Hospice Care..Is It For You

I have finally experienced hospice care giving first hand. It is not something that I would wish upon anyone - after all...it means you are having to deal intimately with death. Not many people are comfortable with this fact. Some people have a hard time even admitting to themselves that a family member is terminally ill. That type of person I think would not be able to handle hospice care in their home.

Death is part of living. It just happens at the end of life. We personally found that it was easier to have our family member with us the last couple of weeks of his life - than to have him anywhere else. It is something that we do not regret doing. We know he was given the best care possible with more personal attention then he would have had anywhere else. His smiles and antics made the very private things we did for him worth every moment.

There are cons - you must be able to handle death and admit it is going to happen. It will also more than likely happen with you there and it is going to happen in your home. Can you handle those facts? Another con - Will the spouse be there? We also had the mate here and now they now cannot look in the area where the bed was without deep sorrow. Their partner died there ...nothing can change that. Will they ever get over it... I cannot promise you they will. It has been over 6 months and we still deal with it almost daily.

Would we do it again? ABSOLUTELY YES -it was worth having "Pop" here - sticking his tongue out at me -laughing and smiling those last few days. I know he died with dignity in the comfort and privacy of our home -where he knew he was surrounded with love.

We miss you Pop - but we are glad you are no longer suffering...

Thank You..

...to the many people who have played a part in my every day life...from cleaning my ears out so I can hear what you told me...

to keeping me on on top of things so I could watch over some of those things I may not have known about...
You also made sure I had many of the fun things that I probably didn't need... Joe at NorthWest RV Supply

...you took care of many of my unknown friends in a caring and professional manner... Deerwood RV Park

along with letting me know the group is "a family" willing to include me in some of the fun...
...not to mention keeping me informed about things that should be done...

And of course to the few who are not pictured..You have all touched my life in a very special way...and you will never be forgotten.

THANK YOU

Driving ...Can I Do It or Not?

The motorhome is a HUGE daunting piece of machinery... and as many of you know, it is something that I had not attempted to drive... but sometimes you need to decide that you are the boss of your own fears and thoughts.
This process started when I had to pay one of the Monaco technicians to drive the motorhome up to the Monaco Service Center for a "water leak". There is another problem once you are at the Service Center.
The thing about the Harrisburg Service Center is that you have to go to a "Dump station" to empty your "holding tanks". Geez..that required driving this thing!! YIKES!!!! OK...I can do things to not waste water and fill up the tanks too soon..but I still have to empty the tanks eventually....
I get lucky enough that one of my iRV2 couples were at the Service Center. Billy Paul offered to drive the rig to the dump station and empty my tanks. The offer was tempting...but I need to grow up and get over my fears...I then counldn't believe what I heard myself saying.... "No, Billy ...can you just ride with me and give me instructions?" (Did THAT just come out of my mouth??)
Well.. Billy agrees...and we went out the next day to dump the tanks and then he spent time with me and instructed me how to back the rig into different campsites. Billy Paul is great with his instructions... I pretty much nail it almost each time I pull into a spot. There were a few times that I pulled forward so I can straighten the rig between lines.....but each time is more than passable! I AM DRIVING the MOTORHOME!!!
I can't stop there...I signed up for the "Ladies Driving Class" that the Monaco Service Center" used to put on almost every Tuesday AM. I did this because I heard that they take you out on the streets after the "classroom session". The following week I was in the class and the first one to drive. I also found out that the Instructor, "Victor" does private lessons after hours. I became MORE determined... I set a date to go out with Victor in my own rig after hours on my next day off.
I am getting my blood flowing just thinking about it now...as this was a very liberating thing for me to accomplish.
I can tell you that Victor is a very calm person. You feel very comfortable with him. He talks to you as if you have been driving for some time- but gives you insightful tips without you realizing it. I spent about 90 minutes with Victor driving my own rig. We did residential driving, county roads, Highway, and windy back roads. I now feel like I can do this.
The time came for me to leave 2 weeks later ...I was nervous...but I had NO doubts that I could do this. I was lucky enough that I had another iRV2 friend here that drove my car and I drove the Diplomat about 25 miles to my own site at Deerwood... and yes...I made it all in one piece...no scrapes...no scratches.

Oregonian by law?

...It looks like I officially became an Oregonian today! I have finally gone in and got my Oregon Drivers License today..AND registered to vote. (Don't you just love the 'One Stop Shopping' concept that the government has come up with?)
...The truth be known...I was a little sad to hand over my California Drivers License - and watch holes be punched in it. NOOOO...the picture really wasn't especially good - but it seemed a bit sad to abandon that "crazy liberal state" that I was born, raised and lived in for over 50 years.
...and speaking of pictures...I evidently smile too much - the DMV had to take my photo three times. The first 2 did not show my pupils. I had to try and not smile so they could get some of my pupils in the photo. (yeah - I know... I must be too happy all the time!) I also did notice that my hair is a lot longer then it has been in some time. I was planning to get it trimmed - but I may wait to see how the color photo turns out before I get it cut.
...Let us not forget that life is ever-changing...and I do LOVE the freshness that you find in many parts of Oregon!
I guess now the last thing I have to decide...Do I cheer for the "Ducks" or do I back the "Beavers"? (Maybe there is a beast out there with a Duck face and a Beaver tail!!)

Seashells by the Seashore...or...

...what is that crazy MonacoMama talking about now?
I truly love the sound and smell of the ocean, so I had to drive to the beach while I was in Florence on Monday.

A walk on the beach is mandatory to me now. I can't imagine being in Florence and not at least stepping onto the beach...and that camera is usually going to be around my neck.

I know that I have no room in the Diplomat to collect things now...so I will have to settle for a digital collection of sorts...What better way to collect seashells then by digital camera? You have no sand to clean off...no dust to worry about cleaning off of the shells...or of them breaking while taking them home.

You can see more photos from my walk here...

I Know...I Know...

...just how hard is it to post something interesting? After all..you all know what an interesting life I lead...(NOT!!)
I really did not think anything fun or exciting was going on with me, until someone reminded me of this event...
Yes...SNOW...I woke up early one Sunday morning to see snow had started falling!

...Oh but it did not stop there. It continued to snow...
and then snow some more...but it did not stop here...it continued on... Pretty soon you could see snow forcing people seeking a safe refuge. Just know...I am a little nervous as they come down the driveway! But it doesn't stop here... people have to get home... The driveway needs to be scraped so the 3 rigs can go home! By the way, I had already wiped the snow off my car twice already!The three rigs got out okay.. the snow did stop..but you can get an idea of the amount of snow we got by looking at the level by the bumper! (and that was after some of the snow had melted!)
...so I guess that was a new experience for a "bay area-valley girl"!

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!***