BETSY & INDEPENDENCE~West Virginia & Illinois

We finally made West Virginia, the evening of May 5th. The RV Lot was closed by the time we rolled into Parkersburg, so we got a room for the night and picked up our new Home the next day. And Chuck dropped in, too, for a little chit chat - it was good to meet him face-to-face: he was with us via text messages, this entire venture :-)

05-03'23: Trailer Brake IN. (((YAY)))

Washer & Dryer Set being put into our new 5th Wheel; West Virginia.

PKB RV's is a good place to purchase an RV - very friendly. Very helpful. And the price is right.

The P.K.B. RVs Team that put everything together. Good people.

Poor Holland's arms and hands looked like he had been in fisty-cuffs all along the way.

Our little puppy Bleu is a feisty little thing, and he nipped Holland's hands and feet a few times - and also drew blood when his toenails scraped across his forearm skin. When Bleu nipped the top of Holland's foot one evening, I realized that Holland is a bleeder (it doesn't take much to have him spurting blood) we both thought I'd have to drive him to the nearest ER, blood was spurting so freely. I was concerned before it was brought under control … my brothers are both hemophiliacs; Mahlon is not as bad as Samuel. I asked Holland if he is a hemophiliac, and he said he wasn't; so maybe it's Holland's blood pressure medicine that brings on the bloodbath episodes. We'll have to talk to his doctor about that, and see what can be done to curb the free-flowing bleeding.

That said, we have been working on Bleu to make him understand he cannot give love nips - but he is a rambunctious puppy (8-1/2 weeks old). The training will take some time. Currently, when he nips … he goes straight into the kennel until he settles down. He is learning. Bleu made it up the Livingroom steps to the back bedroom on his own a couple days ago (and we praised and applauded him :-)) - and yesterday, he leapt from the truck floor mat into my lap: he is growing quickly. Hopefully, the love nips will subside just as quickly. His toenails are getting clipped as soon as we see a dog groomer place along the route.

Anyway …

We paid for the brake, washer/dryer, and misc. RV stuff; and left the Lot to begin our road gypsy lifestyle :-)

We were so tuckered out that night, that we just pulled over and crashed in the 4x … yes, you read that right: we had our new home, but slept in our new truck!

I believe I did mention in earlier posts, that even though we are both in our 60's - we are behaving like silver-haired teenagers. LOL

Betsy (truck) & Independence (5th Wheel).

Text from Chuck - the person in WV, who made this all happen.

Supper on our way out of Parkersburg. A new experience; Holland likes these burgers and was glad I like it ;-)

We stopped for diesel and saw that Love's Truck Stops are now offering RV hook-ups - we pushed on; but may stay at one, later on down the road.

The next night was different :-)

We spent our first night in our new home at an RV Park in Mt. Vernon, Illinois: I had 2 weeks worth of laundry to do - and we were both itching to see how the new washer/dryer set would perform. We needed full hook-up to accomplish that.

We liked the atmosphere so much - and the site cost was easy on the wallet - so, we paid for another 2 nights :-)

05-04'23: The first night spent in our new home was in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

The site immediately got Holland's vote with the Patriotic NRA notification. LOL

And they are in partnership with the 'Good Sam' Club.

There are cabins for rent here, too.

And a nice lake; Archway RV Park in Mt. Vernon-IL.

05-05'23: I'm going to use the new washer and dryer, today. Located in the bedroom.

Sorted laundry piles - it's going to be a loooong day.

Important necessity while living n the road. GOOD DEAL!

We are enjoying our freewheeling life :-)

ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2023 ~Sleuth Sisters Day

Today was my day in Graysriver with my besties :-)

It was also St. Patrick's Day - and since I do have Irish in my DNA, I sported green all day long ;-)

Irish eyes today …

Sparkly 'Emerald Smokes' eye color w-glittery 'Cypress' accent; 'Auburn' Brow Gel; 'Deep Green' Mascara; 'Neutre Enflamme' Gel Blush; Tinted Lipbalm & 'Pink Quartz' Lipgloss.

Not getting fancy today - I'll be lifting and shifting plant-filled containers going to Linda's & Becky's houses. This thermal top gets to stay in my clothes cache.

 

Ready to hit the road; because I have Hazel eyes, the green eye color brought out the green in my eyes. I like that :-)

Before leaving home, I told Holland that I may be later than usual getting home if I had to drop the plant-filled-bins and boxes of yarn off at Linda's house - and Becky's house. I wouldn't be taking any backroad detours and I'd call him from Skamokawa (where I could get a cell signal) to let him know I was on my way home.

I arrived at Ramona's … and was surprised by going-away-giftings :-)

I'm really going to miss these gals - they were beacons of hope and open-handed friendship, when I was stumbling through life trying to find sure footing. Their sense of humor dove-tails with my own. They found a place for me in their lives, and showered me with love: I am eternally grateful.

Elohim favored me and I wasn't delayed in arriving home before dark: Linda arrived in her pickup - I was able to transfer her geranium bins and rose-filled bin from the back of my Highlander to her truck bed easy-peasy :-)

And Becky's husband Bob, arrived in their truck to pick her up … and helped me transfer her geranium bin and boxes of yarn.

I'm gonna miss these gals; Linda talking to Becky (sitting down) & Ramona, in the background.

We are sleuth sister armchair detectives :-)

Linda's mexican casserole; YUMMY!

I will have a few more Friday's to gather with them at Ramona's … then it will be keeping in touch via video facebook messenger chat, skype, and zoom. Not quite the same as now, but heartstrings adjust and stay connected ;-)

The girls' gifts, which will definitely be going with us across the States, will be constant reminders of Elohim's faithfulness to me.

Gifts; pillow cases = Linda; card, $ + camera tripod = Ramona; dishcloths & candle = Becky.

SHAKIN' ALL OVER ~Daytrip/Eden Valley Cemetery

We went for a drive yesterday afternoon - I'll be driving to Graysriver Friday to spend time with my sleuth sisters … and I wanted to show Holland where I'd be holed up for three hours before heading back home. While we were in the neighborhood, I also wanted to show him the Eden Valley Cemetery where our bodily remains will be when our spirits are eventually released: the plots are paid for, and Holland will be there too if and when that time comes before The Rapture. After that show and tell event, I'd drive us back home via Raymond-Pe Ell-& Vader. Vader is Holland's familial stomping grounds; but it's been a while since he's been over the KM, through Raymond, or thru Pe Ell. This daytrip would be fun :-)

I dressed casual (very casual), and got my face on …

Prep Kit … Sparkly 'Pearl' for eyebrow highlight; Glittery 'Illusion' for eyelid color; Sparkly 'Navy' for eyelid accent & upper-lower liner; 'Auburn' Eyebrow Gel; 'Glam Black' Mascara; & Neutre 'Emflamme' Gel Blush. 'Tinted Lip Balm' & 'Pink Quartz' Lipgloss.

Ready to roll …

Neal McCoy - 'The Shake' song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjXHfvgiNUc)

Then we gassed up at Baker's Corner, and stopped at Wal*Mart to buy a smaller cooler than the ones in the shed; we wanted to take some picnic stuff and didn't need the large coolers.

Small cooler; it's all we need for a daytrip.

There were snow patches along the KM, but the road was clear; so driving that way again Friday should be a snap 😉

When we got to Graysriver, I drove over the Covered Bridge Loop: I didn't think Holland has ever been there, so it was fun to show him something that I've enjoyed since my teen years. 

Holland did say later that he had never been over the Covered Bridge, so that was a fun {1st} :-)

We saw scads of Bald-headed Eagles - they were e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e., and Holland spotted them before I did.

Holland had never been to Eden Valley, either: another 1st.

What I saw at the cemetery had me shaking MAD.

Graysriver Covered Bridge Road ties into Barr Road-WA

Holland spotted these Bald-headed Eagles at Devil's Elbow - along the Altoona-Pillar Rock Road-WA

It was cold and windy; bare tree limbs & Eagle feathers were shaking all over.

3 more Eagles seen from Mattson Road, off Altoona- Pillar Rock Road.

Eden Valley Road & Eden Valley Cemetery; Eden Valley-WA

WTH! These are MY Shepherd Hooks & the floral arrangements I MADE for OUR PLOTS!

I was literally shaking all over when I saw the shepherd hooks with the flowers still in the memorial vases, with the flowers I had bought and arranged for our family plots still in them … stuck alongside headstones that were not Bob's Grandparent's - or Bob's Father!

I had been told by heather smalley, in August of last year, that "anything other than headstones were no longer allowed on gravesites"; the smalley's even removed the makers I had on our plot, and then told me I could not put them back up: a wrought iron stake to mark Bob's actual cremains placement, as well as flower arrangements I had made - as well as the shepherd hooks I had placed on Grandpa & Grandma Smalley & Bob Hargand Sr's gravesites.

And here we were faced with MY THINGS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S GRAVES. Obviously, the smalley's think it's perfectly okay to steal things off our plot and place them on others.

It's not only disrespectful, it's actually criminal.

Of all the freaking nerve!!

My '"Work A Miracle for Me Lord" Post: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/08/work-miracle-for-me-lord-eden-valley.html

Holland last year - during that hellish period of my life with the hellish smalley clan, had listened to my prayer concerning this distressing situation, and offered to drive me to the cemetery to lift Bob's cremains and move them as heather smalley demanded; heather also called me a liar when I said the shepherd hooks I had bought had been stolen. I didn't know Holland at that time (other than his obvious flirting 😉) … so I politely declined his offer and handled the situation the only way I knew: I mentally flipped heather the flying bird, and permanently closed that chapter of my life.

Follow-up Post - 'Chapter Closed' Post: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/08/chapter-closed.html

It was a shock to see my hooks and memorial vases so brazenly showcased at other people's gravesites.

I only drove back there this afternoon to show Holland where our plot was, in case he has to ferry my cremains there some day - I am six years older than Holland, and there is a very real possiblity that if The Rapture continues to be delayed, he will have to ferry my cremains to the cemetery. There is room for Holland there, also, so we are planning towards that. The plots have been purchased and paid in full - one several years before Bob passed in 2018 … and I bought 3 following, in 2019. I basically bought up an entire plot block; I want Holland included in the Plot Block alongside me also, since I now carry his last name, and my New Name is hyphenated. New headstones will have to be ordered, rewritten, and replaced: Bob, Me, Holland.

Holland is a good man; he defused my anger and came up with a wonderful solution to the smalley small-mindedness. I cried with gratitude when my new husband told me how he intends to fix this cemetery mess concerning my first husband. Holland shows more respect for Bob than his family does and he never knew Bob (this new man of mine oozes love for me); and when he hugged me, my emotions were shakin' in a good way 😉 Elohim has been very generous in blessing me with Holland's love.

Which brings to mind something I read on a FB Page about love - it was put forward as "the 3 stages of love"; I have only ever experienced the 3rd stage, when it comes to love. I thank Elohim for protecting me, and only gifting my life with the best :-)

My first love crossed my path when I was 10 yo/he was 18 and didn't even know I was alive … he crossed my path again when I was 17 - and he was noticing me then 😍: we married 5 months later: none of the loves posted describe what we shared. We were married for 44 years before his physical death in December 2018. My second love is described in the 3rd Love posted below - and I married him this January 7th, 2023: I wasn't looking, and suddenly there he was. I am blessed beyond measure by this 2nd love of mine ❤

I do not recognized the 1st or 2nd {love} described. To me, love isn't infatuation; which always leads to disappointment: real, true, love is a wholesome knock-out-punch that hits hard and fast, and you are in deep before you even know you've been sucked in 😉 I've only known good love. Mindless lust, abuse of any kind, lies, betrayal, constant drama and painful damage (physical, emotional, or spiritual) is NOT "love". Just sayin' folks.

The 3rd Love is the ONLY Relationship Love I have ever been familiar with; thank Elohim! I've been blessed twice. Elohim has been very good to me.

Jack White - 'I'm Shakin' song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkcGuZHPbKk)

Snowy hills in the distance; Altoona-Pillar Rock Road-WA

Eagles were everywhere this afternoon; Altoona-Pillar Rock Road-WA

We drove home via the Raymond-Pe Ell Route, laughing and talking the whole way.

When we got to the pullout where I usually stop and park awhile, I was glad to see that it was clear of trash and burned out cars. I didn't like seeing that last year - and being a woman alone, I didn't stop there again until now. Now, I am not a woman alone. Now, the pullout is being monitored and kept clean again. So, we pulled in and ate our lunch. And we walked around a bit to work out the kinks. Walking back to the Highlander over the loose gravel, I could feel my body bouncing in various places, and started laughing when that song 'Shakin' All Over' went through my thoughts 😉

Labam-WA.

A logging Shovel tower:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21n7l3oVeAQ)

Deer along the route …

20-mph speed limit crossover bridge; very tight width - very sharp corner.

Bouncing boobs as I walked; literally 'shaking all over'. LOL.

Johnny Kidd & The Pirates - 'Shakin' All Over' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM2WIi396Go)

As we passed through Vader, we decided to visit 'The Ranch' - the Redmill homestead. It's a nice country drive.

It's also high in the hills and was a bit on the chilly side while we were walking around the property: we were shaking all over before we got back to the Highlander.

'The Ranch' even has it's own road to it …

Driving up to our home later, I could see that Spring is showing itself despite the lingering snowy weather. I could also see that I need to stay home more this year, and tend to home chores 😉

My tiny Tete-a-tete Daffodils are blossoming; the cement rings need cleaning; or replacing.