A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Rich!

No coral in the waters of Illinois.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I discovered these little WoodWick candles at WalMart a year or two ago, and they have become a favorite carry-along for me in the Interstate.

I like a candle in the evening while reading, these are inexpensive, come in lovely scents and in lightweight plastic I don’t feel too badly about throwing away.

Although I generally make my own soy candles for home, sometimes I am drawn to a special one at a very good price ...but then I hate to throw out the glass the candles come in.

So, I save them and candles at home are made in glass repurposed from these, drink ware, yogurt, etc., but I like being able to just pitch while traveling the lightweight little plastic these come on.

At $2.47, these are a nice little indulgence.


Met a woman in an Airstream trailer just up the way from me today...retired, full timing for 6 years, doing work camping of various sorts. She loves it.

It’s nice to be able to be outside.

[jaybauman]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

We are on our 5th consecutive day of sunshine here, with temps approaching 70...near perfect weather, for me.

We are walking and sitting outside , visiting a bit with neighbors. It’s been nice.

Been doing some fine-tuning of first trip tasks, keeping a to-do list going, and readying to be at Edisto for two weeks where most everything one needs is present...tho no laundromat or pharmacy.

We drove down to Folly Beach the other day and had a walk.

Found this interesting item on the sand, which I think is coral but is a bit heavy, to me, so wonder if it might be bone or something else.

About 3” long.

These beaches are not a place for coral, tho a storm can bring most anything.

Most coral polyps excrete calcium carbonate (same thing as blackboard chalk or the active ingredient in Tums) at their respective bases. After successive generations, they form a skeleton, such as you see here. Over many many generations, these excretions form the "glue" that holds the whole giant reef together. When parts of the reef are damaged or die off, the skeletons can break free and occasionally you find parts on the beach. This whole ecosystem is extremely complex, and I find it incredibly fascinating.

I have a saltwater reef aquarium at home. I thought this was an expensive hobby, in both time and money. Then we bought an Airstream. My tank is somewhat neglected these days....

[Lily&Me]

Thanks for that information.

An entire unseen world out there under the ocean surface.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

If I were any more relaxed, I think I would turn into a puddle.

I only struggled a bit with the decision to leave home, and but for the weather and mechanical issues of the first week I am glad to have made the decision to get the hell out of Dodge, as Doug would say.

We have had beautiful weather here, with warm days and very mild overnight temperatures.

Choring is now at a maintenance level, everything cleaned and tidied, and I have put the space heater away, probably until the trip home...tho it will be considerably cooler at the beach, so it may come back out.


I have not yet watched “Nomadland”, but am going to...because it’s getting a lot of good press, I love Frances McDormand and have developed a real appreciation for Bob Wells.

He gives such practical, concrete, survival-skill advice to those who periodically wander and roam, those who intentionally full time and those who live in their vehicles out of desperation.

He helps people survive, meet basic needs and to function, and is making a difference in this world.

He has found his niche, and I admire him.


Have emptied tanks, filled with fresh water and stocked the frig a bit.

The two Midwest couples traveling together who are across the road from me have been very friendly and are cooking Paella tonight...and have invited me for dinner.

Tomorrow...Edisto.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Dinner last night was delicious, and the company very enjoyable.

Lily was only a little put out that she had to stay behind, but paid me back by insisting on going potty twice during the night.

Lily who has a very enviable bladder for a female getting up in her years, routinely going 12-14 hours overnight without needing to piddle.

Except for last night, and I suspect our temps yesterday that were almost warm enough to need the AC increased her water consumption enough to overload her bladder.

Or, she was punishing me for leaving her alone for a couple of hours.

Did laundry this morning and picked up a nearly forgotten prescription refill at Walgreens, made a stop at Michaels and we were at Edisto late morning.

I felt compelled to wash my throw rugs for some reason, right before going to the beach for two weeks, but I had a need to start out with everything clean.

In our site shortly after 12 noon, where a cardinal was sitting on our electric post, as if waiting for us.

One is also singing vigorously outside as I type.

It’s as beautiful as ever here, the beach is full of folks enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and we have been out on it for a walk.

Disrupted sleep last night will mean earlier-than-usual to bed tonight, but tomorrow early we will be on the beach.

Ahhh, Edisto.

[Lily&Me]

We were up and on the beach, second cup of coffee in hand, walked and back before the Today Show came on at 7am.

Now enjoying a cranberry scone, made with 1/2 cup biscuit mix, a handful of cranberries and enough orange juice to hold it together.

Breakfast at the beach...yum!

[Lily&Me]

Our stretch of sunny weather gave way to colder weather and rain late yesterday and thru the night, tho we got a walk in this morning before it started up again.

Water is standing throughout the campground, and may be over the road coming onto the island by now as it was right at the edge when we came in on Sunday.

However, even a rainy day at Edisto is a good day, and sunshine is supposed to return this afternoon.

We are walking and crocheting and visiting a bit.

Dropped off at a local church yesterday a bag full of hats and scarves...my travel plan for crocheted items is that when I have a bag full to leave them wherever I am.

On occasion that has been potholders and dishcloths at a Goodwill drop off, figuring they can sell them, right?


I found this tiny rose the other day in the campground store where we’d been staying, and added it to my rose things.

I laid it where I could see it, up on the shelf liner that is under my spice jars on the rack over the sink, threading it thru a bit, and it has not moved in travel so this is apparently a good spot for it.

Looking for matches this morning, I found this book from the Kaffie-Frederick in Natchitoches, LA... https://www.kaffiefrederick.com/.

My first thought...Doug had his hands on this...and tho it’s getting a bit worn and the matches may be no good, I just put it back where I found it.

Doug collected matchbooks since long before I knew him, from his smoking days and because they are kind of a throwback item from when everyplace you went gave out matchbooks and allowed people to smoke indoors.

Coming on 7 years here pretty soon...in some ways it seems like just last year, in others I deeply feel the healing that only time brings and am so glad not to be back in the beginning.

Life.

[Hittenstiehl]

We were watching the Delicious Miss Brown cooking show on the Food Network Sunday and I mentioned to DH that's were Maggie is We look forward to visiting it someday.

[tlundell]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Coming on 7 years here pretty soon...in some ways it seems like just last year, in others I deeply feel the healing that only time brings and am so glad not to be back in the beginning.

Life.

I so totally hear you, Maggie. 18 months for me, and each day helps me inch forward, despite the incongruity of having it seem both yesterday and a lifetime ago. Your posts are encouraging to me every day.
Tim

[Lily&Me]

Hi Tim, and good to hear from you.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

This was an unusual and good book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-light-we-lost

This was a really excellent book, and has gone on my “read again” shelf, tho the detail of wine-making/wine tasting/vintage values can become a bit of tedious reading if one is not a sommelier.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...e-lost-vintage


When I read this sentence, I thought “yep, that is the getting up, putting one foot ahead of the other, doing what needs to be done part that has helped get me thru sooooooo many things in my life...including widowhood.

The structure of simple and more complex routines around things needing done hold us up when we are falling apart, is the truth.

They keep us together until we heal enough to hold ourselves up.

If we don’t have routines in a time of crisis, we do well to create them for whatever context needs tending to.

They help.

[Lily&Me]

Pan bread for my dinner today.

I mixed the dry bread ingredients in a quart bag at home before we left, kept it in the frig and mixed it up yesterday.

This little cast iron baker I found in Texas a few years back is really the best for this...

[OTRA15]

Well said Maggie and Tim.


http://img1.etsystatic.com/016/0/559...64143_k90u.jpg

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffnt&q=%22...ater%22&ia=web

Travel safe . . . and . . .

[Lily&Me]

We’ve had a couple of cold and windy days here at Edisto, but weather is going to warm up and there is no such thing as a bad day at Edisto Beach.

Walking, crocheting, picking up shells, visiting a bit with others here.

Debbie (Mansderm) arrived yesterday, and we are visiting and crocheting together.

She is edging a fleece throw, poking the holes for her hook with an antique ice pick that belonged to her grandmother.

[Lily&Me]

Weather has warmed and the winds have died down a bit, while rain has stayed away.

Campground stays mostly full with RV’s, trailers and campers of all kinds.

Lots and lots of dogs of all sorts, and Lily is getting 4-5 walks each day...at least two of those on the beach.

I have collected a lot of shells, and will get a picture tomorrow.

Deb and I have talked and talked and talked, and crocheted together sitting outside...she is now on her second fleece blankie she is edging with crochet.

We went to McConkey’s for lunch today and decided we needed to go back before she leaves on Friday...me to try the very, very popular fish tacos.

Introduced her to King’s Market, as well.

Such a peaceful, beautiful place, interrupted for a bit this morning by this fat and sassy raccoon in the trees above my site.

Lily was NOT pleased.

[Lily&Me]

Shells collected since we’ve been here, laid out on our picnic table.

I’ll do some sorting of these before we leave, and am going to send some home with Deb, but add the ones I take home to my glass jars inside and the rock bed out front.

All Edisto, all the time.

[Lily&Me]

It seems we have only been here a few days, but all of a sudden it is almost time to head for home.

Weather has been about perfect all week, with sunny days, very calm seas and little wind.

Everyone I speak with is almost in awe of the beauty of this place...and yes, it is so.

Lots of families with children here, and lots of playing in the water going on.


I have been on the wait list at my medical provider for a vaccine, being part of the 1b category but not sick enough to be anywhere near the top of the list for their very limited vaccines.

Yesterday I had an opportunity with them for a first vaccine on the 17th, which I felt would be pushing it in getting home, so I asked them to bump me to the next clinic.

Today my health department opened up clinics for the end of next week, and on the first try I snagged an appointment for the 19th.

I had decided that taking the first appointment I could get would be the right thing to do, and all of a sudden...voila!

It’s been a very long haul for everyone, and much more so for some.

Nice to start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Maggie

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

. . .
Nice to start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
. . .

Amen to that.

Safe home . . . and . . .

[DaveP]

We got our first shots on February 14. Our second shots are tomorrow (just before a blizzard)! My DW is thrilled at the prospect of hugging our two grandkids again at birthday parties in April! Light at the end of the tunnel, agreed!