Thump on the Head

I have to admit, Kevin and I have enjoyed being retired these past few months. We have gotten into a groove since we moved and most importantly, we don’t hate hanging out together all the time. But this week has reminded us that we aren’t quite ready to retire yet.

We have both applied for a lot of jobs. I didn’t think I wanted to work with children when we moved out here, but it really is who I am. Turns out, The Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside agrees.

They were the first job I applied for. It is an Afterschool Specialist position in an at risk elementary school. When I got the email requesting answers to more questions and an interview, I was pleased at first. And then, I almost cancelled the interview. I seriously told Kevin I wasn’t going to go because it wasn’t a job I wanted. I decided to sleep on my decision, and the next day, I changed my mind and decided to go. I did some research into the organization and I was impressed with their mission.

So, last Friday, I went to the interview with no expectations what so ever. I didn’t expect to want the job; I really just wanted to see what they would offer me. I left the interview with a totally different point of view. I was impressed with the man who interviewed me and the swarms of children attending summer camp at their headquarters touched me. I started to think that maybe I did want this job. I looked at the school calendar and decided that I would only take the job for three days a week at a certain hourly rate. I was solid with my decision.

Enter Monday and Tuesday. First, we get an unexpected medical bill. Then a letter from our HOA that we need to paint the eaves of our new house. (New Management Company trying to show off.) That was Monday. Tuesday, we had first visits to our new vet and groomer and license plates for my car. That made it a reality that we needed to “un-retire” for a while. Low and behold, while we are waiting for the dogs to get done at the groomers, I get a phone call with a job offer from the Boys and Girls Club. Not three days a week, but five. Not at the hourly rate I wanted, but close. Did I accept it? You bet I did! Great hours, working with at risk children, meeting new people, making a difference in my new community. What’s there not to love??

Yep, God thumped me on the head. Hard. I had gotten used to my life of leisure. I had gotten soft. And I am the rational, planner of the family! So, the job I didn’t think I wanted, that I almost didn’t go to the interview for, is my new job. Am I excited? Not yet-I will be. I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we actually LIVE here! Now, I have a job! Yeah me?? Honestly, it feels good to be part of something bigger than myself. It feels good to know I will be contributing not only to my new community, but to our family finances as well.

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So, it is time to start planning the future based on my new schedule. Best of all, I am going to be working with an organization that I believe in and have room to grow in. The Boys and Girls Club is HUGE and I am blessed to be a small part of this wonderful mission they are on. So thanks, God, for the thump on the head-I needed it!

Safe travels,

Lori

2

Now What??

The boxes are unpacked. The new furniture arrives tomorrow. We will be hanging decorations this weekend. Molly has been gone almost a week. No visitors are scheduled anytime soon. So what the f**k do we do now??

I remember when we moved to Hickory, Kevin started his job and I went to an employment agency to find myself a job. We were young and on an adventure and everything was new and exciting. We were learning about a new part of the country and meeting new people through our work. It was pretty easy to fit in quickly.

This time it is different. We are what you might call “mature”. We have stability in our relationship and finances. However, I feel at loose ends. I could just volunteer and do yoga and be a “housewife”, but I have decided that is not what I want. I want to meet people and become part of the community. After living in Fishers for 30 years, I miss going into stores and seeing people I know. I miss knowing the traditions of my town. Oceanside just celebrated their 130th anniversary. I had no idea the town was that old! It is time to try new things to get involved. Part of me is ready and part of me is scared I won’t fit in.

So, what to do? Kevin and I are both looking for jobs. We are enjoying the beach and our neighborhood, but we don’t feel connected. I haven’t had to do this for a while. I haven’t had to “put myself out there” for years. What if no one wants me? What if I can’t get a job I like? What if this is all there is?

If you are thinking, “What is she bitching about, she lives in California now?”, I am thinking the same thing!! I have my dream!! I love my new home! I love my new neighborhood. I love the beach. I love the weather. Why am I so scared?? One reason-the unknown. I have no map for what to do next. There are so many different paths my life can take right now and I have no fucking clue where I will end up. That scares the shit out of me! I am a planner! I am the person who does laundry on certain days and cleans the house on Tuesdays and grocery shops on Thursdays. I make lists and I keep track of everything!! Not having the control of what tomorrow brings is something that I haven’t dealt with for years!

So basically, I have two choices. I can hide in my new house and do stuff with Kevin and wait and see what happens, or I can make things happen. I can put myself “out there” and risk rejection. I can become a part of my new community and not wait for it to come to me. I choose the second option. I am too old to wait for life to happen. So, next week, I am going to my first Oceanside yoga class. Yes, I have gained some wait with the move and I haven’t done a yoga class for six months, but I love yoga and I love connecting with the people who do yoga. I am going to apply for any job that appeals to me, whether I am “qualified” or not. I am going to go to the cool knitting store I found and sign up for a class. I am going to become connected to my new community!!! We plan on living the rest of our lives here and it is time to get out and meet people!! Yes, it is scary. Yes, the people we meet will never replace the friends we left in Indiana. But this is what we dreamed of for so long and now is the time to make it happen! There is no map, GPS, or satellite system that can guide us on this journey. We just have to have faith that God has our backs and all will be well. Wish us luck!!

Safe travels,

Lori

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5

Mom

 

When I was little, my whole life revolved around my mother. I loved her completely. I wanted to be with her every moment. I wanted to please her no matter what. I was afraid she would die and I would never see her again. When I was an adult, I was much closer to my father, but as a small child, my mom was my whole world.

As I began to grow up, I realized my mother wasn’t like other mothers. She was older (she had me at 40 in 1962.) She had some crazy rules and she liked to control our family. I began to realize that my mother was not a perfect person and it was hard to accept. We had some crazy fights and I ended up not sharing most of my life with her because she just didn’t “get it”.

When I told my mother that I was moving to Hickory with Kevin, her response was “I can’t believe you are doing this to me!” Not “are you sure this is the right decision for you?” She made it all about her, just like everything else in our family. Once Kevin and I were living in Hickory, however, I missed her (and my dad) greatly.
When we moved back to Indiana, we had several years of wonderful times together. When she got sick, though, her obsessions took over our family. She had undiagnosed Celiac’s disease and she was miserable. She took out her misery on our family, especially my father. It was hard to watch. She pushed me and my family away. Molly didn’t understand why Grandma was so cranky all the time. She didn’t want to see us or even talk on the phone. When she died, it was a relief. She was no longer bound by a life she no longer enjoyed.

When I became a mother, my whole world shifted. I had a tough pregnancy and when Molly was born, something in my heart grew. My capacity to love unconditionally exploded. I remember lying in my hospital room with newborn Molly laying on my chest and knowing I would do anything for this person for the rest of my life. I am reading a book where a woman has a six month old baby and she states that after her daughter was born “9/10ths of her heart belonged to her child”. I think that fraction is a little high, but there is a part of me that will always belong to Molly and no one else. It also made me realize that my own mother never felt this way about her own children. She always kept her heart for her needs, not her children or husband. Don’t get me wrong- she loved us as much as she could. Her own mother was cold and unfeeling and my mother did not have a good role model for being a good parent.

Now we have moved to Oceanside and we put Molly on a plane back to Louisville yesterday. We had almost a full month with her and it was wonderful. We couldn’t have managed the move so smoothly without her help. She has grown into a wise and caring woman and my best friend.

So, that part of my heart that belongs to my child is now 2300 miles away. It is easier to keep in touch these days than when we moved to Hickory. We can text, Snapchat, FaceTime, email and, yes, even call. She will be back to visit for two weeks in three months. We have gone that long between visits before. It just feels different because she is so far away. We are so blessed to have this wonderful human being as our daughter. I know how to be a good mother because I know how it felt to not always have a good mother. I am not perfect. Molly and I still have disagreements, but we talk about them and resolve them. I know she doesn’t tell me everything going on in her life- some of it is none of my business. But I do know that I have shown her unconditional love. I do know that she loves me back unconditionally. That is something that I never had with my mother.  That makes me know that no matter the physical distance between us, the distance between our hearts is undetectable. That, makes my heart complete.

Safe travels,

Lori

0

Neighbors

 

When I was young, I didn’t live in a “neighborhood” I lived on a busy country road. We had neighbors-not many, but the ones we had we were close with. I grew up playing with my next-door neighbor’s grandchildren, babysitting the other neighbors kids, and my best friend all through 4th grade and junior high, lived two doors down. We all had one-acre lots and spent our summers outside all day and our winters building snow men and sledding on the hill going down to the creek by our house. We had “neighborhoods” behind us, and that is where we rode our bikes and made even more friends. It was a wonderful way to grow up.

When I was sixteen, my parents built a new house in a neighborhood still in our same school district. The only thing that changed was the bus I rode to school and that was only until I got my first car. Since I was a teenager and working, I really never got to know my parent’s neighbors that well. They did though! They lived there for 30 years and were involved in all sorts of neighborhood activities.

You may wonder why I am writing about this. Well, we just moved to a new neighborhood and it is wonderful. You never know when you move if your neighborhood will be a good fit. You can only pray that you made the right decision.

When Kevin and I moved to Hickory in 1985, we moved to an apartment. I had never lived in an apartment before and I didn’t know what to expect. We ended up meeting another couple our age that worked for the same company as Kevin and became fast friends. We spent lots of time at the complex pool and hanging out together. About a year after moving to Hickory, we decided to buy a house. We loved the house, but had no connection to the neighbors. There was a neighborhood pool and we never went. We didn’t socialize with any of our neighbors and it was kind of sad. When we sold the house and moved back to the apartments before moving to Indy, We missed the house, but not the neighborhood.

When we moved to Indy in June 1988, we moved to a townhouse and made NO friends. We went to the pool once or twice and we just never connected with anyone. We spent our two years there hanging with our family and friends in the area, plus new friends we made through work. Finally, in July of 1990, we found our neighborhood. We built a ranch in Fishers, IN and found our people! Everyone on our street was a young couple starting a family. It was wonderful. Our backyard neighbors had babies the same time as we had Molly. This is the house where we became parents! This is the house where I threw Kevin the biggest surprise party of his life! This is the house where we became a family. It was wonderful! We lived there for nine years. I would like to say that we have stayed close to our neighbors from this neighborhood, but life happens and people move on. We still keep in touch through Facebook. When we still lived in Fishers, we would occasionally run into each other. It seems we all outgrew our little neighborhood with our little houses, us included.   As Molly started to grow up, we realized that we needed more space and that there was one more move in store for us in Fishers.

In January of 2000, we moved into our FAMILY home. This is the home where Molly grew up and Kevin and I became the people we are now. Our neighbors played a big part in this time of our lives. We are still close to our neighbors that lived three doors down, even though they only lived there two years. (We just had dinner with part of the family in San Diego!) There is a family that moved in the same time as us. Molly played with their children and when she graduated from IU, she taught with the mom at the elementary school that is IN THE neighborhood. Yes, in the neighborhood! What a wonderful gift this was! Molly was the first class of kindergarten to go through the school (it was new when she started). She was also the first student to graduate from the school and the get HIRED there to teach after college. What a connection to the neighborhood! Molly also was a Babysitter for several families in the neighborhood while she was growing up. It was truly a family neighborhood and we were blessed to live there.

Now, we are in Oceanside. We knew we liked the looks of our neighborhood and we loved the house, but you never know what your new neighbors will be like. Once again, we have been blessed. We hadn’t even been at our new home an hour when Pete and Rita came to visit. Pete is retired Marines and Rita is an 80-year-old spitfire of Brazilian sassiness. They have had us for dinner twice. They have brought us food and gifts. They have welcomed us with open arms and hearts. We have met other neighbors too. They are all so friendly and welcoming. Many have lived here for twenty years or more. They have raised their families here. We have a neighborhood pool and many parks. Everyone is so nice!! We plan on living here the rest of our lives and being a part of this new neighborhood is key. I don’t have a map for the future, but I know that right now, we are where we need to be. Say hi next time you see your neighbors-make their day!!

Safe travels,

Lori

 

0

The Beach

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What is it about the beach that soothes my soul? Why do I feel different at the beach than I do anywhere else? Why is the beach so important to my happiness?

When I was young, we went “to the lake”. We went to northern Indiana lakes and Michigan lakes. I learned how to swim in a pool, but I went swimming in the lakes of my childhood. To this day, the smell of lake water touches something deep inside me.

I didn’t go “to the beach” until I was in junior high. We started going to Florida. My first encounter with the beach was Treasure Island, Florida. We stayed a week in a small resort that was on the beach. It also had a pool. Back then, the beach was a place I went walking with my dad. I spent all my quality time at the pool. The beach was just too “messy” for me.

My first encounter with my love of the beach was a short trip to Nags Head when Kevin and I lived in Hickory. We stayed at a small hotel right on the beach. It was Easter weekend, so it wasn’t really warm, but it was nice enough to be out on the beach. We had to climb outside stairs to get to our room and sand got everywhere. I loved it! I loved the smell of the sand. I loved the feel of the sand. I loved the sound of the water and the smell of the sea air. I fell in love and I fell hard. We spent our honeymoon on Kiawah Island and spent everyday on the beach. We swam, we sunned, and we rode bikes. We ate seaside. We drank seaside. We left the windows opened at night so we could hear the waves while we were sleeping. This started our love affair with vacations that centered around the beach.

We have been to New England beaches, East Coast beaches. We have been to the east coast and Gulf coast of Florida. We have been to the Panhandle of Florida and Gulf Shores. We have been to the west coast of Michigan so many times; I couldn’t even begin to guess. We have been to the Oregon Coast and the California Coast. Molly and I have been to St. Thomas, St. John and Punta Cana. This past Christmas, we all went to the Riviera Maya for Christmas. It was one of our best vacations ever.

Life changed forever two and a half years ago when we went to San Diego for a February vacation. We went for an escape from the Indiana winter blues and came back with a purpose: to move to San Diego County. Specifically, Oceanside, CA. There was something about this town that felt like home. We belonged there. The beaches in San Diego County spoke to us. We had to move there! We just had to!! We started planning. We started budgeting. We started dreaming. Little did we know that our dream would come true so much sooner than we hoped!

Now, I have my beach whenever I want. I can go there for a day; I can go there for an hour. I have my joy. I can’t explain it; I am at peace at the beach. I am closer to God at the beach. I am joyful at the beach. I am home at the beach. I hope you find your home.

Safe travels,

Lori

 

 

 

0

My Own Bed

 

I get to sleep in my own bed tonight. MY OWN BED! Why is that so important to me? I know people who can sleep anywhere, but my own bed has always been important to me. I haven’t slept in my own bed since May 30th. That’s twelve nights away from my bed. Not only twelve nights, but also seven different beds in seven different hotels AND the last five nights have been on an Instabed!

When I was little, I slept with more stuffed animals than could actually fit in my bed with me. I would go to sleep with animals stacked around me and wake up with them all over the floor. Whenever we traveled, I always took my stuffed friends with me.

When Kevin and I moved to Hickory, I had to leave my bed behind. Kevin had a waterbed, and I had to adjust to it. It was not easy, but once I got used to it, it became my bed. I slept on that waterbed for years, even through my pregnancy with Molly. Finally, on our tenth anniversary, I asked for a regular mattress. I was a good bed, but not great. Years later, we got our IComfort mattress and my own bed took on a whole new meaning.

I love my IComfort mattress with my whole being. It is the most comfortable mattress I have ever slept on. I am a walking commercial for IComfort mattresses. I will never own another kind of mattress. I will mourn this mattress when it wears out. That is why I missed my own bed so very much.

Our moving van arrived today and the first thing I looked for was my mattress. I enjoyed putting on the new bedding I bought for it in Indy. My old friend is here at my new house-all is right with the world.

It’s the simple things that make us truly happy. For me, tonight, it is my bed.

Safe travels,

Lori

4

Self

 

Self-love, self-help, self-awareness, selfishness, selflessness, self-approval, self-care, and on and on. All of these are terms we hear over and over again. It seems we are to put ourselves first and do whatever we can to improve our lives. What if you can’t? What if you try everything and you are still stuck? What if you don’t like yourself? What if you don’t like your life? What is you are depressed and you can’t take care of yourself? Then what? With the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, I wanted to share my journey of self -awareness. It isn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy.

When I was young, I was painfully shy. My mother did not believe is promoting self-esteem. My father loved me unconditionally and would never have understood that I wasn’t enough just the way I was. I was lonely a lot as a child. I had a few close friends, but I was not close to my sister or brother. My best friend from high school will tell you she thought I was “stuck-up” when we met in 10th grade choir. No, just too shy to talk. (Luckily, we did talk and are still close friends today!) It wasn’t until I got to college and my brother’s girlfriend (now wife) started boosting my ego that I got over my shyness. But that was just the beginning of my “self journey”.

When Kevin and I moved to Hickory, my whole life revolved around him. I was thin back then and I did eat healthy. I even exercised regularly. But emotionally, I was not “self strong”. I did not stand up for myself in the relationship like I should have. I did not manage my money correctly. I did not put myself first.

When we moved to Indy, I did stand up for the apartment I wanted. I did quit a job I hated with Kevin’s support. But it took us two years to find a house we could agree on. Kevin was really into racing and backgammon and again, I was lonely a lot. We made friends in our new neighborhood and I had friends at work, but my best friend was my sister in law and she was in Fort Wayne and not emotionally stable herself. When I decided that I wanted to have a child, I finally stood up for myself. I wanted a baby and that was final. Kevin acquiesced and I got pregnant. That is when my emotional rollercoaster first showed it’s ugly head. I had a tough pregnancy and was on bed rest for four months at the end. The day Molly was born was the most wonderful day of my life. The six months afterwards, not so much. I had Postpartum Depression and I had it bad. It took about 3 months to realize it and another 3 months for the therapy and Prozac to work. I don’t remember much of the day-to-day life of Molly’s first six months. I look at pictures and I can remember some, but most of it is a blur. She was born in January and my memories really start in June. Luckily, I had the support of my mother and husband to get me through this tough time-I couldn’t “self-help” myself-I wasn’t able. I couldn’t put myself first; I had a baby to care for. I needed help.

Things were great the next 12 years. I was a mom and I loved it. I stayed home for five years with Molly and then I started teaching preschool. I was happy. We built our wonderful home in Weaver Woods North (the house we just sold) when Molly was in first grade. We went on vacations, we had wonderful friends,we were active, and we were a family. Then, I turned 42 and my life fell apart. I had never discussed peri-menopause with anyone and I really didn’t know what I was experiencing. My hairdresser at the time told me to read The Wisdom of Menopause and that opened my eyes. I was an emotional wreck and I needed help. My doctor put me on Prozac since that helped before, but it was just the opposite this time. I had a horrible reaction to it. My soul wanted out of my body. I couldn’t stand daily life. I wanted to die. I couldn’t sleep, and I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want to live. With the support of my wonderful husband and compassionate doctor-I got help. I had to quit working and attend group therapy everyday. I started a 10-year relationship with Lexapro. I took two different medicines to sleep and go back to sleep. Again, I couldn’t “self help” myself. I had no self-love. I had no self-esteem. I couldn’t make it alone and I sure as hell didn’t have a map for this journey. But, I made it! After 8 years of ups and downs, I finally got on the other side of menopause and my symptoms reduced. I could breath again. I could feel happy again. I could be me again.

I am not telling you this to feel sorry for me, just the opposite. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without this “burden” in my life. It has made me stronger. It has made me more compassionate. It has made me kinder. I am able to share my story now. I am able to support others with the same problems. I am able to put my life in perspective and be grateful for all I have.

I know my blogs make it seem like my life is all perfect-but it’s not. I started out following Kevin to Hickory and ended up knowing myself in Oceanside.   I have evolved into the woman I am today because of all I have experienced. Would I change my past? Some of it, sure. But the essence of who I am is because of my past and I have thrived despite the hard times. If you can’t “self-help”, then ask for assistance! Please!!! As the bumper sticker from the bar where Kevin and I met says, “Never let the struggles of life interfere with the pleasures of living.”

Safe travels,

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Lori

0

Home

 

We are home. Finally. Home. Tonight is the first night we will spend in our new house. Yes, we are on air mattresses and the only chairs we have are folding outdoor chairs we bought at Target yesterday, but we are here. Safe and sound and so very grateful.

When we moved to Hickory, Kevin and I had neither one ever moved out of town. As a matter of fact, Kevin still lived in the same house he had since he was two. I had moved once when I was 16, but just down the road a ways. We had no idea what we were getting into. We had no idea that a moving van could break down and delay the delivery of our things. We had no idea to ask for a hotel room from his new company, so we slept on pads on the floor of our new apartment for several nights. We just didn’t know.

This time, we knew what to expect. We ordered Instabeds to be here waiting for us. We stayed in a hotel two nights so that we could get our new home livable. We went shopping for groceries and supplies. What we didn’t expect was the welcome we got when we arrived. Our wonderful realtor left us balloons and beach towels and sunscreen. The previous owners left us a bottle of wine and a card. We met our sweet next-door neighbors who just had us for dinner tonight and already treats us like their life long friends. We received lemons over the fence from another neighbor. We met our neighbor across the street that is a teacher and has two preschoolers. We went to the beach for a few hours and it only took 13 minutes to get there. We have been blessed beyond all our expectations.

This blissfulness did not come without some tensions along the way. The drive from the Grand Canyon to Oceanside was one of the longest days of our lives. We didn’t realize that we would drive through 107 degrees heat for hours on end with only desert surrounding us. We didn’t know that after day five of this journey we would want to strangle each other for the slightest irritations. We didn’t know the beauty of the San Bernardino Mountains or the joy we would feel when we finally saw the sign that said, “Welcome to Oceanside”. We just didn’t know. These moments of “not knowing” are the moments we have no map for. We can’t predict what will happen at each and every turn, no matter how much we plan. All we can do is be grateful. Grateful that we made it through the desert. Grateful that we didn’t strangle each other. Grateful that our cars made the 2379 miles trip without any issues. Grateful that our dogs survived hours in the car and seven different hotels. We are grateful beyond all measure. That, we do know.

Safe travels,

Lori

2

On The Road

 

We made it to Flagstaff!! It has been three long days of driving, but we are all safe and sound and relaxing in our hotel room with a late check out instead of rushing to get on the road. We check into our dog friendly lodge at the Grand Canyon at 3:00. We are looking forward to an afternoon and evening at the Canyon relaxing and taking in the scenery.

Wow, so far this drive has been so very different from our drive to Hickory all those years ago! The weather has been good to us and the highways smooth. Somewhere in Oklahoma, our two trips collided, when we merged onto Highway 40. The very same highway that took us to Hickory! It won’t take us all the way to Oceanside, but it is very appropriate that it is taking us a significant way to our new home.

I have learned several things along this journey. First, my daughter is my best friend! For all you women dealing with teenagers, it gets better! Molly and I have spent HOURS in the car together and not one argument. As a matter of fact, we never argue any more. We support each other. We know each other. We love each other. I will be forever grateful for this time she has taken out of her life to help us move. We are blessed to have such a caring and kind woman for a daughter.

Second, Archie is not the wuss I thought he was. He has been a real trouper! The only issue is that he is a bed hog!! We have been letting the dogs sleep with us during the trip and he takes his quarter out of the middle!!

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Finally, I have learned that I truly have no regrets! I thought by now I would break down crying wondering, “what have we done?” But still, no tears-just excitement!!   Tomorrow, we arrive in Oceanside. I am so very happy! My advice-FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!   You may not have a complete plan yet, but there is something in the back of your mind and in your heart that you want to do. So what is holding you back??

Safe travels,

Lori

3

The Journey

 

The day Kevin and I drove to Hickory was one of the scariest of my life. Seriously, I thought I was going to die.

We drove to Hickory at the beginning of December 1984. We drove two cars. The weather up north was mild with no snow, so we thought we were in the clear. I really don’t remember much of the drive. Kevin had rigged a cooler as a mobile aquarium for his Oscar fish for his car and he had me boot leg on his ham radio when we needed to talk. (No cell phones in the 80’s!) Everything was going well until THAT FLASHING SIGN. You know the one-on Highway 40 in the Blue Ridge Mountains “ICE ON BRIDGE”. WTF!!! My tires don’t have any tread! This road is way too curvy! I am going to drive off a mountain! I am going to die!! Yes, I was terrified. Thank God I had Kevin on the radio to talk me down. We went slowly, really slowly. My hands were shaking. Kevin kept close so I could follow him. Finally, we made it down the mountain. We made it down the mountain and stopped at a Huddle House to collect our selves. I will be forever grateful for that restaurant! Kevin got me calmed down and we started driving the last hour to our new apartment. It was only raining, but I wouldn’t drive over 50 miles an hour. I was just too scared the ice would come back. We finally made it to our new home and I have never been so relieved to reach a destination!

This time, it is going to take much longer that one-day to reach our new home. We are driving two cars again. We leave Louisville on Saturday June 2nd and we will get to Oceanside Wednesday June 6th.   We are going slowly. We are taking our time. No fish this time, just our 25-year-old daughter and two golden doodles. We are taking a day to go see the Grand Canyon. We are going to enjoy the journey. WE PRAY! You can never really know how a road trip will go. We have GPS, but no map to tell us WHAT could happen a long the way. Just faith that we are going the right direction toward our new life. I don’t know if I will have time to write during this journey. I will if I can. Just keep us in your prayers that we have no” flashing signs”, no sick people (or dogs) and that our journey is safe and one of joy and fun!

Safe travels,

Lori

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