BIG BERTHA

Like most people, George and I had been discussing future plans on and off forever. We had thoughts of eventually buying a home somewhere, but that "somewhere" could not be decided upon. We each had our preferences, but, like a jury after a difficult trial, we were hopelessly deadlocked. 

Living in Little Miss, our 37 foot Tiffin Allegro Open Road, had been heaven, but being stuck inside her with my long recuperation time from bunion surgery and then remaining inside due to 100 degree temperatures in Florida during CoVid, the walls started to close in on us. Besides that, our two air conditioners could not keep the RV cooled below 80 degrees on most days.

George did his due diligence in searching and researching for a solution to our dilemma and it eventually led him to his long-wished-for and favorite RV. His dream-come-true was discovered sitting at Dylan's RV Center in Sewell, NJ.  I had to admit, she was a beauty. I had always told people that the only two things I truly missed living in an RV were not having a dishwasher and a bathtub. Well, he was able to find one with a dishwasher and that made me a happy camper.

On September 11th of 2020, we picked up Big Bertha, a 2019 Tiffin, Phaeton 40IH. She earns her name with her over 40 foot length, four slides, three roof air conditioners, polished tile-heated floors, washer, dryer, king-sized bed, keyless entry, power glide chassis, double-pane windows, huge shower and a large kitchen with a dishwasher! We got the layout we had preferred, one with the kitchen on the driver's side and dinette on the passenger side. 

My grandmother used to tell me of an old-wives tale, "New home, new baby." Well, we did it the opposite, new baby (Stella) new home (Bertha).

I always knew that George would find a way to get a Phaeton and I had the Big Bertha name picked out way back when we bought our first RV, Gracie. 

Stella was a little confused and unhappy for the first couple of hours, but she finally found her hiding spots and sunny nap locations and adjusted much more quickly than we did. We are still opening closet after closet and drawer after drawer unable to find what we are looking for. 

We are getting used to living life a bit fancier and a lot “larger.” There are so many buttons to operate the lights, that it took us almost the whole day to figure them all out. We have ceiling lights, sconce lighting, ceiling accent lighting, entry lights, exterior lights and baseboard courtesy lighting.  Then there are buttons to cover the entry steps, turn on the hot water heater and raise and lower the kitchen shade and TV. 

There are a couple of quirky little items that need to be fixed and George has been able to solve most of them. Whatever he can’t get done, we know certain people who can help out with the expert knowledge and/or tool for the job. Tony, Ray and Craig, are your ears ringing?

Here is our big, bad, beautiful, bodacious, behemoth Bertha, not meaning to, but showing up all the other RV's at Croton Point Park. 

All of my blog entries will include comments or updates on our sweet Stella Bella. She had major oral surgery a week ago and is healing nicely. Although getting her had been my idea, apparently, she is unaware of that fact. Her best bud is her dad - and, for that matter, ANY male who enters Big Bertha. She sidles up next to them and before you know it, she's up on their laps, purring and placing her head under their hands to be petted. I believe it might be that she associates me more with discipline and her after-care causing me to get the cold shoulder. Time will tell.  Fingers crossed that she begins to like me again, I will continue to love her, regardless. For now, the photo below depicts her recent attitude towards me.  :(

 

Awww.  Baby, you're breakin' my heart.

Deep thought for the day:  Bigger is not always better.....but Bertha is!  ~ vc

Life, as we knew it...

I had begun this post way back in May, but never posted it. I decided to update it and include it in my blog to document our life's journey - whether good or bad. So, while a bit out of order, here is my long-saved and updated post of "Life, as we knew it..." You don't need to feel obligated to read it, unless you suffer from CoVid boredom.

Life was a routine that we followed with our eyes closed. We enjoyed, loved, hated, looked forward to or dreaded days, but never paid much attention to the minutia in our daily lives - like toilet paper. 

COVID-19 taught us much about life through the poor souls it claimed and by the extreme political battle that ensued. 

All of a sudden, we needed to disengage "auto pilot" and fly on our own. Our thoughts, behaviors and feelings changed. Fear was felt and, defiance was exhibited.

The best and worst were brought out in people and it was rewarding to witness selfless generosity and bravery, but disappointing to see it met with selfish disregard by more people than I had dreamed possible. Behaviors, such as hoarding sanitizing products, food, and even firearms, along with proclamations of one's civil rights to not wear a mask, became the daily stressors blasted on the news endlessly.

When the virus hit the plains states, meat factories were slowing or shutting down due to employees contracting the virus. Tons of food were destroyed due to not having the means to prepare it for shipping, or to get a trucker to move it cross-country. 

It was interesting that the most "essential" workers, besides those in the medical and First Responder fields, were our farmers and the lower wage earners at Home Depot, Lowe's, grocery stores and pharmacies. When we do get out into the world to shop, we should thank all those who risked their health and safety because their store didn't close or they had no choice but to work. 

People mark certain events in their lives by the major catastrophes they've lived through. I have several: I have the "time before or after" my mom passed away, the "time before or after" the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations, the Viet Nam War, my diagnosis of Type I Diabetes, the World Trade disaster, Pentagon attack and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, and the time before and after my first marriage. 

Sounds, the texture of a fabric, a mention of the date, or songs can ricochet me back in time and I can feel the hurt or pain as if it had immediately happened.  A new "time before or after" is in the works as we travel through the Twilight Zone of "The Wuhan, China Virus," the Corona Virus, the Sars-2 Virus, CoVid, CoVid-19 and the last moniker assigned - the "Novel Corona Virus."

Many young people today have only vague memories of 9/11 or of the other events I listed above, including, but not limited to World War I, the Spanish Flu of 1919-20, the 1920 Stock Market Crash, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, World War II or the Cuban Missal Crisis. CoVid-19 might just be their first "before and after."

Surreal - Grand Central Station in March 2020

Sight along I-95 in New Jersey

Pick a mask, any mask.

Photo Courtesy Aleta Weyrick, Smokey Sky in Central-costal Oregon
 from California, Oregon and Washington State Fires. Taken before sunset.

Depending upon your source for news, that's where you will obtain your collection of lies and half-truths as it relates to the true origination, accurate cause and effect, and treatment options of CoVid. There are also mega amounts of data being manipulated in different ways by different States, doctors, citizens and neighbors. I have decided to believe NO news station that is owned by a conglomerate, where the news is "directed and written by" the people who will make the most money from viewers that tune in to watch. For example, CBS/Viacom is owned by National Amusements, an entertainment and movie theater industry that owns Paramount Pictures, CBS News, CBS Radio. Guess who is telling your news anchors what to wear, what to say, and how to say it?  ABC is owned by Disney, and they inflict their skew on the news. Since everything in Disney Land and Disney World is an illusion of what the "Imagineers" want you to believe, so is the news they are doling out.  The news we receive is the result of the movie industry and Disney's head CEO. Why do you think so many actors and actresses spout their political opinions? I 'm still waiting for Goofy and Dopey to be interviewed on the 10 pm news. 

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States were slowly lifting their bans on businesses, and while I feel the news has over-inflated the entire pandemic, I know it is a reality, and the economic, social, physical and emotional toll has been devastating. As we approach the fall and winter of 2020, a vaccine is supposedly becoming available, but so too is the flu season. As of the update to this blog entry, states are now enforcing bans again due to the rise in CoVid cases. Houses of worship and schools are the main culprit due to people beginning to return to their "old normal," but, they are in denial that their "old normal" is no longer.

News has skewed this virus into a political joke, hoax, pharmaceutical exaggeration and a divisive tool being used against the citizens of this country. I no longer know who or what to believe. I don't believe in the number of deaths that hospitals reported, because they received money for every Covid death, even if a person died from being hit by a bus, but tested positive for CoVid.  I believe it was intentionally created and spread by China as a passive/aggressive means of warfare. I believe that washing your hands often, avoiding crowds and wearing masks is the way to go for now. 

Each person who reads this blog today is a participant in a historic era. I wanted to document what I observed and experienced. It will be interesting to see if even one child kept a diary of how this tragedy unfolded and how it effected their lives. I don't think many really understand the enormity of it all, because it hasn't even fully played out yet.  

Generations to follow will hear stories about living before and after these times. Historic moments spun together in a wild tapestry made up of pieces of CoVid, a super hurricane season, BLM, worst West Coast fires ever, the first hospitalization of a sitting president, a contentious presidential election, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes happening in areas not inclined to have them, about those who did and did not survive, the sacrifices made by ordinary heroes.

The grandmother who raised me is frequently on my mind and I can hear her words and know how she would act if faced with this hardship.  She survived the Great Depression and told me many stories of what she had to do to overcome the many obstacles she faced, like the food rations and shortages, having to pawn her wedding bands and engagement ring, my grandfather working away from home, and having to eventually go on "Welfare," something she found degrading and embarrassing. Fortunate for me, I listened.

We, like everyone else, stocked up the necessities and adjusted our calendars and ways of approaching little things like: 

• Cancelling hair and nail appointments. 
• Cutting napkins in half.
• Being more aware of how many toilet tissue sheets I actually needed. Gee, I began to think: "I can do this in four sheets, no...I can do it in three sheets."
• Water was added to my shampoo and dish soap.
• Paper towels were used sparingly and sometimes left to dry and reuse.
• Sanitizer and masks are in each car, purse and pocket.
• I learned how to cut George's hair.
• Soap was stocked up and used constantly.
• Hand cream is near every sink to sooth the chapped hands from the sanitizer and hand washing.
• A big order had been sent off to Chewy.com so Lucy was fully stocked with food, treats and litter.
• Baby wipes were purchased and stored for good measure.
• The freezer was filled.
• Canned beans and rice were stocked in the closet.
• Bottled water was stored along with toilet paper and paper towel.
• Sinks are washed more often, towels are changed out more frequently. 
• Electronics, door knobs and pulls are wiped down every night.

During all of this, the world did not stop turning and things did not stop happening, The "new" normal played out and some handled it better than others. 

I shall end this on a positive note. I feel fortunate to be where I am and who I am with. I thank God for the timing of certain things. I pray that the world will emerge from this better than before. That time spent with family will again be important. The well-being of our friends will be more in the forefront of our minds. Life will be considered precious and lived more to the fullest - for all.

Deep thought for the day:  Find joy in every day. It is something easy to do when things are going well, but when times get challenging, we need to find strength and joy from within ourselves or in the little things.  ~vc~

Meet Stella, the cat formally known as Taylor.

My last blog entry was dedicated to the memory of my beautiful Lucy Lu. There were many things I thought of afterward that I forgot to mention, like her gorgeous green eyes and how she loved to watch bird videos and TV. Among her favorite movies were Ice Age, Happy Feet, Toy Story and Life of Pi. She loved the Animal Planet as well as any TV commercial that included a cat. 

As I tried to convince myself that I didn’t think I could ever have a cat that I could train to be an RV warrior, I kept finding myself on animal shelter and rescue sites every night. I would tear up, looking at the sad faces of the older cats and then smile at the kittens who I knew would be adopted in a heartbeat. So, each night as I shut down my iPad, I said, “No. Nope. No way. No how. No cat.” 

For weeks, I watched You Tube videos about cats. All kinds of videos about funny cats, cat tricks, cat training, abandoned cats, shelter cats and old cats waiting to die in a cage because they are the most difficult to re-home. I knew I’d never get a kitten, because I wouldn’t want to worry about it outliving us. Lucy lived to 18, so I figured that an older cat would be perfect – already litterbox trained and in need of a warm lap, but I was not going to get a cat. 

Unwittingly (?), my next few weeks were filled with searching the NY area for cats and didn’t see any that tugged at my heart, so I began to search the FL shelters and came across a website called PetFinder. Well, if you are ever looking for a pet and could not find one on that site, I’d be shocked. 

During the holidays, PetSmart hosts a "Photo Op With Santa" fundraiser where any pet can be photographed sitting on Santa's lap. Some of the adoptable animals are photographed as well to help in their adoption process and Taylor was one of them. Fate was about to twist for Taylor once her photo was uploaded to the PetFinder site around Christmas 2019.

I had my search narrowed down to include only short-haired, adult or senior females. Not many popped up, but as I clicked on one after the other, I came across the photo of Taylor sitting on Santa’s lap. I continued looking through the short search, yet I returned several times to the photo of the cat with Santa and as I looked into her eyes, I could just imagine, if she were human, her wish. 

I inquired about Taylor and came to learn that she never had a “furever” home. She was a Manx/Tabby stray someone either trapped or turned into the Humane Society in Gadsden, Alabama in 2011 when she was about two-years old. She hadn’t been altered so the chances that she had already had a litter or two by that time are quite probable. Manx cats originated on the Isle of Mann, which is located off the coast of Scotland. The species genetically altered over hundreds of years to have no tail, or just a stub. They are shaped more like a rabbit when crouched and they tend to hop more than run. I can attest to the fact that Manx jump VERY high and run VERY fast. 

Her two other photos on Pet Finder above and below.

I’m not sure how she made it to a non-profit called, Aristocats, in Orange City, Florida, but she had been in a no-kill shelter and caged for about five years. Lucky for Taylor, in April of 2019, she found her way to the foster home of a nice woman named Jennifer. At her home, she was free to roam, but she chose to keep to herself. She didn’t care to pal around with the other cats or dogs, but if kittens arrived, she would take on a motherly role and hang out with them until, one by one, they became adopted or transferred to other foster homes. 

I give kudos to people like Jennifer who dedicate a tremendous amount of time, effort, and love to cats without homes. In addition to the everyday feeding and care of her fosters, she would bring a group of animals to PetSmart on Adoption Days and have the cages stacked. Of course, kittens went faster than older cats, so Taylor traveled back home with Jennifer each time. Jennifer told me that she had come to accept the fact that Taylor would never be adopted, and she had no problem with keeping her forever, but she would be just as happy if she could find her furever home.  

A few calls and several texts were exchanged between Jennifer and me, and plans were quickly put into place to meet. I placed a curb-side pick-up for essential items from the PetSmart where we were to make the exchange. We were all ready for a cat! Litter pan, scoop, litter, travel bag, bed, scratch boxes and a blanket filled the trunk. Jennifer snapped a photo of Taylor after loading her into the front seat of her truck. Taylor’s life was about to change - and so was ours. 

Last time in a cage! 

Jennifer said her goodbye to Taylor and I'm sure the moment was bittersweet. They had bonded, but Jennifer knew the best thing for Taylor was to go with us. 

Taylor did not like being in the carry bag at all during the ride back to the RV and once there, she was frightened of the new environment. She kept searching for a place to hide and, although the new place was strange, it did contain several great hiding spots. 

I knew from the start that the name Taylor would not survive the relationship. I had a couple of names picked out – Gracie and Rosie, but those were names I had considered for Lucy. Taylor deserved a name meant just for her. I texted a photo of her to several people, including my brother, Steve, and he asked me what I named her? I said I hadn’t decided, and he suggested, Stella. Right then and there, I knew she was a “Stella.” She is really a “Stella Bella,” which is Italian for “Beautiful Star.” 

In August, Stella made her first RV trip from Clermont, FL to Tampa, FL; which is about a two-hour ride. She didn’t like it at all. After a month, she took her next journey to New York that was close to 2,000 miles. By the last day of the four-plus-day trip, she had the routine down pat. We will be taking a three-hour trip soon to New Jersey and I hope she remembers these routines. 

Check out the photos below to see how we are all adjusting. Trust and love have sprouted and continue to grow stronger every day. Future entries about Stella adapting to life on the road will follow. 

I know cats don't have human thoughts and feelings, but I did come to realize what that cat sitting on Santa’s lap had wished for all her life – it was to be named Stella. 

Straight out of the bag into the RV for the first time.

Her favorite spot right from the start.

First day out on a leash. We like this treat.

I could have named her "Nosy Nellie!"

Not much goes on without her checking it out.

Allowing Dad to touch her! Major step. See, she's tailless.

The bond has solidified, and I think she has a preferred lap.

Just being bella. 

Ahhh. My favorite photo. Pure contentment.

Deep thought for the day: To be content doesn't mean you don't desire more, it means you're thankful for what you have and patient for what's to come." ~ Tony Gaskins

Lucy...the life, the laughs, the legend.

There were several occasions when I attempted to compose a blog entry to celebrate the life of Lucy, our 18-year-old and six-year traveling companion. Each time I sat at the keyboard my chest would tighten, my eyes would well with tears, and I’d shut down the program to try again another day.

Well, another day has arrived and instead of writing a sad, tear-jerking account of our 17 years together, I decided to just share some funny stories and photos of the cat who was lucky enough to be literally dumped on me when I was not looking for a pet. 

It began in May of 2003 when I agreed to babysit a young cat who was being abused. It was supposed to be for just six weeks, but events I won't bother to expand upon extended her stay to 17 years. 

She was almost one-year old when she arrived. I had never had a cat as a pet before, so what was to follow was going to be a new adventure for us both.  For the first two weeks, she would not allow me to "see" her. She hid under the stove whenever I was home and ventured out only when I went to work or slept. I knew she was alive from the evidence of food eaten and the presents she left me in the litter pan. It was going to take some planning and engineering for me to catch her out in the open and then block her entrance under the stove. I didn't want her hiding under there because I was unable to use the oven or broiler with her beneath the burner (old stove folks) I needed to outsmart her at her own game. 

My plan involved obtaining a large section of cardboard that I cut and folded into a tall, L-shape and had it at the ready to shove into place once I caught her unaware. The day finally came when I arrived home early and there she was – in the hallway! She would have needed to run past me to get under the stove, but I was able to quickly get that cardboard in place and block her hiding spot. 

Her eyes were as big as saucers, scared of me and this new place we both did not yet know was to be OUR home. She ran and hid under the chair, then under the bed, behind the radiator and finally under my dresser. I just let her be to adjust to this large and scary studio apartment.

I continued to feed her, scoop poop and talk to her as if she were an invisible baby. I made no outward attempts at being friends. She avoided me and I avoided her - afraid she might bite me. I figured this was only going to be for six weeks anyway; I could manage that! 

It took another couple of weeks for her to overcome some of her fear when she jumped up on my bed late one night and slowly crawled up onto my chest. She was just an inch from my face, my breath (when I was not holding it) was directly in her face. I remember prayers floating through my head, “Please God, don’t let her bite my face. Please God, don’t let her bite my face.” I must have repeated it a dozen times until I felt a little rumble on my chest as the sweet sound of a purr began to emit from this elusive cat. I eventually relaxed and believed my face was safe from getting bitten. I did not dare touch her. I was just grateful my prayer was answered.

The next evening, the same procedure occurred. This time, I slowly brought my hand up and stroked her fur and the purr got louder. I scratched under her chin and I thought there was a motorboat on my chest instead of a little cat.

Her original name was "Monroe" after Marilyn Monroe due to a black mark near her nose. I decided she was NOT a “Monroe,” so by the seventh week into my six-week babysitting stint, I booked an appointment with a vet and found out she was just a year old, an "American Short Hair/Tuxedo,"and was NOT altered. 

Once home and watching her recover from her surgery and paying a hefty vet bill, I declared myself entitled to change her name, I came up with a couple: Lucy, Gracie and Rosie. I ended up choosing Rosie. Funny thing though, was that every day when I came home from work, I would mimic Ricky Ricardo. from "I Love Lucy," and exclaim, “Lucy, I’m home!” My continuing to call out that greeting, caused her name to officially become Lucy.

Some of the little nicknames I had for Lucy, depending upon the situation were: Mommy's baby, Mommy's Girl, Lucifer, Missy Miss, Miss Priss and Mommy's sweatheart. 

The saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone,” was only partially true, because I knew I had an amazingly smart and incredible cat. She was not destructive, she never bit anyone in her entire lifetime, she was every vet’s dream, and she never tried to escape the motor homes. She never flinched, fought or scratched while having any procedure performed. Basically, she was a scare-dy-cat, full of love, mostly just for her mommy and daddy. She received so much from us that she didn’t need it from others. She tolerated few people, among them, Meema Too and Uncle Charlie.

I knew that once she was gone, I would never have a cat that could come close to filling the emotional bond we had, or be as great an RV traveler as she, yet I knew I would, eventually, long for another companion to fill that furry hole in my heart.

Throughout our full-time cross-country travels, we indicate the states we visit on a US map on our door.  I was planning to put another one up to indicate all the states where Lucy had visited a veterinarian. They are listed throughout my blog, but off the top of my head, she visited one as far west as Coastal Oregon, as far east as Mystic, CT, as far north as Glenns Falls, NY and as far south as the Orlando area in Fl. I kept perfect health records that each vet appreciated having for reference. Lucy visited 32 states, saw three of the Great Lakes, the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and even stayed on Disney World Property. 

Her traveling routine consisted of crawling into her open carry bag and staying there most of the trip. She came out to sit by us or eat, drink and even use the litter pan. She mastered how to do all those things at speeds up to 70 MPH. Watching her walk from the front to the back of the RV while on a major thoroughfare was comedic as she braced herself to match the sway of the RV. She would have made a terrific airline stewardess. At the end of each day on the road, we were all “home” and happily sharing "lap" time.

I had over 1,800 photos of Lucy, so in order not to bore you, I tried to narrow it down to some of my favorites that depicted her serenity, beauty and funny personality.

Top right is Lucy "tapping her paw" for dinner.

Some pretty poses. There's one with her helping me write a blog entry.

Time in baskets and bags. Top left was when she went to see a doctor. She was scared. 

You can see the difference in her eyes from all the other photos.

Time out with dad. Most times, Lucy loved to go out on the leash.

Lucy loved the Christmas tree, but loved knocking it over even more.

Family Photo. See her photo bomb in the background?

Loving shower time. One of her favorite past times. 

I accidentally shut the door behind her once.

Lucy's favorite appetizer - shrimp cocktail.

Just being beautiful.

Lucy loved "clean sheet"day.

Four of the homes we've lived in. Missing Verplanck and Peekskill.

Lucy went deaf in her last couple of years, yet she was intelligent enough to learn the sign language I had researched and taught her. I was excited with each sign she mastered, but the best was the “I love you” sign, because I really needed to communicate that every day.

Our last journey was a short one. Just about 7 miles, but as sad as it was to say goodbye to our sweet Lucy, I am happy she left us with so many funny and loving moments to cherish. A simple twist of fate back in 2003 made life for the three of us far better than it could ever have been imagined. Some moments of sadness remain, but no regrets. 

R.I.P. my sweet, one and only, legendary, Lucy Lu

Lucy Lu - June 2002-May 2020

Deep thought for the day:  Our pets: They give us the happiest hellos and the saddest goodbyes. But all the paw prints they leave on our hearts remain forever. ~ vc