Confessions and Disclosure

I just returned from the most amazing "vacation" ever. Better than the beach, the mountains, or anywhere you go that has a lot of sites to visit and places to eat and hundreds of things to do and see.

Hubby and I took the Hornet and parked it down at the KM State Park Campground for the past week. Now, I know this probably doesn't sound very exciting to most (remember you either love camping or you don't) but it was totally WONDERFUL....No phone, no boat, no motorcar (well, i did have my car) not a single luxury (I did have a microwave, 26" flat screen, indoor plumbing and my cellphone). This allowed hubby to go to work and we were close enough to get to church on Sunday. And with the anticipated birth of my second little angel, we didn't want to be too far away but we needed a break from the summer stress. Yes, summer stress. I think we teachers try so very hard to pack so much into our summer, that we become overworked. Now, this is not say that I don't love summer vacation from school. I DO!!!!!! It's just that we seem to work our hineys off and go, go , go.

I found a wonderful two mile path for walking. I made sure I tackled lots of hills. Since I am determined to participate in the run this year (I'll probably be walking) I try to do a lot of hills at home and didn't want to slack of this week. I did have a few concerns about my path. Are there bears in the state park? What about Big Foot? A serial killer on the loose? That wolf hubby swears he saw one night? Rattle snakes? Oh well.....

Over the past several years, I have been keeping a journal of our camping adventures. I just write down things about the particular trip, where we go, who goes with us, what we do, those types of things. In my journal this weeks, I did this but I also made a list of words that provoked various thoughts. Here are a few of those words followed by a few explanations: vicious squirrels, tomato pie, apples, sewage, rainbows, rocks, quiet, wolves, retired people and thunderstorms...

Squirrels hate people as much as people hate them and they will attack you. I found this out one morning while walking my discovered two mile path around the campground. I wasn't anywhere near Mr. Vicious when he ran out of the woods and directly into my right leg. I had heard him and seen him working away diligently at some task, but I didn't bother him. Scared me to death. It took me an hour to get my heart rate back to normal.

I cooked all our meals while away. Well, the evening meal, that is. I had come home one day to water my flowers and such and had gathered tomatoes and decided that I would make a tomato pie back at the retreat. Every year I make tomato pies. And every year I hate them. I love tomatoes, I love mayo, and I love cheese. So, why do I not like tomato pie? I try to like them. Must be the crust..I don't know.

One afternoon while walking, I noticed a shiny red apple abandoned on a picnic table. No, I didn't take it. I didn't even want to. But I kept thinking about that apple as I continued my walk. It was so perfect and so undisturbed. Just sitting there. I decided that apples must be the most beautiful and amazing fruit ever. Richard Gere said in a movie once(I'm not really a big Richard Gere fan, ok, maybe I am) "Food is the only art that truly nourishes". I must agree that food is artistic. Either naturally or they way it is presented. I love pretty food. Tomato pies aren't that pretty.....

Another word I wrote down was rainbow. I drove through a rainbow....Actually it seemed that the end of three different rainbows touched down together right in my path. It was awe inspiring. What did that mean? Hmmm. Still thinking about that one...

Miss Priss spent the night with us the first of the week. Now, that little angel loves everything and she makes everything seem perfect. For example, thunderstorms. We actually sat outside during a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon. Rainwater poured off the end of the camper awning and I decided that that was too good to waste, so I ran inside grabbed two towels and the shampoo and conditioner and guess what Miss Priss and I did? We washed our hair in the rain. She loved it!!!! No, we didn't get struck by lightning.....

It really was an amazing week. Hubby left around 7:00 every morning. So I read a lot and walked a lot and watched movies and actually slept till 10:00 one day. Don't judge me....There was nothing to wake me up!! Absolutely nothing..I did here a helicopter one morning and ran outside to see it just above me. It seemed so out of place out there in my quiet world..

There are few places in the world where we can experience quiet..And this week I found one....."Be still and now I am God" Psalms 46:10.....