Thank you to all who read this blog for your patience while I transitioned. I have been blown away by the tedious parts of this switch from one website to another. To add to that we have been struggling with many small hurdles over here. These include sickness, building a carport from scratch, a power outage that took the internet away for two days. The great but huge transition from no school to full time school for Anna. Add a sick dog to this and it’s been quite a struggle for me to get things back in order. We’re back, we’re ready, let the Warrior stories begin and continue on our new platform, called Bluehost that has some nice features. Change is hard for the brain to accept but once accepted the winning comes! Onward we Blog!
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Following up on our Kammy’s Kause Trip. (Fortville, Indiana) The trip was a tough one. We had lots of hurdles. That’s what the Warrior does though, hurdles. We started out with a huge backyard project that was delivered in our driveway 5 days before we were to leave. Paul came down with a sinus infection. I had to sheepishly ask him if he could still go on the trip. He said he could. We were so exhausted from the backyard project that I decided I’d just try to pack in the morning. (First bad idea). I wrote a poem about our first day:
We can’t seem to get out the door
Should have packed the night before
Finally reach our camper and hook it up
Then I notice Anna’s pump is missing the plug
Back home again pushing time way out of whack
Twenty minutes home and again 20 minutes back
Now we are 2.5 hours behind
Trying to keep my mind inline
We are now almost there with only 15 minutes to go
Wow, now we have a camper tire blow!
Here we are, Anna in her car seat getting restless
Plus our two dogs in the backseat waiting
Paul realized the floor jack is not in the truck
We do have a spare and this is the best news
As I sit there in the grass holding the dogs
I am letting it sink in that we will not be on time
We were so close I think to myself
There’s still setup at the campground and Anna to settle in
I text the friends at the campground who graciously offer help
Not much can be done but they offer their hands
Paul asks the gas station attendant to use his jack
We call AAA and he starts the repair while we wait
The service truck offers us quick power tools
We get to the campground way later than planned
I try to stay focused and we head to the gathering hall
We are almost the latest guests of them all
The food was delicious and we walk the town
I take a late night walk at the campground to end the crazy day
As I walk a few minutes my sole comes off my shoe
Really I think, now what to do?
I still do the Warrior thing and continue the walk
Now halfway through the other shoe sole falls off
I’m walking on rocks with my shoes giving out
I save the soles in case of repair
I get to the camper eager to end this despair
I tell Paul I’m so glad this day is done and whisper that tomorrow is a hopeful one!
Tomorrow comes and the day is better. Although it is hot and Anna is not herself. We notice her not being very active. She has been on some heavy meds for another UTI. We chalk it up to that. We try to struggle through and we do. I am rethinking things this trip. I probably should have left the dogs at home. This may be a trip to be solo without the dogs. We have to tend to them and now we still have to go get another spare tire for the camper. I don’t feel like driving home with no spare, two dogs and a child in a wheelchair making it hard to be on the side of the road if there should be another blowout.
I miss out on seeing many families because of our troubles but we make the best of it. We return to the campground and I visit with the other families there. I went kayaking for the first time. I had some good but serious and heartfelt conversations while in the kayak with another Warrior mom. It’s a great time on the small pond at the campground, I’m glad things settled down. We laugh as she thinks the water is shallow and she gets out to help another kayaker and goes straight under the water! Thank goodness we both decided to leave our phones on shore! The sun goes down and the day ends. This trip was trying and fulfilling at the same time. We had many new families attend this year, in fact a record number!
We had a great time despite the hurdles. Sometimes families are reluctant to travel with all these things to be ironed out. It is worth it to go on a trip. It is a necessity to get away from life with a break. It makes home even better for us Warriors when all the supplies we need are exactly where they should be. It makes home so organized to not be running around pulling them out of luggage. There’s no place like home for Dorothy and there’s no place like home and organization for the Warrior mom.
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Welcoming September by our favorite Sara Ban Breathnach from her book “Simple Abundance”
- Stock up this month on your own school supplies. They’re on sale this month. Get your own pads, notebooks, scissors, tape and crayons. Send away to get pens imprinted with your name on them. It’s inexpensive and fun. Take time to find your favorite pen and stock up on them. It’s creative and fun.
- Make taffy apples
- Enjoy fresh cider and pear nectar
- Experiment with different types of popcorn
- Pack away your swimsuit (unless you swim indoors during the winter). Bring out your woolens. Do you have a favorite sweater you absolutely adore? If not, why not?
- Celebrate autumn with a festive dinner of homestyle cooking. Do this especially if you live alone and rarely cook a decent meal for yourself. Bring home a small pot of mums for your dining tale. Light candles, pour the wine or cider and enjoy the simple pleasures of comfort food.
- Observe the autumnal festival of Michaelmas on September 29, which is the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel. This ancient English harvest festival dates back to the sixth century. Legend has it on this day the devil was driven out of Heaven by St. Michael and landed in a patch of blackberry brambles. It’s traditional to have blackberry treats, pies, tarts, or jam on scones for tea time this day.
- Start making your Christmas list this month so you won’t feel so rushed and frantic in December
- Start planning your Halloween costumes, either store bought or homemade.
- Take a walk under the huntress moon.
- Take a look at the farmer’s markets for dried flowers to create your own bouquet.