Birthday Wishes and Social Security

Today is my oldest (but younger than me) brother’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Kenny! Here is a photo of the two of us taken in 1959 at ages 3 and 2. Back then we called him Buddy. The second photo is cropped from a family photo taken at my younger sister's (Jennifer) funeral in September 2019. 

Buddy at 2 (Beth at three)

The Kenneth and DeAnn Karnes Children: Jeff (57), Kenny (62), Beth (63) Todd (53)

Today was laundry day. Joe and I were charged with fixing dinner this evening. We made meatballs and marinara sauce to serve with cheese ravioli and beef ravioli and a Caesar Salad. 

My big project for today was to revisit applying for social security now at sixty-seven (and two months) versus when I am seventy. Last year before retiring I had looked at it and thought it would be a good idea to wait until I was seventy – that I would make more in the long run. This afternoon I sat down with Joe and figured out that if I wait until aged seventy, it will take until I reach eighty-one before what I would be paid over the years would catch up with the amount, I get by starting benefits now.

I am hoping to live past eighty-one! There are no guarantees though. My dad died at fifty-nine and my mother at seventy-seven. So far, I have not had the health issues they suffered. Still, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

Taking the social security check now will give us a bigger cushion for savings, traveling, gift giving, all the things that having a bit of ‘extra’ money now will make me feel better about. It’s a win-win.

Collecting now versus later also makes me feel I am contributing to our household income. This is important to me. My head knows that the money we currently have in our coffers was earned by Joe and me. At the same time, the fact that Joe gets a monthly check to contribute, and I don’t, feels very uncomfortable for me.

In the back of my mind, I have been thinking that retirement is a stage of life where everything is all figured out and life starts becoming a straight line from point A to point B because you are no longer reporting to a job. What a silly goose I am! I am loving retirement. Life still throws curve balls though. At this point, I am simply grateful for the quality of life I have lived over the years and for the comfort of my life at age sixty-seven. 

Stormy Night

It was a dark and stormy night so she decided to write a short blog on her iPhone.

Pan has curled up beside me on the bed. He does not enjoy the thunder as I do.  

Today I enjoyed catching up with my friend, Jen, virtually. She gives me great book and Ted Talk recommendations. 

Watched a video sent by Kim through Marco Polo. Megan tells me that Marco Polo sounds like SnapChat for old people. Whatever!

The rest of the day was spent taking care of life stuff. Pay a few bills, schedule vaccine appointments, research part-time remote jobs for a friend, and budget updates for our household.

Before I knew it - it was time for dinner. Tonight was breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, sausage patties, cheesy scrambled eggs, fresh fruit salad, and veggie toppings for the eggs. Megan did a great job of feeding us.

The storm is still raging outside. Inside it is warm and cozy. Thanks in part to the heating blanket Megan loaned me to see if the heat will help rid me of the spasms in my leg.
Goodnight.

Home, Sweet Home!

We are so happy to be home! We got home about 4:45 pm after stopping at the grocery store in Delano on our way home. We started out at 8:00 am this morning. The drive across the rest of South Dakota was a foggy one (see the photo below). Once we left southern Minnesota and started heading north to Rockford, I almost wept from the beauty of the changing leaf colors. I am hoping to get photos to share with you this week. We were eager to get home and there really weren’t any turnouts to pull over safely and take pictures. I was mesmerized by the reds, golds, yellows, and varying shades of green. I had forgotten how much I loved fall while growing up in Ohio.

As soon as we got home, Joe unpacked the car, and I took a shower! Two nights of sleeping in the car and I wanted clean clothes and a shower. It was heavenly. Megan had dinner planned for 6:00pm and we arrived in the kitchen just as dinner was ready to go on the table.

After dinner, Caleb asked Joe to play chess. Megan tells Joe that she had asked the kids to give us a chance to settle in (this means a chance for grandpa, grandma doesn’t do the chess thing). Joe insisted it was fine. Joe reported that he won the first game. Charlotte was next and Joe said he was winning until Caleb showed up and helped Charlotte beat him. They all were happy!

Grandpa and Charlotte BEFORE Caleb showed up to assist Charlotte with the win! Photo by Megan.

The dogs were excited to see us as well. Pan was a bit disappointed to hear he would not be getting a walk this evening as Joe is taking the evening to rest. The morning and evening walks will resume tomorrow most likely.

On the road trip we just completed – Road Trip # 3 during 2023 – we drove a total of 4,598 miles. It took us three days with ½ of a day spent in Yellowstone National Park to drive from Rockford, Minnesota to Bend, Oregon. From Bend, we drove to Woodland California in one day (6 hours of driving time). After a week in Woodland, we drove back to Rockford, Minnesota in three days with an hour spent driving a bit out of the way to Mount Rushmore. We are so ready to take a break from traveling until next spring when I (I haven’t told Joe, yet) would like to go to northern Minnesota and check out Lake Superior and visit the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Here are photos from our visit to Mount Rushmore yesterday. 

5:00 pm in the afternoon. This photo was taken from Mount Rushmore Road in front of the parking lot area (iPhone 10x).

A side view of Washington from a turnout on Mount Rushmore Road. (iPhone at 10x)

Fog photo in South Dakota at 9:00am 9/27/2023. At least the buildings help to break up the fog. The freeway fog was much denser. Our Subaru cameras reported that they could not see and were shutting down. This also meant no cruise control..

The Three R's - Rest, Relaxation, and Roald (Dahl)

Today was a day of physical rest. It gave me an opportunity to set medical, dental, eye care, and hearing test appointments for Joe and me with providers in the area. By mid-October we should have completed all the appointments. I am grateful that our medical insurance will cover all but the cost of hearing aides if we need them.

I didn’t even get out of bed for the day until 11:00am. Megan came down and talked to me for part of the time I was laying there. Eventually I realized that I wanted to get up and get phone calls made for appointments. I also updated all my bookkeeping tasks.

After listening to Hidden Brain Podcast from last year on mindset I decided to do more research into substitute teaching in Minnesota. After completing the orientation with Teachers on Call I was thinking/feeling that substituting might not be a good fit at this time in my life. It occurred to me that I might be talking myself out of something that I might enjoy. Next Tuesday evening I am meeting up with a current substitute to chat about her experiences and ask her questions that are important to me. I owe it to myself to dig a bit deeper.

Other than going upstairs, for dinner, I spent the day in our flat. As a treat I watched The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Netflix. It was certainly a treat! Loved the story and the film. The film is based on the story by Roald Dahl (one of my all-time favorite writers) and written for the screen by Wes Anderson. The cast is amazing with Ralph Fiennes as Roald Dahl (and a policeman) and Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar. Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade also have good parts. Megan recommended the 38-minute short film. She is a fan of both Dahl and Anderson.

During our trip I developed a pain in my right thigh. It comes and goes. It has hindered my step goal. I am hoping for another day or two of rest and I will get back to my daily step goal. Whenever I develop a pain, I figure it is short term and will heal itself. It is on my list to mention to my doctor in a few weeks if I am still experiencing pain. I do not remember any specific incident related to the pain. I suspect it is from sleeping in the car and in two different beds while on our trip.

Sleeping in our own bed with my weighted blanket was sublime last night. Which is why I was in no rush to leave the bed this morning. The last time I stayed in bed so long was in my early twenties on an occasional Saturday.

Tonight’s photo is from Megan of Pan. He enjoys sitting on one of the two landing areas on the steps to our flat. He was helping us by resting and relaxing as well.

I hope everyone reading this blog is doing well.

Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore

We took time today to drive by the Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore. It was late in the day so we did drive-bys. I caught a side view of the Crazy Horse sculpture - it is impressive.

I took s few photos, from the road, of Mount Rushmore. I’ll post the photos tomorrow. Joe and I both would make a point to go to the Crazy Horse Monument and tour their museums next trip.

We left Utah at 7am this morning and stopped for the night in South Dakota. We are now in the Central time zone. It was 10:00 pm when we arrived at the rest stop. Fourteen hours on the road is plenty for one day.

Going across Wyoming today we saw longhorns, lots of cows, a cowboy and his horse in the middle of nowhere, pronghorn antelope, and horses. It broke up the monotony of the highway scenery. Parts of Wyoming were amazing. 

I love South Dakota so far. 

We are both excited to get home to Minnesota tomorrow afternoon.

 

On the Road Again

We left Woodland this morning at 7:00am. Headed home to Rockford, Minnesota. The plan is to travel Interstate 80 and connect to Interstate 90 around Casper, Wyoming.

We stopped in Truckee, California for breakfast and just arrived in Wendover, Nevada for dinner. Our plan is to drive at least another 100 miles before we stop to sleep.

The landscape has been beautiful in both states. The deer signs in Nevada are the first I’ve seen where it reads “Major deer crossings.” I guess all of the other crossings were minor.

Last Day in Woodland

Over the past several days I have written my blog on my phone. Writing on an iPhone is more difficult than using my laptop as I don’t have a way to spell and grammar check. Editing is almost impossible as it is not easy to copy and paste on the phone screen. Setting up the laptop has seemed to much work to do and so I was literally writing my blog while in bed.

Tonight, I decided it was time to step up my game and write in the manner I am most comfortable with. Tired or not! This entry should have fewer spelling and grammar errors and should be a bit more coherent.

This morning we met our friends Kacey and Liz in Sacramento at Fox and Goose for breakfast. From there we went to their new home they purchased this past spring. The house is super cute with a skylight and atrium in the living room area and skylights in each of the two bathrooms. Their pets, Fetty (canine), Derry and Stevie (The cats) love having yards to chill in.

We spent the afternoon getting things around for our return home to Minnesota. We leave tomorrow morning!

Joe met up with Lauren for dinner while I went to dinner with Kim and Sarah.

I have two photos to share. The first is of a hummingbird in Ginger’s backyard while we were visiting on Thursday afternoon. The second is a photo Joe took in Babak’s neighborhood in Morgan Hill. Joe came home with this photo and said, “I have a gift for you. I saw this buck and stopped to take a photo for you.”

 

This has been a lovely trip. I am grateful to all the people we visited with for making space in their schedules. I know several people asked us to stop back in again if we had time. We tried as much as we could! With Joe unable to see anyone until Friday afternoon there were people we will have to catch on a future trip.

I suspect we will get back to Minnesota at the end of the week and spend a few days ‘recovering’ from the drive. We enjoy our trips while they are happening, and we enjoy resting when we get home! 

Shhhhh….

Today was a quiet day of rest and relaxation. The only visiting I had planned for the day was with Kim. Joe left early this morning to visit his friend Babak in Morgan Hill.

Joe probably needed another day of recovery; however, he had promised to help with a project. He is due back later this evening.

Kim and I had breakfast out. Then I tagged along while she did errands. We finished off errands with pedicures and manicures. My first pampering since we were in Pennsylvania in early June. 

Got back to the house and I ended up napping while Kim went to work for awhile. 

This evening I’m continuing to chill out! 

Friend Visits

Joe continues to stay at the house and rest as he heals from a cold. One of our neighbors, Rosemary, reached out and asked if her husband, Reyes, could stop in for a quick visit with Joe. When we left Woodland at the end of March, Reyes was out of the country so could not say goodbye. 

When I got back from visiting friends this afternoon, Joe shared that Reyes did make it over to visit. Joe was happy to see Reyes and visit awhile.

 

 I had lunch with my friend Deb today. I enjoy her energy. We spent two hours chatting. At the beginning of our lunch I was feeling a bit rundown. Fortunately, Deb’s openness and positive vibes helped to energize me. I appreciated that! Deb is very involved with Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary in Elverta. Deb and I are Facebook friends so I get to see photos regularly of her current dog family - four Cavaliers. Loved my time with Deb today. 

 

As Deb and I were saying our goodbyes at the restaurant a woman approached and asked if I was Beth. It was Rosemary! Even though she lives across the street and two doors down from our house in Woodland we had never met in person. Thank goodness for Facebook! It was great to get to connect in person. 

After lunch I headed over to visit with Ginger. Joe was immersed in watching Ted Lasso and wouldn’t miss me. Ginger and I sat on her back patio watching the birds, butterflies, and bees enjoy her yard.

Then it was back to Kim’s for a short nap before Kim and I went to dinner.

Tonight I am writing my blog on my phone as I am sleepy. Any errors are because spellcheck does not work on my phone version of the blog application.

Good night!

The Gift of Friendship

This morning I spent 2 ½ hours visiting my cousin, Eleanor, at her Woodland home. Eleanor is my mother’s oldest sister’s daughter. We spent the last fifteen (or maybe more?) years having dinner once a month. Then in February 2014 we took over monitoring the care and financial affairs of one of our uncles after he had a stroke. That meant we often saw each other multiple times a month. So, despite our fifteen-year age gap we have become friends instead of cousins who are keeping a family connection alive. I enjoyed catching up with her,

It was especially cool to learn that her grandson, Derek, has landed an awesome new job and will be starting as soon as a background check is completed. Derek was a friend of my daughter when they were both in middle school. Megan is a year older than Derek. One night when Derek was visiting our house, I think he was in 10^th grade, Eleanor came by the house to pick me up for our monthly dinner. I opened the door, and Derek saw Eleanor and greeted her with, “Hi, Grandma!” I thought he was playing around and being sort of silly calling my cousin grandma. He wasn’t. We had known Derek for several years and I knew he had the same last name as Eleanor; however, I never had made the connection. After some family struggles, Derek went to live with Eleanor and her husband, Gene, and was able to finish high school with emotional and financial support from them. It was one of the acts of love I have always appreciated about Eleanor and Gene.

I was also excited to learn that her granddaughter, Kathryn, graduated from college and immediately has a new job in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The job came about as she was a dorm floor monitor while in college. Her supervisor recommended Kathryn for the job which entails (if I understood it correctly) overseeing dormitories (budget and conditions) at a college – it sounds like a management level position. The college paid for her to go to Sault Ste Marie to interview, offered her the position on the spot, and wanted her to start right away. She will be across the country from her family, but she is very excited for this opportunity.

This evening, I spent a couple of hours visiting with my friend Kara, and I got to meet her husband, Roger, for the very first time. Joe had hoped to join us. He is still recovering from the head cold and is coughing quite a bit, so he opted to stay home and rest (By the way, we did pick up some Fisherman’s Cough Drops today and that is helping mitigate our coughs a bit more than the cough medicines we have been using).

Kara, Roger, and I met at Father Paddy’s. Oh, my goodness. I wish Kara and Roger (along with my dear friends Kim and Ginger & Jim Burden) all lived in Minnesota. Listening to Kara and Roger talk fills my heart with happiness. They were recently visiting Boston, so I got to hear details about their trip that I didn’t get to see on Facebook.

We also chatted about blogs we read, and Kara recommended a blog for me to follow. Roger grew up in San Diego and Joe went to college in San Diego. They were both in San Diego, but at different colleges, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s – so we talked about that similar path. Roger did a year of substituting secondary (7^th through 12^th). Another common experience that connects us.

Kara asked me about living in Minnesota and how retirement is going. She will eventually retire to travel and to spend more time with Roger. For now, she appreciates hearing what retirement is like for others. Roger is retired. I asked her if she remembered what she felt the first time she went off to work after Roger retired. She shared that she felt upset (I can’t recall if she used the exact word when describing how she felt – it may have been frustrated) that he got to stay home that day. She said, “He wasn’t even dressed for the day.” Roger intervened to say, “She didn’t tell you that I had made her coffee.” It seems he still makes her coffee every morning. I loved this story so much I asked permission to add it to tonight’s blog. It takes only a few minutes to realize that Kara and Roger love and care for each other. I loved how authentic Kara was in relaying her feelings on that first day of Roger’s retirement. I retired two weeks before Joe. I suspect I would have responded pretty much the same way as Kara.

Kara and Roger have lunch together most days. They enjoy traveling together. For the years I’ve followed Kara on Facebook, she has written of Roger and her travels, their gatherings with grandchildren, and their evening out at the local pub. It was the same pub we met at this evening – Father Paddy’s.

One more thing I thought was so fun to hear about tonight. Kara recently discovered there is a Spam Museum in Minnesota. She likes spam. Roger likes spam. Joe likes spam. I hate spam. Kara has promised to come to Minnesota to visit the Spam Museum and they will come to visit us. I may not like spam, but I like the fact that there is a Spam Museum and that it is in Minnesota.

Many thanks to my cousin Eleanor and to Kara and Roger for the gift of their company today.

In other news, Megan sent me photos of tonight’s family dinner. It was the night to make the monthly Raddish meal. Joe and I had supervised the kid’s night to prepare dinner in July and August. We missed this month because we aren’t due back until the very end of September.

It was a chicken potpie like concoction with cheesy biscuits as the crust. Everything, including the biscuits, is made from scratch. Megan wrote that it ended up taking two times longer than they expected. Even though it was a school night they rearranged their schedule so that homework got done while the meal was in the oven. The result was a delicious dinner that they all enjoyed.

So here are the photos from Megan:

Charlotte & Caleb preparing dinner

Ready for the oven

Time to eat!

More Friend Time in Woodland

This morning I met up with my friend B for coffee. It was a pleasure to catch up with him and hear his family news. He has been a real blessing over the 8 1/2 years I’ve known him. 

I then went to visit my friend, Nancy. I had planned to visit with her about an hour and a half as we had other plans at noon in Vacaville. Joe slept very little last night because of his cough so we canceled our Vacaville plans. Nancy and I ended up chatting for almost three hours. Again, I enjoyed catching up with her, hearing about her recent trip to Ireland and family news. 

This evening Ginger, Kim, and my cousin, Eleanor, went to dinner at Main Street Lounge. The pizza I ordered was excellent. It was noisy so we had to speak loudly to hear each other. Fun times!

Now I am tired and ready for bed! Another day of visiting planned for tomorrow.

Time with Friends

Our friend, Elizabeth, came over to visit this morning before her work day started. It was fun to hear about her recent cruise/trip to Alaska. Joe was resting up as he was up coughing several times during the night. Elizabeth and I sat out in the backyard enjoying the balmy cool morning.

Around 9:30 Joe and I drove over to JR3, Joe’s former employer for a visit. Joe visited and I read in the car (my turn to rest). 

Next up was a 2+ hour visit with our dear friends the Burdens. Ginger, Jim, Jennifer (one of their 4 daughters) and I enjoyed a visit on their back patio. Eventually, Jim and Jennifer wondered away while Ginger and I continued to visit. I also got to say hi to their oldest daughter, Jessica. Joe had stayed behind ro rest some more. Benedryl had taken hold and sleep was his best friend.

The Burdens are long time friends (1979) and we have been sharing life events for so long that they are family.  Ginger was the first person I trusted to take care of Megan as an infant. To this day, Megan loves her Aunty Ginger and Uncle Jim deeply.

I came home around 3:30 pm to a sleeping Joe. I thought I’d nap for a bit and ended up meditating and resting instead.

At 5:00pm, Joe and I met our friend Michael for dinner in downtown Woodland. Michael had questions about our trip and we got caught up on his life this past 6 months.

It was an awesome day of connecting with people we are blessed to know.

On the Road to Woodland, California (Part of Road Trip #3 in 2023)

The one question anybody has yet to ask is, “What’s the least favorite part of your road trip adventures this year?” I came to this realization while at a rest stop in Oregon this morning. I have an answer to this question!

Today, we drove from Bend Oregon to Woodland, California. We are staying with our friend Kim in our old home. I was a bit concerned with how I would handle staying in Kim’s home as a guest. She has decorated beautifully, and Joe said her decorations make it feel like her home and not ours. This is all good!

We got in late this afternoon and talked for about 3 hours solid! I am delighted to be here and have time with friends this week.

One photo for today is from Hwy 97 south of Bend about 60 miles. There was suddenly a traffic delay.

Here is the reason for our delay:

Two of three deer that crossed the road around 9:00am this morning. I took this photo while we were moving. One deer is center other deer's head is at right edge of photo.

I sent my brothers this photo in a text this morning. They understand how I feel about deer on the road.

My least favorite part of road trips this year: 1-ply toilet paper!!! Even my deer worries pale next to all of the 1-ply toilet paper in rest stops and gas stations across America.
 

Celebration Day - Sisters, Oregon

Today we attended our friends, Debbie and Steve’s wedding celebration at Shepherdsfield Event Venue in Sisters, Oregon. The weather was beautiful if a bit windy at 1:00 pm when we got there. The wind was good news as it blew smoke away from the event. When the wind died down the smoke rolled in, and we left as I was having difficulty breathing.

I caught this photo of Debbie, and her daughter Molly, that another photographer had staged.

One view from the lawn reception area:

It was lovely to see Debbie and Steve, our niece Molly, two of Debbie’s family members we have met before – Barbara (Debbie’s sister) and Donna (Debbie’s sister-in-law. We only caught Donna at the end as she came over to say hi when she saw we were leaving. Barbara and I visited for a bit, earlier in the afternoon, before she headed off to corral her grandchildren.

We met some new folks also. One asked us to look her up when we get to Bend the next time as she would like to spend more time with us. I enjoyed a visit with her, she and Debbie have been friends since 1993 – the same year Joe and I first met Debbie. M and Debbie worked with teens in trouble. Debbie as a counselor, M as a group home direct support caretaker for the youth.

Joe spent time with Ryan, Molly’s husband, talking about welding and finding out how much land would be best if we wanted to raise a cow for meat purposes. Don’t ask. Ryan, a nurse, has an interest in welding as a hobby. He knows cows as he was an animal science major in college and helps on a local farm on the weekends. Local being Talent, Oregon near Ashland.

We also met Randy. A friend that Debbie and Steve met at a campground in 2021 during COVID. During COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, to get out of the house, Randy went camping. Steve and Debbie did the same. They met and became fast friends.

After an afternoon meal was served, Debbie and Steve spoke a vit about their private May 28, 2023, wedding and how they determined whether to marry at all at their age. Debbie shared that they read a lot about marriage, read poems, and listened to music to help them decide their next step. In the end marriage won as they wanted to come home at the end of the day and know someone was there to love. The toast was to all their guests. “You are here today because each of you have touched our hearts and lives in a positive way. Thank you for being here.” It was perfect and authentic.

Steve then shared one of his favorite stories of Debbie while they were dating. On their third date, he had invited her to his place for dinner and a movie. They talked all through dinner, pushed their plates aside, and continued to talk. After a while, they stood up to watch the movie, one of them glanced at their watch, it was midnight! They talked for 6 hours without checking the time. Steve said that before he could say anything, Debbie became agitated and blurted out, “Steve, you are supposed to let someone know when they have overstayed their welcome.” She gathered her stuff and left immediately. Steve said he never got to say a word before she was gone. His thought though was, “I want to get to know this woman better!”

After the toast, there was dancing and an open wine and beer bar. Joe and I stayed until the smoke rolled in. We were both delighted to have been here for the celebration.

We leave Bend tomorrow morning and head for Woodland, California. One last photo from Bend that made me smile. A mural about a block from our hotel:

Connections (Day 6 of Road Trip #3 in 2023)

I met up this morning with a friend of the heart – Abbie. She has a huge heart and her capacity for loving the universe and all that it holds is limitless. An hour and 15 minutes of being in her space, and my soul feels refreshed and invigorated.

I marveled as she connected with the person behind the counter at Palate a coffee bar. She had a five-minute conversation with him. I would have been too self-conscious of others waiting in line. There was no line, though. Instead, I listened in and enjoyed the connection Abbie was making.

My relationship with Abbie reminds me that friendship is not defined by proximity. And then after I got back to the motel, I came across this poem on Facebook:

The glory of friendship is

not the outstretched hand,

not the kindly smile,

nor the joy of companionship;                                                                             ,

it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.

-                   - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“… willing to trust you with a friendship.” I had never considered the trust aspect of friendship before reading this poem. Have I always taken the trust of others for granted? I will be pondering this for a while.

Joe and I dined at The Breakfast Club this morning. A small diner about a block from our motel. We are planning to eat an early dinner at Cuban Kitchen four blocks away. Vietnamese food last night and Cuban food tonight. One advantage of spending time in a larger city is the wealth of ethnic food choices.

Megan sent a text this morning that we may be missing the best parts of Minnesota Fall. I asked her to take photos for me. She replied, “I will on Tuesday when I’m not the one driving home. Our backyard may still be changing when you get home!” We are due back in Minnesota at the end of September.

I have noticed that “A Place for Mom” ads have been popping up on my Facebook feed, These are sponsored ads for free senior living advice with the copy, “We are here to help you make the most confident senior living decision for your loved one…” Now, I wonder what I said or looked at that would cause this to show up in my feed?  I guess I shouldn’t worry until they appear on Megan’s feed.

Getting Around Bend (Just a Little)

This morning we ventured into historic downtown Bend for breakfast at Cafe Sintra and when I made a wrong turn we ended up in a historic residential area. Sometimes the wrong turns work out quite well. The streets we were on were narrow and there were cars parked on both sides of the street. There was not room to pull over and take photos. Taking a wrong turn made for a small adventure.

While Joe helped his brother, Steve, fix a car. I continued to rest. I watched a comedy on Netflix - Killer. It kept me entertained. 

One advantage of the motel we are staying at on this trip - it has every amenity within walking distance or a very short drive from here. We had dinner out at Pho Viet & Cafe down the street from our motel and then went to the laundromat. Fun Friday night with the Coehlos!

I am feeling amazingly better this evening. Could have been the Shrimp Pho I had for dinner worked its magic. Soup makes me feel better when I have a cold. 

Fence Building and Day of Rest (Day 4 of Road Trip #3 2023)

Today, Joe connected with his brother, Steve. They built a fence for two sheep out at a local ranch. Tomorrow they will repair a Jeep. I will continue to rest. 

I rested. Getting over what has turned out to be a head cold has become my primary goal. So, I am drinking hot tea with honey, plain tap water, and water infused with berries.

We are in Bend to attend a wedding celebration on Sunday, and I must be healthy to attend. I would hate to have come all this way to miss it. I am not running a fever and other than a cough and congestion, I feel good. I have always been impatient with the healing process.

My idea of resting was to watch two romantic comedies on Netflix, doze, read, and try to get in as many steps as possible toward my daily goal. Because of the cough the steps part is not going very well. Once I can breathe while I walk, without a coughing fit, I will get back on track.

It is now time for me to go take a super-duper cough suppressant and sleep off this cold.

We Made it! (Day 3 of Road Trip #3 in 2023) +Yellowstone National Park Photos (9/12/2023 Visit)

We made it in to Bend this afternoon. Two full days ahead of our anticipated schedule. We were excited to get into our hotel for the two extra nights. We had an early dinner at Laughing Planet advertised as delicious, nutritious, and expeditious. It was all three as promised. 

Our trip from Rockford to our motel doorstep totaled 1778 miles. We spent most of yesterday in Yellowstone National Park. The photos from the trip are from the areas we stopped to visit or found interesting. We had decided to go on the spur of the moment because we had such an easy first day. We drove 445 miles on Tuesday, most of it at 30 to 45 miles per hour inside of Yellowstone. Then today we finished the 631 miles to Bend. Traffic was good all the way, which means less stress and more time to enjoy the scenery.

We will be in Bend until Monday morning when we leave for Woodland, California.

Before sharing the photographs from Yellowstone, this photo taken from eastern Oregon along Highway 20, captured the idyllic scenery of the region.

Along Hwy 20 (west bound) Oregon

Now for Yellowstone!

The first four photos are from the Golden Gate Canyon in the Northwestern part of the park. The first two phtos were taken from a scenic point and are looking directly across at the sheer walls. I was afraid to get closer to the edge and look straight down as their were no guardrails. I am a chicken. 

Scene of the Canyon to the south of where I was standing for the two photos above.

Southwest of the above photo

The first road/bridge in this area was built in 1885.  Twelve hundred and seventy-five pounds of explosives were used to remove 14,000 cubic yards of solid rock which was hauled off by horses and wagons. The bridge was rebuilt in 1900, 1933, and 1977 using newer materials and engineering practices each time.

While I rested, Joe hiked into Gibbons Falls and took two photos.

                                Roaring Mountain - It was very quiet for the 15 minutes we were here. I guess some days the sound is so loud it can be heard 4 miles away.

What can be a bit noisy, a relaxing noise, is the geyser and springs in this video we took.

Coming and going we had the opportunity for delays created by Bison. 

The truck ahead of us has a close encounter.

On the way back, in the same exact spot, there were rangers directing traffic as a herd were crossing and making themselves at home in this field.

As we exited the park there was a thirty minute delay. This gentleman and two of his buddies had been blocking the road. By the time we got to them they were hanging out in a side lot. It would appear size matters when it comes to ruling your own world!

Bison were not he only animals we saw in the park. Joe saw a snake and these ravens (one is in the tsecond tree from the left) were hanging out in small wooded area. We were within 30 feet of them and they didn't seem to concerned about us. We got out of our car, saw them, they saw us, and I took a photo. That was it. Around us other people began to notice them and walked over and I swear these birds posed for them. Joe got another photo of  the closer raven after he grew bored (the raven, not Joe) of being admired.

Next up is a photo from the Midway Geyser Basin:

By the time we got to Old Faithful (our last destination before leaving the park) it had just  erupted and we were told it would go off again at 5:45 pm (an hour and a half later). We were ready to call it a day and decided not to wait. Joe did catch a photo of the aftermath:

We also spent a bit of time at the Obsidian Cliff area. Joe loves rocks. Fortunately these rocks were too big to take home to our grandkids!

Yellowstone National Park (Day 2 Road Trip #3 2023)

This entry is being written in the car on my iPhone as we look for a roadside rest stop to take a break.

We decided to head to Yellowstone for the day since we were ahead of schedule. We entered the park from the north in Montana and found our way to Old Faithful. We left the park through the Western exit and are in Idaho this evening.

I have photos to share! They will go up on a bonus blog either tomorrow or Thursday.

We just found a rest stop!!! Yay.

Westward Bound (Day 1 of Road Trip #3 in 2023)

We got off to a great start today on this Road Trip #3 for 2023. We drove from Rockford, Minnesota to a rest stop 112 miles into Montana. We left at 7:02 AM Central time and arrived at our first night’s destination at 7:41 pm Central Time (6:41 pm Mountain Time). We drove a total of 702 miles.

The traffic on Hwy 94 was mild throughout the day. North Dakota was beautiful. Most of our stops were at rest stops to walk a bit, use the restroom, and change drivers. One rest stop happened to be a scenic view at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park rest stop. I snapped a few photos for family and friends to enjoy. About 13 miles of the National Park runs alongside of Hwy 94. As we were driving. we saw bison, wild horses, and what have either been a herd of deer sitting in a field, or it could have been Pronghorn antelope. They were a distance away from the road and my first thought was deer, we were traveling at 75 miles per hour though, so it struck me later they could have been antelope. Either way we enjoyed the view!

The scenic view we stopped at in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park overlooked Painted Canyon. I am not sure my photos do the area as much justice as it deserves. Google Painted Canyon near Belfield, North Dakota.

It rained off and on for about 150 miles of our trip through North Dakota. Since there was so little traffic it didn’t cause any issues.

We stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at a Cracker Barrel in Bismarck, North Dakota. That was our longest break during our drive at an hour and two minutes. It was also our fuel stop for the day. The gas price was $4.20/gallon.  Speed limit in North Dakota was 75 miles per hour. It changed to 80 miles per hour in Montana. However, we elected to stay at 75 miles per hour.

Another note about North Dakota. The electric signs all had the same message across the state on Hwy 94 today: Drive sober or get pulled over.

The Yellowstone River also runs parallel to parts of Hwy 94. Joe tells me it is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. Google is our friend. We Googled the heck out of North Dakota today!

The last photo for today is from our last pit stop for the day in Eastern Montana.

Joe and I are both rested even after the drive. We had promised ourselves not to push it too much so that we don’t exhaust ourselves. I have a nice picnic table to write the blog on and a bathroom nearby. What more could we ask for today?

A final note for today. Today is the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. I remember how surreal it felt as the events of the morning unfolded. A link to the State Department press statement today:

https://www.state.gov/22nd-anniversary-of-the-september-11-2001-attacks/

Stow-Away Attempt

Other than our laptops/backpacks the car is loaded for our trip. We plan to get on the road about 7:00am tomorrow morning. Today we ran last minute errands. Fun things like making sure the spare tire is fully inflated.

While Joe was loading the car, Pan decided he was going to be a stow-away. It’s not exactly easy to hide in the back of a Subaru. The difficult part about communicating with any animal is knowing what they do and don’t understand. Certainly, Pan has been by Joe’s side most of today. Oh wait, he almost always is these days.

I recalculated the minimum miles to drive each day to arrive in Bend on Friday. It came to 350 miles per day. That is about 2 hours less a day than I was anticipating. This is good news as it means we can drive longer if we want and get in early to Bend. Or we might be ahead of schedule enough to check out a National Park on the way.

Early night for us tonight so we get plenty of rest before our trip.

Get Ready, Get Set (aka Road Trip #3 for 2023)

We are getting items around for our trip. We will be gone for 19 days. Eleven of the days will be travel days. Five days to Bend, Oregon, one day to Woodland, California, and five days home to Minnesota. If we feel like driving more each day, we can; however, we do need to drive a minimum of 475 miles each day. I suspect 475 miles across North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho will be nothing like driving from North Carolina to Washington D.C. area when it comes to traffic and stress. I am looking forward to the open expanse of these states.

When I was in my twenties I would drive across the country from Woodland, California to Ney, Ohio at least once every two years, sometimes every year. It was a 39-hour drive. My husband at the time, Greg, and I would drive straight through with stops only for fuel and meals. One of us would sleep while the other drove. Back then we did 4-hour stints. We did several of those trips in the snow.  We had a CB (Citizens Band) radio and used it to keep in touch with truck drivers. The truck drivers were our biggest asset on those trips. I remember driving up the side of a mountain in a Chevy Vega, on ice, between two 18-wheelers, at night. Those guys talked me up that mountain! No chains, either.

This time out, Joe and I are taking sleeping bags and our air mattress, and we will stop and sleep when we are both tired. Now that’s not to say naps won’t happen during the day. Joe often naps while I drive. If we are on a straight away, no road changes, I nap when Joe drives. I am now at the age when stopping so we both can sleep is important.

Joe and I have agreed we do not need to be as extensive in our packing as for our road-trip this past spring. Still, it feels like we are taking a lot! Joe likes to stage what we are taking so the living room couch is full of stuff, the two chairs are full of stuff, and two small tables are full of stuff. My tidy loving soul is a bit cranky. I reassure myself that tomorrow it will all go in the car.

Joe, and Megan, love checklists for trips. Me, not so much. I think it’s because they have all the lists and I just need to take care of me. I need clothes, a hairbrush, toothbrush, shoes, deodorant, and my cosmetic bag which includes facial wash and moisturizer. I don’t have to worry about toothpaste, floss, or bath soap because it’s on Joe’s list. God forbid, I ever travel on my own anymore. I won’t be naked, but I might end up with salad stuck in my teeth.

The good news is that I am looking forward to the car ride with Joe. He is a terrific traveling companion (and not just because he packs everything except the kitchen sink), he stops whenever I need to stop without question, and he doesn’t think we have to break the sound barrier to get from point A to point B.

Thirty-three hours from now (it’s 8 pm Central Time) we will begin our trip!

Healing

Day three of congestion. I am taking a break from writing to get to bed early. We leave for Oregon Monday morning early and I want to be rested.

Catch you later!

Back to School (For the Grandchildren NOT for Me)

Today was Caleb and Charlotte's first day of school. Charlotte's favorite parts of the day in second grade were PE, Music, and Library. She told me they did not all happen at once, though. Caleb's favorite part of the day was recess, specifically Gaga Ball. Caleb is on a block schedule in fourth grade. To prepare the kids for fifth grade, which is the start of middle school, they begin to change classes and have different teachers for different subjects in the fourth grade. An entire school year to practice!

They were sent home on the wrong bus. I don't think I am clear on the whole story. They ride one bus when they are at mom's house and a different bus when they come to their dad and Megan's home. When they realized they were on the wrong bus, the bus driver dropped them at their mom's because she knows their mom. Caleb called his dad immediately and Jeremy went to pick them up. Tomorrow, they will get it right. I understand there were bus route changes that contributed to the mix-up. All is well that ends well.

In kindergarten, Charlotte was put on the wrong bus. That was scary for her. The bus driver had dropped Charlotte at her moms house.  Meanwhile, Megan and Jeremy were frantically trying to find her while the bus driver on the correct route called all of the other bus drivers trying to locate Charlotte. I guess it didn’t faze Charlotte as much this year because her brother was with her. 

In exchange for the last of the Bunny Tracks frozen dessert (ice cream with the cream), I got to grill them on their first day. Bribing my grandkids is so much fun! They shared that being on the wrong bus meant they got to sit and visit with friends. I am happy they can find a silver lining!

My Covid test was negative. I woke up with congestion and an achy body. I know stuff has been going around and before we take off on our trip next Monday morning, I wanted to be sure I did not have Covid. The gift that keeps on giving. So far Joe and I have never tested positive. Scientist friends have informed me that it is possible we had Covid without any symptoms. I like to believe we have just been fortunate so far because we followed recommended procedures and we vaccinated as recommended.

I was still able to get my steps in today. I just did them in our flat. I set a timer for the time the cul-de-sac walk takes me normally and then walk a path from the living space and into the bedroom. It is a little over one hundred steps per loop. I did more steps in the same amount of time than I did when walking the cul-de-sac. Maybe tomorrow I will feel like being outside! 

Self-Talk on Energy

Today was one of the few days I have had where I feel like everything takes more effort than I have in reserve. I still managed to accomplish my 5000 steps, have lunch out with Megan and the children, and tidy up after myself. 

I also managed an hour nap this afternoon because I was just tuckered out. Since I normally have more energy than I had today I start to think maybe age is catching up with me. The other voice in my head wants me to believe that everyone has days when they are less than 100%, no matter their age.

The sad truth is that I got up every day for so many years and no matter how much energy I had, I learned to 'fake' the energy I would need. The result is that after a while I no longer knew what was real and what was not when it came to energy. My reserves were depleted every single day of the last year of my work career. 

I had bought into the idea that my struggle was only my business and that in my role I had to help others with their struggles and keep mine hidden. I think it is one of the most difficult expectations in corporate America at an executive level. Especially in an environment where you are putting people first. I think all the "experts" on business are great at touting leadership without giving people a clear idea of how much work it takes to be a good and effective leader. I learned over the year that the only thing "natural" about most leaders was their desire and ability to put in the effort to do it right.

Anyway, back to my energy level now. I am trying to give myself some grace today. Telling "Beth the Retiree" that it is okay to have a day to be still. A day to lay on the couch and read a book when I'm not getting in my walks throughout the day. A day to listen to podcasts to unwind.

The good news is that I do not have to perform for anyone else's expectations today and all the days I wish to stay retired.

Tomorrow my energy will return.

Duck, Duck, Gray Duck

During our shopping trip yesterday, out of the blue Megan, says to me, “Mom, in Minnesota it’s not duck, duck, goose. Minnesotans say duck, duck, gray duck. It’s because the game originated in Scandinavian countries and many Minnesota residents came from Sweden and Norway.”  She told me this because she said she wouldn’t want me to be substitute teaching and looking silly with the kids. This got me to wondering if children are even allowed to play this game in schools anymore since it involves tapping another child on the head or shoulder. At least I am prepared if it ever comes up.

Today marked 26 days in a row that I did my morning walk. I am reaping the benefits with more energy and more stamina in general. I am also sleeping better, which could be attributed to our new bed, the weighted blanket, and the perfect pillow! I discovered that our new United Healthcare Advantage plan gives me $10.00 per month to spend on over the counter pharmacy purchases for walking 5000 steps per day for at least ten days per month. I can also earn additional money to spend by doing a social activity each month. So instead of the $60.00/quarter to spend for each quarter, Joe and I can earn $105.00/quarter each to cover everything you can think of in a pharmacy that does not require a prescription.

Today was oil change day! On our road trip we had the oil changed three times and the cost ranged from $100.00 to $130.00 for the same services we needed today. We paid $57.00 today. The normal price is $62.00 for oil & filter change and $35.00 for tire rotation ($97.00 total); however, we had a coupon for $5.00 off and a free tire rotation. The coupon can be used multiple times before the end of the year.

 Six mornings from now we will be hitting the road again to see friends and family in Bend, Oregon and then on to Woodland, California to visit our friends there. Joe will also visit with his daughter. This will most likely be their last visit together in Woodland as she is planning to move to Florida in November. All our children will have left California! Joe’s son lives in New York City and Megan is here in Rockford, Minnesota.

I will always love the life we had in Woodland, California. I love the town and the people that came into my life while working and living in the community. I am finding Minnesota to be a wonderful place so far. Multiple people have said that I will change my mind when winter comes. I hope not. I know that driving to Buffalo (15 minutes away) is so relaxing and I’d rather be surrounded by scenery than town/city traffic. I am not at all aware of the passing of time on the drive to Maple Grove (35 minutes approximately) as I take in the farmland and small communities every few miles. Maybe someday I will take it all for granted. For now, it is still fresh.