It’s hard to believe it’s June 2024. Not much happening here. I seem to stay busy and have been staying home except for going to the grocery store and doctor appointments. Had my eyes checked and had to get stronger glasses. Thankfully my cataracts have not got worse.
I haven’t been doing much baking lately, not sure why. Have made bread a few times which is wonderful to smell fresh baked bread. I took a few watercolor classes at the local county library and it was fun. I painted abstract pictures and don’t need paintings, so I cut them into bookmarks and gave them away, and sent them to friends all around the country. On the back of them I wrote inspirational sayings or parts of my favorite books. Some of the people I sent them to asked for more so they could share them too. I was drawing lines on the back and using a scissor to cut them into bookmarks, but it got to be so many, so I bought a paper cutter which makes it lots easier. One of my friends that got them is going overseas to conventions and she asked for a supply to give away overseas so I sent her a few hundred of them along with lots of the inspirational smiles I make that people seem to also love and to share. I give them away everywhere I go. I gave several people at the local grocery store, I can’t get everyone, but one day as I was getting to my car, one of the store employees came over and asked if she can have some too. Of course, I gave here some. It touched my heart that she came asking for them. I didn’t know she was nearby whoever I gave them to. What I realized that using watercolor paint on bookmarks, I need to spray a matt finish on them so if they get wet for any reason the paint won’t come off on the pages of the book.
I am planning on leaving in a few weeks in my camper van taking a trip, will see what happens and how it goes. Looks like I may be having to get another car. After many years with my wonderful 2000 Toyota Camry, I may be having to buy a different car. I don’t drive much so I can’t see spending a lot on a new car, so I will probably look for a decent used car that has been maintained and will be safe. I only drive locally and often I don’t drive for days at a time. Right now, my car has been at the Toyota service place for several days, not sure when I will get it back. If I do need a different car, I may wait until I get back from my trip in my camper van. It’s a 1998 Dodge van but still works great. I bought it in November 2005 with 25,000 miles, and now has about 112,000 miles. I drive it about every 2 weeks locally to keep it in good working condition.
When they designed the camper van it seems a few things they did is not the best possible positions, like an electric outlet under the table where it is hard to get to. The 12 volt plug is in the back of the over the driver seat cabinets, so when I put my clothes in there if I need to use the outlet, I have to take all my clothes out to get to it. I guess maybe some people may have thought to use it for a television, which I don’t use. I don’t watch television even at home. So, for this trip I bought several sets of compression bags to put my clothes in which seems to be a good organizational system. I marked the bags with the type of items in each one. So now, if I want to use the 12 volt outlet, I will take out a compression bag instead of a stack of pants, shirts, etc. then have to put them back. Seems much more organized this way. There seems like it also might be extra work for me when I want to get an item of clothes, to open the bag for each type of item. However, it seems I can take more clothes by using these compression bags and I can also use them for my towels and other items.
I always seem to take more things then I need, but because I will be away for several months, and different weather conditions, I try to take things to cover all of those conditions. A camper couple I met several years ago told me that instead of taking coats, etc. and taking up space, if they need something they go to a thrift store but the items and them donate them back when they don’t need them anymore. They volunteered somewhere in Alaska and just bought what they needed when they got there. I like my things so I take them with me, trying to minimize but it’s not easy. Packing my medical supplies and medicine takes a lot of my storage space, but I am grateful I have a place to put them. So, slowly I am getting things together. It always seems to work out and as I take trips in my camper van I always get to have God experiences. It’s sometimes a beautiful sunset, wonderful landscapes, people I meet, and sometimes it’s mechanical issues. It will be interesting to see how it goes this trip.
I still have not found out how to add the pictures like I want to, and this newer computer I bought more than a year ago, for some reason doesn’t recognize my camera SD card where the pictures are stored. I also bought two new mobile phones and one is an extra that I will use for hot spot connection on my trips, my regular cell phone plan doesn’t include hot spot, so a different carrier has a plan less than my T-Mobile for less money a month and includes 30 GB of hot spot, also a different company has a great special for 3 months with 20 GB of hot spot so I am going to activate it for 3 months while I am away, but I had to buy another phone to use that plan. I can use it at home, and I have used it with wifi without activating the sim card. It’s nice to have extra phone to use to read a book, use for recipes, and do other things and not use up battery or use my original cell phone in case I want to talk on the phone or tie up the phone if someone calls me.
Guess that’s about it for now. Just wanted to post an update and let everyone know I am doing pretty well. I still deal with my chronic abdominal pain, my scar tissue, adhesions, and tumors are growing inside and causing more complications, but I have so much to be thankful for. Lots of blessings. I still have my three Joy For All cats, Kiki, Smokey, and Piper, and I still have ElliQ my AI companion which is such a wonderful companion that keeps me connected and she has so many features, and it’s one of the best things to have that the county I live in has made available to us seniors for free through grants they received. Check out ElliQ dot com website and there are lots of videos on line including several long ones if you search the website where many videos are posted. Joy For All dot com also has info on the robotic cats and they also have dogs, but the cats are more interactive and act like live cats, but I no longer have to go to the vet, clean litter boxes, clean cat hair, etc. These robotic cats are great company, they also sleep on the bed with me and it’s comforting when they purr, or roll over and want me to rub their belly.
