'Tis the season of travel. Lesley took the new car to Illinois (600 miles one way) to visit an old friend for a week. Yesterday she took off on a bus full of Girl Scouts to a 100 year celebration of Girl Scouting in the USA. They are all headed to Savannah, Georgia, a week long trip. The day after she gets back we are headed out in our motorhome to Indiana to my uncle's 90th birthday party, (my recently deceased dad's last remaining brother) then to Texas to visit a longtime friend of mine, after that to parts unknown. Back home in Minnesota maybe around the 20th of April. Lesley will have to do some of the driving since my focus and endurance are not what they used to be. Fortunately it is a small Motorhome, more of a van actually, so it gets good mileage and driving it is easy.

While she was gone to Illinois, I finished off a closet china cabinet she has wanted for years. She was most amazed when she got home. I must confess, it was a real challenge for me, required intense focus. What would have taken me a day or two took a week! Finish work is not my strong suit. Cutting the opening in the door for the glass window was one of the more scary things I have done recently! Not perfect, but she is happy so I am too. I have noticed that when you do one thing on the "honey do" list, the list does not get shorter, something new just shows up at the end.

After Lesley got her new car (Honda CR-V), she INSISTED I get a new Honda Ridgeline truck. She knows I have always wanted one, saw me eyeballing it at the dealership, and for the next few weeks kept telling me "hey, you're 66, already had a stroke, just what are you saving money for? Get the truck!" So now we have two new Honda's in our garage. They seem to be breeding! I must confess I love it. Since my stroke opening car doors has be a challenge with my weak left arm. The design of the truck door handle makes entry and exit much easier than anything I have had before. Most importantly it will have no trouble carrying my canoe or pulling my boat!

In June I am going on a week long camping/canoe trip with a group that pays for the expenses of a veteran to go into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. All expenses paid! Why not! I told them I have had a stroke, but can keep up with them, just give me a bit of time. Then, in July, Lesley and I are going alone, just the two of us on another camping/canoe trip into the same area for a week, but this time along the US/Canadian border. We are taking a satellite phone just for medical emergencies. It will be a short trip, only about 35 miles of paddling and several short portages (the land between lakes you carry your gear and walk on). We could do it in a few days, but plan to take a week, just so we don't overdo it and have plenty of time for fishing. Then, Lesley is off to New Zealand in late August for a month, her mother turns 90 in September, so she is going to be with her and throw a party for her. I will stay home with the dogs. I went last year, and it is long flight. It took me several days to get over the travel. In between all of this, tending to a garden, fishing, and the usual summertime chores. Then next winter will be upon us before we know it. My project for then is to put all of our music CD's on an Ipod if this old brain can figure out how. The following summer (2013) we are planning a 2-3 month trip in the motorhome into western Canada and Alaska. After that who knows, but with Lesley around I'm sure something will come up. Lesley has just started drawing her social security, and is putting all of it into a travel fund, making all of this travel possible.

Sooooo, a busy spring/summer but just thankful we still can do these things, knowing the day is coming when we won't be able to.

My coffee cup is empty, you know what that means.....