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Borrego Springs, CA

Sunday, August 14, 2011

A new name, a good deed, and dreaming

What a surprise this morning when Robyn called and told me her family was coming out for a visit.  She, Dennis, and the girls haven’t been out to my site for two months.  That’s mostly because of their busy schedules, the hot and muggy weather, and the NEW POOL!  Smile  This morning dawned cool and overcast with intermittent showers, so it was a good day for them to come out.  Especially since I now have a working awning.

A couple of weeks ago, their youngest, Phoebe, started using the word belt.  At just about two years old she has a pretty large vocabulary, but, as is normal, she uses single words.  She hasn’t matured enough to put several words together yet.  Her older sister, Avery, calls me Grandma Bell, but Phoebe can’t do that yet.  So, we finally figured out that her name for me is “belt”.  If she sees a little white car, she calls out belt!    So, I’ve got a new name.  Maybe I should call her buckle??  People have called me many things in my life (some of them not printable, I’m sure), but belt?  I can think of worse things…

My nearest neighbors here at the campground only come on intermittent weekends.  When the raccoons took off with Emma’s water dish many weeks ago, I noticed that these neighbors always leave both their black and grey tank valves fully open as I went hunting for the dish.  Those of us that RV a lot know that leaving the black tank valve open is a major mistake.  The liquids drain out, but a pyramid of solid waste can build up in the black water tank, turn to cement, and cause a very unpleasant problem.  I finally had a chance this morning to broach this touchy subject with the husband.  He had no idea, and just assumed everything would drain out.  Chalk up one good deed for me!  

After my company left this afternoon, I perused my road atlas, and began dreaming about future travels.  I’m thinking that next summer I’d like to visit Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and do the UP trip in Michigan that I couldn’t take this year.  I’d also like to get some fresh lobster on the coast of Maine, and maybe visit Vermont again.  Dreaming with my paper atlas book always perks up my spirits.

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I bought a batch of gladiolas at the grocery store yesterday so I could enjoy their blooms.  They did just fine in my adjustable plastic vase until this afternoon.  You know how leggy gladiola stalks are, and about 3:00, the vase collapsed, and the water spilled all over the counter and floor.  I’ve now put them in a glass vase and inserted that into a bucket outside.  Hopefully the winds won’t be strong enough to knock them down again. 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

21 comments:

  1. good for you for informing your neighbour of correct tank dumping procedures!

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  2. Good job keeping those rookies in check. You are always welcome for a night or two if you decide to go to the UP. Our cottage is right on the way.

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  3. My Grandma's favorite flowers were 'Glads' she always had them in her garden :)

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  4. Doesn't Phoebe know that she should call you Grandma Bird Lady? :) Well, Belt is a good name, too. I'm with you on the atlas map and dreaming about future trips!

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  5. I hoope the little one continues to call you "Belt." That will have such special meanings when she is a young adult. Very cool!

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  6. Belt is a wonderful name. I hope she continues with it because it is so unique. I had my atlas out today also. Trying to figure out how we're going to be going when we head back towards AZ. I've come up with several different ways. So now I get to pick one or two and try them out on Streets and Trips.

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  7. Pardon my ignorance, but what is the UP? I get that it's in Michigan but that's all. I like the sounds of Grandma Belt.

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  8. You'll love the UP. We traveled the shores of Lake Superior last year and would love to get back up that way. Wouldn't mind getting into some of that lobster up Maine way, also. Take care, Gam'ma Belt!

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  9. We will be happy to share our parking lot if you make it this way and we're still here. :)

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  10. loving your stories about the Grand babies ===so cute.

    Think about coming to Canada next summer, that will give you something to ponder. We have a hook up for you and maybe we have some birds you haven't seen before.

    Take Care Grandma Belt
    Brenda

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  11. I like the name Belt! All of our kids called my Mom "Cookie Grandma" because she made Chocolate Chip Cookies all the time while their other grandma didn't. Kids are smart!

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  12. I hope it is not to late for your neighbor, but is was nice to let him know.

    I think it would be cute to call her buckle, as least for a little while.

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  13. Belt has a nice ring to it! She knows that you're somebody special to her and she's always on the lookout for you. That's a great place to be, the special person in a grandaughter's life. :c)

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  14. A good deed indeed... We are headed to the new England area next summer too... maybe even Nova Scotia. Have fun dreaming of places to go & they will come true!
    Travel safe
    Donna

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  15. I hope that if we make mistakes like that, some kind seasoned RVer will give us a word of advice.

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  16. Love it that you have a new name! My Indiana grands call me Mimi, the 3 in Sugar Grove call me Grama, but they also have a German Oma and Opa...and our neighbor's grama is Greek, so she is Ya Ya...Isn't it neat all of the names for us old broads???

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  17. You did what is called a mitzvah by our friends in the Jewish community. Boy Scouts call it a good deed. We call it a wonderful help you gave your neighbors. Thanks, Belt, for spreading the good word!

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  18. Hey, Belt. I love it, has such a direct sound.

    Gettysburg and the UP - when I read those magic words, I had to comment. Just yesterday, Odel and I were reminiscing about last year's travels, which included both those spots. Though we are not at all Civil War buffs, we really wished we had spent more time in Gettysburg - it is SO powerful and evocative. And the UP - well, we love the shore of Lake Superior, so many beautiful places along there. See, your trip planning has made ME excited!

    Safe travels.

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  19. Must have been atlas day. I had mine out, too. Time to plan for shoulder season travels, I guess. I think we may be going by way of Denver this fall--maybe stop and see some friends there. Maybe. :)

    We enjoyed the UP, Gettysburg, and Maine. One of the interesting things we saw in Maine was a reversing waterfall. That's what you get when the fall is low enough for the river to flow one way then the tide turns it the other way. I'd never heard of that before but apparently it is common where rivers meet oceans.

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  20. I had really hoped to see the UP of Michigan this year but didn't make it. Maybe next year or the year after. I spent lots of time visiting Gettysburg, Fredricksburg & Antietam when I lived in Northern Virginia. Gettysburg was getting too touristy about the time I moved, but I really loved Antietam where I walked the battlefield, starting where the fighting took place 1st thing in the morning, and reached the woods where an ambush took place in late afternoon. By the time I reach those cool dark woods I really expected an ambush! Must have been scary when it happened.

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  21. Neat name, I'm called Nonnie by my Grandkids.
    I think that UP is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. some one correct me if I'm wrong. Beautiful Glads, and I would hope that someone let me know if I am doing something wrong. RVers are the BEST!

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