The Old Saying....

..."One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure"...well that applies to some of the things you may find at Northwest RV Supply in Eugene, Oregon.
We went in search of a "steering wheel table top"...you know, something to put on top of the steering wheel so you have like a little "end table" setting. Some of those other places will sell you a plastic or compressed wood product for a little over $50. I have a hard time paying that type of money for "a piece of junk furniture" ...so we ended up at Northwest RV Supply which is located off of Exit 189 of Interstate-5 in Eugene, Oregon.
This is a place that you have to go in with a very open mind. You cannot go in looking for only one specific item-and view the things you see as only what they were meant to be.
A great example of this is this piece of Corian® counter top. The Corian® piece shown here actually matches our Corian® in our Diplomat motorhome - except for the edge...as seen in the second photo. The
great thing about this piece is that it has a curved edge with a lip on it...which fits perfectly over the large steering wheel that is in our rig.
I was able to take it and place it on top of the steering wheel. I then put a tablecloth over the piece of Corian® and I now have a very cozy looking table that holds a small lamp. The lamp is set up to come on automatically at night. We now don't have to walk into a dark RV at night!
I can also tell you that you will have fun dealing with Joe Cioli, the owner of Northwest RV Supply. You can tell he enjoys doing what he does as much as he enjoys dealing with his customers. They will try and help you find what you are looking for...along with ordering some new items that he has access to...all at a very reasonable price. This is one of those fun places that if you own an RV and are in the area...you should stop just to wander through. you may not think you need something...until you walk down an aisle and see it. You can still call them even if you aren't in the area. They ship all over the US and Canada and they have a toll free phone number...so bookmark their web page and keep it handy...you never know what you might need!

WOW...Where has the Time Gone...

I cannot believe it has been over a month since my last update! (Yikes!!...and my apologies to Kev for giving him "shit" for his long absences)

So many things to talk about that mean very little to most of you..but that may mean a lot to others...so instead...I will just touch on a few minor things!

I still love where I work...although they do have a few changes to make in order for the dealership to work at it's optimum. The GM is young but knowledgeable...and I trust he will find the best way to handle the changes that need to be made.

I still love the RV Park where I am staying! The staff is friendly...the 'monthly residents' are friendly and although we keep to ourselves..we all look out for each other...even though there seems to be no reason to!

I still miss the group of people I worked with out in Woodland, Ca. (sorry guys...but I am not going to give you free advertisement!) Paul, Eddie, Robbie, Russ, Art, Steve, Stephen...I can go on and on with the sales staff...not to mention, Monica, Christina, Lupe, Sal, Patrick, Nick, Bobby, Mike, Bill and some others in the office, parts and service departments...

I can tell you that I am still in love...Oregon...my dogs...and of course...my man (ok..I don't own him..but I like to think he could be mine!)...but as you can tell..this has a theme of some of the things I love...but this obviously I have not listed everything...so maybe you could be part of something I love...What do you think??

...Hmmmm...What to Say...

...other than I had no idea that my "reputation" precedes me! I have been making calls to some of the lending institutions I will be dealing will now that I am in Oregon. Some of the comments I have gotten from people have been things like ...
"oh..I just came back from a **** luncheon where they talked about you...and I was so excited to have a message from you when I got back!" OR " yes...I was at ***dealership and they said that you were at Wentworth...I am so excited to have you here!" and something like ..."I have never had so much fun on a dealership call!"
...and then there is the "Happy Happy Dance" that I am trying to teach my "new guys"... I actually called one of my "old guys" (Thanks Stephen!) to describe the "Happy Happy Dance" ... believe it or not... I had two of my Oregonian guys following the directions coming from the voice on the speakerphone!! All of us were smiling AND I know the guys - although possibly embarrassed - did it ..and had HUGE smiles... which is what brings me to my point....LIFE...we may not feel like smiling all the time - but when we do - we feel better and others around us feel better ...so today and tomorrow - if you do nothing else - please make someone who is not smiling -SMILE ... they will feel better...and so will YOU!!

Nature & Beauty at It's Best...

Sometimes we just forget to look around us to see the simple beauty of nature and the things that have been created. I have had a chance to see some things that many people may never had a chance to see...and I would like to share a few of these things with you...

This bronze ball was in the middle of the Vatican Courtyard in Italy. We never found out what it was...

We snapped this shot as we left the port of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

This was a very quick "on the run" shot of this pot in a courtyard of a church in Malaga, Spain...
You will be able to see more photos if you take a look at this site ...to finish off this post...There you will also see a photo of a simple sunset taken in Sacramento, Ca...so always look for the beauty of things...simple things...no matter where you may be!

...New Places...New Faces...

I will admit, I have been a little slow updating my blog...and I do apologize to all...but who can blame me when you can enjoy views and scenery like this instead!

Yes....I am working...and at a great dealership in a larger market than I thought I would be in!

My new place of employment is Wentworth Buick Pontiac GMC! This dealership also has Medium Duty GMC rigs too...which may be good for some of my "iRV2 Family"!

I will go more into the Wentworth family business at a later time...but for now...I will say...I am excited to be settling down into my new position, at a new place...and with many new faces!!

Life Changing?

Maybe...maybe not...Ok, so things are never as they seem to be. Yes, today should have been my first day on the job at the new dealership...but life does not play out like you think it may. The person I should have been replacing actually had an unknown medical condition.He had surgery and seems to be back to 'normal' so...here I am somewhere in Oregon...without a job...but I am not discouraged. I do have a couple of things lined up that I am working on and I will keep everyone posted...
Just remember...You never know what may happen...You may think you have a plan -
you may do something in an innocent manner - that ends up someplace you never imagined...but do remember things may never be as they seem to be...hmmmm...life...just live it as best you can...right or wrong...LIVE IT...as best you can!

By the way...even though my husband may be with me at anytime ...he has asked that I not let everyone know where I am...so I can tell you that I will NOT be updating my location in a timely fashion..and starting now...I will be showing you where I was...not necessarily where I am!

Life is Good...Over all...

Yes...that fork I came back to and changed directions on looks like a beautiful sunrise ahead...

...I do have the position I came up and applied for here in Oregon .(okay...there is the minor detail of pay plan...but I am not worried about that..this is a company with integrity) I feel very good with the way everything has progressed and with the people I have met!

In the meantime - Ron & I are enjoying some time together in the motor home (with the two dogs - of course!). We will be heading up to Salem so I can enjoy my first larger rally with nearly 500 rigs...all of them being from the Monaco manufactured family. (Many of you know how much Ron hates crowds - so this is a big sacrifice on his part - just so I can get the feel for one of these things!)

I can tell you that I am looking forward to getting back to work at what I love doing...but I could get very used to just lounging around in the coach and not really having to leave if I didn't want to!!

photo by R. Davis

The Fork in the Road...

Some times in our lives we find a “fork in the road” that we must decide which road to take. You may take the wrong road…but the real secret is to learn early down that journey if you have taken the wrong road and if you have…to have the courage to turn back and try another road.

I have found that I may have taken that wrong road. Luckily I have decided that this is the wrong road early while on this journey. I have decided to turn around and take one of the other roads at that fork.

I will be leaving my job by the end of this week and taking a major leap of faith on my own abilities and salesmanship of myself. You see, I have no job lined up AND I will be trying to get that job in not only a different area – but a different state!

You see, twelve years ago we bought a piece of property in Oregon with plans of moving there in 5 years. Obviously, that did not happen – due to a major automobile accident. Well, my dear husband saw how unhappy I was in my current situation and told me maybe now was the time for me to go to Oregon and start working there while he would stay here to complete the items on our home that needs to be done before we put it on the market.

A week from today we will be heading to Oregon with the motor home. I have tentatively set up a job interview for the following day. The job opening will actually not be vacant before October 1 - if it is available at all…but we are okay with that because we will attend the Monaco RV rally while in Oregon.

I am quite excited about finally moving to Oregon – but saddened that I will not have my husband or my two Min Pins with me every day…although they will be up often!

Wish me luck as I head down this new road!

All Photos Taken & Owned by MonacoMama
***LLW -Please call me if you read this!***

Genealogy on the Road...

...this is one of my big dreams! How I long to travel across the United States so I can explore our families history.

I will admit that I had never been to a cemetery until I was almost 26 years old. There really is no way to describe what you may find there. You need to open your mind to realize that it is more than a place to go and honor your loved ones that have died. It is a place to learn about many details that can lead you to other areas in your search of family history.

I have flown back to Kansas to meet a distant relative of my husband's...and spent a week with a total stranger while we gallivanted across Kansas and into Missouri in search of family information. I have met family members that I never knew existed; had a relaxing meal with them while sharing information and then stayed in contact with them throughout the years.

I have flown to Tennessee; shared a hotel room with a second cousin and his wife - which I had not met previously. We went traipsing through a muddy field in order to find a group of family headstones that were partly covered by fallen trees.

You can usually look around old headstones and find other family members...some you may not have known even existed! Don't assume you know everyone in the family - it has happened to me! You may be able to confirm information that you did not know was correct - or correct information you did have but was not correct!

Some places to search online while looking for family information or connections are Rootsweb.com (You will find all sorts of links from this page). There is also a grave site listing along with a listing for Ellis Island immigrants and also. You can find all sorts if information if you do a normal google search! under a family name.

Along the way - I may have found information about our ancestors and their past - but I also found family that will be there in the future!

Past Families

Sometimes we tend to forget where we come from. I don't mean from what town...but from our ancestors. Have you ever sat down and just wondered what your ancestors may have gone through to get us to where we are today?
What type of battles and hardships did they go through. How did they get to the United States of America? How did they die...and at what age... How did they travel when they did move... Where did they get their materials to build shelters for their families...

I know some of these answers for both my husband's ancestors and also for my ancestors. It can be fascinating to learn some of these things...but we don't think it is important when we are younger. Many times when it does finally peak your interest...it may be too late to learn about it. The people who knew..may have past on or can no longer remember clearly the details that would give you a look into the past.

I feel it is important to spend time with your parents...your aunts , uncles and especially any grandparents. Talk to them about their grandparents and their aunts and uncles. Listen closely to the stories they tell you - or better yet...tape them and take notes. They may find they feel that they know something that really matters. This may seem like it doesn't really matter - but let me point out to you ....your family member will feel like someone cares about their family, you will enjoy the visit, you will have learned a little about your family that you more than likely never knew..but most importantly - you will have spent time with someone you love who probably doesn't get visitors very often!

Take the time this weekend to call a family member and tell them you love them. You will feel good and they will feel great!

My Prancealots Min-Pins

"My Two Bobsey Twins" or "Monkey See-Monkey Do"
Some of you know that we own two Miniature Pinschers...but many of you don't know the story behind our Min Pins, so I thought I would share...
...a little over two years ago, we had to put our Cocoa* down. Ron had said "no more dogs". Everyone knows how much it hurts when you lose a family pet...well, I was not going to argue...but then - I am not the one who works from home. I was mildly shocked when I came home a week later and my dear husband can not only tell me what type of dog we should get - but the color! I know when I need to move fast - so I am online, looking for local breeders with minature pinschers...but I am surprised that I can't find anyone. I have never bought a pet of any kind online ...but I know I need to move fast ...so onto the internet to look for breeders.

I learn that minpins are NOT related to Doberman Pinschers; The Minpin breed has been around longer than Dobies; they are originally from Germany and were used as "hunters" of vermin & rodents. These dogs are known as "the King of Toys" because of their attitude!
What did happen that night was I came across a breeder in Tennessee that had an adorable picture posted that we both fell in love with. That cute little red pup was "calling our names".Well - I am one who always "has to make sure" so I continued looking at lots of other websites. Somehow, I kept ending up at some other page at the Prancealots website. I went to work immediately that night by sending her an email telling her why I wanted that pup. It was late -especially in Tennessee - so I went to bed with hopeful anticipation. First thing in the morning - I am looking at my emails whle making coffee. Nothing yet... hmmmm... I turn up the sound so I can HEAR when I get an email...and off to the bedroom with our coffee. I almost jump off the bed when the blasted computer lets out a " new email" alert! Seconds later, I can remember hollering to Ron.."I found our puppy!!! Come Look!! Come Look!"

I had a family function to attend to that day...but I can remember Ron calling me to let me know we got the "puppy contract" via email -and all I could think of ..."ok ..I know it is family that I haven't seen in years...but can't I go home?" I did calm down and had a great visit with the family - brought some of them home and immediately went on the computer. I emailed & called Robyn to let her know I will have the contract in the mail the following day.

This breeder is fabulous. She kept me up to date on "Rusty"...including sending me pictures throughout his first 2 months growing up with her! We quickly became friends.It was proven to me over and over that this is the right breeder & puppy!

Some people don't realize that animals cannot be shipped if temperatures will be over a certain degree so the only way to bring this rascal home is to pick him up and carry him back in the "airplane cabin". This is the perfect excuse for Ron & I to use first class airline points...so we make reservations and fly back to Tennessee. We spend two nights back there- the first night we leave Rusty with his other "mommy" ...but the second night - he is at the hotel with us. All I can say is "cute cute cute"!

Well... our love for this pup brought us to own another one... from the same breeder of course! These dogs may have a couple of downfalls... besides being too cute...They will bark if not properly trained - and they may be a little protective / jealous of their 'loved ones'... but I will never get rid of them ...so I guess they are stuck with me!

*Cocoa had been with us since 1992. We found him as a pup when we thought Brandy (who was almost 15 years old) was going to die the night before. Brandy knew we would need help training this little runt-so he hung on for 3 more months so he could train Cocoa!

Rainbows of Life

Life…it is full of surprises…some- times they may be good and other times it might be the type of luck that you may think “why me?” or “if I didn’t have bad luck – I wouldn't have any luck at all”.

I take the attitude that it may seem like bad luck at the time…but I know it is only a
puddle of mud that the rain has created before you get to the other end of the rainbow. You need to run & splash into that puddle …have fun with it just like you are a kid! Okay …so your parents might be mad at you for getting dirty – but you left that mud puddle with a smile!
Think of your problems as just a puddle that may get you a little dirty …but remember – it can be washed away with a little rain on your way to the end of the rainbow.
With all of that said – I think I may still be splashing on the edge of that puddle …but I can see that rain cloud ahead of me…and that means there are rainbows ahead!