Gratitude

Well, it's our national day of thanksgiving, and it seems appropriate to enumerate all the things one is grateful for. In today's economy I think it is difficult for some people to see the places in their lives for which they can be grateful. Also all of those who are ill and have not come to terms with their situations may be struggling to be grateful.

I feel moved to remember the many blessings I have received during the last year. And while I put them down on THE day - T-day, there are many other times I have said 'thank you' silently, privately, in my heart. The photo is of the Organ Pipe cactus in southwestern Arizona. It symbolizes to me the many ways I feel grateful to the Creator.

I thank the angels every time I'm been blessed with safety on the road, especially when I could have been in danger. I thank all the people who, without knowing it, made my summer journey pleasant. The folks in John Day were generous, honest, caring people. And all the folks I encountered along the way, making life enjoyable.

On Veteran's Day I made a point to personally thank those I knew of who had given military service to the U.S. Of course I was reminded of Doc's service in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the fact that his passing was connected to his service disability that began in the early 1960s. I met a highly decorated veteran here in the park who refused to receive all his decorations, and still, for his personal reasons, refuses to file with the Veterans Administration for disability. He still struggles with flashbacks from the Vietnam war. And there is Doc's brother, Doug, who also suffered aftershocks from that war. It just became important to say thank you, even though I was removed from it all.

I thank my ancestors from whom I received many good and not-so-good traits!!! That DNA is strong stuff and through it I have survived, just as they did. They were pioneers, and I cannot imagine the hardships they went through. Yet, I carry the same pioneering spirit within me - and it shows up in my leaving the 'comfortable life' and traveling like a gypsy, not only in a physical way, but also in a spiritual way.

Years ago I used to go for walks after dinner, and I found myself 'praying' a part of the Lutheran liturgy - a psalm. "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your" free spirit." Not long afterward my life changed. Perhaps it was already changing and I wasn't so aware of it. But I did wonder why I was saying this prayer as I walked. I am grateful for the changes, although they brought pain to my family. I am grateful to them and hope they have forgiven me.

I am grateful for all the blessings from my family - my children, grandchildren, sisters and 'extended family', those who feel like family but who are not blood kin. You have been and will remain my teachers about love.

I am grateful for my intellect and common sense - those things that help me continue to live in a simple, yet comfortable way. I'm grateful that I have a good brain, that I can perceive and discern.

I'm grateful for the folks who are around me, supporting me, although they are not close friends - more just acquaintances - people who come into my life today and leave tomorrow. I've thought I've been looking for my tribe, where I 'belong'. I realize that for now, where I am is where I belong!!! I'm grateful for being able to know reality more often than I used to.

Today all the folks in the park, and some LoW members who live in town, will come here with their potluck dish to add to the turkey that the park is providing. We will gather and stuff ourselves with the bounty that exists when we share. I am grateful for all the hands who were involved in bringing me this sustenance.

The Lakota people have a word that I especially like that expresses gratitude - Pilamaya - thank you.

To the Creator of All Things - Pilamaya.

Coasting...!

My last post mentioned that Liz and I also had fun - you know, the "F" word.

One of our favorite times was in the mountains - any of them. Even with the trailer, and I WAS conservative, I coasted down the grades, picking up a little speed, and enjoying the feeling of 'freedom'! I know that in some places Liz felt a little nervous, but we always made it safely to the bottom.

Another of our fun times was when we were faced with some kind of small failure, or things weren't quite working out the way we would have liked. A favorite expression was 'dammit', always repeated by the other one. It became just one of those understandings between us.

Entertainment in John Day was limited - old movies two to three times a month in the restored upstairs in the old Masonic lodge hall, and concerts in the park on Saturdays when something special was in town, like the rodeo or the solar fair. Most of the time we listened to the radio - two stations - John Day which played all country and the PBS station out of Portland - all the while putting together as best we could our 1,000 piece and 1,500 piece puzzles. The 1,500 piece one never did get together and we resolved to donate it to the RV park when we got back to Tucson! Dammit.

That all seems so long ago, it now being almost the middle of November.

I still feel like I'm coasting - this time coasting in life. I drove the rig to Deming, NM on October 17 where the Loners on Wheels have their own park. The rent is about half of what I was paying in Tucson, so I'm feeling better about the finances (except for paying off the credit card bills from the trip!) Anyway, now I'm here and the majority of the folks here are also LoWs who are planning to winter in warmer climes such as Yuma, Quartzite and The Slabs in California. So I don't know who will be left here for the winter to do things with.

I've pretty much decided to hibernate and rest here in Deming for the winter, until after the spring LoW rally. That could change if the New Mexico State Park system decides they need me at one of their parks. I am sending in an application for volunteering in some capacity, with 'compensation' being my RV site and hookups. I think it would be fun to take a few short trips to different New Mexico parks and not travel such a long way as the trip to Oregon. Will keep everyone posted on the success of my application.

Deming is an interesting town - another small town with limited shopping, but with a lot of activity. You can always find entertainment and a good place to eat. And there's always dancing at the local VFW on Friday nights. The LoWs have made good friends in the community and they are known for also being a good friend to the community. If you want to go shopping, though, you have to travel to Las Cruces, about 60 miles east.

There are a lot of roadrunners here in the park. They don't really fly much - kind of like chickens. But they can 'leap' up onto things. I have had my roadrunner friend roosting every night on the top of the stepladder at the back of my trailer. It's kinda nice - haven't found any waste material there. S/he gets up there around 4:00 to 4:30 every afternoon, and leaves around 7:00 in the morning.

Until the folks move on I'm chumming around with a couple of folks, seeing things and going out. There is a social hour every day at 4:00 p.m. where we are updated with new LoWs in the park and what's happening in the area. All in all it's a good place to be for now.