5 Books Read Catch Up February to Now

I've been reading but just not posting the books, so here's the catch up for those interested.  Friday  is our Friends of the Library book sale where I will be donating and likely filling a sack with other hard to pass up finds for my awaiting reading shelf.  After I read and our book club chose to read "Unbroken" (see my January 12 blog post review) I wanted to tackle another book from my patriotic stack , about WWII, "The Wild Blue" by noted historical writer Stephen Ambrose.  This book over 263 pages is an excellent informative read about the ordinary young men of their day, the citizen soldiers of WWII who fought the enemy and formed a band of brothers who endured together.  This book is a memoir about George McGovern's WWI service as a highly successful, skilled, respected, bomber pilot  in Europe, a man whose politics differ from mine but for whom I have the deepest respect and gratitude after reading this.  Author Ambrose tells the extraordinary heroism, skill, daring and comradeship  with detail and affection about  the young men, the combat crews in our Army Air Corps who  flew the B-24's  over Germany.  As ever, I was intrigued reading about the Army Air Corps the pilot's  training, and the early days of navigation.  I learned that Ambrose's uncle, a 21 year old copilot of a B26 in the 8th Air Force, was killed in a crash in September 1944 returning from a mission over Europe. His uncle's body was never recovered.   In preparation for writing the book he  is treated to flying the B24 an B 17 in the co pilot seat, learning how extremely difficult the planes were to control.  "It was an experience with machines that could be compared only to being at the controls of a locomotive going up the Sierra Nevada."  In the prologue, Ambrose writes, "The B24 was built like a 1930's Mack Truck except that it had an aluminum skin that could be cut with a knife.  It could carry a heavy load far and fast but it had no refinements.  Steering the four engine airplane was difficult and exhausting as there was no power except the pilot's muscles."  You know this tells me more about the kind of young man my father had to be.  "..no windshield wipers so the pilot had to stick his head out the side window to see during a rain....Breathing only by wearing an oxygen mask."  Primitive conditions for brave men.   Pg. 24, "The Army Air Forces needed thousands of pilots and tens of thousands of crew members, to fly the B24's.  It needed to gather them and train them and supply them and service the planes from a country in which only a  relatively small number of men knew anything at all about how to fly even a single engine airplane, or fix it.  From whence came such men?"  We know today those men, pilots and crews of the B24s came from every state in the union, they were young,  fit and eager. They were all volunteers.  The Army Air Forces did not force anyone to fly, the men made the choice.  McGovern and his crew part of the 741st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force were  based at San Giovanni Filed, near Cerignola Italy, meaning land of cereals. Evidently the Cerignola region   grew hard wheat the best in Italy and  possibly the best in the world for making pasta.  The word "Cheerios" comes from Cerignola. I relished the information, history,  dialogues and the data.  I learned more than I had ever known about flak and deepened my perspective about the dedication and sense of responsibility the pilots held.  The writing is superb and because of the subject matter it is a keeper book, published in 2001, I am fortunate to have acquired a first edition. 

After the indepth reads I took a break with "Crime Brulee"  by Nancy Fairbanks, a paperback mystery that I acquired at the library sale for  50 cents, thinking it might resemble the Diane Mott series of culinary mysteries.  Well, it is set in New Orleans and I did relate to most of the places mentioned but the book is merely a quick non engrossing read, 274 pages in paperback.  It is billed as first in the series and I will not read others.  It is as though the author tried to put  any  twist she could to an insipid mystery.  Really the Nancy Drew mysteries of my youth were better.  The plot involves Carolyn, spouse to an academic, and obviously a woman who needs to get a life.  She is a typical pathetic empty nester with what to do now that the children are gone, woman with nothing to do, etc...Boring but I endured to see if  she solves the  her friend,  Julienne  disappears leaving everyone in the lurch in New Orleans at this academic conference.  This is likely a woman's book for those who may be amused.  I thought it might be a quaint mystery, and that would be a stretch, but I prefer good writing and decent plots. Something to engage me, even when I take a break from heavier reading.  This  returns to the Library sale rack.

My blog friend, Vicki Lane hits it big with her mysteries, suspense tales, by good writing, exquisite character development, and enticing tales.  "In a Dark Season" a paperback of 428 pages starts out  with Chapter 1, "The Palimpsest"  whatever does that mean?  The book's opening sentence hooks the reader is as it did me and kept me reading and wondering when the characters would get together and tie it all up.  Page 1..."The madwoman whispered into the blue shadows of a wintry afternoon.  Icy wind caught at her hair, loosing it to whip her cheeks and sting her half closed eyes."  Eventually it does happen, but the book has it all and if women want to read something fulfilling yet mysterious they will not be disappointed with Vicki"s works.    The southern dialect is intriguing, "howsomever" a word that spoke to me and  yet is so  deep in the hills.  Page 81 has a splendid line, "hard as an ex-wife's heart."  How about that?  This sequential tale features Vicki's  great character, Elizabeth Goodweather of Full Circle Farm, still a newbie to the North Carolina  area despite  a more than 20 year residency. Those of us brave enough to relocate to other ares know the difficulties of assimilation and bare acceptance amongst long timers.   Elizabeth who has been the key in other books is  a widow,  in a relationship with Philip, a semi retired detective, and friend to the local sheriff.  Phillip would eagerly marry her if she would agree, but she is her own person.  In this tale a frail old lady, Nola Barrett attempts suicide and ends up in a local nursing home with a diagnosis of dementia while her niece  appears to get things in order and sell off.  Development looms in the area as can happen in the better areas to live today.  Over Christmas holidays, Elizabeth comes to grips with having to move on in life despite maintaining grief over loss of her husband.  Pg. 144  where Elizabeth explains why she and her daughters who return for the holiday maintain their Christmas traditions in spite of the loss of her husband, their father....Christmas will not, cannot be taken away with grief...it is a light in a dark season...Death took Sam but not the holiday.  This especially  hit home with me having lost our son so close to Christmas.  Vicki weaves back and forth between the history of the area,  a local hermit of sorts,. and the contemporary mystery of Nola Barrett.  It is a great read and one I recommend for good entertainment, a good tale and a good mystery that all weaves back together at the end..and I did not  guess exactly what would happen.

Our book club chose the novel, "A Soft Place to Land"  by Susan Rebecca White as one member had picked it up in a northern bookstore.  Sigh, sigh, the idea of reading a tale of "complicated love between two sisters.." was not enticing to me, but then sometimes others choose a book that I might not have and it turns out to be of interest.  This was not.  It is a tale of adolescent angst that lasts until the sisters are in their late twenties.  The sisters are raised  in luxury in Atlanta with their mother and her  second husband who is the step father of one and the father of the other.  The tragedy of losing their parents who die on vacation and then being separated to different coasts plagues Ruthie and Julia.  One is headed for disaster early in life evidence by the crowd she hangs with, poor habits, smoking, drinking, etc. generally  all activities that one would not want for a teen, her  lack of interest in school despite her  intelligence  and generally being a wilder one.  The other who is sent to the Bay Area to be raised by her mother's sister blossoms in San Francisco and Berkeley.  I know all the places mentioned in the book and still found it tedious reading at best, not because I have no sister to relate to but because it focuses on adolescent trials, behaviors and the realm of angst. Finally by the last 30 pages there is something worth reading; this book could have been a good short story, but as a novel it bombs.  I will be interested to hear what others thought when we meet on April 19th but for me, this book goes to the donate pile and I would not read others by this author.   I plodded through for sake of the book club discussion.

Finally a book I have been awaiting paper back release hit the shelves before we left on our trip and when I saw it at Sam's into my basket it went.  "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot has rightfully earned its place on the New York Times and other Best Seller lists for some time. I cautiously thought I might not  enjoy this book not being a scientific person, but  my curiosity would not allow me to  pass it up.  I recall vaguely hearing about HeLa cells in biology and chemistry courses.  I hesitated because this book, the true tale of Henrietta who dies of ovarian cancer and whose cells doctors take at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland, without the consent or any discussion of the family,  is  a wealth of scientific information.  Moreover it is the tale of the woman and her family and  her legacy, how her cells become known world wide in research as HeLa cells and yet her family lived and still lives in poverty. Henrietta is a poor black tobacco farmer who marries her cousin and  whose cells are taken without her knowledge in 1951 and live on to become one of the most important tools in  medicine still today, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and more.  Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions yet only through this book do we know about her as a person.   The book raises realistic pondering about medical ethics and where and when science and research may cross a line.  Although this is a technical book at times it is packed full of human interest and humor as the daughter acknowledges that her mother is still calling shots from the great beyond through her cells.   It is a book that questions issues of race and class and medical care and research.  When does one own one's body and  at what point is the body or  parts, malignant though they may be available without recourse?  Is knowing all the good that results from medical research adequate compensation for survivors?  Is there any real need to compensate survivors?    And how can a family from the depths of poverty ever begin to seek recourse, or do they want that, are they satisfied with their lives and do they merely appreciate the telling of Henrietta's tale?  Everyone I talk with who has read this book including my dentist have been as engrossed as I was; I could not put this book down and relished all 328 pages and additional notes and bibliography.  Skloot is an award winning scientific writer but this is her first book.  Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball are adapting it into an HBO film.  Read the book to learn and imagine.  Be aware it is history we see backwards through the prism of today's issues.

Springtime Outside Chores

Another great balmy spring day when I've  spent another  three hours clearing the rose beds of overwintering mulch and clipping the dark wintry branches  already spouting buds from the winter weary  roses. I did all this and filled three big cart loads which I run up and down the hill to dump,  increasing my caloric burning. This was the third day of my activity in the roses and I have nearly completed the project.  The front hosta beds are cleared and the front flower box cleaned awaiting its spring plants, will it be geraniums, pansies or some other  spring combination this year? 

Most of my  roses are now ready for the final  a more careful close up trim,  and removing all vestiges of the mulch we pile on them for winter protection;  here in Minnesota many people do not grow roses because they do not  know how to prepare them for winter.  Many, include me in this group, do not want to be bothered with the  preparatory Minnesota "winter dip" which involves digging a trench, tying, bending and binding down the rose bushes for the winter, burying them to protect from the snows.  Remember I was a California Rosarian and when we moved and when I heard that technique, I  knew there had to be a better way.  So I have dealt with this in two ways, first by foregoing the fussy  hybrid teas for hearty floribundas and grandifloras and over all changing the type of roses that I grow preferring those that have been hybridized right here across the river in Wisconsin by Bill Adler, father of the Knock Outs and the hearty old time rugosas which are naturalized on the wintry bluffs, old garden roses in general and those by Canadian hybridizers, as well as the Buck Roses being resurrected right down the border in Iowa. My winterization technique involves heavy  mulch which Jerry makes from all the fallen leaves that he shreds. This works well for us. 

 Now with spring  the mulch has already started to decompose and the earth worms are  very plentiful working their way up from the ground  into the damp decaying mess.  However, I scrape most of this off and work some into the ground as a ready made compost.  This is my  California approach to winterizing roses.  Any bush that does not survive does not get to keep its place in the rose garden and can be replaced by something else later in spring or summer.  After the careful barbering,  I apply a hearty dose of Epsom Salts and sit back and wait for  another couple weeks  until I apply a systemic fertilizer in anticipation of  blooms. 

I love my outside exercise and used to work longer hours at one time but now have to respect the arthritis in my hands, that demands pacing my activity despite early enthusiasm.  I still have shrubs and  perennials along the side of the house to prune and trim and then down the backyard.  Little by little progress is apparent.  I found I needed a sweatshirt today because the wind was just a touch chilly for a t shirt; it was a good thing because those thorns on the wintered  branches are quite dried and quite sharp so the long sleeves protected my arms from  massacre.  

This will be my first blog in a long time sans photos.  When I started this blog I did not routinely add photos but I do believe they add a lot.   I did not know the computer would call me this evening or I might have taken a couple photos of my massively laden cart, a big plastic thing that holds more than a wheel barrow is is one of my favorite sidekicks, today I commented that I wished it had a trailer then I could haul twice as much down the hill in a trip.  Jerry  reminded me that it was just the size for me to maneuver and besides, that gave my fingers a break from the tedium and kept the knuckles appeased. Maybe tomorrow I can add photos.

Sepia Saturday 69 Western fantasies and horses (Click here for Sepia Site)

It  has been ages, it seems since I posted here while we were on expedition to Arizona and New Mexico to acquire the new RV, the Excursion and to visit and  see things in a warmer climate.  Now home,  I have a lot of different ideas thrashing loose in my head but  today I'll feature my own sepia of sorts stirred up  after our visit to La Mesilla, New Mexico, near Las Cruces.  The Mesilla Valley was a natural trade route of the Native Indians  long before the Spaniards came to  northern New Mexico in 1598.  This area teems with history, right up my alley.  Ahh the old wild west before it was.   

1950 myself 5 years old on the roving Pony

As a  child I loved going to the movies with my Grandmother (Baba as I called her all my life) Rose; it was our special treat just for her and me to do so on a Sunday.  I   strongly preferred technicolor movies and cowboys and Indians, while Baba would prefer a musical or drama.  This meant that some Sundays we went to two movies, so that  we each could choose.  Growing up in the city in Pennsylvania,  ranches,  horses, and all western things were  pipe dreams to me and the movies of the cowboys intrigued me.  One day  a roving photographer happened by our house and while Mom was at work, her husband, my stepfather was home.  This is one of the nicer things he did,  paying the photographer to take photos of me with this pony.   I learned in  adulthood that many of my friends who lived all over the country had similar photos taken; what's comical is how proud we all were on our mounts. 



1945 Here I am on my Rockin' Horsey 




Actually my fantasy of horses goes even farther back to my very first horse that I still  remember today,  a rocking horse that my Grandfather  built for me. No small feat because though Teofil was many things, he was not a carpenter, still it was quite a ride for me.    I called it "Horsey" one of the first words I blathered clearly and I spent some time riding away. I guess I really got to making it go distressing my Grandma who was just sure I would fall off and injure myself.  I never did, but she felt she had to watch me carefully and she scolded Granpap for doing this, but there was no more to be discussed  as I was happy with feet in the stirrups.  I wonder whatever happened to Horsey?

 


1984 Me with our Charley Horse

 I never did become much of a horse rider, even later years living in California when we owned horses.  Jerry and Steve rode, but my fascination was gone, not caring for the height. It seemed a long way up there to me.  And it did not help that on one ride, Winnie, our Appaloosa  startled and  raised up on her  hind legs.  To this day I don't know how I hung onto her.  The above photo in 1984 shows Charlie,  our only problem horse; Jerry fancied taking him on hunting trips in the mountains but Charley was a horse with a mind of his own and a bad habit of laying down when he did not want to go into the trailer.  Any rider knows that the horse laying down can be a dangerous animal and that is something which is not to be tolerated.  Otherwise, Charley was a gentle guy, who loved Oreo cookies and carrots and  would pick them from my rear pocket.  One day I came home from work astonished to see Charley in his corral with the horse trailer.  The men had planned a mountain trip for the weekend but when Jerry went to trailer Charley, Charley had other ideas.  So Charley got to stay home but I found a big note inside from Jerry,  "Do not feed Charley any hay or oats, his feed is in the trailer.  He can go in there to eat!"  Jerry was not amused with Charley's antics.  Despite working with different trainers Charley never did get over this bad habit and so we sold him.  Don't know what happened in the early life of that horse, that might have caused that reaction.

Me at  Billy the Kid Building in La Mesilla

This Sepia post idea comes from  a day we  spent the day in La Mesilla, New Mexico, and another at the old Tucson Studios where many western films were made.   http://www.oldtucson.com/    Above I am with the Billy the Kid  building in La Mesilla just a week ago; immersed in the area, I began to think about all those old western movies and those  outlaw legends. If walls could talk, the history they could tell about the glory and gory  times in Western US history when Billy the Kid roamed the lands, and when disputes were settled with the six gun rather than waiting for years on court decisions.  This building still stands  in La Mesilla today, it  was  built in the 1840's by  the legendary Sam and Roy Bean, two brothers who intended it for a freight and passenger service.  After the Civil War it was became an important stop on the fabled Butterfield Stagecoach Line.  Mesilla was founded in 1848 and is Spanish for the “little table land” due to the nearby mesa that borders the Rio Grande River that runs by the village.  Since its founding the village has had a colorful history that is easy to imagine when walking around the streets of La Mesilla, seen in the photo below,  from another blogger. 

 Next week I will share more about  this historic place with some old photos that I have researched. As always click on the title of this post to go to the Sepia site where others share their Sepias. 

Homeward bound

We are in Oklahoma City, awaiting tonite's dinner at a route 66 diner for some reportedly excellent and highly recommended chicken fried steak with friends Carla Sue and Tom. Well they and Jerry will enjoy that, which I do not eat, so I hope there will be chicken or perhaps just a good old burger on the menu. I do not anticipate any salad type offering, but I loaded up on my greens for lunch. Four years ago when we were here they tried to take us to that diner, raving to Jerry about the chicken fried steak, but when we arrived, we found it closed that night, a Monday. So we try again this evening.


Memorial to the bombing

We took  a quick tour of the Oklahoma Memorial Museum  in honor of those killed in that dastardly bombing on April 19, 1995. Much as I enjoy museums,. this one is haunting, providing an evocative  experience for all visitors as it takes them through the days in 1995.  Visitors leave with a bitter but full understanding of the impact of violence, and a sense of hope and resilience for the future. This tour highlights the Memorial Museum’s Gallery of Honor, which pays tribute to the 168 who were killed. From the photos I surmise it is most beautiful at night, but it is cold here and not being familiar with the area, we avoid night tours and events.  Sometimes it is all we can do to navigate in unknown cities in the daytime, so why borow difficulty at night?

Jerry dismantling the radios in the RV

Jerry has been busily content tinkering, repairing, tightening bolts, installing his CB radio, and generally puttering and entertaining himself with this new RV parked at Rockwell RV while I made a Wal Mart run alone. He is absolutely in his element tinkering. Packing lightly this trip did not prepare me with warmer clothing and as we are now in cooler weather my summer type attire except for one pair of jeans is not enough. Aha I knew it would not work to merely think warm summer clothing could suffice. Well that gives me an excuse to acquire. I found great bargains at Wally World, a long sleeve corduroy shirt for $3, a pair of very crinkly casual slacks for $5 and the ultimate for another $3, a 3/4 sleeve jersey type button up sweater jacket in tangerine that matches the yoga pants I bought at another Wal-Mart last year and which I use for pj bottoms not wanting to parade about looking like a pumpkin in tangerine. But then as now, wow at $2.50 I could not pass them up. Now I have a matching top for lounging about. At these prices I can toss the clothing easily when tired of it, but will I. Likely not, I'll keep them on hand just in case.

I am still pouting at Jerry driving by the store I spotted in North Ft. Worth, L'Patricia; well were on the interstate and I saw it over there, not conducive to exiting. Still a store of my own namesake, one I've never heard of, and one I'll have to Google to see what I missed. I shop almost exclusively at Wal Marts on our journeys, because they usually are one stop shopping. However not so here in Oklahoma, in the Bible belt, I learn that Wal-Mart sells only beer which is Jerry's beverage of choice, but no wine nor anything stronger which I prefer. To quench my evening thirst I must find a liquor store. This reminds me of PA with its antiquated colonial commonwealth blue laws, there are no liquor sales in the super markets. In PA there are private beer distributors, licensed by the state where one must purchase a case minimum and state liquor stores are the only source for wine and vodka. I do not understand why that is acceptable to the natives but I suppose they are used to it. On the other hand the employees at the liquor stores are state government employees so that is a good living for them and the beer distributors have an exclusive as there are not too many in one area, curtailing competition.

In the Wal Mart check out line, I asked the cashier (I avoid those self check out lines) where I could buy wine; she told me a liquor store and explained, "We are not allowed to sell anything but beer in Oklahoma." She was from Texas and said she didn't like that either. 

I told her we had a peculiar dinner experience in Texas where the waitress took both of our drivers' licenses to scan when Jerry ordered a beer and I a glass of Chardonnay. At first I thought the waitress was joking, surely we look old enough to drink! But no, the cousins explained that we were in a dry county and to drink, even though there is a bar in the restaurant, one must become "a member of the club" achieved by scanning in the driver's license, and signing a membership slip like a sales charge, however there is no charge. Then one can purchase adult beverages. So in my experience, Texas was not any easier. Despite all the obstacles these places put in the way of imbibing I do not believe they have any fewer problems with alcoholism or drunk drivers. In fact, about 3:00AM on Monday, there was a horrendous accident caused by a drunk driver in Ft. Worth. The drunk sped 5 miles the wrong way on the freeway until he had a head on collision with a semi tanker, loaded with gasoline, resulting in a terrible explosion and fire, untimely death of the truck driver while the drunk survived. The bridge and freeway section were still closed for the Monday morning commute inconveniencing many with the news reports that it would take six months to repair the damage further inconveniencing many for months to come.

I mentioned to the cashier that I’d lived over 40 years in CA where we could buy whatever we wanted in one store, that all the stores carried a full array of wines, beers, and liquors. Well the woman behind me in line overheard and chimed in, "Oh where did you live in CA?" And so started another conversation where I learned she and her husband were from Freemont, CA. He was a professor at Berkeley and on retirement, he was offered another professorship here at Oklahoma University. I laughed out loud, "From Berkeley to Oklahoma! And I thought MN was a tough transition!" She agreed but said that the red state of Oklahoma seems to have received him well and he is quite content. But then she went on to tell me their son is a professor at Sacramento State, after she learned that I'd worked in Sacramento and we lived in the foothills. She said her son and family want to leave CA and are desperately looking to relocate. She did admit to not wanting to remain in Oklahoma when her husband's contract was up. I agreed that it would not be my choice of where to live either. She mentioned that they were considering New Mexico and so we had another conversation about the Las Cruces area which we had left and which we both enjoy. (I likely will not blog about Las Cruces until we are home) In fact, her husband has been in touch with the University of New Mexico there. Serendipity in action from a casual friendly conversation in Wal Mart. I can say that would not have happened in CA where one would have been flailed by people lined up behind you waiting to get to check out!

I had another conversation in the same Wal Mart today leaving me feeling that I was stalked. Amidst my search for bargains on the sale racks of women's, another woman asked if I had been to a store, from which she had just returned. I said that I had not and was not familiar with anything here as I was a traveler. Ahh, my mistake, giving out too much information. This lady, Deliah, was another traveler but who lived in Oklahoma and who went to Bluegrass festivals all over, etc. In fact she followed me around the ladies section and even onto the men's clothing area chattering away, until her husband attired in Bib overalls and long sleeve long john looking shirt appeared, a sight right out of Beverly hillbillies. At which point she introduced me as her new friend from MN. No fewer than three times I tried to get away from her, "Well it was nice talking to you, but I must be going,.." "Well I really need to leave.." and words like that. Finally I fled saying, I had to find a rest room; really I feared that she would follow me there. But I did escape. I wonder what it is about me that I attract these folks. Is there a sign across my forehead, "conversation needed" or is it true as Jerry says, "You have a knack for getting into predicaments..."



For an unexplainable reason the spell check is not working on blog spot; and though I have proofed this post you will have to overlook any typos and misspells as I am out of time now. 







Adios Tucson y Voyager

This trip reactivated the Spanish in which I was once very fluent, but as most skills and abilities, use it or lose it; fortunately I retain sufficient fluency to get by but find I can read and comprehend it easier than speaking, attributable to the quick pace of most conversations.  Good to know it is resilient, returning with practice.

Our week at Voyager RV Resort in Tucson is over and we are in Las Cruces.  As usually happens when we fail to plan, we pay the price.  So sure that we would leave the Voyager on Monday, we did not book for the week. We did spend a week here getting all the kinks and trinks fixed on the new motor home.

Entrance to Voyager RV Resort



Our new Discovery motor home with our HHR, tow car
Notice our shade tree, the palm in front!

The Voyager is an adult resort, no kids running about loose nor splashing in the pools, it caters to snowbirds and all adult rigs.  It really is a nice place offering everything one needs, of course at a price. Our spacein the premium shady area, the photo of our Excursion and HHR show the solitary palm tree which evidently is the shade.  Is this false advertising?  It is funny.

In addition to motor homes, coaches and permanent  mobile homes, the resort has built ever so many small cottages that people can  purchase for their winter homes.  These cottages are smaller than our motor home, and yet serve the purpose for those who choose to spend the winter there and  fly  or drive to Tucson.  I talked with a woman from Manitoba, Canada who bought one as a vacation get away.  She said they spend at least a month there every winter and that she  prefersit to a condo, feeling it is a bit more private. This photo shows three of the cottages across from our spot.

Cottages at Voyager with carports

 I have yet to do the Voyager evaluation online, but although they advised that if we extended our stay they would not prorate the days paid for to the cheaper weekly rate, we took our chances; they did not and we did stay a week not leaving until Thursday and thereby paying  $150 more than we would have.  Some might find this comical that I worry about spending extra when it could have been prevented; I can see it in faces when I say something is expensive.  They look at me with almost a smirk, as if to say, :sure lady you just spent $150,000 and you are concerned about $50 but they don't know about my bag lady phantom, who haunts.  (I shared her before we left on this trip to procure the new motor home...)  I have learned other of my retired friends share her mystique too.  

Saguaro is the tall single cactus on right

We spent a day at the Saguaro desert Museum, driving and walking and looking at the magnificent saguaros that grow only in this Sonoran desert area.  It was disappointing that my little Nikon camera battery died then, limiting my photo taking abilitities.  There is something about seeing cacti now especially in bloom that fascinates me, likely a result of  living in the north where none exist.  Our neighbor in Newcastle, Bill McGrath grew many cacti and shared a spiny leaf or arm with us to plant out along our back fence where they thrived until we had an unusual frost.  Cacti in bloom as the one above are alluringly beautiful.

Jerry along Octillo cactus at Saguaro Museum Lot

In addition to reactivating my Spanish, Arizona reactivated my allergies.  At first I thought I had a cold but after a couple days and a hint from a friend, I realized the runny nose, sneezes, and watery eyes were allergies, the likes of which I have not had in  many years.   The pollen from the trees, the dust and the breezy winds were not friendly to me.  A trip to one of the many Walgreens to purchase Claritin gave a lot of relief.  The winds spread the pollen and dust readily and do nothing for hairdos.  This did not bother me, I settled for styling my hair in the morning and thereafter  just let it blow, fortunately I have that kind of hairdo that takes little fuss and will settle back to where it needs to be. It was a balmy warm wind, a relief from the MN wintry wind chills.   

The bartender at La Posta in La Mesilla, New Mexico advised that late March through April are allergy season in the area, when the olive trees and fruitless mulberries stir amidst the air.  Bartenders are an amazing source of information.

Another tree that fascinated me in Arizona is the Ironwood, which is also native to the sonoran desert.  As the name implies it is a very hardwood tree but thrives in the heat.  I took many photos of this tree in various stages of bloom or not, in their intermediate leafing stage they are feathery in appearance. The bark on the younger trees is pale greenish but in maturity it is similar to old darkened iron.  I  learned that the cold spell that Tucson area experienced over this winter was fatal to some of the older trees, desert natives.

Ironwood tree not leafed, may not have
survived the winter

This has been a wonderful trip but one which has offered little time for blogging.  I started this post on March 25 and just am finishing it in Texas, more than a week later, and in the third state.  I have yet to share wonderful experiences from New Mexico.....well it is all good.  Better to be so busily entertained that there is no time to write, I suppose, but the irony is that now I have the set up, the right computer laptop and no time. Ahh well, later the memories will flow.

So far so good and so warm

Happy face, happy place

Have had no time to post on my blog, comical in that my original intent with blogging was to keep others posted while we were traveling.  As so many other events and circumstances in life, so it is with the blog,  it changes; most quick posts are on Facebook and a few personal emails.  I do find Facebook helpful at notifying several all at once.  Nevertheless, we have had a wonderful journey to date while several times I've had thoughts and or sights about which I've thought, "must  get that onto my blog." I am loving the sunshine and warm weather, laps in the pool and leisurely hikes around the RV desert park.



We journeyed a different route southwest through lots of Kansas, that we had not seen before along Hwy. 54. Avoiding interstates allows for a more scenic route and interesting spots.  I saw signs advertising the world"s largest hand dug well near Greensburg Kansas, as one of the eight wonders of Kansas.  I have asked what are the other 7 but suppose that question will remain unanswered until I do some internet searches..  One evening enroute we stayed at Wal Mart's RV spot, with several other RV'ers.  It was quiet and the price cannot be beat, a nice way to save a few $$ for self contained RV'ers.  Our next  door neighbors were  snow birds from Manitoba, Canada on their way  north.  Many snow birds in their motor homes are already headed north, making us appear to be swimming against the tide.   All through  southwestern Kansas we noticed individual oil well pumps, here and there among the ranch lands, all pumping.  Well at the price of oil and no relief soon in sight, why not.  although I do wonder, what happens to the oil from these scattered individual wells?  It must be refined, is there a cooperative of sorts where individuals gather to ship oil much like the cooperative grain elevators throughout the Midwest?  Or are these not owned individually as I imagine? What would you do with your own oil well?  Dream on....The next morning before we left I noticed right across the street this oil rig.



Liberal,  Kansas, Oil well

I  recalled westward  history of our country along this route and both Kansas and Missouri are proud of their heritage in settlement of the west along the trails, rivers and byways.  Murals were noticeable in many of the buildings, and I snapped this from the window while we were pulling out of the Wal Mart lots.  This building,  a full city block long makes a dynamite display for the panorama.

Building Mural  Liberal, .KS

Close up of buffalo in same mural above

While Jerry was  driving, I was reading n article about the history of American  RV's in the Family Motor Coach Association's monthly magazine, which also included some photos supplied by an archivist from the RV Museum in Elkhart Indiana.  Wow, I thought that certainly would be an interesting blog post, in particular for Sepia Saturdays if I can copy/scan some of the  first RV's.  "Houses on wheels" was the term used in the early days of Motor home travel.  Fate often fires loose with her funny sense of humor as she did when we were at a rest stop in Arizona.  What should be there but, Joe,  a man from Georgia in his very own self made motor home/trailer.  I have to say I've never seen anything like this.  He was an interesting character and admitted to an affliction of generating  more ideas than fund$; Joe wants to keep traveling the country and he is enjoying himself to the utmost in his own version of towed 5th wheel, he did this all himself and was very proud to share with Jerry.  Certainly unique, don"t you think?  Well it is working for Joe who says it was more important to be mobile and to see the country than to worry about his rougher venue; he was perfectly content to see the USA from his own bus and he was someone who likely has a very interesting life story..

Joe from Georgia moving along westward

This is what we love about taking  the motor  home on a journey, the experiences,  the sights and the very interesting folks we meet along the way.  Well we are in Arizona after a one day stop in another favorite spot, Las Cruces, NM, Sunny Acres RV Park, where we have stayed before. We will return to Sunny Acres on our way home.  It is a small RV Park with a share of interesting characters.  

I never before thought of taking photos of palm trees the 40+ years we lived in CA.    Now deprived of their daily sight, I find it fascinating to look through the fonds.  And I remember the first "miniature" fan palm I purchased to plant alongside our first home in Fair Oaks conversation went something like this and I have to admit to being mislead (notice not wrong) in the purchase.  "Pat, this will get too big.."  "Well it will not!  See the tag says, miniature, it is just perfect for here."  And 5-6 years later it towered up to the roof of the second story.  Eventually it had to come out.   I remain a fan of fan palms!  

 

Sunny Acres RV Park
Las Cruces New Mexico

More later about our Arizona adventures. 

Southward in our Southwind for an Excursion and Warmth

I will not be posting my regular Sepia Saturday photos for a few weeks as we load up the motor home to head to Arizona, 80 degree sunshine and warmth.  My winter weary cabin fever ala southern MN, has gotten to me to the extent  that I, who dislike the desert  am so looking forward to the journey.  I anticipate ditching sweaters and jackets and jeans for capris, bermudas,  short sleeves and sandals for which I had a pedicure this week getting my toes ready to bare themselves!  My toes too shouted Hooray proclaiming their readiness to see the sun again after being winter enclosed and covered with socks!
There is a purpose to the trip.....Jerry has discovered another motor home to trade up, the diesel he has been pining for.  Our motor home is perfectly lovely but he wants a diesel, bigger for our intended trips,i.e. Alaska this summer. After all, he claims, ours has 30,000+ miles.....to which I reply, "so what, my car has 36,000 and we are not trading it in anytime soon?"  With our elderly care responsibilities  (my last relative,  PA Uncle Carl, soon to be 93 who said Friday on the phone, "Jerry should get what he wants because life is to enjoy what we have while we can."  Uncle Carl  is quite the philosopher who said we should go, have a good time and send him a postcard or two. And so Jerry felt quite smug.  I've said before, my family everyone, Mom, the aunts and Uncle Carl always favor my husband in any discussion!  It's a plot!  Meantime MIL,  Jerry's dismal 94 year old Mom here in the local SNF is of course not as amenable but managed to nag about what would happen with her laundry while we are gone!  I told her the SNF will do it, as they do for others there, but as she refuses to change clothing she will likely save it up for our return as she  does other times..)   Well, you get the drift, we have not traveled as extensively in the RV as we had planned.  another one of those life things where we plan and the Greater Beyond laughs...  Nevertheless  over these 47+ years I have observed Jerry's actions and determination enough to know that sooner or later he would get what he wanted.   This is why he dares not say a word when I purchase anything as cost of  his purchases have far exceeded the meager amounts of my splurges.   I suppose my philosophy about all of this, if it's to be it will be, a fated approach has once again worked it's truth, because the other deals and motor homes were not to be and  when those did not materialize, Jerry would pout.  Yes, he can and does...



2008 Fleetwood Excursion

 This new motor home is a 2008 Fleetwood Excursion, 40 ft. (ours is only 33 ft., a mini by comparison).  It appears from what we have seen online to have all the features I wanted, 2 recliners in the living area rather than multiple sofas, a table and chairs in the dining area and the flat screen big TV in the galley area, translate that close to the beverages...Here is the description from the dealer:  " This 2008 Fleetwood Excursion is a beautiful diesel pusher with every comfort of home.  Features include: sofa sleeper, ultra leather, rear entertainment center, TV, DVD, satellite dish, satellite radio, power visors, recessed lighting, solid surface counter tops throughout, convection microwave oven, large four door refrigerator with ice, built-in washer/dryer, and central vacuum."

 The interior cabinetry is a bit lighter than I'd have liked;  being quite satisfied with the cherry tone in our current RV, but this looks acceptable.  I do like the splash of red upholstery, and there is another couch for seating for company.  This coach we are told was owned by a couple who seldom used it and then their age overtook them.  That is preferable with amenities more suited to two than a large family mode of travel. Lack of a lower oven  in the kitchen aroused my skepticism, but there is a micro wave and convection oven as we have currently.  But you know once I thought it over, I  have never used the lower oven in our current RV nor in the older one other than for storage. Over 10 years of motor home ownership has not necessitated an oven, so I should not miss that a bit.  We eat differently in the RV and the convection oven meets our needs adequately.   Neither does this model have a dishwasher, an commonly  offered amenity, the former owners opting out.  I never thought I'd say this, but I do not need nor desire a dishwasher in the motor home,  fond as I am of our home dishwasher.  In the RV I am quite used to washing our few dishes now and then and cannot imagine I'd need a dishwasher, preferring the storage cabinet in its place.  We frequently use paper plates too and or eat out. 

Well to my PA girlfriends at  home, Jerry will have something to do--he promised to host  them using his outside kitchen that was in other models but not this one, so he will have to rough it, cooking their meal using our old outdoor grill.  This coach is black, red, white and silver....black and red were our high school colors.  Our Ken Hi 50th reunion is well underway!

Dining area and recliners to the left

Toward the front

Bed Apparently slides are in.
 The photo does  not show room on either side

I wonder about circumstances colliding beyond our sphere of control/belief, serendipity, and that we just might create our life events,  that this could relate to a peculiar happening in 2009 in WY at the Fleetwood RV rally where I took the women's driving school.  There, I had to drive  a 40 foot diesel Excursion!  That was really an experience for me, and though I am glad I did it I cannot say I enjoyed!  The class consisted of primarily driving backwards...I told the instructor that I will go miles around blocks driving my vehicle forward to avoid backing up, it;s just not something I do!  Well her Daddy had been a truck driver and taught her to drive by backing up, saying if you can maneuver backward, you can drive, and anyone can  forward.. Somehow that day with angels on my shoulders and devils in my ears and mouth,  I completed that  "gruelsome" (another of my words)  course only grazing  two rubber barricades  in one back up drill.  The escapade was quite an accomplishment for me!  And so here we look forward to owning a diesel; I had never before driven one...but Jerry I believe must have been a long haul truck driver in another life, as he is so looking forward to this and "more power."

Ahh, well, as  my phobia of  becoming an elderly  bag lady, surfaces with this expenditure, I keep in mind that we gain  less than minimal  interest these days, perhaps a national sales tax looms which will drive up prices, and the only value of  money is to make one's life easier and enjoyable and  help others  along the way....still, it takes a hunk out of savings, that we will not replace in retirement.  We are fortunate that our home is  fully paid for and we have no debt, able to manage well with my pension, Jerry's IRA, and social security.  Still, I see that old bag lady image!  Where does she come from?  She resembles the witch in Hansel and Gretel, a Grimm's fairy tale my Grandma read me in childhood...except that witch had a house and this baglady has a shopping cart!   I really should name her as she has been regularly showing herself to me for a long time whenever we spend $$.  She does some good as she is the reason I saved $$ diligently while working. Perhaps if I give her a name and write a tale about her, she will leave...from the depths of my subconscious and go where she is more welcome!

From another blog, another Californian no less, is it because we  witnessed this daily in the metropolitans(http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2007/03/13/help-could-i-have-bag-lady-syndrome/)  " I found out that I actually have a few things in common with these women: Lily Tomlin, Gloria Steinem, Shirley MacLaine, Katie Couric, and even the wife of Charles Schwab and Company’s ex-CEO! It may not be what you think, as we don’t share the same fortunes; what it is, in fact, is that we all share money anxieties. These women all admitted to having “bag lady syndrome.” And I’m afraid I might actually have a touch of it as well.  What is “bag lady syndrome” exactly? It’s this irrational fear of not having enough money. That maybe one day we’ll wake up and we won’t have quite enough to feed, clothe ourselves or put something over our heads. Maybe we’ll find ourselves holing up in our cars or even just loitering the streets. I’ll admit I feel this way only sometimes, but why do I feel it at all?" 

That blogger continued, and bingo, there I am...."I don’t think I necessarily have a pronounced case of this, although I am certain that my frugal habits stem from the need to store up, like a squirrel does its nuts, before the winter season hits. What I discovered though, was that despite making fairly good progress with our household’s financial plans and goals, any concerns I was harboring regarding having a “lack of resources” at any point in time may be due to my tendency to anticipate the future a little too dramatically. Because I try to ground myself in reality too much and realize how future changes in our lives can impact our current lifestyle and financial standing, I end up acting like the proverbial hoarding marsupial and have made this a way of life. I also have this terrible habit of catastrophizing too much thus leading myself to adapt certain behaviors that have been both good and bad for our plight. Good, in the sense that our conservative fiscal habits have earned us a stable foundation today, but bad, in the sense that unpleasant and sometimes irrational fears can cloud our decisions and just plain make us miserable."

She will not be able to keep up with us on the road and I cannot see her being welcomed inside.
 Here she is, even upscale with her baby carriage, instead of the normal shopping carts. 

Louisa Behrndt Week 64 Sepia Saturday (click here to go to the Sepia site)

Louise Behrndt and William Lemke

 This week I introduce Louise Behrndt, another of Charlie Behrndt's (Jerry's maternal Grandpa) sisters.  Louise  was born November 29, 1876 to Adelbert and Sophia, one of their eight surviving children and the third daughter.  Finding  her gorgeous wedding photo to William Lemke in about 1900  initiated my interesting journey accompanied by email exchanges with a generations times removed cousin of Jerry's whom he does not even know but who found me through Ancestry.com. She shares my passion for genealogy and history, so we have pieced information together and shared photos.  She'd not  seen this wedding photo and I'd not seen the newspaper clipping she had.   

Marriage to William for Louise meant moving over the hills and around the bend to his farm where they worked hard farming the land.  
They had two children William Ezra (1902-1983)  and Aleta, a daughter who died in infancy in 1905.  In 1906, when he was only 35, William was eating supper after working all day in the fields and choked on a prune pit.  The brief newspaper account has some gruesome  detail, along with the misspellings we have come to expect. Not only a sad death but freakish.  The  widow Louisa somehow kept the farm going for a time, likely with help from family, friends and hired hands but then moved back home with her parents.



Copied from Winona Daily Republican June 1906

 
In 1908 Louise  married her second husband,  a widower,  Albert Kletzke.  In my study of these families and this farm area, I note that it was common  for the same family names to reappear.  William Lemke's  ( Louise's first husband)  mother was Bertha Kletzke.  So far as we have been able to determine Albert was a distant cousin to William Lemke.  The life of the farmers centered around their  community  churches for social activities along with threshing and work parties.  So often when a spouse died there would be a distant relative of someone and I imagine the locals thrived on matching together widows and widowers.  

1917, About 1 year old,
 Charlotte

Albert and Louise had one daughter, Charlotte born in 1916.   Although Albert was quite well known in the area, and is mentioned prominently in an old  history of Houston County published in 1919, there are few  photos of  him but we had one, taken in 1923 at the gathering for her parents' golden wedding anniversary.  I've shared the Adelbert Behrndt's here  before, but here are Adelbert and Sophia again at their  50th amid two daughters Frances and Louise.  Albert Kletzke is the large man, with almost  head chopped off standing to the left in the back and Louise is standing on the far right, next to her sister Francis and  behind, her daughter, Charlotte.  There were many photos taken of the sisters and their husbands but I found none of Louise and Albert during this celebration  that lasted the entire weekend at the home farm.  The little girl standing in front to the left, Carol Jean Frey, is the daughter of Frances and her husband Philip who stands in the back between the two sisters.  Carol Jean looks like she is about done with the posing while little Charlotte  seems to be praying she keeps still.  
 

Besides being known as a prosperous farmer  Albert was the president of the small local telephone company and a share holder in the bank that was established in town. He was involved in many community activities and the local history book mentions him as a generous sort.  

 Louise survived Albert Kletzke, who died in 1933.  Here is Louise in 1930 with brother Charlie; she'd have been about 46. Her  once dark hair appears completely white or gray.  Louise lived to be 95, following the longevity of the Behrndts. 

We have an array of photos of Kletzke's daughter Charlotte who died in 1999 at age 82 and who married  Clarence Vanderohoe who died in 1992.  They had four daughters and two sons, some if not all of whom may be alive today.  Some may live in this area; I wonder what they know of their great grandmother Louise?    

Charlotte Kletzke Confirmation

As usual click on the title of this post, to go to the host Sepia Site and see what others have shared this week or what Alan has dug from arcives as our photo find of the week.

Charlie and Sorry

PS Afterthought, when I saw the long horn cattle Alan posted this Saturday I recalled this photo of Charlie Behrndt, with his "Sorry" goat; that was the goat's name after all....you can only imagine how longhorn cattle evoked this photo....