Day Two Texas behind me – Arkansas Bound!

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Ruby and I got up early and took a walk around the Tyler Oaks RV Park. Just checking it out. They really have everything you would need, even propane. Every site (all 150 of them) is equipped with a picnic table and a fire pit… hummmmm. Not sure I get the fire pit thing, since it’s 100 degrees and Texas gets approximately 2 days of winter, but hey! Let’s put it this way, they all looked brand new.

I tried to go for a swim, but the pool didn’t open until 10 am. My exercise sabotaged once again. I showered instead and cooked some sausage and eggs to sustain me on the trip.

It was a fun drive most of the way. Rolling Meadows and big trees. Cool small towns with a Dollar General is each one. No Lie! The first leg was never over a 40 mile stretch and seemed to go quickly. Keb Mo radio helped me along the way.

The last 70 miles we just 18 wheelers and orange cones and road work. There were some white knuckle moments. I didn’t think it would ever end. Finally, my exit! Wow, I lucked up. I am in the Iron Mountain Recreation Area, Arkedelphia, AR. This place is so beautiful. I am situated up high with a beautiful lake below. Praying that the parking break holds. This is a state park so it’s so inexpensive at $17 a night. The Tyler Oaks was $38 – big difference in ambiance, that’s for sure. So you have amenities on one hand and nature and beauty on the other. It’s a no brainer for me.

Time to go explore.

Day One of my 4 day journey to Brandon MS

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Left Bastrop TX, probably for good (except perhaps for an occasional visit) at around 10:00 am. Destination, Tyler, TX. I made it to the Tyler Oaks RV Park around 2:00 pm
Most of the way, it was Farms and blue skies. Ponds and Cows. Small towns and skunk carcasses (street crossing epic fail).

Pretty boring, actually. Every now and then you go up a rolling meadow and are able to see far into the distance. It’s actually very pretty.

It took Ruby a little while to finally settle down and go to sleep. She was rubber necking at first. This is a test. We are trying out her new doggie booster seat. That way I won’t throw her into the dash if I have to stop abruptly. I can’t reach her in this Motorhome. Also, it will keep her in her seat and not all over me while I am driving. Safety first.

About an hour from my destination I turned south on Hwy 155, not to be confused with Interstate I-55. All of a sudden it was pine trees everywhere. Then a beautiful break in the trees, to what I later discovered, is Lake Tyler. Very pretty.

Tyler Oaks RV Park is a nice park with lots of amenities but no trees, just gravel and concrete. Very little grass even. They can pack them in here, that’s for sure. Hot though! Not the shaded lot like I had at the Buescher State Park. It’s only for one night, so it’s fine. I was able to get my laundry done, cook dinner, and go get a shower in the bath house all before 5:00 pm

It’s gonna be an early night! Wait, I believe, every night lately is an early night. What is happening? I’m Old!

On The Road

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I purchased a 2004 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 31C about a month ago. It’s not so Minnie at 31ft and a super slide. It’s actually quite roomy. Was it just another of my impulse purchases? Well, we are yet to discover the answer to that.

Next step was to sell my car, which I actually kinda enjoyed. I was not towable so I would need something to pull behind this big rig. The day before I left town, it sold! Crazy!

I set out on my first journey. It was only a few weeks after my purchase. I headed back to Texas where the work would begin. We (Ruby and I) intentionally made it a 2 day journey. I was trying to find that magic number of miles to drive in one day. I think I discovered that it is about 5, however, we made it 7. We stopped in a very nice part of the Davy Crockett National Forest. Radcliff lake I believe. It was beautiful and first come first serve. All went well. All the hook ups were easy, the slide worked, the A/C worked. We got a good night rest.

Unfortunately, but handled, I woke up to a somewhat flat outer tire. It was drivable so I found the closest tire store. There was a breakfast spot right next door, so that worked perfectly. It didn’t take long and we were on our way.

Here’s the best part… on the way home, I basically sold the 5th Wheel. I had been advertising it for a couple weeks, not knowing how long it would take to sell it. The first guy that text me wanted it, sight unseen. There were several hundred lookers. Anyway, a couple days after I returned, Leonard came and put a $500 deposit down. It was his. So let the games begin. I had now severn days to get all my crap out of the 5th wheel and either sold or put into my Motorhome. So I began selling. I sold everything, even my beloved yellow couch. I miss it already. Isn’t it silly how we get attached to “things”. It just had special meaning and it was literally the last piece of furniture I owned. Oh well, it sold on the very last day.

Once the 5th wheel was gone, I could move back into my old spot at Bastrop RV Park. Well, that didn’t go as planned. It had been raining and apparently my new rig is much heaver that my old rig. Anyway, easy peasy, I backed into my new spot and BAM!!!!! My right back tire sunk into the mud and into the electric box – knocking it completely over and putting a nice big tear in the side of my new “near perfect” motorhome. Yes, I cried a little. The troops had to come pull me out with the tractor and I moved to the spot across the street. Geeze, now I see why my friends call me “Mayhem”. They moved me once more 3 days before I was checking out.

The last night I was in Bastrop RV Park I thought would be my last here on this earth. Really, I am not usually scared of storms but wow! I can see the lightening in the distance and it’s beautiful. However, it seems to be getting much closer. Now I have no TV. I did get a weather update on my phone of a severe storm. They weren’t kidding. It was raining and blowing so hard. Ruby was shaking like a leaf and I was right with her. The hail started to come down. I actually called Katie, which I am not sure why. I was scared and she felt it. She knows me. I am not a scaredy cat. We (Katie and I) decided I should make a run for it. No use in feeling like a sitting duck or a target in shooting practice. I hung up the phone and Ruby and I covered ourselves in a blankie and ran for the concrete building that was the community bath house. By the time we got there, we were drenched but safe. I was very happy we had a back up plan. I should always have a back up plan. We finally got some sleep. When we woke up I saw the building next to me had the entire metal roof torn off of it. Two trees had been uprooted. I wasn’t scared for no reason. Geeze!

Now I am in the Buescher State Park in Smithville. This was my first night here. Another totally new experience. There is nothing but woods surrounding this motorhome. It is eerily quite. There was so much road noise and people coming and going at the other spot. When I decided to go to bed, a gun actually popped into my head. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn to use it. Oh, I have it. I have two! They are pretty useless at this point. I wasn’t scared, just felt somewhat vulnerable. I wake up very early. Ruby usually sleeps in. So it’s 5:30 am I am doing my reading and writing and she wakes up. She wants to go outside. Nope! It’s too dark out there, so I make her wait. Now, it’s 7:00 am and she is still sleeping with me here on the couch. At least there is light now, so maybe we will take a walk.

We will be here 6 nights then we will be heading back to Brandon, MS. Stay tuned.

Buescher State Park, Smithville TX

Butt of the Joke

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With adult children, you seriously have to have some thick skin. Apparently, your children are all now so much smarter than you. They, also remember things way differently than they actually happened. As a result you tend to catch some grief. Pointing out your parenting mistakes gives them joy. Heaven forbid, you say something stupid in their presence or even slip and fall, you are toast!

Well, I was very happy to oblige on the eve of my middle child, Katie’s birthday. I cooked all day for the crew. I bought a plant, cards, balloons, cupcakes, the works. That was NOT what made her happy as a clam. Earlier in the afternoon, I broke off part of, not just any tooth, no, but my front one. I was NOT happy with the situation. But I was about to get some perspective. So, you can imagine… yes there is a gap. Did I seriously think that with my two oldest daughters in the room that my defect could escape notice. Yeah, right!

Literally, I walked in carrying all these goodies and said, “Happy Birthday” and Katie said to me, “Did you loose your tooth?” I smiled and she just lost it. She was laughing so hard I didn’t think she would ever stop. It was one of those “good for you” gut wrenching belly laughs. So, of course, it’s contagious and the ripple effect began. The rest of the room, including myself, fell out laughing. She was hurting, she was laughing so hard. Then she said, “Who needs gifts, this is awesome, can we face time Devin?”. Absolutely, Not!!!

TC was there as well, so the jokes began and lasted all night. “You fit right in now, here in Bastrop County”, “Well, at least you won’t get anything stuck in your teeth”, “How’s that whistle?” Then more jokes about if I arrive in the Bahamas next week looking like this. I just added to their joy. told them when I stopped at the convenience store to get water, the clerk looked up and had a missing front tooth. We bonded. They all lost it again. “Did you give her a nod? Or do you now have a special handshake?”, says TC

Today, I will be searching out a dentist that can repair this situation before I leave on Sunday. However, It brings me great pleasurr to bring joy to my children, no matter the reason. I am happy to always be the butt of the jokes. Laughing is good for the soul.

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Cancer Sux

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Cancer – as per Wikipedia “Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread to other parts of the body.”

Cancer is NOT singular, unfortunately! If it was, there would be a cure by now. There are so many variations and combinations it’s unimaginable. Cancer is literally anything growing and doing damage and wreaking havoc on our bodies. You may feel healthy as a horse and go to the doctor for some simple checkup and bam, a major wake up! That has got to suck! Those words, “You have cancer”. So easy to say, but some of the scariest words you’ll ever hear.

We see Cancer running rampant on social media, the news, and our prayer lists. We become a bit numb to the word. Until of course, you become close to it. Then and only then do you pay attention. It’s then you stop and say, “What the hell?” “Why?” And the prayers become very real and not just words.

Sadly, it could happen to any of us. We could be told those words tomorrow. Then what? Then your life becomes Cancer! What kind is it? How aggressive is it? Where in my body is it? What is the course of treatment? Then more important ones… Can I beat this thing? What about my family? What do I do now? All these questions just speculations, since it’s not me who has cancer. It’s my best friend. So I am pissed! I am praying fervently for her and her family. Prayer is what I have!

This stupid disease will hit you close to home. The questions is when? When it does, will it change anything in us? Selfishly, I now question what I am putting on my body. I question what I am eating. I question the environment that surrounds me. I question how I spend my time and live my life. What are my priorities. The acquiring of “stuff”? The TV series I am engrossed in? Working, working and more working? Or better yet, Why am sitting around wasting even a day or a minute? Is that prudent? Am I surrounding my self with the right people? Am I spending enough time with my family? My friend, so bravely said, “It’s ok, my name was written in that book a long time ago”. None of us know when that day is, thats a fact. Prayerfully, for her it is VERY far in the distant future. But maybe, just maybe we should take a look within ourselves and act as if it could be tomorrow! The entire world would be a better place if we all did just that, would it not?

So yes, CANCER DOES SUCK! Let’s not let the “cancers” of the world (not just the disease) take us down. Fight back! Take charge! Change your heart! Change your mind! Change your habits! Change your life! It’s the only one you have!

So Please pray for my “Bestest Buddy”. She helped me through the toughest time in my life, which was nothing compared to this animal. So fight we will.

Just Today on Facebook

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Just today on Facebook
I’ve seen signs of real truelove
I’ve seen so many miracles
All sent from up above.

Just today on Facebook
I’ve see food that I must try
I’ve seen post that left me speechless
and Shaking my head, “WHY”?

Just today on Facebook
I’ve seen the political wars abound
No thought to all the hurtful words
But then a long lost friend I found

Just today on Facebook
I’ve seen things great and small
Many of the proudest moments
And the videos, to which I ball

Just today on Facebook
I’ve seen the sun rise and set again!
I’ve seen the grandma’s kiddos
And, my post, as I hit send

Just today on Facebook
In the moment that I’m there
I’ll see a quote I needed badly
And determine if you care

Just today on Facebook
I’ve seen hearts cry for support
I even gain perspective
As I see that life is short

Just today on Facebook
If it’s there we’re gonna be
Let fine a need and fill it
Reach out and wait to see.

Just today on Facebook
I’ll try this, if you would …
Just today on Facebook
Let’s post only what is good.

— cb

Remove Those Blinders

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Walking through life while wearing blinders is so common. Life is good. Perfect, really! The marriage you envisioned, the white picket fence, the 2.5 kids to help populate this fallen world. Or your version of a perfect life. Rocking through each day, Every now and again saying prayers of thanksgiving or bragging a bit to your friends, stating what on the outside appears, obvious.
In reality, you are oblivious. Selfish. Not smart, really. Because there is one fact in this world of ours. Excuse my French, “Shit happens”. Unfortunately for many, it happens over and over and over, with no end in sight. When it does happen, you turn into yourself, “Why me?”. You question the reasoning behind the hurt (which you will never find the answer to, btw). If you let it, a downward spiral begins. The more inward you are thinking the more withdrawn from the world and depressed you become. Life becomes dark, although the light is all around you, trying to get you to look.
Each and every day, there is this magic that happens, except it isn’t magic. Everyday if you hold up your head just twice a day, at the very least, you will see it. The sun rises, it’s a brand new day. The sun sets. You have been given and opportunity and choice to doing something. With light, God marks the beginning and the ending of every day. There is a reason. The beauty is majestic and reliable. Funny thing, it is there whether you choose to see it or not. When you do begin to see it, you will see other beauties that are around you as well. The blessings you actually have, in spite of your hurts. There are always blessings! Sometimes you actually have to seek to find them, but they are there. The people you love, that also love you. The rain on your face. The blue sky. The green grass. The sparkling water. The barking dog. The deer on the side of the road. The children playing. The food in your pantry. The shirt on your back. The blessings list is absolutely endless in any situation you have found yourself.
Turn away from the dark and begin to see the light and you will find life.

If

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I am who God made me to be. I trust him for that. There is only one me, as there is only one you.

Sadly, If you’re skinny, you’re accused of starving yourself.
If you’re fat, you need to lose weight.
If you go gray, you are old.
If you color your hair, you are trying to look young.
If you’re dressed up, you’re pretentious.
If you dress down, you’re letting your self go.
If you speak your mind, you’re rude.
If you say nothing, you’re weak.
If your sociable, you’re flirting.
If you stay to yourself, you’re depressed.
If you have a nice life, you’re a snob
If you’re educated and successful, you’re a fake.
Who ever you may be, you are criticized and judged by those that disagree with you.

It’s so sad, our Country judges people for every word or first impression, instead looking deeper within themselves. Judging is compensation for something missing in your own life.

Love me or hate me, I am still me. You are still you. Get to know those you are judging before you are so quick to condemn. We all have a story. Behind that story you may be surprised by the friend you may find.

Show It

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Maybe it’s the post op pain killers maybe it because I have pretty much sold everything and it feels great, who knows… but here goes!

A big Thank you to Amazon and eBay
And all the big box stores
For fulfilling my constant needs.
It is you know
Never-ending!
As you so maliciously point out
On TV, Social Media and the like, my needs!
A big Thank you to the cell phone companies out there
I sooooooooo needed that $1,000 iPhone
You made that happen
It’s what you do, fulfill me
N O T
It’s very sad really
How blind we have become
Online
Curbside
Home Delivery
Yeah! No human contact what so ever soon to be reality.
“Need”, I ask ?
Really?
Take a glance around that big that house of yours
And tell me it’s about need.
I’m going out on a limb here
But what you need is that Human sitting beside you
That dog (or cat if you’re one of those) that loves you for you
“Love Is All You Need” (a song no less but no truer words)
You will find it
By giving it
So try it
For a change.
Avoid the “Buy It Now” and try instead the “Show It Now”
Just sayin’

– c. britton

Music Health Benefits – Backed By Science – Rock On

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“One good thing about music, is when it hits you, you feel no pain” – Bob Marley

Amazingly, music provides bout physical and mental benefits:

Improving Sleep quality – listening to classical music has been proven to effectively treat Insomnia

Decrease Food Intake – During a meal, dim the lights and turn on soft music, slowing down helps you to be more mindful of the clues of fullness.

Reduce and Ease Pain – now that is a biggie!  Music can reduce suffering from the perceived intensity of pain.

Recover Faster – Any kind of music helps the physical recovery process to go faster after an intense workout.   Researchers also concluded that stroke patients increased their verbal memory and attention after listening to music for 2 hours.

Work Harder Physically – Listen to upbeat fast music and get more done.  Run faster.

Boost Physical Endurance – Listening to music, especially “pump up” music will help your motivation and length of your work out.  This method uses the power of distraction.

Enhance Blood Vessel Function – Scientist have found that participants feel happier and that increases the blood flow.

Depression Relief – Music is a definite “pick me up”, almost like exercise.  Don’t go heavy metal, that will make depression worse – try classical.

Meditate More Easily – Find it hard to meditate – music can help get you there.  Scientist call it rhythmic stimuli.  It produces therapeutic effect easing PMS, Migraines, and even behavior.

Reduce Stress and Elevate Mood – Music triggers biochemical stress reducers, changes and enhances your mood.  Music helps you get in touch with your feelings.  Makes you more self-aware.

Makes you smarter – Background music enhances performance on a cognitive level.  Making tasks easier once the emotional state has been improved.

Reduces Pressure – Listen to music before entering into a high pressure situation.  It will help relax and prepare you.

Anxiety Relief – Scientist show that listening to music is as beneficial as a massage.

Drive Stress Free – Got road rage?  Listen to music while you drive, less things will bother you.  Don’t me cranky, Crank up the music.

In conclusion:  ROCK ON!