Return home...

The drive home was very emotional for me. Every time I thought about driving down my street, I cried. When I got to the house the first thing I saw was this sign.My mother came down the stairs and we tearfully, hugged. AAAH! What a great feeling to get that big hug! I was so happy to see her! We had a wonderful reunion!


Do you remember the little red house, I mentioned, across the street? It's grey. I felt a twinge when I saw it but it was a gentle reminder that the most natural thing in the world is change; one of life's guarantees!

My first morning home, I went with my mom to her art lesson. Her art teacher, Andy, a lovely man, had asked for "red rock" from Red Rock Country. I brought it to him and we stayed and chatted. When I turned out of his street to leave I saw a huge turtle to my right!! Can you imagine? I honestly have no idea what possessed me to put my camera in the car but I had it.
I couldn't pass by what had become a beautiful totem in my life.I made a U-Turn, ran across the street and took a few pictures. Everything comes full circle.



I decided I wanted to meet and thank my AAA angel, Kellyn, in person. I had 2 reasons for the visit. First,we had spoken regularly during my 6 months away and created a real bond. Second, I don't often have the luxury of gushing about someone's excellent service (and in this case I did) so I wanted to deliver a letter to her boss commending Kellyn on the amazing service she provided.Not only did she make sure each destination was as safe as possible, she also came to know what I needed and continually went to any lengths to find it.It was invaluable to me. I wrote the letter, bought a bouquet of flowers and off to Rhode Island I went. Kellyn had no idea I was coming so I was very excited to surprise her. When I got there,the man at the front desk called her and told her she had a package to pick up.It was so much fun to watch her come around the corner. She was shocked! We gave each other a big hug and I got the chance to thank her in person.
Her boss called me that afternoon and asked for a copy of the picture. She is going to put it in the AAA Member magazine with a portion of the letter I wrote about Kellyn. Fun!


There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning."Louis L'Amour...I can stare at the door that has closed or look forward to the several that will open. I have tremendous peace. I get to both grieve the end of my trip and feel tremendous joy for the experience I've had. What's next? That seems to be the question people are asking. Answer? I don't know. What I do know is that some of the best moments on my trip started with "I don't know"; I don't know where I am. I don't know where I want to go next. I don't know how long I'll stay. So many of those moments led to divine appointments and I know that this "I don't know", will,too. I don't know where my life is going but I trust wherever it is, it's where I'm supposed to be.

So, this is it. I'm home!
I want to thank all of you for following my journey. It really touched me that you took care and interest in my blog. I have loved writing to you, all!

And as we know...

"More will be revealed"...

Maine...

The drive to Maine from the Catskills was about 9.5 hours.
I had a couple of mishaps on the way,namely not paying attention while pumping gas and in turn, pouring it all over my leg. I changed in the rest room. Pew..what a smell. I tied the "gas pants" into a plastic bag;Yikes. I had a fleeting thought about how lucky I'd been and what if everything falls apart so close to home? What I realized? My attitude determines my perspective and none of my journey has been about luck! I continued to drive and aaahaa, I saw a beautiful moose. About 20 minutes later another moose ran right into the road;Gorgeous. Another reminder that this is not the the end of my journey. It's another stop on a road that has been filled with divine guidance.


I went to Maine because, for many years, I had wanted to find a lake where our family stayed over 40 years ago. I was barely able to remember the visit. I do remember three things: 1. going up to the main cabin for meals (of course I remember that). 2. our family had very fond memories of that vacation and 3. one of the families staying there had a dog named "Gussy".We loved her. In fact, when we got a dog we named her Gussy after this dog. (Her real name was Augustine which I still think is amazing considering how much I love St. Augustine. There are no coincidences).

I planned to stay in Maine for a few days. I hoped to spend time at the lake and also wanted to use this time as a way to get used to being back in New England. I've always found Maine very peaceful and thought it would be a good place for reflection as I get ready to come home.
I got to the Wilson Lake Inn late. It was beautiful and so were the owners... Susan and Tom. Here's an example of how wonderful they were; the morning after I got there I was doing laundry and told Susan about my gas laden pants. She took them from me, soaked them in Oxyclean and hung them on her private residence clothes line for the afternoon...She had also looked on line to find out the best way to wash clothes stained by gas. Who would do that? They were genuinely kind people.
My first full day there, I decided to go Apple picking... Yahoo... I love apples and it was a gorgeous day. I drove out to one of the many orchards. There were lots of families with kids and we hopped on the wagon for the tractor ride out to the orchard. The guide told us where to find our favorite kinds of apples and where he'd pick us up later. Off we went. My gosh... What a day! I loved it.
I went to the back rows (because I asked where the big apples were) and leisurely picked my favorites. It was so quiet and beautiful that day. The orchard was right on a pond and there was a little wooden cabin with a fire going where you could listen to storytelling once you finished picking the apples. Instead of doing that, I laid under a tree and soaked up the sun and the pure joy I felt from laying in the grass.


The next day was my adventure to Lake Anusagunticook. I hoped I'd find it. I was so excited and a little apprehensive since it was so hard to find on a map.Over the years if I met someone from Maine I'd ask if they had ever heard of the lake where we stayed. No one I met had ever heard of it.I was so happy when my angel Kellyn, from AAA, had seen it on a map. I knew what town to go to but I still didn't have directions.
The Innkeepers were so helpful. They found the lake on line, walked me through the directions and wished me luck. I left pretty early because 10 miles is not 10 minutes driving on the back roads and I wanted to spend alot of time there.

About an hour into the drive, I started thinking it wouldn't happen. I stopped at a store and asked and no one in the area had heard of the lake. They said"Canton Lake" is right around the corner and I said, "No, this other lake is supposed to be around here,too". They didn't know of any other lake and then a woman came in and gave me directions to what sounded like Canton Lake but when I asked she said it was Lake Anusagunticook. Okay, then, I just decided to take a chance and if it wasn't the lake I wanted, I'd sit there and enjoy the lake that was there. I drove about another 2 miles and the first thing I saw was a street sign that said "Pinewood Drive". Hmm, this is the same name as the Inn from many years before.I looked to my left and saw a lake with a little opening so I pulled over. What was right in front of me? That's right, this sign. I was so excited I felt like I found gold.
Right then, two men were walking toward me so to be sure, I approached them and said, "I want to confirm that this is Lake Anusagunticook because someone told me it's called Canton Lake". That moment proved to be the beginning of a new friendship because that is where I met Jim Lavoie and his partner Barry. Jim said, "Yes, they call it Canton Lake now, but it is Lake Anusagunitcook". We got to talking and Jim told me he now lives in Florida but still has a camp, here, on the lake. I asked him about the Pinewood Inn and he showed me the now empty lot at the top of a hill. I remembered that as little kids we had to go uphill to get to the main lodge and there were little cabins surrounding.I could picture it. Get this, Jim was a cabin boy at the Inn around the time I was there! He was about 16 at the time. So, I asked him, since the people we went there with that one year went alot, if he remembered any family names and he said, "Hmmm",he thought about it and then came up with one name and guess what it was? Yup, Howes!! Are you kidding me?
As we talked a little more he asked me if I had a brother, what? Holy cow, could there be a more serendipitous encounter? I don't think so... I told them I was going to visit the lot where the Inn used to be and they invited me back to their camp to chat later.
I asked if I could take his picture and we exchanged information just in case I didn't go back to their camp.
I walked to the top of the hill (where the Pinewood Inn had been). This is a picture from the Main Lodge,lot. It felt familiar.
I met Sarah, there. She was napping at the top of the hill. We talked for a long time, longer than I had wanted to be up there. I really wanted to check out some more stuff. I stayed with the conversation because something inside me said, wait. I never question the length of time I spend with someone because I’ve learned that timing isn't mine;just keep trusting. Once Sarah and I finished our conversation, I went further into the woods looking for remnants of the Inn. As I started down the hill I ran into a woman walking her dog; Jane and Cookie. As it turns out Jane owns the property. She and her husband bought it and tore down the Inn. (it was falling apart). They split it into subdivisions and are selling it. Jane gave me all her information. Now, had I not spent extra time talking to Sarah, I’d never have met Jane,hmm.

I drove around the lake spinning over my afternoon's events and decided to take Jim up on his offer to visit his camp on the lake. I have learned a very important lesson on this trip. If I think I have more important things to do than spend time getting to know someone new, I'm wrong! I went to the door and they welcomed me in right away. We talked more about the history of the lake and he told me about the memories that came flooding back to him after our meeting. Jim and Barry told me they usually take their walk in another direction. For some unknown reason they had decided to walk in the opposite direction.Had they not made that decision we never would have met!
That evening I went to the Farmington Fair. A down home country fair. For the first time ever, I watched the tractor pull event. It was actually really fun!
The next day was a day of preparation. Time to get ready for the ride home. I had made an appointment to get a pedicure later in the day but decided to take a hike at a park nearby. I took a little scenic hike that ended on a stone overlook with flat rock ledges. It was another gorgeous day so I laid down and just felt peace surround me like a warm blanket.


Later in the day, I took the 1.5 mile drive to the nail spa and got lost. AMOS had some trouble in Maine. When I got there and we talked about my trip we all thought it was hilarious that I got lost going a mile down the road.

Maine? An embarrassment of riches ;one of many along the way!


So here it is, the beginning of Fall and the end of this part of an amazing journey. I am on my way home and I feel very peaceful about it. I'm ready.


See you there!!!

Catskill, New York

I took the very long drive from Akron to Catskill New York and it turned into 9 and a 1/2 hours due to construction and lots of rain. My car looks cleaner, at least. I got here and was so happy to see this little backwoods motel. It had what I needed; simplicity and solitude.

By the time I get home it will be a little over 6 months on the road and over 17,000 miles of driving.
I can't believe this part of my "life song" is coming to an end and as I drove to Catskill, I couldn't help but reflect on the adventure I've had. I'm on vacation from work so this next couple of weeks is all about relaxing and transitioning back home.
More about those feelings, later!
Now, Catskill.

I picked Catskill because it was about halfway from Akron to Maine, Maine being my last stop before heading home. By the way, many of the towns in the surrounding area end with "kill". I thought it sounded like an unfortunate name for these lovely places so I asked about it. The owner of the Inn told me that "kill" used here is Dutch; a similar word to valley. So when a little town is nestled in the mountains as these were, they were named with "kill" at the end. Okay that made more sense.
Moving on...
I had no idea if there was anything to see and I was only staying for a day or so but once I got a good night sleep I was ready to check it out. I found out I was very close to Howe Caverns and I was only about 15 minutes from the town of Woodstock, where my friend Jim lived in the 70's. I hoped to see both.

I took the drive to Howe Cavern. It was a windy drive through the mountains and glimpses of fall were everywhere. It was sunny and crisp; beautiful. I was filled with so much gratitude. As I drove with the windows open taking in the fresh air, I found a radio station playing Gaither Family music. I loved it and had it full blast. I definitely have to go to their concert this year when and if my aunt goes. I just love them!


Howe Cavern is a cave about 160 feet below the earth's surface and Geologists believe that the cave started forming billions of years ago. The rock is mostly limestone. I took the tour with 3 retired couples one of whom had been there 50 years prior as a 4th grader on a field trip. She had since moved to Maryland and this was her first trip back to see it. Our tour guide, Rich was a geologist and very informative and funny. We had a great time. The rock formations were amazing. It all reminded me of melting candle wax. I loved it. There was even a little boat ride while we were down there;isn't it unbelievable that there's a lake 156 feet below the earth's surface? It's called Lake of Venus.
On my way out of Howe Cavern I saw "God Rays" shining over the mountains onto the farmland. Another kiss from the universe!I took the quiet ride back to the motel.




The next day I packed up and took a leisurely drive to Woodstock on my way out. It was an artsy town with lots of shops and galleries. I walked around, window shopped and met a potter, Phil, whose been there since 1967 and remembered my friend Jim. FUN!


All and all,it was a short trip and I was really looking forward to getting to Maine; my last destination before getting home. See you there!

Akron, Ohio

I've done lots of driving in the last few days. More than I've done in a short span of time on the trip. So after my brief but wonderful experience in Grand Rapids, Michigan, hearing Rob Bell, I took the drive to Akron and arrived at a Comfort Inn where I was able to spend a couple of days working alot before starting my vacation. Funny how the start of my vacation signals the end of this incredible journey! As I have said alot lately, the beginning of every new adventure always starts with the ending of another.

I had one purpose for going to Akron. I wanted to see the home of one of the co-founders of AA, Dr. Bob Smith. And I did just that. One afternoon I went out to see the house and when I pulled up it just looked exactly like I had imagined. I think I've actually seen pictures in books written about him,too. It felt so comforting and familiar. It definitely had a spirit around it. Even though it was closed that day I could easily to peak in and see where it all began, where he and Bill sat in the kitchen after a promise from Dr. Bob to his wife Anne, to get help. As I was walking up to the house a man walked across the lawn at the same time; Dan. Dan, ironically, is also from Massachusetts, Abington. Of all the places to meet someone else from Massachusetts. How perfect! I had a feeling he was from Mass. since he wore a T-shirt with a large black dog on it. Usually that means you've at least visited,eh? Dan, as it turns out, is a real history buff and talked alot about the history of AA and it was really fun to talk with him. We hung out on the porch swapping stories of our recovery and our lives. As I continued to talk with Dan, out of the blue he says:"Walk down the stairs; just walk down to the bottom". I had no idea what he wanted and I thought he wanted me to count the 12 stairs since I read on line that there were 12 steps to the door of his house which, of course, wasn't planned but interesting,no?
So I mention my piece of trivia, but he said, "No, just go to the bottom". I did and when I got to the bottom he says from the porch:"Now, Bill, don't screw this up....Keep it simple!" Those were the last words Dr. Bob said to Bill Wilson before he died in 1950.

As with all my brief and beautiful encounters, it was a pleasure spending time with Dan. We parted ways, I went to a great meeting and got ready for my next adventure...

SuperDawg and Rob Bell?

What do Superdawg and Rob Bell have to do with each other? Better yet, who/what are they? First, let me tell you; my trips to Chicago and Michigan were so short I decided to post them together.These trips combined happened within 48 hours. As I mentioned earlier, I decided to take a quick trip through some of these central states. I had specific things I wanted to do in each. I left Wisconsin and took the the 90 minute (which was refreshing) drive to Chicago. I have a client there who I really like and wanted to meet. I checked into my hotel, had lunch and off I went to meet him. We had a lovely afternoon together and I enjoyed touring his library, meeting the staff and making that connection. He is a great guy.
I had been to Chicago so didn't feel the need to tour the city. I have to admit I'm much more at peace in open spaces, quiet spaces. So many people I've met on the trip feel the opposite. They get their peace and their energy from the city. I love how different we all are.
There was one thing I wanted to do in Chicago, though. I learned that as far as food goes, Chicago is not only known for Deep Dish Pizza and fabulous steak (which I had last time I was here) but also for their delicious Hot Dogs. Well, I love Hot dogs! The place that was famous for the best place to get one is called:"Superdawg". Arguably the best and the most fun! I had to go! After my client visit I pulled out my trusty AMOS and off I went. When I got there I discovered it was the old style restaurant where you park at a speaker, order your food and the waitress brings it to your car.LOVED THAT! I ordered my plain "dawg" with all the stuff on the side (onions,pickles,mustard)and decided to take a picture of these famous "dawgs" while I waited. YUMMMY! OH MY GOSH. It was delicious and no fillers!

The next day, I had another appointment in Chicago which was right across the street from Wrigley field. My appointment was at 12:30 and there was a 12:05 Cubs game. Can you say, traffic? It was a miracle that I got parking. People were everywhere! I was excited to see that this area of town looks exactly like a busy day at Fenway. With my Massachusetts plates I was just glad we weren't playing!

________Grandville, Michigan___________
From there, I took the drive to Grand Rapids Michigan. Now, who is Rob Bell you ask? Well, a couple of you know. He is a minister that my friends Sue and Ray told me about. They mentioned that he has a church called Mars Hill in Grandville, Michigan (right outside Grand Rapids). They said he was powerful and worth the visit. Just on a lark, since I had no other real reason to be in Michigan, I decided to check out the church's website. Rob Bell travels all over the country/world but as luck would have it, was preaching at his own church on this particular weekend, September 13. I couldn't believe my good fortune! So, I took the trip to Michigan which was about 4 and a 1/2 hours from Chicago. I got there around 9pm on Saturday night. I barely unpacked, went to bed and got up the next morning, checked out and went to church.WOW, WAS IT WORTH IT! This church was huge. There were hundreds, possibly thousands there. They had great music the first 25 minutes then Rob. I didn't know what I was going to see.
He was young,wore, simply, jeans and a white shirt and opened with a video of his 13 year old son learning to play the trombone; he was keeled over with laughter talking about the journey of having a son starting middle school! It was a great start to an energetic, funny and profound sermon.
"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". He went on to talk about how counter-intuitive that biblical passage is and how we look for a way to make sense out of it or to earn it or get it. Why do they get to the kingdom of heaven? how do I get in God's favor? He talked about it being an announcement by Jesus, that there is no list of criteria involved on how to earn it. There is no one who gets it over another, it just is. It doesn't matter if you are a criminal, had an affair, had an abortion (all of which he went running from section to section jumping on chairs, yelling:"if anyone over here is an adulterer; You are blessed!",etc.) We want to know why. We want it to make sense in our limited minds. He gave the example, by showing a movie clip, of the man from France who walked between the twin towers on a tight rope. The man, when interviewed in America kept being asked the question, "Why", "Why did you do it?" and he said "Only Americans would ask that". Does there need to be a list of reasons so we can feel better about it or make sense out of it. Why do we need that? Can't it just be the awesomeness of the act? And same with Jesus, wasn't/isn't he just that awesome, that filled with love and acceptance? Isn't His love of all, no matter what, a reminder that there isn't anything that we can do that keeps us from God loving us? What a concept? It's hard to trust that there isn't anything to "Do" to have God love us, He just does.... WOW! Just reminds me of the phrase we are human beings, not human doings. Not only is there nothing to do, even if we do something "bad" the love and acceptance is still there. That doesn't mean we're not responsible for our actions;or accountable, it means we are loved no matter what.He ended with a clip from the last scene of "The History of Violence". If you've seen the movie, it was a perfect ending. The guy who killed all the people walks into the the kitchen where his family was eating dinner and his wife, who now knew he had this violent history, couldn't look at him. It was silent. He stood at the doorway and his little 5 year old daughter got up and got a plate and fork and set it at the table. Then his son dished up food for him.Still silent. Take in the acceptance. It just is. Pretty powerful? yes? These are just some of my thoughts about his sermon and there are more points to ponder along the way. All I can say is Thank you, Sue and Ray!!!


I am so glad I took this whirlwind tour!!! I am off to Akron, Ohio,now.

Wisconsin

As I drove into Wisconsin, I moved into Central time, closer to home. It feels so strange to be closing in on the end of the trip and the time change makes that fact very real.

My trip to Wisconsin was sort of a last minute decision. I had planned to visit my aunt in Ohio but thought about it and realized I wanted to check out Wisconsin and Michigan, since I've never been to either and a quick visit to Chicago. I knew that meant alot of driving within a shorter time period,but at this point what's a little driving? I decided on Milwaukee. Why? I just thought of Happy Days and picked it! I never said my trip decisions were logical.
After the long drive from Iowa I pulled into Milwaukee (which in Native American, I forget which tribe, means "gathering place by the water") and felt a feeling of such peace. I can't answer why I feel peace in some places and not others. It's just a feeling I get or don't when I arrive. It often determines how long I'll stay. I pulled into Milwaukee and there was a beautiful sunset. The sunsets all week were deep and colorful. (Here's one from my hotel room).
I love a fall sunset anyway but these were profound. It was balmy and lovely that first evening. Wisconsin was also where I saw the first signs of fall, a few trees changing color. It was unseasonably warm when I got there but I guess it had been colder in the days prior.

So, what is Milwaukee known for? Hmm. Well, there's the obvious, dairy and cheese! If you like cheese? wow, it is an art form here! I bought and ate lots of cheese while I was here.It was delicious,fresh and all local.There are the Milwaukee Brewers whose field, Miller Park, I saw on my way into town; very nice. And of course there is the Milwaukee Brewing company. Beer is really big out here(and it's not other places?). The first thing the girl at the hotel told me to do for adventure was take a tour of the micro breweries. "Umm, I don't think that's a good idea, what else you got?" So she says, "You could see the Jelly Belly jellybean factory which is here", strike 2. So I opted for a walk along Lake Michigan, down town.
The lake is so vast it feels like open ocean. There is a beautiful beach on the lake, too,with permanent volleyball courts filled with kids/teens playing and people everywhere having cookouts, flying kites, bike riding, running; it was like being back on the California coast! It was so fun to just be part of it. There was a marina with a beautiful pier. One pier was an extension of a beautiful park area(a mile long) where I walked out and just sat under a tree listening to everyone "playing".I got a chuckle as two teens rode their bikes past one complaining about how long the trip was and the other joking back to him "Hey it's not about the destination, it's the journey,man". "That's right" I yelled out. It was a great afternoon!

I wanted to take advantage of these balmy days knowing fall was coming soon so I decided to take a little boat cruise along the Milwaukee River and out into Lake Michigan. I wanted to see the sky line from the water and just enjoy the weather. So one afternoon I drove down to one of the piers for a 2pm trip. Boy do I love to be on the water. I was giddy with excitement. Just to be out on the water, face in the sun and soaking up the sounds of water splashing,wind blowing and the song of seagulls overhead;reminded me home and I loved it! I got on the boat and decided,in my little cocoon that it would be fun to get a picture of me on the boat. So I started taking pictures of myself, laughing and posing til I got one I could actually post. I was having a good ole' time with myself and didn't even think, til later, what potential I had there for looking crazy. Well, so be it...It was fun! One of these pictures has a view of the Art Museum. The architecture of the museum was beautiful (see the triangular shaped building?)and I wanted to show you.

I also took a couple of afternoon drives. One afternoon I went to historic Cedarburg. It was a quaint little bedroom community with beautiful old stone buildings converted into shops, galleries and restaurants. It was beautiful to just walk around and window shop. I also went out to Madison. It was about an hour from me but I had heard it was a fun college town to walk around in. It was great. It was also near the water and there is a gorgeous walking area near their capital building and I walked around a bit.


I really enjoyed Wisconsin and I am so glad I made the decision to go!!!
Off to Chicago!!!

Iowa

First things first. I found out that the ticket I mentioned in my last blog will not count against my insurance. I figured it didn't hurt to ask so I called the Wyoming Court. Yaay. They don't report it if it's under a certain speed. What a gift!

My next point to ponder? Will the bugs who surrendered their life on the front of my car ever come off? So far, 2 car washes and memories of their demise remain.I guess that's what happens traveling across the prairie.

My first stop in Iowa was Sioux City. Why? I liked the name and just wanted to see what Iowa was like. I spent my time in Sioux City resting and working. I was there for a few days. There wasn't much in the way of site seeing but as I asked around a bit there was a place that peaked my interest; Trinity Heights. It's a prayer garden, retreat area and it's beautiful.
I walked the garden and it had little theme areas for prayer and all of the benches had sayings, poems and prayers. It was really lovely.
I also took a drive over the Missouri River to Nebraska just to say I was in Nebraska. I went to the center of a small town, S. Sioux City.
As an aside, the gas was really inexpensive and when I asked one of the guys said "You're in Iowa and corn is really handy" and let me just say, if you like corn or want to see corn fields (after corn field after corn field), Iowa is the place for you.
On my way out of Iowa Eileen had mentioned an independent book store, "Prairie Lights" she goes to when she attends a writer's workshop at Iowa State University in Iowa City.I thought, "What the heck, it's kind of on the way to Wisconsin".It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive and WOW was it worth it. I loved Iowa City. It's a funky college town with lots of shops and restaurants; people everywhere. Right before hitting the center of town there was a park with a pond. Perfect place to stop for lunch. I had a little picnic and listened to some live music. I got to see some turtles sun bathing while I was eating. After lunch I headed into downtown and people were all over. Students going crazy because Iowa State had a football game so the bars and restaurants were overflowing.

I parked and looked for the bookstore. I couldn't find it so I went into a boutique and that is where I met Maryanne and Sandy. They were great! Two women who were fun and funny and we just connected right away.One of them owned the shop and had just moved from L.A. and the other was from Germany. We bonded and hung out for an hour or so. We covered alot of ground in our visit. There is nothing better than those serendipitous meetings.I've had so many of them and just can't even begin to tell you how I feel after a wonderful encounter like that.
One of the things we talked about was Reflexology. Maryanne told me that she grew up on a farm in Germany and when she had stomach problems her mom would barter farm goods with the local Reflexologist for treatment.I love hearing that Reflexologists were a common treatment method for her growing up and she still seeks that treatment whenever somethings bothering her.

She also taught me a perfect word for my trip:GERMUTLICHKEIT. She was trying to describe something beautiful in Germany and she said,"Germutlichkeit" and wrote it down for me. She told me that it's a word the Germans use when there are no words for the beauty they've encountered. A word for what's wordless;something that is so beautiful you feel deeply moved. I just LOVED that because I've had so many of those moments on this trip.

I am so glad I stopped in at Iowa City. And the bookstore? Well, most of you know I could spend the day in a bookstore. Always a treat!

Well, my trip to Iowa ended on a high note...off to Wisconsin.

Rapid City,South Dakota

I left Colorado pretty early knowing the drive would be long. It was another drive through the grassland and those drives make me really tired. I went through alot of Wyoming again. The speed limit has been 75 in these open areas but changed to 65 in Wyoming. Do you know what it feels like to go 65 on open road? Well,I found out after getting a speeding ticket! UGH, I knew I was speeding so I couldn't even say I didn't know. As soon as the 2 cruisers pulled me over (because they both clocked me at separate times and I didn't even notice they were behind me) I started crying. I was so tired and when you spend hours with no human contact and suddenly you're confronted with two big, not overly friendly, state troopers; I don't know,the tears just started flowing. What could I say, I knew I was speeding. I got a warning for the lack of "proof of insurance card", which I had never heard of, and a ticket for speeding. I was disappointed but what are you going to do? Looking back, I wish I had asked them for a picture to include as part of my experience...probably wouldn't have gone over well but it would have made me laugh...So as a favorite country song goes "the troubles make me stronger,struggles make me wise...life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride". That's the truth. So the gift? Slow down and there's no rush no matter what the situation. Of course it's the gift that keeps on giving since I'm sure it will be on my insurance for years to come. Now... on to South Dakota.

I went to South Dakota for about 4 days and I had one item on my agenda. I've always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore. I found out it's in Rapid City so that's where I stayed and as with anywhere I've stayed there always more to see! I got up early the first morning and took the drive. I didn't know what else I'd do that day but I knew the drive included a ride through the Black Hills which I had heard were beautiful (and they were). Every mountain range and landscape has a uniqueness about it. There's a feeling at first of "well, how different can it be?" and it always is. Just today I journaled about that very thing; how easy it is to limit the power of God and His creativity all because of my own limits... That is one big thing this trip has continually reminded me; there are no limits unless I set them!!

After driving 20 miles, I went around a bend and "GASP" there it was, Mt. Rushmore. It caught me off guard. I wasn't thinking I'd just see it around the bend as part of the landscape! When I finally got to the park I was awestruck. Now, it isn't that I haven't seen it a hundred times in pictures but it's never the same in person. So many feelings rushed through me as I walked to the entrance. There were people from all over the world feverishly taking pictures. I got the same sensation at the National monuments in D.C.. Mt. Rushmore is so,America and I forget that people from all over the world come here feeling as much wonder and interest as we do.
Did you know that dynamite was used to sculpt Mt. Rushmore? What else could they have used, I suppose, but I just never thought about it. Each piece of dynamite strategically placed to sculpt every detail. WOW!
There was a trail/hike that allowed me to get even closer and I stood in the shadow of all that history.
As I walked the trail, I could here someone speaking over a microphone. There was an amphitheater outside and as I got closer I realized there was a small gathering of Native Americans and one man,who sounded like a spiritual leader,was speaking about acceptance and peace toward all man. He talked of forgiveness and honor. I couldn't help but think about what Mt. Rushmore meant to them and the loss of their land, their home.


After leaving Mt. Rushmore, I took a drive through Needles Highway which included a drive up a mountain with narrow bridges (the width of one car so you had to toot horn before entering)ending at the top where you can overlook the scenic Black Hills. It was beautiful and when I got to the top I parked and spent some time enjoying the view and reflecting on the day. I couldn't shake the feelings I had listening to the speaker at Mt. Rushmore.

I remembered, as I was sitting on the mountain, that Crowfeather (from New Mexico)had told me about a monument being sculpted in honor of Crazy Horse. Now, Crazy Horse, I learned from visiting Little Big Horn, was instrumental in bringing down Custer. He is considered a hero among the Native Americans; a warrior among warriors. He was a Lakota Indian (as is Crowfeather)and I felt like my visit wouldn't complete without also seeing that monument. I drove about 15 more miles and there it was. Korczak, who was commissioned by the Lakota elders to sculpt the monument, was from Boston."My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, also" and that's how it began. He died in the 80's and 7 of his kids have continued his work, his dream. The monument is slow to be completed because they don't accept federal or state funding for the project; all donations. I stayed and spent some time at their museum and learned more about the Lakota's history. This is where I met Harry and Lula who designed their own jewelry and they had a write up for each piece. They had turtle designs and I learned the Lakota word for turtle; Keya (Kay*yah). It described turtle as the symbol of inner strength because Keya uses knowledge that only comes from deep within. I loved that!

The next afternoon I drove out to The Badlands. They were like nothing I've seen before!! I wished I had had a motorcycle or convertible. Like so many other places I've seen,I just wanted to be in it,part of it. I felt like I was on the moon! I couldn't get enough of these multicolored craters! The bands of colors come from volcanic ash that have dried and cooled over over the last 29 million years and formed jagged peaks and the canyons in this area. Badlands are well protected and there is an abundance of wildlife there,too. It is half maintained by the Lakota Indians who consider this protected area spiritual ground and that it is! It was spectacular and so peaceful.

Off to Iowa !!

Ft. Collins, Colorado

So I took the drive to Colorado with no GPS or phone. I didn't realize how much I focused on time when AMOS is with me.He tells me what time I'm supposed to get somewhere so stopping at a gas station or for a meal becomes a game of "Beat the Clock". Without AMOS, as much as he's been a gift, I found myself stopping and resting more. I saw a sign for "Little Big Horn", Custer's Last Stand" and decided to take a look. I took my time, toured the area, stayed for a lecture and had a picnic. It was nice to just relax there and not think about the clock ticking. Of course denial is a beautiful thing. When I got to the last stretch and realized there were 330 more miles to go you can just imagine how I felt. The ride was filled with endless fields of wheat and a long and I mean l-o-n-g straight road. I guess this is why we don't know our future. If we could see "the road" in front of us, take it from me, we'd probably go crazy. All that being said there was also some real beauty; rolling hills that had a backdrop of much larger snow peaked mountains. It was breathtaking. There was also the ever present feeling of being alone on the open road; always exhilarating. Sometimes it feels like flying. And for those who don't know this about me, I LOVE country music. Out here there are more country stations than any other kind so when I tell you it's heaven, I'm not joking.I also saw lots of "God Rays", really bright orange and red rays punching through the clouds. They seemed to be trying to get my attention like God was saying "Let Me lead you". I knew there had to be some lesson in the fact that I had no technology. So there it was!
_________________________________________________
In the summer of 1974 I was about 9 years old. We had owned the cottage in Mattapoisett for a couple of years by then. We faithfully drove there every weekend. We lived across the street from the house we still affectionately call "The Little Red House". The MaGuires lived in that house and we became friends with them right away. That little red house holds big memories for me. It was the first place I tried Sushi before I knew it was called Sushi. I ate and came to love Octopus, soy sauce,seaweed, rice balls and there was an endless supply of garden cukes and tomatoes. It might as well have been candy, I loved it all!
It was the place where I learned to use chopsticks, count to 10 and sing a song in Japanese. It was where no one in the neighborhood was exempt from coming in after a day of play and being told to lay on our side.We then waited for the cold tickle of Hydrogen Peroxide to be poured into our ears for cleaning. AND... it was my first experience, babysitting. Paul and Linda were 4 and 5 and I was so excited when I was asked to watch them because Sachi wanted to go Quohogging. It was an early morning low tide and I babysat from 7-9am. I felt so grown up!
Fast forward 35 years where I now feign "grown up" and I got to visit Linda and her family in Fort Collins, Colorado. Alot happens in 35 years so we had a wonderful visit with some catching up and mostly just being together as who we are now. It was a complete gift for me.Having that much history with someone is so comforting and I slept as peacefully at her house as I did when I stayed at their house growing up. She has two beautiful kids and I loved getting to know them.I was also able to spend extra time with them while Linda and her husband Matt went out to celebrate his birthday with a couple of friends. It was so fun.
The kids are smart, funny, fun and full of compassion for their young ages. They were so adorable when I couldn't figure out how to use the CD player (you know when someone has lots of remotes and you just can't figure it out?). I finally got it but when I was having a hard time they crawled right up and patted me as if to say,"It's okay".Finally, we all snuggled together on the couch to watch Ice Age II and I couldn't have been happier.By the way,the hugs have been pretty sparse on this trip so I'll expect alot of them when I get home.

I've been to Colorado before so this time I wanted to see Linda and anything else I considered extra.
I did go to Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park.I packed a picnic lunch and started my drive. When I got to the foot of the mountain it had started to hail; big chunks of hail. It was so loud I thought my window would crack. I had to pull over to the side of the road until it stopped. It was there I had my picnic. When I finally got going the drive up was beautiful. I drove to the highest elevation I've been to on the trip; 12,200 feet. Yikes, I was a little dizzy but WOW was it phenomenal and I got out and walked around. It was cloudy so I don't think the pictures give the full expanse of the view I had(do they ever?). Then I saw this chipmunk and had to take a picture. The irony of this little creature against the limitless backdrop reminds me that there is nothing too great or too small. Everything works together perfectly! Who am I to say what is more significant than anything else. It all matters! Everything is exactly the right size.


I also spent some time in Denver, actually Lakewood, where I visited a customer. That gave me a chance to see them and a different part of Colorado.

My visit came to an end and I was sad to leave Linda and her family. I was so grateful to have had that time with them.



One more thing!! On my drive out of the National park I saw this street sign. I had to turn around and get a picture. The messages are always available. We just have to be paying attention!!!
May your journey always lead you to "Soul Shine Road"......