You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
There is something about neatly packing the last needed clothing item in the already full suitcase, putting all of your strength and weight into closing it tight enough to zip all of those precious belongings inside, the night before leaving on a cross-country trip.
Waking up early in the morning on the day of the trip is so fun! The excitement in the air is palpable. A quick shower, clothes thrown on, and last-minute toiletries are added to the overnight bag. Loading everything into the trunk of the car is like winning a game of tetris before breakfast.
In the car, prayer prayed, ready to go!
“Hey, Google. Navigate me to Tampa, Florida.” Looks like it is over 2000 miles.
The country music is cranked, Yacht Rock Radio on XM is playing, or talk radio is keeping us company
We like to stop for meals at local restaurants to enjoy the flavors we can’t get just anywhere. Interesting “home-grown” types usually serve the food and have a story to tell about their lives or the locals there.
We have learned over the years that the destination is not the trip. Side trips are fun, rivers are beautiful, mountains are majestic, forests can be earie, freeways are fast, cityscapes are cool, and the ocean and warm sand on a sunny day is the BEST!
The one my dad surprised me with when I was seventeen!
It was a rainy fall day. I remember my parents leaving to go run an errand. When they returned, I was sitting in the living room. My parents walked through the door. My dad smiled at me and said go look in the driveway. With a curious look on my face, I walked over and looked out the kitchen window. Sitting in the driveway was the cutest maroon-colored Ford Mustang with a creamy white top. Not a convertible, but a darling car…especially for my first car.
I turned back to my dad with a look of shock. “Is that for me?!” He explained it was a car for me, but I would need to pay for half of it, pay the insurance, and buy my own gas for the car. I had a job, so that was not an issue.
“Go take it for a drive and let us know what you think.”
It was my senior year in high school. I had been driving my parents’ car for two years. I’m sure they were ready for me to get my own car so they did not need to share their car with me anymore. But, I never would have dreamed that they would help buy a car for me and surprise me with it! My parents did not have a lot of money. I grew up in the poorer part of town. We never seemed to lack what we needed, but we didn’t always get to have all of the fun “toys” several of my friends had. That is why this came as such a surprise to me.
The Mustang was a “four on the floor” standard transmission vehicle. It was the most fun car to drive. At age 17, it could not have been more fun! My friends loved it too. Plus, it was like a rabbit in the snow. When other cars were stuck in the snow in the winter, my car seemed to just climb and twist right out of any near mishap situations.
As an adult I have owned several fun cars to drive, but the one I will always love the most is that ’74 Ford Mustang II for all the feels it brings up and the memories.
My car was just like this, only dark maroon and no sunroof.
My husband and I discussed this just last week. We both agree that we like mountains and beach for different reasons.
At the beach near the ocean, the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline is calming and peaceful in a way that causes deep reflection.
The mountains have a way of taking me back to early days of my youth. The smell of dust blowing in the breeze, kicked up into the air from our running around on the dirt roads or walking near the fire pit. The smell of wood and pine from the surrounding trees, as well as the sound of water from the rivers and streams, bring out a feeling of serenity and security. It feels like home. I feel deep gratitude in the mountains for the creation of this earth and the blessing and gift my life is from God. I feel closest to God in the mountains. It’s why I long to go camping in the mountains again, someday….
Jared is intelligent and educated… outside of Utah. Give him a listen.
Actually, I often forget to listen to podcasts. Plus, time is not most plentiful in my life these days. Working full-time, spending quality time with my husband every day, cooking, cleaning, extended family time, counseling appointments to prove to myself the insanity of life has not taken me down yet, and throwing in a blog reading and post now and then takes up plenty of time.
When I am cooking or cleaning and feel like seriously learning, those are the times I listen to podcasts. If not in the mood for listening to talk, I like to “move it, move it” to Zumba music or crank up Miranda Lambert. Or when chilling and journaling by the fireplace, slow it down a bit with Macy Gray or the jazzy voice of Emma Nissen.
Whether you listen to a podcast or your favorite music, make it a great day!!
This is not seriously what I am most proud of, but I am a little proud of the last-minute ingenuity that happened in this very unimportant lunchtime event that took place today. 😀 I hope it brings a smile to your face. 😊
I work at a medical office where 3-4 times/week pharmaceutical reps bring in lunch for everyone in the office. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I went out to get my own lunch today because I could not stomach the thought of eating a burnt burger patty on a bun brought in from a local burger place. No matter how much building you do on that “build your own burger,” the flavor of that “cinder puck” still comes shining through!
It was a little before noon when I headed to Panera, thinking I was early enough to beat the lunch rush. I pulled into the drive-through and turned the corner behind the building to find I was the 4th car in line already. And, it was a SLOW line. So, slow, in fact, that I kept turning off my car as each car pulled ahead for their turn at the pay and pick-up window.
I kept my window closed and the heat inside the pickup turned up to 73 degrees. Oblivious to the fact the windshield wipers were set on “rain delay,” I staired out the windshield through the large drops of water quickly gathering and creating small rain rivers racing down the glass, which like my gaze, was aimed in no particular direction. I was mesmerized by the beat of the wipers, no longer on rain delay, trying to keep up with the rainfall.
Finally, it was my turn to pay the crazy amount of money charged for my teriyaki chicken and broccoli bowl, large drink and an oatmeal cookie. Nearly $20! I happily handed over my money in exchange for one of my favorite lunch meals, found the perfect parking spot toward the opposite end of the strip mall, if that’s what it is called, and parked facing traffic so I could watch the lunch gunners drive back and forth on the road ahead of where I parked.
Reaching into the brown paper bag, I pulled out the napkins, set them on the consul next to me, pulled out the cookie packaged in its own paper cookie bag, and set it on the napkins. Then I reached in for the straw and removed the paper covering before pushing it carefully into the cup’s lid. Finally, I reached in and pulled out the teriyaki chicken and broccoli bowl, which was hot enough I had to be careful not to burn my leg with the bottom of the bowl or my hand from the steam as I pulled off the lid. I reached into the bag one more time to grab the fork or spoon. Neither were in the bag. Instead, I pulled out another straw! Ugh. I didn’t need an extra straw. I needed a fork or spoon to use to eat my hot meal.
My thoughts were racing. I did not want to drive back to Panera on the far end of the parking lot, only to have to wait in line again, just for a fork. It was cold and raining outside, so the thought of getting out of my warm dry vehicle to go inside the building for a fork was not very appealing at all. I checked in all the spaces I could think of to check inside the pickup for the unlikely chance there might be a stray fork or spoon lying around. No such luck. It would be a difficult meal to eat with my fingers.
Then, it hit me! And, I became very grateful for that extra straw. I took the paper off that straw, then carefully took the straw out of my cup of ginger ale and cleaned it off. I put the two straws side by side in my right hand. Voile!!! AMERICAN FAST FOOD CHOPSTICKS!!! Or, in this case, STRAWSTICKS!!
Worked like a charm. I was able to eat my lunch AND stay warm and dry. I couldn’t help but smile as I ate my chicken, broccoli, and rice, while watching the cars zip back and forth on the busy road in front of me, and listening to news on XM Radio.
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?
This is probably not the hardest personal goal, but it is a challenging one… to journal and/or blog every day. My full-time job gets in the way sometimes, but I hope to write and blog as often as I can….
My sister works in the billing office for a hospital. She gets along really well with her coworkers. They laugh and joke with each other at work. She and several of the women even get together for dinners outside of work.
Tonight, while we were playing pinochle with our parents, who are in their 80s, my sister said there is a penny on the floor in one of the hallways where she works. None of the women she works with will pick the penny up because it is “tails up”. No way! Apparently, that brings bad luck.
If it were “heads up,” it would already be picked up and placed in someone’s pocket by now. 🤣
I have never heard that before tonight. I live by the saying, “Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck!” It does not matter whether the penny is heads or tails up.
What are some fun(ny) superstitions you have heard of or done as a child?
I could do more blogging! If only I did not work full-time!
My job satisfies my need to work. I like my job and my coworkers, which has not always been the case with other jobs I have had. Currently, I work in an environment that encourages cooperation, respect, and fun. It is a good balance. It is easy to go to work when you like it. BUT…
Working full-time cuts into my available time to blog! If I could, I would get up early, go for a walk, listen to or read the news, or listen to a podcast, and read a few of my favorite blogs. Then I would write all morning.
I enjoy stringing my thoughts together in words on a blank screen. A lot of times, I sit down and don’t know what to say, so I read what others write. The times when I sit down and start writing because the thoughts come easily, are my favorite times! Stream of consciousness writing can be enjoyable and healthy too. Have you ever tried that?
Aug 7 (Reuters) – Russia will launch its first lunar landing spacecraft in 47 years on Friday in a race with India to the south pole of the moon, a potential source of water to support a future human presence there.
India headed to the moon four days before Russia goes. Both are seeking to find evidence of water on the moon that would be enough to sustain life there. The moon is large enough for the both of them to be there, probably without even seeing one another there. The USA is not in the race to the moon, apparently. We are too busy talking about going to Mars.
This started me thinking about whether I would want to go to the moon or not if an affordable opportunity presented itself. I remember, as a teenager, reading in the Enquirer that one day we would have classes on the moon. I thought at the time that I would not ever want to go to the moon (or Mars, either). I still don’t feel a desire to go to the moon. Then, again, I also said I would never need a passport because I did not want to travel outside of the United States. Well, we received our passports last year and traveled to Mexico on a cruise ship. So, never say never, I guess!
At home. My vacation was spent at home. Should have been spent in northern Idaho, but my DH and I decided to stay home and repaint the interior main floor of our home. It took six half-days to paint the kitchen, dining, living room, hall bath, hallway, laundry room, and the walls along the stairs. As boring as that sounds, it feels so good to be at day six, today, and note all that we accomplished together.
While working side by side, this week, we also took the time to get to know each other better (even after 37 years of marriage) by asking one another thought provoking questions. I even learned a few things about home maintenance, something my DH has always taken care of.
After a long week of hard work, we are looking forward to a fun weekend of family time celebrating my dad for Father’s Day. He is 83 years old. Any reason to celebrate and spend time with him and my mom (80 years old) is a notable gift, for sure.
ChatterLei 