Simply, Lesa

This guy....as I watch from the ridge his rig seems to be sinking or mighty close to it. The other picture is everything I own as I straighten up to have pictures taken of Vantucket and the Scamp!

Really I am not fickle! Really I Simply roll with life's punches! And Really I Simply keep it simple. .. So when there is a new van repair sound I really Simply go get more information as soon as possible. ... Ozzie and I are enjoying a breakfast burrito of eggs cheese and potatoes with black coffee at Trip Advior's Carmen's Kitchen. While our dirty laundry spins away at Soap n Suds next door and all this just steps from Larry's front end and tire shop....where Vantucket awaits her turn in a bay for diagnosis of the strange shake and sound that developed a couple days ago. It's Simply a pleasant adventure that is allowing me to wonder about what next adventures I would prefer... Like peppered with less tinkering of the kind I am uncomfortable with.  And more sprinkled with an afternoon's chillin with a glass of organic wine while watching the sunset after a days hiking and exploring some kewl place I've never seen before. .. Where will we be next? ...

Stuff. We all know what that is.  We have it or had it or think we need it or hate that it owns us or get more or give it away or sell it or walk away from it....garages are filled with it so are kids rooms and storage lockers and facilities or the trunk of our cars ... What is all this stuff how does it get where it does and how do we process our relationship with all that stuff! Personally I have a love hate relationship with stuff. I'm an artist and a traveler. I see beauty all around in and including stuff. ..like a feather or seashell or blanket Stuff can make life enjoyable. Sometimes minimal stuff is an unknown creative freedom! Many people who have tried letting go of stuff and have taken a minamalist approach for a while agree with me that less can be so much more. Check out The Minimaists . At my age, I have learned to watch for my own life patterns. I seem to have more stuff when I am feeling poorly than I feel that I need when I am very happy and feeling well. Per...

My being sick and hospitalized recently .... I have to grow my own food. I don't see how I can travel so much and do that - especially on my budget. I have the knowledge I can I don't really want to do it alone I need goats or sheep milk ferments like kefir and cheese, wild fish or game, poultry and real eggs - maybe quail. Homemade mead, ale or wines. Low fiber veggies and herbs, squash and pumpkins from the ground.....I don't think that I want to raise the larger animals I've been around that and it may be out of my league. If necessary I am willing to sell my van and Scamp because I don't have a life when I am sick. ..I can't see other options for now because its hard to find these homegrown foods when traveling....geez a farmer's market tomato can cost $4 each. And its illegal to sell raw milk! At least in Costa Rica every town had a farmer who would sell you something. I was healthier in CR because I bought raw milk and fresh eggs from my neigh...

Wow what a morning!  I remember now why I procrastinate making some phone calls. Duh! A couple of cups of coffee and about 5 hours later someone actually knew what I was talking about!  Incredible I know. You see I completely forgot which agency to call to be sure that my Medicare Part B was reinstated. When I traveled in Costa Rica it was best for me to opt out or sign out of any Medicare programs that cost me money. When I live in the US I am low enough income to have my state of residency help me to pay for these extra niceties that can only be used in the United States. When I returned two years ago I was traveling and until I was in AZ last spring I had not taken care of that detail. ..because the process is a pain and often even the people who process what I need don't understand the process. ..so I started the process with people in AZ but I never heard anything more about it.  While in the hospital last week I was concerned about what happened because it could a...

First a little update - Caballo State Park is having a 4x4 Club Rally this weekend. Last night they got a little roudy right about 10 pm :(  I have lived in places like Rae Curre' Costa Rica or Dominical or Pavones where you can not escape the weekend or festival sounds and basically live with it for days or weeks or you just leave before the party starts and hope all your stuff is the way you left it.  I didn't feel like a repeat. As I also knew that Al was leaving this morning on a new adventure and I would be on my own again, well with my buddy Ozzie!  I decided to move up to Elephant Butte State Park.  This location is closer to town and to my doctors appointment this week. Last night as a welcome home from the hospital and fairwell we are going different directions - Al cooked us a lovely steak dinner complete with fiesta mashed potatoes and steamed broccolli with holandaise sauce. It was enjoyable sharing the process and chit chatting. It is also wonderful to...

But....I guess my body is so much cleaner after the colonoscopy that it is tolerating foods I have not eaten in years.That is both good and scarey because honestly what will happen in a few days?  The doctor said not to worry. ..I'm trying not to. I feel pretty good although I have a sour stomach and metallic taste in my mouth that I can't seem to get rid of. ?? I will tell the doctor on Wednesday. I put a pot of kosher chicken boullion and rice on the fire to cook this morning. We will see how that goes...I do like cooking over a real fire. Hugs, Simply Lesa

What a lovely weekend we had! Both Ozzie and I are missing our neighbors this morning. We had such a wonderful time with the Henry's and family from Texas! Good food and drink lots of story sharing and even some adventures like spending most of Saturday out on the lake in their boat...yup Ozzie too! What a trooper he is.

I don't have to tell you that being sick sucks! But thanks to Al and the folks at Sierra Vista Hospital in TorC, NM I am feeling better. Now I'm not finished yet and will still be working out details to become healthier. I'm eating solid food something I had not done since Friday. Al drove me to the emergency room - I had to check in in stages as I was running for the bathroom. Then the process began. I explained my concern about Crones Disease along with relating my current symptoms of severe cramping (think labor pains) diarrhea and vomiting. The ER was busy and full so they gave me the xtra cot tucked into a corner - and I got great care. First they did blood tests and shortly after IVs to deal with my dehydration and some medication to ease the pain and nausea. Later the ER Dr informed me of my fever and high white blood cells count. They administered antibiotics to which I quickly had a possible allergic reaction. Kinda scarey having my throat close up and all but qu...

I have felt pretty good for a while until yesterday. ..it is easier to be under the weather when you have space and emotional support.  So I'm hanging close to the facilities listening to my digestive tract gurgle and napping a lot.  I did call my doctor and we are working on my health insurance and appointments to see if I can get into Dr Weil's Integrative Health Clinic in Tucson. Because of two family members medical history and the research I continue, I am thinking that I may have Crones Disease.  The CCFA says that people who have Crones often can't eat what would be considered normally healthy foods and that each person reacts differently.  I thought that I was doing a good thing buying pumpkin seeds as a snack. I enjoyed the crunch and snackability. Likely it was too much fiber. 90% of the time I prepare my own food and often it is bland. I had been wanting flavors and added some mild spice to a couple meals and felt the telltale twinge telling me to be caref...

For those of you who like my Scamp here's a similar one from CL. 1982 Burro 13' Travel Trailer http://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/rvs/4704934731.html

10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Fulltime RVing… http://www.wheelingit.us/2011/09/22/10-things-i-wished-id-known-before-fulltime-rving/ I agree with many of the points - pay attention to the weather and use it as your moving guide for more enjoyment.  Begin without loading up learn what you need on the road because you will do just that and seriously do you really want to be driving around looking for donation bins in parking lots or selling stuff on Craig's List or paying for a storage locker? Think about that. Learn your travel style do you want and need a club - they are great if you do. Learn from people who already live this lifestyle!

It's simply Ozzie chilling at home in the Scamp!

Yesterday Ozzie Al and I traveled a few miles south. It's warmer at night :) and I'm all smiles. Stuff shifts around inside a travel trailer and the Scamp is no exception. ..especially stuff in cupboards that have no doors...lol so upon arrival at the new campsite had been a surprise reorganization time. Well while we were still in Mountainair I found a couple big baskets at the Family Dollar store. I also installed some rubber shelf liner on the floor of that cabinet.  I've been reorganizing and messing around with storage and my stuff since I made my first cup of coffee this morning.  It should make traveling easier. ..I hope. A newbie Vandweller with a 1994 Chevy van stopped by for a visit and got some tips and tricks info from both Al and I. Ozzie and I have been watching a mole or tiny prarie rodent thing popping in and out of it's hole as well as periodically looking for the woodpecker that we can hear. We have a nice spot to enjoy for a few days.  Rain is for...

A hurricane tracking machine - in New Mexico Double take

Sooooo now that life is settling down a lot and I am beginning to have some fun instead of just being in survival and fight for my life mode. (Yes there is some exaggeration in that) I'm beginning to wonder about the future..like the upcoming holidays!  I'm not too interested in many of them although Big ole Turkey Day - Thanksgiving has been pretty special in my life. This year I would like to cook Turkey in a Dutch Oven over a fire. I think that I would like to have a glass of wine or a homemade beer. Some gerkin and baby dill pickles and olives, celery sticks, perhaps pickled carrots. Maybe baked potatoes with real butter.  I'm not big on stuffing or gravy but I remember having a mushroom rice pilaf with turkey giblets baked in.....mmmm and the day after's hot turkey sandwhiches on home made bread!  I'm smelling the food already! And of course I want to share this all with my Framily (friends like family).  Soooooo - I don't have a Dutch Oven. Or even my o...

Today was simply a fun day.  Al, Ozzie and I drove into Mountainair NM. We had driven through the other day and stopped to wash laundry and noticed a sign about their farmers market.  Ak wanted to get some pictures and I thought it would be fun to pick out some fresh organic locally grown stuff to make a meal out of.  I enjoyed visiting with Janis (Janees) and Cookie as I picked up some purple potatoes,  Jerusalem artichokes and  squash  - I was thinking about making a stew for dinner. I enjoyed walking Ozzie around town as Al took his photos.  The local people seem very friendly nearly everyone waves hello or stops to chat. I couldn't talk Ozzie into letting me buy him a dog bone at the hardware store.  They had bins of dog bones in different sizes aling with their display of "dead" things - okay it was someone's hobby to do taxidermy. They even have a zebra!   Ozzie stayed with Al at the bakery - yum and popular - while I walked acro...

As we are comfortably chilling at Manzano State Park in New Mexico. Ozzie and I had a grooming and bathing day. I used my Sea to Summit Pocket Shower, Wal-Mart hikers tarps and Simple Shower. I heated water with my Kelly Kettle and afterwards while we were doing other things I put a pot of rice pilaf on the fire pot. Today was my first time trimming Ozzie's hair. In spite of his PTSD reaction to having his feet and nails touched - we did very well - I think so.