Sharing another “Kodak Moment”

Nine more days until Thanksgiving. It was such a special Holiday when I was a child. It’s just not the same when your children are all grown and have families of their own, with new traditions or no traditions at all. Especially if you have moved away from your hometown and out-of-state, as I am now. So my memories are the best part of the day, as I will not be with my family again this year.

Turkey has all-but become a thing of the past, as I usually just make chicken now. Sometimes, I don’t even make homemade dressing (we called it stuffing) and I cheat with Stovetop. I make homemade mashed potatoes, but usually don’t do the sweet potatoes anymore, as we don’t eat as much as we did when we were young. Instead of the famous green bean casserole, I just make green beans. Instead of a corn casserole, I just make corn. If I want to kill two birds with one stone, I make Birds Eye mixed veggies. I always make homemade gravy, but my table sure isn’t full of traditional homemade foods like the good old days. That is a fact!

I remember my Grandma and my Mom planning well ahead, and the cookies were the first thing that they would attack, as they could be checked off the To Do list and in the freezer ahead of time. The pumpkins and the apples were purchased for the pies because cookies alone would never suffice at an Italian Thanksgiving. They sometimes ordered a fresh turkey, but I remember a big frozen bird also purchased ahead of time so it could be thawed gradually in the refrigerator. And if a complete turkey dinner with all the fixings wasn’t enough, sometimes they added Italian wedding soup as an appetizer! That too, would end up being made ahead of time and put into the freezer. And don’t forget the salad. You had to have something healthy on the table, right? There was always a loaf of Italian bread (or hot dinner rolls) with plenty of butter on the table with every meal, so why would Thanksgiving be any different?!

Being an Italian, every Holiday meal was like the biggest wedding feast you can imagine. If you think Thanksgiving wasn’t crazy enough, then hold onto your hats & mittens, because Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is just around the corner! You do it all over again, except the turkey will get replaced with homemade Cavatelli (always made with potato dough by my Dad), homemade spaghetti and meatballs, or lasagna. Christmas Day was usually Baked Ham cooked with 7Up (or Ginger ale) and garnished with slices of pineapple and maraschino cherries! Everything was huge because the leftovers fed your Aunt’s and Uncle’s family the day after when all the visiting began. Back then, school was out until Monday and Black Friday didn’t become a big thing until the 80’s, so visiting was the thing to do!

The visiting would sometimes consist of an after-dinner gathering. That meant you ate, cleaned the table, washed, dried, and put away the dishes (no dishwasher when I was a child). A big pot of coffee was brewed and the cookies and pies were ready for serving. (Jayla and I always tried to sneak a squirt of whipped cream right into our mouths, but damn that can for making so much noise!) We all waited for the car to pull up in the driveway, and then the hugging and the kissing started before they all got in the front door. The coats all went on my Mom & Dad’s bed, the noise level was turned up to high, and the cackles of laughter began! Adults around the kitchen table and the cousins in the living room, usually on the floor playing a game. We were lucky on those days, as we would be allowed to eat our cookies and drink our pop in the living room because there wasn’t enough room for all of us around the kitchen table. That’s what end tables were for- the kid’s pop and cookies. Some of our relatives had coffee tables that worked great also. We didn’t have one in the early years.

Cookies by the dozens, apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate pudding pie, and special for my Dad- homemade vanilla custard pie (sometimes lemon or coconut). Nothing ever store bought except for the ingredients that were needed to bake everything from scratch, or you’re not really Italian.

Sometimes we would gather at Grandma’s house for celebrations instead of ours. That was always a treat to us kids, even though we only lived three doors down from Grandma. (My family home on the left, dinner at my Grandma’s on the right.)

Modern day Thanksgiving celebrations are just not the same. Everyone is concerned more with the shopping, and rarely focus on large family gatherings. It costs too much money. Too many people have to work. The families don’t get along. Who can’t eat this, and who can’t eat that. I don’t feel like cooking. Let’s just go out and eat. Now with Covid- who has been vaccinated, and who has not. Too many people in the airports and on the roads.

I could go on and on, but what for? My Son once said to me years ago after his Grandma died (my Mom), “The Holidays just aren’t the same anymore without Grandma.” He’s right. Not just because she’s gone. It’s because no one wants to make the effort and put in the work that our parents once did to make everything so special. You can think that I live too far away now, but there were many years I was local. Gatherings became more far and few between once my Mom was deceased. I told my Son at that point in time, that it was up to him to start his own traditions with his immediate family. It doesn’t have to be a big gathering around a dining table. Travel to a destination. Celebrate with friends or family. Take your children to the movies, or have movie night at home. Go hiking with your family. Play football in the yard. Whatever you want to do, but make it special and memorable for your children. That’s what it’s all about- creating memories and traditions. I am most thankful for the effort my parents made to give us such wonderful memories!

In addition to my parents making the effort, we had extended family that also did it. Our parents and all of our Aunts and Uncles were never divorced and all had 2 – 4 children. None of the women worked outside the home in those days because they had full time jobs doing housework and taking care of children. I believe that was also a huge factor in the equation. Today’s reality is that everyone has to work to make ends meet. So who has the time to plan, prepare, bake, cook, clean and visit? It seems almost no one. So you must make the time, or your children will never have stories to tell and memories to share.

People laugh at me because I watch Hallmark movies all thru the Holidays. It is because they are the closest thing to being surrounded by family and good times! You know it will end happy, but it’s the beautiful story that gets you to the ending and the scenic locations in-between. Cabins in the mountains, horses in the country, the big city skyline, skiing down the slopes, singing around a Christmas tree, building a snowman, candlelight by the fire, etc. All the things I love are there for the watching and cost me nothing to see.

So think about creating a memory for your children. Once you are Grandmas and Grandpas, it’s time to relax and let someone else do all the dishes…

“Kodak Moments” Who Remembers?

The first camera ever produced was by Kodak in 1888 (invented by George Eastman.) The tagline “Kodak Moment” was coined by George Eastman in 1892 for an advertising slogan. It seems as appropriate today as it was 129 years ago.

Cameras have become as important to our lives as our heart and mind. They are like the air we breathe sustaining our every breath. Having a camera used to mean carrying it around wherever you went that might present that special “Kodak moment.” Now, it’s as easy as using your phone, which is usually handy dandy 24/7. We don’t leave home without it.

I remember my Dad had an old box-like movie camera when I was a young child. I don’t remember what the name of it was, but my Dad had a “Bell and Howell” movie projector with a white screen to project the movies onto, and it was just about the most exciting thing we ever did in our living room! Preserving those moments of weddings, picnics, and children touching the grass for the very first time, was huge entertainment back in the 60’s and 70’s. My Mom would make popcorn the old fashioned way in a pot on the stovetop burner, shaking it vigorously over the heating element as it neared the last few pops. Then she’d pour melted butter over it with a bit of salt for good flavor.

Pictures and movies of our loved ones, especially after one passes on, are the things we cherish most. They remind us of the special moments we spent together and fills us with joy. It brings “The Good Old Days” near and dear to our hearts.

Every Holiday season for me is a walk down memory lane. If you read my book “The Painter of Shells”, you know that my childhood days were some of the best days of my entire life, spent with a loving family full of traditions, hugs and kisses. We were of Italian descent and loved spending time with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

Ah yes, the good old days and the “Art” of visiting! I can’t get enough of those memories during the Holidays. But I have also learned over the years that not everyone grows up with such good memories and traditions as I did. Perhaps not everyone was fortunate enough to have so many wonderful “Kodak Moments.”

I am going to share some of mine over the next several weeks as we approach the Holidays. My writing is always from the heart, and as you may know, “humor served up with a side of sarcasm” from time to time. So join me as I share some of the special moments that created my best memories.

I will start off by saying, once again, I have changed the names of the family members I speak of in my writing to protect their identities.

My Mom was only 17 and my Dad was 19 when it all began. They were married in the summer and were married until death parted them when my Mom was only 69. It was a shock to all of us that she had a dreadful disease living in her. When it finally started to surface, the Doctors did not know exactly what was wrong. She declined rapidly once she was diagnosed with Systemic Scleroderma, and my Dad was left to live his final days without the Love of his life. We were all completely devastated. But I am not here today to share that sadness. I am here to lift the spirits of anyone that has experienced tragedy and loss.

The Holidays will come and go whether you like it or not. My Mom died just before Easter. My Grandmother died just before Thanksgiving many years before. Easter was my Mom’s favorite Holiday (she was born and raised a Roman Catholic) and my Grandma lived for Thanksgiving celebrations! They both left us at 69 years of age and right before their favorite Holiday, leaving us behind and brokenhearted. The saying “life goes on” brings on new meaning when it suddenly affects your life, and you don’t really care if it does or not in those first few weeks.

I chose to love and preserve their memory every Holiday season. The memories my Mom and Dad and their Moms and Dads created for our Family to cherish will definitely live on in our Family.

That first Thanksgiving after my Grandma’s passing was the worst. (Today, November 15th, marks the anniversary of her death.) My Mom could not function. So I took the lead role as grocery shopper and head cook, and hosted the turkey dinner for our immediate family. My Mother cried most of the day once it arrived, but when she looked back over the years, she was so grateful to be surrounded by her family and relieved of the stresses of dealing with dinner.

That Thanksgiving is memorable, but in a very different way. It was the very first Holiday I learned to deal with loss and grief. I knew my Grandmother would have wanted us to honor her favorite Holiday by spending it together with family. We reminisced and we cried, but my Grandmother would be proud that we carried her love in our hearts and continued the traditions she loved so much. How could we not love that day, knowing how much she sacrificed and did for us all those years before?

So today is a tribute to my Grandmother. She was spunky and had more gumption than any other woman I ever knew! She was the rock in our childhood. She was our babysitter, and she was our confidant when we couldn’t tell Mom! She was a great cook and made the best pastries of all time! She always had a stash of chocolate somewhere and taught us to share. She had a fine silver teapot that she’d polish to entertain her bridge club ladies, when she could hardly afford to feed herself! (Grandpa died when she was 45, and no life insurance.) She was witty and smart and we called her “Granny Good Witch!” She is the first woman I ever heard say “Mafongool” (translation; Mother F’r). I would ask my Mom “What did Grandma just say?” and I never got an explanation, except to NEVER repeat it! “Do as I say, not as I do!” was often an explanation growing up in an Italian family.

One of the funniest things to ever happen when Grandma was babysitting me and Jayla while Mom and Dad were out:

Jayla did something and we got in trouble. I don’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was her fault because I was a goody two-shoes kid! (Laughing!) Grandma ran into the kitchen to get the wooden spoon (and you know what that means!) So while she was out of our bedroom, Jayla ran into the closet to hide under stuff, and I zoomed under the bed like Flash Gordon! When Grandma returned seconds later, the room was totally silent. You could hear a pin drop! Grandma started yelling “I know you’re in here! I’ll find younes in here!” She then took off one of her shoes and threw it under the bed to see if we were under there. I grabbed that shoe and slid it out to the other side so she wouldn’t suspect I was hiding under there! She then went into the closet and looked for us in there, but Jayla must have morphed into the invisible child, because Granny came up empty!

She gave up, and a few minutes later, she said out loud “Younes can come out now. I won’t beat your bottoms, but you’d better not do it again!”

Awe…the great memories we have! I Love you Grandma with all my heart, and will miss you till the day I die!!

I had the most perfectly wonderful Friday! In fact, I’ve had a memorable and awesome April and it has spilled into May! Why? I was vaccinated with Moderna (second shot April 2nd) and achieved full immunity two weeks later! I have such a feeling of relief that it is, simply put; euphoric. I highly recommend that you get vaccinated so that you too can safely rejoin the ranks of humanity.

I’m not getting all preachy here, but if you are truly hesitant, I totally understand. However, life after vaccination has rewarded me in ways I can hardly explain. I was much more afraid of getting Covid than I was of getting the two shots, because everyone I talk to, knows someone that has died or was severely ill with long-term affects of the disease. I did not want to become a statistic, nor lay in a hospital alone on a respirator as my Mother did before she died fifteen years ago. I still suffer anxiety just like PTSD from the trauma of feeling desperately helpless watching her take her last breaths. Enough said about that. So quit worrying about the vaccine and go get your shots and your life back.

I am a very social person and love to hear about people’s life experiences and to share some of mine. I also care about people to the extent that I would never jeopardize anyone’s life by risking infecting them with Covid. We had to make some very tough decisions over the past year during the pandemic, as most of us have. We traveled home for a family funeral last June. It felt risky, but necessary, and we were very cautious. We cancelled our daughter and granddaughter’s Christmas visit. We cancelled a second time in early Spring. She cried, we cried, but we all survived. I could go on but would rather not.

So what was so great about last Friday? Friends! We moved into our home one year ago this June. We were finally able to have a celebration. We were all vaccinated and we hugged each other! Imagine that!! We laughed, we ate, we drank and shared our stories. It was delightful and delicious! Eight of us here together. It was what we have waited so long to do safely with little to no risk. It was simply wonderful and so normal. I could hardly sleep that night from the excitement and the happiness in my heart. We are the lucky ones! We have survived a pandemic and don’t take it for granted. We have been given the chance to live more life. That is special.

In mid April, our daughter came to spend one week with us after she was also fully vaccinated. For me, it was like Christmas was coming and I was 6 years old again! (I got an Easy-Bake oven from Santa that year!) Excitement filled our home and we were both almost giddy as we prepared for her visit! Her Dad was prepping the outside of our home with much detail as I prettied the inside. The guestroom was made cozy, the refrigerator was full, a celebratory meal was planned, wine was stocked. The place was fit for a Princess to enter and we could not wait! When she finally arrived, it was as if the pandemic never occurred! We hugged and filled the house with laughter. We took her to our favorite places and ate, drank, and felt merry to the very end of the week that she was here. I never realized just how quiet our house was all this past year until she was gone. It’s been just the two of us and a pandemic.

But, for me, it is over. I did what I had to do and continue to do the right things, but if you are vaccinated, you get your “get out of jail FREE” card! You get a second chance to grow old. You get to make plans. You get to plan a vacation. You can eat indoors with people and not feel contaminated or hurried to leave. We are moving on. In just a little over four weeks, our house will be filled with laughter once again, as our daughter returns with our granddaughter for another visit.

Yes, it is euphoria at it’s best. Two little shots and about six weeks of waiting did that for me. I plan to be happy from here on in because happiness is a choice. I choose it with all my heart. ❤️

I am what I am today because of the most kind, generous & loving person that I have ever known. She taught me everything I know about honesty and respecting the life of others. She is the first person I ever loved with all my heart, and she is and always will be missed with every breath I take. I love life because of her. She is without a doubt the most beautiful person I have ever known. I love you Mom….

Happy Mother’s Day to my Heavenly Angel that I call Mom

Does anyone else feel like you’ve been waiting and waiting in anticipation of something really great to happen, only to feel the disappointment of having to wait a little longer? Or is it just me? Or how about those annoying 4 little words the driver doesn’t want to hear; “Are we there yet?”

My sisters came to visit me on February 18th, 2020 for 6 days. We stayed in Deland in a beautiful house they had rented fairly close to Daytona Beach. We ate, drank, shopped, and laughed until they left on the 24th. Just over two weeks later on March 11th, 2020, it was declared that Covid 19 was a worldwide pandemic. Their visit marked the end of what felt like “normal” for me. I had no idea that normal would take so long to return.

We were still living in our motorhome FT on a lot we owned in an RV resort in North Central Florida. We felt fairly safe in our bubble of friends gathering outside for swimming, happy hours, and the occasional dinner in the clubhouse. The news was getting more intense every evening creating doubts and fears of what was safe to do, and what was not. No one wanted to appear “scared” to gather, so we continued to do what we enjoy doing most as humans; gathering together.

Slowly, less and less people were in our group (some returning to Northern homes and Canada) and more and more people were disinfecting, cleaning, wearing gloves, and eventually, wore masks to grocery shop and enter public places. No one wanted to over-react, yet we were all considerate of the new norm of socially distancing (and most of us masking up). It was all very strange. Eventually, the first “stay at home” order went into affect on March 19th, and the world as we know it suddenly changed, turning vibrant cities into ghost towns. Schools closed. “Essential” became the new buzz word for everything. Essential workers became the most important people on the planet and essential goods became impossible to find. Travel was banned accept for, of course, “essential” travel. Walmart had directional arrows on the floor to keep people from meandering too close to one another. Grocery stores started to have markers on the floor indicating the 6 foot apart spots. Banks closed their doors and opened more drive-thru lanes. Fast food closed the doors to their dining rooms and had long lines wrapped around the building. Shelves became empty and panic buying set in. Toilet paper and disinfectant anything was gone.

So our lives have been anything but normal for over a year. We all have a personal story to tell. I had a Brother, Sister-in-law, and now, Son infected with Covid. Many friends and acquaintances have had it. None were worse than our close family friend who’s husband almost died and spent 77 days hospitalized. He is still dealing with the long-term affects after being intubated, having a tracheotomy, but now, only needing oxygen under stress. Covid is like a seriously bad game of Russian roulette! You just never know who’s going to get it bad and who won’t, but not a game to be taken lightly because you can die! Over 575,000 of us are now dead and gone.

Things that make you go “hmmmmm”: We buried a retired veteran/family member with only a handful of family at his “military honors” burial. We sold our RV lot basically with a “drive-thru closing.” We purchased a home almost completely on our computers with electronic signatures (only the final signatures were in-person when they handed us the keys.) We transferred all the closing money for our home in the drive thru lane at our bank. I ordered almost everything we needed for our house to be delivered to our front door. We sold our Tiffin RED motorhome on consignment and never came in contact with anyone except for dropping it off. It will be a year at the end of this May that we closed on our house, and we have had exactly 2 visits from friends conducted mostly outdoors prior to the holidays of 2020. Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went with no one to celebrate anything. The first family visit was planned for Christmas, only to be cancelled as the warnings and death toll climbed. That visit with our daughter is coming in just a couple of weeks, as we will all be fully vaccinated. We had our very good friends (also fully vaccinated) here for a visit last Saturday, only the 3rd time anyone has been in our home. We drank good wine, shared a meal in our dining room, and had some good laughs. FINALLY! Something that felt perfect and NORMAL! Many of our friends here in Florida still have RV’s and are about to head North for the summer, so we will be waiting again for better days ahead.

The one thing that I have an actual picture to visualize what Covid looked like for me is of my hair. It is a symbolic picture of what Covid did to me. Covid hair until last Friday. I haven’t had it cut since September 2019. I was in desperate need, as I planned to get it cut soon after my sisters left in 2020, but too late once the March pandemic was declared and everything shut done. From that point on, I was determined to be vaccinated before someone would be breathing near my face! (Haven’t been to the dentist either and can’t wait!) I think you can figure out the before and after below…

So, as to the answer to my question of “Are we there yet?” For me, living to get fully vaccinated and able to tell my story means YES. I am done with Covid! Over and OUT! Is the pandemic over? No. Is it done killing us? No. Could I still get it after vaccination? Yes. But I wouldn’t need hospitalized or die from it, in all likelihood. So mentally, I am done. From this coming Friday, April 16th (2 week point after my 2nd shot), I am going to live again! I have cried, I have worried, I have feared for what seems like forever, but it’s over for me.

For some people, it really never started. Some still think it’s a hoax and the ati-vaccer folks think I am out of my mind, batsh!t crazy because I took a risk and got vaccinated. I also never would have believed you can politicize a pandemic because one is an unseen virus that kills people. The other is conflicting ideas for power of government and has nothing to do with science and viruses. Yet, somehow, society has managed to govern a pandemic with politics. It’s okay. Believe what you want. But if you don’t get vaccinated, I will not be inviting you into my house or hugging you anytime soon. The old saying that it doesn’t worry you until the day it actually affects you, still holds true. When you or a family member suffers or dies, it will finally sink in that the government doesn’t care about you or your funeral.

So I am at that place of moving on with my life. I have done everything I could to keep you and me Covid free. I have postponed living long enough and I am ready to spring forward. Maybe not at full speed, but definitely moving on. Please get vaccinated and do your part to keep you and your loved ones safe because it’s better to be safe than sorry.

P.s. Don’t go to a politician for your next surgery either if you want to live to tell your side of the story…

When we first made the decision to sell our home and start a life of FT RVing, people all said “That is my dream!” or “You are living the dream!” WE accomplished that dream. It took approximately 45 days to sell our house in 2017 and almost everything we owned was sold, donated, or left behind with the house. Our families hung onto a few precious items for us, but we did not store anything. We successfully downsized and the plan was 3-5 years to travel and also search for a small retirement place to call home for our golden years.

Three years went by. We are here. We are home in Florida. I am officially retiring this month. My first check will arrive in April/May time frame. I was going to wait a few more years, but the time seems right and life is short. Perhaps the Pandemic made that more clear for me, or perhaps I’m just tired of waiting. Regardless, I AM RETIRING.

It’s a very odd feeling for me. There will be no retirement party at the office because there is no office. There hasn’t been an office since the recession when I lost my Job with a Luxury Jewelry Company. They were based out of Italy and took the Company public on the Milan stock exchange in November 2007. I was told it would be a “good thing” for us. I received a phone call in December and was downsized right out of my job for Christmas. For the first time in my life, I was unemployed in January 2008, just like so many others during those unbelievable years of the Great Recession. The domino affect began for me and there was no stopping it.

Since I had made a good living in the world of Luxury wholesale, I never missed a payment on anything in my life and was suddenly prioritizing what to pay and what to let ride while collecting $350 per week. I owned a rental property and two homes. One house I had just built and moved into barely a year before the recession. The 2nd house (my previous residence) was under contract as a “lease to own.” The 3rd house I purchased as a rental and was occupied by my son and his family. Both my son and my lease tenant lost their jobs and left me holding the bag of past due house payments. It was only a matter of time before the last domino fell. I was divorced and nearly homeless. It slaps you in the face so hard that you can never forget it.

You hear it many times that we are ALL only six months or so away from being homeless when you lose a substantial income job. I managed my money very well and hung on for 2 years, but the inevitable foreclosure was headed straight for me like hurricane Irma getting bigger and bigger and navigating a path straight towards me in 2017! (Narrowly escaped that one while in our RV parked in Pensacola!)

As instructed by my attorney, I waited to move out of my house until the last hour of reality struck. The dire situation finally blasted me off my keister when I found a job, and yet, the courts were not willing to work with my substantially lower income and were proceeding with Sherriff’s sale of my home. Lucky for me (that is a laughable statement!), I had sold both rentals (short sales, and NOT an easy task!). So I packed up my stuff in my friend’s Harley Davidson trailer and several other friend’s pick up trucks, and moved into an apartment one day, and filed bankruptcy the next! I lived to tell this story, but the toll it took on my life was severe. I lost all my savings (remember, 2 years with 3 homes and never qualified for assistance of any kind!) The banks were humiliating and nasty! If you had a car, you did not need help in anyone else’s eyes. I qualified for $16.00 a month in food stamps. YES! Sixteen dollars per month! But if I had waited till I was carless and homeless, I could have got over $200/month! I said “No, thank you” and never asked for help again. I completely used up my shrinking 401K thinking that the next great job was just around the corner! But it never was. I lost nearly a million dollars in assets (in present time, not recession time). I was alone. I felt suicidal at times and never shared that with anyone, not even my family. I was living in an apartment after building my dream home barely making it paycheck to paycheck. Not quite what I imagined when I said I had planned my life out well and looked forward to retiring early at age 55. Nope. Not what I imagined at all. And trust me, I spared you the details of how rotten I was treated by financial institutions that were tying to collect money I no longer had…So when I say I understand what people who are jobless and on the brink of disaster over the past year of this Covid Crisis are going thru, I actually do!

But if you live to tell, you still have everything. Really, you do!

Fast Forward, because I already explained how I met my current husband back in October 2010 in a previous blog, and we began a life of traveling and new adventures. I was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia (sudden severe and shocking pain in one side of the face- eye, ear & jaw) in 2009, and general anxiety disorder in 2010. I wasn’t sure how I could deal with either one of these things, let alone with both of them. People kept telling me I would make it thru all of this because I was such a strong woman. That is a crock of sh!t when you’re living a nightmare. So if you find yourself giving out this sort of advice, spare the person your speech and tell them instead to seek help from a professional. If you really want to help them, pay for a visit or two if they can’t afford it or qualify for assistance! Even strong people can fall and I have known several that have. But somehow I did survive. I’m sharing this information because not everyone is willing to share it and some people don’t make it. I was lucky.

I made it! The girl that was afraid of everything was trying new things! I was crossing scary high bridges; both on foot and in the RV! (pictured below: Grandfather’s Mountain, NC, Mackinac Bridge, MI)

We drove over the ocean in our RV to live in Key West for the winters. I’ve been on crazy winding high roads out in the wild wild West! (pictured above: Seven Mile Bridge, Key West and US Route 89, traveling Wyoming.) I have been to the Field of Dreams. What more can I say?!

My husband served his country for almost 22 years, survived Vietnam, and luckily, came home in one piece. We considered ourselves both lucky and now we have lived during a worldwide Pandemic without getting sick, as of this moment. We have spent endless hours and days isolated from friends and family watching our economy and democracy on the brink of collapse. Hubby is now fully vaccinated and I have shot #1 down and #2 to go. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I meet my Sister from another Mother every Wednesday for coffee outdoors. We talk and we laugh and we have survived. She is the person that found an appointment for me at a military base (very difficult to get shot appts here in Florida), and in my eyes, she may have saved my life! She knows who she is and I say “THANK YOU!”

I have lived to tell my story.

So my question is; what exactly does retirement mean? I am really not sure since I’ve already “lived the dream” as so many once said. Our FT RV travels have ended just at the time so many plan to begin it. I have seen every state except for Hawaii, Alaska, and maybe Delaware. (I think I must have been in Delaware at some point but I sure don’t remember it.) I have been to Switzerland and took a train thru the Swiss Alps to Italy. I have a very grateful heart. I’ve done so much more than many ever do, and far less than some. So my plan for now is not to have a plan, since most of those plans never really work out the way you planned anyhow. LOL!! So next month will be just like this one for the most part, only better. I will be fully vaccinated against Covid, I have a roof over my head, food to eat, a pool in my backyard, and a paycheck to enjoy it! Family is planning a visit soon. I hope to finally reap the rewards of owning our little piece of heaven in paradise. I hope to wake up in the morning and say, “I love my life!” once again, as I used to say so often.

HAPPY RETIREMENT TO ME!

*Please feel free to share your retirement dreams and ideas with me in the comment section of my blog! I do read them and look forward to it!

**The caricature photo I use as my Blogsite photo was actually done while I was in Puerto Rico for a National Sales meeting with Movado Group. Here is the actual photo with the artist’s name.

Lately, I have been experiencing difficulty writing. After selling our motorhome and purchasing our retirement home in Florida, I no longer wish to spend all my time writing about the satirical adventures of travel and expensive repairs. In fact, after moving into our house 10 months ago, we have had no repairs until just last week. The toilet in the Master Bath was acting up and it was cheaper to replace it than to repair it. End of story. Now, truth be known, if we were still living the FT dream of RV life, I could have written this entire blog about a leaky toilet issue that would have been both funny and expensive. But in less than 24 hours and $299 later, no story to tell about the brand new toilet in our MB! So, in other news…

I am not into the “Royal Family” news and gossip, but I did watch the interview that Oprah Winfrey did with Meghan Markle & Prince Harry yesterday while doing laundry. I caught it hours later on Demand TV and was very curious after seeing some really nasty comments on Facebook after it aired Sunday night. There was a time in the early 80’s during the Prince Charles & Diana fairytale wedding that I was totally into it! But in the later years after watching how the press turned Diana’s life as a Royal into a living nightmare (not to mention the fact, Charles was having an affair with Camilla and nearly drove Diana crazy!) I started despising what the Paparazzi did to her and basically responsible for her death in 1997. But who didn’t love Lady Di?!

Much of the chitter chatter on social media Monday morning consisted of people targeting criticisms toward these two people for telling their side of a sad story of how the British media, once again, destroyed a Royal Family fairytale. And add in some family dysfunction with the confetti of racism falling all over them for additional heartbreak, and you’ve got a story for a curious and condemning audience. But wait! There’s more! Did you hear the part where she talked about not wanting to live and having suicidal thoughts? That is nothing to make light of whether you care about the Royals or not, and quite shocking to me that people poked fun of it! More disgusting was that the folks on Fox 8 would have lynched Meghan if they could have!

I personally believe that Meghan was seriously targeted by the press in a way that would make almost any woman want to run away and hide. But I am baffled by the response and severe criticisms by the majority. Remember, Royals can’t just grab the car keys, jump into a car and go cry with a best friend or get drunk at the nearest bar! Who was there to witness what really happened to her? And furthermore, to laugh about it and suggest she knew what she was getting into. What commoner (as in, no royal bloodline- not how much money you have) in the US has married a Royal and personally knows exactly what to expect or what’s happened to Meghan and Harry? Who is so cruel that you would condemn someone who experienced suicidal thoughts regardless of why?

If you could care less about the Royals, then turn your attention to our own current realities of life. We are in a critical situation right here in our country, right now. People have simply lost touch with how to be understanding, empathetic, or kind to others. I have never seen anything quite like it in my almost 62 years of life. I see people post memes every single day stating things like; “Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes” or “You have no idea what people are dealing with in their personal lives so just be nice”, and “Sometimes the people with the biggest smiles are struggling the most.” Does anyone care enough to try practicing what they preach or post? One of my personal favorites is “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I try to practice this whenever I find myself quick to judge, and lately I find myself thinking it a lot!

My take away from this interview is that our society is in critical condition.

I have experienced suicide in my extended family. Once long ago, and again in 2020. It is one of the most tragic life experiences the family members which are left behind will ever suffer and faced with questions that will never be answered. They will never understand the reason, yet have to push forward with their own life and their family’s lives. I think of them often when I hear people say “You need to get over it” or “life goes on.”

When did our society become so heartless? Do you find this disparaging or are you one of the heartless?

The reason why I’m having such a hard time writing these days is that, as I’ve said before, I am a peacekeeper. I don’t like confrontation because my feelings are easily hurt. I consider myself an Empath and I find it difficult to build up a protective wall around me. But I’m going to say what I need to say and hope that anyone that’s reading this might let the words sink in. There has been a lack of empathy and far too many hypocrisies and bullying going on for far too long, and if we keep turning our heads and ignoring it, your children and your grandchildren will become victims, or worse, the perpetrators.

STOP condemning people and save the judging for when you’re actually sitting on a jury. Don’t you realize that the person you are lashing out at today might be the person ready to end their life before dinner? The friend you think you know very well might be seeing a psychiatrist tomorrow and too ashamed to speak of it. The guy standing next to you might be suffering from PTSD and too scared to tell anyone because of the stigma associated with it and ready to kill someone. The neighbor you dislike could be a recovering addict and seemingly not very friendly. The person you invited to a small gathering that you believe is Paranoid Patty may be scared to death during this pandemic. The post you made this morning that you didn’t fact check first may prevent someone from getting vaccinated because it stated vaccines kill people!

I know people with PTSD. I know people struggling with addiction. I have friends seeking mental health help. I know people that were barely sick with Covid-19, and some who died or still struggling to live. What I don’t know, is why so many people are quick to judge others. Even worse, to make fun of them! We are all human and we all make mistakes. But try building someone up instead of tearing them down. Lend someone an ear or a virtual shoulder to cry on. Be the reason someone wants to live another day- not the reason today was their last day on earth!

We all know in our heart of hearts that it is ethically and morally wrong to lie, cheat and steal. So stop supporting those that do. We also know that the only way to change anything is to accept that something is wrong and needs to change. We all know that the current direction of society is in need of change, so accept the things you cannot change, and be the start of something that you do have the power to change. YOU. Start there. Wake up with a kinder heart and bring a little joy to someone’s day, if only a small compliment or a simple thank you.

I’ll start. THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG. I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!

To all my readers and followers, I want to thank you for checking in! My last blog averaged 97 viewers per hour, which was enough to convince me not to end my blog just yet. It has undergone a bit of a makeover and I will focus more on current events with my usual humor served up with a side of sarcasm. But, of course, I will always make comparisons to RV life because there are just way too many funny things that crop up in my brain not to! Keep in mind, I am the person that laughed out loud when last year the news showed the bouncy house that started blowing away reportedly with a child inside. The kid survived just fine, so don’t be haters, but my brain couldn’t resist the humor in the exact moment it lifted off the ground and started bouncing across an open field. It was no different than all of us posting pictures of the guy just ahead driving down the interstate with the rear slide out! If you’ve been reading my blog, you get my humor and won’t send me hate mail! So today I will focus on a current story getting a lot of jibber jabber.

Saturday night on the world news, they shared the story of a California school district’s Board of Trustees saying some less-than flattering statements about parents and were overheard on a hot mic. I sat quietly listening to the reported story and upon the advertisement break couldn’t contain my thoughts any longer. But first, for those of you that may have missed it (it was all over social media so I’m sure you all know of it by now), let me recap the highlights:

School Board members were on a zoom call for a meeting and thought they were not live yet to the public. One of them said, “It’s really unfortunate that they want to pick on us, because they want their babysitters back.” Another one said. “I totally hear that, because my brother had a delivery service for medical marijuana, and the clientele were parents with their kids in school.” “When you got your kids at home, no more smoking,” he added.

Now, if you’re like me, I started laughing out loud (to my husband’s dismay) for several reasons. First, they are correct. Second, they are correct on both counts! If your child is in school, the teacher is an educator first, but they could indeed be referred to as babysitters, and you could try to argue that fact, but look it up. Babysitter: noun, a person who looks after a child or children while the parents are away. I say, if they’re not in your house and someone else is watching over them, babysitting does come to mind.

Think about parents during this pandemic that are dealing with children being at home every single day. You cannot argue the fact that they are extremely hopeful their kids will return to the classroom. Children need in-person schooling and parents need them out of the house for sanity during the week! Why do you think Grandmother’s stand by the door smiling and waive goodbye when you leave with your kids?

Which leads me to the 2nd statement of smoking pot. (I know some of you are laughing as well!) I don’t smoke it, but I certainly don’t care if anyone else does. Go for it! But I am certain beyond a doubt that there are parents who do and sneaking a toke or a jujube every chance they get if their children have been learning at home during this entire pandemic! Every single parent is in desperate need of a return to a normal household and feeling mentally fatigued. I am sure that one year later after playing teacher, cafeterian, janitor, parent, wife/husband, landscaper, maid and chef that I would be seeking more than just a toke or two myself!

The four board members were petitioned to resign and have submitted their resignations for talking truths that should have been private. Wow! Let that sink in for a minute.

Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for ridiculing, demeaning, and persecuting people publicly on his talk show daily. People loved him! Our 45th President stood in front of very large crowds and said whatever he wanted because he could. People loved him! Didn’t matter if he bullied, lied, or could have shot someone (his words, not mine). But teachers say one thing about children or parents and it’s all about getting them fired. I think an apology with some sort of official reprimand would have sufficed, but that’s just me. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone is my motto.

I understand the seriousness of this situation, but someone pressed the record button and targeted these folks by posting it on YouTube for the world to see. If there were a hot mic in any parent’s home, can you imagine the commotion they could cause if school boards heard what they had to say with the shoe on the other foot? I know, I know, we pay them to be educators and leaders. But we all know you don’t always get what you pay for. Just think of the bazillion dollars you’ve spent on repairing your RV. In fact, FT RVers have more patience and tolerance waiting for a repair guy to show up than these parents had with these Trustees overheard joking about being babysitters.

So my thought for today is this; think twice before you speak. Words cannot be unsaid. But if you thought absolutely no one was listening, what would you say? Think of yourself at work perhaps complaining about the company, your boss, your employees, your customers, customer service, etc. I know there were many times in my life while working that, if somebody told me I had just been recorded, I would have been running to the bathroom to prevent a big brown spot from showing through my pants!

I commented on a Facebook post regarding my thoughts on this story and some lady called me “simple minded.” I laughed about it, but the urge hit me to respond. “No, but it’s simple truth.” Yes, they are educators, but they are also people, and we all make mistakes. Yes, it is that simple. We get over far more serious and egregious actions from our beloved political leaders than we do teachers. Simple minded? Maybe so, or maybe just wishful thinking that people could be more open minded or understanding. Maybe I’ve just been isolated for too long…

If you have any thoughts to share, feel free to comment. I read them all, and as always, thank you for the visit.

I find it interesting lately that I have had nothing to write in my blog during a time in our lives when there is so much going on to write about. I am a “peacekeeper” by nature and pride myself on restraining my tongue so I can remain nonconfrontational in most circumstances. My readers know that in order to post my blog amongst my favorite sites, there are many rules to follow. I abide by all of them so that I may reach as many people as possible that have an interest in the RV life and enjoy my inciteful experiences with a bit a humor, and a dash of sarcasm. I find myself unable to write, not because I have writer’s block, but because I find it most difficult to restrain my tongue when my mind is running rampant! I feel exactly like when my husband would bring the RV to an almost stop at a unexpected crossroad and asked me “which way do I go” and I didn’t have a sure answer to give him! Heart pounding, palms sweating, anxiety mounting, because if I say the wrong thing, we could end up in a bad situation.

The Wreckage comes from the turmoil of all our normal lives coming to a screeching halt almost one year ago as we were on the brink of imminent disaster with a Pandemic and a history-making election. It is the equivalent of me telling my husband to go the wrong way on a one-way street into a neighborhood with low-hanging tree branches and power lines with nowhere to turn around! Yes, just like that! (ask me how I know…) And just when you get out of that disaster, you do it all over again at the next turn because there is NO WAY OUT once you screw up early on! You just gotta keep trying to figure things out along the way and hope you don’t end up going off the cliff your @ss-end is now hanging off of with your spotter screaming at you to stop! At the end of the day, you are just happy you got where you were going and thankful you weren’t towing a car behind you that day!

And then Groundhog’s Day comes along, and you find yourself well into the new year experiencing the same sh!t, different year, over and over again! The Pandemic is still here and more people around you are getting sick, and some even dying. The new President is here, but the old one really hasn’t left yet. “Don’t watch the news” they say, but it’s everywhere around you; your phone, your friends, your family, your spouse, cousins, neighbors, and the man on the moon (which I know, is just a conspiracy) and you can never get away from it all, hoping “the calm” creeps in among us. And when will that be, you ask? There is no end to Groundhog’s Day anytime soon, in my humble opinion, because there just isn’t. Unless everyone were to purchase an RV and travel into the sunset, living life happily ever after forever and ever! You can post pictures of puppies, babies, oceans and sunsets all you want, but when you are browsing through those adorable posts, enemy agents will sneak up and attack you and try to pull your heart right out of your chest as sure as a bear sh!ts in the woods!

As I sit here writing this blog today, I have 276 friends on Facebook. I used to have 399 on January first after completing a huge purge before the election. 123 people drove me to the edge of the cliff and I deleted them, or they deleted me before I had the chance to make the decision. (I usually slept on it one night before I would press that button.) Out of those 123 people, some were my biggest fans and read my blog faithfully every month, even urging me to write a book. Some of the 123 were my cousins. Family I loved growing up with and maintained contact with since forever. Some were people that I worked with for many years and always felt a common thread with. Others were from the group of RVers that we have met and became friends with since our first days on the road over ten years ago. Some were retired military, just like my hubby. 123 people that “liked” or “loved” many of my posts are now gone. People that tried to do battle with me when I never declared war. I was never a member of the Left or Right clubs, yet could never say a word on my own page without quick and decisive condemnation. So if I wrote a book tomorrow, there are 123 people that probably wouldn’t buy it among my closest allies. That is also to say, 123 wouldn’t care to promote it because I was in a raging crowd trying to stay safely in the middle without getting crushed from either side, yet still unfriended.

Yes, I am at a crossroad in the middle of the wreckage. We sold our RV and bought a cute little house in Florida, so I am no longer actually living the life of a FT RVer. I belong to several RV groups, yet I don’t have any new travels to excite you with. I could write a book, but the reality is; if 123 friends and family members are no longer interested in what I have to say, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be promoting it on social media forums. You gotta have an audience and I’m not sure I do anymore, so there’s that. You might say 123 is not a very large number, but each of those 123 people know at least 10 more people they interact with and so on. So it is actually a very big number. Almost 1/3 of my Facebook friends let political issues destroy them and became unfamiliar to me, and some even hurtful. These are tragic and historically sad times we are living in.

I loved creating Six Wheels Down and writing for a couple of years now, but perhaps all good things do eventually end. I am thankful that nearly 2000 people read my blog every single month that I posted it. I never joined the bandwagon of posting ads on my site because I never started it to sell anything to anyone, just simply to entertain folks with a common interest. I hope that in some way I have contributed to your RV experience and perhaps brought laughter into your RV’s. And yes, a side of sarcasm added to the menu! To that end, we have been in our house since June and still have had nothing break! So NO, RVing is definitely not the same as living in a house! LOL!!!

So for now, I have just a bit of advice. Since Groundhog’s Day is probably not going to end just because we have a vaccine or an Impeachment hearing this week, listen up! Continue to travel and make friends along the way enjoying all that life has to offer! It is far too short and you can’t back up, EVER! My Grandmother used to say to me when I was young; “By the time you get to be my age, you’ll be able to count your true friends on one hand.” She was right. But the more people you meet, the greater your chances are to count them on two hands! However, never count on friends and family to stand by you or promote your business. It seems you do have to choose a side in today’s world because being in the middle of the crowd will get you nowhere! Just look at the current events on The Hill. Speaking the truth or doing what’s right doesn’t necessarily get you anywhere and that’s my key principles in life.

Side notes:

If you have enjoyed reading my blog over the years, please be sure to click on “follow” on my website. Six Wheels Down will probably continue, but on a different path where my voice is not as restricted as it is with the private RV groups. I want to personally thank Tiffin Motorhome Lifestyle (especially Bill Flowers, Admin, for standing up for me when a few thought I was posting for monetary reasons, which of course, was not true) and allowing my monthly posts to his group! Also; Tiffin Motorhome Owners Group, Sigsbee Shufflers (especially Roger Ford, Admin), Full-Time RVers, Wilderness RV Resort, The Preserve Estates of the Wilderness, and Girls Time. Thank you all for allowing me to reach out to your base with RV fun and informative stories! I wish you all much success and happiness on your life’s journeys!! You can also comment on my website (I see all of them, I just don’t share all of them.)

Also, I want to say that for anyone that has suffered the loss of a loved one from Covid-19, my heart goes out to you in a very big way! At this point, almost everyone we know has dealt with it in some way, directly or indirectly. As I write this, a close life-long friend of my family and 30 year veteran has been in ICU for 3 weeks and now going to a long term acute care hospital after having a tracheotomy. It is so hard to imagine the mental exhaustion, the physical pain, and the financial burden of so many folks affected by this pandemic. Emotions run high and low during these painful days and my hope for all of us is that a new normal comes soon for much needed relief.

Lastly, A big THANK YOU to all of my followers and anyone that has tuned into Six Wheels Down to read my blog, even if just a couple of times! I paid extra for this site so that I could track my stats, and it has been amazing to me how many of you returned for more stories and advice! I will be back in some way, so stay tuned. But for now, until I figure out which way to turn at this crossroad, this is my last post on RV Life so carry on my friends…

As we have entered the most celebrated holiday season of all, I thought I’d take a break from the usual RV talk before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. No matter what you celebrate, no matter what your faith or religion, let’s hit the pause button and do a little reflection of 2020. So grab a stiff drink of the holiday cheer of your choice and and off we go…

What is your happy place? You know, the one that everyone tells you to go to when you’re full of stress, fear, and anxiety. How many times have you been to your happy place in 2020? This has been a year to remember, and mostly for no good reasons, but if you’re reading this, you have survived thus far. Congratulations, as this is one of the most profound years of crises Americans have had to face in our lifetimes.

I have missed my Mother and Father (both deceased since 2006 & 2016, respectively) more this year than ever before, yet almost relieved, that they did not live to see 2020. I think of my family up North on a daily basis. I miss seeing friends and hanging out with them over food and cocktails. I miss the normalcy of getting in a car to go anywhere without the word “mask” in my to go list. I despise wearing a mask, yet I do it anywhere in public I go in hopes of protecting you and myself. I’m not preaching, just stating the facts.

I miss turning on the news and actually hearing about events that took place, both good and bad, for the day. How long has it been since you tuned into a news broadcast that isn’t primarily about death and politics? You know when someone tells you the two things you can’t escape in life is “death & taxes,” and you just look at them like “oh, yeah, thank you for that!” But you don’t want to hear it like a bad dream that reoccurs over and over again! This year will go down in history as one of the most depressing years ever, and I am sure we will hear astounding numbers and statistics as we approach 2021. By the way, 2021 will not start out much better, because we have so much fun to look forward to with an inauguration of precedence, a vaccine that won’t be available to the mass majority until spring/summer, and 74 million people that will continue to dwell on politics. Perhaps we all need another cocktail before I move on to the positive side of things, because there is a positive side…sooooo

If I have just described how some of you feel, you are certainly not alone. This year’s been a Debbie Downer! But, we have to move past this, ALL OF IT, before we can start a healthier New Year. So why not start right here and right now with this holiday season?

Let’s focus on the fact that you are alive as you are reading this because, by now, many of us have lost loved ones or know of someone who has. So start by celebrating that you are alive every single day that your feet hit the ground. Never take it for granted. Rejoice that you can breathe the air. I believe that all RVers are used to bad things happening, yet focus on the positive side, probably more than most.

Next, come up with a plan to enjoy this holiday season no matter what the obstacles may be. If you can’t be with all of your family, be with your immediate circle, no matter how small. Even if you are alone, you can actively make a list of things you love to do and make sure you do them. Seriously, get a pencil and paper and make a list! It’s more tangible if you can see it.

Get a tree and decorate it. Decorate your RV/house, inside and out. Play your favorite tunes and drink your favorite drinks. Watch your favorite movies and shows. Spoil yourself with a gift and spoil anyone else you can, because the gift of giving feels so good! No cash? Create something while repurposing an old piece of wood or scraps of yarn. Pick up some pinecones and needles off the ground and add white paint or sparkles and glue them on something (get your creative juices flowing!) Are you near the beach? Pick up some pretty seashells and make something with them. Home-made cookies or candy is a fun activity and delicious too! Add a few candles to create some ambiance to your home on wheels. Hang your stockings and be sure that something is in them (candy or funny socks will do) on Christmas morning for you and your loved ones! Make some new traditions, make some awesome foods, and clink your glasses together with hot chocolate & marshmallows (spike with something yummy!) Celebrate together or alone, but celebrate your life. Laugh often and laugh hard. Focus on the good that life can give us, and do not let the bad stuff penetrate your bubble. Literally, picture yourself with your immediate family members in your household inside a snow-globe bubble. It might be shaken up a bit, but nothing can change what is happening in your bubble! And in this time of technology, you can always reach out to the ones you love!

And when the holiday is over? None of this has to stop. Maybe your tree and decorations might get packed away, but continue to do whatever makes you happiest every single day that you can. That is how you are going to survive all of this! LIVE IN YOUR HAPPY PLACE every day that you can. Let the rest of the world go silent if you can’t handle the noise.

So my Christmas wish is that everyone remains focused on the good that is still out there in the world. If you desire to live in the past and dwell on sickness and politics, you are the minority in my humble opinion. I believe that the majority of Americans want good for our people and for our country. I am convinced that no matter what else happens, goodness and truth shall prevail. That is what’s inside my bubble. No one can take it out of there. It’s what is in my heart and no one can take that away…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

You made the decision to go full time Rving and you have conquered the reality of downsizing. Congratulations! You are ready to hit the road Jack and not come back! But, wait! Not so fast…

What about your place of domicile? The place you will call home? Unless you are Walter from Breaking Bad and planning to be off-grid and illegal, you have some planning to do, my friends. I am not the blogger that lays out detailed planning of every step, every step of the way. There are many other sights for that, but I am the short list planner. Necessities with a sarcastic twist, that’s me. So here is my outline of “cover your @ss” tips before you head out to discover America. This is the closest thing to a list that I will ever do, but it’s a worth-while list.

Domicile. the closest thing to “home.” Everyone must have one if you want to vote and be counted. You also need to put tags on your RV, tow vehicle, and have a valid driver’s license, so don’t think you can escape this one. Please read up on this subject before you pick a state, but the “domicile friendly” states are Texas, Florida & South Dakota. You will also set up your vehicle insurance through this state or you will be committing fraud. But that is not my business…

Mail. Everyone needs to receive mail, so most folks set up a mail service through their state of domicile. If you choose a family member to pilfer through your stuff, please be advised that they will know as much about you as you do. I wouldn’t burden a family member with sorting through your stuff and have to forward the important things, but whatever floats your boat. It is a burden no matter how close you think you are, so choose wisely. People get sick, people die, and not everything can be emailed.

Banks (and a Printer). Although much banking can be done on-line and even with your phone, you have to have a physical bank at times, so research bank options & locations well before choosing to stay with your local, trusted branch you’ve always used. Wells Fargo, Chase, & Bank of America rank high for most locations in the US. Also, have a small printer with you, especially if you like remote camping. You will need one, and there won’t be one available just when you need it. I used ours often and printed things for other people all the time (happy to help). If you have the space, add it to your packing list.

WiFi and TV. This is the most discussed issue (and probably the most frustrating) in any RV group! Unless you want to live like cavemen and women and have your children drive you nuts, you MUST HAVE it. And guess what? It usually doesn’t work well in all areas you want to be, so have a hobby or park where there are places to occupy your time. We used unlimited Verizon text/calling for cell phone service, and a jetpack for WIFI. Rarely ever had a problem. Our TV service was provided by Dish and it was very good. You do have to call or go on your computer to change your zip code when you move out of range of your last location. This is really important if you want the local news and weather for your location, but can be a PIA. Dish is more RV friendly than Direct, and that is based on personal experience, not bs. They will also come out to your RV (only if you’re renting their equipment) and Direct will not. Direct TV is rumored to charge you to continually change your location. Also, if your antenna is obstructed by trees, mountains, or even windy conditions, you better have patients. Your provider cannot help you. You must move or deal with it. Please do not cut all the limbs off the trees to accommodate your antenna.

RV apps. This is so important if you have a large RV where getting fuel can be tricky and roads, bridges, and overpasses can be dangerous. I used “RV Parky” to locate truck stops because we used diesel and I liked this user-friendly app, but there are many others to choose from. Do this before you put the beast out on the highway! Trust me, when your husband or wife is asking which way to go for fuel once he/she gets off the highway in traffic, you will want to actually know where to go in advance.

GPS. If your RV is equipped with one, you must have a back up! It will leave you up sh!t creek without a paddle at some point, and you will have me to thank for having a plan B! Buy a Trucker GPS that you can enter your size (height/width/weight) because you will need it once you leave the safety of a truck route or main highway. You might use your phone and think this is totally unnecessary. Please use your phone and post a video when you get yourself into a mess! These sights are usually pretty funny, but totally avoidable if you have a trucker GPS. Don’t be that guy that everyone posts pictures of that lost the top of his RV going under the overpass.

RV Club membership. I wish I had a dime for every time an RVer asks about which clubs to join. But do yourself a favor; research it yourself and pick which one is suited best for you! We had Good Sam’s for discounted rates in RV parks across America. We had FMCA (Family Motor Coach of America) for two good reasons; They offer good insurance rates for RVs (we had Progressive) and they would transport it, should you become unable to drive it to a home destination. We also had Triple A, but that was more targeted toward our tow vehicle (however, they do offer RV insurance/services, but a bit more costly, in my opinion).

This list is a good start to fun and safe adventures and should be completed before you head down the road, but there is always the unexpected. Like illness and pandemics. Where would you go for a good doctor or hospital should you need a life-saving operation? Where do you go for routine health care or dental care? These are the most important things that most people do not give any or little thought to, and could mean saving a life! Do yourselves a favor and talk about it while it is very fresh on everyone’s mind.

You must have a safety net. A safe place to go. A spot that will always be available to park your RV, and for you to live safely by yourself, should one of you be hospitalized. This is the very reason I am writing this blog. For many people, RVing is thought of as escaping the drudgery of life. Hit the road and become free of all the every day mundane decisions. Live and let live! Well it’s not. At least not to the extent you think. Life still happens.

When this pandemic started, it was unknown to all of us what the dangers might be, the extent of the illness, how aggressively it could spread, etc. It is one of the many “unknowns” we all face, whether stationary in a sticks & bricks or in an RV. We ALL need a place to feel safe and secure from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and yes, pandemics. I know what it’s like to be living in a motorhome and have a hurricane as bad as Irma knocking on your door. I know what it’s like to have tornado sirens go off several times in one night in Iowa or Alabama. And now I know what it was like to face a total shut-down during a pandemic. I am so thankful that we had purchased an RV lot that was always available as our safe place to be in the south, and maintained a seasonal spot up in the north. We could go anywhere we wanted in-between, but we had a place to be up north when we had to see our doctors, and a place to get off the road in Florida when travel became difficult during the start of the pandemic and shut-downs. We have since then purchased a small sticks & bricks, as you know, if you’re a regular follower. But discussing these things before the actual emergency hits (as there was little warning of what we would face with a world-wide pandemic) is crucial to you and your family’s safety on the road. Consider if there were no places you could rent to park your RV. All of them closed at one time across the US. Roads were suddenly closed to cross state lines unless you had a home address you could give them where you needed to go. What would you do? Where would you go? This is not the first emergency we have faced, and it certainly won’t be the last. But don’t be caught with your pants down because you were one of those who lived by the seat of them! My motto is to always have a plan B. Do it! Do it now and stay safe my RV friends…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!!