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Notes about Oklahoma, day 8
A day of relaxing and getting things done "around the house." We
changed sheets on the beds, washed in the park laundramat,
vacuumed the floors with our little dust buster, and did a little
grocery shopping. Steve came over this morning and picked Mom up
to do a little shopping and then to spend the day in the relative
quiet and cool of Connie's house. Cats are lazing around,
enjoying lots of space to stretch their long bodies and catch the
breeze flowing through the coach.
It has occurred to me a few times recently that we are like
snails, we RVers, carrying our homes in our backs. Not a bad life
when you can travel this comfortably, believe me.
When the children were small and money was more scarce, we used
to travel in a yellow station wagon, stuffed with bedding in the
back. We would pull over at a rest stop and take a nap a few
hours in the night, and then travel on. The children could sleep
whenever they wanted. We traveled from Florida to Minnesota, or
from Florida to West Virginia, and back again.
Later, we "graduated" to a 1976 red Ford van with a long wheel
base. We bought it new, with driver and passenger seats and air
conditioner, and Lauren built in side seats and bunks with
storage space underneath. We traveled in that for a long time.
During the summer of '76, we borrowed a friend's popup trailer
and, together with my folks, took a month traveling from Florida
to Las Vegas, then north and over to Minnesota, and home again.
We spent the 4th of July in the Grand Canyon that year. It was a
lot of fun.
When I was a girl scout leader, we took my troop camping in
tents. Sometimes, we took some of the other parents, too.
When we moved to California, we bought a popup and did some
local camping, with Mom and Dad, until family health matters made
camping an impractical adventure for us any more.
We always enjoyed our trips and never felt we lacked for what we
needed. To think of RV camping was beyond our wildest dreams. But
now...
With air conditioning, complete bathroom with shower,
electricity and gas for refrigerator, stove, and oven, with a
nice setup for our computer and telephone lines in many of the
parks these days, we feel like we are living to the hilt. Just so
we know we really don't quite have it made yet, I complain that
most areas don't have digital phone service and my cell phone
won't work as a modem without digital. I have to actually pack up
my little laptop, carry it to the office, unpack it, plug in my
mouse and my modem, and use the park's phone lines. Amazing to
have so much and be inconvenienced so little!!! Tomorrow we'll be
in a park where I will have a phone hookup right in the coach. I
can pick up information from work and send information back. I
can email ahead to our next stop and tell someone we'll be there.
I can receive my email from home, telling me about what's going
on there. We live in an exciting time.
Yesterday, after our visit to the Oklahoma City Memorial, we
stopped at the local RV supply superstore and bought two vent
covers for our overhead vents. With these covers, we can leave
the vents open during rain or shine, traveling or staying still.
They give good circulation. We've learned a few things each time
we stop. Someone else has done something clever or has something
useful on their coach and we recognize its usefulness. We're
catching on.
The trip thus far is a success. We have enjoyed our time with
Steve and family. To see Mom's face light up with the two
grandchildren who have come to see her here is worth everything.
Our group isn't large here, but large enough that we couldn't all
eat at the same table for Sunday Easter dinner. Connie suggested
the kids might like to eat at one table, and Mom could sit with
us. Ah, I spoke, we've brought Mom all this way to see these kids
-- she'd rather be with them. And I'm sure that is true.
Yesterday, we left Mom with Connie and Steve for a little while
so we could go to the RV store, and when we came back, Mom and
Connie were deep in the planning phase for the wedding next year.
Yes, it was right to take this trip. In a way, I think of it as a
victory lap for Mom. She's doing what she didn't think she could
do after the stroke last year. And isn't that one of the most
exciting things about life? Doing what seems to be impossible the
moment before? We are grateful for this opportunity. God is good.
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