These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

On the Road Again!!

Well, it is real. I am packing and stowing away in the car in preparation for leaving tomorrow morning. And wouldn't you know it ... it is raining!! It isn't a heavy rain, but it is going back and forth between a falling mist and a very light drizzle. Just enough to make it difficult to keep things dry as I pack. I'm glad I have the storage boxes and a huge tarp to protect everything, and one of those cargo nets to hold it in place. For the next few days, everything stays put except a few items that will come out at night and go into motels with me.

My books on CD are tucked in my "entertainment" satchel and ready to go next to me in the car. I tried to find Pat's Lottery without success. So I'll be getting it later on. For now I have The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook by Sparks, The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais, Sisters by Danielle Steel, and Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans. I think that will last me till I'm home!

I'm looking forward to getting home and diving into the Christmas decoration boxes. I haven't really decorated for several years, and I don't even remember what all I have. It will be fun to open the boxes and totes that everything is stored in and have a "hello, again!' with the things. I will be getting rid of a lot of it, and I know that is going to be difficult. Many will have memories that I'd like to keep, but I must reduce the amount that I store at the end of this year. There is enough to do two large trees and a couple small ones, and I'd still have left over enough to at least one more big tree. Then ... there are the outside decorations! Arghhh. I have a job ahead of me.

If I have enough outside lights, I may put a tree up on the deck, protected under the roof and light it up out there. Since the deck is so large, I'm not sure I'll have enough garland and lights to do the whole thing, so putting the tree in the middle might help. We'll see.

I have ornaments that were my mother's, some from Glenn's mother, aunt and grandmother, and I'll keep those unless they are in awful shape after being stored for so long. I have ornaments that the kids and I made when we were young and poor. Most of those will have to go, because they are haggard. I'll probably keep one or two for the memories, but won't put them on the tree. I just hope I don't have a breakdown trying to part with some of the ornaments.

Why do I have so many? Every year I've bought two to five new ones after the holiday when they are on sale, so the collection has grown and grown. And grown. I also buy each grandchild an ornament each year, put their name and the year on the back or underneath with gold or silver ink. For their 22nd Christmas, they get a tree topper, and even if they have nothing else to go with it, there is enough to decorate a little tree for their first apartment or home. Some of my kids have started doing the same for their grandchildren. It's a fun tradition that is special to our family.

I've noticed recently that my sense of smell isn't very good. And I'm talking about before the smoke from last weekend! Over the last couple months, several times there have been times when someone mentioned an aroma, good or bad, and while I smelled it, it did not seem strong enough to make note of. I'm wondering what is going on with my smeller!

I've had an increased amount of allergies. I expected that when I relocated. In retrospect I've had more problems over the last year than I have in a long while. I knew that I would be dealing with changes in that area. It always happens. Now I'm wondering if there is something more serious going on in my sinuses. Boy, I hope not. Probably nothing awful, because I can breathe from both nostrils most of the time. Oh, well, don't borrow trouble, right? I can smell, albeit, not extremely well; I can breathe; I have to blow my nose occasionally; but that doesn't seems awful to me.

Now, dear hearts, it is time for me to say this: I'm leaving for five days on the road. I will probably be able to read/blog frequently, but just in case, don't be alarmed if there is a bit of a silence from me for a few days. And my reading of your blogs may be irregular until early next week. All that doesn't mean that I'm not thinking of you. I will be, I promise.

Remember always ....

.... Life is beautiful!!!

A PS added this morning 11/29:
Before I leave I just have to add this note. It is rather strange to me that I have found a surreptitious and fairly regular reader of my blog. Now, I don't care who reads it. I would draw the line at unseemly comments, but reading is free. This isn't a "problem," per se, just peculiar. Here's the deal ... Caroline's flash-in-the-pan ex, MG, is checking in at this blog almost daily recently. Once again, I don't care, but it seems rather odd to me, given that she wants nothing to do with Caroline, yet I'm one of Caroline's closest friends. Does that strike anyone else as a bit weird? Am I that fascinating a read? Is it just curiosity? Who knows. But it just doesn't seem quite kosher to me.

I'm just sayin'.

12 comments:

  1. Have a safe trip home, five days, now that's a road trip.

    I have the same problem with ornaments. I have heaps of them and keep buying more at boxing day sales, why, I don;t know.
    I break one or two every year and buy 24 to replace them.
    Lets not talk about lights, i have so many of those if i connected them all the street lights would dim.

    Drive safe

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  2. My wife watches the Notebook movie over, and over, and over!

    Safe travels!

    Bradley
    The Egel Nest

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  3. Ahh, nothing beats a good book to listen to on a long drive. Let us know how they pan out!

    Travel safely, Missy.

    P.S. I think allergies do affect a person's sense of smell. I've had terrible allergies all my life and my sense of smell seems really weak in comparison to everyone else's around me. Then again, maybe it's all allergy DRUGS.

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  4. As long as I'm here, I'll reply to your comments thus far!

    Walker - LOL! Well, at least I don't buy 24 replacements, but given the fact that I have a few years head-start on you, I'll bet I'm still ahead in the overall count!!

    I will be safe. The trip has been wonderfully fun, but going home is always good. right now those five days seem long, but compared to the five *weeks* I've already done, it's a drop in the bucket!

    Bradley - I've never seen The Notebook all the way through! But I like Sparks books, and I'd bet I could watch/read/hear this particular one over and over, too. Tell Beautiful Wife I listened to his book Dear John on this trip, and loved it as well. Does she take books on CD when she travels? They are great in the car or on a plane, too!

    Casey - Thanks, I will! I've already had the "Be safe" talk from TL this morning!

    Catherine - I've give you book reports as I go! LOL! Therefore, I must travel safely, because if I don't report in I get a bad grade, right?? giggle!

    I was thinking last night that I might post the allergy/reduced sense of smell thing to a doctor and see what I learn.

    ~ ~ ~ ~
    And I'm off!!!!

    Bye, y'all! Everyone take care, and I'll catch ya on the flip side!

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  5. Lynilu, I was struck by the synchronicity of your comment about sense of smell - for our local newscast last night there was a special story about people who've lost there sense of smell and what can be done about it.

    Now I'm not saying that that's what you have - and you're probably right, it may have something to do with allergies but on the other hand since there is something that can be done about it I'm enclosing the link address here: http://kgmb9.com/main/
    content/view/2095/127/. Maybe you can find out more.

    Goodlife.

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  6. Have a safe trip! Perhaps your sense of smell will return once you get home. Wouldn't that be interesting. Different climes, who knows?

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  7. Drive carefully, Lynilu, and enjoy your books on CD while you do !

    An overload of Christams ornaments... It seems to me that you have been cleaning up a lot of aspects in your life this last year. Reorganizing, tidying, streamlining, letting much o the past go as your create your beautiful present in your new home...

    This may just be the last of the clean-up...
    And still a chance to enjoy what you have left as you sort thrugh the things you love the very very best.

    Whoever you give the extra ornaments/decorations to, will surely enjoy them a lot !

    Probbaly a good idea to go the the allergy doctor and check out your sinuses... Smelling is such a pleasure - good and bad !

    MG sounds like she can't let go of Caroline altogether...

    ((hugs))
    Loving Annie

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  8. Just curious - what kind of stat tracker do you have that you can tell exactly who visits? I can only tell a city and ISP.

    I've noticed that whether it's allergies or a cold, antihistamines never bring the sense of smell back into tune either - hopeflly a change of weather will straighten that out, it would be annoying.

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  9. Robert - How interesting! I'll go read that when I'm through here. thank you so much for passing this information along! And goodlife to you, also.

    Moanna - Thank you, I will! and yes, who knows? But this has laster a while, as I think back on it, remembering when others are knocked over by something I just barely smell. We will see!

    Annie - The trip is going well, yes. I'm enjoying the book, but remembering why I quit reading Danielle Steele! More on that later.

    Somehow, I doubt this will really the *the last*. I hope that my life continues to follow streamlining paths. Not that I want to have nothing, but I hope I'll always have just enough for my comfort and happiness.

    I definitely hope to understand my decreased smelling. I'm not worried if it is something permanent, but I hope to know why. After all, smell is a large part of enjoyment of many things, but particularly food!

    Sandra - It's not that my tracker is super-powered or anything. I just noticed when Caroline was living at the other house what the ISP was when she came to my blog, then I double checked it with her later on. There are times when I can figure out who's what with just the city and time matched with comments. Chuckle! Does this mean I have a bit of "Big Brother" in me???

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  10. I hope you have a safe and uneventful journey home. I will be thinking of you and say a prayer to keep you safe.

    I have a lot of Christmas decorations too.

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  11. Daisy - Thank you, I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. :)

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!