Category: RV Nana Out & About

When I think of hunting I am reminded of my dad and brothers and their weekend hunting trips.  They would pack for days, my mom would pack all the groceries for them and they would head out on their big weekend.  It was a bonding weekend for the guys.  We had an older travel trailer and that, along with a couple of tents, became their 5-star accommodations for a weekend of storytelling, laughter, adventure and maybe even a little deer hunting.   For all of us girls, this was our weekend for shopping and fun adventures too.  As soon a we saw the tail lights pull out of the driveway we started our shopping, cooking, laughing and girl time fun. 

As I got older, the story was about the same.  My husband would go hunting with the boys and the biggest difference was how much the dear meat actually cost us per pound.  You see, when I was a kid, camping and hunting was all done on a budget…a small budget.  As we got older, hunting trips started with several trips to the sporting goods stores for the latest and greatest hunting equipment.  I guess the real difference was that venison costs a lot more per pound when the hunters were a little older.  I used to tell everyone we had $100 per pound venison in the freezer. 

I remember buying our first motor home for the deer lease.  An old 89 Coachmen that was in need of some TLC.  My daughter and I cleaned it and packed it for our great hunters to embark on their big adventure…and we never spent a night in the RV.  We, in turn, would go out and shop ‘til we dropped getting all the Christmas shopping done, presents wrapped in our girl weekend. 

I have recently met a few girls who enjoy every minute of the hunting weekend in a way that is much different than mine.  They go out with the guys and make it a fun weekend for everyone.  I really think this is what the RV lifestyle brings to the hunting adventure…family fun.  So, now is the time to prepare for those hunting weekends.  There are great buys on RVs to make sure your hunting accommodations are 5-star for you and your family.  Make it a weekend of family, fun, adventure and, most important of all…take time to make memories.  You, too will look back and cherish these memories! 

Back in 1776…242 years ago this week…the Founding Fathers of our nation were still arguing and compromising, drafting and redrafting the document that would declare the independence of the 13 colonies from their King and Country, George the III and England. It is one of the most important pieces of political writing in recent history as it is one of the first, and certainly longest lived, guarantees of personal liberty for individuals. We are all created equal. Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness have sense-forth become Rights not Privileges, and these are affirmed before everyone. Because of that document, we separate from England and after a long bloody war, we are truly independent. Other great documents follow.

For the first time in recorded human history the modern concepts of liberty and freedom are spelled out. We can believe what we want. We can say want we believe. We can worship how we wish. We can defend ourselves from tyrants at home and abroad. We are supposed to be served by our government, not the other way around. These are but a few of the changes brought about by our Declaration of Independence, and we lucky few who were born here, or who have become citizens, are members of the greatest nation on Earth.

This weekend please enjoy your burgers, and hotdogs, and fireworks, and beers, and get a little too much sun, spend time with your families, and celebrate the freedom and liberty that is yours. But, while you’re enjoying yourself, please do no forget that your liberty and freedom are threatened every waking moment of every waking day. Be vigilant in its defense. Never allow the word “security” to take the place of “freedom” in your vocabulary. That way your future generations will enjoy the same Rights as you and your ancestors enjoyed. Long Live The Republic, and the Freedom for Which It Stands!

I love RVs! That’s not really a surprise now, is it? I also love all the cutesy “stuff” that goes along with the RV lifestyle. Again, not really a surprise. A few years ago, I took an old washtub and made it into a Fairy Garden. More specifically, I made it into a Fairy RV campground. Many of you have seen it on my blog and have sent me pictures of your own creations, well we did it again this weekend.

My granddaughter and I visited my favorite nursery, Enchanted Forest in Richmond Texas and they have the biggest selection of fairy garden supplies I’ve seen. I always leave there inspired and excited to go home and play in the yard. Well, girls, the fairy gardens are like a dollhouse for adults and they are not just for girls. I have a friend in Plano who he and his wife have created fairy villages in their yard. Amazing. From the plants to the accessories, we have fun. Now, I can say I have a new fairy garden made out of a double washtub and it is ready for RVing with an airstream and a large tent. Those tent fairies have to start somewhere.

In a word, Mother Nature is: “Unpredictable”. She can wreak havoc and at the same time also teach you about resolve and even go as far as to restore your faith in humanity. In the last week, Hurricane Harvey has brought a keen awareness of feelings to my life. As I waited to see where and when the Brazos River would crest, I started “thinking”. Thinking about the roller coaster of emotions and feelings I’ve just been on. In the last week, I have had so many different emotions, I have been bombarded with feelings of all kinds as I try to make sense of it all. This is what I realized:

Denial. Plain and simple. When I heard the storm was approaching, I just knew it wouldn’t hit us. It was going somewhere else, far away and you wouldn’t have convinced me otherwise. I was in complete denial.
Second, I felt pretty Confident if it did hit us, I had been through several storms in my life, I’d handle it with ease.  Besides, this wasn’t my first rodeo and I knew what to do. I believed I was in total control.
Then the Uncertainty started to creep in. Is it really going to be that bad? It sure was starting to look like we were going to get our fair share of rain and heavy winds. Never mind the fact that this storm was going like 2 mph and sucking the ocean up in its path then dumping it on land as it turned up the coast. If you know Houston, you know that the bayous can only take so much run off then everything becomes below sea level. What should I do now? I didn’t feel so sure and confident all of a sudden. Do I go to my daughter’s, leave town or stay at home? I decided to stay.
Then I felt what I can only describe as “Relief” after the first night of wind and rain. It seemed that the worst was over but I knew better, it was merely the calm before the storm.
I was worried-Would the storm really be that bad? Which, in turn, made me feel pretty Indecisive. Those who know me, know that I have no problem making a decision and following through, but this was different. Here, we had a mandatory evacuation order issued, which didn’t really matter, because I was the one who would decide if I should stay or go. My daughter’s house was in a voluntary evacuation area, so I could go there, or they could come to my house because I had a two-story home.
I would have these bursts of PANIC.  Watching the news was frightening. But, there was no time to waste, I chose to stay, so I started to prepare by moving things upstairs. I was on a mission, rushing around from one thing to another, moving it to higher ground. I also found out that I was in pretty good shape!
One of the feelings I felt was massive amounts of Gratitude for my neighbors checking on me and in turn, I invited everyone who was scared and wanted to be up higher to come on over in case of a flood. I really got to know my neighbors well and found out that they are all truly wonderful people.
Now I can’t say that there weren’t moments of abject Fear. For example What if a two-story house still wasn’t high enough? How will I protect my daughter and grandkids? At that point I realized, I can’t. We’d have to rely on rescue and the grace of God at that point. It wasn’t a good feeling or thought to have. It was painful to think about, though it had to be done. Then it start’s to set in. The Sorrow– that unbearable gut-wrenching feeling as your heart drops into your throat as you watch the rescue efforts and hear about of the losses. Then Sorrow and Sympathy lead to feeling Guilty that you are still OK while others literally face death and unimaginable loss. Even worse, there is absolutely nothing you can do but hope and pray.
I learned more about Compassion in the past 6 days than I have the past 6 years.  Texans stood with Texans, doing everything they could for their neighbors…even if they lived hundreds of miles away. Then help started pouring in from everywhere, all over the United States. It was incredible. I felt an immense amount of pride knowing that Texans, and others, were so quick to help total strangers by putting themselves in harm’s way to do so. If only the rest of the world would take a few notes from Texas on how to treat one another, maybe we’d be live in a much more hospitable world.
And this brings me to “HOPE” – As we came through the storm, I never lost sight of my hope and faith in God and actually reaffirmed my hope and faith in man.
As I reflect on my personal meeting with Hurricane Harvey, I quickly realize that I am one of the luckiest people I know. I thank God for my blessings, for being here today, for having the opportunity to share all these feelings and for you for taking the time to read them. I am thankful for the many people in my life who care and support me and my family. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and a wonderful PPL family, to be RV Nana, to have friends here for me, to live in this great state, in this great country and to have the good health and good fortune to live my life and make memories. I hope for the same blessings for every Houstonian alike.

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