FLORIDA 2019: Part 2 Gotta Love the Camping Life

Day 12!  Heading west to LaBelle, about 40 minutes from Fort Meyers, we set up our mini RV van at the same RV park where our friends,  the Meyers and Chapmans,  have been spending the past few winter months...however, neither were there!! But God took good care of us, as we were welcomed by friends and family of those 2 couples (they treated us to Dairy Q and to a spaghetti dinner!)  We mostly vegged, taking walks and bike rides into town, and enjoyed the hot tub while resting.  Did I say that our main focus this trip was to rest and be "inactive" !!  God taught me a huge lesson in this place.  We literally did not know where our next camping location was to be after this particular week, so the planner in me kicked into high gear; trying to figure it out.  After making several calls and realizing that what Marilyn Meyers said was absolutely true ("you may have a hard time finding sites as March is a terribly busy month in FL"). I could feel my heart getting stressed and wondered why Bill wasn't helping or worrying(!!). I finally looked at Bill and said "what if we head into this next phase of our trip like Abraham, who did not know where he was going when God sent him to Canaan.  He simply relied on Him for daily provisions (just as the Israelites did later)...so we literally began to just take a day at a time, knowing that if a campsite did not turn up, we would land at a Cracker Barrel or simply boondock somewhere (luckily we had this option because the FL weather is perfect right now for sleeping without the need for air or heat).  This plan has worked out perfectly and has relieved me from feeling the "planning pressure".  We did have a lovely day at Sanibel Island:  breakfasting, biking 10 miles, beaching a bit, and resting!!

  

 

  




Day 19:  We headed north to Palmetto as we found a 3 night camping stay, and we wanted to spend some time near the Gulf, and we wanted to see our friends, the Mieuwsens! They recommended a great spot to bike, hike and watch the sunset...a very lovely day!  From there, we had just one night stays at a variety of campgrounds...some outstanding and some mediocre!  We did get to hook up with our friends the Bytwerks who were staying nearby for a week.  Always love our conversations about life and what God is doing with us!

 

 

 

 



We headed into central FL for a Tiger game, stopped for a few hours in Webster FL for their very LARGE Flea Market --then landed in Orlando for a 3 night stay at our timeshare resort.  We have so enjoyed the change-up from resort life, to camping, then back to resort. We like the flexibility and the change of scenery and activities that this trip has brought. In the midst of it all, Bill has taken several opportunities to find the RV lounges and keep up with March Madness, and our first pick...the Sparties of Michigan State!

 

 

 



I must say that one of the highlights of our time in Orlando was the celebration of my birthday.  I think it is true that as we age, we lose some of our inhibitions and fears of what others think!! We joined a group from our timeshare and ate together at a Greek restaurant, which turned into quite an event.  The pictures will tell the story!!  A very delightful, full of belly laughter (and belly dancing) kind of an evening! (the white "snow" is napkins being tossed in the air, yelling OPA). I felt a bit like Jesus must have at the wedding in Cana, a cultural feast of traditions and food!

 

 

 

  


PS - JUST PREVIEWED THIS AND LOOKS LIKE A FEW PICS DUPLICATED...AND I CANT SEEM TO CORRECT IT, SORRY!

FLORIDA 2019: Part I, 8 days in Paradise

Trying to re-create from pictures of 2 weeks ago may be tough!!  We have been enjoying our lazy, carefree days!
We departed MI on March 1st, with a quick overnight with the Tegelaars the first night; then an ice cream break with our friends, the Howards (who were also heading to FL) just outside Atlanta, then a quick overnight at Osceola National Forest near Jacksonville for a mere $6 (no electric); and finally a bargain free night at Vistana's Jensen Beach, near Port St. Lucie on the Atlantic Coast--where we had previously owned a timeshare. Bill used his great personal skills to gain approval to park & plug-in from a very nice maintenance supervisor!!  A great start to our trip!







Landing in Ft Lauderdale on March 4th, our package included a 2 nite stay at the Sheraton Cypress Creek, where we enjoyed the pool and near-by restaurants.  We were especially charmed by Sweet Tomatoes, for the reasons pictured below 😋.

 

 

Heading to the Port of Palm Beach on Wednesday, March 6 we boarded a smaller ship for an overnight cruise to Freeport Bahamas.  This was a "trial run" to see if a cruise would be in our future.  The verdict is still out as we ran into quite rough seas, possibly from crossing the Gulf stream?? The vertigo that ensued lasted several days---however it did not deter us from enjoying beach walks, a corn hole contest in which we ROCKED, and some local food spots.  These days enabled us to let down from our craziness of the past month, and to grieve and release some of my emotions from losing Dad at the end of February.  Thankful for the way God made our bodies to step up with adrenaline when needed, but then to gear down and experience rest.

 



 

 



 
  

After a more enjoyable ship return, we once again spent the last 2 nights of our package at the Sheraton and were ready to head to West Florida. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

What an insightful book!  The first thing that made an impression was the way the book was divided into 3 parts:  Becoming Me, Becoming Us, Becoming More.  I believe Mrs. Obama is a woman of integrity, dreams and resilience.  She set out to explain to her readers, while musing on her new "back steps", that she is still in the process of developing into a woman of strength who can continue to make a difference in her world....we are all in the process of becoming, no matter how old we are!!  The key is to be teachable and flexible in transitions, and lean into Jesus for the wisdom we need to "fit" into our next roles/stages.

I also loved the many behind the scenes peeks into the life of a public figure---not so fun, most of the time.  Every one of us, public or not, has difficulty with the opinions and criticisms of others--but when the opinions come from the media, there is not much recourse to problem solve or resolve the misunderstood action or comment.  Frustrating and hurtful. 

One of the wisest things she learned heading into the fray, was to choose her focus and work as a complement to her husband --rather than take on an administration role, as did Mrs. Clinton.  (Even though Hillary was capable, it made for a bit of distrust and antagonism during the Clinton years.)  I was not aware of all Michelle accomplished with her youth initiatives:  Let's Move, Let Girls Learn, and the Global Girls Alliance.....kudos to her!

I would have to say that the part that disheartened me the most was the many times she voiced her frustration with the Republicans; although coming through eight years of constant battles certainly imprinted these issues on her heart.  Most of us have seen through the years that both political parties play the same games so neither party smells like roses.

All in all, a great book.  Just as the Bush sisters did in their memoir, this makes me want to pick up some biographies of other presidential wives from years past.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This was quite a different read.  From what a friend said, I thought it would be a bit lighter ~ not so much!  It was pretty humorous because of the awkwardness and rigidity of the main character and how she responds to acquaintances in her life, but as the story unfolds it becomes evident that she has been a victim of her mother's abusiveness, and her character flaws all stem from that.

Eleanor, despite all of her horrible background situations, is quite a functional gal who is intelligent and disciplined in her work ethic.  What she misses is social interaction and an understanding that an important part of life includes friends and family, which she doesn't have...until a kind and observant co-worker steps in.  Raymond saves Eleanor from herself and her past.  This is a powerful story of redemption.

German Girl by by Armando Lucas-Correa

Recommended by my librarian friend, Marlene, this was a new part of the World War II story that I had never heard.  Based on true events, this Cuban writer wanted to expose the atrocities about the SS St Louis, a transatlantic luxury ship which carried Jewish families and other "undesirables" from Hamburg to Havana in 1939, before the war began.

Written from two perspectives, 12 year old Hannah's as a traveler in 1939 and 12 year old Anna's as a present day relative searching for information about her dead father's past;  this book brings to light other facets of the familiar inequality and horrors of Adolf Hitler's hateful purposes.  I never realized that Germany negotiated with other nations to deport their Jews, their Jehovah's Witnesses, and any others who did not align themselves with the new regime's ideals.  It appears at the outset, that the Nazis may have been a bit more humane -- they offered concessions like safe passage, and carrying their clothing and personal items in "exchange" for their homes and contents, just to get them out of the country....then it progressed to pushing them into trucks and trains to destroy them in concentration camps.  The fear and lies that the Jews were destroying Germany and other nations is such a hard concept for me to understand -- and how neighbors and friends could "buy" into these lies.  The most scary to me is ... how far away am I from believing lies that the media tells about other "different" people and nations?  Needing to lean into Jesus for direction and truth.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Since participating in an All Nations Impact group, and trying to understand more about racial reconciliation; I have been working on being more aware of events that trigger fear and hate so this title sparked my interest when both my son and daughter recommended it.  My daughter is constantly on the lookout for young adult fiction for her kids in her quest to build and educate her kids -two birth daughters, one mixed race son, and one Ugandan son.  She is preparing to be ahead of the game when intolerance and prejudice rear their ugly heads, directed at her sons...and it will come.

This story is really good.  A 16 year old African American teenager from "the hood" who attends a mostly white school several miles away, and is juggling her two roles.. Starr from Garden Heights and Starr from Williamson High.  She tries not to merge her two lives for fear of comments/retaliation from one side or the other, but her lives collide when she becomes the sole witness in the murder of her long time childhood friend Khalil.  What a great portrait of what black people face in America:  the conscious and unconscious bigoted thoughts and comments from friends; the envy/hate feelings of Starr as she sees her rich, white suburban friends with no clue where she has come from;  the pointed comments from her neighborhood friends who feel she has abandoned them, and puts on a "better than you" front.  Talk about pressure on a young teen who has lots of other pressures to face!

I enjoyed the family camaraderie, with expectations of high standards and grades for the kids, and the strict enforcements on mis-conduct with lots of grace mixed in.  I appreciated that the author included an uncle who was a police officer because he added another dimension of balance in the story.  It was also hopeful that Starr's father emerged from a prison sentence with a renewed sense of helping his community and living up to his potential--not often seen in ex-cons.  The very emotional and frightening ending with Starr and her friends involved in a protest against the police over the verdict in the murder, was tense; but satisfying because they wanted to use their voices.  Most of us shy away from activism because of fear or not believing our voice will count, or not even knowing what we really believe ---because there are so many adamant voices and opinions from all sides.  Life and issues can get complicated for those of us who want to try to stay on the fence and not make waves!!!

Although my daughter forewarned me, my deepest struggle with the book was the language, and I am trying to evaluate why.  Because I am a believer and had determined long ago that not cussing was a way to honor God, this deeply held view skewers my lenses when I am reading about a  Christian family who gather to pray beautiful, heartfelt prayers...but are intensely cursing in the next scene.  I asked one of my African American sisters if this was simply a black culture that I know nothing about.  She responded that she has seen many varieties of this in black families:  some determine not to use language in front of kids, some use full throttle all the time, and others refrain...but all in the context of Christian families. And I am sure that's true in white families too.  So, once again I am challenged to love my brothers and sisters whose values differ from mine .... and ask myself if my non-activism causes others to doubt my Christian walk, just as I question theirs when they can't control their tongues??

My Grandmother Asked me to Tell you I'm Sorry by Fredrik Backman

I really enjoy this author.  After reading A Man Called Ove, and Beartown; I picked up this book, intrigued by the title.  Backman's characters are so well defined and he ends his novels well, meaning that he closes most of the loose ends with a satisfying ending.. which I really appreciate. 

Elsa is an almost 8 year old child, described as "different", who is deeply loved by her granny.  Granny was a woman of great accomplishment who traveled the world as a surgeon.  After Elsa's arrival, she puts all of her craziness and enthusiasm into teaching and "growing up" this child.  Bachman makes us realize that one exceptionally supportive adult in the life of a kid can make a huge difference.

Because I am not a "fantasy" reader, I was a bit put off by the elaborate detail of the fairy tales woven throughout the story....however about 1/4 through, I realized their deep significance and all that Granny was teaching Elsa.  Each island's name in the kingdom was translated into life words, like "I love", "I suffer", "I fight", "I laugh".... and each of those islands represented people in Elsa's life who she needed to understand better, so she could work through her grief at Granny's death.

I am a fan, I will continue to work through the rest of Bachman's books.

Walker Fam Winter Gathering

Another Christmas season is in the books, although I am still enjoying my Christmas tree lights by the cozy vantage of my favorite chair in the living room.  When the dust settles and the house is quiet, the decorations are comforting and calming as I reminisce and "over analyze" (as per Bill's description of one of my character flaws!) our family time.  It's quite amazing to me that God continues to enlighten me with new insights into how He uniquely wired me...and it usually comes after close proximity with the ones that I love the most!!

I discovered again how much I love "prepping" for visits...thinking through the best sleeping arrangements and which one will like what comforter or blanket, buying needed food ahead of time, making lasagna for arrival day, baking old time favorite Christmas cookies for my kids and gluten free treats for several of the grands, setting up "toy stations" so that the early bird boys have trucks and cars ready in the living room at 6 am, dropping off excess applesauce and blueberries to my brother's home so there is space in our freezer for the more important foods, and even spending time with Jesus, asking that He would calm my heart for the arrival of 16 extra bodies for 10 days together.  I was ready and excited!

How does it happen then that my personality quirks for tidyness and calm kick in on Day 7?  We planned in break times, solo walks, breakfasts away, a few naps thrown in...yet the chaos and continual activity eventually overwhelmed me.  I want so much to not only outwardly exhibit calm, but that my interior would not churn about crazy incidentals (sticky food on the floors and sometimes on the carpet/ the myriad of coats & hats piled after a very fun snow adventure/ an overflowing refrigerator that made it impossible to locate items).  My head knows that these are minor issues compared to the bigger reality of cousin bonding, of Sibling game nights, of good laughter, of playing in the snow, of seeing Mary Poppins Returns, of an indoor pool adventure, of a Chucky Cheese excursion...it is the classic problem of Romans chapter 7:20 Msg ("Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time").

So, on this sun filled day, I once again accept the forgiveness of a Father who loves me deeply and knows my character flaws;  and I will move on in 2019, continuing to ask Him to transform this obsession with order and the inflexibility that blocks spontaneous joyful responses, in the midst of chaos.  And I will revel in the moments I had with each of the 10 unique, beautiful "grandbabies":
A Christmas Eve midnight service with 13 year old Azi; being pulled in a sled behind the lawn tractor, driven with pride by 11 year old Jet; holding 9 year old Zeal while she explained the finer art of creating a Light Brite design; cuddling 6 year old Trux as he was fighting a fever; reading a new book to 5 year old Evelynn while she "gut laughed"; guiding 5 year old Maelie around the Lazy River as she demonstrated her swimming skills; some spontaneous hugs from almost 4 year old Walker, in between his very busy play schedule; reading "Paw Patrol" numerous times to 3 year old Abbott,  as his special request; a non-verbal yearning in his eyes by 20 month Elliott to join us on the couch as we watched Greatest Showman (especially meaningful since he much prefers his Boppa!!)!; and rocking & singing to 14 month Aubrey, as she struggled to sleep in a new place.

I am once again reminded that this is Life... beautiful moments and laughter in the middle of noise, activity, meals, and conversation with imperfect people loving one another in the best way they know how.  I'll take it.












***Outdoor pictures courtesy of Melody; but no shots of she & Keith 😞