ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

SCENE TWENTY FOUR

I do not believe that the majority of adults would ever do what Roger and I did in order to fulfill his dream of living Full Time (FT) in a motorhome traveling the country. What I do believe is that your past helps to create your future. Roger was in the military for 22 years and was used to moving around often (even out of the country). I believe this had conditioned him and helped with his ability to move around freely with just basic necessities. I also believe that because I had to walk out of three homes in my past, that I already knew I could survive walking out of a fourth. Material things are just things.

You may be wondering what we did about our seasonal jobs. Believe it or not, we both kept them active so that we would have the opportunity to return when visiting our hometown. I did leave Kay Jewelers before we sold the house and ended up at a Mom & Pop jewelry store. I had more freedom, better hours, and much better income. It was also great that I could come and go with no stress. Being we were friends with Roger’s boss, anytime he ever wanted to work, he would have the opportunity to do so. Regarding our health insurance, we are blessed to have coverage with military insurance after Roger’s service to our country for 22 years (He is also over 65 with Medicare.) So our income was Roger’s retirement, pension, our seasonal jobs, and some spending money from my art. We lived on a budget, but we still could have a little fun. Remember those days when I was trying to survive the collapsing building? I cut out the mani/pedis, salon hair color, eating out, and the coffee drive through. My luxury lacking life helped prepare me for my RV life to come! (laughing!)

I’m not sure how other FT RVers make ends meet, but this worked for us because we had a nest egg in the bank before hitting the road. This was our security and would be used for our home in the future, providing we didn’t burn thru it! One tip I will share here for the RV crowd reading this blog; You can burn thru a ton of money with sightseeing, tours, and museums. There’s tons of them just about everywhere you go and it will depend on your own finances. Most of our sightseeing was done for free. If we could see it without paying for it? We did not pay to go inside. (lighthouses, for example; if I could see it and take pictures of it? There was no need for us to go inside and climb up it.) We reserved our paid tours for the opportunities that were well worth it- like Yellowstone National Park. It was well worth the price to take the tour bus so we could both relax and enjoy the views! Avoid tourist traps, as they usually aren’t worth the admission. We never paid to walk out on a pier when walking the ocean was free!

Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse, located on the south shore of the Upper Peninsula in Gulliver, MI

The most important part of our agreement was that for us, going FT would not be indefinite, as we hear some people do with no plan B or exit strategy. We agreed to go on the road for 3-5 years and to decide in that time frame where our retirement destination would be. Once we decided on a location, we would put roots down and purchase a small home to live out our days until we depart this earth. That was the plan and I took comfort in knowing the road would not be my forever home, just long enough for a little more travel and some new adventures.

The Koala Bear above was a custom job requested by our niece, and the painting on the right was a custom piece for the owners of a campground. It hangs in their office.

When all was said and done, June 1, 2017 we pulled out of our long driveway for the last time. The house was sold, our cars were sold (except for our tow car we named Betsy), all of our stuff was sold, donated, or simply given away, and we were planning on our 5th trip to Key West for the winter. But first, we wanted to spend some quality time up North as far as you can go with six wheels down. This would be our first journey in the big rig and we were excited to see Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Remember the first two friends we made at the Sunset Lounge in Key West? Well Copper Harbor is home to them and they would be our hosts and tour guides once we arrived. We had toured Michigan once, but now that we were officially FT, we had no schedule and no worry of time constraints with work. So we contacted our friends, found out where we should camp with our 40 foot beast-of-a-rig and got on our way North on June 29^th. We crossed the Big Mac bridge (pictured below) on July 6^th, and slowly made our way to God’s Country (my nickname for the UP of Michigan.)

BONUS SCENE

If you have been following my blog, you may recall The “White Line Syndrome” episode. It was one of the favorites and most viewed ever, so I thought I would share it here for my new readers.

I’d like to dedicate this to my Yooper friend Diane, one of my faithful followers, and Sailor Fred. Miss you guys and can’t wait to see each other again! XOXO

{The view from the passenger seat in a Class A motorhome is simply unbelievable! You are behind the largest picture window a motorized vehicle moving down the highway can offer you. I can tell you after speaking with many passengers, this view can be more intimidating sitting on the right side of that vehicle than you might have ever imagined it could be. When you look at an RV, without ever actually being driven down the road in it, you just don’t have a feel for what that view will be. You have probably been a passenger in a bus at one time or another, but you most likely slept in the back somewhere killing time on the way to your destination. So without further ado, allow me to take you on my first long journey as the passenger in The Beast.

Since (from the time I wrote this) I have 2 years under my belt in our Class A, and have spoken with hundreds of passengers, I believe there is such a thing called “The White Line Syndrome.” We make jokes about it, laugh till we cry about it, and mostly try to explain about it to those that don’t know about it. For all the experienced Class A RVers reading this, passengers are definitely laughing as you read my words! Class C people; sorry if I scare you, but I used to be in your seat, and it is definitely less intimidating than mine. And for anyone thinking about purchasing an RV, please don’t get scared. Just try it before you buy it and know what you’re getting into. Drivers have a different perspective, so listen up passengers because it’s about to get real!

We purchased our Tiffin Allegro RED in May 2017. We were experienced RVers and did not take it for a test drive. My first ever ride in it was from the dealership to our driveway. It was a 45 minute drive on a narrow, construction-ridden roadway with cement barriers on both sides of us much of the way. We had just spent more money than God gave us only to scare the holy bejesus out of me ALL the way home. I sat in a seat big enough for a healthy sized KING and the seat adjustments would not work properly. (I know this, because I tried the whole way home to get my feet to touch the floor!) So I sat there, feet dangling like a child on her 1st school bus ride in the front seat. (I wanted to cry for my Momma!) I prayed my DH (Darling Husband) knew what he was doing, and I am quite sure my eyes were popping out of my sockets the entire ride home! Coming from Class C life, there is this unexplained sway in this new Semi-sized height that I never felt before. There is also a view of the road like I have never seen before; the huge one in front of me, as well as beside me, and through the window at the bottom of the entrance door. I believe that was the very beginning of where my syndrome started. That very moment I saw the white line, what seemed like between my knees instead of to the right of me where it should have been going down the highway. I don’t know how we made the left turn into our driveway, because I believe my eyes were still closed.

We made that same drive to and from the dealership for repairs, 4 more times (eight, if you count both ways!) It was an obstacle course training each time for my DH. As for me, it was an endurance training session, and learning more in detail about the white line syndrome and how to deal with it. Leaning towards the center of the bus doesn’t help folks, but it will give you a stiff neck. Closing your eyes doesn’t help either! That’s like telling a parachute jumper to close their eyes on the way down. Nope. Not happening. Saying anything to your DH is strongly NOT ADVISED! First off, he will take his eyes off the road to give you a very strange cold look, because of course, he knows exactly where our tires are! He will just think you’re crazy. And second, he just took his eyes off the road!

Our first trip anywhere after the break-in period was North to Michigan. We LOVE traveling in Michigan! We would head to the Northwestern most part you can drive to with Six Wheels Down- Copper Harbor in the UP. Now, if you have been to this part of the country in a truck, large van, or RV of any sort, you are probably laughing your ass off right about now just thinking about the white line! Well, they say the only way to reduce your fears is to confront them head on, and that’s what we were about to do! Only no one warned me. That’s probably a very good thing. Let me say this if you haven’t been there yet. Don’t be scared the whole way up there, because I would do it all over again. After all, I did live to tell you this story! But, if the white line is a bit of an anxiety issue, visit your Doctor and get a prescription for Xanax! Period. Just tell him where you are going, and that you are doing it in a big Class A, and it is the 1st time ever that your DH will be driving these roads in the Big Ass Bus. He will write you a script, no questions asked.}

We started our overnights in Grayling, continued to see some friends in Alpena for July 4^th, and then on to Michihistrigan Bar and Campground in Engadine. (They introduced me to “Pasties”, a UP specialty for the miner’s- and we’re not talking what strippers cover their nips with! This is in their lunch pail and yummy to eat!) Next up, was Country Village RV Park in Ishpeming. Our trip, so far, has been wonderful! Loved the scenery and the locals treat you like family! Now we are off to Copper Harbor!

{This part of the trip, you will notice, it gets very scenic. That is code for “watch the road“. All is well on our way to Fanny Hooe Campground (one of two Big-Rig friendly campgrounds in Copper Harbor, both of which are adequate for all your camping needs.) We called our friends to let them know we were on route to Copper Country and they told us of a great stop for fuel (diesel & gas.) About 35 miles out from Copper Harbor, you will probably lose cellphone service, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. You also lose the normal width of your road. It seems a lot more narrow from this point on, (because it is) and your white line syndrome may start to kick in. When you reach a sign that says 11 miles to Copper Harbor? I hope you have already taken your Dramamine if you experience car sickness. (I didn’t and should have) For the next minutes of eternity, I braced my feet on the handrail in front of me and held tightly to the handrail next to me as best I could with sweaty palms. Your driver is now probably feeling a tiny bit anxious, but will NEVER speak of it out loud, because the road begins to twist and turn (left, right, left, right.) You are also feeling the sway of your vehicle and the road dips at times, feeling like a gentle roller coaster. As this is happening there is oncoming traffic in your face because they have no more room than you do. When you see another Class A or large Fifth wheel, you can believe they are feeling the crunch just like you are, and squeezing their butt-cheeks together! If you’re lucky, you can test how well your Xanax works when your driver faces the oncoming logging truck or semi. It’s totally awesome to see your mirrors come so close to crashing into a truck on one side, and the trees on my side! If you haven’t peed your pants yet from the terror of it all, sit tight. You will when you tell this story to your friends and family once you’ve survived and cry laughing! This is all quite beautiful if you can keep your eyes opened the entire time and don’t have a heart attack. The road is winding through beautiful lush countryside like you cannot imagine. Sometimes, it actually reaches out and touches you, but as the tree limbs slap into your mirror, you may not have been able to keep your eyes opened! (It’s tough, but I tried.) This torture doesn’t last very long, but you have just survived your first adventure where the white line has completely disappeared beneath you! At first, it appears like it is between your knees when looking out the front window, but you look out the side door window and you can no longer even see it! Your driver, out of necessity for your safety, has hugged the right side of the road to keep his mirror from being ripped off from the oncoming Beer truck.

Congratulations! You are now in God’s Country. If you needed Dramamine, there is some at the General Store in Copper Harbor. You may want it for the car trips you will definitely want to take all over the peninsula. Squeeze in as much as you can during your stay here, because it is so serene and beautiful, that you might not want to leave (you won’t be in a hurry to drive that narrow winding route 41 again anyway, but it is the only way in and out.) Our hosts were Diane and Fred. Fred is retired Navy and was a Professional Captain of The Keweenaw Star that took passengers out for sunset cruises, along with his wife Diane, helping to serve their guests. Fred has since sold that boat, but now owns the Iron Maiden. Diane’s “Sailor” took us out for a sunset cruise that I will never ever forget! We first ate and drank at the lovely Harbor Haus Restaurant (77 Brockway Ave, Copper Harbor, MI 49918) after our Captain did an impressive stern-first docking maneuver worthy of applause! After sharing a fun meal and a few laughs, Captain Fred was anchors away and had us cruising 10 miles out on Lake Superior enjoying the most beautiful evening ever! We even got to see a large freighter up as close as you are legally able to get (pictured below.)

This place is magical (PURE Michigan says it all, but the UP is definitely a magical world away!) And it’s a bonus that it stays light until much later (around 11pm in July). We ended with a nightcap at Zeke’s (which since then, has changed ownership, I believe.)

You are so far North, that you may even get a beautiful glimpse of the Northern Lights if you’re lucky!}

Photo credit for The Iron Maiden below Steve Brimm Photography

CHAPTER SEVEN

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING

SCENE TWENTY THREE

Sometimes, I would lay in bed at night and think about what I was going to do with all the beautiful shells I had collected. I had ideas and I started in my free time to sort thru them and put them into baggies (a lot of baggies!) after they were all sanitized. (soaked in Clorox/water for 24-48 hours, rinsed, drained and thoroughly dried) As I went thru them, I separated them into categories with ideas of what I might use them for by shape, size, and color. To most people, this would seem tedious and time consuming (and it is!) For me, it was like a free therapy session. (laughing) I was inspired as I went thru this motion of what certain shells would be good for (butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, etc.) I had the idea of perhaps a shadow box picture so that the dust would be kept off of them, and that is how the very first piece I created resulted in a small custom painted shadow box (the one I gave to my sister Jayla) I was only able to produce 5 of them before the shadow boxes I purchased were not readily available. So I then went on to 3 dimensional trays that I custom painted. (first one went to my sister Jolie) The idea here was that a tray could sit on a shelf (or the windshield of an RV) and I knew many of my targeted clients would be fellow RVers in Key West. This idea worked and every single one was sold (I kept them very inexpensive to make it an affordable souvenir.)

As I have already shared photos of these pieces from the beginning, you know that most of my artworks were fun and not very high-end pieces. They targeted the Key West audience that I knew I would have upon our return in the Fall of 2014. Some were mosaic in style and dimensional (butterflies, birdhouses, lighthouses, and palm trees) Most of them had a Florida theme that I could sell for $20 – $50 and earn a little fun money while we were down there. Some of them were very time consuming, but when it rained buckets in Key West, I had plenty of time and it kept me occupied and happy. So happy, that I couldn’t wait to get back to the beach because I had the idea of making the famous Key West Rooster and needed more small shells to do what I had in mind!

“I had the opportunity to see Lorraine’s Shell Art last winter. I decided to buy a gift for my Daughter’s birthday. Although my Daughter grew up near the ocean, she now lives inland in NH and raises chickens. I bought the chicken shell piece, as it fits in with her décor, and the shells remind her of her days at the beach. Lorraine did not have the particular piece I wanted available, but assured me she could make it and ship it. She did an amazing job with color and all the particulars that go into a work of art. My Daughter was thrilled and has it proudly displayed in her kitchen. She loved it so much, that she would love to have another piece of Lorraine’s artwork. I look forward to seeing and hopefully purchasing a piece for myself this year.”

Sue W. from Massachusetts

When we were home in Ohio, Roger and I got into the rhythm of gardening, yard work, bonfires, and gatherings all summer long. We celebrated Fall and packed up Tin Liz II for our winters in Key West. We got the best little tow car- a 1999 Chevy Tracker soft top with 4 wheel drive for easy towing. We wintered in Key West four years in a row, and each year, we became increasingly addicted with life in the Keys. It sounds almost silly to say this, but coming home each spring was growing more painful in many ways. I was getting a bit tired of all the packing and unpacking, preparing the house for winter, changing mail service, scheduling Doctor appointments before leaving, etc. etc. (Things that most people don’t really think about or understand unless you have actually done it.) It’s fabulous, and yet painful to prepare for a vacation that never seems to end, and then return to a normal life with work and responsibilities upon your return. It was increasingly difficult to flip that switch. Many people that we had met over the years had become Full Time RVers for exactly that reason. The packing and unpacking and one way of life versus another becomes harder to adjust to each and every time. All work & no play versus all play & no work.

The artworks below were projects for some of my neighbors. To ask me to create a custom piece that I had never done before showed they had faith in my ability to provide them with their desired outcome. I believe that is one of the highest compliments that anyone can give you!

“My Apple artwork you custom made for me is beautiful! I love it! It goes perfectly in my kitchen! I would definitely recommend anyone to purchase your artwork! Just Beautiful work!

Cindy Vance C. of Ohio

Roger had the idea growing in his head that everyone we met seemed to keep planting seeds for about going FT (Full Time). He reminded me of this idea quite often, but then I always looked at him and said “You wouldn’t want to get rid of ALL YOUR STUFF, would you?” I personally thought he became a bit obsessed by the thought of being on vacation 24/7, 365, but I was not willing to give up our ranch home in the country. The more he would toss the idea around, the more I would become agitated.

If you think back to my survival of the collapse in the great recession, the last thing I wanted was to give up our home and live in a small motorhome. So as the story goes, whenever someone would bring this idea up in our conversations, Roger would say “I’d go full time in a heartbeat, but Lorraine doesn’t want to do it.” I would usually laugh it off and repeat that he wouldn’t want to give up his lifetime of stuff, and that would be it. Period. THE END.

But it was not the end. When we were still in Key West over the winter of 2016/2017, the subject came up many times with people as more and more of them had already gone FT or were in the process of selling everything and going FT. I was starting to feel like I was the only woman on earth that was clinging to our home like a life preserver after jumping from the Titanic! Was it just because of all I had been thru in my past that I was afraid to make such a leap of faith? Was I holding him back from his dream of RV travels as a military retiree? Was it because I was worried financially that we would be homeless (the sticks & bricks sort of home) the rest of our lives? After all, RV’s are just like a BOAT (Bring On Another Thousand) only on wheels! Constant maintenance and repairs could suck you dry.

So one day before heading up North, something in my heart said that perhaps I was being selfish, or that my anxiety disorder was just in full blown panic mode. I snapped at Roger during one of these FT conversations with someone and said to him “You would never give up your Omega!” (his prized possession- a classic Oldsmobile that he had ordered almost 40 years ago that he LOVED!!) He defiantly answered “Oh yes I would!” Okay. Did I just hear that? (I thought to myself- You got it! I thought- He will change his mind. I’m pretty sure of it.) So the next time the conversation came up just between the two of us I said“OK. Then lets go full time. I’m ready.” And just like that, he thought I had lost my mind! He didn’t believe me when I said it, but I was dead serious. “This is your dream and I am not going to hold you back from living it. Let’s do this thing!” Remember, he is older than me by almost 12 years. I handed him the keys to the open road and living his dream. Why not? We can always buy another house. It’s just a house and stuff is stuff. But we only get one life here to live. He didn’t believe me at first. He kept asking me if someone had said something to me to change my mind (as if someone could twist my arm to make me do this bat shit crazy thing! laughing)

After surviving the Great Recession of our time, losing my ass financially and nearly losing my mind in the process, Roger and I returned home from Key West and we prepared to sell our 3 bedroom ranch house on 2.55 acres in the country. I had thought about the pros and cons long enough and things were about to get real. The real estate market was heating up and our house sold before we even listed it with a Realtor from word of mouth (thru a tax client of a neighbor.) Forty five days was all we would have to get rid of everything. A lifetime diminished in just 45 days.

I won’t go into all the details of downsizing and getting rid of your lifetime of stuff (Refer to many of my previous blog posts regarding these subjects) but I will say this much. People that say “It’s liberating to get rid of all your stuff” are some pretty eccentric people! As in; unconventional, uncommon, irregular, (and my favorite) abnormal! This is not a normal process to rid your house of all it’s contents and save only what can fit into a motorhome.

Downsizing is a whole different process from what we did. There would be no room for all those special things you inherited, were given as thoughtful gifts, mementos from your loved ones that have died, Christmas memories, furniture, clothes, shoes, china and crystal, household goods galore…I could go on and on here. Most all of that will not go with you! Secondly, NO ONE wants it except you. No one wants to store it or keep it for your possible return one day. No one cares about your stuff except you, because they all have their own stuff! That is just the way it is!

And yet, we did it anyway. Thankfully, my sisters Jayla and Jolie (and Roger’s daughter) all kept a very small amount of things that we held near and dear to our hearts (a few photos, some inherited knick knacks, and my Christmas tree ornaments for the day I could have a full size tree again.) I am extremely grateful for their gesture of good will and kindness. (Hugs & kisses to all three of you if you’re reading this!)

The agreement between Roger and I was that the first thing we would do is get a larger RV. A bus styled Class A diesel pusher (another dream Roger had of owning a Bus one day that came true.) We accomplished this while we were in the process of getting rid of our stuff, and a beautiful Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA was sitting in our driveway to pack up.

The only part of downsizing that I found truly liberating was burning my paperwork. I sorted thru old taxes, receipts, pay stubs, a lifetime of career files, and stacks of bank and financial paperwork from my past process of foreclosure and bankruptcy. All that we ended up with from two entire households of paperwork was; one file drawer, one plastic file box, and a briefcase of “grab & go” paperwork for the quick emergency exit. That’s all folks. Think about how much crap you have in your closets, files, boxes, Rubbermaid containers in the basement, etc. Most of us keep far more than we will ever need because we just don’t want to deal with it. So we store it somewhere with the intention of sorting it all out one day, and usually that day comes when we’re six feet under or dust in the wind!

Now, to really blow your mind; think about your family photos. Albums and boxes stored away because when someone dies, you don’t want to throw them away, and you say to yourself, I will store them digitally on a rainy day. But that day never comes, and then you die, and the next person in the family ends up with them all. It’s a compiling pile of stuff. Eventually, your grandchildren will literally throw them into a dumpster because they just don’t keep stuff like we did. That is the reality of life folks.

The days we built bonfires and burned this unbelievable pile of stuff was the liberation of our children and grandchildren. They will not have to sort thru it, or burn it, or deal with it, when we die. It’s gone and we will not have another 50 or 60 years to accumulate that big of a pile of stuff ever again!

The best thing to come from this experience is that, out of pure necessity, I scanned and saved many of our family photos. They are digitally preserved and can be handed over to someone in a small pouch of flash drives instead of large piles.

To our kids and grand kids, I say “You’re welcome.”

The artworks above were created in Key West over the winter of 2016/2017. The Pelican on pilons was a special request for an Anniversary gift. The Pelican in flight is one of two ever made, as it takes many small shells to make it. The frames were purchased at garage sales and refurbished.

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE TWENTY TWO

As we continued on our first Snowbird adventure in 2013, there were no more military campgrounds available on the East or West coasts all the way down to Miami. That left us with only public campgrounds which were a much more expensive option (and State CG’s usually had time restrictions.) We decided on Key Largo and stayed at a wonderful place on the water near John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (which was fully booked.) Key Largo Kampground and Marina (pictured below) was wonderful with a nice pool and laundry facilities, a couple of restaurants within walking distance, and things to do. But the sites were privately owned and also booked solid for the winter months, as the owners returned every Holiday season for the winter. The price range was also pretty steep for us and would have strapped us from doing a lot of things. So where would we go for the remainder of winter?

We were at mile marker 101.5 to Key West. There was a military campground (NAS Key West) and definitely one of our considerations, but a lot of questions ran through my mind, as neither one of us had ever been to Key West in our lives. Would we get there and be turned away, only to drive all that way back, if they were full to capacity? What about all the bridges with an RV? (were they scary high and narrow?) What about getting food and supplies with no tow car? Would we have full hookups (FHU) for electricity, water & sewer? (We read that you would have to do what is called “dry camping” and rotate when something with FHU would become available.) Would we be able to get gas somewhere close to run our generator? What about getting propane to run our refrigerator and stove when you have no electricity? And most importantly- would fresh water be available to fill our tank? Would there be a dumping station nearby for us to empty our tanks? The idea of dry camping was all very new to us, and to this point, we never had to rely on “self containment.”

But off we went 101.5 miles to see Key West and the unknown would all soon be answered. The bridges weren’t as scary as I thought they might be and the views were simply magnificent along the way. It was becoming all too apparent that we were entering Paradise and I would never want to leave. We did have to rotate after 2 weeks from FHU to dry camping, but we learned that we could easily live self contained because all of the resources were pretty convenient on the premises or close by. The Commissary and NEX were within walking distance, so we wouldn’t starve and we could get booze (you know- essentials!) Anything we ever had to do that was considered inconvenient was offset by the fact that we were spending our winter in the Keys! The private “military only” beach was my favorite of any beach because I could find sea glass galore, big and little seashells (including a couple of prized Queen Conchs) and pretty colored stones. The private beach borders the public beach called Ft. Zachary Taylor, which in my opinion, is the best beach Key West has to offer.

Key West was not so much of a destination as it was a way of life and keeps people going back over and over. We made life-long friends there and everyone was so willing to help you no matter what you needed. I still laugh every time I think about this, but there was a restaurant/bar called the Sunset Lounge on the tip of Dredger’s Key (the Island we were camping on), and we were told we could walk or ride bikes to it. We had no bikes when we arrived, so walking was the only way we could get there. We asked where it was and someone pointed out the general direction to us. We had no idea there was a Marina between where we were standing and the point of the Island. So we started walking (quite a ways) before we came to an inlet of water with no way to get across to the other side without a boat! So we had to walk all the way back to where we started from and go down the road a ways to the other camping area (FHU) and turn right down another road towards the marina and Sunset Lounge. It was basically a large “U” shape of roads we had to walk in order to reach the bar.

We knew we were going to need bikes from this moment on or we’ d be pooped from making this walk all the time!

We finally made it to the bar and it was packed! I could certainly understand why. The view is like no other bar we had ever been to. Turquoise colored ocean views with boats, jet skis, and kayaks going by. I found one barstool behind the beer taps (your back is to the view, which explains why no one sat there) and Roger had to stand for awhile before another chair opened up, but it was definitely the happening place on the Island! It was here that we made the first of many friends, Diane and Sailor Fred. They lived as far North as you could go on wheels in Copper Harbor of the Upper Peninsula and spending their winter as far south as you could go in Key West.

It was also here that I met my “Sister from another Mother” and her husband – Cheryl and Dave. We developed a very sister-like friendship after meeting that first year in Key West (and also live in close proximity now during the winters.) Cheryl and Dave became our Key West mentors because they had a car and a desire to help us out. After we met them on our second evening at the Sunset Lounge, they took us the next morning for a tour of Key West showing us all the hot spots that people travel there to see: The Southern Most Point, Mile Marker “0”, Mallory Square, Marilyn Monroe’s statue, the immortalized kiss sculpture (famous Sailor kissing a Nurse), The Bight (a curve in the coastline offering safe harbor to many boats), Duval Street, and the best part of the tour; Sandy’s Café on White St. for a Cuban Bread sandwich! They took us around the entire Island so that we had a lay-of-the-land if we ever wanted to ride bikes there in the future. (Santa Claus did not wait till Christmas to bring us two bikes, and shortly thereafter, we rode them all over the place!) But our Key West mentors also picked us up and took us to more Happy Hours (HH) than I can count! Our most favorite HH was at the Bight in the Boathouse bar, which became quite the regular spot for the military folks on the island whenever the Sunset Lounge was closed (Monday & Tuesdays). Most other days, you could find us all at the Sunset sharply at 4:00pm.

Cheryl also became our Special Events Coordinator, and devised a plan for many “Ladies Day” outings ranging from matinee Chick Flicks, shopping, art and craft fairs, flea market days and Monday & Tuesday Happy Hours! They all ended with our husbands joining us for a large Happy Hour crowd and resulted in a ton of fun! This activity was soon the ‘thing to do” and we were fast becoming the popular group on the Island! More and more women wanted to join us, but large numbers didn’t intimidate our Coordinator. She knew algebra! (Our long-standing joke!) We were the original “in-crowd,” and to this day, it has never been duplicated. It has become a very different crowd now run by the newer and younger generation, and never quite as organized or as fun as we were! The guys loved having time to themselves and the women loved doing what the guys didn’t care to do (like shopping.) But almost always ended our days all together in a large group having fun somewhere!

Simply put, we were having the time of our lives! Even without a car, people were taking us to Flea markets, beaches, restaurants, bars, shopping, and of course, the famous Duval Street. There was something to do every day if you wanted to do something. Other days, you reclined in a chair outdoors and read a book, watched the activities on the water, or took a nap. That is what life was all about in the Keys. No expectations, and no demands. If you didn’t want to do something, no explanation was needed because there were no obligations. That’s how life should be everywhere and we were loving it.

When it was time to head back North, we were not in much of a hurry to return home to the colder weather, so we decided to spend some more time in Tampa. While we were there, we upgraded Tin Lizzy to a roomier Class C at Lazydays. I had found that our little kitchen space and lack of countertops made it difficult to prepare most dinners, and we both decided that two slides were better than one (when opened, they substantially increased your living space, so the more, the merrier.) Once we had this beautiful newer Sunseeker RV (Tin Liz II, pictured below), we decided to go home slowly and made our way up to the Northern part of Florida to visit friends we had made from Milton. We were able to park the new RV in their double wide driveway (with electric and water) and enjoyed another week of wonderful weather and great company before heading North for the last time this season.

We returned to our home in Ohio at the end of March 2014. It was kept safe and sound by family members. The huge task of unpacking the RV started and we were exhausted, but not so much that we couldn’t go see our good friends for a welcome back celebration. It was great to see them and catch up!

I learned that it was a lot of work to get packed going, and even more work to get unpacked upon our return. Wintering in the Keys was more wonderful than either of us could have imagined. I loved our beach visits and collecting my little treasures, cleaning them, and even polishing some of them with mineral oil to preserve the colors. I loved all the exploring we did and eating at fun new places and meeting so many retired military folks. It was difficult to return to work after living on Island time, but that’s exactly what we did. Roger went back to landscaping and I went back to Kays. We enjoyed our summer at home, but we lived in anticipation of returning to Key West again late in the Fall.

This was to become my new way of life from this point forward. We planned to enjoy the best of both worlds- lifelong friends and family in the Northern summers and headed South to enjoy another group of friends in paradise over the winter. It doesn’t get much better than that, and sometimes, I felt like I needed to pinch myself. Perhaps it was just a dream…

The Key West Chickens above were created on large oval custom painted plates made of wood. One of the clients that received one as a gift from her husband had this to say about my artwork:

“I was lucky enough to receive one of Lorraine’s shell artworks of the Key West chicken as a get well present after surgery. It is beautiful and I get a lot of compliments on it, and many people want to know where I got it from. It currently is displayed in my home in Michigan.”

Pamela F. of MI (Husband, Mark F.)

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE TWENTY ONE (Returning to the Cabin)

It was a busy Fall for Roger and I in 2012. After returning from our Western trip, and exactly two years later from the day we met, Roger and I planned to be married by the Falls that he and the crew built at the Log Cabin. Our friends that had given Roger permission to have me as a weekend guest in their home nestled in the woods, agreed that we could use the Falls for our nuptials. We thought perhaps we would have just a few people join us at the Cabin for a brief ceremony by the Falls, and then all go for dinner at the hotel 10 miles away, where they could spend the night. It would all be a very casual affair with a preacher to do the honors (After-all, this is #4 for both of us, and thankfully, there would be no big dress.)

But the owners did far more than we could have imagined. As I had mentioned before, these were the kind of people that make the world a better place. They insisted on their log home being our wedding destination and hosting the small private affair at their Cabin. I don’t know of anything more kind and generous ever happening to me than this. They made it impossible to say no to their kindness, and so we agreed. This was the beginning of the most fairy tale wedding of them all- just when I thought fairy tales didn’t exist anymore!

There would be a total of 13 of us and everyone would spend the night. We instructed everyone to wear casual clothes for a crisp Fall day. The Groom’s attire would be jeans, an Argyle sweater, a brown corded jacket, and his custom made cowboy boots. The Bride’s attire would be jeans, a double-breasted sweater with a lace camisole, a Pendleton fur vest, and rhinestone studded cowboy boots. The owners had fall flowers everywhere in the cabin, bouquets for me and my Maid of Honor, and boutonniere’s for Roger and his Best Man. It was so simple and all so perfect. We had no photographer and no music playing, just the sounds of nature and the waterfall. Our friends had cameras, that all combined, gave us a nice group of photos to capture the beauty of this amazing day. Our Best man was our mutual friend (his boss, who was there from the first day we met at the CS) and Roger’s Daughter was my Maid of Honor. They entered the Falls area together and waited for us to follow. We wrote our own short vows that reflected much about our relationship in very few words. I’d like to share them with you:

Roger to me: “If I walk in front of you, I will lead you. If I walk behind you, I will follow you. If we walk side by side, we will endeavor life together.”

Lorraine to Roger: “It all started when I raised my hand. I trust you with my life. I love you with all my heart. Let us never forget how this journey began, and may it never end.”

A short and meaningful ceremony sealed with a kiss. We are now man and wife.

The menu the owners prepared for us included: shrimp cocktail appetizer, garden salad, ribeye steak, twice baked potato, and fresh picked green beans. The added touch of elegance to the casual affair was a 3 tier wedding cake (almond and chocolate) covered in a chocolate ganache with an intricate white drizzle. The best part of all; chocolate covered strawberries adorned the cake as the topper and on each layer. This classy and delicious cake was provided by Roger’s daughter and was very special indeed. It was a wonderful casual evening of fun and games- ping pong, music, dancing, and stories amidst the warm glow of the fireplaces, both inside and out. A day we’ll never forget and always be grateful for the people that pulled it all together. It’s such an honor to have people show you this much kindness and respect and they are embedded in our hearts.

By 2013, we were slowly becoming addicted to travel. We went on a Southern tour to include Nashville, Biloxi, (The beautiful Beau Ravage hotel- a must-see), Destin/Ft.Walton (Emerald Coast beaches), more visiting in Ft, Myers & Sanibel Island, Savanna, and ending with a stay on Tybee Island, Georgia in a quaint beach house. We also took the RV North across the Big Mac bridge to Mackinac Island and areas of the Upper Peninsula. We drove as much of Michigan’s fresh water coastline that we could possibly fit into our trip. I live for waterfront towns and the people are always friendly in those charming small areas.

When I was young growing up in my small town, I had only heard beach stories from others more fortunate than I was, and able to go. My parents could not afford to take us to the beach on a family vacation. The closest to water that we got was on our Aunt and Uncle’s boat excursions at a local lake with our cousins. They were tons of fun, but not anything like hearing the surf or the feel of an ocean breeze. One of our few family vacations was to visit my Aunt Rita when she had moved to the hills of Pennsylvania with her husband. We got to stay at their farm over a long weekend, and that was called a family vacation. We learned to shoot guns (target practice in the hills) and got to ride on a hay wagon as my cousins baled hay. We ate fresh pork and beef from their livestock. We drank spring water from a stream and milk right from the cow (still had fat on the top). Eggs were picked from under a chicken’s butt, and all vegetables were straight from the garden. It was a lot of fun in the country (as long as you weren’t the one doing all that work) and I still love country air and wide open places to this day.

I believe the fist time I ever laid eyes on the ocean was with my big Sister Jayla in Maryland. Her 1^st husband (Sailor) was stationed there and I spent some time over the summer with them. I got to spend a lot of time with them also in Charleston, South Carolina. (Isle of Palms Beach, Folly Beach, and Edisto Beach) Finally, her Sailor’s last duty station was Norfolk, Virginia, where I spent the most time with Jayla while I was still in High School. I loved the beach (although Jayla was not a big fan) and I used to dream of living closer to it some day. I finally brought my Mom and Dad to Virginia on a family vacation to Jayla’s house, and it was one of the few times they ever went to the beach that I can recall. I always thought that was a little sad, but it just wasn’t high on their priority list or an affordable option.

The sights, sounds and smells of the ocean made me feel connected to the earth somehow. It was extremely powerful and a little scary when we ventured out too far in the water playing Nerf Football. I nearly lost my entire bikini more than once getting washed up to shore in the waves! But that was part of the fun of it. If the movie Jaws had debuted before these ocean football games took place? I guarantee you, I would NOT have had as much fun!!

As an adult, once I took on my demanding career, I got to go near the ocean for business trips at times (Miami Beach, Puerto Rico, Providence Rhode Island, just to name a few,) but never really got to enjoy it like you would on a vacation. During those career days, Lake Erie was the closest body of water to my home, so I went to it many times just to enjoy the water views. Also, having a boat docked there in the eighty’s before my Sailor and I got divorced, made my appreciation for the water grow to an infatuation. But after the divorce, it all became a thing of my past. My career and supporting myself and my Son was my priority.

I also spent a week here and there by the ocean in my past marriages (Ft, Lauderdale on the Atlantic coast- San Diego, Coronado Island, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Washington on the Pacific coast. But it wasn’t until Roger and I started traveling together that I really got to enjoy the beach extensively, and it always does my heart good. It was almost like I became a beach addict and wanted more. Oceans and trees ground me to Mother earth and always make me appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of what Nature gives us to enjoy.

In the late Fall of 2013, we did the unimaginable. We decided to spend the entire winter in Florida! Landscaping was seasonal for Roger and I was able to convert my employment with Kay Jewelers to seasonal (providing I returned before 6 months.) Once we started making our plans, we weren’t even sure where we would end up staying. One thing was for sure; once we left Ohio and the snow and ice set in for the winter, we knew we wouldn’t be returning until Spring. It was a commitment of living together in approx. 280 sqft of space for five months. The advice we heard most often was “It will either make ya or break ya.” It certainly would test our new marriage, but we were excited and nothing was going to stop us!

The temperatures in November 2013 were below average and we had some chilly travel days getting out of Ohio. Our neighbor sent us a photo of the front of our house covered in snow the morning after we left. I’d say our timing couldn’t have been better to get the hell out of Dodge!

Our first Beach stop was Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. Our morning temperature was near freezing and this was not my idea of snowbird weather! The next day we headed a tiny bit further south to North Myrtle Beach for a three night stay, and they had record low morning temps below freezing! We froze our butts off (Tin Lizzy didn’t like the cold), but Roger got to show me a few of his favorite spots in the area (Hamburger Joe’s for one.) We followed the coast further south to Charleston, South Carolina, and the weather was a bit warmer there. We were able to do a lot of sightseeing and enjoyed the Old Town areas of Charleston. The Harbor was beautiful, the City Market was fun, Boone Hall Plantation was definitely a favorite, but the entire area was full of old world charm (except for the Slave Mart! That was just creepy and I didn’t want to step foot in it! Bad juju!)

Next, we ventured south to Jacksonville, Florida. We stayed four weeks between the inter coastal and Atlantic ocean at Naval Station Mayport (Military only campground). At this point we started to understand why so many people spend their winters down here. We lived on the beach, and it was here at Mayport that my love affair of seashells began! Every time the weather got windy, the high tides were rough and the surf carried magical treasures into shore for a great low tide picking! It was as if I was hunting for gold and each new day brought a brand new supply! I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with all those shells, but I wanted a lot of them. Roger used to joke with people that he carted home 30 or 40 lbs of seashells in the under storage (referred to as the basement of the RV), and he may have been right! But he also enjoyed looking for “just the right ones” and we spent hours doing so. My prized possession was a horse conch that measured 11” long by 5” wide. The biggest one I have ever found whole and undamaged to date. It was definitely like striking gold for me. But I mostly enjoyed the smaller finds, even teeny tiny ones. When the weather became too cold for us, once again, we looked at each other and said “We need to head further south!”

We didn’t go much farther than St. Augustine, as it was highly recommended for us to see the Oldest City in the US and known for its Spanish Colonial architecture. We absolutely loved the area and stayed in North Beach Camp Resort under the shade of mangroves (which conveniently had a bar and restaurant on the premises called Aunt Kate’s.) I could have stayed there all winter because it was right across the street from the ocean, but the temperatures just weren’t quite warm enough for us. So further south we went to Cocoa Beach- another military spot (Patrick AFB.) We would have enjoyed it there much longer, but we found out that many of these campgrounds were booked up for the season as you get further south, so we were forced to leave sooner than we wanted. We ran into the same problem at MacDill AFB in Tampa.

It seemed we had much to learn about being good little Snow Birds…

Above are just a few of my Shell Artworks inspired by the Beach. One of my clients purchased the top right for a gift. Here is what she had to say:

“Nothing like this out there! Absolutely love it and so did my Sister-in-Law. It was a retirement gift for her. There is nothing that compares to your artwork!”

Annie O. NYC

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE TWENTY

I thought I would include the following excerpt from Camping With Grizzlies Part ll, as it was extremely popular, and so, why reinvent the wheel…

{We have arrived at Yellowstone Park on day 7 of our trip and stayed at the West Gate KOA. I am so excited to be living my dream of seeing this National Park that I can barely stand it! I am also confronting two of my biggest fears; high mountainous areas (I don’t like heights, especially from the passenger side window) and Grizzly Bears. Don’t ask me why, but from the time I was young and visited my Aunt Rita in the hills of Pennsylvania, I have always feared surprising a bear during a nice walk in the country. I had bad dreams of one chasing me down a hillside, only to outrun me and have me for lunch! Anyway, we made it here safely with only minor delays and a cracked windshield. As we were checking in and I am standing in the gift shop area, I over-heard people discussing the latest bear activity. My ears perked up, of course, and I waited till Roger completed our check-in paperwork to ask the lady behind the counter a few questions. 1) “Is it safe to walk after dark to the restroom/shower facilities?” “Yes”, she said, “but be sure to bring a flash light. It gets extremely dark in the park.” 2) “What about having a bonfire here?” “Yes, you can. Just be sure it is completely out before you retire for the evening.” 3) “What about cooking foods on the grill? Is it safe with the Grizzly bear activity?” “Yes, you can use your grill, but be sure to clean it and store it in one of your RV compartments. DO NOT leave it outside. Also, be sure to throw away any food items in the locked bear-safe containers! This is extremely important.” She then gave us the speech they have to give to everyone about how important it is to follow these rules. Bears have to be euthanized because of humans creating an invitation into the campgrounds with food, which causes an unsafe habit of them to return, causing danger to humans. Okay. We’re ready to park and set up for 2 nights of camping in the wilderness just outside of Yellowstone! (Campsite pictured below)

We had our “Cheers to another safe day of travel” cocktail and I asked Roger what time we should plan to eat. He said, “Let’s have steaks on the grill. I’ll get the grill going as soon as I start a bonfire.” Okay. I know the lady said we could use our grill and stow it away, but I was hoping for the quick hamburger or hot dog option instead of sending steak-scented smoke signals into the air for every Grizzly in the vicinity to come and find the source! I asked him, “Are you sure cooking steaks is going to be okay?” He said “Sure! It will be fine.” So off I go inside to prepare for a wonderful evening with a candle-light dinner. We ate and returned outside to enjoy a beautiful bonfire (first one yet this trip due to the wildfires) with wine in hand. Absolutely pitch black darkness everywhere else, except for us! I suddenly realized we were the only two people outside. No one else cooked on their grill, and no one else had a fire going. So are they crazy not to be outside enjoying this beautiful evening? Or are we the only ones crazy enough to sit out there, like bear bait! My husband cleaned the grill thoroughly, stored it in the back compartment (right under our bed), and we decided to retire for the night so we could get up and enjoy another long day. The fire was extinguished and off we go inside. Night one is complete. Except for every noise that woke me up periodically throughout the night, and me thinking how easily a bear could swipe right through Tin Lizzy for a late-nite snack!

Day 8 is the most exciting day ever! We signed up with the Yellowstone Tour Bus company to pick us up at the KOA campground, and the entire day was spent touring Yellowstone National Park! If you have not been there, it is one of the most beautiful places on this earth! It is unlike any other park, in the fact that, half of all the known geothermal features on the globe are nestled all here in this unique place! Our tour guide was young and extremely good at what he does (especially finding a place to pull this large vehicle over safely without going off the cliffs every time there was a wildlife sighting!) We saw a lone wolf, a herd of elk, many buffalo, a pine martin in a tree, and my favorite sighting of all, a HUGE Grizzly bear! Confirmed by another park ranger being 500-600lbs, he appeared to be taking a bath in the river, and we were between a 100-200 yards away! He stood up on his hind legs and smelled what was going on around him and then slowly exited away from us. I got to see a GRIZZLY!!! How cool was that? Way cool! (The photo below was taken with a zoom lens and I am further away than it looks!)

We saw Old Faithful Geyser and the beautiful Old Faithful Lodge, where we ate our packed lunch. We then entered the very active thermal areas of Upper Geyser Basin, bacteria mats, hot springs, boiling mud pots and fumaroles. All things that are extremely active, stinky, and very hot. It all made me wonder when the whole place could just explode like one big volcano! The day was filled with amazing sights and memories that will last a lifetime. We were also both “cheap dates” that night, as our tour guide explained earlier that day. The altitudes make you a bit light-headed and unable to drink like normal, and we were both feeling it over our wine. I could barely sleep that night thinking of all the wonders I was lucky enough to see, but I didn’t worry about the Grizzlies. I was just too tired to care, but I also saw one for real and he seemed pretty uninterested in me. Maybe that helped in some way…

Our next day was a very scenic drive to Grand Teton National Park. Although, a bit smoky from the forest fires taking place in the area, still amazingly beautiful. FYI: Jenny Lake Lodge is a great place to pull off with an RV to take some really good pictures. We then continued to Jackson Hole, which was very smoky, so we opted not to stay in the area for too long. We drove scenic route US 89 along the Snake River, which had amazing views, as the aspen trees were turning bright yellow and burnt orange hues among the green pines. We made it to an area called Afton, Wyoming, and then drove the Salt River Pass (7630 foot elevation) through the Bridger National Forest. The elevations were making me a bit nervous, but I couldn’t help enjoy the beauty of this land driving in these spectacular areas all day. Suddenly, this amazing turquoise-blue colored body of water appeared in the distance, and we came to find out that it was Bear Lake (known as the Caribbean of the Rockies). It is the reflection of the limestone deposits suspended in the lake that create this unique and extraordinary color. We stopped in Garden City to fuel up and I took pictures to preserve the memory. There was a gift shop with a friendly lady working there that gave me a brief history of the area known for its skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, sight-seeing, camping, and all other outdoor activities. We were near Utah’s Cache Valley and about to enter Logan Canyon’s scenic drive.

And scenic it was! However, when anyone says the word “Canyon”, my brain translates it to very mountainous and very high! Well, little did I know, that standing there in awe of Bear Lake was the last relaxing moment for the next 66 miles on route 89 to interstate I15/I84. We were about to enter the highway of DEATH! A new report states that we were on two of the five most dangerous roads in Utah. If I had known that back then, I would have needed to be sedated for this part of our trip. Some people nick-named that area of Logan Canyon through the Bear River Range of the Rocky Mountains, “Sardine Canyon.” It is steep and narrow with a series of grueling slow grades up, then very winding steep grades down! We did this like three times, if I remember correctly (but hey, who was counting? I was gritting my teeth!) It made me feel ill and so nervous that my palms were sweating, my heart was pounding, and I am sure it skipped a few beats. I could hardly speak, but I do remember saying to Roger “I feel like we’re flying,” which is code for slow this fricking thing down! You would have to ask Roger (and I’m not sure he’d tell you the truth, as guys are like that, ya know.) But I am pretty sure that it was as close to a white-knuckle event that he’s ever had driving to that point! It was challenging and non-stop driving for him, as I watched in a bit of horror. I loved it, and I hated it! Beautiful, yet treacherous, all at the same time! But it’s one hell-of-a memory we lived to tell, yet again. We did see The Salt Lake (Salt Lake City) in the distance once we were on I15/I84, which was also quite lovely, but Bear Lake was my favorite!

The next day our stop was at the Terry Bison Ranch (a true working bison ranch) in Cheyenne Country of Wyoming for 2 nights. What an awesome little treasure this place is! You can ride out with ranchers on horse-back to see what it’s like out there on the prairies with the bison! There is a dance hall and bar that is truly amazing (just like you see in the movies) for your nighttime entertainment. A couple more days were spent seeing the sights and our final night on the road was spent at our starting point in Illinois. After booking thru Indiana and into Ohio again, we arrived home, too exhausted for words. The unpacking of the RV began and another adventure ended, never to be forgotten!}

Note: We chose to wait until school started and made this trip in early September, which was a great time to drive and visit Yellowstone. If you travel by RV, be aware that several nights dipped down to below freezing and we had to disconnect our water before going to bed. The advantage to waiting is there was no large crowds at the tourist destinations along the way. The disadvantage is that the weather in that area can change very suddenly and make some roads impassible.

This one of a kind artwork was inspired by the Lower Falls, the biggest waterfall in Yellowstone and the most famous in the Park. It was constructed from pieces an old Cuckoo clock that our neighbor was going to throw away. Roger took it completely apart for me so that I could repurpose the wood and the frame was from a garage sale. We notched it out to fit the pine tree into the frame. This piece was invaluable to our neighbor’s Mother, as it was her clock. I gifted it to her and she cherished it until the day she passed.

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE NINETEEN

Needless to say, after Roger and I met and started traveling, I was having the time of my life! My social calendar was always full and my new relationship made dating an ongoing adventure. The only thing that wasn’t going great for me was my job. The housing market didn’t bounce back, and many folks were still facing foreclosure with boarded up houses lining many streets in neighborhoods across America. Due to the lack of new home sales during those immediate years following the recession, selling a home warranty was very difficult.

To make matters worse, I was trying to build a new market where most Realtors had loyalty to well established warranty companies that their brokers preferred or highly recommended them to use. I never had a chance, especially when RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) made it impossible for us to continue paying Realtors for their time and effort to do a quick visual inspection on mechanics and fill out the forms when selling a home warranty. When I started the job, we were paying $75 per warranty sold, which obviously was an incentive for a couple minutes of work. Other warranty companies continued to ignore the RESPA rulings (considering this payment to be a kickback and highly illegal) and paid as much as $90 per warranty. This created a very uneven playing field and I was just done playing games! For the first time ever in my long career, I was written up for not making my goals. I poured my heart and soul into trying to make this job work and my finances depended on it. I was pissed to say the least, but remember what I said about the new me and that work would be a job and not a career? I did something that I never did before in my life- the unthinkable! I QUIT! I was asked if I would work for 2 weeks and I did, of course, but it felt so good to quit! No more games for me. I had no other job lined up, but I was confident there had to be a better way to earn money while the housing industry was still in shambles from the recession.

I returned to the jewelry business, but not in the wholesale capacity. I was hired by a local Kay Jewelers for a retail sales position, but it was comfortable and I shut the job off the minute I walked out their front door. I worked with people I knew from my past wholesale career and we had mutual respect for one another. Life would be fine, just a bit tighter financially. I was doing a job I knew well and was comfortable with and found some joy in doing it. After all, selling engagement rings and hearing stories of proposals is a feel-good moment that not everybody gets to help create!

Raising my hand to travel with Roger turned out to be no joke. We traveled every single chance we could. Locally, we visited wineries, Amish Country, State Parks, and interesting or scenic restaurants. We celebrated our second Holiday season together with family and many friends and had a wonderful time. It was at this point that Roger and I were committed to our relationship after a year had passed and he bought me a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas. We weren’t talking about any wedding, we just weren’t dating anyone else and true to one another. We liked to see the look on everyone’s faces when we told them it was just a friendship ring. It was a pretty nice friendship and the ring was pretty nice too!

Roger had also asked me to move in with him, which I am sure I appeared to him as a deer in headlights when he did. This was a huge decision for me because if things didn’t work out, I would be the one having to look for a new place to live and move out. (How many times can a person lose their home in one lifetime?) The reality was that I was spending most of my time at his house and still paying rent for my apartment (which was about to go up) and going between the two places was wearing me thin. After much thought and many conversations, we planned to move me into Roger’s home and started making some changes (additional storage, updated my bathroom, and fresh paint in the kitchen and family room.) I must say, it all came together nicely once we decided what to keep and what not to in order to fit two complete households into one house. This was a major step for me, as I had never moved in with a man. (The risk was all on me here!) I had always been married first and then purchased a home together, or when I had purchased my own place after divorce and someone moved in with me. I felt vulnerable after going through so much in my personal and financial life, yet I had to establish trust with a partner again, unless I were to live alone the rest of my life. That isn’t what I wanted either, so we decided to live together and I would be living rent free. This was a wonderful advantage for both of us to be able to save a little and spend a little more!

In February 2012, we flew to San Antonio, TX to visit friends that gave us some wonderful memories of touring the Alamo, The River Walk, the famous Gruene Hall (indoor/outdoor dance hall built in 1878) in New Braunfels, TX. We also spent some time in the High Country and along the Guadalupe River and enjoyed good eats and adult beverages.

Below is the Alamo (top left and right) The River Walk (middle right) Gruene Hall (bottom left) Guadeloupe River (bottom right)

2012 continued to be a whirlwind of travel with another flight to Ft. Myers in March, and driving to Matlacha and Pine Island, Florida as our destination. It is here we spent time with Roger’s boss and his wife at their coastal winter home. We spent hours on their boat with trips to Sanibel Island and Captiva and all the hot spots around Pine Island.

We both worked hard so we could play hard, and the best was yet to come. We discussed that although we had both traveled the country extensively for work, neither one of us had spent any real time touring the Wild West. We decided to start planning an RV trip to Yellowstone National Park and to enjoy as many famous sights as time would permit along the way. The date of September 8th was set and we would be on the road for two weeks. We both arranged time off from work and packing up the RV and preparing it for a safe journey was our priority. (For more details about our Western trip and places we stayed, Ref: Camping with Grizzlies and Camping with Grizzlies Part Two.)

Driving across the country together in the RV was a dream come true experiencing the Wild West and seeing all the famous scenic spots we had only heard of. We started from Ohio and zipped through Indiana in order to get to Champaign, Illinois. It was the second day driving into Iowa that we started covering new territory. We stopped at the World’s Largest Truck stop on Iowa 80, where we got some lunch and were headed to the Badlands of South Dakota. Things got a little crazy with over 40 mile an hour winds in a construction zone. A semi truck ahead of us started blowing into the berm and his tires threw rocks and debris at us resulting in a cracked windshield and a pretty good scare, but the windshield survived the trip and so did we!

We saw Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wall Drug, drove the Needles Highway in Custer State Park, and the Black Hills. Sturgis was one of the unexpected highlights, as we got to see the famous Full Throttle Saloon (billed as the World’s Largest Biker Bar) before it was destroyed in a fire 3 years later. I got to enter the dance cage (photo op), pet Emmitt, “Best Ass in Sturgis” (Their mascot donkey) and of course, buy a souvenir hoodie.

In Wyoming, we also enjoyed the unexpected thrill of Devil’s Tower (featured in several movies, but most notably Close Encounters of the Third Kind.) The exciting part was catching three rock climbers in my camera lens.

Montana gave us the best campground of the trip when we were upgraded to their best site due to a late check in and someone gave our site to campers without reservations. The next day, we traveled through Big Sky and stopped at an authentic western bar and cafe called “Corral.” It was like everything you see on TV and more! The food was great and I thought Roger would have to drag me out of there because I didn’t want to leave. The antler chandeliers were authentic and amazing!

Our destination was West Yellowstone where we camped out with Grizzlies and took the tour of Yellowstone. We saw an abundance of wildlife. I even got the money shot of two male bull buffalo fighting head to head. It was amazing to see that in person- like a National Geographic moment for me! The geothermal nature of Yellowstone (like Old Faithful and many other geysers) is beyond thrilling to see, but just the majesty of the mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, and waterfalls alone are worth this visit of a lifetime.

Stay tuned for more of Yellowstone National Park in the next Scene.

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE EIGHTEEN

Our first big RV trip together after raising my hand began on September 24th, 2011, as we were packed and loaded and heading North. Neither one of us had been to Vermont or Maine and it was exciting planning places to see and explore. We had to plan carefully, as we would not have a tow car, so stopping anywhere meant parking Tin Lizzy (32′). The weather prior to our departure was the worst Vermont had ever experienced with Hurricane Irene hitting at the end of August. We weren’t sure what to expect when we got there and heard of devastating floods and historic bridges destroyed, but we were going anyway.

We barreled thru Erie, PA (been there and done that) and started seeing the sights in the Finger Lakes region of New York and continued towards Vermont. We had to re-route several times due to washed out bridges and flooding, but we were still able to see the beauty of the leaves just starting to turn into magnificent color even on a cloudy day. We touched New Hampshire just a bit, but Maine was our priority destination and it was absolutely a thrill to visit during a warmer than usual Fall. We hit some of the hot spots in Rockland, Rockport, Boothbay, South Bristol (Christmas Cove), and Bar Harbor. We then drove as far North as Bangor just for shits and giggles. One of the many highlights of this trip was staying at the Bar Harbor Campground over looking the ocean where L.L. Bean does the photo shoots for their catalogs. We also ate lunch at a restaurant called the Brass Compass in Rockland, Maine. The famous cross country run that Forest Gump made in the movie was concluded on the runway of Marshall Point Lighthouse in St. George, where his character and the crew stopped to eat lunch at the same restaurant! Our return trip included parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Below is the picture of the L.L. Bean photo shoot area (top left) Christmas Cove in South Bristol (top right) Lighthouse in Christmas Cove (middle right) Rockland Harbor view (bottom left) The Brass Compass (bottom right)

For those of you that have followed my blog, you may recall my post titled Live and Learn as You Go. I would be remiss if I didn’t include the Creepy Campground story, so here it is…

{The weather became very wet and dreary on our return trip through Maine and New Hampshire and prevented us from taking the tour of the famous White Mountain range (6288’ and highest in northeastern US.) So once again, we cut our time short in Vermont due to the heavy rain and washed out roads. We had reserved a site in a campground in the New Hampshire area, and upon arrival, we found a very narrow wooden bridge that you have to cross to enter the grounds with swift waters running approx. 6 inches below the surface of the bridge (and it’s still raining). My heart skipped a beat and Roger stopped the RV. He looked at me and said, “Well, what do you think?” Simply put, I said “Nope.” His reply, “Yeah, I’m good with that”. So I pulled out the campground directory and started looking for a Plan B! I found only one place within 30 minutes or so on back roads from where we were sitting, and we would be cutting it close to running out of daylight. So I made a quick call and they said they were not flooded, and off we went to East Otis, Massachusetts. It was a narrow windy drive with a lot of rain and one-lane bridge delays, but we made it just before dark to a place I will never forget!

CREEPY CAMPGROUND, here we come!

When I say creepy, I am talking a scene right out of your worst nightmare kind of CREEPY! We had to knock on a door that was locked at the front entrance (keep in mind, they knew we were on our way, so why is the door locked during business hours?) After knocking a couple of times, finally, we heard someone coming down a flight of stairs to open the door. An older lady with wiry, unkept, medium length grey hair, with hard-cold eyes opens the door and stared deep into my eyes and murmured a “hello.” I couldn’t hardly speak, but both of us mumbled out a hello in return. She finally opened the door after we told her we had called and we stepped into a reception area. She walked behind a tall counter and grabbed a form and a pen to take our information. It was then that Roger asked her where the restrooms were and she directed him to it (out the back door and to the left). He exits a squeaky old barn door out of necessity, and I am left alone with this witchy-looking old lady! She asked me for our address and the words could hardly escape my lips, but I managed to say “Cleveland. Cleveland, OH”. No street name, no street number. Just Cleveland! She stared me down as if she enjoyed the fear now apparent in my eyes. I said nothing more, but I remember that was like the longest pee Roger ever took by my internal clock! Next thing I see, I can never unsee! A black truck pulled up near the front entrance and a very large man gets out. He is wearing a bright yellow work vest with a glow-in-the-dark iridescent white stripe, with large stains in the front (appearing to be reddish brown in color like dried blood stains!) He walks in and approaches the Lady behind the counter to join her and looks straight at me. His right eye was noticeably scarred as he peered at me with the left eye sort of squinting. He stood at least 6′ tall with grey, bushy unkept hair and spoke “hello” at me in a low gruff voice. It was at this moment that the hair on my arms stood up and I felt as though my legs were noticeably shaking, and I also really had to pee! Roger finally walked back in and saw what he also remembers to be a scary scene from a movie, and put his arm around my shoulder and asked, “how ya doing baby?” I barely murmured out “okay“. So Roger takes the registration part from there as I quietly stood there trembling. The Ogre, as I now call him, asked Roger if he wanted a spot in the back where it was high and dry, to which Roger replied, “What about that spot right there” as he points out the window to the very first row of parking with an unoccupied spot. This is where we parked Tin Lizzy for a freaky evening of unidentifiable noises and with questionable safety for the night. We set up by putting out our one slide and awning, 2 folding chairs, and I made us two cocktails. It was during this usually joyous occasion that Roger asked me if I was okay. I said “NO” with a trembling voice and tears started to well up in my eyes. We talked about calling his daughter to tell her where she could find our bodies if we don’t make it out of this CREEPY place alive. When Roger actually called her, this is the moment that you know if your man feels unsafe, you have something to be scared about!! We agreed to eat, sleep, and get the hell out of this place first thing in the morning if we lived to see it! (Keep in mind, we were in East Otis. There was nowhere else to go or we would have gone!) Even though we were surrounded by other campers, there were no lights on anywhere, not a single person outside (because I’m assuming they are ALL dead), yet we hear unexplainable noises throughout the night. Some sounded like fingernails on a chalk board, and I am NOT kidding! BUT, we did survive the night of hell and left as we said first thing at dawn. As we are getting ready to pull away, I made Roger stop so I could take a picture of the place that I will never forget. In that moment, Roger looked in his mirror with a strange look in his eye that I caught out of the corner of my eyes. So I too looked in my mirror to see what he is looking at. And there’s the money shot of the scary movie we are in! An older decrepit-looking, hunched over lady, was dragging two half-full garbage bags, one in each hand, slowly walking towards a dumpster! I looked at Roger and he said nothing. I asked “Did you see that?” He said “I wasn’t going to tell you, but I guess you saw that?” I replied “Oh yeah! Holy Crap, get me the hell outta here!!!!“}

White Mountains pictured below from a distance, but as close as we could get that day (foggy & rainy)

As if our trip to Maine wasn’t enough, we squeezed in another trip South in October 2011 before it snowed. We took a trip in the Chevy Silverado truck and enjoyed the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather’s Mountain, Ashville, (The Biltmore) and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was a test of nerves for me, as heights do not bring me pleasure, but the beauty of mountains, lakes and streams sure do. I promised Roger I would cross the Swinging Bridge on Grandfather’s Mountain with him by way of the Linn Cove Viaduct in Newland, North Carolina. The Viaduct is a bridge that sits at an elevation of about 4300 feet high and is 1243 feet long and snakes around Grandfathers Mountain. You feel like you are driving thru the sky as it extends away from the mountain. It was exhilarating and scary at the same time, but thankfully, short lived.

Grandfather’s Mountain elevation is 5946 feet, the highest peak of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Swinging Bridge’s claim to fame is that it is one mile high above sea level. Although the 228 foot suspension bridge spans above an 80 foot chasm, you truly feel as though you are a mile high as you look out past the scenic Linville Peak. The entrance road leading up to the peak is 2 miles of sharp switchbacks full of unbelievable views, but not for the faint of heart. I had a hard time enjoying the view on the first two curves going down because it felt like we were about to plunge 5000 feet over the edge!

Once we made it to the top, the views were enormous. I felt like we made it to the top of the world! After taking some pictures, we took an elevator up to the gift shop and looked around before going out to the bridge. My heart started pounding and I was starting to get a little shaky thinking of what I was about to do, so I informed Roger “if you want to cross the bridge, I suggest we do it right now before I chicken out!” I figured if I lived to cross the bridge, we can buy the T shirts afterwards. (laughing)

What you don’t think about ahead of time, is that you actually have to cross the bridge twice. There is no way down from the other side except for hiking. It was windy and it truly is a swaying bridge. Palms sweating and heart racing, I clung to Roger’s arm on my left side and clung to the rail with my right hand. To folks that might not have the “fear of heights” gene, you might be laughing your ass off right now, but I wasn’t laughing! I didn’t survive a collapsing building to die on a swinging bridge! But, I made it across, one slow and steady step at a time. Phew!! We took a few pictures from the peak and still shaking from crossing the first time, we stepped back on the bridge for the even-worse second time. Now is when the challenge becomes real. Right in the middle of the bridge (perhaps you have been on it) it is marked indicating “1 mile 5280 ft.” Roger saw this as a great photo op and said “Let me get a picture of you here where it says 1 mile.” I froze. I wanted to prove I had done it so I said “OK, but please hurry Roger!” I had to turn around without his arm and I was so frozen, but determined to do it. I felt like my legs couldn’t move– almost paralyzed. Roger snapped the picture and rejoined me as I turned quickly to keep going. He stopped, wanting to look at the picture while we were standing in the middle of the bridge, and he says “I need to take another one. I cut most of your head off.” (OMG! I’m dying here!) I said “Oh My God Roger, please do it quickly!” and turned around once more. Pure torture at this point, but he got the shot! I clung to him as we made our way back to the other side, where I was able to finally breathe again, and went back in the gift shop and bought our T shits. I love it that I have this story to tell, but I’m not crossing that bridge again. Once was enough for me! (You can see below that my legs were nearly paralyzed the 2nd photo, as I couldn’t get completely turned around for the picture. You can actually feel the bridge moving and the air sings and whistles as it blows through the perforated panels you are walking on.)

The Biltmore (left) and Gatlinburg (right)

REBUILDING A LIFE

BONUS SCENE

There are people who are reading my book that might know all about the story of how Roger and I met and our dreamy getaway to the Log Home. Many people reading this do not know and I thought my readers might want a more in-depth view of this magical place in the woods. It is not every day that the majority of us get to see a place like this, let alone spend time actually in it. I consider myself one of the lucky ones that spent time here in the serenity of it all and got to really know the owners. Here is just a little background information.

I could not understand in the beginning how anyone with a home like this would allow their landscaper to bring a woman they had never met into their personal space. Well, as the story goes, Roger and his company started working here dating back to 2007. When you do as much work as was required for the hard scape (rock, stone, concrete work) around this home, it required many overnight stays, of which they spent at the cabin as it was being completed. The area is fairly remote with the nearest hotel over 10 miles away. They established a great working relationship with the owners from very early on which evolved into long-lasting friendships. Of course, none of this was apparent on day one to me, so I asked many questions. As I learned more details, it all came to make sense. I asked Roger if I could meet the owners soon after our stay so that we could give them a small gift as a token of our gratitude, as we were approaching Thanksgiving, and he agreed to take me to their office (which they also landscaped.) It was a very memorable meet and greet and it suddenly all made sense to me why Roger was granted permission to entertain a guest in their home.

They built this home for a gathering place for family, friends, employees, and their guests. They felt very fortunate and blessed to have the means to build it and wanted to share their good fortune with others. They loved to entertain and the home certainly was built for doing so. Simply put, these people who we now call friends, are not ordinary people. They are the kind of people that make the world a better place to work and to live in. They believe in the love of family and friendships and they believe in the goodness of others. Our lives have been enriched by knowing them and I hope they understand how much they make a difference in the lives of others. These people are the ones that make a difference in the world without ending up in the history books. I call it making the “subtle difference” like paying it forward in a selfless big way. They certainly enriched my life and one of the very reasons I’m telling you this story.

I hope this informational bonus scene will give you a better look at the awe-inspiring Cabin of Lake Buckhorn. We were so fortunate to become a part of it’s history before it was sold a couple of years ago.

When Roger and I first arrived on November 20th, 2010, the tree service was still doing a bit of work, and even though I was enamored with the log home, I was also fascinated with the guys high up in the trees with cables, ropes, and chainsaws working to remove two large trees on either side of the driveway. One of the trees that was removed from the front of the property years before, was carved into a bear by a man who actually lived in Roger’s area. I thought you might like to see the results below. (note: if you click on the photos below, you can see them larger)

The picture below on the left is of the tree service men working. You can see how steep the driveway is in the pictures, but truly, no picture tells the story as well as actually walking or driving up it. One of the trees that were cut down previously was just too tempting for us not to leave our mark to say hello to the owners. Roger and I nicknamed it “Scarface” and it was visible when standing on the upper deck looking down.

This dreamy cabin styled home has 3 levels of living space totaling over 4000 SQFT. It sits on over an acre of wooded lakefront property. The large kitchen is 20×24 with built-ins that make the appliances inconspicuous and architecturally pleasing, yet convenient and functional. There is also a boathouse and dock area with a small private beach. Most of all the stone you see in the photos was trucked in from Roger’s landscaping company, as very little was actually on the property when the cabin was built. The large stone near the side entrance was part of the natural landscape. There is a single car garage/storage building pictured below and also the stairway that leads up to the deck and entrance into the kitchen and living area.

Ground level is where the guys laid tons of Maryland flagstone (dark purple in nature), also trucked in by his company. If you enter through the ground level entrance, you will walk into the recreational area with a game room, family room, private study and bunk-bedroom. (below)

On the main level is the oversized kitchen and dining area that leads into a large family room with entrance to the wide open deck area with stunning lake views. Directly off of the kitchen is a beautiful screened in patio, also with a lake view.

On the third level is the spacious loft with storage, dressing area and a private bath. There is a door that opens to a deck overlooking the wooded area to the back of the property where wildlife can be seen often.

As I mentioned, the home sits high and the drive is very steep. At the end of the drive is the lake and dock area. When we arrived there, Roger was told to park a bit down the road out of the way of the tree cutters. After everyone was gone, he pulled the truck up the drive and parked at the top. When we left for the restaurant the next evening, I was about to get in the truck and Roger asked me “do you want to walk it or go down with me in the truck?” I looked down the hill and said “What the hell, you only live once! But I will wait to put my seat belt on in case I have to go swimming!” (laughing) It was pretty exciting to go down, but it’s even more exhilarating when we returned in the dark and drove back up the driveway. Once all wheels are on the driveway, you can’t see any pavement (just dark sky and stars) until you reach the top and start to level off. Not to mention, you must accelerate a lot to get up and there is that stone wall right in front of you. Practice and finding the sweet spot, I guess, is what it takes to get used to it! Fun times. (The owners told us they used to go up and down on their mopeds all the time and it was big fun.)

The outdoor fireplace is accessible from the owner’s suite and the main glass sliding doors on the lower level (walk-out basement) area. On the other side of the outdoor fireplace is the owner’s suite fireplace. The area around the outdoor one is large enough to gather around and can also substitute as a dance floor. (Talk about dancing under the stars!) FYI; We did not use the owner’s suite when we stayed here out of respect for their privacy. We opted for the loft because of the view. We would secure each floor, one at a time before we retired to the loft. It still is funny to us because we would say out loud “First floor all secured,” Second floor all secured.”

The Log Home has four bedrooms and four baths. Bunk beds and a bathroom on the lower level. 2 Bedrooms and a bathroom on the main level in addition to the owner’s suite and private bath. The private bath of the owner’s suite featured the most unique bathtub I had ever seen. It was a wooden tub fashioned like a claw foot tub of yesteryear. This was in addition to a very large shower. The loft offers the forth bedroom with a spacious beautiful private bath where we stayed.

I had mentioned that we took a long walk in the afternoon the day after our arrival. Partly due to the fact that we got lost, but didn’t care. We were looking for a waterfall that someone had mentioned to us, but we never found it. The lake is partially drained to reduce the level for rain, snow and ice runoff over the winter months. Perhaps we didn’t find the falls for that reason. We did find a small pond area with steep rocks around it, and this may have been the falls we were looking for, but we really don’t know.

This log home will forever be etched in our memories. Stay tuned, as there may be more to come in…

Now that you have seen the pictures and know more about our story here, I thought I’d share a couple of funny stories that Roger told me about when they worked here in the early years.

A few times they spent overnight in the beginning, they had to shower with no hot water. It made for an exhilarating wake up before dinner.

Often times, the owner would come down to visit the guys at the end of the work day and actually grill them up some burgers or steaks for dinner. One time, at the end of the crews work day, they were sitting at the dock area having a cold beer when the owner drove up in his truck. He stopped to join them and proceeded to get some more beverages out of the back of his truck. Once he opened his tailgate (side opening) and talked with them a few minutes, he proceeded up the steep driveway to unload his supplies. Unbeknown to anyone, his tailgate did not latch closed. As he began the uphill drive to the top, a watermelon fell out of the truck and smashed into pieces along the way! After much laughing ensued, the crew went over to help with the mess. But they were also hungry. So as they all laughed, they began picking up the chunks of watermelon and ate it right off the driveway. It was one of those memorable and funny moments.

On a different trip, one of the crew members was to drive the stake bed truck full of mulch up the driveway to park at the top. Roger was at the top of the driveway watching. What happened next was frightening, but yet funny too (now that it’s all over.) The heavy loaded truck was slowly progressing up the driveway when all of the sudden, it lost power. As Roger was yelling “give it gas! Give it more gas!” he saw that the truck was not going to make it! The truck started to drift backwards, and as the driver pounced on the break, the tires locked and the truck slid backwards in what seemed like slow motion. Now keep in mind at the end of the driveway is a small gravel road, a tree, the dock and boathouse, which are in the lake. If the tree didn’t stop you, you could ultimately end up in the lake. He slid all the way back down the drive and eventually came to a stop just before hitting the tree! The driver exited the truck and his words were “Holy Shit!! I thought I was a goner!) Nobody got hurt, and the laughing started, and so the story lives on. His determined boss got into the truck, put it into granny gear, and slowly made it up the drive to the top and parked the truck. All is well and let the work begin.

REBUILDING A LIFE

SCENE SEVENTEEN

On November 18th, almost one month after we met, Roger and I packed up his gold Chevy Silverado truck and headed south to the hills of Holmes County Ohio. It was a beautiful crisp fall day and I was filled with anticipation and excitement to see what this log cabin on the lake was all about. (I’ve always been fascinated with log cabins.) We stopped for lunch along the way in the cute little town of Millersburg (pictured below), so I would be kept in suspense awhile longer as we enjoyed a lovely afternoon.

We got back into the truck after snapping a few pics and continued south until we reached a private gated community where our friend (his boss) was waiting at the gatehouse by the entrance to let us in (pre-planned between them). He was there in charge of a tree service for the property that day, but left soon after our arrival. We were on winding and hilly back roads from the gate to the cabin, when suddenly Roger stopped the truck and told me to look to my right. I peered out my window, but all I could see were many trees without leaves. I felt like I could not see the forest thru the trees! I just barely saw something that was not trees. I put my window down for a better view and snapped a picture. He moved the truck up the road a little further and, this time as he rolled to a stop, my eye spotted a log home thru the woods that was majestic and HUGE! (see last two photos below) This was no ordinary cabin indeed! I turned and looked at Roger and my exact words were, “Who ARE you?” (Who hands you the keys to a million dollar cabin?)

This extensive Log Home had been featured in magazines and the property sprawled out into the woods and sat high above a steep hill overlooking their boathouse and crystal blue water. The interior was decorated in full blown cabin style, including a wooden bathtub and many stylish antiques throughout. The owners had impeccable taste and spared no expense to furnish and landscape the lake-front grounds. I felt like I was not only the leading lady of my life, but starring in a week-end get-away movie! The waterfall (pictured below top right) was built into the natural flow of the landscape by Roger and the crew outside of the owner’s suite. They also laid the flagstone patios surrounding the entire cabin. (pictured below, 2nd down right.) The massive stone retaining wall in the front of the lower level was also built by these guys. Endless hours of heavy work to make this home the timeless natural wonder in the woods that you can see in the photos below. The bottom two right pictures of us were taken with a 10 second timer auto shoot.

Roger was acting in the leading male role of this weekend getaway movie in true Prince Charming form. Wine, steak dinner, dancing to Kenny G, and a warm fire in the outdoor fireplace! Does it get any better than that? YES! The next day we took a long walk thru the hills, had a grilled chicken lunch, and watched a movie with a cozy fire going in the lower level family room. Do you have any idea what the movie was that we watched? Yes, The Holiday (my favorite move!) Then we drove into town and had a wonderful dinner, an evening stroll, entertainment at the Uncorked Wine & Coffee Bar, and great conversation over hot chocolate. I think in the back of my head I was hearing the song Julie Andrews sang in the Sound of Music about “these are a few of my favorite things” and I wasn’t feeling so bad at all…

Over the Holiday season, we met each other’s Families and had many enjoyable times together. I spent my first Thanksgiving locally instead of traveling back home (this did not go over well with my immediate family but remember what I said? I learned to say “no” when I desired to do something for myself.)

We had another log cabin experience in December when we returned to Holmes County for a weekend get-away in the charming Roscoe Village just before Christmas. We rented a hilltop cabin over-looking the village where a new-fallen snow lightly blanketed the lamp post-lit streets. We walked around in the glistening moonlit evening and had a wonderful dinner at the Warehouse Steak n Stein listening to a piano player by the name of Dan Barnes (pictured below.) Dan passed away in 2014 and was a Professor at OSU, as he was a brilliant scholar of American literature in addition to his being a wonderful piano player. l cherish the autographed CD Roger purchased from him. He played the song Sweet Lorraine for me once we met. The next day we had a wonderful day of shopping for Christmas gifts in the village (most items are made locally and very unique) and we revisited the Uncorked Wine & Coffee Bar for lunch and the best home-made hot chocolate ever. I have to mention that Roger was quite the Gentleman and carried my shopping bags that day everywhere we went! It was another fairy tale weekend that could never be duplicated.

We visited my hometown to have a pre Christmas dinner celebration with my Son, Granddaughter and Family the weekend before Christmas so that I could actually spend one of the first ever Holidays without traveling. Not having to be anywhere else gave me the freedom to enjoy the festivities without stressing over bad roads or nasty weather and sleeping on a couch somewhere besides my own bed. Roger and I went to the CS, (our favorite places, of course) the day before Christmas Eve and enjoyed a cold snowy winter’s day on the Square of our picturesque little town. We took pictures of the square (photos below), and sipped a warm Brandy at the CS. It was amazing after all I had suffered thru one year before and now I was having the time of my life! I received the greatest and most highly sought after gift of all after my job loss and financial collapse- the gift of time! I could never have found the time to see and do all that we enjoyed this great Holiday season of 2010 before…

I finally got to see the RV for the first time in Spring of 2011 when Roger got it out of storage. I had actually never gone anywhere in an RV before and I was intrigued. (I wrote many chapters in this blog about our first adventures together Rving. (Ref: posts from Feb 2019 – Dec 2020) We went on a few long weekends locally in Ohio to see how we would get along camping together. It was very fun and a learning experience. Although we were both very busy with our jobs in the Spring, we managed to fit in camping among our other adventures. My time with Roger so far was full of surprises and always interesting, to say the least. We were definitely two people that never cared to fall in love again, falling in love…

REBUILDING A LIFE

SWEET SCENE SIXTEEN

Once I put my life back together again, it was as if I was on a completely new path to a different journey. My Luxury days were over and I didn’t miss them as much as I thought I would. My creative juices were flowing again and I was enjoying crocheting, crafting, and planting flowers. I was much more relaxed than I had been in years. I liked the home warranty business and getting more involved in sponsoring events, giving inspirational speeches, and enjoying meeting and socializing with people. I became a liturgist at church and was feeling important to a group of people that wanted to hear my thoughts and ideas. I was contributing to life which did my heart and mind good.

One day, on October 20th, 2010, it was a glorious sunny fall day. I was chosen to give the opening “Inspiration” speech at The Women’s Council of Realtor’s meeting in Cleveland. The speaker that day was a young woman who had been homeless from a young age after fleeing an abusive childhood. How appropriate that I spoke about the need to have “hope” to make things possible. After hearing this young lady speak, many women in the room were reduced to tears. She was there to help raise money for a women’s home that reintegrated young woman back into society and the workforce after living homeless on the streets. They also took donations of professional working clothes and anything else needed for working woman. I spoke to her after lunch and we had a very heart-felt conversation. She would have never believed by the way I appeared that I was also a heartbeat away from being homeless for very different reasons. We shared an emotional moment and agreed anyone can become homeless. Too much stereotyping in the world we live in. She touched me and I was compelled to donate some of my beautiful suits and outfits I didn’t fit into that were just hanging in the back of my closet. I even threw in a few Gucci accessories I had held onto like gold.

I was driving home after this amazing day, and normally I would have gone straight home, changed my clothes, made some follow-up calls, and then head out to my favorite local restaurant and bar (everyone knows it as the “CS”) for a light bite and two glasses of wine. But today was different. I went straight to the CS early (around 4:00pm) in hopes that my favorite bartender might be working the early shift, and I could spread the joy of my day with someone who cared. Her name was Marissa and she was a very intuitive and spiritual person that shared some of the same passions in life as I did (including writing) and we certainly loved talking about them. After all, she is a bartender (or should I say my therapist!)

I was lucky and she was there! The bar was fairly crowded for an early bird crowd and it was exciting to be a part of the shenanigans. As I was sharing the bits and pieces of my good day with Marissa over a cocktail, I heard a guys voice as he walked in behind me from the patio door entrance and rudely interrupted our conversation. Without ever turning my head around, my back still towards him and the patio door, he sort of yelled out to the bartender; “So, Marissa! Have you found me a single woman that wants to travel yet?” Without hesitation, as if I was a marionette puppet and someone pulled my strings, my right arm went flying up in the air as if to say, pick me, pick me! It all happened so fast that I couldn’t believe I had done it, but couldn’t retract my arm fast enough to erase the silly moment! The laughter from all three of us brought the moment to reality and I turned around to face the guy I was sorta agreeing to travel with. I was hoping that he wasn’t another single jerk with an ego to match the size of his shoes! So there he was, in his dirty looking jeans, a dusty green sweatshirt, and work boots slathered in dirt and crusty mud! No exaggeration here, and certainly not my idea of Prince Charming! Who the hell is this dirty guy and tell me, what have I just done? Laughing continues, and out of necessity we introduced ourselves, when a shriek comes from Marissa’s mouth! As I turn towards her, she’s holding her arm out pointing at us and she says, “Oh My God! You two would be perfect for each other!” REALLY? I wanted to jump up over the bar at this point and put my hand over her mouth to shut her up fast! (I didn’t need a match maker here!) “Roger, meet Lorraine.” “Lorraine, meet Roger.”

Well, as it all unfolded, I learned Roger was often part of the early crowd and an employee of the landscaping crew that does the beautiful grounds work at this Historic bar and restaurant. (I was usually in the late crowd.) This landscaping crew was also the same one I hired to do the landscaping for my dream home after the build was completed. The Company’s owner was a friend of mine, and it was all becoming quite funny to me that our paths must have crossed once before, as he worked on one of the hottest days of the year planting and seeding my lawn. We shared a few laughs and my curiosity had been solved as to why he looked messy and dirty, as landscapers do at the end of their hot sweaty days. I joined him on the patio and said hello to my friend (his boss) and hung out with the boys for awhile until they began to go home. As for me and my not-so-Prince Charming (more like Cinderfella before he cleaned up for the ball), we stayed long enough to get to know one another a bit.

Roger eventually revealed that he owned an RV in our conversation. A 31′ Class C Sunseeker by Forest River. This motor home is the means of transportation for the travel that he was seeking a “single woman” to go with him. Well I don’t know about y’all, but I wasn’t too impressed. My idea of travel was first class in a plane, perhaps headed to Italy! Well something to that affect came out of my mouth and started another conversation entirely. Roger was Air Force Retired and spent four years living in Italy! (Now we’re talking!) The most exciting Company trip I ever had was an award trip I earned to Florence, Italy. We had actually walked the same streets and hit the same bar- Harry’s Bar in Florence City Center, just many years apart.

Our “meet cute” (quoted again from The Holiday) was the beginning of a whirlwind relationship that was like no other encounter I ever had. Roger was older than me by almost 12 years, a bit weathered from 6 years of landscaping, but over-all in great physical shape. Maybe an unlikely pair in the eyes of some, but really a great match in the eyes of many.

During our initial meeting, I had given him my business card with only my work email and phone number on it, as I didn’t know enough about him to hand out my personal info. (He still carries it in his wallet to this day) He didn’t call the next day and I didn’t care, but the thought of our meet cute would make me smile. I caught myself thinking about it as I went about my work days.

Three days later, I received a private message via my work email address from Roger reminding me that we had met a few days ago and just saying hello. Being that work email always has big brother’s eyes on everyone, I made the decision to give him my personal email so we could speak privately. My response when I received his first message was “You found me.” It wasn’t long after communicating and feeling comfortable, that I gave him my personal phone number. Six days later, we met up after work at the same bar, only this time, he was clean and nicely dressed and we got to know each other over cocktails and a casual dinner.

My Sister Jayla came a few days later for a one-night visit during her travels in the area and we went to the same bar to have drinks and dinner. So who do you suppose she got to meet? Yep. Roger showed up, we invited him to join us, and we had an enjoyable evening sharing some good laughs. Big Sis was not too thrilled at the idea of me getting involved any time soon, but at least she got to put in her 2 cents worth after meeting him face to face. I told her not to worry, I wasn’t looking for a serious relationship.

Our first real date was on Saturday October 30th, ten days after meeting each other. Roger had invited me to a Clambake with some friends of his. At first, I was reluctant, as I would not know anyone there but him. However, he invited the people hosting the clambake to meet me in advance at the CS on Friday after work. It was a man, a woman, and the woman’s Mother. I learned that everyone referred to the Mother as “Ma” once you got to know her. They were all very nice and it seemed fitting for me to accept the invitation to their Clambake. I thought it was a very nice gesture that Roger arranged for them to come and meet me in advance so that I would feel more comfortable.

We decided that Roger would pick me up (first time actually going anywhere together) and we would go to the Park for a beautiful walk in the afternoon before attending the Clambake (starting at 4:00pm.) We got swept up in the beauty of the Park and were a little late arriving to his friend’s house. I was a bit caught off guard when they all started to razz him for being late. I wasn’t sure what that was all about, but laughed it off. I came to find out later that Roger, being of military background, was never late for anything. Until today! (laughing) That sort of put the spotlight on me! (Who the hell are you that made Roger late???)

We were like two teenagers falling in love for the very first time! An odd sort of pair that had so much in common (including 3 past marriages each,) and we began a courtship unmatched to any in my past. Mutual respect and admiration between us. We enjoyed each other’s company immensely and the rest of the world became oblivious to both of us. We couldn’t wait to have a casual dinner and glass of wine to share our day!

November 9, 2010, I accepted Roger’s invitation to dinner at his house. He fixed pork chops, baked potatoes and a salad. The salad was unique because he prepared it before hand and asked me to take the two bowls covered in cling wrap out of the refrigerator. Once I put them on the table he asked me “how does your salad look?” I said “They look good.” But when I actually looked down at mine, it was smiling back at me. Literally! He had cut and arranged the tomatoes to make a happy face on our salads! Later, he built a bonfire while we sipped on some more wine and asked me if I knew anything about making chocolate covered strawberries. I said yes, and guess what we ate for dessert? He had strawberries, chocolate, and a fondue pot, to top off a perfectly wonderful evening! (It was definitely a do not pinch me moment!)

We discussed possibly going away to a place called Hocking Hills for a weekend get-away, since I was now comfortable with him. But Roger told me that he might have another opportunity and he would let me know on Veterans Day if he could make it happen. So on November 11th, as we walked by the lake in a local park, he explained his other idea to me. His Company landscaped for a log cabin in a lake community south of where we lived in the hills of Holmes County. The intriguing idea was that he would get permission from the owners to take me there over a weekend. I agreed it sounded very tempting, and a day or so later he was granted permission for us to use the cabin.

A new adventure was unfolding and I was excited about planning a get-away to a log cabin in the hills…

More of my many Key West Roosters pictured above. Wonderful friends that we met there had the following to say about my artwork:

“I received my “Cocky” shell Rooster in March for an Anniversary present. I had lusted after Lorraine’s shell artwork all winter. Mr. Rooster stands guard in the window of our motorhome to sing at first light every morning. These shell pieces are such a work of art! Lorraine spends weeks or more on each piece. She is truly talented and has great patience to put these tedious, beautifully coordinated pieces together.”

Patty H. (Husband- Danny H.) from Prattville, AL: