On the Road Again

                                                                Casita Travel Trailer

 I type on my phone from Nebraska as we travel once again to Coeur d Alene, Idaho.

It’s exhausting covering more than 350 miles a day but one’s gotta do what one has set out to accomplish.

Write more later….showering at a $70/night KOA and the heading out for Wyoming!

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Spent the next night in a Walmart parking lot in Riverton, Wyoming. It was very cold in the morning and we had no electricity so could not warm the Casita. We quickly heated up the truck and drove away.

There is a propane heater in the Casita but I was concerned about our propane reserve.

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Now writing from Coeur d Alene. Weather has been beautiful and since we have full hookups here in the Kootenai County Fairgrounds RV Park. We are warm and cozy.

Spent last evening at Daughter Maureen's home and going over in a few minutes for tonight's steak and chicken dinner. Dave's son, Barry, met us for lunch at Elmer's today. I spent a couple hours this afternoon with Maureen watching Granddaughter Nora's volleyball game. There are two soccer games this weekend and I plan to attend both of them. The weather is to be outstanding.

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We had a wonderful four days in Coeur d'Alene! We took five days going up and five days coming home. We spent two nights in Taos, NM, a bustling town where we relaxed and drove around hoping to visit the famous Tierra Wools, but alas, it was closed the day we went to the small village a few miles from Taos. 

We stayed in a lovely rv park convenient and clean. If/when we return we would come back to Taos Valley RV Park.  https://taosrv.com/.  I had conversation with our neighbor who was camping in an Airstream Rangeline. That was a seed planted for what happens when we are back in Kerrville.

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So far within two weeks. The credit cards are high what with the price of gasoline. The most I paid was $5.50 for one gallon of regular gas. Diesel was consistently $6/gallon.

I took no photos. We journeyed and were so glad to be home. The Casita is small and we slept uncomfortably. The next post surprises even myself with what we did following this adventure.

Stay tuned as the plot thickens.😁

Walk Like a Poet

                                                     

I joined this online group, Walk Like a Poet. I thought about it too long and did not get the original $5/monthly rate. However, I now signed up for the annual rate of $70/year. It is going to be interesting to interact with strangers regarding poetry and time spent out of doors. The latter is a favorite activity of mine although I currently spend my early morning hours on the computer with online courses. The sun is coming up and I shall begin my early a.m. time walking the property today. I trust that it will become habit-forming....

.....and with a poem "in my pocket." What a very clever idea! I would like to bring this activity to the senior center. Poetry and walking, sharing and writing - it all works for me and would be something totally new and adventurous.

The program is a weekly experience. One poem posted once a week. Check it out!

https://www3.skool.com/poet/about?utm_source=skooldotcom&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=user_profile_page

                                                   

Then I found another site for free that the same creator, Kate Boelhauf, has online called 100 Walks. And so I gleefully signed up on that site and am sorting, shuffling, getting acquainted with its offerings. 

https://100walks.com/

from the website:

Because when you walk regularly, you give yourself time to notice. You start looking more closely at places you thought you knew. You follow things that make you curious. You discover tiny worlds, unexpected paths, good sticks, strange objects, changing seasons, and things you probably would have walked right past before.

Into the backyard and down by the creek bed I go ~ with the poem below:

A Bird Came Down the Walk

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

A Bird, came down the Walk –

He did not know I saw –

He bit an Angle Worm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw,

And then, he drank a Dew

From a convenient Grass –

And then hopped sidewise to the Wall

To let a Beetle pass –

He glanced with rapid eyes,

That hurried all abroad –

They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,

He stirred his Velvet Head. –

Like one in danger, Cautious,

I offered him a Crumb,

And he unrolled his feathers,

And rowed him softer Home –

Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Too silver for a seam,

Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,

Leap, plashless as they swim.

Praying Mantis Poem

          ultrasound voice = praying mantis

he/she, a super Mantodea of insects

“faster than a speeding bullet”

eating voraciously at the bug buffet

praying but alas, truly preying

not to intrigue you but the female mantis

takes care of her lover by biting

his head off as he locks

inside her, yes, he is fighting

losing the battle his lower 

nervous system takes over

he continues his mating. 

males, lower nervous systems

(poet clears throat)

they symbolize spirituality

mindfulness for some

patience, quiet focus

and then he/she remarkably

sees 3-D with stereo vision

moving his/her head 180 degrees

viewing with precision

please, enough said

the praying mantis 

is not dead, the great

pretender falls into

decaying leaves

one of the Dead Leaf clan

           totally appalling, i say

       totally appealing, others say

joanconnor2026

Notes aside:

This poem was written for a Story Circle Network poetry group I participate in monthly. The prompt was "voice." The praying mantis subject emerged as I read the wonderful book that was donated to my Little Free Library bookmobile, Eric Carle's ANIMALS ANIMALS. It is a collection of poetry by various poets. Of course Eric Carle's famous collages fill the pages beyond one's imagination.

Obviously my poem is not for children!! I did not intend it to be almost rated "R," but it became what it became. 

The photo is a stock photo from the internet. My photo of a praying mantis is definitely not as precise, but I took it the day I wrote the poem. Hubby discovered a mantis on the back of the golf cart.

Praying the Scriptures

 I just added Lectio 365 to my iPhone. The app cannot be put on my mac.

 https://lectio365.com/.                           Pray the Bible everyday.

Lectio divina is Latin for “divine reading,” “spiritual reading,” or “holy reading.” Lectio divina, according to author and spiritual director Becky Eldredge, is “a slow, rhythmic reading and praying of a Scripture passage” (from Busy Lives & Restless Souls, Loyola Press, 2017). 

I choose to be more prayerful and need a nudge morning, noon and night. This might do it for me.

I have heard about this app previously but in conversation regarding one's prayer life has been discussed within a beadisciple class I am currently taking.

There is also another more intense online prayer life through https://saint-luke.net/wado/  that is interesting. I shall look into that option after a few months with Lectio 365.

I am going to start with the Lectio 365 on my phone and spend a few minutes three times daily with the Lord.

One's prayer life needs to be sustained and developed. It doesn't just happen. It takes initiative and commitment.

P.R.A.Y. = Pause Reflect Ask Yield "Slow down and connect with God," the Lectio site says.

I shall and I will be consistent. With this decision and attempting to lose weight I have my goals and my priorities.

Here is a favorite poem about prayer from https://readalittlepoetry.com/2025/10/28/the-prayer-by-mary-oliver/

Praying                                                                Mary Oliver

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

I shall listen for "another voice."

Amen!

Wendall Barry

 

Wendell Berry (1934 - 2026)

I have never read Wendall Berry’s poetry. 

I have never followed his writing, followed his philosophy.

I have truly missed a “gentle giant.”

And so I shall begin with one poem, one day, one seeking......

His death this week has instilled a yearning in me to know more as I read about him.

Coupled with Dolly Parton’s death, both artists loved their home place, their home state and were raised with Christian values.

A wonderful article linked below extolls Berry’s desire for a simple agrarian lifestyle.

I quote one paragraph:

The beloved writer and environmentalist, who died at age 92 on Monday, Aug. 31, in his Kentucky home, was an academic himself but left the ivory tower for his home county of Henry, Kentucky. There, he farmed and wrote for most of his life, mostly with pencil and paper in an old family cabin.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/wendell-berry-writer-and-farmer-was-extolled-many-modern-day-prophet

Today’s selection honoring Wendall Barry:

                               The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/

Outdoors to Refresh!

I am going outdoors this morning to work with plants, mow some grass, feed the birds and water.

Bonnie S. gave me three large houseplants yesterday. Today we get acquainted and they join my "flock."

It will be very hot in a few hours so my hours outdoors are calculated and briefer than preferred.

I read where spending time outdoors is good for the mind, the soul, and the body!!

All the reasons below are my goals as I need to be refreshed, rejuvenated and realigned.

My thoughts have put me in a bit of a doldrums lately so ready or not,  God, here I come.....

From www.mmhealth.org:

1. Improved mental health. Exposure to natural environments has been linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress.
2. Better physical health. People who spend time outdoors tend to be more active. Regular exposure to sunlight also helps your body produce vitamin D.
3. Better sleep. Natural light exposure during the day helps regulate the body’s internal clock, promoting better sleep patterns.
4. Increased attention span. Nature has a restorative effect on attention span and focus.
5. Social connection. From family cookouts to community 5Ks, outdoor activities often involve social interaction which contributes to greater life satisfaction.
6. Environmental awareness. Spending time outdoors can foster a deeper appreciation for the environment.

What are you waiting for? 

Make time today to enjoy the Great Outdoors and all it has to offer.

Especially #3 for me lately. Sleeping has not been the relaxation process I have always possessed. 

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(Unrelated to the above topic but I am ready to review another book for Story Circle Network. I just received a positive email from an author. I will tell you all about the book reviewing process and my "shelf" of books I have reviewed in my next blog. Stay tuned and always, stay reading!)

Too Much!

It has been two months since I have blogged.

Much has happened.

                  So much that I cannot, don't want to elaborate except - 

                                        I shall make a list. 

                         Lists help me prioritize, sort, simplify, select.

1) End of May - took our tiny Casita to Sedalia, MO for a ragtime festival, an annual event that we try to attend every May/June. Gone for one week.

2) Returned home and had a couple weeks to prepare for what we thought would be a six-week trek.

2) Journeyed to Western N. Carolina and classes at John C. Campbell Folkschool. Dave learned to steam bend and I learned to use my new mirrorless camera. My class was disappointing. The classes were for the week and we lived in the rv park. 

3) Spent the July 4th weekend in the Murphy, NC KOA and hunkered down exhausted.

4) Traveled from Murphy to Cheyenne Wyoming - four long hard days of driving across the U.S. Used Harvest Hosts and much gasoline.

5) Arrived in Cheyenne and attended son's assignment ceremony. He is now the General in charge of Warren Air Force base, the big guy. It was an experience of a lifetime, an opportunity to mingle with my children, those who attended. We spent two nights and $350 in the Little America hotel around the corner from Warren AFB.

6) Left Cheyenne and traveled a short distance to Estes Park where we spent five days in a local rv park. Each day was a delight and we celebrated my brother's 87th birthday. His two daughters are local and seeing my beautiful nieces was a most welcomed experience. We visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times.

7) The news came the morning we were to depart for Salmon, Idaho. We were flooded....again. 

                                   July 16, 2026.

8) We cancelled our remaining two weeks of Idaho adventures and traveled two days home to Ingram, Texas.

9) We needed to be home. Damage to walls, floors, garage and more but no loss of personal items in the house as during the previous July 4, 2025 flood.

10) I am still reeling from these past events as listed. This is why I haven't blogged. Still reeling, still trying to organize the chaos created by wonderful folks who re sheet rocked the bottom 12" of our walls.

11) New garage door ordered. Cleaning floors and living on cement which isn't all bad. We have a lovely kitchen and comfortable furniture. Now that I have listed the events, I am ready to return to sharing thoughts and meditations, goals and ambitions. This is all behind me. I am ready to live in the present. Amen!

12) Going outside now to water and feed the birds. They are coming back.

I choose to never leave my bird feeders again for such a length of time. They missed our full yummy feeders and I missed their visits. Can one have too many bird feeders?

Thanks for reading!

joan💕

Summer + Sturmfrei

I once created a Peppermint Patty dollhouse, all pink with pink furniture. I was an adult mother of five.

Crazy stuff! We entertain ourselves as adults thinking we are making the best choices. Was I?

                                    I wish I would have spent more hours with my children. 

                                    I wish I could relive my mothering days. 

                                    I wish I would have been more attentive and appreciative. 

                                    I wish I would have journaled those days.

As with everything I now think oh well, that journal would have been lost in the flood just like every other piece of paper, photo, journal and more!

I believe that I am still reeling from the July 4th flood, 2025 here in the Hill Country of Texas.

It was bad! The emotional adjustments are hidden behind the persona of "I've got this!"

The first six months we lived in an rv and spent days sitting outside our home as it was being rebuilt, almost miraculously. My eldest daughter took charge. She was in daily phone contact with Somebody Cares, the umbrella volunteer organization that spent thousands of dollars to get us back into our home. There were other groups that assisted in the rebuild, Samaritan's Purse, for example.

The home is beautiful and nicer than before the flood. It is completely furnished and the exterior has been repainted and wood replaced also. We are truly blessed.

It is difficult to "just move on." There are days I feel rudderless, doing simple tasks and wondering what I could/should be accomplishing.

My volunteer tasks are often questioned by me, not in a bad way, just as in  "why did you take this on?" I want to volunteer. I desire to give back what was so generously given to us. Then I regret committing to more than a few hours weekly. I regret having a "full calendar."

The rest of the days are spent maintaining the house, the yard, practicing my music, weaving (several looms still to be touched) and sitting with my husband.

I don't want to regret these years. 

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I seek guidance from my Higher Power, my Lord, my God.

There is power in prayer and I believe that my life would be more meaningful if I spent the early morning praying instead of writing, praying instead of practicing, praying instead of reading, praying instead of ........

And so this prayer life begins.

The value of prayer makes the dollhouse era seem superfluous.

And with prayer will come a Bible verse or two, seeking understandings and how I still can, at eighty-two, grow with God.

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The word of the day today is sturmfrei with a very rich history.  

There is a particular feeling that arrives when you realise you finally have the house to yourself.

The rooms seem to widen. The moment opens. The usual routines loosen their grip and, for a little while, the hours belong entirely to you.

The Germans have a word for this feeling: sturmfrei.

 https://thecuriouswordemporium.substack.com/p/sturmfrei

I often feel as though I have the house to myself. Often hours belong entirely to me.

I share my home with my 99-year old husband. Sometimes I feel like the activity director. 

That is not all bad, is it? I will relish these hours spent with him if I outlive him. I learned that from raising my children as we go full circle. I learned that time with loved ones is the best investment of oneself.

Do you agree?

Inspired and Motivated

Returning from another marvelous and intense three days on almost non-stop ragtime music. The above song, previously unfamiliar to me, was the shirt decor this year to celebrate our 250 years of being the United States. I came home, played the song and honored Joplin's patriotism. 

My Joplin ragtime book is open on the piano.

Always exhausted, always ready to say, "Maybe we should skip a year," yet the music is so inspiring Once again I am motivated to play piano daily.

I lost all music in the flood....every last piece....not one sheet was retrievable. 

I have replaced a few favorite ragtime books and bought a Trebor Tichenor slim book on this trip for $20. 

I also replaced my CD box of Joplin songs by Richard Dowling.

Again, I drove us straight through which was approximately seventeen hours from Sedalia, MO to Hunt, TX.

Again I said, "We shouldn't do that."

However, I have recovered and look forward to our next road trip which is to North Carolina later this June month.

We attended a paid concert every day, supporting the festival.  My favorite concert was the Joplin Back-to-Back. One performer played a selection as written and then another performer followed with the same selection improvised. No clapping between the two performances was finally heeded after the first few presentations. It's hard not to cheer and clap following any ragtime soloist!

We also spent time under the big tent and at the railroad station listening to one performer after another which is all free.

The fairground campground was familiar and we stay in the same area year after year. It is a huge rv campground where large rallies are held, like the Airstream rally. I can't imagine an rv in every spot at the fairgrounds.  "Give me land lots of land...." between trailers!

SOLACE is my favorite Joplin tune and yes, it was played on the Back-to-Back concert in a splendid manner.  My piano teacher of many years, Carl Gibbs, selected this piece for me to study when I requested a rag tune. It is stunningly beautiful.

See you next year, Sedalia, MO. in 2027, I hope!

Preparing for a Journey

 

Frederick Hodges

Zeke Backus

Gavin Rice

Sonny Leyland

Andrew Oliver

Josh Duffee

Tyler Thomson

William McNally

John Reed-Torres

Clinton Davis

Davey Jo

Our plans are to leave tomorrow, Sunday, May 24th for the Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri.

https://www.scottjoplin.org/

We will drive to East Texas tomorrow, spend the night in our small Casita and continue into Arkansas. No reservations have been made. We don't anticipate a full house at the state parks this coming week.

However, my thoughts are not always correct. We'll see how far we get each day.

Today is getting the Casita ready. It is only 17' - not much can be packed within it. We're not hooking up the propane so will use an ice chest for our refrigerator contents.

It's a camping trip with the delight of very professional ragtime music all and day and into the evening with well planned concerts.

We will return to Texas June 1 or June 2. I am not taking the computer and do not plan to be online much.

My phone will transport me to the internet as needed.

Bon Voyage Casita style!

Who Can Resist?

Who can resist hanging over the "picket fence" with Snoopy?

Who can resist allowing a butterfly to land on one's head? 

(I wish it were true.)

Who can resist admiring daisies stretching forth in surprise? 🌻

Who can resist opening one's heart to Snoopy's smile and soft paws?

"Comfort your worries" is my favorite phrase this Sunday morning.

No intensive worries but always those "what ifs" and "should we dos?"

I shall pray! 

            I shall listen for His message. 

                                            I shall lean on His Wisdom.

Thank you, Jesus, for supporting and allowing me to wander and wish,

muse and make mistakes, seek and solve as time moves through our lives.

Not very poetic this morning am I. Just a few simple words with a few simple

thoughts that I am sure everyone ponders. I am learning that my uniqueness carries with it similarities to many older women, retired, searching for the next activity and/or

trying to fit into the days and weeks commitments already on the calendar.

Have a wonderful Sunday. 💟

Today We trek to a new farmers market with the bookmobile.