This fine morning, I went to the pool. I like to get there nice and early, and walk backwards in neck deep water, then forwards, do leg kicks, warm up, get the blood flowing, it's wonderful. It is not wonderful that Rich is no longer there. It's a vast emptiness.
After our swim class, some of us went out to breakfast at the little place in town. None of us has ever had anything there we didn't love. Today, I had scrambled eggs and crispy hash browns, and raisin toast. They make their own bread, so how can you say no toast, please. ? You can't. The coffee is delicious, and part of that diner experience, to have it topped off again and again, ahh.
On our agenda was to talk about Rich. I told the story of the girl named after him, the baby he delivered at the county fair, and met up with at work a few decades later, she was named Richelle...I thought it was Richalene, but it was Richelle. Small world. Others shared jokes he told and we agreed that although he was gruff sometimes, when he laughed heartily, it was fantastic. One of the ladies told me that he said to her a few times that I reminded him of Laura in the Little House on The Prairie show. Okay, but typical. He also told me not long ago that I looked like a marshmallow, but not a big white one, a toasty one. Because of my tan. (Just to be clear, he was much older, and like a kindly father figure, a grandfatherly guy.)
Sitting around drinking our coffee and confessing our guilt was therapeutic. Oh you know the guilt I speak of: each of us had some examples of things we should have noticed, or did notice, or a text we didn't answer. We talked about having someone, a person, to confide in so as to not bear burdens alone.
We laughed and we teared up, and it was good.
After saying our goodbyes, I headed out to do my camping shopping. I stopped at the thrift store first, because it's been a while. I dawdled and meandered, and came up with an adorable $4.99 shirt for me that had the right colored ticket to be half off, two books for me (one is by Anne Tyler, love her!), a baby animals book, and five vintage Corelle Christmas plates with winter sleigh scenes, 99 cents each. I know, I know, we need to downsize, not buy more plates. But, if you go by the toss if it doesn't bring you joy philosophy, shouldn't you buy if it DOES bring you joy?
I should have packing for camping just down pat by now. When something is just habit, it's easy to mess up because maybe you're not thinking very hard about it anymore. Having a camper makes it so much easier, there are already plates and forks and pans, the coffee grinder (even with no electricity, we freshly grind our coffee each morning! We can plug it into the truck, or turn on the generator.), mugs and garbage bags, paper towels, all the fun stuff in there. The refrigerator is plugged in (it switches to propane) and when I got back from the store, I just loaded it up. Sausages and eggs, cheese, grapes, strawberries, chicken, protein bread, cream.
It is a game changer, having a camper. I left my bedding in there this summer, extra stuff. But I washed the sheets and my duvet cover, have to bring them back out tomorrow before we leave.
After this final camping trip for the year, we will have to bring everything in. I'll leave dishes and coffee mugs, but no bedding or food of course.
I don't bring the Macbook camping, and now it's Tuesday morning and we're packing up in a few hours. I have several loads of stuff to carry out still, and Paul is working right now (his real job), and I missed the girls before they left for work, they would have taken some out for me. The way our house is designed, there are stairs. A full staircase from the deck, or half a flight out the front door, but then down the sidewalk so a longer lug. (What WERE we thinking?!)
Speaking of that, we do have some downsizing plans. We have not done anything towards those yet, but we do have the idea to sell this huge monstrosity of a house and build a granny suite behind Emily's house. My idea: a huge-0 rectangle, as big as we can afford, with two small bedrooms, two small full baths, some storage, and one big all purpose room (kitchen/living room), for gathering. We hope to expand their driveway, and they have a nice big yard....so hopefully a pool. We'll see.
Anyway. I'll be off frolicking in the lake, throwing the stick for Sunny. It's when I miss Suri the most, because they had this thing they did...they would both chase that stick out into the water, Suri would slow down and let Sunny do the work, then when Sunny was coming back in with it, Suri would chomp down on it too, and they would both swim back with the stick.
I'll be getting that wonderful camping sleep, not actually comfortable, but just so satisfying. Waking up and having that stove right in the camper to put the coffee water kettle on, sometimes Paul gets up and makes me a coffee and I drink it right in bed...the beds are the tent ends that stick out on both sides, you can unzip them totally and get lots of fresh air, unless it's raining. But there are windows you can open in the rain and still stay dry. We are right on the lake, so it will be lovely. It can be windy sometimes, but it's worth it.
One thing worth mentioning: I am SUPER thankful for my mobility, wonky as it is. Walking out into the lake ahhh, it's something I pictured myself not being able to do, back when I could not take one step without the walker then the cane. I couldn't remember, back in the dead of winter, whether our camper had the little handle next to the door so I could somehow heave myself up the steps, (it was covered, so I couldn't even have someone check)(it does!)...as I looked forward to warmer weather, I didn't know if I would be able to function on a camping trip, and look at me, I can! It's the best feeling, and I can't stop being thankful for it.
Being up at the lake is full of nostalgia for me, my parents loved Lake Ontario. We camped there when I was growing up, then they bought a camp just ten or so miles south of where we'll be. My sister also loved this lake, last year she actually made it up there for a visit, which I treasure in my memory. The best camping trip ever was when she went with her seven girls and I went with my first ten kids and one niece, without Bill or Paul because they had to work. A whole week! I miss her terribly.
So I won't take my time there for granted. I'll look up at the stars, illuminated without the glare of city lights, and I'll remember my father telling us about the endless galaxies. By the fire, I'll remember my mother and her absolute joy at a building a good fire.
My brother and his wife will be up there this week too. And, Benjamin and Ashley with Anya, Elise and Declan. Margaret and Adrian will be up for the weekend with Wulf, Tenny, and Blythe, and Kathryn will bring her four up on Saturday too. Molly might come on Friday with Lydia, Ophelia, and Declan. I never said it would be quiet, ha.
You all have a good week, enjoy the summer days...
