chasing the dream....

 ...I don't have many earthly aspirations, but I do like a good night's sleep.  Lack of it has been the bane of my existence, my Trial in Life.  Considering that I had babies and toddlers for a solid 24 years, the span from Emily's birth to when Camille was two, sleep was elusive and I craved it, longed for it.  

Now, we have two cats and two dogs, and one Orange Guy in particular likes to go out at around four or five a.m.  Since I am a nice person, I get up quickly, so he won't wake them all up too, which leads to...why am I the only one who hears his desperately loud mewing?!  

This fine morning at five, this dark rainy morning, Suri heard me coming down the hallway and decided that she also needed to go out.  She's old and feeble, watching her gingerly hop down the steps is painful.  I went right out onto the front porch, cold wet feet, and urged her to Go Potty, praised her, then what did she do?  She ambled right past me, like an old black bear, and wandered into the side yard to check things out, in no particular hurry.  

When she was finally back in, with a miniature little dog treat because she is precious, even though she listens when she feels like it, I got back in my warm comfy bed.  Wide awake.  

Anyway, such drama, ha.  One of my other dreams is having a camper.  It's funny because we went like this through the years:  tent, pop-up camper, huge-0 35 ft camper, back to the tent...now we're considering a hybrid camper, hard sided with a pop out bed at the end.  

I love camping.  Paul seems to enjoy it, but he would probably live out his years here happily enough if he never went again, ha.  For some reason though, for the last few years I've had this dream of camping through our older years...he and I and the pups, maybe a grandchild or two...seems/sounds so relaxing, after the crazy camping trips with all sixteen of the kids.  (But for the record, I have no regrets, I loved those camping trips....you'd no sooner get breakfast cleaned up, all the kids dressed, sit back to relax, when the Can we go to the beach now? started up.  They would bring their bikes and you'd have to keep track of who went with who and when they should be back, the treks to the bathhouse, the sand everywhere!  

Anyway.  Having a camper has been one of my dreams.  A small, easily towable, functional, no bells nor any whistles, model.  I found one.  It's a 2013, has been stored inside, well taken care of, comes with a solar panel, the tires are good, we can tow it with our Nissan pick-up.  It has one rear pop out bed, then a front dinette that folds down, and a long couch.  The refrigerator is tiny, there's no sink in the bathroom, and the holding tanks are small.  It's within our price range, and I actually offered less and am waiting to hear back from the guy.

I've been looking at campers for several years now, so I know what I like and what's a good deal.  The problem is, we can be so greedy.  Paul agreed we can get this camper, this perfectly modest and delightful little camper, but oh dear!  Oh my!  There are some gorgeous campers for a bit more money!  Newer ones, with bells AND whistles!  This is something I've noticed about myself time and again though, and I hate hate hate it.  I am bound and determined to be super thankful, and not wish for more or better.  

In a way, we're programmed like this for a reason, we have grown and developed from the beginning of time, if we were satisfied with life as it was, we'd still be eating raw meat and living in caves.  Would we even have the wheel, much less cars, buses, and airplanes?  To want the latest and the best-est though, it can go too far, and spoil our joy in simple things.  

So on Friday, I am going to look at, and maybe purchase, my little dream camper.  I have campground reservations for one weekend in June, and for Labor Day weekend, and will hopefully stay in it for our church summer conference.  Not sleeping in the tent:  yay!!!!  Having the camper bathroom for those middle-of-the-nights, yay!!!!  Maybe I'll do sleepovers in the yard with grandchildren, too.  Or fit in a middle of the week trip here and there up on Lake Ontario.  

It's ugly, this little dream camper.  The seat cushions are brown and more brown in a hideous pattern, as if the designer hated everyone.  

See?  Ugly.  The flooring clashes, too.  What do I see though?  Possibilities.  A trip to the fabric store.  Maybe some leftover flooring from our living room project...one thing I love though are all the big windows, especially the front one.  A lot of the newer campers have phased those out.  

Tomorrow the carpet guy is coming to install the stair carpeting.  I'm very excited about that!  

Yesterday I painted some of the upper cabinet doors in the kitchen.  I did the lower ones last week, same color, just a clean new coat.  I have a few more to do, but the upper ones are harder, so I saved some for another day.  

In the evening, we had rented a huge gymnastics gym for our activity club, and it was so much fun.  I played catch with Tennyson, and walked around and watched the kids jump and climb and do flips.

I only took two pictures!  Josh and Lydia, and baby cousins Denzel and Blythe

On Monday after the pool, I picked up Anya and Elise, and friend Linnea, for some baking fun. 

cinnamon rolls...I forgot to add the egg to the mixture, saw it sitting there on the counter when they were in the oven rising...oops.  The kids thought they were good anyway.

They made the bagels, and I took a tiny taste, so good! 

It's a dark and chilly day, and I have no plans.  I skipped the pool today because of a runny nose...and sneezing.  You can't bring tissues into the pool.  I don't feel awful, but...I don't actually feel great either.  I haven't had a basic head cold in ages.  I usually fight them off, feel like I've been fighting this off for days and days, it may have won.  

Ah well...have a really nice day...oh, and my sister seems to be doing well over in Australia!  She's been to the beach, and out to dinner, and is enjoying those little Aussie grandchildren!  :)