look for motorcycles!

Life is unpredictable……………plan on it!

I am married to a planner.  Make a plan,  be the plan and do the plan.   Yup, that is him.  I am sure it stems from his Marine Corps days.  You know, accomplish the mission and all that jazz.

So when I can get him to commit to a couple of days without an agenda…..  Well, ok, we kind of had an agenda.  We knew where we were staying the first night and I guess he  sort of planned out the rest of it but kept telling me that it was subject to change.   This is progress for my dear planner.

After work on Thursday we packed up the bike and   headed out-of-town.  Last year he got a big 5-0 birthday bash.  This year he got a couple of nights ‘out of Dodge’.

For his birthday dessert — Fried Cheesecake.  Some things just should not be fried.

Two and 1/2 days of rolling down the highway on two wheels.  The wind blowing in our face and the sun shining on our back!  Life is good!!   We would be traveling miles and miles on the winding river road.

Day 2 -Woke up to rain.  No big deal.  We weren’t in a hurry.  We opted to start out with our rain gear on.  It wasn’t long and we decided it was too warm for that.

What we needed was sunscreen.   It was a beautiful day.

We made it as far up as Onalaska, WI.

Yes, I do believe I was born to ride.  “Honey I’m loving this!”  was heard throughout the day.

We found a great place to eat.  Curt had smelt.  Eww, first fried cheesecake and now this.  I had chicken.  However, they have the best homemade bread there.

This picture doesn’t do it justice.  The sun was shining on the water in huge rays.  It was breathtaking.

Little did I know things were about to drastically change.  In my quiet time with God that morning I had struggled with some issues.  (You can read about that by clicking here.)

As we were coming down a steep hill  (you know the kind that they have a sign up for trucks to be aware of  the slope)  a van (on our right)  pulled out (turning left) in front of us.  Thank God Curt was watching him and realized that when he ‘glanced’ left he hadn’t seen us.

I felt the rear tire and thought for sure we were going to fish tale, hit the van, and/or be hit by the truck behind us.  (Curt told me later he would have put the bike down before hitting head on.  — Like that was comforting.)   None of that happened, which I know was the hand of God. It all seemed to happen in slow motion – just like the movies.  I think I could have slapped his van if I had wanted to. We were that close.

I know God protected us.   What I don’t understand is the way my body reacted the rest of the way home.  I found myself holding my breath on every downward slope.  Try as I may, I could not seem to stop from tensing up.    All the joy had been stripped away.  It was (and is still) devastating.  I don’t know that I will ever get on a bike again.  This makes me very sad.

“Dear Mr Van guy, You have no idea what your careless actions have caused.  You can and should thank God that today is just another day for you and that you don’t have to live the rest of your life with our blood on your hands.  Stop means stop!  And please next time really look!!  Motorcycles are out there.”

Life is unpredictable ……… I sure didn’t see that coming.

til next time

getting out of Dodge

Sometimes you just have to get out of Dodge.   This is true for many people.  It is especially true for ministers. It seems there is always something that needs attention or one more thing that needs to be done.

On Friday, I talked Curt into getting out of Dodge.  It didn’t take much convincing.  We had recently been discussing the lack of spontaneity in our life.  When you both work two jobs, there isn’t room for much spontaneity.

Here is the plan.  Yes, with my husband you still need to have some sort of a plan.

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride.

I would pick where we eat lunch and our first stopping place.  He would pick the next stopping place.  Then it would be my turn and so forth.

My pick for lunch was Taco Bell.   I love Taco Bell!!

Then it was off to the local zoo.

Last time we were there I couldn’t decide if I wanted to start a new collection.

I have fallen in love with the giraffes.

See my baby giraffe?

A new collection has been started.

Our living room now has a wild animal theme.  It works!!

Curt’s turn to pick.

His pick was this little ice cream parlor.   It is family owned and has been open everyday for the past 100 years.

The owner was a hoot!  His wife came in before we left and whispered to me that he was 90 years old and not ready to quit.

He makes the ice cream and candy.  It was wonderful.

I love fountain pop and this was the real deal.

From there I chose the Amana’s.

It was a bit of a drive but it was such a beautiful day for a bike ride.

As we were going down the highway at 70 mph,  the semi we were following blew a tire.  Scary!! This was a first for us.  It was loud!

Thankfully, Curt doesn’t follow real close and he was able to swerve around the tread.

Peace Park!

Just what I was looking for when I felt the need to get out of Dodge.

Walking around the Amana’s was a big help too.

The weather man was wrong again.  It wasn’t to rain until midnight.  The sky was changing.  Do we head for home or continue?

We decided to go ahead and eat supper with the hope that the storm would blow over.

Curt’s pick for supper was one of the local restaurants.  German food at its finest.

However, the rain didn’t blow over.

In fact it was a cold rain.  We were quite a ways from home.  It was a long drive.  Yet I wouldn’t trade the day for anything.  What’s a little rain?

til next time

one word ?

If you were to describe your life in one word – what would that be?

If you were to describe what you want your life to be in one word – what would that be?

Are they the same word?

Probably not.

I spent some time thinking about those first two questions while I was rolling down the highway on the back of our Yamaha this past week.  We put on over 1000 miles this trip.  There was plenty of time for contemplation.  (Didn’t get rained on this time – that almost never happens)

In answer to the first question — Hurry – would be the word to describe my life.  It seems I am always rushing around trying to beat the clock.

Even while on vacation I found myself hurrying.  We had less than an hour to spend at Como Zoo.   Have you been to Como Zoo lately?  It has changed in the last 20 years.

We ran out of time.

Sadly the conservatory must wait for another time.

Lions and tigers and bears – Oh my!  I could have spent hours there.

Lunch with Curt’s sister Diane and then off to see Chris and Galina.  There they are ahead of us on Chris’ motorcycle.  It was a great day for a ride.

However, even the time at the lake was rushed.

Trying to pack too much into too little of time equals rushing and hurry, hurry, hurry!!

The answer to question 2 -  that one word that I want to describe my life? Invigorating!!

Invigorate — fill with energy or life.

At the end of the day I want to look back and be able to say “I really filled this day with life.”  See, I know what that is like.  I have tasted that life.  That is the abundant life that God has for His kids.  Somewhere  along the way I confused a full schedule with a full life.  They are not one in the same.

This schedule change has been coming for quite some time now.  After all, as a leader, the example I set before people had better be the one that I am ok with them following.   No one should be so busy that  they want to toss their calendar into the garbage or resent the things that they feel ‘must’ get done.  That is not living an invigorating life.

There is nothing spiritual about having a monstrous to-do list.  Certainly having a calendar packed with activity does not indicate a life of godliness.  I just don’t see where Jesus was rushed.

So I have decided that no longer will hurry and rush be a major part of my life.  From now on if I don’t have enough margin to do it without rushing then I am just not going to do it.  Will it be easy?  Of course not — when is change easy?

til next time

heading down the highway

Last week Curt and I hopped on the bike and headed south.  We weren’t sure where exactly we would end up, how far south we would go,  or what the weather was going to do.  We just knew that we were going. 

We did have reservations for the last night - close to home.  (Thanks to our church family and the overnight accommodations for Pastor’s wife appreciation!!) 

Earlier in the month I didn’t think we were going to take this trip.  We had planned it for months but then we moved mom down to an assisted living place in town and it was iffy as to whether we were going.  Life was already way to full and then let’s just add mom to the mix.  Oh, I love having her close but it does come with a price.

 However, it became really apparent to me that a break was  needed.  Something is just wrong when the pastor’s wife/pastor wants to ‘slap’ somebody.  

I normally can tolerate an enormous amount of other people’s ‘junk’ – (misbehavior, pettiness, selfishness, rudeness, ugliness — you get my drift?)  Really it doesn’t wear on me like it does some (most) people.   I have been blessed with a gift from God that I don’t take for granted.  Grace and Mercy are normally quite evident in my dealings with others.  I really do care about the people who come across my path and I do want to help them.  When I realized that this was changing, I knew it was time to get away and regroup.  

In the past we have always headed north up the Great River Road.  This time we went south. 

The Mississippi was breathtaking.   It was/is the best therapy. 

Mile after mile of beauty. Even when the river wasn’t close, the scenery was still great.  Nothing like wide open spaces and sunshine.  Yes, we did get rained on too.  What’s a motorcycle trip without some rain??

 Lots of little towns along the way.  We tried to follow the Great River Road but ran into a few road blocks and it wasn’t always well-marked.  However, when you don’t have a destination, then it is all good. 

We went as far south as Hannibal MO.  We took time to explore the Mark Twain caves.  Not only was it wonderfully cool in there but it was well worth the time and money.

It does make me want to read the book again. 

We stopped at Sturgis  on the River.  All I can say is –Wow!  

While there I got invited to become a part of the Roller Derby.  What a crack up!  Me?? A roller derby babe. 

It is a particularly scary feeling to be on a motorcycle while the town’s weather sirens are going off.  This happened not once but twice to us on this trip.  Both times we almost made it without getting wet.  If it wouldn’t have been for those red lights……….

It was nothing for the day to start out beautiful, temperatures to reach 90′s and then rain to roll in.

Ah, but here is Curt waiting for me so that we can head home -  another gorgeous morning. 

Yes, I do think I was born to ride. 

til next time

first ride of the season

April 2nd found hubby washing the bike so that we could ‘venture’ out on my first ride of the season. 

It was wonderful.  It was like welcoming back a long lost friend.  Oh Yamaha Venture, how I have missed you.

Here I am heading down the highway with the wind in my face and nothing to do but sit back and enjoy!   God is good!   Life is good!   It is Spring and the Earth is coming alive all around me.

I am still surprised at how much better the bike rides after our breakdown last year.  (click here to read about it)  Bumps?  What bumps? 

The Mississippi looked pretty cold.  There was quite a wind blowing also.  I was grateful to not be on our old 750.  I do not like leaning into the wind.

We stopped to eat at  a new restaurant.  There were these two elderly ladies who were waitressing.  Now they knew how to hustle, be pleasant  and take care of their stations.  We will be back. 

The food was great!  I had some of the best shrimp I have had in a long time.  The strawberry pie was homemade and delicious.  

Next on to all those shops.

The weather man said we could get rain but not until later tonight.  However, he was wrong.   As we came out of one of the shops, we felt raindrops.   Uh oh, no more shopping.   

We almost made it home without getting wet.  We ran into rain the last 20 minutes of the trip.  Where were my rain pants?  In the side compartment.   It was mighty cold.  Ah, but I’d do it again in a minute.  Hmm, tomorrow??

til next time

10 things — motorcycle lessons

Lesson 1:  Heading out — Start today — Enjoy this day – it is the beginning of a new journey.  Notice the beauty around you.  Live life to the fullest.

 

Lesson 2:  Some hills are steep, some not so much. Sometimes the road is straight — Enjoy it!  When you can’t see what’s around the bend, remind yourself that God is still God.  Trust Him!

 

Lesson 3:  Sometimes life has you up against a wall.  Remember that ‘This too shall pass’. 

 

Lesson 4:  Don’t wait until you are running on empty.  Take time to refuel — life is better when there is a balance between work and play.

Lesson 5:  Sometimes in life an overhaul is needed.  Don’t put it off — that only makes the cost higher.

Lesson 6:  Sometimes you are out in front and other times you aren’t.    Be an example that is worth following   and be supportive of those who, at other times, lead.

Lesson 7:  Road construction and detours are all a  part of driving down the highway.  It is the same in life.  How you handle it says a lot about your character.  Smile, relax and take a deep breath.  It sure beats getting all stressed.

Lesson 8:  When you are at a crossroads, weigh the options carefully.  Sometimes the consequences are  irreversible.  Ah, but life is filled with opportunities — make the most of them.

Lesson 9:  When life throws up a stop sign — or something happens that brings you to a halt — look around you – you are not alone.  “A friend loves at all times.”  Prov 17:17

Lesson 10:  Time won’t stop so you can figure things out or so you can get all your ducks in a row.  Sit in the front row of your life.  Live life!  Be grateful for those around you that are in this journey with you. 

til next time

not what i expected part 2

Kind of feeling like Paul Harvey about now  —–  and now for the rest of the story….  unlike radio though, if you missed the first part you can check it out   (not what i expected part one)

Choices – do we continue?  Do we call the tow truck?  Do we have friends come get us?   It is a beautiful day.  There is lots of riding to be done yet. 

We were back on the road again after finding a place to take a closer look and a few phone calls to a friend.  Praise God for the hospitality of strangers.  Worse case scenario – we would ruin our shock.   There is the possibility that it may already be ruined. 

What neither Curt nor his friend knew was that the modifications done by a previous owner  meant that there was no longer a safety to the rear shock.  

We are going down the highway at 65 when we hit a huge bump that sent Curt and I off the seat of the bike.  After we came down there was a very distinctive change in the sound of the bike.  Curt figured it could be  the highway (it can do that).  When it continued though, he figured we must have jarred something loose. 

We continue going down the highway at 65 until we get to our exit to get back on the River Road.  It is then that I notice something is not quite right.  There really is no wiggle room when you are tooling down the highway.  I tell Curt that he needs to pull over. 

“We are two miles from Galena can you make it that far?” he asks.

Um well I suppose, um no no you need to stop now!!!!

He pulls over and I hop off.  Black smoke is coming up from the seat.  It is then that I realize my rear is very very hot. 

He looks at the tire and gives me the news I don’t want to hear.

“We are done.  This bike isn’t going anywhere.  There are pieces missing from the tire.  The tire has been rubbing on the rim.”  — the sound that we couldn’t figure out

This was not how  I saw this trip ending.  This was not what I expected. 

Yet we are within walking distance of a place to wash up, get something to drink and wait for the tow truck in the wonderful air conditioning.  

The final leg of the journey from inside a tow truck was not how I envisioned our trip.  Yet it didn’t seem to really matter.  The realization that this could have played out so differently made even all the waiting not a big deal.

It was not what I expected.  It was so much more.  It was another reminder that life is precious. 

Try hard not to take things for granted. 

Enjoy the journey even the bumps that are along the way. 

p.s.  Curt took the bike back to the dealer who sold it to us a year ago.  He has offered to split the cost with us.  Not only will they do the repairs but they will reverse the modification so that this won’t happen again.  In addition, the guy told Curt just today that he also noticed the brake line needed some work and a few other things that he was just going to take care of with no additional cost to us.  Thank you God for favor!!  From what I am told this is nothing short of a miracle.  God is good!!  Not what I expected but so much more!

til next time

not what i expected

Expecting too much or not expecting anything – neither one is a good idea. 

I’d like to think that I have the expectation thing pretty much at a livable level.  That is until I have the rug pulled out from under me.  Ah, but that is another story.

I think that how one handles disappointment says at lot about that person. 

Our 23rd anniversary was coming up.  We decided to take the cycle and leave after work on Thursday.  We would be home sometime Saturday.

We decided to do another ‘Great River Road’ trip.  The weather was picture perfect – beyond my expectations.  With each bend in the road came another great view.  Everything was so green and alive.  

I love riding along the river.  It is breath taking.  As I mentioned the weather was wonderful. 

We drove further up Wisconsin this year than last year.   We crossed over into Minnesota at Winona. 

Yes, this trip was going great!  We even crossed a bridge that has the holes so I could see the water below.  That was a bit freaky. I didn’t get a picture of that one.  I was too busy trying to stay calm. 

On Friday night we had hoped to stay at the same motel that we stayed at last year.  However, they were full.

It was really a blessing in disguise.  If we would have stayed at the desired destination we would have missed this beautiful sunset over the river.  It was amazing.  Truly it was one of those ‘riding off into the sunset’ moments.

We went back over the river and spent the night at Prairie Du Chen.

  Saturday we  stopped for lunch at Ball town.  The oldest restaurant in Iowa is in this little tiny town.  This is the second  time they have rebuilt the restaurant in the last few years.   As you can see it is a huge biker attraction. 

It also has a great view.  Last year the clouds were dark and stormy.  Once again picture perfect weather. 

It was here that we noticed that we must have a leak somewhere.  I was getting black stuff on my legs.  This was not part of the plan.

Now what?     to be continued………..

til next time

fun packed weekend

Just how much fun can one person have in one short weekend? 

What does a pontoon ride, eagle’s nest, sunset, camping, friends,  farkle,  rain, more rain, broken hatch, shopping – new purse, gift of daisies and 2 night stay at an area lodge, motorcycle ride, artist in the park, barge going through the lock and dam, ice cream , strolling along the Mississippi, and the Great River Road have in common?

They were all a part of this past weekend.

Curt decided that since we were going to have to open up the camper to transfer all the ‘stuff’ that we might as well take it on one last camping trip.

I went on my first local pontoon ride.  Even though I have an irrational free of boats, the pontoon was great.  When the guide introduced himself, he said that he would be our ‘skipper’.  Well, one of my friends thought he said ‘stripper’ and was quite concerned as to just what type of boat this was.  Laughter is real good medicine.

It was the start of a great weekend.

      

While camping, we had quite a few friends stop out.  One of the benefits to camping locally is that people can come out and join in the fun.  I’ve been told it is the best way to camp.  You get the enjoyment of the camp fire, the yummy food (mmmm smores),  good times and then get to go home and sleep in your own bed. 

I learned a new game.  Farkle is a dice game.  Really it is a game of chance.  It started to sprinkle as we were playing.  We kept on playing.  I love a gentle rain.

It continued to rain most of the night.  Our camper didn’t leak (praise God).  The sound of the rain was soothing.  The late night walk to the bathroom was kind of like a moonlight stroll with a gentle rain –oh so romantic.  Well, ok it wasn’t quite that, but it was an adventure.

Time to leave and our hatch is broken.  Where are the trailer lights?  They are inside the van, of course.  Just a bit of a problem.  Another advantage to camping close is that we could load up and  then head home to get the car to bring the camper home.  

The fun filled weekend has not come to an end.  We then picked up Andrew and headed out to supper.  Andrew is truly enjoying his new job.  No more working weekend nights.  

Then I did ‘force’ them to go to Kohl’s.  I had a 30 % off coupon and that just doesn’t hardly ever happen.  It was a success.  I found a purse that had my name written all over it.

Sunday found me leading worship (both services) , teaching the adult class, and pitch hitting for children’s church.  In the midst of all of that the church honored me with a two nights stay at a local lodge for Pastor’s Wife appreciation.  Now that is the way I like to camp!  (Also got a beautiful plant — daisies of course!)  What a wonderful surprise.

Ah, but the day is not over.  We took our first road trip of the season on the cycle.  Andrew was able to join us.  What a beautiful day to be on a bike.  Lots of people had the same idea.  Bikers everywhere.

We headed to this quaint little town along the Mississippi.  We took a stroll down the main street.  We visited with an artist while he was painting.  A barge was making its way through the dam.  We stopped for ice cream at the local ice cream parlor.  It was like a step back in time.     

            

Just how much fun can a person cram into a weekend?  It was great!!  Now if I can just remember that when I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. 

til next time

back to nature

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day.  We jumped on the bike and headed to a local hiking area – you know the one I blogged about that was practically in my own backyard.  The difference this time was that it wasn’t raining.  The drawback with the nice weather was that there were a bunch of people. The parking lot was full.  I kind of like it just Curt and I and nature. 

I have spent way too much time at the Dr. office this week.  When it is all said and done I may blog about some of it.  Anyway, I think that may have contributed to the increase in pleasure that I found getting back to nature.  The fresh air, the noises of small critters scampering away, the leaves beginning to turn color, and since it wasn’t raining we could venture off the beaten path.  I did ask Curt on more than one occasion, “No poison ivy, right?”

It seems there is always work to be done.  There is always one more thing that needs attention, one more phone call, one more letter to write, one more load of laundry, the list goes on……  Heading back to nature for awhile was well worth the time and energy that was spent.  Time kind of stands still in the woods.

                                                

                                              

til next time