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

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

just another day

What do all of these things have in common?

Venom spewed from an angry man while working the front desk at work  (Yet another reason why I like working in my office in the basement)  :{

Rushing, rushing, rushing :{

Pontoon ride with friends :}

Beautiful sunset :}

Camping at my favorite spot  :}

Tired, so tired  :{

Trip to the ER  – all is well  (sorta)  :{

Back to the camper - too tired for a campfire :{

Bathroom floor soggy :{

Crawl space sleeping :{

The sound of a gentle rain on the camper roof  :}

The sound of dripping  :{

The sound of  a dripping ‘duet’ :{

Uh oh a trio is starting to ‘sing’  :{

Not to be left out, the 4th drip joins in making it a ‘quartet’  :{

Gas has leaked out of the tank – no breakfast indoors :{

Downpour  outside – no campfire breakfast :{

The common thread is that it all happened in less than a day. 

Some days there are just more :{ than there are :}

I guess I love the idea of camping.  Home away from home with a peaceful stream outside my door.  Away from the mountain of things needing my attention.  I was really looking for a diversion from the latest news about mom.  A couple days sitting by the water with my honey, my fishing pole, a good book, and nothing on the agenda — yes that sounded wonderful.

However, things don’t always go as planned.

Did you know that water can bounce over eight inches up in the air and travel a good foot?  I didn’t, but I know it can now.    I couldn’t find a container deep enough to keep the drips from splattering.

We’re done.  So we pack up early and head for home.  :{ 

This was not the plan we had for this RV.  It was meant to be a blessing.  The lady who bought it was told it needed a tune up, tires, and a battery.    That is the problem that comes with repairing things.   You spend the money to fix what you think is the problem.  This then reveals another problem and so forth.   At what point do you say enough?  The more money you invest the more you don’t want to quit and eat your losses. 

I am following Curt home when I see tire tread go flying through the air.  Sure enough the right front tire tread has ripped clean off.  Yet, there is still air in the tire.  We are 3 -5 miles from home.  Do we call the tow truck?  Do we try to drive it home?  Neither one of us wants to wait for the tow truck.  It’s been a gruelling day.  We are going to try it.  We do manage to get the RV back home.  :}

I have now got Curt talked into getting a fire pit for the backyard.  That will be my home away from home.  Sure there isn’t any peaceful river flowing nearby but …….

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

living life on the fast track

So sometimes it seems like life is similar to a snow ball that starts at the top of a great big hill and then begins to journey downward.  It gains speed and gets bigger as it rolls downward.  The bigger it gets, there just seems to be no stopping it. 

Vacations are a great way to put the brakes on that giant tangled snowball.

Ah, but making it until vacation can be tough.

Then there is the anticipation  that can derail a perfectly good vacation.  Did you know that one’s  expectation can easily reach beyond the scoop of reality.   For that matter just the reduction of stress can cause a whole host of new problems. 

However, long about the end of January I began talking with Curt about getting away.  Between the whole menopausal issues and just plain too stinking busy I wanted a get a way. 

Oh I got one – Curt’s father died and we spent a week a way.  Be careful what you say.  I wanted a break not a stress induced coma!  Praise God that He is there to help. (I did some blogging on that – check it out by clicking here)

Two weeks ago (one weekend before vacation) we find ourselves headed to a little blip in northern MN for the burial of Curt’s dad’s ashes.  The cemetery is connected with the church (which is literally in the middle of nowhere) and they don’t do digging in the winter – thus  the trip in the summer. 

It was truly beautiful country.  We certainly saw a lot of it.  We were in the van for 25 hours in less than a 72 hour time frame.  There were times that we really really wanted to be done driving.

We packed as much as possible in what few hours we weren’t riding in the van.  Friday night we had supper with Chris, Galina,  my sister, her family, and  my mom.

         

The high light was getting to spend Friday night at Chris’ apartment.  We picked up a  movie at Red box.  I promptly fell asleep.  It was just like home.  I loved it.   Here is Chris and Galina in his apartment.

              

Curt and I had a few short moments to take in the beauty of the northern woods.  Curt did the grave site service.  I am so very proud of him.

We all took a trip to the old home place.  It was really neat to traipse around – that is until Kristen found a tick on me.  Yup I was so done   What was I thinking?  The grass was knee high and perfect for ticks.  Found another one on my leg as we were leaving.  Oh I hate ticks!

Here is Grandma and grand kids in front of the farmstead.

        

On the return trip home we picked up Galina and had lunch at Ruby Tuesdays with her family.  The first of many lunches I am sure

It was a very full weekend!

Then it was work one more week during the day and go hither thither and yon each evening.   Our life as a ministry family has certainly never been boring. 

At last it was vacation time.  More on that week later – I’ll just say for now that it was great!! 

We got home from vacation on Saturday and as all Pastor families know – Sunday is the busiest day of the week.  I do think that next year I will try to not plan the church picnic on the Sunday we get back.    Although it was a very relaxing time.  It’s just that I am not unpacked nor ready for work tomorrow.  Life rolls on……

life on the fast track — have to remind myself that life is really about the journey 

til next time

r v having fun yet?

r v having fun yet?  This was the line sent with a picture of our RV being towed with Brent’s van.   Curt had just picked it up from the shop.  I wish that I could get the picture to download from my phone.    It is somewhere in cyber space.

 Last night, for the first time, Curt drove the RV around the loop and didn’t find himself and Brent stranded.  They wanted Sue and I to go with them.  Brent was confident that there would be no problem. 

We had heard that line before – actually many times.  My favorite story so far – is when the three of them (Curt, Brent, and Brian) thought that they had fixed the problems and were going to take it on another test run.  I should mention here that every previous run had ended in being towed or stranded for a bit. 

Sure enough, I get a call from Curt -the RV has stalled.  The problem?  They were all three in it and no one had thought to follow in a dependable car.  When I asked why no one followed in the car??  The response given was that they all wanted to ride in the RV.  Hmmm, just like a kid?  We still laugh about that.  Ok so maybe I still laugh about that. 

This time Sue and I follow in the car.  This time there is no problem.  This time we celebrated with ice cream.

r v having fun yet?  One thing I can say for sure about this RV is that it now has a long history and we haven’t even taken it camping yet.

til next time

crossroads

Crossroads — When I come to a crossroad a decision must be made — left, right, or straight ahead.

Grace — God’s help to enable me to do with ease what He has called me to do. 

Frustration — comes when I am trying to once again take control of one or more areas of my life.  This is only magnified when I think about how unfair some things are.  I remind myself again of the value of the serenity prayer.  Which takes me right to another crossroad.

Do I speak up when flippant remarks are made?   Do I do what I can to right wrongs?  If I can’t do anything about it, do I let it steal my joy?  How is my silence interpreted?  Then there is the whole wages issue?  What do I do with that?   Sometimes it really is more information than I want.

The life of a Christian is certainly an adventure.   I am grateful that I am not traveling solo.  When God closes a door, He does open a window. 

Crossroads  –  a decision must be made.  I can’t sit here forever.  Or can I?

til next time