Compassion on the Road!

What an AMAZING trip so far!!!! I am blown away about how much we are all living and soaking up!! I have so many pics for you all I am going to have to edit a slide show or something! But today's topic is the COMPASSION and GRACIOUSNESS of the people with whom we are interacting on the road. We started this adventure with a rough sketch of where we wanted to go and who we needed to see. I say "needed" because there are hundreds of people nationwide we would LOVE to spend all kinds of time with. However, time and money does not permit all of this. So there are some major family members on this list that we MUST visit. Having said that, along this route have fallen people - some of whom we know and some we do not - who have extended themselves to us in such beautiful ways. For example:

This crazy crew (names withheld to protect the innocent!!!) in NJ who got us a permit to park on their street, fed us and enchanted us with hours of great play and conversation.

These guys (also in NJ), who said,"Why don't you throw in some laundry?", hung out in the backyard with us even though favorite soccer games were on TV, sewed with us and helped us add paint to the bus.

These guys in Cincinnati, who fed us delightful meals, let us play with their bees, chickens and fish, allowed us to free their dog (multiple times!) without judgement and filled our minds with wonderful things to think about.

And this family in Kansas - who interrupted their intensely paced lives to demonstrate for us what true courage, kinship and country heart can look like. It has been an honor and a genuine pleasure. And this is not to mention the hundreds of kind gestures from total strangers. Cindy and Brianna in Brooklyn with their awesome painted trailer who have been on the road homeschooling for 2 years and 8 months!!! We chatted forever about roadlife and homeschooling, kids and travel and she made me lists of helpful websites for our journey. Bernadette and Deana at the Scenic Hills Care Center in Ferdinand, IN - who not only fed us and anyone in town dinner to honor the 175th Anniversary of Ferdinand, but chauffered us back to the bus so we wouldn't get soaked in the rain walking! It is clear that the people in this facility know good care. And Penny in Cincinnati who made sure we took advantage of the local pool and sprinkle park on a hot day. Our camp host Ryan in Milford State Park in Kansas who sat with us and entertained the children with big fish stories from his Catfishing business (fb Prime Time Catfishing). There are many, many examples of kind people and gestures as we head out "Into the Woods" and we are grateful for each one and will carry them with us forever. And we look forward to the ones still to come...

See y'all out there on the highway of life!

PAINT!!!!

Sitting in a Walmart parking lot in St. Louis right now and I feel I need to back up and add a few posts from the last few days. PAINT was a big deal before we left. Some people came over to do some painting on the bus. I had all these expectations I didn't know I had about what the painting should look like until my kids stumbled across them! I came around the corner with a painting adult to find the kids had hijacked the red paint and painted gore, blood and guts down the ocean side in and around the sharks' mouths!!!! I was so agahst and when I reacted I could see the disappointed look on my son's face...thinking he had painted something amazing. I took a breath and a minute and then explained to him that we couldn't roll into towns with blood and gore all over the bus...our reception might not be as welcome. Over the day much paint was added and I eventually was able to let go of all the things that were taking the mural in different directions. Even the gore. I painted over it and a short while later the two year old actually pushed a chair up to the bus when I was busy on the other side and repainted the blood!!! Two years old and saying "It's bloody, mom. It's bloody." HOW DOES SHE EVEN KNOW THAT?!?!? In any case, there it sits - as a reminder that life is NEVER what you expect! Here are the additions...

Totally fun stuff! Even some painting inside the bus at 2am while kids were sleeping :) Well, Ventura...and the whole world, actually - HERE WE GO!!!!!

Road Prep

So safety on the road is a real concern. No, we won't be wearing bike helmets all the way, but we are making sure we have all the seatbelts installed that we need, door and hatch locks, etc. But stranger safety is also a big concern that we ALL need to work on. When we were preparing to make this trip many people worried that we were taking our kids out into the big, dangerous world. We pondered this question when shortly thereafter a very angry man knocked at our door one day with intent to harm. This definitely shifted our perspective! So we proceed with the idea that anger and hatred can land anywhere, especially where you invite it. That there is a fine line to be walked between we-are-all-one love for all and do NOT thread on me or this will go badly for you. Not a line really that you can find and pin down with GPS, not really oppositional places at all actually. I believe they coexist. We can all be one and love one another and still understand that people are human and get angry or get themselves into mentally awful places and do stupid things to be avoided. So the fine line is actually a moment to moment series of choices that creates an unseen path.

This place became EXTREMELY evident yesterday when I encountered another extremely angry man in the parking lot of the local grocery store. We almost collided in the parking lot and his car came to a screeching halt. I had pulled in front of him not seeing his tiny car behind a larger truck and since he was speeding through the parking lot. Initially I stepped out of the car to apologize for not seeing him. When he stepped out and towered over me at more than 6 feet and probably 350lbs, anger outweighing all that in spades, I realized I had made a huge mistake. I proceeded to apologize through his swears and insults. Then, the reality of the huge mistake happened. My 72 year old father with Alzheimers stepped out of the car and proceeded to defend my honor. The man was three times the size of my father, but this did not matter. When in papa bear mode my father can match sailor tongues with the best of them - and he did. I begged the large man, in my not-so-whispery voice, saying "Please, he has Alzheimer's!". "I don't give a &%^$ what he has!" At this, an 85 year old Vietnam Vet with long white hair and a white beard stepped in. Truthfully, the whole thing would have been comical if it weren't so terrifying. I stood in the center of the three men trying to throw reason into an increasingly building fire. It culminated in the large man hitting the Vet with my arms and body, the vet screaming "He assaulted me!!! Call the police!!", a few more pleas from me to just get in his car and go and, finally, calm. Shaking, I turned to face my father, the two babies in the car and an epic grocery trip I probably should have abandoned!

So what is to be gained from this? Well, I later took a few amazing paddles (as directed by my healer sisters) that has sent ripples of love throughout my family. But having this happen just prior to our departure will certainly make me more reserved in my quick judgements - thinking I can fix anything and make it better. ESPECIALLY when in the presence of my children or my dad! And now, a few pics of the wind down to departure.

Doughnuts for George Rody, more building out and FRIENDS!!!! FIVE DAYS TIL DEPARTURE!!!!! See you on the TRIP side! S.

Countdown to BLAST OFF!

We are getting rather close to our DESIRED departure date (JUNE 11th!!!) and trying not to totally STRESS OUT! If the JOURNEY is the DESTINATION, then I know that these days are as important as the ones to come. Today was an excellent reminder of this. It poured BUCKETS of rain on the roof and as we ran in circles getting things done and mopping up the water streaming in through the roof hatch (I think there are maple tree helicopters jammed in the vents - gotta check that!) I caught myself and my tone with the kids. I went into mom and dad's house to take a break and interact with everyone and it was a moment I will carry with me always. The kids were laughing and engaging with my parents and my parents were equally enjoying themselves in ways that wouldn't have happened if we hadn't parked in their driveway. I may inadvertently paint our lives as being rosy and sunshiny trying to focus on the positive and the inspiration, but there are definite swings as with every family. This, however, was a moment that made it all seem important and worthwhile. Confirmation that we are on the right track - which is not something you get all the time. At least not if you (me) are too caught up in everything else.

These two, of course, share a brain. Equally enjoyable to spending time with my parents has been spending time with the various community around them. Their friends and neighbors, most of whom I've known all my life. Being here on a daily basis means visiting with the same people they visit with - something I wouldn't do unless at a family wedding, funeral, etc. How could I not consider these people my friends? They know me often better than I know myself. And spending time with them is like wearing familiar gloves or breathing in the scents of a childhood blanket. I am so blessed to know them now as an adult.

And there is always the ever-precious cousin time. (Ask me sometime about my outfit here. It is an AWESOME story!!!)

We have decided to sneak this one onto the bus with us :)

There is also the occasional visit from the animal world. Luckily so far it has only been a dog, a sparrow, some ants/bees/spiders, and a few chickens and roosters. We have even gotten an egg laid in the back window by our bed...twice! Talk about breakfast in bed!

The roof of the bus got hosed off and scrubbed.

Some muddy children got hosed off.

My husband got hosed off.

And then there was paint.

And a little man far too eager to assist.

Right now we are just trying to streamline things and get ourselves in a good position for the end of the school year and the shove off. Adding some shelving and storage, thinning out non-essentials, fixing a leaky toilet, paperless billing, adding an occasional paint splotch. Should you wish to see the bus we may not have time to entertain, but would love to see you just the same if you don't take offense to us working while you're here. Any adults interested in adding paint to our work-in-progress bus canvas, feel free. The paint is on a wagon in the barn and there are some roof sun rays that need painting, a Ganesh trunk on the front, some faeries, bugs, flowers, fish, etc. Children also welcome who don't require my supervision or direction (I already have too many of those and cannot divert my attention!).

Thanks for walking through our crazy woods with us! I'll keep you posted. See you on the trip side!!!