WordSisters

Category: Life Enjoyment

  • Tending the Garden

    On walks through the Arizona neighborhood where we are staying, many yards have been let go because of the severe ongoing drought. Prickly pear cacti that often look plump and rosy are shriveled and wrinkly. Shrubs and trees are brown and brittle—not dormant, but dead. Here and there, homeowners have planted clumps of yellow and orange flowers. In the struggling landscape these small patches are obviously tended and watered. I understand the wish to cultivate one small burst of joyous color.

    My husband and I are grateful for our escape from Minnesota’s frigid cold (-11 degrees air temps the morning we left). While here, I could easily drift into wondering about our sons, their wives, and our granddaughters (everyone’s OK, but thinking about them is a hard habit to shake). Dismay and foreboding about our democracy remain a dark undertow. 

    However, my husband and I are mindful we are lucky to be getting away, so we tamp down those concerns and tend to our joy. Notice the sun on our shoulders, blue sky and high wispy clouds. Hazy mountains in the distance. Soft 75 degree breezes. The pleasure of patio dining and hearing birdsong again.  

    We take the break. Turn toward happiness. Are almost carefree.

  • Wet Feet and Warm Heart

    To people living in the lake-effect snow areas, Tuesday night’s seven and three-quarters inches of white stuff that landed in Door County is insignificant. Except the weather professionals predicted a dusting. Opening the door at six in the morning to send an old, thirteen-inch-tall dog with arthritis in his hind quarters required intervention by an owner still in cotton knit pajamas and slippers.

    The flip side of this story is that one of the most intensely awesome sunrises distracted attention from noting the snow depth. Bare tree branches etched black lines against nature’s red, orange, yellow, saffron into beauty that could not be painted, photographed, described. Walking along the back windows of the house behind the small dog, my eyes never slipped below the horizon. 

    Sunrise colors seem shorter as the solstice approaches. By the time boots were located and a snow-covered dog rescued, the sky had turned a warm pink then faded into regular daylight. Winter weather arrived surprising me with the gifts of sunrise, snow in the trees, wet pants and bare feet discovering small cold puddles where the furry one shook.

    In a time of deep emotions ranging from the continued happy surprises of family to dread of the immediate political future, from satisfaction in completing a complex writing project to sadness about a relative’s illness, it is easy to not notice what is simple and beautiful. Life’s gifts and losses cannot be tabulated. A stranger’s smile might change an icky morning into a better day. 

    May your holidays bring calm, happiness, and the beauty of a winter’s day even when your feet are cold or wet.

  • We Can Do This … the Saying of Yes

    We Can Do This … the Saying of Yes

    Jody and BethOne month ago, Jody and I flew to Texas for a weeklong RV Fundamentals course. We don’t own an RV. Our goal was to learn the intricacies of RVs and how to maintain a motorhome before buying. Our chance of success would increase, and we’d have much less frustration.

    Class A motorhomes look like a large bus, Class B a van, and a Class C has a sleeping area over the cab.

    On two occasions we had rented an RV for travel. A 31ft. Class C for a trip to the Grand Canyon and a 30ft. Class C for a trip to Mount Rainier. We learned that we had no idea what the sensors were indicating, where the fuse box was and what to look for if the refrigerator stopped working. We punted. We asked questions of other RVers, found the operator’s manual, and bought a cooler and ice to keep food cold.

    After landing in Dallas, we picked up our rented 24ft. Class C. This would be our home for ten days while we attended classes at the National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) in Athens. The program prepares individuals to apply basic technical knowledge and skills to build, test, inspect, repair, service and maintain recreational vehicles, systems, and interior and exterior components. At the end of the week there was an optional RV Service Technician exam.

    Back of ClassWe didn’t sign up for the test. We hid in the back of the class.

    At first, our goal was to listen to the lectures, and be active in the labs. Absorb the teachings and feel more competent as yet-to-be RV owners.

    We were intrigued to learn being an RVer could lead to a business opportunity.

    During the week we attended small business developmental training before the technical training started. The Stepping into Business Success course was compelling. Jody and I could see our way to owning a small business. Our new RV could be a work vehicle and become a tax write-off. Graduates of the school were in business as RV Techs, Inspectors, and some had branched off to other specialties such as air conditioners, refrigerators, generators and solar.

    We just needed to find our niche.

    Where we landed was the deep cleaning of grey and black tanks. Ms. and Ms. Poo if you must.

    Jody certificatesAt week’s end, Jody and I received an RV Fundamentals Training certificate. In addition, Jody studied for and passed the RV Service Technician exam and became certified.

    Still, we didn’t own an RV. Our intention was to buy one from a private owner or dealership while on vacation in Florida in the coming six weeks. Our retirement snapshot was summer at our home in Minnesota and winter in Florida living in an RV.

    During one of our breakout lab sessions, Jody and I mentioned that we were looking to purchase an RV. A classmate had an aunt who lived in Farmersville, Texas selling a 2020 Class A 28ft. Winnebago Intent with less than 10,000 miles. Having spent a week crawling into a corner bed and bruising our elbows and shins from the tight space of a 24ft., owning a much larger RV was very appealing. We had never considered a Class A. I kept returning to the fact that we had previous experience with a 30 and 31ft RV. This was just a different style, and the length was only 28ft!

    Jody and I drove 1 ½ hours to Farmersville, met the owners, and test drove the Class A. The owners were delightful. It was a motorhome we could be proud of. We signed a bill of sale. Named her Flo.

    Back home in Minnesota Jody and I registered two businesses with the State: tankrefreshrv (grey and black tank maintenance) and dogGo (Jody’s dog walking business).

    Class A photoWhile we were on a roll, we researched becoming Workampers. Workampers are people who have chosen a lifestyle that combines work with RV camping. RVers are provided a campsite in exchange for service.

    During our vacation in Florida, Jody and I secured part-time positions for the coming winter season at an RV resort as activity directors. We will also oversee our small business on the side.

    Jody and I have signed up for additional online training to be poo specialists.

    We are no longer saying, “We can do this,” we are saying, “We ARE doing this.”

    It’s been one month since our RV Fundamentals class. Following the flow, the saying of yes, brought us to this point. The only thing missing is Flo herself. She’s still in Farmersville, Texas. Mid-March, after our vacation in Florida, we’ll fly to Texas to bring her home.

    Can’t wait to get to know her.