A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

We were up and on the road about 7:15 this morning, doing no choring but for a quick stop at WalMart and another at Blue Beacon.

My rig is so clean it squeaks when I touch it.

Soooooo worth a few extra dollars several times a season.

I am thoroughly enjoying my new FM radio/cd player…have listened to all the cd’s I brought with me, and tho evoking memories they brought no tears.

A good thing.

Tomorrow will be a fairly full day, fingers crossed that labs are relatively unchanged.

[Lily&Me]

I finished “The Cafe on Crescent”, by Carolyn Finch, last night, and it was very good.

https://www.amazon.com/Cafe-Crescent.../dp/1777299985

A bit “fluffy” compared to my usual favorites that tend to be rather gritty, for lack of a better term , but we’ll written with an interesting plot, full of bad characters acting poorly and good people stepping up to do the right thing.

I liked it, and recommend it.


Mailed off the completed baby blankie for my daughter’s friend this morning, made a stop at Walgreens and then one at the food pantry I support here that is a part of Faithworks Ministries.

Had a bag of hats and scarves for them, and by coincidence Dr. Wright Culpepper, Faithworks administrative director, was there, so I got to speak with him a minute, and give him a hug.

Dr. Culpepper supported me and the girls while Doug was in the hospital here, offering a place to stay, visiting us/him every day we were here and helping with post-death arrangements to get his body home. All that awful stuff, and I don’t know what we would have done without him.

He was a friend we’d never met…strong, steady and steadfast during a terrible time.

Anyway, haven’t seen him since the first year or so after Doug died, I don’t think, and tho he recognized my name as a regular donor I could tell that who I was/our circumstances escaped him…understandable, as it’s been nearly 10 years, now.

Anyway, my first physical visit to the food pantry I’ve supported since it opened, with a bonus contact with Dr. Culpepper. ☺️


The year I visited the memorial bench for Doug put in place at the hospital here in Brunswick, maybe 8 years ago?, I met a couple of lovely women, best and lifelong friends, about my age, at a coffee shop on Tybee Island…me crying in my coffee, sitting with Lily on the little deck…they asked if I was okay, I told them I’d just visited the memorial bench, you know, struggling with emotion…it was just a year or two out, so everything was still very close to the surface, and I was a puddle at the drop of a hat back then.

And, they insisted that I, a complete stranger, come for dinner the following night, which I did and it was very, very enjoyable. Turned out one of these womens’ grandparents had lived just a block from my grandparents home, on the same street in the same town on Long Island, so our grandparents likely knew each other.

At any rate, we’ve texted some over the years but have not gotten back together, but they’re going to be down here while I am and have invited me to come visit a night or two and park in the drive of the house they jointly own.

So, will do that after we leave Edisto, then see this doc down here for labs/checkup before heading home.

Turning out to be quite the 10-years-a-widow trip.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

You know you are in the rural south when the deli at the convenient store you stop at for coffee has fresh baked biscuits, chicken tenders, breaded chicken patties, bacon, sausage, and eggs, hot and selling quickly…along with deep fried catfish filets.

I had 2 of the latter about 8:30 this morning, made with well seasoned cornmeal breading, and they were delicious.

I’ve been looking for fried catfish since I got down here, and decided the time of day did not matter. Yum.


We are poking around Georgia a bit, and are just settled into a small, federal campground for a couple of nights…where I believe I am the only female here, from what a neighbor told me.

Camp hosts and just a couple of other campers, all with dogs , but none are running loose, I’m told, so we should be good.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Stopped in at Sylvia’s Coffee in Eatonton, GA, this morning, for a delicious latte and a fresh cinnamon bun.

https://www.msgrnews.com/news/encour...offee-eatonton

The owner, working the counter, says the shop is named after Sylvia, the ghost who lives in her house.

Sylvia lived during the Civil War, was engaged to a soldier who died, died herself under unconfirmed circumstances some time later, and her presence in the home is not only felt, bu occasionally seen.

The owner said they feel Sylvia is pleased with the shop in her name.

If you get thru Eatonton, maybe stop to have a coffee, read and hear about Sylvia’s ghost, and give this fledgling business a boost.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Todays Public Service Announcement:

An interesting article, tho the study was in Finland I feel certain the findings apply universally, and not just to single parents but intact families.

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/grand...study/46822460

If you don’t want to read the article, this is the crux of it…

"Grandparents are an important source of support to families with children, and support from others is well-known to protect individuals from depression," Metsä-Simola said via email. "As the association between maternal depression and adverse child outcomes is well established, support not only matters for the mothers' wellbeing but also to the growing numbers of children living with separated mothers."

Doug and I methodically, consistently had our grandchildren with us for long weekends, also took them camping, on trips to the zoo and other adventures.

I had my sons kids…first 1, then 2, then 3…every Friday when they were small, because I was on a 4 day work week, this was time for them with me, for me with them, and for their mom to have a breather.

When Doug’s daughter and her husband, with a 4 month old baby, were both completing Masters Degrees, Doug and I parked the Interstate in front of their house, stayed with and cared for the baby for 4 days, while they did their final exams.

Time well spent, Doug would say, and he was right.

Good for us, good for the grands, and tho whether the parents appreciated it and the value of them having regular time off is debatable , but we knew the value of it.

So if you have grands, your time with them and investment in their lives is invaluable, from all angles.


Have gotten the laundry done up today, tanks emptied and fresh water refilled…in this rather overpriced campground the big draw is that we are parked next to their inexpensive laundry…so much simpler than hauling everything in and out of a laundromat.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Never, ever have porcelain veneers done on your top front teeth, because they suddenly pop off if you are not careful, requiring that you find a dentist far from home to reattach them so that you are not a snaggletoothed old woman.

One popped off yesterday, but found a dentist this morning who does emergencies and can get me in on Wednesday…also, luckily, two nights in a nearby, otherwise completely full campground, because someone had to cut their trip short.

Good for my aging brain to have to think on my feet, change course, problem solve, find a dental resource, etc., right?


I started “Wintering: the Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times”, by Katherine May, last night, and it is interesting.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wintering...l_5hurcep4lb_e

I’m only about halfway thru, and have to say she at first blush seems a bit wordy, but has an unusual way of looking at our need to retreat into ourselves…wintering, as she calls it…to sort out/manage/handle whatever life has thrown our way.

I have read many passages, already, where I have stopped for a moment and thought…exactly.

It never hurts to find a new way of looking at and understanding ourselves, as these are the strengthening foundation blocks we gather for weathering the next storm.

[Lily&Me]

Got my veneer replaced yesterday , for a very nominal fee as my dental insurance covered the “problem focused exam”, and I was very appreciative they could get me in.

While I waited for my appointment, I made a stop at TJMaxx for treats for Lily, and couldn’t resist a lovely new mug for myself…handmade in Portugal, at $5.99 , something different to drink my coffee and tea out of …and another stop at JoAnn Fabrics to replenish my stock of yarn.

Replacing a veneer is a process, not an event, as they first needed to X-ray to be sure there was no decay, fiddle with and clean all surfaces, finally reattaching the thing after about an hour in the chair.

I reminded myself that some days are meant for us to practice our patience.

Then we made our way to a lovely, oceanside campground we haven’t visited in about 5 years.

They had one spot open thru the weekend, an odd little campsite that can only accommodate a tent or one of we “littles”, but it was available and so I gratefully snagged it.

Meant to be, I thought…not Edisto, tho that is coming up soon …it is a place to sit for a few nights while I await the real goal of this trip, every year.


I finished The Promise: a Novel, by Ann Weisgarber, last night, and it was very good.

https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Novel.../dp/1632206455

Historical fiction, set on Galveston island in Texas, just prior to, during, and after the hurricane there in 1900 that claimed 6,000-12,000 lives.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900...ston_hurricane

The detail of the hurricane, itself, and the aftermath of the devastation left behind was meticulously researched and very hard to read…Mother Nature at her very worst, at a time when we didn’t have the evacuation warnings in place that we do now.

A good read.


We are going to take a walk to find the beach this morning, and set our feet on it for the first time this trip.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

While doing laundry this morning …which included the weeks crochet projects, 6 hats and an ear warmer…I started this shawl out of a favorite yarn/deep violet color, with this free pattern I found online.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...26-005591M.pdf

I don’t wear shawls too often, but like having a few, tho tell myself the time may well come when I’m an old woman wrapped in a shawl at all times, I ain’t there yet.

But, I needed to leave hats behind for awhile and work on something else…because I am tired of making hats, and just ready for something more pretty to create.

I love the drape and wrap-ability of a triangular scarf.

It took a minute to get the pattern down, but good for my aging brain to master something new, right?

Back in our site, Lily has had another walk, I have some tea steeping in the really lovely mug I picked up the other day…and my new project to work on.

[Lily&Me]

If you like to travel the backroads, drive thru old towns and beautiful countryside, as well as spend less/do more , and have not been on this site, it is a great resource for finding free and inexpensive campsites.

https://freecampsites.net/

The ones I like, I mark on my map to return to.

Very easy to use, and sites listed range from visitor centers, Cracker Barrel’s, WalMart parking lots, etc., to free or very inexpensive city/county campgrounds…like the one we drove to yesterday, which is $20/night for 30 amp, water and hot showers.

There were two tent campers at the far end of this probably 75-100 site campground when we arrived mid day, one of them then left, leaving us the only other camper but for a half dozen or so horse trailers in another area that left by late afternoon.

Which always beg the question as to why dog owners must pick up after their pets but horse owners do not???

Absolutely quiet last night, and because our area is otherwise completely empty I let Lily have a wild, off leash romp this morning.

At 14, she can still run flat out when allowed, and gets so adorably excited when able to do so…prancing and pivoting and running just as fast as her legs will take her.

The last week or so, she has been able to hop up the couple of steps into the Interstate completely unassisted every time, so that is after 4-5 walks every day.

The sling I bought for her is hanging by the door, unused.

Such a difference the glucosamine has made for her.


This is darling daughters Lenny yesterday, he the big, loping dog who can put his front paws on my shoulders and is then taller than me …which he likes to do so that when greeting me he can enthusiastically and vigorously lick my face.

He got an insect bite or some such irritation which he then worried to death to the point he had to visit the vet for medication…and, until that has fully taken hold and itching reduced, she has him in a collar so he can’t get to the irritated area.

Poor Lenny, he was most unhappy.

[mimiandrews]

Which always beg the question as to why dog owners must pick up after their pets but horse owners do not??

Horse poop isn't nearly as sticky or nearly as stinky as dog poop. Much easier to get off your shoes so you don't track it inside, and essentially made of grass and grain. Dogs have anal glands that intentionally add stink to their poop. I guess God had a reason for that, but it escapes me.

[Lily&Me]

Having observed the leavings of 6-8 horses up close the last couple of days, I would agree with your characterization of horse poop, Mimi, tho it is of large quantity, unsightly and not without odor.

It would still seem reasonable to expect it to be removed when it is in an area frequented by those not with horses.

Not a hill to die on, but worthy of note.

We have had a very relaxing stay at this little campground.

A couple of others came in yesterday, one of which has already left, and we’re going to stay on until tomorrow.

As there is no one else in our area, when I walk Lily I take her leash…just in case …but don’t tie her to it, and she is really loving being able to run.


NPR is the only station I can get on my little radio, so listening to it and crocheting or reading has been much of my day the last few.

Might be boring for some, but we are basically sitting out the winter in our little house on wheels, in a much more hospitable area than central Illinois, and some periods away from others and without someone to talk with is okay.


Tore the new shawl completely out yesterday, as it just wasn’t laying quite right, and started over with a slightly larger hook…one of the pluses of crochet, the knitters tell me, is being able to tear something out and redo.

It’s going to be lovely.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

I've torn out and restarted many a knitting project. I don't see the difference.

[Lily&Me]

Okay, having never been a knitter, I’ll take your word for that.

There are 20 wooden, numbered horse stalls for rent at one end of this campground, Mimi, so there must be lots of riders using this place in warmer weather.

Signs on the stalls that owners must clean after use, but no signs about cleaning up after your horse elsewhere.

We are not near enough the leavings to smell it, unless we walk that way, so tho it has been noticed it has not affected our very peaceful stay.

Maggie

[mimiandrews]

Horse droppings in a confined space like a stall produce byproducts that are very bad for horses' feet. Cleaning the stalls has more to do with this than with the smell.

[Lily&Me]

I did figure it had to do with their feet, for some reason, and that these are relatively small and confined spaces.

I’m guessing they are there for when there is rain, as those with horse trailers when we pulled in on Sunday were all gathered in an area near the bathhouse.

So, we were there three nights, there is no pay station but the people I spoke with when we came in, and others who showed up on Monday, said there is a woman who would be by to collect.

About 70 hours there, no one ever came by to collect.

They may not be too interested in the effort this time of year, but there were four of us there when I left this morning…one who came in Monday and the other last night, the fourth a tenter there when we arrived.

30 amp and hot showers, the only drawback the very hard water, so much rust you can smell it and wouldn’t drink it.


We did a little choring in town this morning and have just pulled into a free spot to spend the night…a new favorite in recent years, I’ll post a photo in the morning.

This is our first night without electricity this entire trip, so we’ll see how my new house battery is doing after it’s stress from last year.

I don’t really want to replace it unless I have to.

My new radio I’ve enjoyed so much already has a local station playing, off its internal battery that is supposed to be good for up to 6 hours…one of the reasons I chose this particular model.

We'll see.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

A couple of quotes I liked from recent readings…

[Lily&Me]

We spent most of the day yesterday and last night at Bobcat Landing, just north of beautiful, historic Bamberg, SC, https://www.carolana.com/SC/Towns/Ba...50%20residents., which we discovered two years ago thru the free campsites website.

No amenities of any kind, just a large, level cement landing…on the Edisto River.

I am pleased to see the local men are still gathering here in the evenings, to visit and (likely) solving the problems of the world.

Local charm, is how I view it, the river a revered institution, ingrained in the hearts and souls of the locals, and my guess is there is a lot of informal advocacy, mentoring and occasional diversion going on in this group of all ages.

Like the city park in Washington, Iowa, where every time we drove past it Doug spoke of playing endless baseball games in the summer, and hours upon hours sledding on its hills in the winter…a gathering place, which every small town has, and the mens group who have been coming here for decades are part of the fabric of the area.

I love it.

This motorhome pulled in behind me late yesterday afternoon, the driver and his dog promptly hopping out and joining the men, so I thought likely a local or has been by here before.

We chatted a brief bit this morning…he was on his way home from Florida to North Carolina and had stayed at the landing a couple of years ago.

He remembered the group, and so joined them.

His rig is circa 1972, so I told him about our first, the ‘77 Barth, the money pit.

A great little spot, Bobcat Landing, especially if one is in love with all things Edisto.

Took us about 3 1/2 hours to get into Charleston, traffic being insane , but did a few errands and gave the Interstate a wash before settling into our campground here for the next three nights.

[Lily&Me]

All winter travel roads eventually lead to Edisto, and we are here.

Dumped tanks yesterday… tho not very full it is the prudent thing to do, particularly when it is warm …and filled the freshwater tank to the brim before heading out this morning.

For those of you who have been to Edisto and remember the saline tasting water from the spigots, they plumbed all city water into everything several years ago, so it is delicious and drinkable, but filling the tank is less easy when parked at a site, as my fresh water fill is almost always on the other side of the rig from where the spigot is located.

Made a stop at Kings Farm Market on the way down, and picked up a couple of seafood casseroles that will feed me this week…because, why not?

Cook a little rice or some yellow grits, and dinner.


Our site wasn’t yet vacant when we got here, so went ahead and indulged in shrimp and fish at McConkeys Jungle Shack, where Lily is welcome on their deck and there are always fellow dog lovers to dote on her and visit with.

She is now catching up on her beauty sleep.

It is good to be here.

[Lotus54]

I have considered plumbing in a valve that would allow me to fill freshwater tank when City Water is connected. It would certainly be a lot easier.

[Lily&Me]

That would be very clever of you.

I haven’t hooked up to freshwater since Doug died, as I have trouble getting the connections tight enough not to leak…and then get them off.

I just fill my tank when I can, and supplement with a jug refilled from the spigots.

Maggie