You Can Get What You Want When You Figure Out What It Is Friday Round-Up

We sold our Bambi. We fell in love with Airstream trailers years ago. Every time we passed one on the highway, we’d ooh and ahh. They’re so perfectly designed, so beautiful. But after owning one for just four months, we knew we weren’t Airstream people. The Bambi, adorable as it was, represented everything we don’t want right now – long learning curve, complicated systems, challenging storage issues, and a sense of pulling something big behind us. A burden. There is a longer story here, parts of it pretty funny. I’ll tell it in a few days maybe. Here’s a picture of me driving our truck pulling the Bambi. Yes, I am biting my lip.

So, as ridiculous as it sounds, since we had a crack at the Promised Land of Airstream, we are going tent camping in a week. Yes, we are pulling out our trusty pop-up tent, rolling out our ancient sleeping bags, and sleeping with the dogs on the ground. Oh Lordy. I am so glad. We have moved up, though, with the purchase of a new percolator to replace the one dinged up by rattling around in the trunk for thirty-five years. And we kept the congratulatory super-duper Airstream coffee mugs – just to remember all the good times we had. I have to add that the place we bought the Bambi from and took it back to gave us amazing customer service. They kind of felt sorry for us when we came rolling up to return our beloved Bambi but then saw how happy we were. It was like taking a kid to college.

We have been suspended in a netherworld between deep winter and what used to be known as spring but is now known as the Hideous Time. It is cold and grey, occasionally raining. Everyone is displeased. This has gone on for weeks and we have lost all good cheer and optimism. Reluctantly, we’ve decided to flee if just for a few days, heading south to Kentucky or Tennessee where it simply has to be nicer. If it’s not, we’ll just pick up our tent and leave.

Milton came back but just for one day. He was in his old sit spot next to the house, just as he was for months during most of the pandemic. He offered no explanation for his long absence, but we also asked no questions, so glad were we about his return. He made a later appearance on the other side of the house captured on film by our son who initially thought it was nutty that we had an outdoor bunny as a pet but seems to have bought into it pretty much. Milton knows he’s being photographed, don’t you think?

I did some good work this week. Some good writing, some good volunteering, some good leadership. My instincts have become my best friends so now trusting them is reflexive. And comforting. I feel cushioned by my life, if that makes any sense. My second full week of being 74 – I feel gifted. I feel as if I am myself a gift. That took some doing, but here it is.