciate long summer days

Keep your eyes open

Just Wing It!

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Borrowed this saying from a catalog:

www.yourtruenature.com

Advice from nature 

www.esmtees.com

Happy 4th!!!

.........the land of the Free

and the home of the Brave.

Camping Memberships

I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on "camping membership" resort programs.


Camping World offers a 3 day/2 night RV Getaway, you have to listen to a presentation about a membership. The ad says they are affiliated with Coast to Coast Resorts. 

What is the good, bad and ugly about these memberships?

I already have a card with Good Sam, have been a member for several years, even before I had an RV, because we would go to campgrounds that had cabins or trailers for rent. I received a free one year KOA membership through FMCA. I received a free Family Motor Coach Association membership from the RV dealer. 


I also joined Escapees when I was planning on this RV lifestyle.
I am also a lifetime member of Workamping News. I plan on workamping, but still need a place to stay in between jobs. Most jobs run anywhere from 3 to 6 months. I hope to be working North in the summer and South in the winter.


I would appreciate any information about your experiences with the travel clubs. I'm thinking I may need some type of "home base".


Escapees also has some parks, that you can lease or purchase the lot and they rent the space out when you are not there.