My Friend, Lilly, & Life Questions!

I have a friend, Lilly. I have never met her in person, but I have grown to love her a lot. She and I seem to compliment each other well. We are able to talk about Yahweh and His Word and encourage and challenge each other in our spiritual walks. We don't agree 100% on everything, but we agree on the foundational...or as she would call it, the issues that make up the spine of what God's Word teaches.

She called me today, after reading something I wrote to John, her beloved. He had asked how I was, so I wrote him about my ponderings about prayer and contentment in this life. So, after he showed it to her, Lilly called.

Lilly just shares her own experiences with life and her relationship with Yahweh, and it always helps me to get grounded again when I seem to be fumbling around. Some of what we discussed is that it is OK to ask for things that are practical...things that can help us to be better stewards with what God has blessed us with...things that will help to meet practical needs. However, after asking it is important to understand that it may not be our Abba's will for us to have it...or maybe not yet. I need to ask and then trust Him to act according to His will...not mine.

Only Yahweh sees the bigger picture. He knows our lives and our hearts. There may be some lessons to be learned first. Or maybe He is keeping us here, landbound, for a greater purpose...a purpose that I know nothing about. Really, it does all come back to trust. I either trust my Abba to know and meet my real needs, or I don't. If we don't have something right now...well, it means that we are not supposed to...at least not right now. And that is OK!

I am so blessed by my friendship with Lilly and John. They really care about us...not just about me, but about the whole family. They pray for us. And Lilly is a true sister who knows she can challenge me...and it goes both ways. We have each taken turns being there for the other and encouraging one another. She has helped me to see Abba's hand in things and I have been blessed to have been able to do the same for her.

Lilly, if you are reading this...I love you! Thank you for being my friend and sister in Yeshua! I sure hope that we get to meet in this life; but if we don't, I know I will meet you in the next! *big smile*

Beautiful Day, Butterflies & the Mail Box!

It is cold today...freezing...literally...as the thermometer reads 32 degrees. But the sun is shining. I love the sunshine! It is much harder on cold days when they are gray. But when the sun is shining...it just does not seem to be as cold. Of course, I guess it also helps that the wind is not blowing, so there is no wind chill factor.

I actually walked down to the mailbox today. I know...that probably sounds kind of silly...like, what kind of accomplishment is that? Well, I have noticed that living in a place where there is no place to walk...the tendency is to sit a lot. And it all contributes to a kind of inertia. It is hard to get going. And when the weather is icky, it becomes even harder to move around and easier to just sit. And yes, I am VERY out of shape. I won't deny it!

So, walking down the driveway to the mail IS an accomplishment...for me. But the sun was calling and it really did not feel that cold. Of course, I did have to be careful on one part of the driveway. Lately, there has been so much ice that I did not want to dare to walk down it if I did not have to. But today there was only one place I needed to be careful. It actually felt good to be outside walking around!

Oh, Spring...hurry up and come! I love winter...but what we have had is NOT winter. It is more like what the transitional weather between winter and spring is like...except that it has been like this ALL winter long! Ick!! I am tired of mud and ice! I love snow. But I do not like winter rain and ice.

I am thinking about our meadow and wondering if we will mow it or not this summer. I am so torn. When we did not mow it last summer we had so many butterflies all around that they would actually fly into you when you walked down the driveway. I like the idea of a mowed meadow...but I also like the idea of a butterfly sanctuary! *smile*

So, today is a beautiful day!

Long Day and Home Education!

Wew! I made it through yesterday! We have started going to a home school co-op on Tuesdays. We have not been able to go due to no money, no car. Well, God made a way for us to do it through someone who worked things out for us. But it means a VERY long day!

We leave about 5:45 a.m. Yep, you read that right! A.M.! As in...it is still dark. Now, I am used to getting up most days right around that time. However, having all three of us out the door by that time is vastly different! The night before we all need to be showered up and I have to have something packed for both breakfast and lunch.

First I drop Dave off at work; although, when the weather turns nicer, he will be dropping me off instead. That way I won't have to go pick him up. The classes are in two different places. Well, actually, the first set of classes are not really co-op classes, but a lot of the same people are there.

So, my son and I get dropped off at the first church, where the music classes are held. The church secretary is a home schooling mom herself and she has a place for us to work on schooling until the music theory classes start. My son really likes it.

From there we go to the second church, where the co-op classes are. We will need to catch a ride once we start getting dropped off. We go to the second church and eat lunch while we wait for his classes to start. He is taking Oceans, P.E. (for which I am currently a helper), and Art.

He loves all of his classes and he is making some friends. I get to meet and talk with other home schooling parents. Adult conversation! Yay! We are very blessed by this.

Last week, the first week, we were still not up to speed with getting well after being sick. I asked a friend if she would mind dropping us off for the afternoon classes only. She was gracious to do that as it is way out of her way normally. She decided to do shopping that day instead so it worked out nicely for us both.

This week, we did the whole thing. I was exhausted. With PTSD, it does not take much to overwhelm me. I am realizing that I must find a quiet place to just take a quick nap or something during his first class. Yesterday, I was so exhausted that I had my eyes closed most of the way home. I did not even go into the store with Dave on the way home. As soon as we got home I hit the couch. I sort of dozed off and on...not sure if I actually slept at all or not.

Later, I dragged myself off the couch and checked email and a couple of things on the net and then was in bed by 10. This morning, I could still feel the aftereffects of such a long day away from home. But it is worth it! I will just have to take each week as it comes.

It snowed yesterday and part of today, so far. I love watching the snow come down. I just hate that it keeps turning to rain and then sometimes to ice. This is not the winter weather I remember from before. This is like the transitional weather from winter to spring. It is almost as if winter never hit this year. :(

On the one hand, that may be good...saves us the cost of heating and makes it easier to do laundry. On the other hand, it is dreary, muddy and icey. The ice is bad because of how dangerous it is, too.

Today, the sun is shining. I love the sunshine...warm or cold...I love the sunshine!

The mouse population went down again by two (oops...editing in correction...THREE) within the last few days! Sure wish they would just stay outside! My son and hubby get to do the mouse trap duty.

Laundry & Thoughts of Life

Today and tonight it is supposed to be above freezing, which is a good thing as I need to do laundry today. Right now, the thermometer reads just at 32 degrees.

My son has already hooked up the water hose to the washer on one end. The other end he could not get hooked up because the quick disconnect was frozen. Soon, I will be going outside to try and warm it up and get it hooked up so that I can do laundry.

I was up early today, praying and contemplating some questions about life. I want to be content in my situation...in wherever Yahweh wants me to be and with whatever He wants to provide. He knows what I need, yet, He says to make my needs known to Him. This is something I struggle with. I am not sure what to ask for. Should I really be asking for anything beyond food, shelter, clothing?

What about a room on the side of our RV so that we have more privacy? Isn't that a good thing to ask for? Yet, we don't have one and have not been able to build one. So, am I selfish for wanting that? Am I being discontented with what God is providing for us? Is He just saying to be more creative in finding ways to make privacy with what He has provided? Is it wrong to ask for a room...or even a real house of some kind, no matter how small?

Well...I don't really believe it is wrong to ask for anything. He is my Abba, after all. He will just say "no" if I ask for the wrong things. I guess my real question is...am I being selfish for wanting more? Am I being selfish for wanting a second vehicle so that my son and I are not stuck on the land unable to really go anywhere? Or is God saying that I need to look for other things to do with my son? I wish I knew.

Some may be uncomfortable with my expressing my questions here...but they, too, are a part of our life. Why are we here where we are? How can we best serve Yahweh in this place? How can we best be His sons and daughter? How can we best show His love to a darkened world? This is just a temporary home...life on this planet. This is not my true destination. Honestly, if this life were all there is to live for...I do not believe life would be worth living. I want more than this life can offer. I want the Creator...the Giver of this life. Being in relationship with Him and serving Him is what makes this life, with all of its difficulties, worth living.

I guess, to some degree, that sounds a bit pessimistic. And for those who know me as being the optimist in the family it might sound a bit strange. But my optimism is not in life...it is in the Giver of life. It is because I trust Him that I can be optimistic. I have seen Him move in incredible ways and do miraculous things in my life. I know that He is trustworthy. It is my human perceptions that are NOT trustworthy. That is why I have to ask HIM about life...about what HE wants me to ask for. Only He sees the big picture. Only He really knows what I need. I know what I want, but it is sometimes difficult to separate my wants from my needs. OK...so maybe it is OFTEN difficult to separate them. *smile* So, I will continue working on learning contentedness in our situation and trusting Him to provide what we really need.

I am learning still, and again, to trust Him more and more. I know that He is more than able to answer the questions of my heart. He has brought me through so much in this life. He will not leave me hanging. Of that I can depend. He says that He will never leave me or forsake me.

Birds of a Feather & Maranatha 70's!

This morning my son told me to come very slowly to the window. In the tree outside, which I believe is a cedar, there was a small flock of birds. I don't recall ever seeing them before. They were fat little birds with medium gray on their wings, very dark heads and an orangish colored breast and stomach. Just behind the orange beneath their tails they have white. The tails are also gray.

This is the tree where the bird feeder is, but I think they are too big to be able to use the kind we have. They were pecking at seeds of some kind in the tree. As they ate little dark specks were hitting the snow below the tree.

They were accompanied by little birds with dark and white striping. We also saw what appeared to be a tiny woodpecker...black and white with a bit of red on his head. He was tapping away at a branch in a nearby bush, but we could not hear anything, even when we opened the window a tiny bit. We do have woodpeckers around. In the summer we have heard them.

There is still snow on the ground and the trees still have some ice on the branches. No icicles. It is more of a layer of ice that just coats them. Yet, the birds were able to get to those seeds in the tree, even with the ice.

Hmmm...I wonder...do we choose to keep picking at God's Word for that sweet honey for the spirit, even when it seems like everything in life is layering "ice" upon it? Sometimes, when hard things in life hit, it is harder to get into the Word. It almost seems as if there is this layer over it that makes it hard to see...difficult to understand. Yet, if we act like those birds and keep at it...we, too, will be rewarded with the nuggets of spiritual nourishment that are there.

These birds were together...a small flock. They led one another from tree to tree, from place to place. Do we gather together with one another? Do we fellowship and allow ourselves to be led by one another to His Word and to His presence? Sometimes, especially when we are weak and unable to find our way on our own, we need the rest of the flock to help show the way to the next place...to the next bit of nourishment on the journey. So, do we allow that to happen? Or are we stubborn, independent buggers?

Well, I am sitting here listening to the February 15th PUD (Praise Until Dawn) podcast from PBN. This particular one seems to be the worship music from the 70's...Maranatha style...the stuff I heard in that time when I was really growing into my relationship with the Lord in a much deeper way. Boy does it take me back! I LOVE this music as it lifts my spirit and makes my heart soar.

It is now time to get off here and do some bible reading with my son. While we read, I am going to start the very slow filling of the bathtub. Because of the small water heater, I have to let it fill VERY slowly so that the water stays hot. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get the tub filled. No sudden baths around here. You have to preplan them. But I will share more about that in another post sometime.

I have been sharing my rambling thoughts here this morning. I sure hope they make some sense! :)

Oh...and one more thought about the birds and music. At one point, my son said that there was a bird outside that kept opening its mouth as the music was playing. He said that it almost seemed as if the bird was singing with it! I hope that your heart is singing to Him today!

Does in the Meadow & Propane!

The blanket is in the dryer. The lockin has been cancelled and our small propane tank is empty. Soooooo...I am putting off my shower until we get the propane switched around. Our water heater is dually powered...electricity and propane. The propane kicks in when the electric cannot keep up. That extra little boost really does help to extend the hot water a little longer.

I am sitting here looking into our meadow as twilight approaches. There are two does grazing in our semi snow covered meadow. They are beautiful creatures...so graceful. I love to watch them. We don't often see them this close in the meadow...at least not while we are actually able to look out the window and see them. All is quiet and peaceful.

Whoa! I take that back. As we watched, we saw a third...then a fourth doe. There are four does that we can see in our meadow!

The bird feeder does a pretty good business, too. These are the things that make not living in town nice. I still wish we had another car, though, and the gas budget to go with it. But these moments are so special!

Ice, Lockin, Mice, Mildew & a Blanket in the Bathtub!

OK...you are probably wondering what those things have in common...or maybe not! :)

Our church has a youth lockin tonight. So far, it has not been cancelled due to icy roads. The roads are in pretty good condition...right now. However, a lot of driveways are not...which effects us. Last night Dave parked across the creek rather than risk trying to get down an icy driveway this morning. That was a good thing as there is at least an inch of ice on our driveway. :(

The lockin...well, the ice effects our son getting there. Dave has to work late. We have only one vehicle. The driveway of the person who could give us a ride there...yep...you guessed it...is icy and she cannot bring us. So, Dave will have to bring him about two hours late.

Now, what does this have to do with mice, mildew or a blanket in the bathtub? Well, this lockin is overnight. We did find the sleeping bag, but it had gotten left outside in a garbage bag when we had to spray the inside of the tarp shed for mildew. The bag apparently got ripped open or something and there is frozen water in it. The washing machine is wrapped up for the cold and I cannot use it to wash the sleeping bag.

Our son has a favorite blanket that someone gave him. It is bit large for his sleep area, so it was in the tarp shed. Well...the mice got to that and bit holes in it, which has son rather upset. It was a gift...poor guy. So, he cannot use that, either.

We found a bigger blanket in our box when we went looking for his small sleeping bag...a bag that was NOT outside. However, this blanket smells like the box and needs to be washed. So, we have a blanket in the bathtub.

I have washed smaller blankets in there and it is not too bad. We have a shower curtain rod in the middle of the wall at the top to hang things from. I use it to drape things across and then twist them to ring them. Only one problem with that...this blanket (a queen/king, if I remember correctly) is too heavy and will just bring the rod down. I know...I tried and almost brought it down. :P

Ever try to wring out a big blanket? It is very heavy...and hard to wring. What makes it even better is that our hot water heater only holds 6 gallons...which means the water is pretty COLD!!! Yikes! So, I have this blanket that is soaking that I have to get wrung out enough to get it into the dryer. Hmmm...I wonder what happens when you put a soaking wet blanket in the dryer? Do you think it will ruin the dryer? Uh oh!

So, as I write this...we are trying to get the smell out of the blanket...with only partial success...partly due to an inability to really wring out the water. Plus, I am waiting for the hot water heater to heat the water up again. Oh, what fun...NOT! :)

This is life in our little RV on the hillside. We have mice and mildew, ice and lockin and a blanket in the bathtub! What is YOUR day like today? LOL

Ice Storms & Awnings!

Today we had snow off and on, followed by sleet. Tonight we have rain and tomorrow we get more sleet. There is supposed to be a buildup of 2 inches of ice tomorrow morning, but by the afternoon the rain is supposed to melt it. There is a lock in for the youth tomorrow night, but I am not sure it is going to happen. If the roads are bad, it will be put off.

Our awning is out, so whenever it snows or sleets, we have to shake the snow and ice off of the awning so that the weight won't cause it to collapse. What fun that would be if it came down on us! Right now, it creates a sort of porch on the door side of the rv.

The tarp that covers the roof hangs down over the side and across the awning. This keeps the insulation layer on the roof and the water out, especially since the roof leaks. As the snow and ice melts, the water runs down the tarp creating icicles hanging down from the edges. Where there is string, there is long strip of ice encasing it. Earlier, the thermometer hanging from the awning had several icicles hanging from it with a strip of ice running down both sides of it. I knocked the ice off of it, but fully expect to see more by tomorrow.

When I took off the insulation sheets from the window facing the meadow this morning, there was a thin sheet of ice on the lower portion. Amazingly, there was no ice dam in front of the sliding window and I did not need to unplug the track drain holes. The other window, which is under the awning, had less ice. That side tends to be a tad bit warmer if there is no wind.

Right now, Dave has our son down at our box. They are trying to heat the frozen padlocks so that they can get into it to look for his sleeping bag for the lock in. We have a full size bag up here, but it got left outside in a garbage bag that leaked. It is wet with frozen ice. So, unless we can wash it, he cannot use it because it might have mildew on it.

Ah, yes, mildew...another problem around here. But, I will address that another time. For now, I am going to sign off as I sit here looking out the window at the snow and sleet and listening to the beautiful music of PBN as the gray sky turns to twilight. The road is white already and I am so glad that we do not have to go out tonight. Dave came home early to avoid the ice buildup.

Answer to Another ? About the Icey Windows

Anonymous said...

I still dont understant why you have to remove the ice. would it drip on the floor? Would it stay frozen? Do you need the window open in this kind of weather?


We don't actually need to remove the ice from the window. What we need to do is to unblock the drain holes. Once I take the insulation sheets off the windows, the ice starts to melt...fairly quickly. So, I need to remove the ice plugs from the drain holes so that the water won't run over the lip of the track and down the wall.

The sliding window has a very narrow space between it and the front wall of the track. If that space is filled with ice, which it usually is, the ice on the window melts and runs right down over the ice in the track and onto the sill and down the wall. I don't remove the ice to open the window. In fact, even when the ice is removed on the inside, there is often still just enough ice at the bottom to keep the window frozen shut anyway.

So, really, it is all about keeping the water from running down the wall inside. I squeegie the windows above the ice where there is just water. The water running down over the ice actually helps to melt it. Removing the water also makes it a lot easier to see out the window, which is why I squeegie it every morning to remove the condensation.

I hope that answered your question. Feel free to ask more!  :)

Snow! & Answer to ? About Icey Windows

We have snow! Only about 2-3 inches, but it is still very pretty. We also water dripping off the tarp that covers our roof, which means that it is melting and will probably turn to ice.  

I thought we would be moving back into the type of weather I remember as a child when we lived in this are for a few years. I have to admit it is disappointing having this weather, not to mention also difficult to work around with all the ice buildup.

Someone asked why our windows get icey. I will try to answer it as best I can. Our windows get cold from the outside. The cold glass is touched by the warm air inside and draws the moisture out of the warm air. This causes condensation on our windows. If we did not put anything in the windows, I don't think we would ever get ice because the warm air inside would keep leeching to the outside through the glass, keeping the condensation as water.

However, because we put insulation sheets in  there is a slight gap created. It is just enough to let a bit of warm air, forming condensation, but not enough to keep it warm enough to leave it water. So, the air in between the insulation sheet is cold enough to freeze the water to ice. When I take the sheets down in the morning, there is always a mix of water and ice. Water at the top, ice at the bottom. I guess it makes sense that it would water at the top since heat rises. Obviously, the warmer air would be higher up.

How much ice is there seems to be dependent on how low the temperature gets and how long it stays low enough to freeze the water.

I am sitting here listening to an older PBN podcast...one with Christmas music. I so love the Christmas music they play. It is very worshipful! It is something I can listen to any time of year as it reminds me of what Yahweh has done for us through His Son, Yeshua. I am always amazed when I think of the love of God. It is simply beyond my comprehension. So, I just sit and bask in it as He wraps His arms around my heart. mmmmmmmmmmm! How wonderful it can feel!

Ice Dams and Frozen Hearts!

We have a whole routine we have to follow in the winter regarding our windows. This is a very old RV and it is made for warmer climes. It was also made before they started putting doublepaned windows in them. Even now, double-paned is only an option on a lot of RV's, not a standard. Or at least that is how it was a few years ago.

We use foil insulation sheets in the windows at night. They look like foil covered bubble wrap...the kind with the tiny bubbles. Cut to size, we put one up in each window. This makes a HUGE difference on the amount of heat we lose. Then we slide our curtain blankets over the two main side windows. Considering the size of the RV, these are big windows. The window on the couch side runs almost the length of the couch. The one across from it, behind me, is slightly smaller.

Even as I sit here, I can feel the cold air coming in from the one across from me where I have taken the foil back out of the window to let light in. Hmmm...light or heat. What a choice! I have not taken the one out of the window behind me yet...and I may not. I may leave it in, especially today, since I will be gone part of the day. In fact, when we go somewhere...on those very rare days that we do...we will often leave the foil in the windows to conserve energy. It is 18F out there right now and I have just shut the blanket curtain. I am thinking of putting the foil back in for awhile because of the cold. The condensation makes it hard to see much out of the window, but it is nice having the light. I also just turned the heater up. :P

On nights when it drops below freezing, taking off the foil insulation sheets can get very interesting. There is so much condensation that forms on the inside of the windows that the foil is often frozen to the window with bits of ice...or even a sheet of ice in the bottom part of the window. The fact that the ice can form is a testimony to how much heat the sheets are deflecting back into the RV. I have to very carefully peel the sheets off.

When it is not freezing, I simply pull the sheets off, wipe off the window sills and squeegie the condensation off the windows. The window frames are made of aluminum, so they act like heatsinks to the outside and the inside of the frames get very cold and condensation will often form on them, too.

When it is freezing, there is a whole other routine I must follow. First of all, the condensation has run into the little holes in the two ends of the window frame and frozen into ice dams. So, the water that would normally drain right out of the track is stuck. Well, if I don't get those holes thawed, the condensation on the windows, along with the melting ice, will overflow the tracks.

Along with that, the window is in two pieces...one stationary and one sliding. The sliding one is on the inside and the track gets very narrow between it and the inside wall of the track. During the night, enough condensation has formed and dripped down to make that little part of the track fill completely, or almost completely, with ice. So any water that drips down from the sliding window will automatically run right over the ice and onto the sill.

Thus starts a whole new routine for the winter. My son has a little experiment kit. OK...now you are probably thinking "huh? What on earth does THAT have to do with winter window routines?" Well...read on and learn! :) In that kit is a little plastic pipette. The first thing I do is fill a cup with very hot water and the pipette.

Now, the size of the plastic tube on the pipette just happens to be the perfect size to fit into the drain hole on the window frames, IF the hole is not dammed up with ice! Starting to get where I am going with this? I very carefully take a pipette filled with hot water and squirt it where the hole is. I keep doing this until I can stick the pipette into the hole. With each squirt, I can get it to go in farther and farther until the ice is melted through and the water can drain. This must be done immediately for the ice on the windows starts to melt as soon as I pull off the insulation sheet.

Immediately after that, I have to go take care of the ice dam on the sliding window side of the track. Again, the tube on the pipette is the perfect size for fitting along the track between the window and the inside wall of the track. Very slowly, I slide the pipette from the middle where the sliding window meets the stationary window toward the end of the sliding window, while gently squeezing out the hot water. I have to squeeze it fast enough to get it out while it is still hot, but slowly enough that it is not just running over the ice and onto the sill. It takes a little practice, but is not really hard to master. In fact, it is kind of fun! I get to be an adult who plays with water and ice! :)

The main thing is to NOT let the hot water touch the frozen glass! THAT would NOT be good!

I just keep sliding and squeezing the hot water into the track all along that side of the window track until the ice dam between the window and the track is completely melted. It takes a few minutes to do this as the pipette does not hold much water. Once the holes are unplugged and the track is clear, I can squeegie away and the water won't overflow. Although, I do have to squeegie slowly on the sliding window because the track on that side, being so narrow, can still only hold a certain amount of water at once.

So, there you have it...ice dams! But what about the frozen hearts? Well, this morning as I was working with the windows I thought about how this can be a parallel to spiritual life.

When the cold winter storms of life hit is my heart kept warm by the fire of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)? Or am I allowing them to freeze His fire out of my heart? I know that, as I look back on my life, there are many times that I have allowed my heart to grow cold. Thankfully, and only by the grace of Yahweh, I don't think my heart has ever totally frozen. However, I DO know that He has had to warm up my cold heart many times over the years when I have allowed it to get cold due to anger, or frustration, or despair.

My abusers tried to freeze my heart toward God. But they never succeeded! I have always, since the time I was very young, had a heart for God. I was not always able to live it, but I strived for it. And He blessed me in it. Yet, there have been times when my heart grew cold...sometimes due to being blessed...sometimes due to being overwhelmed.

We each have those things that tend to make our hearts grow cold toward our heavenly Abba (Daddy). What is yours? Do you have so much that you don't feel a need for the fire anymore? Are you hurting so badly that, instead of running TO Him, you run FROM Him? Have those who call themselves by His name wounded you so deeply that you have forgotten that He is NOT those people? Whatever it is that temps you to let your heart freeze, please don't let it! Run from the temptation. Ask Him to put that fire back in your heart. And remember that this world is temporary. It is not all there is. And not everyone who calls themselves by His name... are really His!

Are YOU His? That is the key most important question you can ever ask yourself! The answer settles your destiny. Do you think you are His? Make sure! Sha'ul (Paul) wrote:

2Co 13:5 HNV
(5) Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.

If you are sure, rest in it, for Yeshua (Jesus) said:

Joh 6:37 All those who the Father gives me will come to me. Him who comes to me I will in no way throw out.
Joh 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Joh 6:39 This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.

And we have this promise, too, along with so many more!

Heb 7:25 Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

I will try to write more about our day later...but for now...have a good day from all of us here in our Little RV on the Hillside!

Slow Day

Dave was home today. It was nice to have him home on a holiday. We did not do a whole lot with all of us still recovering from being sick.

Today starts a temperature change. We are moving into colder weather with nights of snow and freezing rain. This is weather that is a bit concerning since the rain often turns to ice. Things have changed weatherwise in this area over the years. The winters have gotten milder and wetter.

When I lived not too far from here for a few years during my childhood, we had snow either by Christmas or within a few days after it. Once we got that first snow fall, there was pretty much snow around all winter. We would go out everyday to play in it. I don't remember rain other than in the summer. So this weather is wierd to me...and annoying to us. It is dangerous with the ice.

Dave covered up the washing machine and fixed a place in the plastic on the roof where the rain/snow kept pushing it through. Every time it would push through it would cause it to leak into the upstairs and then down into the bottom floor. Yesterday, he disconnected the water hose going into the laundry room and drained it so that it would not freeze.

Last night we had some strong winds again. I was already restless, thinking about my sister, whose birthday was today. Suddenly, the wind kicked in and knocked something over outside with a big bang. It woke Dave up and startled the heck out of me. It took a long time to get over it and calm down inside.

Dave got up and went out to see what it was. It turns out that a sheet of insulation that was held up by a folding chair that was leaning into it was blown over. We heard the chair hitting the gravel. Dave put it back in place and said that everything else looked fine.

For some reason, the high winds really bother me. I always wonder what it will do to our tarps and all the stuff we have out there. I just have to trust Yahweh to protect all that He wants to protect. He will make sure we have what we need.
There are times when we have had tornado warnings, although not last night. The likelihood of one hitting here is really small. We live in a tiny valley and tornadoes tend to bounce when they hit hills. Still, there is something about the really high gusty winds that bothers me...at night. They don't seem to bother me quite as much during the day...probably because I can see what is happening.

As I was laying in bed, I remembered a hurricane I lived through as a child. Well, I sort of remembered. All I really remember was being in the back seat of a car. The skies were darkened and my parents and I were going to the home of people I did not know. I remember arriving there and being in a house with a bunch of strangers. It seems like the lights were either out...or maybe just low? That is all I remember myself. My mother told me that we went through two hurricanes while we lived in that state, but these little blips are the only thing I remember.

After we had moved into the RV park where we stayed before coming to our land we went through some tornado warnings. I felt so vulnerable being out in an open field like that. I much prefer earthquakes over things like tornadoes and certainly over hurricanes!

Today, it snowed for quite awhile. Big, HUGE, flakes. But nothing really stuck around. After two rather warm days, the ground just was not cold enough for it to stick. It melted. But watching it come down was awesome! It was SO beautiful! We loved watching it blow back and forth as the wind changed directions. It was as if the flakes were dancing in the air...swirling and twirling about and having a grand old time.

Well, that's it for now from our Little RV on the Hillside!

Answer to ? About our Acres

The following comment was posted:

if you have 7 ackers off land then why did you put your RV where you did? Couldnt there be a better place? how did you get 7 ackers, if I may ask


I am not sure I quite understand your question, or what you mean by "a better place"; but I will try to answer it. When we bought the acreage we looked at the lay of the land and tried to figure out where the best place would be to put a workshop and a home. At that time, we were hoping to get a workshop built and put a small apartment at one end of it.

Our land has a creek near the road, then a meadow, then a hillside. We cut two flat pads on the hillside...an upper one for the workshop and a lower one for what ever we would do in the future. Since we only had enough money to run the power, water and septic to the lower pad, that became the place for the motor home. It is right above the meadow, which, personally, I like better than being on the upper pad. I would not have the same view up there as I do here.

When we moved to this part of the country, we discovered that all the houses in our price range were not really fit to be lived in. Most looked as if they needed to be bulldozed and rebuilt. They had weak foundations and other structural problems. The only thing we could really afford was acreage. Of the land we considered, this was by far the best suited for us at the time.

I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for coming by. :)

Blessed First Day!

It's the first day of the week. I was feeling so good last night that I thought I might make it to church today, however, the wiser voices in my head said "no". :) Neither I, or our son, were really ready. So, we stayed home while Dave went to church. We are hoping to go tonight to the adult class. Our son can sit in with us there.

It has been raining off and on all morning...a nice gentle rainfall. I love the rain. It is something that Dave and I have in common. We have always both loved the rain. It is something that has made our living situation more difficult. Due to leaks in the roof and the mud washing down the hillside and gullies being created in the driveway, we found ourselves torn between enjoying the rain and dreading it. We finally decided that we have done what we can. The roof is covered. The rain is channeled as best we can through the trenches and gullies we have made. We choose to enjoy the rain and leave the rest in God's hands. He is certainly capable! :)

I like how the rain refreshes the air and washes things. Even in the midst of the browns of winter, there are always patches of green growth. It is kind of like our lives. Even in the hard winter times of our lives when it seems like all is dead and brown, there are the green patches of life in the spirit where we see God moving His hand on our behalf.

We are pretty much landbound because we have only one vehicle. Dave works way too far away for us to drop him off and pick him up. Yet, for one day a week starting this week we are going to do just that. That is because of a blessing being provided to us. Our son is going to start going to a homeschooling co-op. We had no way to do it, but God has provided a way for us to do it. So, on Monday nights we will be packing up Tuesday's breakfast and lunch and everything we will need for the next day. It is going to be a challenge for all three of us to be ready to leave here by 6, but we are going to try and do it.

We will drop Dave off and then go to a place to study until the classes start. Then I will go pick Dave up and we will all come back for dinner. This co-op serves dinner between the younger student classes in the afternoon and the older student classes in the evening. Then we all head for home. What a blessing this will be for us...to finally be able to get off the land and mix with others. He will be taking classes on oceans, art, P.E. and music theory.

It is usually very draining for me to be gone all day like that, so it will be a bit of a challenge. Yet, I know that God will not call us into something that He will not also equip us for. God will work things out for us, meeting our needs for each day.

Day Is Done! So is the Laundry!

Well, I actually got the laundry done today. The last load is in the dryer and that is OK. The water is turned off. Tomorrow we need to unhook the water hose and get the washer all covered up again against the freeze of Monday night.

I am actually feeling better! Woohoo! I sure hope my body keeps going in this direction. Today I made another pot of homemade chicken soup. It was sure yummy!

Dave is watching a video we borrowed from our church. It is by Robert McGee and is called "The Search for Significance". Very awesome message! If only more people could grasp what he is saying here. It is all right there in God's Word, but McGee has such a way of putting it that makes it jump right out at you. Our pastor has been teaching a class on Sunday evenings that is combining McGee's teachings with Neil Anderson's. Both have a very powerful message.

Well, the bed is made with freshly cleaned bedding. The video is coming to an end. Our son is getting ready to turn out his light up in his sleep area and I need to go take a shower. The kitchen area is cleaned and the food is put away. Night has fallen here on our hillside. The window covers are in and soon it will be time for us to go to bed.

We wish you Shalom from our Little RV on the Hillside.

Surprise Packages!

We received a wonderful package in the mail yesterday! It had some wonderful goodies from back home and was sent with much love from our son and his fiancee! There were my favorite special vegan scones that are specially made by a bakery there, some chocolate covered cashews, trail mix, teas. Yummy! Something for everybody!

The best part of the whole package was the love that just overflowed from the package. It spilled out over the sides in the form of a card in which both of them wrote to us. We feel very hugged and very loved!

It is hard to be so far away from family. *tears* But this is where we are to be for now. It is my prayer that we will all be together in heaven, united for eternity...never to be separated again.

Flitting Thoughts and Friends That Care!

How wonderful it was to come and see that I have three friends who have dropped by to visit my little blog! :)

Gosh, I so hate being sick. As I lay there in my bed I get all these wonderful thoughts I want to share with my friends and family. But when I get up and sit here, it seems like all the thoughts fly away like little birds flitting away from a bird feeder when the squirrel shows up!

Dave is outside hooking up our laundry room. Thankfully, it is not supposed to freeze tonight or tomorrow night, so we will be able to leave it hooked up for a day or so. Since he has specific shirts he has to wear to work, kind of like a uniform, we must get them washed this weekend. I can hear him out there coughing in the cold air. Poor guy! My main goal is just do loads of laundry spread throughout the rest of the day. I pray I have the strength to do enough. I know Dave will help, but he also needs to finish getting well since he needs to be able to work.

Our son seems to be hit the hardest in some respects, but I think he is getting better, too. This is just really taking a long time to pass. :P

We looked out the window today and watched two cardinals at our bird feeder...a male and a female. What funny characters! He would sit there and eat and eat and eat while she watched from a nearby branch. When he would go to another branch, she would fly down and grab a few bites. But that rascally male would come back and chase her away, barely giving her any time to eat!

We watched as this was repeated several times. They seem like a pair, but boy was he pushy! In the times we have seen cardinals at the feeder, they never have more than one at a time. We use a cylindrical feeder and it has four posts in different directions, but one bird still always chases another away. What manners!

Imagine if we came to the dinner table that way...always pushing others away. The weak would starve while the strong ate. Yet, isn't that the human nature we see so often at work in the world today? People pushing others away to get what they want...behaving no better than those birds?

Imagine if our relationship with God was that way! If only the strong and assertive could come to His table and partake of His love! I am so glad that God has room enough for us all and that He welcomes ALL who really want to come to Him. He welcomes the weak and downtrodden. I am especially grateful that He welcomes the wounded and broken.

Well, enough energy here for the moment. I need to get some laundry started. I hope I feel well enough to come back and write some more later.

Signing off for now from our Little RV on the Hillside.

Assorted Thoughts for the Day

It has been a long time since I have been this sick. I am still dragging after overdoing it on Wednesday. Poor Dave had to dump the black water tank after he got home from work because I was just too weak to go outside and do it. Because the water hose to flush it was frozen, we had to dump dishpans of water into the toilet to help it "flush" out the tank. Not ideal...but it works. It got us through the last two winters. :)

Yesterday was a special anniversary for my Honey and me, which I started to write about. But I got too foggy to continue, so I saved it in a document to post later. Hopefully, I will get to it soon. Right now, I am still pretty weak and will be laying down again soon.

There is still a little bit of snow on the ground. It is in the mid 30's, which is about as warm as it is supposed to get today. I am praying that we will be able to do laundry here this weekend. We have the water hose running down the hillside to drain, so it should be open to use.

As I lay in bed I get all sorts of things going through my mind to share about our lifestyle out here. It is hard to have all these thoughts in my head and be unable to sit here and write them out.

As I sit here, my son is watching educational TV. It is amazing the things we can learn from some of these programs. He is laying up in his sleep area while I am below here at my pc. The bed is still a bed. I don't know if it will make it into a couch today. Yesterday it did not. I really don't think I want to spend the energy to convert it both ways today. I need to reserve my strength.

Well, this is about as far as my foggy brain will take me today. I need to go lay back down and get better. It is nice and warm in our cozy RV. :) I hope that all of our friends and family are staying healthy!

Back to Work, Trenching & Life

Well...Dave dragged himself into work today. Our son and I are still dragging a bit, too...but definitely on the upswing! Yay!!!!

I am listening to PBN and writing here in my blog, then I will be off to lay down again.

We still have some bits of snow covering the landscape and patches of ice going down our gravel driveway. One thing we really need to do is to find a way of getting all the water trenched away from the driveway so it won't run down it and freeze.

Ah, trenching! Such fun! NOT! It is always a challenge to try and figure out how to reroute the water. I have spent some hours on rainy days out there in my red mudders, jeans tucked inside, digging trenches. When it rains we have a mini-creek running through our meadow...something we definitely need to reroute as it sits on our septic leach area!

The last heavy rain, I managed to clear the growth out of the trench running alongside the lower part of the driveway. I also dug little mini channels to keep water off the upper driveway. It always feels good to get something accomplished!

My brain is still a bit foggy from being sick, so hopefully these ramblings actually make sense!

Today I need to dump our black water tank again. It is supposed to get up into the 40's, so hopefully, the water hose for flushing the tank will thaw out. Otherwise, I will have to dump dishpans of water into the toilet to sort of flush it out.

The Van's Across the Creek!

Well...Dave could not get enough ice broken up in the driveway before running out of steam. As sick as he has been, I hope he did not over do it. He actually had to back the van across the creek. It barely made it up the other bank, but he got it up there and then turned around. Tomorrow...if he is well enough to go in...he will have to walk down the icy driveway and across the creek. Hooboy! That country livin'!

Well, off to watch a movie together as a family...if we don't all fall asleep first from being so worn out. :)

Appointments on Ice & Hand Goop!

I pretty much have a standing once a week appointment. Today, I was not sure if I was well enough to make it, but I did drag myself in there. He knew that we had all been sick, and so had his family. Oh, what joy...sharing germs! So, I shared with him about the hand sanitizer we use.

It might seem odd sharing about it since we have been sick, but it has actually been awhile since we have been this sick. Dave has managed to dodge most of the stuff going around. We use it on shopping carts and after shaking hands, especially in places like church. We noticed that it really seemed to make a difference once we started using it.

We all feel as if we are on the upswing, but we are very tired and still feeling very drained. Because of the road conditions, Dave insisted on taking me to my appointment. I drive so seldom that he was concerned about me.

When we got back home, we could not make it up our driveway. He is now trying to get the van turned around, but it is not in a good place for turning around. I love the winter, but this is the part that is hard. And salt won't melt ice if the temps drop below 20 degrees F, which it will do tonight. Which reminds me...we had better leave the water dripping! It is no fun to have a frozen water hose.

Well, I am just updating quickly here, then I am off to lay down again...after I see if he got the van turned around. If he cannot turn it, I don't know how he will get to work tomorrow.

Snow!

We have beautiful snow today, although still not much. We get this light one to two inch dusting, which is beautiful, but nothing to play in. Of course, right now would be the worst time to get enough to play in since our son is sick! Oh, what cruelty that would be!

We love being able to sit here and watch outside...that is...when we can see outside. The windows keep fogging up on us, but even through the foggy window it is still beautiful. That is one thing I love about being out here. At least I have the beauty around us to behold! I see God's creative handiwork in all that is around me.

Oh, we had to decrease the mouse population by one more last night. **wicked grin**

Complaining Ramblings

I hate being sick and I don't like being isolated. I don't mind solitude. I love solitude. But I also like to be able to interact more with others. You know...be able to go the library once a week at least!

This was not part of the original plan...to be so rural with only one vehicle. We had it all planned out. Borrow on the van (which we owned outright) to pay for the septic; and then sell the van while we use the car (also owned outright). Some of the money from the van would help us to buy a second vehicle. But an accident changed all that in an instant.

When the car got totaled we were left with only the van...and a payment that we were not planning on having. With the payment things are too tight to do anything more than just get by...and if not for God's provision...we would not even be able to do that at times. There is nothing left to save to buy a vehicle and we cannot sell the van without already having another vehicle. Caught between the proverbial rock and a hard spot. One saving grace is that the land payment is very low! :)

But God is good! He has provided at times when we had NO idea how we were going to get by. He loves us...and for that we are very grateful. We have had many "plans" go awry, but He is there with us through it all. We have also learned that, while OUR plans may go awry...HIS never do! He is watching over us and teaching us so many things through all that we have been through. He is truly refining us and we are learning about what is really most important in life.

I know that He is coming again and I really want everyone to be ready...and isn't that really what we are supposed to be about instead of seeking all the creature comforts of this world? All in all...I am grateful for this little RV. Without it, we would have no place to live.

Oh, I still dream of being able to build some rooms...or even a small house of some kind. I still don't like it that we have stuff that is being destroyed by the weather because we have no way to adequately store it. I still hate not being able to find things, like clothing, that I KNOW I have and do not want to spend money to replace. But it IS all just "stuff". it will all perish, unlike our eternal spirits.

We are able to be happy and contented, knowing that God is going to bring us through this and out the other side. We don't know how. We don't know when. But then, we don't need to know...for He knows for us. Life is hard...for everyone. If it is not one thing, it is another. We have to choose to look for the blessings in life...like the beautiful snow...and the deer on our land...and our overall good health...and our love for one another!

God is good...and we are grateful to be His!

Virus News From the Doc

Dave just called. He described to the doc not only his symptoms, but also ours. There are two nasty viruses going around and we happen to have both in our little RV. :P

Since we are so isolated out here, it seems most likely that Dave brought both home...but only came down with one. Hopefully, we will also only come down with one.

Connecting With Friends

We love to connect with friends! Dave was recently able to connect with a dear brother in Southern CA. We had tried to stop and see him on our way out here, but were running so far behind that we couldn't.

Lilly called this morning. It was SO good to hear her voice. Sadly, I was too sick to talk. I am only up for a few minutes today to update my blog and check my email.

One thing I like about the blog is that it is a way for family and friends from all around the world to check in and see what/how we are doing. It is kind of difficult to keep everyone up to date separately.

I am thankful for technology!

Oh, and we discovered last night that we have another mouse...number four! Oh, joy!

3 Sick Ones!

Three sick ones all in row,
Now one's up top,
With two below.

Three sick in a tiny RV.
It's especially crowded
When there are three.

Moan and groan, painful and achy,
When we stand
Our bodies are shaky.

Grab the bowl and get the meds,
Where's the tissues?
We stay in our beds.


That is about how we feel today. Dave is on his way to the doc while we wait it out here. There is so much sickness going around that they don't even want to see you unless you have been sick at least 3-4 days.

We do seem to be a little bit on the upswing. It is hard to tell when we keep feeing so weak. I think today we are going to leave the bed out.

I hope that all of our friends and family are healthy!

Little Visitors - Unwanted!

I did not sleep very well last night. Between Dave's coughing and some mice that kept chewing on things...arrggg! However, we caught two mice last night and one the night before!!! They are bold little suckers! I kept getting up and finding out what they were nibbling on and moving and the trap.

But we got 'em! Yep! Unwanted visitors trying to go after anything they can find. But it meant getting up and down all night long. :P

It is cold out there, so I cannot say as I blame them for wanting to come in here with us where it is nice and warm.

Ack!!! Three Sick in the Family!

Well, Dave is on the mend, but not back to work. Our son and I are now sick, too, with something totally different. It is a good thing that Dave was too sick to go back to work, yet at least feeling well enough to take care of us. I am wiped out.

I think it is during times of sickness, which are, thank God, very rare, that the size of our living space really effects me the most. We either have a couch or a bed. I don't do well on a bed in the daytime. I must prefer the couch. For that matter...I don't always do well on a bed in the nighttime, either.

Our poor son has to climb up and down to get to his sleep area. If it is only him sick, I let him stay down on the couch...but with both of us sick...I get the couch.
I am up writing this during a few moments of feeling halfway decent. My experience all day is that it won't last...so back to the couch I go...which will have to become a bed soon.

I really hope my son and I feel better tomorrow seeing as how Dave is going to try to get into work. The way the weather is, though, he might not be able to go in. We will see.

Just another day in the Little RV on the Hillside! *Smile*

Sickness in Tiny Spaces!

Dave came home sick Thursday after work. I thought it would be a mistake for him to go in on Friday. Well...I was right! He came home Friday, worse than ever.

We have actually been pretty successful at avoiding the sicknesses going around. But this time, Dave succumbed. Since our bed is our couch, having someone sick does make things a bit awkward. I had to make bed into couch so that he could lay on the couch most of today.

There is a bin of stuff that we usually keep on the couch in the day and on the kitchen floor at night. Well, today we had to work around it being in the kitchen all day.

Yep, being sick in small spaces is a bit awkward. We are praying that no one else gets sick!

Frozen Plumbing and Draining Black Water Tanks!

Here on our land we have septic, power and "city" water. Even though we have septic, we are living in an RV, which means that our waste water still runs through two tanks. The one the toilet is connected to is called the "black" water tank. All the rest of the water goes into the "gray" water tank.

The gray water tank drain valve we leave open. So, when we shower or wash dishes, it just runs right into the septic. The black water tank, however, is a tank of a different color. ;)

The first time we went to an RV park that had sewer hookups we learned a VERY valuable lesson. Being the beginners that we were, we thought we could leave the black water tank ,valve open. Boy did we find out THAT was a mistake. We can laugh about it now...but it was NOT funny then. We thought we had a plug keeping things from draining. What we really had was a pile of you know what right under the toilet in the middle of the tank, making it look full. I won't describe all we went through trying to figure out how to "unplug"it before we got it figured out. Yikes!

So, now we keep the blank tank valve closed! This morning was pull the valve time. Our RV has a special hose port in the side so that we can flush out the tank with the hose while it is draining. This is something we need to do about every three to four days, depending on how much of that time we have all three of us here. When the hose to flush it is frozen, I have to keep filling dishpans and dumping them down inside the toilet to encourage some kind of nominal "flushing" action.

Dave has the drain valve area surrounded by straw bales, styrofoam, foam insulation and plastic. It is almost like a bale lean-to covered with sheets cut from a roll of insulation. Inside, he has lights we keep on to generate just enough heat to keep the valve and the pipe between it and the tank from freezing. We really do NOT relish the idea of having to put a heater out there again in order to unfreeze it!

We also have a bale "lean to" that protects the water hookup and the water hose going into the RV. We have had to unfreeze that hose a few times, too. Now, with all the stuff protecting it, we just leave the water dripping on the times when it gets cold enough to penetrate our covering.

Was that more than anyone wanted to know about RV plumbing? hehehe

RV Cooking!

We have a little RV refrigerator inside. Thankfully, we have been blessed with a full size refrigerator that we keep outside in our partially finished laundry room! It is interesting having a fridge out there. Since the room is unfinished, when the really cold weather hits, the thing inside the fridge freeze.

Our main pantry is also outside, so our canned goods also have a tendency of freezing when it gets cold enough. We have to be careful about anything we store out there in glass jars. So far, nothing has been broken on us.

We are blessed with a four burner propane stove that came with the RV. When we bought the RV, it also had a convection microwave oven. That got fried when we moved onto our land and hooked up the power for the first time. Yep, there is a story in that. We lost a TV and VCR, too. Some very kind people donated a very old TV and an old VCR. We used those until we were finally able to dig out on of our other VCR's from the box and replace the TV with a new one.

Some other very kind people donated an old microwave toaster oven and a little countertop oven. They were interesting to use, but could not replace the convection oven that we had. We were finally able to find our old house microwave in our box. Just last Christmas we received a new convection/microwave for Christmas. Yay! We are now able to do some "real" baking again!

The RV Sleeping Arrangements

Oh what fun! Living in an RV! Forever camping! Not! It IS, however, an adventure! :)

Living in an RV might sound like a very romantic and quaint idea. Well...maybe...if there are two of you. And that is a very strong maybe! A lot depends on the RV. So, I am going to describe over the next few posts what living in our particular kind of RV is like...with three of us! **smile**

Our little RV is about 24 1/2 feet long. It has no...read NO...bedroom. It is what is called a Class C, which means that it has a bed over the cab. Now, the bed is actually a good size...what is called an "RV" queen. However, this RV is very old (1984?) and it does not have the head space that the modern day ones have. If my husband lays on his side he has very little room between him and the ceiling. Add to that the fact that you have to lay sideways and you have a really tight situation if someone has to get up in the night. We immediately found out that crawling over one another was just NOT an option.

So, our son sleeps up there and we make the couch into a bed every night and the bed into a couch every morning for us. We have a bedroll made up of a sleeping bag stuffed with foam. That goes under Dave, who sleeps near the window. I sleep near the aisle. A sheet goes over my side of the "bed" and over the sleeping bag. On top of that are our covers. The size of our "bed" is less than a double/full size. Dave is not a small man...so it does make things very cozy. It is narrow and it is short.

Every morning I have to carefully fold the blanket and sheets onto the sleeping bag. Then I roll the whole thing up and use straps to keep it in place. The bedroll, along with the pillows, gets stuffed into the driver's seat. The "bed" is then turned back into a couch. This is the routine twice a day...every day.

Our son keeps his bedding up in his area. This is really his only "private" space. In that space he also has a plastic bin for his clothing, a plastic bin for other belongings and a cardboard box turned sideways that faces into the main area. The box is being used like a mini-bookcase. There are also a couple of plastic file containers up there for assorted paperwork.

There is a curtain that can be drawn across the sleep area blocking some of the light and giving some privacy.

Well, those are the sleeping arrangements here in our Little RV on the Hillside!

The Four Seasons

I love the four seasons. I had missed them terribly after living for almost 40 years in a place where we had only two seasons...mild/dry and cold/wet. In the time we have been here I have been able to see the Autumn leaves of color, the frost covered trees, the brief (too brief in my mind) white of snow and felt the warmth of summer sun. I have actually seen the sun most days instead of gray cloud cover...most of the year! Yay!!!!

I do miss the people I left behind, though. I also miss having more good weather for motorcycle riding...although, I guess that does not matter much since my motorcycle quit running. :P

We have a partially finished laundry room. It is one and half stories high. The roof is mostly on, but there is a strip that has no plywood on it. To finish that off will require the building of scaffolding on a muddy slanted area. It is going to be a bit tricky. In the meantime, we have the whole laundry room roof covered with a tarp. There is some black plastic over the opening strip, however, the rain has a tendency to push it through dropping water all over the floor, which then has a tendency to leak into the bottom. I will write more about how we do laundry later...perhaps on our next wash day. :)

The Storms of Winter

We have been experiencing a LOT of rain. It has raised the creek to the degree that it makes it difficult to get across at times. Dave had difficulty getting the trash across the creek this morning for pickup today. Poor guy went to work with his feet wet. :(

I love to look out across our meadow. From our little RV on the hillside I can see over our meadow and across the creek to the road. Come spring, when the leaves are on the trees, you won't even know there IS a road! But what a difference the starkness of winter brings!

Who We Are

We are a family of three right now. My husband and I are in our 50's. We have our youngest son with us. He is 11.

Our two oldest live across the country from us. One is 30, married and has four children with a fifth grandchild on the way. The other one 25 and is engaged to be married. We miss them.

Dave works for a ministry and I home educate our son. We live in a very tiny RV on 7 acres. I intend to write about our life here. We consider ourselves to be almost modern day pioneers.