Bubble of Love and Beaches of Fish....

January 18, 2013

I’m confused as to where I left off so I’ll simply pick up where  I want to, which will be at what I call the “Bubble of Love” – Oasis Palms RV Park in Thermal, CA.  We went here on the advice of the previous manager, Ann, who we had met in Redding at another park.  Our surprise was evident on both sides when we entered the office to see…..Ann!  I mentioned our roaming Roku, asking if that’s a problem, and she answered in the best way possible:  “Why would that be a problem.  We currently have Louie the cat who greets everyone every morning.”  Greetings and love followed, as well as a walking tour of the sweet park, set in an old citrus orchard.  She guided us to site #3, a pull through, with orange trees to our left, other campers to our right.  

TC at Oasis Palms Firepit

Oasis Palms Orange Trees Right Outside our Window!

Blue's Site at Oasis Palms

OP Music Night

OP Orange Tree

OP Pond

OP Pool Table

OP Pond

OP Pool

Us at OP Music Night

OP Common Room

OP Cat on a Stool

OP at Night

We set up and ate.  I always seem to need a quiet evening to re-establish myself after a move.  The next morning I was eager to see what the park offered.  It’s in the center of farmland and date palms, although right on a busy highway, 86 S.  The orange, lemon and grapefruit trees are laden with beautiful, organic fruit; we were encouraged to pick as much as we wanted.  I planned on doing just that.  We headed to the pool for a day of sun and water, sooooo looking forward to bobbing.  The pool temp is a little cool, but they were working on it.  The spa however, was perfect.

This is the routine at Oasis: head to pool where the crazy Canadians are set up in four chairs facing the sun and the pool, drinks in a cooler, laughing and talking.  These Coquitlam glass braziers come here for a month every year, to let loose and enjoy the sun.  I love listening to them as I lounge and read and doze, picking up little aspects of their lives, eh?  The pool has been heated a few degrees and is now delightful.  I bob with the glass wife on our respective noodles and floaties.  She is a talker not a listener, so I listen.  Their lives are caught up in the business her father started 60 years ago, but they’re burned out.  Glass wife is 50 and wants to start a new life as a personal trainer – this last year she started working out with great success, and wants to share that passion.  Glass husband is 44, funny, hard worker, loves his drinks.  He likes to dive in the deep end of the pool after getting hot.  They frequently bring appetizers – for everyone – to the pool in the late afternoon.

At four, there’s a happy hour at the firepit in front of the large pond.  It is a beautiful gathering, wood is provided, drinks in hand, chairs circling the fire.  This is the crux of the place, the circle where everyone comes together, loosens up, have a conversation about our lives.  Who can resist a fire and the lounging around it?  Not us! Not everyone in the park comes, but enough to be a party.

And this is how it flows, day after day.  Pool, party, and in the middle of that is many conversations.  Ann and her husband Michael walk in and around everyone, making sure we’re connecting, enjoying, being heard.  We have great talks with neighbors on both sides of us, do our laundry together and talk more, sit in the spa and talk even more.  We meet the one armed guy and his wife across from us, the German guy in the very fancy Mercedes van, Louie the cats owner and his friends, the Washington blowhard and his wife.  I tried steering clear of the blowhard, don’t need that in my life, but alas, they’re Seahawks fans.

The common room with the pool table, computer with wifi, books and movies galore, also holds a large flat screen which we stake out for the Seahawks game on the sixth.  I make pupus and we snack while watching a great game – wasn’t it a killer?!  Blowhard’s wife walks in to watch a bit while doing laundry, and she is delightful, funny, sweet.  They’re born and raised in Port Angeles so we talk about commonalities.  She eventually brings blowhard in which is painful for me.  At 56 I don’t need distasteful people in my life, in fact, avoid them at all cost.  But here he is, blah blah blah.  Ton Ton leaves to take a shower and blowhard helps himself to the pupus.  As we’re watching a play, blowhard suddenly says, “That’s right, n-word to n-word!”  His wife looks at me nervously and giggles.  I gather myself.  I want the next words out of my mouth to be meaningful – not angry, judgmental, shaming.  A few more plays are made and he says, “Oh I shouldn’t say that, it’s African American.”  I reply, “I can’t believe you used that word.  Why would you say that?”  His wife acts uncomfortable and puzzled, mentioning something like, “Oh really?”, as if we all use the n-word secretly or openly.  I say, “Tony and I would like the word completely taken out of the English language, it’s that offensive.”  End of discussion, back to the game.  I am happy that I stopped myself from just my usual reaction and was able to breathe.  That's all my meditation and spirit class.

At the fire later, of course, blowhard comes to me, talking, talking about nothing that I’m interested in.  I turn to another woman and we strike up a conversation so that I can remove myself from blowhard.  The next morning as we’re leaving, Mrs. Blowhard makes sure to find me and gives me one of their rv’ing cards (many people make cards to hand out), espousing a hope that we’ll meet up in Yuma.  Not likely, me thinks. In fact, NO!

We reluctantly leave the Bubble of Love for Cathedral Palms RV Park in Cathedral City, to be closer when Julie flies in to PS.   Tony sets us up as I go to the airport to pick up Julie.  Happily the sun is out for her arrival and we run an errand to pick up our mail in Desert Hot Springs, giving her a little tour.  I discover that she has been to PS many times as her grandparents lived near Rancho Mirage.  We also go to the store for some refrigerator stock for her, and I untangle my pharmacy issues.

Julie is treating herself by staying at the Andalusian Court a few blocks off Palm Canyon Drive in PS.  The original building is from the ‘20’s when it was called the El Poco.  The newer buildings are eight bungalows of pure delight.  #4, her bungalow, was the home of Lucy and Desi, and little Desi, for two years.  It is, in a word, delightful.  Kitchen, bathroom with Jacuzzi tub, large bedroom, living room, outdoor patio with private hot tub and fire place.  The service is personal with one of the owners currently manning the front desk, Tony, while his partner is still in Seattle.  They commute from Seattle!  In the middle of the bungalows is the gorgeous pool, with plenty of lounging, towels, greenery, birds, a BBQ for the guests use, seating around tables – and not a soul in sight.  

Bungalow #4 Jacuzzi Bath

Bungalow #4 Bedroom

Julie and I at El Gallito

We spend the next week commuting back and forth between Blue and Julie, driving around, lounging at the pool, eating some great steaks that she made us.  Not having experienced this commuting before, I did find myself torn between wanting to be home and on MY schedule, and feeling obligated to share our life style with Julie.  My heart wasn’t as generous as it should have been, I think, which is something I want to meditate and think on.  I’ve known Julie since 7^th grade, although she’s been in and out of my life due to moving away in high school, getting married (briefly), having two boys, moving to Australia, then eventually St. Louis.  While in St. Louis she seemed to come into her own, relaxing into who she is and what she wanted from life for herself and her son Matt.  In the ensuing years we met each Christmas time at the Pink Door in Seattle, having the best Italian food, catching up on books and films, life, family, friends.  I liked those dinners.  She eventually moved back to Seattle to be near her parents and son Adam.  We still meet at the Pink Door but now during summer when I’m home, and it doesn’t seem the same to me.

Anyway, she was gracious and flexible which helped me adjust to this new schedule, and for that I am grateful.  The week flew by and she was soon on her way back to 36 degrees and the Seattle shit rain, to start work again after a several month sabbatical.  Tax season begins for 2013!

January 14, 2012

Cathedral Palms RV turned out to be an OK park, despite warnings from our mainstay website, RV Park Reviews.  We think what’s happening is they’re trying to upgrade after it got run down.  Very nice pool and spa, good site.  Roku happy, what else is needed?!  We met some old acquaintances from DHS, Anna and Paul, the Norwegians from Seattle; made some new acquaintances from BC – very nice couple.  It then came down to the 14^th, the day we were to leave – and we had nowhere to go.  Another neighbor had told us when she called around to what were to be our last two RPI choices, they had very limited availability, because the Canadians were coming, the Canadians were coming!!!  We didn’t think much of it because we’ve always found a place, but we were moving around then.

I looked at our atlas around the Salton Sea, where we hadn’t been able to explore yet, and found a State Recreation Area that could work.  Took awhile to get here as I drive the car and TC Blue, so we communicate through the cell phones.  I tell him the direction/road numbers/etc, he disagrees.  We pulled into the first campsite which is a big parking lot and beach, the volunteer ranger with the big blue eyes and great smile suggested we might like Mecca Beach just up the road. 

Mecca is a jewel of a place in the funkiness that is the Salton Sea.  We parked sideways with a view of the water and beach, snug against the solar restrooms that are broken.  The rest of the park is for tent campers and no hook-ups.  We love our little spot, peaceful, quiet, serene beauty.  There is a constant train going by but we like the clackity clack – no whistle for once.  There’s also a beach full o’ dead tilapia – the Salton Sea is a strange and wrong body of water.  Fifty percent more saline than the oceans, fertilizer runoff from the farmlands, fish run out of oxygen and die by the thousands, birds eat the fish and get sick…very wrong environment.  There’s a bit of a smell in the air.  Oddly, Roku never took an interest in the fish when we walk to the beach.

 M

Mecca Beach BBQ

Mecca Beach and Jet Stream

Mecca Beach, Our Site

Mecca Beach Egret

Mecca Beach Dead Fish

Mecca Beach Pelican

Mecca Beach Pelican

Mecca Beach Sunset

Mecca Beach Roku

Mecca Beach Roku

Mecca Beach TC and Roku

January 15, 2013

One of Tony’s Masonic friends heard we were in the valley and called to arrange a lunch at their place in Rancho Mirage.  Georg and his wife Nina, American Danes, live in a 1950’s – 1960’s quintessential Palm Springs home.  Oh we love it!  It’s in a non-gated community with little rock houses curved into a circle around a pool.  They have exquisite furniture inside and out, and great details all around.  Georg cooked us a lovely scallop lunch.  The best part, however, was the conversation!  Nina is beautiful, smart, well educated, opinionated and interesting.  After a brief sojourn into politics we determined that they are strong to moderate conservatives, and we, of course are moderate liberals.  She has some very strong feelings about big government, welfare, minimum wage, Obama as dictator – many ideas based on the Nazi parties rise to control.  She feels America is going in the same direction, that if no one speaks up against big government’s controls over individuals, we will end up just like Nazi Germany.  We had a wonderful talk, again, respectful, passionate, interesting.  We will love seeing them again.

January 18, 2013

TC off to the foot doc and I get a much needed day to meditate and catch up on my online class.  Did both with flying colors and loved having the time to myself.

January 19, 2013

What a marvelous day!  Slept in until 11:00 AM, don’t know why.  Was up at 4:00 for about an hour and the sleep I get going back to bed is usually sound.  As usual we left around 2:30, heading 30 miles away to Niland and Slab City.  We first spotted a sign for the “Fountain of Youth” RV park, and subsequently saw what looked like a city of rv’s on the nearby hill.  We turned off and drove up to “FOY”, as they call it, which turned out to be a little city of its own.  We were blown away.  Bill at the gate encouraged us with a lot of vitality, to look around, go to the store, the pools, the restaurant.  He said they want us to move there, the sooner the better, because the people are marvelous, the pools the best, the sites fantastic ….. whew, give it a rest Bill!

We drove around and around – about 600 sites of both rv’s and mobile homes – and a killer view of the Salton Sea.  The little “town” is a sight to behold, someone really put a lot of thought and work into FOY.  We went to the bathrooms and on our way out ran smack dab into Dorothy and Mary from Oasis Palms and Mecca Beach.  A great reunion was had by all and we gave them TC’s email so that we can keep in touch.

The latter is a free for all of RV’s, buses, vans, trucks – camping for hours, days, years, decades – at what used to be Camp Dunlap.  The residents call it the “Last Free Place on Earth” and it very well may be.  I found it utterly fascinating, Tony thought it disgusting.  There are NO services out there, no water, sewer (where do they dump?!), propane, electricity.  Many of the “sites” are marked off with tires or rocks, there are a few dogs roaming around (god I hope they’re fixed!).  The campers are scattered over a wide lot of land, some close together, some far, far apart.  Looks like many don’t run anymore, not sure what they all do for money.  Near the entrance is the famous “Salvation Mountain” that a guy has been working on his whole life, I think.  The name comes from the intention to bring folks to Jesus.  It’s got a lot of paint on it.

Slab City

Slab City

Slab City

Slab City Fancy Trailer and Truck

Slab City Shoe Tree

Niland Cool Building

Niland itself is a poor little dirty town with not much left to it – all dried out and put on a shelf.  The mountains around this valley and the Sea in the middle is so breathtaking.  Home again to the kittehs and a fried egg sandwich.  Yessssss.

Seester, Ehrenberg AZ, Quartzsite AZ, Thermal CA...

December 18, 2012

My sister Dawn arrived Saturday the 15th for a sun-filled yuk-fest with us at Cat Spa in Desert Hot Springs.  She fits in seamlessly with our life in Blue, always picking up, sweeping, doing dishes.  I love to cook, she doesn’t, so the trade-off is great.  We both read volumes so stay up late in bed with our books, sleep in until 8:00 or so, eat a little brekky, then head off to the pool/spa.  People are scarce in the pool so we’re usually the only ones swimming – very nice.

Jackie and Dawn under Marilyn in PS

Yesterday, as promised, we re-celebrated my birthday.  We both got really terrific pedi’s, and she her first mani.  Lunch at an older, quaint  hotel up the street then a walk through their grounds.  Two thrift stores afterward with a few nuggets obtained.  The Pop Shop is run to help support homeless youth, and those outside the foster system, up to age 24.  I talked for quite awhile to the wonderful woman who runs it.  I want to volunteer there, if they need the help.  For one thing it’s my kind of shop – good quality stuff, neatly
organized, clean.

My Christmas pedi, thank you Dawn

Jackie and seester Dawn and El Gallito

Today I revisited my podiatrist, or “fat bastard” as he called himself, and as TC and I now call him.  He was pleased that the fasciitis in my left heel and side is about 50% better after the cortisone shots a few weeks ago.  He gave me another one on the other side after my bitching and whining that the last one hurt so much, wah wah wah.  He stuck the needle in and said he must have been drunk last time to make it hurt so much.  Funny man, good doc.

Tony, meanwhile, was left in our beloved Palm Springs getting his hairs cut and just hanging, waiting for us.  Dawn needed to get her student’s grades entered and has had wifi problems doing this.  Very frustrating for the Professor.  She ultimately did finish them in the midst of the screamingly loud Starbucks.  Back to pick TC up, then to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Gallito, where we all porked out.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig.  Snuck a little piece of my favorite candy in for the good of all (sent via special conveyance by Julie “Santa” Pearson) – Theo Ghost Chili.  This is a divinely inspired concoction of caramel wrapped in the darkest chocolate, while it’s top is a generous diagonal of sea salt, with hot chili mixed in.  Loveliest of lovelies.  No waiting for Christmas Day for this shit!

Ghost Chili salted chocolate caramel, Oh Lordy!

All presents have been shipped off to family and friends.  We have a little felt tree courtesy of Joey “Santa” Mount that found us in Florida for last year’s travels, and I have stacked our postal service gifts under it for this year.  Tony already got the book I picked up for him in Banning, “Texas” by Michener.  We loved traveling through Texas this spring and I thought he would enjoy reading about the first settlers, the water issues, fencing, livestock, etc., now that we’ve been there – and may go back.

The rest of the blog today are pics of woodpeckers at Silent Valley.  I’ve never seen so many of these beautiful birds in one place, and they were everywhere.  Animal shamanism says that seeing a woodpecker for instance may mean: a connection to the earth, ability to find hidden layers, warnings, prophecy.  While at Silent Valley, I felt it was quiet enough to shed some layers inside myself, that I don’t need any more.  Time to clean house on my soul, my heart, my mind; center my chakras.

Acorn Woodpecker in tree

Acorn woodpecker on water spout

Acorn woodpecker on water

Acorn woodpecker in tree

Acorn woodpecker on water spigot

I’m feeling and thinking more clearly these days, now that I’ve opened my heart and mind and have allowed myself to be me.  Still my funny, edgy self – but with my spirits and angels around me.  I’m taking a class with a friend on honing my intuition by opening myself to the fact that I have help from the astral world.  Sound kookie to you?  Maybe.  All makes sense to me now.

____________________________________________
December 23, 2012

The last few days I’ve been happy and relaxed.  Happy in the aquamarine pool with a blue sky above, not much wind.  Strolling back and forth between laps in the pool and the hot, hot spa.  Doing laundry in between so all is squeaky. Cleaned Blue from aft to stern in anticipation of seeing friends the Chmielowskis.

Last Wednesday we got a call out of no where from Walt and Grace Chmielowski, from their condo in Palm Desert.  Wonderful!  Got together for a walk and lunch at their place on Thursday, had such a great time.  Walt and Tony worked together for about 20+ years as Pipefitters, and I was Walt’s boss for awhile – much to his annoyance.  His wife Grace is a Polish beauty, tiny little thing, walks four miles a day.  She also is a gracious hostess and makes the best damn banana bread I've ever had.  Lunch was in their gated community Clubhouse – excellent service and food.  Walking back Grace and Walt picked us a bag of lemons and grapefruit, which have turned out to be the sweetest citrus so far.  Next date is to be in our hot spa.

Walter, Grace and Tony

Pool time every day for days on end, got my snorkel gear on to swim laps with (just like friend Paige’s dad Dwayne  - proud to carry on the tradition!), then a couple laps of sidestroke, two of back stroke.  I then walk around the pool twice, then backwards twice.  After that a slide into the hot bubbles and life is goooooood.

 Dinners are kept easy, evenings warm and sweet with small talk, political discussions, phone calls to and from friends and family.  Soon enough, I’m off to jammies and bed, snuggled in with my book and Blackie.  I can even lay my foot up against her and not suffer a paw slash.  Ton Ton stays up doing Sudoku, both paper and electronic, while watching many news channels.

Blackie on the bed - big move!

Blackie and Roku after their fight, Roku shares his blanket

We had a bit of a disaster last Thursday, when he accidentally let Blackie out!  Oh man.  She hadn’t been out before, wanted to be, but we can’t let her out without getting her to a vet to see if she’s fixed and chipped.  Since we can’t pick her up, we’ve procrastinated doing the vet thing.  She’s also extremely skittish so we were afraid with the coyotes, wild dogs that roam the park, rabbits, etc., that she would spook and get lost.  Sweet Tony stayed up until 3:00 AM waiting for her to come back, went out 20 times or so to look in the bushes with his flashlight, calling and calling for her.  Right, finding two black cats in the dark.  Mmhm.  At 2:30 AM Roku decided to go out again, and came back later…with Blackie right behind her.   I, for once, stayed calm and let him handle it all.  When he came to bed at three, I got up and enjoyed the quiet, glad all was back to normal.

Alex is always a part of my day, for which I am very thankful.  She’s been crazy sick this last week, poor thing.  If she had health insurance I’d feel so much better.  I’m proud of her work ethics and longevity at her severely underpaid job.  She and Jack sent me a very sweet birthday card with two different kinds of gum:

Gum for my birthday from Alex

HA HA!!!  She also told me I’m a great mom and she’s glad I’m in her life.  More warming of the heart for this mother.

Today I made our mom’s Ring Around cookies, in the spirit of Christmas, and to try and learn from Grace and be a gracious host.  We spent pool time with Grace and Walt, mostly in that good old hot spa.  Had another lovely day talking and sharing memories.  Finally got to show someone Blue in all her glory – they like her!  Me too.

Mom's Ringaround cookies

Although I’m not really connecting with Christmas much in the sun here, I did buy a pile of gifts for Tony and I, thanks to my seesters Dawn and Maureen, who gave me gift certifs for Amazon.  I got two sets of aquatic barbells for pool exercise; the movies Red and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (American version);  the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire; and the only book missing from my Jack Reacher series, Die Trying.  So excited.

One event I did miss however, was the annual Christmas gathering at my Aunt Naomi and Uncle Keith’s condo on Lake Washington.  They were also celebrating  their 65th Anniversary.  Amazing people, who shared an amazing message: “Speak kindly to one another.  There’s no reason to be mean.”  Aunt Naomi is my dad’s little sister, was a cheerleader at Highline High School 50 years before I graduated from the same school.  They had four girls around the same age as us five Plourd kids, lost their eldest, Alexis, last year; their second youngest, Robin, my pal, some years ago.  Devastated them of course.  Their two remaining are Gwen and Natalie, wonderful mothers with wonderful kids and husbands.  None of us get together often enough, and Aunt Naomi is the matriarch who always makes sure her family comes together.  Seester Dawn spent a delightful evening chasing her granddaughters Elliott and Siri Grace, to the delight of all.  My two brothers, Bernie and Ken, with their beautiful wives, Ronna and Wendy were there as well.  They all watched the Christmas boat parade as it motored between the condo and Bill Gateses house across the lake.  Aunt Naomi and Uncle Keith snowbird in Palm Desert so we will see them when they get back after the first of the year.

We will be moving Wednesday, our last two weeks at Cat Spa it for the winter, unfortunately.  I’m feeling itchy feet these days though, and am looking forward to traveling.  We think we’re going to Quartzsite, if it’s warm enough.  Tony wants to see what his older brother Pete found so intriguing about the town.  We’ve heard it is jammed in Jan with all sorts of gem and RV shows, music – sounds like fun to us.  We also need to do some research on warm places in New Mexico and Arizona as well.

December 29, 2012

We had spent a wonderful, warm, funny, delectable Christmas with Rose, Doug, Stacy, Doug, Jr., Kaleb, K??? (sorry, can't remember), Ryan, Rose’s beautiful sister Margaret and her husband Steve, and their son Matt and his wife Yushiko (sp?).  I gotta tell ya’, those four boys are not only remarkable with their unique personalities and talents, but they love their parents and can talk with adults.  They are grateful and kind, and VERY funny.  Our introduction to them at their current ages – 17 -12 – was a video they made of a song they all wrote together…and it WAS GOOD!   The company, the food (prime rib roast), the weather and the close proximity to Desert Hot Springs made it a grand day.  Rose gave Tony the very special gift of a print she made of their family cabin on Lopez.

We arrived in Ehrenberg, AZ, about two minutes across the Cali border from Blythe, on December 26th.  We’re staying at our club rate at the Colorado River  RV Park.  We’re  not on the river but have a nice spot where Roku can roam.  It’s not crowded here and everyone is sorta friendly.  Pissed off the pool doesn’t work.

We’ve been taking lots of loopy drives to get a feel for the area, which is flat desert land that leads to stunning hills and mountains.  Lots of wide blue sky, fluffy clouds, black clouds, flat clouds; at sunset there are beautiful reds, pinks, yellows and white.  Went to Quartzsite yesterday and marveled at the 1000’s of RV’s already in place – both at parks and boondocking (dry camping) – and the festivities haven’t even started yet.  Lots of vendors selling all sorts of stuff lining up, rock shops, gem shops, a few restaurants.  I guess it all explodes mid January, and we may come back for that.  It was an interesting walk through anyway.

Today we took Cali’s 95 north to the town of Parker, which had been recommended to us as pretty cool.  It, too, is on the Colorado River with MANY RV parks.  The name of the game in this part of AZ is ATV – they are everywhere in the desert and up and down the hills.  I think the second part to this area is in the summer the river is probably very well used.  It’s got such a beauty here, it’s hard to describe.  As the sun moves around the sky and behind those variegated clouds, the mountain/hills change dramatically from shadow to light – very stunning.  Took us a few hours on the loop back to Quartzsite then home, but we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.  Me driving, of course.  Keeps the virulent arguments down to a dull roar, as my dad would say.

Friend Julie arrives the 7th so we will be heading back to south of the Salton Sea the 2nd – 6th, settling into the Cathedral Palms in Cathedral (Cat) City on the 7th.  We’ll then pick Julie up at the airport, bring her to her luxury hotel, get her settled in, spend time at the pool, maybe, and plan her week in Palm Springs.  She’s never been here before so it will be fun for her to experience the tram to the San Jacinto mountains, downtown Palm Springs – sitting in the sun at a coffee shop and watching the world go by, checking out the thrift stores, picking up mail in Desert Hot Springs (DHS).  Will be a fun week indeed, and a much needed respite for Julie.

I’m in daily contact with my spirit guides and angels, thanks to my class on this subject.  I’m finding it’s an easy transition to embrace this new outlook, once I opened my heart and mind.  I know it probably sounds wacky to some who have known me a long time.  The majority of what I’m finding, however, is that so many people believe what I do, so it’s not so shocking to anyone.  Many religions talk with angels, have a close personal relationship with Jesus or god or the holy spirit – I’m not so far off the rest of the spiritual world.

I’m two lessons behind in my class and will catch up tonight on the Mac which won’t be a streaming problem.  I utilized another tidbit from the same website, The Daily Om, about clearing my chakras and aura – I’ve been feeling the need for that and here were the instructions!  So I rode my very cool bike down to the river, laid down in the sun on a picnic table, and envisioned a spigot on each of my chakras opening up to let all the anxiety, fear, anger, confusion, judgement streaming OUT of me, then filling up again with that chakra’s color – well, I couldn’t remember each color so I filled back up with clear, white light…..then closing the spigot back up.  I also asked that all the darkness be cleared from my aura, replacing it with clear, white.  Getting up and riding around the park I felt renewed; that evening and the next few days have been remarkable – increased energy, clarity, feeling positive, confident.  That same night as I was lying in bed with my usual book, picking my nose – I suddenly has a tremendous nose bleed.  Tony had to Google it to get the remedy of a wet, cold washcloth over my nose, and leaning forward while pinching your nostrils – for ten minutes!  It worked in spades.  I wondered, though, having not had a nose bleed in probably 30 years, if cleansing my chakras and aura had initiated the nose bleed.

The next morning at get up I took my glucose level and my blood pressure.  149/101 and 281 – both a terrible indication of wrong.  Not sure if  I’ve mentioned it before, but my doc had recommended putting me on BP and diabetes meds because of the slow trend of both numbers rising in my blood work for the last five years.  I was gobsmacked.  That was last year and I refused to take more meds (already on anti-depressants, cholesterol and thyroid meds) until I got more answer and tried to resolve these issues myself.  The other three health issues are just my body and family history so not much I can do to improve them.  BP and diabetes, although also in my family, is more the result of no exercise, weight gain and not eating enough greens – that’s my theory anyway.

So I went to the UW Diabetic Clinic, the result being that I needed to lose weight and eat more greens – but they felt my glucose level was low enough that I could make a big difference with it myself.  They also were very suspicious of a steroid I was taking to shock my low cortisol back into shape – it also causes higher BP and increased glucose numbers.  Leaving on our trip in August of 2011, I felt very confident that with our new lifestyle I would definitely be more active and eat more greens.  The reality was that when we returned home in May of 2012, I had lost about 13 lbs and we were more active – but it wasn’t enough.

My next annual in July showed the numbers were still rising, and my doc was very concerned that I was refusing the meds again.  I told him I could DO this, I’d lost the 13, I would just continue with the Serotonin Diet and lose 50 more.  After a summer of promising myself to walk or bike or roller skate, and didn’t, these two health issues have weighed heavily on my mind and body.

My mind goes in a circle about my weight gain – when, exactly did this happen?  I’ve been thin my whole life, even during pregnancy, and then the weight just CAME ON.  When?  My mind slips around.  I’m pretty sure it is a side effect of the anti-depressants I’ve been taking for about 15 years, but I also think that perimenopause and menopause, as well as my mistreatment by Kistler at WSF.  OK, so maybe all three are the cause – so what?!  How does that change the fact that as the weight came on, I did nothing to prevent it?  What was I thinking?  I mean, I did do Weight Watchers for a few months and saw modest loss.  I worried about the weight more than anything.  There was such a big surge of fat around Kistler’s time, I can’t pinpoint what happened.  I’ve occupied and delayed myself with this circular thinking so as to put off making a real decision.

I worry about this a lot, even though I’m very active and I don’t think about my fatness a lot as I try not to look in the mirror or in windows when I pass.  I think that’s all called denial.  I admit to being fat, and would love to be healthy and fit.  Blah, blah, blah.   I did ask one of my spirit guides about my health as that guide is my health guide, and seem to be shown the direction of getting my health under control, then work on this conundrum of mental chaos and denial I’m in.

So I emailed Dr. Lori Nelson, my nurse practitioner, who I had seen – and loved – before I left Poulsbo.  I told her that I had been researching BP and diabetic meds as she suggested and had decided to take them.  I also told her of the deep shame and guilt I feel over not having done the right things by losing weight, being consciously active, eating more greens.  She said “Give those thoughts up and concentrate on making the right decisions.”  She’s called in a low dose script for the BP med, but asks that I find a specialist down here for the diabetes stuff, so I got a referral from my home doc for an endocrinologist in the valley.  I feel now, after making this decision and discussing it with Tony, still shamed about my weight and health – shit, five medications at 56!  -  but relieved that I’ve finally made a decision.

December 5, 2013

Arrived at the suggested Oasis Palms RV Park in Thermal, CA.  I feel as though I'm in a magic bubble surrounding this beautiful place that used to be a citrus orchard.  Thereby, all the trees on this wonderful property are orange, lemon and grapefruit - in abundance.  We had fresh orange juice this morning and I am rich in lemons.  And oh! they're SO damn good.

Everyone is friendly and helpful, there is another cat that roams, Louie, who belongs to a very nice man.  A blues guitar player entertained the other night, happy hour at the fire pit (in front of the pond!) is every day at 4:00.  It draws quite a crowd of happy campers, and we will be a part of it tonight.

We are happy and content here with a pool area full of Canadians having a ball, a beautiful 80 degree pool, and 102 degree hot tub.  Everyone has stories to tell, of course, and we're soaking it all in as we soak in the crystal blue waters.  All around are those shadowed mountains and sun, sun, sun.