The Sun is Shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway...it's not December the 24th but it is December

78 degrees, sunny, ocean breeze, December 9th.
Several people have commented about all that we have "given up" by living in our motor-home.   Let's see, we've given up 3-5 hours/week of lawn care for over and acre of yard.  Three hours of housekeeping, gave it up for 16 minutes (timed it this afternoon). 


We did give up incredibly wonderful neighbors but guess what.  George, Amy (of course, Loren and Maegan) and Bill are now our incredibly wonderful friends that we get to visit (three times since we moved).

We gave up "our home, the house that we loved".  Oh, pish-posh.  We simply moved into a new house and I am always home as long is Kerry is with me.


Home is where we park it!  Right now, it is parked next to the ocean where it's 78 degrees and the sunny is shining.  Hey, I'm burning daylight, gotta run jump on my bicycle.


Happy Adventures, BA

Giving Thanks

As you can tell from the blog, I haven't posted recently.  Didn't feel like I had anything to say, well, anything relevant that is.  If you know me at all you know I always have something to say :).  I want to avoid this blog becoming a rambling, daily or weekly Christmas/annual update letter.  Don't get me wrong, I like those letters from friends and family I don't get to see often enough but a weekly update, hmmm, not so much.  Today, a mix of the "Christmas letter" all with a heart of Thaks to God for his blessings.

Captured on one of many bicycle rides around Lake Grapevine, TX.

Since the last entry, we have been hanging close to "home" (North Central Texas) because I had several trips/flights scheduled out of DFW airport.  For the most part, DH has indulged me and we've stayed on a lake or river.  Glen Rose which is a beautiful Texas spot, I recommend a day trip that includes the Green Pickle.  Then we were off to Lake Bridgeport on an 80 acre preserve, peaceful.

Shuffleboard at Lake Bridgeport, you don't have to be retired to enjoy this!

After Bridgeport, we headed to Lake Grapevine, a little lake resort paradise in the heart of the metroplex.  This is where we purchased my "grocery getter" bicycle at the Mad Duck www.madducksports.com. I love my Civia  loring!

We are now on our way back to Fort Worth (literally going down the road) for Thanksgiving with my parents and one of my brothers.

Between Lake Grapevine and Fort Worth, we were in West Texas visiting one of my greatest blessings, DH's family.  Friends, Uncle Wayne (Helen we miss you), our son's family and more cousins (Leslie, thanks for dinner and dominoes and so glad Robert came by but we missed seeing Gayla).

Thank God for His grace, because I certainly don't deserve all He has given me!  For a great story/lesson on God's love, see my friend's blog at www.randomcathy.com.


Happy Adventures, BA

We did it!

October 3^rd we drove away from our sticks-n-bricks house after saying good bye to our neighbors, Bill and Richard, Missy, and the great Birchs’ (no tears, well, until later).

We did it, we are now full time RVers.  First stop: Glen Rose, TX, home of the Dinosaur tracks and Dinosaur Valley State park.

It was an uneventful ride down and we got settled into Tres Rios without a hitch (pun intended).  It is beautiful here with Oak trees, hills, cows and the three rivers.  Yes, the Brazos, the Paluxy and Squaw Creek merge right here in front of my ‘personal’ swing set (at least during the week when the families aren’t camping) and it is a gorgeous Texas view.

We had the nearest-to-Granny’s best chocolate pie (hubby had almost-as-good-as-Mom’s Coconut Cream) at the Green Pickle.  No, it is not a nod to my wonderful niece, Delyla, who I call Pickle.  The Green Pickle is a burger and beer garden in Glen Rose, TX. http://www.thegreenpickletx.com/  Y’all come get some pie cause “there’s no place like this place so this must be the place”!

Maybe on my walk tomorrow I’ll take some pictures.   Did I tell you I work outside in the afternoons under our canopy of oaks and pines and enjoy the cool river breezes?  No, I didn’t think I did; don’t want to rub it in…

Happy Adventures, BA

Stuff Part 2

I said I wasn’t a saver, keeper, hoarder…..But

I do have a few things; like all my report cards for 1^st thru 8^th grades, my immunization record, very first Bible given to me by the Dorcas Sunday school class when I was 2-months old.  Okay, so my mom gave me a big box of stuff a few years ago when they moved and that was most of the really old stuff.  Because really, who would keep their elementary school report cards?  And not an ‘E’ in the bunch (as Mom says, once I finally started talking I never stopped)

What a joy to find the memories…mostly.  Sing Along with me about a few of my favorite things:

·         Fifty cents still taped to a card from my Great Grandmother for Christmas from 1971;

·         Five dollars from my Grandmother in my birthday card from 1993 to buy something small to remember my Grandfather by who had passed away that summer;

·         Dozens of receipts from our honeymoon and the reservation for our condo;

·         Love notes from my god-daughters from just before my wedding, they were six;

·         Two editions of the (TCU) Tom Brown/Jarvis’ “The Portable” (1984 & 1985); some of you should be very scared!  Tracy Wilson, Todd Camp, Lucy Deeter, Hiram Jackson, Ann Moran, Ellen Vernon come to mind;

·         The program from the HS awards night during my senior year in high school.  Some of you should be very proud.  Tracy Wilson, Lucy Deeter, Ann Moran, Hiram Jackson (hey, don’t those names sound familiar?), Char DeGroote, Lisa Hagerty, Kristi Gee come to mind;

Remember that Bible from the Dorcas class?  That is the class my mother now teaches.  Some stuff is good to keep.

Happy Adventures, BA

Too Much Stuff

Stuff, Junk, Cast-offs, Things, Bits and Pieces...
Have you considered how much stuff you have?  How much importance you place on collecting stuff?  Why do we need so much stuff?

I have never been a saver, keeper, hoarder and yet, I have lots of stuff!  While having lunch with Julie B., a great friend (she's also a great person), I realized some of the stuff was just to fill a space in a room.  But since we are moving from 2100 sq.ft to 390 sq. ft. I don't have as many spaces to fill.

Speaking of places to fill, the next time you think you need that mixing bowl, pretty vase, pair of jeans, decorative pillow, or piece of furniture, consider this: do you really need it or are you trying to fill a space.  Sometimes that space is not physical but emotional.  Alright, I'm not "Jack Handy" and this is not meant to be "deep thoughts".

We've spent 3 weeks sorting and tossing and selling- then we did it again.  I'm on my fourth sort thru stuff I think "I need" but the bus is getting full so I have to decide how important that stuff is to me.  Does it go or does it stay...or, is it so special I lean on my son and daughter-in-law (best son and d-i-l ever!) and put something else in their attic?  I guess it is easier said than done.

Happy Adventures!  BA

P.S. If you know anyone that needs china, crystal glasses, crystal vases, big comfy chair or you know, STUFF.  Let me know :D

Labor Day

We spent the weekend with the Texas Boomers http://www.irv2.com/forums/f79/ in Boerne, TX at the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort http://www.alamofiestarvresort.com/.  We met up with some old friends (you are young at heart Hal and Ginny!) and made some new.

The best surprise was spending Sunday afternoon with Lynette & Matt from Kerrville.  Lynette and I grew up together at church and highschool and recently reconnected thru facebook.  Turns out my hubby was raised in the same small town where her hubby has family and friends.  They are like two peas-in-a-Rotan-pod.  Lynnette and I let them fend for themsevles while we laughed, talked and reminesced.

It was a nice break before we head back to finish selling most of our worldly posessions moving toward October 1st!

Happy adventures, BA

Moving Fast

The first week the sticks-n-bricks was on the market we had an offer.
The second week we had a contract.
The third week I freaked out :)

We will be on our full-time adventure the first weekend of October!

Happy Adventures, BA

Much Ado About...Cycling

Yes, this does have something to do with RVing if you will stay with me.  Allow me to back up a couple of years to when I weighed over 300 pounds and have since lost over 100lbs.

Several lifestyle changes included going to the gym (3-4 hours/day at the time).  While I can't maintain a work-out schedule of 4 hours/day, I do need to get my groove on every day.  Imagine with me, changing locations every 2 weeks and trying to find a gym...crazy, not to mention expensive.  So, when hubby started riding and encouraged me to join him I finally gave it a try and I love it!

I've been riding for 10 weeks (after a 25 year hiatus, lol) and yesterday I completed 45 miles at an average of 16.2 mph in 95-98 degree Texas heat and 75% humidity (we were having a cold front).  That is a major milestone for me and gets me closer to completing the 100K segment of the Hotter'N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, TX August 28th.  Hence, the much ado!

Cycling is something hubby and I can do together and it travels well on the RV.  We already have a great rack (Thule) on the back of the bus to carry both our cycles.  (His- Specialized Roubaix, Hers- Specialized Dolce Sport)

I told you it was related.  Happy Adventures!  BA

The "Bus" a 40ft 2000 American Eagle Diesel Pusher

New Beginnings

In the world of full-time RVing, hubby and I are young.  We have been blessed with a 40ft motorhome and we have chosen to sale the house and most of its contents and hit the road and see more of the family and North America.

I should mention in my initial blog post that we are currently full-time at heart.  We put our home on the market two days ago, Friday the 13th!  The last few days have been spent working on the house, the land and keeping Duke the 95lb lap dog (our Anatolian Shepherd) out of the clean house :D

The plan is to share our adventures, lessons learned, and of course pictures of the journey.  Not only is RVing new to me but blogging is as well.  Please be patient and fee free to comment and offer your suggestions!

Happy Trails, BA