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Another RV trip complete

GeorgeLesley

Entry posted by GeorgeLesley

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The rv trip I had mentioned to Texas is now complete. All in all a good trip. Mum handled it well but it is likely her last trip in the motorhome. She had an increasingly  Hard time moving about and her interest level seemed less than before. So Lesley and I have decided that we will just take shorter trips from now on and leave mum with a local caregiver she has become good friends with.

 

The trip was about 2500 miles altogether and we got to see some friends in Louisiana for a few days on the way home. Several minor things broke on the motorhome but all were fixed while still on the road. We stopped in a small town called Red Bay, Alabama on the way back and had most everything that needed fixing fixed. It is the town where Tiffin motorhomes are made. Ours is not that brand, but the local shops can fix almost anything on any brand. We went to a mostly German area of Texas called Fredericksburg and spent New Years there with some other RV friends. Saw a great WWII museum there and got to wear our German outfits. Lesley her Drindle dress and me my Lederhosen and suspenders.

 

we took our musical instruments along and practiced and played some. Practice was hard because as soon as I started practicing some people would hear it and show up at the RV and expect me to play songs. At this stage my practice is mostly doing small exercises and not complete songs, so is not easy on the ears! We did however both take our lap harps and show them to our friends in Louisiana. Soon both were playing them with the “cheat sheets” we have for the harps and a good time was had by all.

 

now we are back home I am seriously practicing again and learning more all the time and enjoying myself immensely. I can only play a few songs fairly well at the moment, but getting better day by day. I am learning to use my left hand (stroke side) a bit more, but it will never be able to play an instrument normally but I can do enough with it to play the Mountain Dulcimer ok. The main thing is that I am having a ball doing it, no matter how it sounds.

 

Now that we are home again I am forcing myself to exercise again. Not my favorite thing to do but I do enjoy the benefits of being able to do things I enjoy. 

 

Next month Lesley and I are going to Hawaii for a week, and that will complete all 50 states for me. Lesley completed her 50th state when we went to Alaska a few years ago. Other than Hawaii  We don not have any major trips planned this year, but will likely go to a music festival   Or two along the way.

 

enough for now, just a word of sorrow for Sue’s great country fighting massive fires. Best wishes, prayers with you all.

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swilkinson

Thanks George, the bushfires have taken a huge toll here but people will rally round and help where they can. Your trip sounds wonderful and yes as soon as we get back home it is back to our old routine again. Hawaii is the only American state I have been in and that thanks to Sarah Rademacher who I met on here. We used to say when we were both caregivers: "One day in Hawaii" to remind each other there was a future still and so a few years after Ray died we had our week together there. Sarah is still a caregiver.

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Willis

Good read George. Haven't done any mobil home traveling but they sound like they could be fun and give someone most of the comforts of home while still traveling. I often pass what must be the largest manufacturing area for these types of things in the country. We travel to my daughter's in Indiana from Michigan and use I-80 to get there. There are miles and miles of all kinds of trailers, motorhomes, pontoon boats manufactures and such. Especially around the Elkhart area. The R V Hall of Fame is there but the one time we tried to visit it was closed. We'll be back. I want to thank you for your statement about exercising. It is an on going battle to do but as you said allows us to continue to do the things we like to do. I need to memorize that one.

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GeorgeLesley

Willis, I grew up in the Elkhart, IND area. 50% of all RV’s in the USA are made in Elkhart county. We have been to the RV Hall of Fame. Neat place.

 

thanks for the kind words about exercising. I really have to force myself to do it some days, but in the end it is worth it.

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Willis

Yes it is worth it. I notice age is beginning to work against me more as I near 70. With my wife's help I took apart my schwinn recumbent bike upstairs and will get one of my neighbors to bring the 2 pieces downstairs to the front porch and we will set it up next to the picture window. Hoping if I don't have to walk up stairs to use I will get on it more. I have in the past and as hard as it is it makes a big, big difference. My daughter gave us a nice little tour of Elkhart this past fall. Very nice. The local businesses are very involved in the community.

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alansd

jealous of your playing, the most I can do is hold a guitar on my lap, and hope.It was su h a large part of my life its weird for me.

I try everything I can to activate the left hand extensors, but have made little progress.I cant accept never playing again.We too did a lot of RV travel.motorhome first, carrying tools for the inevitable, then 3 Airstream trailers in a row over 12 years.All older and needing redo before use.

I rnjoyed them but after stroke it became too much to handle.Id love to get a VW rialta, but not at this time....its a goal though.

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GeorgeLesley
8 minutes ago, alansd said:

jealous of your playing, the most I can do is hold a guitar on my lap, and hope.It was su h a large part of my life its weird for me.

I try everything I can to activate the left hand extensors, but have made little progress.I cant accept never playing again.We too did a lot of RV travel.motorhome first, carrying tools for the inevitable, then 3 Airstream trailers in a row over 12 years.All older and needing redo before use.

I rnjoyed them but after stroke it became too much to handle.Id love to get a VW rialta, but not at this time....its a goal though.

I would suggest you consider a mountain dulcimer like I play. One of the main reasons I chose it is because it only has three strings and the melody string which is played with the left hand only uses one finger to slide up and down the fret board. No chording needed! Many players now do chord with it but the original dulcimers were not built with a fret under all the strings, only the melody string. I play mine that way and do not attempt any chording,

 

dulcimers usually come with two melody strings to increase volume, but many (like me) take one melody string off, much easier to tune. it also is played by putting it in your lap. Strumming or picking with the right hand is easy and is done the normal way.

 

another option would be a lap harp which I also have now, it is played with a pick in one hand only.

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