Sunday, June 17, 2018

Queen of Procrastination....our last three months!


Our life has just slowed down enough to consider writing a bit on the blog.  For the past three days I told myself that I must sit down and get it done...I don't want Spring 2018 to pass without documentation!

When it was time to write on Thursday, I chose, instead, to pick up a library book by JA Jance....one of our favorite Southwest authors.  David was taking his afternoon nap and I was sure that the time to write was here.  Eleven hours later, at 2 AM, the book was finished. And nothing is done on the blog.

It's summertime here in the South.  We walk and run errands in the morning and settle into the cool air conditioned rooms in the PM.  Friday, I think surely I can write.  Instead I play Freecell until my mind becomes numb and I can no longer win a game.  What is going on here??

Saturday morning we visit a museum in an old bank building in Soddy, TN, a coal mining town where David's family played a prominent role in the community around the turn of the century.  Not sure if our outing played a role in my evening activities but, instead of writing, I spent four or five hours on the Find A Grave website researching my father's family in Bradley county. 

I 'm sharing this as proof there is no self discipline in my psyche.
Always wanted to be a writer but now see myself as a writer who does not write.

We had about a month at home after returning from Arizona and going to the Smoky Mountains in April.  Enough time to create a page of things that must be done and to tear up an ancient brick path in the back yard. 

Due to the constant rains and waiting for a professional landscaper, the backyard project took almost two months!  The landscaper kept saying he was coming to give us a quote.  After two weeks I got mad and said I would do it myself!











We also restained the deck and painted the patio!  
It was a lot of work for an eighty year old and a sixty-nine year old....lifting bags of sand, rocks and pavers.

(FYI for new readers....we downsized three years ago, leaving a house and moving into our 900 square foot duplex. We are loving our small space but it still needs updating in between trips.)

In April we join Escape friends in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  There are 6 trailers: 3 from Vermont, 2 from Georgia and 1 from Tennessee.  We met one of the couples way back in 2009 and try to see them when they come south.




The wildflowers are blooming but it's overcast and cold the first few days.  David and I manage a hike to Laurel Falls.







By the middle of May we are dealing with health problems.  My stepfather is in the hospital and my mom insists on staying with him.  They are 92 and 90 years old, respectively.  I run back and forth to the hospital trying to help.

My husband loses a front tooth, has the roots pulled out and then gets sick with a sinus infection.  Our 20 year old Sienna decides to not roll up it's driver's window....it's 90 plus degrees and we are suffering..... Fixing it is not an option as we need a new vehicle.

We buy a used Corolla, David feels better, the stepfather goes home and the Tundra's engine light comes on as we are packing to go to the Eggs on the Hiawassee Rally. We partially unpack and call the campground.  Meanwhile our spot at the rally is flooded along with other river sites.

We get Big Blue repaired (its second big repair this year) and start for the rally late the next day.  More storms are in the forecast!  Forty miles from home we are hit with a terrific wind and rain event.  I can't even see to drive!  We pull over, get back on the road and then pull over again.  I have had no sleep from worry about the truck and we arrive at the rally just minutes before the Thursday night fish fry.
  
I am mean and hateful due to no food and low blood sugar....wind up spending the rest of the rally apologizing to everyone.

The sun comes out and the river goes down.  We enjoy being with our friends.






Reacher, left and Layla, right

We have been home from Hiawassee for two weeks and life is getting less stressful.  We have many friends who are on big trips, Alaska and Northwest, and love to read about their adventure but the desire to travel is just not there.  

We just got our passports renewed and have some tentative travel plans.  We'll see if our wanderlust returns before summer is gone.


8 comments:

  1. Glad to catch up with you two. I enjoy reading what you all have been doing - or not doing, sort of like me. Jim is on palliative care and probably will be for awhile. Palliative care is pre-hospice and there is more flexibility in medical care and doing things and involvement in health care. So miss being out on the road. If you get my way, let me know.

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    1. Emily, it is always wonderful to hear from you! Thank you so much for the info on palliative care. I try to keep up but I have not been aware of this service. I know of at least one family member that would benefit. We are always in such a rush when we come across the country in January...trying to get out of the cold....
      We enjoyed our few days in NM last March...hope to explore TOC soon. Take care. Love.

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  2. You guys have been busy...but it sure is good to hear from you again!! The pathway you guys did turned out great!! I bet that wasn't easy work??
    Glad you made it to the rally safe and sound!!

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    1. Good to hear from you! It seems like you are really enjoying the Oliver. Hope this trip goes smoothly for you without any stress. Be careful and try to stay out of the heat!

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  3. You Two have certainly not been "Procrastinating"....and you have achieved a lot...some planned, some not. :)) and Wanderlust will return, I guarantee it...In the mean time, do that which makes you smile at the end of the day...I know, easy to say, hard to execute at times. Horst sends

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  4. We are beginning to feel the pull of the road. If jello plans jell we'll be heading north west and there'll be smiles all around. Good to hear from you.

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  5. Great job on your walkway ... sometimes it's best to do it ourselves ... looks nice.

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  6. Is procrastination the reason why we are not getting new blog posts? How are Reacher and Layla doing?

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