Installing a Camper Canvas on a VW Bus — With the Top On

Reaching That Fork in the Road

Home on the Beach — Galveston Island

Today, I’m thoroughly enjoying the first Saturday Nico has had off in about a year or so.  Yes…we’ve somehow fallen back into a life of being ‘wage slaves’!  –Not what we had planned when we moved to the island.  Somewhere, we took a wrong turn, and…here we are.  Stuck in the mud…again!

So we’re once again standing at a fork in the road that will lead us to ‘the rest of our lives’.  –I rewind to 2010; back when we sold everything (save a few personal items that went to storage), bought our 71 VW Camper Van ‘Peniki’, and stepped out of the rat race.

Those were the times we cherish, to this day!  We wonder how did we get burdened down again, with bills, too much stuff.  Even though we no longer keep a storage, and live in less than 200 sq.ft of space.  I know we live small by most folks’ need for ‘necessities’.  I still feel we are ‘trapped’ in an endless…useless cycle of monotony.

On one hand, we have to earn a living.  The earnings from which go to endless expenses that get us nowhere.  The time I spend throughout the day is for Baby, teaching her…guiding her, cooking breakfast…lunch…dinner, cleaning, and a ton of piddle-y things that seemingly go unnoticed…for the most part.  Time with Baby and Hubby, is the best part of my day.  Though it isn’t always time well-enough spent.

My meaning of this, you ask?  Well, often times we’ll be side by side with someone, in the same room, the same dwelling, but we are not engaged with them.  We are all doing our own thing.  –Like right now…this very moment:  I sit writing, Baby is watching cartoons, and Nico is putting his time-in piddling around outside.  We are not together, but we are still so close.

Which brings me back to our vagabond days in Peniki.  We were so close in many ways–watching the world passing by at 55 mph, as we sat gazing (holding hands…Nico and I)…talking about everything we wanted to do and the things we had already done, the miles we’d covered.  I’d look back at our babyyounger then, and she’d be sleeping or looking around at everything that needed to be discovered.  –And, all was right with where we were, where we were headed.

Back then, if anyone had asked if I’d like to be anywhere else, I’d have truthfully, and quickly, answered “No.  This is where I’ve always wanted to be!  –On the road to discovery, bumping down the highway from place to place, seeing new faces, and experiencing new adventures.  My family by my side.”

These days, if someone were to ask the same question, I would undoubtedly have my answer as-to which fork in the road we should take.  Getting there, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter.  The secret of life is that one thing, something different for everyone (from City Slickers).  It’s so simple, yet…it is so very difficult (to paraphrase a passage in Caroline Myss’ Anatomy of the Spirit).  The fork we should choose in our road, I know, will be a very bumpy one.  The journey begins today.

Many Blessings & .V..

GVR

Boycotting the Power Grid

Our power was shut off today–just like that!  With the flip of a switch (or whatever they do to shut off power) everything went quiet.  Baby was watching Veggietales on VHS (Yes…!  We still watch those.  :  )P  ) and all-of-a-sudden, a quiet click…and silence.  She looked at me, and I just thought for a moment we had overloaded the breaker.  Then I realized, we were only running one little T.V. and the fridge.  That wouldn’t cause a shut down.

Then…I remembered that pink paper that had arrived in the mail about a week or so ago; the one that said we needed to pay our bill by such-and-such date, or ZAP!  –We’d be cut off.  Ooops!  Guess I forgot to note that little ‘pink slip’.  So…I located the oh-so-colorful notice, and…sure-enough, the last day to pay was…(YIKES) yesterday!  ‘Guess that might have had something to do with our lack of power.  :  /

In an instant, I was on the phone with a ‘robot customer service rep’; giving away most of the money we had left.   I was told our power would be back on between “…two hours time and midnight tonight.”  Oh well…!  Those are the breaks when you forget to pay the power piper.

Which brings me back to the instant after our power went off.  Most folks would feel quite defeated, upset, perhaps even come unglued.  Me…?  I felt a calmness, a peaceful feeling of quiet and comfort at the absence of that hum of being on the grid of power.  The feeling I had was akin to having a huge boulder (the burden of bills) being lifted off of my shoulders.  I sighed a relief in that very moment.

Explaining the sudden interruption of cartoons to my little-one took some persuading, but soon…we were outside, playing in the yard…rummaging around in Peniki.  I was wishing we were still living and traveling in our old hippie van.  I love that van…more than I’ve ever loved any material object!  I’m not sure why, other than she has saved us from homelessness several times.  She has hosted many afternoons of laughter, even a few tears, and reading in the quiet comforts of her fold down bed; the dim light powered by Mother Nature, and solar power (off the grid!).

I thought today, after the power shut down, about just how vulnerable we all are!  How we rely so completely on the grid of power, the water department, the gas company…and any others we succumb to on a monthly basis.  It makes me miss our vagabond days in Peniki, that much more.  I know it’s the wave of the future, going solar and such.  For a while now, I’ve felt there would be a paradigm shift towards a freer alternative to working to pay bills…just to work to pay bills…just to work, to pay bills.  It’s an endless cycle.  We all get snared.

Even still, I can’t stop thinking about how I responded to the cutting off of our power today.  It was a reality check, if-you-will.  –An insight into true freedom…and independence from working just to pay for stuff we really weren’t meant to have in the first place.  We’ve all gone soft!  And been forced to rely on something, for the sake of the vicious cycle.

Like the Native Americans, or natives of any land, we weren’t meant to live on the grid, get our pre-packaged food from the stores, pay others to build our homes…caravans…whatever abode we choose.  We, as able-bodied humans, were given all the necessary skills to nurture, so we…ourselves, could rely on we…ourselves. 

Though we are now backed into a corner, most of us.  Not only do we need gasoline to fuel our vehicles, but we also buy so many things that are manmade of artificial ingredients (plastic, instead of paper, driving instead of riding a bike (which is also made of plastics and such), or better-yet, going back to the horse and caravan (buggie) days.  I realize how much I alone, have contributed to the endless cycle of spinning our wheels to go nowhere but to work…to pay bills we were never really meant to have.

So, in a nutshell: I’m thinking even more now than ever before, about getting off the grid.  Instead of paying a monthly electric bill, have solar and wind power…along with sufficient batteries for power.  –Relying on natural burning fuel (propane canisters) for heat, cooking, and hot water.  –Using candles, oil lamps, and battery lighting to light our place after dark.

I know…!  Not quite off the grid, because we’d still be relying on plastics, artificial fuels and such.  Still, I know which way I’d like to go with being independent of utilities companies and bills.  I’m quite sure, in our day and age, it wouldn’t be allowed.  As the Good Book says, Man will dominate man to his own injury (to paraphrase).

As for me, I’ll take the ‘rough road’ any day.  I somehow feel, the path less taken is much more worth the effort and opposition I am likely to face along the way.  And I’ll take the peace and quiet of off-grid living, and the time (which no amount of money can buy back) I will have with my family…instead of working endless hours–a lifetime– to pay for the ‘so called’ easy life.  Nah..!  Not for me.  And I know I’m not alone on this.  The world is coming around.  I see it coming–soon…soon.

 

Beach Bum Scribblings

Stories on Yahoo!

Have Hippie Van…Will Travel

http://voices.yahoo.com/have-hippie-vanwill-travel-12348821.html?cat=16

G Town — Week 1 In Photos

Crossing Texas In A VW Campervan

Lunching With My Chitlins at Hollywood and Vine in Glen Rose, Texas.

I guess when you have no where to be at any given time, you lose all track of the hours, days, weeks…months.  That’s pretty much how we had been until we drove back across the Texas state line.  Even if we did enjoy our drive on the biways of Tejas, we realized with each mile we came closer to home, that our journey would soon be ending and we’d once again be back in the rat-race.

Some years back, I finally realized that me and the rat race…don’t mix.  People are always in a hurry, they cut you off; even flip you off at times, and they really have no good reason to race to the finish line.  We’ll all have our day at the finish line.  I’m in no hurry to get there.  Which is why our old girl Peniki is the perfect mode of transportation for our little family.

I swear, that old VW can get around town just fine, but she has to go at her own speed.  Being a classic Volkswagen Westfalia, I’d like to think our van has earned seniority in mileage.  Either way, she got us back home…safe and sound.

So many miles we had traveled, and by the end of the day…we were pulling into Fort Worth.  I could hardly wait to see my kids, even though I was already missing the travel…and the next destination; knowing we’d no longer be spending our nights in Peniki.  I was sad for that.

It wasn’t long after our return that we settled back into the old routine, but our journey was still fresh on our minds.  We knew we would have to go again, but we didn’t know quite when.

Here we are, almost 2 years later, and the wanderlust is swelling up inside of us both, though we realize we have responsibilities and Baby is now older with a mind of her own.  It was so easy when she was in her playpen.  We could set up camp while she played safely in her space.

Now, she wanders everywhere and is like a little octopus with too many hands in too many things.  But, she comes by that honestly.  Nico and I are both exploring spirits with curious minds as well.  And there is still so much more to explore.

*Live The Life You Love*

Family Road Trip — Mississippi through Louisiana to Texas

 

Family Road Trip

Walking to Texas

 

— Free Camping at Rest Stops —

It’s funny how scenes, places, conversations, and miles-traveled can all turn into one big blur after a full day on the road. Leaving Natchez Trace Parkway and Rocky Springs Campground was the highlight of this particular stretch for home. Booking it as fast as our old VW Van could travel; topping speeds of 60 mph at times, we made it across the Mississippi state line to Louisiana in one jaunt, and many miles and hours later we found ourselves once again on Texas soil…just barely.

After surrendering my former belief that folks just shouldn’t sleep at Travel Stops or Rest Stops, we bunkered down for the night in our camper van; exhausted and glad to be so close to home. Even if we hadn’t wanted to leave the Florida Keys, the one’s we’d left behind back home insured our return. One thing we know, looking back on it all, is that we knew the place to where we were returning…was surely not where we’d stay.

*Let your heart roam, let your spirit be…like the child you used to see*

Camping Along The Natchez Trace Parkway

Rocky Springs Campground, Miss

Key West Road Trip — The Journey Home

{Journal Entry}

DAY 4:

‘Pulled out of St. Joseph’s Peninsula at around 1:30 or so, headed West on Scenic 98 to 71 North.  We’re planning to visit the Southern Tip of Georgia before we head home on El Camino 84 to Texas 287.  That’s the plan anyway.

*Update*

We ended up at a rest stop off of Interstate Highway 65 at 1 AM in the morning.  Ugh!  ‘Drove all night, but we didn’t want to pay the $$$ on a room for just a few hours of sleep.  So…after stopping numerous times at various motels–and trekking out to the ONLY (what seemed like it) National Forest in Alabama, we settle for a nice…much safer, rest stop.  It was the best choice, and one we should’ve made much earlier in the evening. 

*What I Learned*  Sleeping at rest stops isn’t half as bad as I suspected.  Guess it pays to listen to Nico sometimes; as much as I hate to admit it.  lol

The Beaches of St. Joe Peninsula

~ VIDEO ~

 

 

Travels in a Volkswagen Westfalia: New Braunfels Road Trip

At the Hard Rock Cafe on Riverwalk San Antonio

Nico’s Birthday on San Antonio Riverwalk

Before Blanca

Me at Guadalupe River

 

  

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 September 8^th 2010:

 Nico is 41 today, and, so far, his birthday is starting out better than mine did yesterday.  No matter, I guess my day ended pretty well.  So…today we plan on walking to Market Center first, then to the River Walk to find some excitement: restaurants, waterfalls, cool refreshment; filming all the while with our Zoom recorder I bought off of Ebay.  It’s great for video, though we’re not sure about recording our music on it just yet. 

 We finally found the tourist-loop of the River Walk and decided to hang out at The Hard Rock Cafe for a bit; Nico’s choice.  I filmed a short clip of our time there.  About an hour…’two beers for Nico…one beer for me’ later, we headed back to the hotel to ready for our cook-out at Chris’s later that night.  I  wish we could have strolled along the river for a while longer.  I’ve always loved the river walk in SA, minus the bad smells in some spots.  I swear—one strip under one of the bridges smelled like raw sewage.  Not good!  Oh well, you take the good with the bad.  Right?

 So…there we were, using the GPS…again, for directions to Chris’s.  This time it actually took us to the right destination.  I say…  “It’s about time!”  After several wrong turns and one wrong address, we were there: hungry, thirsty, and ready to relax.  And so…we did!

 One meal of barbecue chicken, with all the fixin’s, and a few drinks later, the guys broke out the guitars and we all succumbed to our passion: music.  Nico and Chris played for a while and I listened, enjoying every minute of seeing two old friends catch up; picking up right where they’d seemed to left off.  Then…I chimed in; singing a song that Nico and I wrote a few years back.  It was a lot of fun.  But, soon, it was time to head back to our hotel-home. 

 We knew we had another busy day ahead of us, since we’d already decided to head back to the river walk for a longer, more leisurely tour.  We would also be filming again for a video I’ve been planning for one of our songs.  I am also working my way towards documenting our travels in the Westy, though I find juggling the baby while navigating on our road trips a full time job in and of itself; never mind trying to enter filming into that equation.  I guess time will tell.

If only we could have known what surprise we’d find when we arrived back at our room.  I guess we should have known better than to leave Blanca, our little schnauzer, all alone in the room.  But, at the time, we really had no choice; since she was ‘on her monthly’…in diapers…and couldn’t go along with us because Chris’s dogs are male and so on…and so forth.  Either way, we thought we were doing the right thing at the time, and felt Blanca would be fine since she’d been alright with it earlier that day when we’d gone to the river walk.  But…she wasn’t, not this time around.  She’d torn through the bathroom door, which was brand new…though made only of paperboard, and also nibbled on the corner of the other door.  Needless to say, we’d be paying for the damages.

 *What I Learned By This Little ‘Event*:

-Leave the dog at the pet-sitters

-Get your dog ‘fixed’ asap—don’t put it off ‘til you have to diaper the little brat

-It is better (in case you can’t leave your pet behind or at a sitters) to leave your little K9 in your van-home, where she/he is familiar with the surroundings, than to shell-out travel money for damages to hotel rooms.  Ugh!!!

-Pay for the damages and become a very welcomed, and trusted, guest at your fave hotel           

 

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September 7^th 2010:

 Just as we feared, the weather made a turn for the worst this morning.  Happy Birthday to me!  Instead of just a drizzle, the rain is pouring and we have to evacuate the river…before we’ve even had a chance to set up our drive-away tent.  ‘Satisfaction of knowing how it will serve us in our travels eludes me still.  Dammit!

 We talked to the campground host before we left; his name is Marty…he loves our van.  He told us of how his parents traveled with him in their VW Van, back when they moved from South Carolina to Texas.  It makes us a lot of fast-friends; this old Westy.  She’s a definite ice-breaker when it comes to conversation with strangers and making friends.  Still, we had to evacuate the river because, according to Marty, the camp-site we’d chosen would soon be under water.  So…we packed up…again, and headed out.  To where, we had no idea!

 The wind was gusting so swiftly we could barely keep Peniki on the road, and the rain made visibility less than safe, so we decided to stop a while…in a Taco Cabana parking lot, of all places.  Hence the reason one should always pack a lunch and plenty of food.  It doesn’t hurt to make a plan B when it comes to your destination as well.  On any trip, long or short, Mother Nature is the real driver and we are only passengers.  Anyone who knows Texas weather knows how flaky it is at any-given time of year. 

 So…there we were, contemplating plan B.  A few stormy hours later, we headed south to San Antonio.  The river walk was our next stop.  Nico phoned his best friend to let him know we were in town, and we all made plans for drinks later that evening.  The welcoming sign of our favorite ‘pet-friendly’ hotel, Motel 6, was a grand site after such a day.  The trendy contemporary décor of our remodeled room was the icing on the cake, a hot shower…even more of a treat.  We commenced to cleaning ourselves up for our soon-to-arrive guest.  It had been too many years since Nico had seen his oldest friend Chris, though they still keep in touch on a regular basis.

 The weather cooperated enough for us all to take a stroll to the river walk, about a mile or so away.  We never did find the touristy part of the Riverwalk, so we gave up…from exhaustion, and headed back to the hotel.  Following the GPS was the last thing we should’ve done, since it took us so far out of the way that we ended up in a ‘not so safe’ part of SA.  No blame on anyone, but next time we went out touring, we carried a map and our compass.  So much for technology!

 What did we learn from all of this…?

*Carry a good map of the city and a compass.  A flashlight at night helps immensely too.

*Take plenty of extra cash, just in case your thrifty camping adventure has to be traded for an uptown excursion.

*Carry some mace in a strange city; especially if you’re a woman.        

*A shoulder tote or backpack always helps if you have to bring water and other items, such as baby necessities.

  

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September 6^th 2010:

‘Woke up late today, even though we swore we’d get up and get going down the road like early birds.  No matter—we are like the tortoise: slow as hell.  Still, we managed to make it out of Dallas before noon-ish.  We’d been spending some time with my oldest daughter Mia, there in the West End of Big D. 

 It had been a very enjoyable week for me, Mia, and Nixi.  ‘Not for Nico:  he’d been taking the six o’clock Dart Rail to the TRE train to Fort Worth, then The T bus to work; an all day journey that landed him back in Dallas no sooner than 9 PM each night.  I hated him being gone for the entire day…before sunrise ‘til post-sunset.  But we made it through the week…I spent some very valuable time with my Mia…and all systems were pointing to ‘go’ for our longest road-trip in Peniki to-date. 

 A bit nervous and excited all in one, we looked forward to a new adventure in our Westy.  Although we did a bit better in our preparations this time, our plans to head out early were steadily curbed.  But what can one expect from a couple of turtles.  After all, it is quite a task driving to storage for our camping gear, loading or unloading, gassing-up, ice…food…drinks…traffic until we are out of the city; it just seems to be one thing after another.  And, before we know it, we’ve spent half the day and almost $200 before we ever get going.  It sucks…yes.  But…it is the path we’ve chosen…for now.  I remain hopeful that we will find the place to set some roots.  Soon, perhaps…?  One never really knows. 

 So…there we were, finally losing the hub-bub…rat-race…congestion of the city, finally reaching the peacefulness of the path less traveled; a state highway after Labor Day, headed for New Braunfels.  My 42^nd birthday was the next day, Nico’s 41^st birthday would be the day after mine, and he had planned a river-camping trip for our big days.  I was excited because we were actually going to be able to set up our drive-away tent…more than two months after purchasing it on Ebay.  I’d been anticipating how much room we’d add to our tiny van-quarters.  Turns out…I was right!  But I’ll get to that eventually…in a future post.

 A long…slow time later—around 2 AM the next morning—we finally arrived at River Road on the Guadalupe River; a place Nico had visited more than 20 years prior and now wanted to share with me and little Nixi…Blanca too.  So, there we were; exhausted…road-weary, and it began to drizzle just before we fell in for some much-needed rest.  We could only hope that the next sunrise would bring a more enjoyable day on our first lengthy road trip.  A sunny, cloudless day for my birthday would be a welcoming surprise…no doubt.  If only that had happened…it would have been femmetastique!  But…as most of us know, life usually doesn’t turn out that way. 

 What did I learn from all of this? 

*Do all prep-work (storage, packing the van, food/drink purchases, gassing up, etc) the day before you’re set to leave. 

*Research, research, research the weather before you set your destination.

*If you’re slow-going (Peniki topped speeds of around 55 on level ground and 45 up hill), divide a trip of 300 or more miles into two trips of 150 miles…coming or going. 

*Buy Ice before you get out of the city, or you’ll be paying double…more than likely.

*Pack a weeks’ worth (no more, due to weight) of canned goods, dry goods, fruits and veggies; things you don’t have to keep cold…just in case.

*Make sandwiches before-hand and pack in a cold pack or cooler, so you won’t spend money on unhealthy fast-food.

*Pack plenty of water…no matter what.

*If you carry a portable potty, make sure it is very clean…first, then if there is room in your van or travel vehicle (and privacy), keep it inside where you can use it in case of emergencies.  **Not recommended for all travelers…believe me!**

*Try not to pack too much inside the van/RV/camper cabin so you can move around and be comfortable…and safe on the road.

*Always carry tools and a spare tire.  **We had a flat in the middle of ‘nowhere’ on the way back.**

*Relax…have fun…meet new people, but, don’t drink too much.  Too much of a good thing is usually…not.

Happy Travels!

 

 

 

 

Travels: A VW Westy and Hippies at Heart

  

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One again…there has been a ‘monkey wrench’ thrown into our plans.  *Ugh!*  Tragedy struck the very afternoon of my last post.  My daughter’s ‘husband to be’ and the father of her unborn baby, was killed in a horrible way.  Still, I cannot believe this has happened.  : (

Thus, the only traveling we are doing these days is back and forth to my daughter’s house. 

I guess this goes to show: sometimes kids of all ages still need Mom’s wing.  I pray for her well-being.  I pray she will find love once again, or become the ‘rock’ her baby will need to lean on through out his/her lifetime.  She will be the wing her child needs to survive and grow. 

I know that even though, for the time being, our travels elude us, we will get back on track once the clouds all blow over.  I remain hopeful.  : I

 

 

 

 

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Well…I thought by now, we’d be outta here!  But here I sit, still in the Fort…back at the ‘Inn’; the place we’ve called home off & on for the past 6 months.  In my hard-headedness, I refuse to sign a lease until we’ve made the BIG trip.  The one I feel (somehow…with every ounce of my being) will change our lives forever.  I don’t have apprehensions, like I do normally, instead I feel so ‘ready’ to get going on a new adventure.  And while most people don’t agree with what we are up to, or how we are living, I feel that life is NOT about WHERE you live, but rather HOW you live. 

 

As for us, we live much better than most, we just aren’t tied down with a lease and a lot of unecessary ‘stuff’, like we used to burden upon ourselves.  Instead, we pay ‘one money’ and get everything we need.  We carry with us only what we need in our travels; the rest is in storage…safe and sound.  And…for the most part, I am happy with knowing what adventure lies ahead for us to experience. 

 

As for baby, she couldn’t be happier…she is very healthy…she is VERY loved by Mommy and Daddy, and she is very smart because I have the time to work with her each and every day.  If we were still living ‘high on the hog’, I might not have such time to sit with my sweet little girl, nor might I have the time to write anymore, or play games and sing and dance with my Nixi.  She IS my life!  And so is her daddy.  I feel that I am a very wealthy woman.  To me…wealth isn’t measured in belongings, but rather in joy and laughter.  She (baby) brings so much joy and laughter every day to our lives.  

 

And I know, once we go on this big adventure, we will be better people for having gone with our hearts and sought the life we want to have, rather than sitting for years, waiting for something to happen…or for  life to fall into our laps.  It just doesn’t happen.  How do I know this?  Because, I for one, have waited for years for that very thing; for life to happen; when all along it was happening out there…somewhere, but I was too afraid to venture out to find ‘me’. 

 

Somehow I missed a huge chunk of my early adulthood, because my mind was elsewhere…I was not following my true calling.  Though if I had traveled another path, I feel I might not be who I am today, nor might I have met such a wonderful man as my husband.  I only wish I could have known all that I know now when my two adult children were growing up.  I miss them everyday, though they have little time for Mom in their busy lives of friends and doing their own thing.  That is why I know I must live my life now–it is time to let go and let them grow. 

 

I am a worry-wart mom; which I guess is why my older kids do not let me know when they are having hardships, when they are not living well or doing ‘Mom-approved’ things.  I tell them what I think…rather bluntly, and they usually don’t like what I have to say.  So, Mom is kept at bay and in the dark when it comes to what they do or how they live.  I don’t like it…at all!  What mom does like not knowing what her kids are up to…at any age?  None that I know of–especially not this mom. 

 

Still, I stay busy with baby.  I still have one child under my wing.  I have to get it right this time.  And I figure, by the time Nixi is old enough to know better, we’ll have settled somewhere; hopefully in a small community of peaceful folks who don’t see color or race so much as these rednecks around here do.  This city is a RAT RACE, no place to raise a child.  We want to be able to get out and walk, ride our bikes, go to the beach, forage in the woods, survive on our own efforts by growing our food and such.  That is the life we seek.  I pray and remain hopeful.

 

Things turn out as they are meant to happen…most of the time.  The signs are always there.  It is up to us to pay attention and follow our heart.  It will never stear us wrong.  

 

Soon…we will follow our hearts off into the sunset.  I know there is a better life waiting for us…just over the horizon. 

 

God Bless & Happy Travels! 

 

 

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                 Our Home on the Beach

 

 

 

 

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 November 23rd 2010:

[If  we make it through December…everything’s gonna be alright, I know.]  I’ve always loved that song.  And the way things sometimes seem to go for us, I just hope we can ‘make it through December’.  Christmas, the holidays and all, always seems so ‘heavy’ on us.  All the expectations of others: presents, a big spread of food, the picture-perfect story many love to ‘knock themselves out’ creating.  Not I…not anymore!

For so many years, I practically killed myself trying to ‘do it all’, though it so-often seemed to go unnoticed…unappreciated.  These days, I’m taking the high road and veering off-course when it comes to family traditions.  A nice barbecue on the beach will do nicely…thank you! 

Either way, I know this is the season of giving.  So..that is what we plan to do, but in a way that really makes a difference.  I just had to get that off my mind.  Thanks for reading!  ;  )

Happy & Healthy Holy Days to All!!!  God Bless!    

 

 

 

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October 5th 2010:

 

Gotta be quick on this one, ’cause baby doesn’t like waiting much.  So…Here goes!

It’s been a while since my last post, but there’s a reason for this.  I have soooooo much to tell, but no time to tell it.  Between baby and a broken-down laptop that won’t let me open my browser windows…at all, I haven’t been able to keep in touch lately.

All in all, we’ve managed to travel to the Guadalupe River…River Road, on our birthdays in early September; just in time for the hurricane winds to blow through and force us to evacuate to higher ground.  Longer story to come, when puter is fixed. : )

No worries on that detour really.  We went to San Antonio instead, and waited for the weather to clear; saw Hubby’s best friend while in town…barbecued at his place.   ‘Got back to our hotel room to find our little Blanca dog had chewed the place up; a whole door in fact, of particule board.  We, of course, had to pay for the damages.  Oh joy!!!

‘Finally got to the river though, we camped for a few nights and tubed only once; baby doesn’t give much time for that sort of thing, so we went in shifts.  :  )

More later…

Duty call!  Ugh!  : D

 

 

 

 

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August 11th 2010:

HONK if you LOVE, Love, love Vintage Volkswagens!!!

This could be the headline for an article on what happened to my husband yesterday while he sat at a red light.

There he was at the red light, when a super-snazzy…restored VW Bus pulled up along-side him containing a woman and her brood of children in the back passenger seats.  She had gotten Hubby’s attention even before she came into view; beeping her horn with approval of our Westfalia (not quite so shiny as her bus, but still way Kewlio).  With equal approval, Hubby beeped back.

Then came the chorus of beeps!  It wasn’t the bus beside him, Hubby realized, but instead…the melodic beeping came from behind him.  Looking in the rear-view mirror, Hubby could see two classic VW Bugs flashing a peace sign-thumbs up and a friendly wave.  Hubby waved back.  And…his day had been made.

What can I say…!  If you’re happy and you know it–and you just happen to be driving a super-cool, perfectly classic, vintage Volkswagen–feel free to honk your horn!  We are one…we are Vintage VW enthusiasts!

Thumbs UP….and Peace back atcha Man!  Cheers & Safe Travels!  We’ll see ya down the road.  : D

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 Our Happy Lil Baby

 

Have a 'Beachy' Holiday

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 10th 2010:

 

It seems like everywhere we go these days, we get a thumbs-up or a peace-sign.  Hubby and I feel like we are in a parade…but in a good way.  :  )  Nah…  I’d be lying if I said the Westy isn’t a blast to chug around town.  We’ve been called the ‘Hippie People’ more than once, but we don’t mind a bit!  After all…we were born in the 60’s.   Gawd, that makes us sound sooooo ooooooold!  haha

There’s no argueing the point that we are getting on up there in years.  I’ll be *gulp* 42 (bahahahaha) in less than a month.  I really don’t feel a day over twenty…most of the time….except at night when baby wakes us up…when I’m pedalling the old cruiser bike up a hill….when I look too closely in the mirror with my glasses on or try to see without them at all.  It is at these times when I am reminded that I’m no longer a ‘spring chicken’ as my sweet momma used to say.

I am looking so forward to living a full life when we actually get our shiwawa together and hit the road for the long-haul.  Still…we are here…for now, right where we are meant to be, for reasons we cannot always understand.  The only thing I can do is learn from it all: Stay off of ebay, get more stories out there when baby lets me, and work more diligently at the things that, perhaps, might change our futures and that of our loved ones…the kids mainly.

I know our best life is out there waiting for us to come fill in the blanks that someone…somewhere is feeling because we are not there.  So…I guess for now, I will plan and do more research on…research.  : D  There is a bit of time to relax and enjoy the day with my little Nixi.  If only my older two kiddos and my hubby were here…it would be great!  I feel when we find our place in this world…once and for all, everything will just fall into place.

Cheers to the best life we can live…one and all!  Ching Ching and Happy Travels!!

 

 

 

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August 5th 2010:

 

Well…not much has changed since last week, but since baby is sleeping-in this morning I’m gonna write a bit about my nothing-doing…just to amuse you all.  As our story goes, we are still stuck in the subs…in a different locale.  We are at least out of the hub-bub of the city and more out in the country where I can ‘breathe’.  Finally…!

I’ve been working a lot with little Nixi; sitting her on the little pink pottie when I have to ‘go’.  Heh um…  She is doing great for her first try at pottie-training, actually T-T’d twice in one day…yesterday.  I am soo proud of her!  Daddy was very proud too!  :  )

But…on to the subject of the Westy and our travels (or lack of such).  Needless to say, we are counting-down, crossing our fingers that nothing else goes wrong with the van: three weeks…tops, til we head down the road and outta town.  *Hoping…hoping*  I’ve done research after research on our intended destination.  We know where we want to be…to live…to nurture little Nixi.  The hard part seems to be just getting-going or getting there.  Still…I remain hopeful.

We finally broke-down and ordered the Zoom Q3 Audio/Video recorder we’d been needing and wanting for a looooong time.  The sound is superb, just like real-time, live sound.  So…the next step is to record our music…send it out to Gov for copyright, then we continue with the making of our first video.  Yes…we are in the process of making a video for our first original release.  For a long time, I’ve been putting off my music.

My mother used to tell me to give-it-a-go; so many people have encouraged me…even strangers through-out my singing career.  But none-so more than my husband.  He won’t let-up for a minute.  He believes in me…as a singer/songwriter, as a strong woman who is ‘sometimes’ too willing to let the world beat me down.  It’s almost like I’ve never believed in myself…that I could actually make it in the world of music.  It’s really funny how everyone can see what I’ve never been able to notice.

I guess we’ll see what happens.  Wish us luck!  We’ll soon be posting our work on YouTube.  I hope you-all will go and give it a listen when I include the link in a future post.  We hope you like what you hear.

God Bless and Happy Travels to everyone who is actually out there ‘living the dream’!  :  )

 

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July 28th 2010:

 

Little Nixi is 10 months-old today!  Yay!!  But, other than that, and because we are still ‘stuck in the subs’…

 

Ugh!!! The Cavewoman is back!

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July 27th 2010:

 

I had a moment of quiet, so I thought I’d write a thought or two while I have the chance.  ‘Made my deadline…my latest piece is submitted and published online; ready for your reading pleasure.  It’s been a rather uneventful day, but I’m not complaining…at all, none what-so-ever!  The last time I commented on the quiet day, it all went to shit!  So, I’m saying…just for the record, I LOVE QUIET DAYS! lol

No really….  Tomorrow is the big day: Nixi turns 10 months-old.  I am happy and sad…all in one feeling.  Happy because she is soooo beautiful, healthy, and such a playful…happy baby; sad because she is no longer a single digit number, and is closer to being a year-old than….not.  I know I’m not really making sense, but…if you’re a mom, and you have a little one who’s grown like a weed…right before your eyes, you know exactly where I’m coming from.

My other two kids are now young adults–I blinked and they were grown.  Yes…there are days I feel overwhelmed because, as all mothers know, the job never stops…you rarely get a break, and you tend to let yourself go a bit…in comparison to how you were when you actually had some time for yourself.  It is now almost 4:30 in the afternoon, and I ‘just now’ put on my face and tried to make some sense outta my tangled hair.  Yes…I do comb it, but I usually use my fingers because it is so fine, and kinda crazy at times.  Hubby loves it…thinks it’s sexy.  Men…!  They just love bed-head.  Only reason I can think of as to ‘why’ they like a woman’s hair messy is, well…, pretty obvious.

Okay…so I’m rambling-on, trying to think of what I tried to remember not to forget.  Funny how the 40-something mind doesn’t cling to a thought for long; at least mine doesn’t anyway.  I won’t complain!  I’m very reluctant to piss and moan about anything these days; too afraid it might go and get worse.  No matter how bad things can sometimes get, I know, they can always get worse.  So…I try to keep a stiff-upper-lip and be happy…even when I’m really not.

I feel like we’re stuck in the mud…really.  I’m as antsy as any woman can get; like a gipsy who can’t find her home.  That’s it!  I’m a gipsy who can’t find her way home….  A woman of wanderlust…just looking to roam.  ‘Could be a song…never know.  That’s how my thoughts work: like a song…always in progress…never ending.

Hubby and I have written several songs, I feel I should mention.  The words and music just come to me…sometimes in dreams.  I feel I am either blessed….or possessed!  lol  No…really!  I have this way about me: thoughts I must confess to music.  But when I do sing the feelings of my heart, I find it hard to sing at all for getting all choked up.  If I could only get past that…I’d be just fine.

So…keep on the look out!  We’ll be posting our songs on YouTube asap.  We finally broke down and bought some recording gear we can carry along on the road.  ‘Not a lot of room in our VW Westy.  That’s not a problem.  I’m soooo hard-headed, I always find a way.  I may be ‘not so great as I once was’, but I refuse to throw-in-the-towel.  I have dreams that even if I bull-headedly refuse to follow…somehow, keep following me.  I wonder if Someone is trying to tell me something.  Only time will tell.

Cheers!

 

 

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July 23rd 2010:

 

Okay, so I had a bit of a melt-down this morning.  Sometimes I can’t hold it in; it seems to happen at certain times of the month.  *no brainer*  But, I can’t help but feel sorry for my poor husband, who is always there to be my leaning post.

This time, however, my set-back was due to our crazy schedule, the events of the past week, and also because I just needed some LUV!  :  )

As usual, he made it all better.  I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have a man who requires so little: eggs in the morning…eggs at lunch…eggs at dinner; my husband loves eggs, needless to say.  No…really!  He does love his eggs, but he really is there for me and baby, he is the rock in our family…he just doesn’t realize it, I suspect.

By the time he was off to help his brother at the shop, we were all better.  He came home for lunch, and now…I look forward to seeing him this evening.  I’m currently researching a story due in a few days, so I guess we’ll be trekking off to take pics for the story and experience the subject-at-hand…first hand.  Gotta love the crazy life we are now living!  We wanted to step outta the ordinary and live a more exciting…unpredictable life.  Well, I’d say….we got our wish!

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July 21st 2010:

Well I spoke too soon yesterday when I said it had been a relatively quiet day.  I should have just kept it to myself, because the day sure didn’t end that way.  Oh man!  So…in a nutshell.

We (hubby and I…and baby) had been staying with my mother-in-law’s Tia (Aunt in spanish), and his mom since she has been there for more than 4 years…tending to her, since Tia’s alzheimers has been rapidly progressing.  It is a sad…sad case, that Tia–widowed for quite a few years–had been left to fend for herself before my MiL came along; never mind she (Tia) has a son living in another state, and several grand-daughters.  Well, just in the past six months or so, Tia’s youngest grand-daughter has decided she wanted to take over, was granted power of attorney over Tia’s estate, and gotten her own father thrown out of the will.

So…here we were a few weeks back, ready to hit the road…when the brakes began locking up on the van.  We were held over, so hubby’s mom and Tia invited us to stay with them until we get the parts delivered and the brakes fixed.  We took them up on the offer; hubby began helping the aging women out around the house, we offered to give money, but no one would take it.  We were appreciative.

Then…enter the grand-daughter–I’ll call her CM.  She decided she would move in to her grand-mother’s house with her three kids, two of them infant twins.  Not our business.  So…here we all are in one house–it was driving me crazy, and I wanted to leave asap…perhaps ‘yesterday’…everyday, but we were always talked in to staying by my MiL.

Well, yesterday, the shit really hit the fan when CM decided to start throwing her weight (believe me…she has a lot of that) around and bossing us ‘just because’ hubby and I took MiL out to eat without Tia, who was supposed to go stay with the neighbor across the street.  My MiL never gets away, she is never compensated for her 24/7 care and work, but still…she gets ‘reprimanded’ by the little piss-ant CM for leaving without Tia?  BS!!  Still, the little troll CM, has had the nerve of out right flirting with my husband–I never said a word to her…just let it pass–and even called him up last night with an attitude asking where my MiL was and why wasn’t she home watching Tia?  The nerve!  Where was she!?  Why couldn’t she watch her grand-mother?!  The bad thing is…poor Tia is in and out of memory, and doesn’t always know what is going on around her.

Anyway, when I told the little troll not to be calling my husband–after we never got a real answer to how she’d gotten his number in the first place–she copped an attitude and told us to leave.  So…we did.  But, I am still a bit put-off by her.  It isn’t my business what happens with CM and Tia, but my MiL deserves payment for services, and the “B” CM doesn’t need to be calling my man.

Now, we are held over in FW, waiting to replenish funds, and get the van ready to wander.  I can hardly wait!  I can only pray for someone who would throw a family out in the middle of the night.  I’d hate to have her karma coming back at me.  >: )

Happy travels to all!

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 The Tent arrived just a short bit ago!!!  I can hardly wait to set it up and dreammmmm!  :  )  Just a little at a time, and we’ll soon be ready to hit the road.  As the old saying goes: Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Our Vintage Drive-Away Tent. Awaiting its Arrival...

 

July 20th 2010:

 

Okay…so we’re still waiting on a few more loose ends, but we’ve made a lot of progress (see before/after Westy pics below).  Hubby is helping his bro out at his body shop to replenish funds of what-all we’ve spent on our van.  Now, I anticipate the arrival of our ‘Super Cool’ Vintage VW Drive Away tent, which will not only add some much-needed privacy, but will also be like adding a whole room to our van space.  It has the floor in it and all, with screen-zip windows and doors…and an awning that doubles as a front door.  Of course, I found it on Ebay…as I’ve found everything we’ve had to buy for our van.  Gotta love Ebay!!

So…now, since baby is sleeping, I am updating this blog even though I don’t have a lot to report as of yet today.  Been a relatively quiet day so far, which is a good thing…I must admit.  : )  Now, I am simply researching jobs around the country…even abroad, while I wait to hear back on a travel piece I submitted last week.  ‘Should be hearing something any day now; hopefully anyway.  Those are the breaks when it comes to freelance writing.  Even though I am really proud that my book was published a few years back, I still have to keep the nose to the grind stone–or fingers to the keyboard–and keep at it.  Success…I hope will find me someday.

That’s life!  ‘Gotta love it.  Cheers and happy travels to all!

 

 

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Our Westy at last photo documentation.  She’s come a looooong way in less than 2 months.  Things are looking up!  : D

Peniki...After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Peniki...Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 16th 2010:

Another week, a few more parts, quite a bit of dough later…and we’re still getting ready to hit the road.  No one said it would be easy, and believe me, it hasn’t been.  We just keep doing what feels right, all the signs are pointing in the direction we’re steadily working towards.  A little voice inside me keeps saying just to “Keep on keeping on!  Nothing in life worth having is ever easy.”, so I just take my own advice, suck it all in…and try harder to reach my goal.

The Westy is getting closer to road-ready; one brake/caliper/line installed…one more to go.  Then, Hubby will check the two front brakes to make sure no servicing is needed there.  Ugh!  I feel like a cavewoman these days.  All I can say is “Ugh!”.   *chuckle*     In reality, we’ve come a long way with our little campmobile in a short month-and-a-half (Has it really been that long?), but I remain hopeful that we will be heading down the road in no time.  *crossing fingers…toes…legs…arms*  I feel like a child who’s anticipating the last day of school, but it keeps getting pushed back.  I feel like a kid who’s been waiting for my mom or dad to come play a while with me, but they keep finding better things to do with their time; yet again, I have to wait.

I know there is really no one at fault here, any more than my own self, for buying a 39 year-old classic vehicle that had been sitting for years before we came along and rescued her.  She (Peniki) is a true classic, she deserved the name plate stating such status.  The sad thing is…she is just like me: she doesn’t have alot of mileage, and I suspect she’s never been any place too far, but she desperately needs to wander and see the creations of God…of nature…of man…of the world.

I feel like a caged lion at times; like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life — I feel like if I don’t get away…I’ll just bust!  So…here I sit, writing this blog post, hoping that someone…anyone, might feel compelled to read my words and comment their words of understanding and perhaps share some feelings of the same sort.

TGIF!  We’ll see what the weekend brings.  God Bless and Happy Travels to one and all!  :  )

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Sunrise View on Our Maiden Voyage

July 6th 2010:

Okay…so we’re feeling a little ‘stuck in the mud’ these days, dealing with the layover-limbo kind of waiting game.  What are we waiting for…you ask?  Well, we are still waiting on parts to make the VW Westy road-ready.

First it was one thing…the permanent plates for the van, then the title, then…we discovered we’d need to replace a few parts to get the Westy inspected.  Ugh!!  Now, we are waiting on parts to fix the brakes on our ‘Yes we do still love her’ campmobile.  I’ve received notification that our parts are on the way.  A glimmer of hope is still in my eyes.

So now I sit writing this post in my blog that I barely have time to keep up with lately.  Even though we are waiting…we are very busy getting ready for the road trip.  I’ve also been researching work, places to go, things to do, so on and so forth.

Where we are headed first is anyone’s guess; and believe me, everyone keeps asking.  “Where are ya’ll?  Where are you going?  You still in town?”  Exhausting…completely!  I know they all mean well, or perhaps they are just being a bit ‘nosy’.  I’m sure I could guess, but I won’t say.

Either way, and even after some drama on our first outing–mean-spirited RV park snobs looking down their noses at our lifestyle, at us, at our a-little-rough-around-the-edges camper van.  None of it–they, rather– just doesn’t matter to us.

We see our baby growing so fast and so strong…she is so happy; we know we are doing the right thing…bringing her up in a modest, low-key lifestyle.  We see that she doesn’t need all of the stuff that people tend to lavish on their children, simply trying to make up for the time they do not spend; too busy working, shopping, whatever!

Hubby and I might not be agreeable to many ‘conventional robots-wage slaves’ but we are spending the most valuable commodity ever available on our baby.  We are spending time.  Priceless!

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Our Dream…Come to Life

June 11th 2010:

So…it’s been almost a whole month since we went and picked up our 1971 VW Westfalia Campmobile Van, and I still cannot believe she is ours!  Anyone who knows me, knows how long I’ve wanted one of these classic, none-other-like-them-in-the-world camper vans.

I ‘m in love with my car!  Is that a little odd?  I don’t think so in the least.  You see…?  She–Peniki–as we have named her–is our passport outta the rat race.  Sorry to say, we are waiting on a few loose ends before we can hit the road.  But, all in all, it’s been a great adjustment time; getting used to cohabitation in a camper van as opposed to a traditional house, like we had been living in for the past several years.

‘Glad to say, we have taken that first BIG step out of the conventional lifestyle (the one everyone thinks they are ‘supposed’ to live) and already sold everything we own…cars and all.  Now, we are left with each other (our MOST valuable…no, priceless possessions ever), our Super Cool Hippie Van, the belongings we’ll need on the road, and a half-full storage unit of the stuff we had to keep.  ‘Always a few strands of ‘red tape’ we can’t cut through…no matter how hard we try.

So…we are waiting…and waiting…and waiting for the loose ends to be knotted, then…just like that breeze that’s calling, we’ll be chuggin down the road.  A couple (and a half) of Nomads…we are!  I’m lovin’ every minute of it.  Who was it who said that nothing in life worth having is ever easy?  I wish I could remember.  But, no matter really.  This adventure, so far, has been an exhausting undertaking–definitely ‘not’ for the faint-of-heart.  I sure am glad that I inherited my hard-headed ways from my daddy.  Any time anyone has ever told me something might be impossible, or a bad idea, well…that’s the very thing I’d do.  My parents always told me that curiosity killed the cat.  I sure am glad I’m not feline.  :  )

There’ll be more to come…

Our adventure has just begun!

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So…I never thought I’d be able to say this so soon, but…”We Found It!!!”  “We found the Westy for Us!”.  Now, we just gotta save a bit more, and the puppy is ours!  YAYA!!

Forty-Something Faux pas

Just when I thought I could see the finish line, I’m right back in the gate.  Thus are the thoughts of a forty-something pregnant woman.  With one adult child and one teenage child, I had been busy as a bee planning a wonderful and carefree year for two love-birds: me and my husband Nico. 

Imagine my shock and his surprise when I suspected something wasn’t quite right.  The nausea had me worried because it’s one of the signs of heart trouble in women.  Never in a million years did I actually think it could be ‘morning sickness’; though it did pass through my mind a time or two.  Several dry months later–no swimming the red sea–I felt compelled to mention it to hubby.  He was ecstatic, elated, you name it!  He loved the idea of a little ‘us’ growing inside of me; his never having had children and being almost 40. 

Me…?  I was on a different end of the spectrum.  I had been through years and years of single-mom-syndrome.  Needless to say, it hadn’t been easy for me or my kids.  So, I guess with the whole thought-association process thing, I was happy…and bummed at the same time.  I would never be so selfish as to ‘not’ want our baby; I love any little life my husband and I create.  But, it’s hard to explain really, I was just seeing some light at the end of the tunnel of rearing two kids…mostly alone with no help, and pouring dollar after dollar of money I never seemed to have, into countless wants and needs.  I guess I was gearing up for some ‘me’ time…or just getting used to the easy, low-key life my husband and I have gotten used to as a couple. 

It has taken some adjusting of my thoughts to realize that this time…I won’t be going it alone; my husband will be a wonderful father, of that I am sure.  And I’ve begun to realize that just because we are bringing a little life into the world, I know I am much more prepared now than I ever was then.  I feel blessed more than shocked and dismayed these days.  I’ve already felt movement (not sure whether or not it was gas), and my baby-clock has already started to kick in, getting up at least once a night to pee…visiting the fridge in the middle of the night.  I have to laugh at how funny life can be.

As for the travelling we’d planned on doing: that’s where the VW Westy we plan to buy comes into the picture.  I am a lucky woman to have a mechanically inclined man whose profession is auto paint & body.  Because when we get our Camper Van, however old and shabby it might be, we plan on turning it into a shiny-new hippie traveler; complete with a ‘baby on board’ sticker plastered right across the back window. 

I can hardly wait!