Camping In My Own State

I have but a few days left on my summer hall pass, so it was vital to my survival over the next ten months that I live up life a bit, disconnect from the outside world and enjoy myself--before I go from feeling like Cinderella to a pumpkin again. King Ralph and I opted this year for camping trips around our own state of Missouri, unlike our usual cross country camp trips. Although we missed the adventure of traveling far, we have been exploring the different state parks, some of the area attractions, hiking and the rivers.

This past trip brought us to St. Francois State Park on the Big River. It turned out it was our favorite park! Site 41 had such a private feeling, lots of shade, with generous space between the neighboring sites and looked out to the woods. Bonus: it's only 45 minutes from our house. 

We arrived Wednesday evening to a nearly empty campground. There really is nothing better! We have watched the few people come and go...till Friday evening, it turned full house. The campground was full of families having fun. Good fun. Not whooping-it-up-drunk-loud-fun.   

Thursday morning we woke, brewed coffee and tea to sip while relaxing in the beautiful fresh morning air. Then we went for a long bike ride. We stopped along the different beach entries on the river till we selected the perfect spot to enjoy later. After we showered, it was off to see the Bonne Terre mines. Recently the STL Post-dispatch published this article http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/missouri/unique-attractions-mo/ which meant we had to go! It was cool, both literally and figuratively. I wish the very nice tour guide would have been more exact on with dates in history. I love exact dates of time in history. There's one thing I know for sure...lead mining for a $1.00 or a $1.05 for a day with the impending onset  of lead poisoning later in life wouldn't have lured me into the career. Years after the mines closed they were flooded. People come from all over to fresh water scuba dive in the mines. Scenes from the movie The Abyss were filmed in the mine. Jacque Cousteau once visited the mine for what was to be a twenty-four hour diving visit, but stayed five days. It's that cool inside. 

When it's just King Ralph and I we dine on camp fare that we know our daughters wouldn't partake in: fish tacos. We cooked up some fresh caught fillets outdoors and layered on the spice and crunch of cabbage. We aren't the campers that think food begins and ends with hot dogs. We like to think of camping as a time when we are relaxed and have more time in the kitchen. We then took a short evening bike ride, played games (watched me dominate every board),

we sipped wine and beer, made a nice fire and hauled the TV outside to create our own mini drive-in. It was showing "Date Night" for our date night. 

Friday we started our day with homemade blueberry muffins and fresh fruit,

the old fashion percolator brewed coffee and the morning conversation turned to our retirement dreams and goals. By afternoon we found ourselves sitting on sand, staring out at the Big River. Since I am nursing wounds (previous adventure going arye), am on strong antibiotics (to avoid my foot from looking anymore like Mr, Deeds's foot), King Ralph blew up a boat and floated me on the river.

Doctors orders were you can be ON the river, but not IN the river. I was like the Queen of Sheba. My King even brought me ice cold blueberry lagers to sip while the sun kissed my skin. 

While we enjoyed the river, I had a roast cooking--waiting for

Princess A to arrive. D was still not feeling up to snuff, opting to stay home, which foiled the dogs camping dreams. Uli loves camping! I then made a yummy pot of garlic smashed taters and steamed green beans. The three of us sipped bourbon slushies, 

Bourbon Slushies 

4 chilled cans of regular or diet coke

12oz frozen limeaide 

12oz chilled bourbon (I used Jim Beam)

Mix ingredients, freeze, stir after an hour. Freeze solid over night. 

played Trouble (King Ralph alienated us) and we took a night walk under the blue moon. The moon was so bright the blue of the day sky was visible above the tree tops. 

Good morning Saturday! The morning air was cool, the perfect summer morning air. I started a pot of coffee while the King and Princess A slept.  I grabbed my magazine,

but also absorbed the silence and the near stillness of the campground.

A few folks took early morning strolls, and I could see one boy taking to the shower house (I was certain in a race to beat the crowds). The morning sun burnt the dew off the grass, leaving water droplets to glisten like littered diamonds, while birds sang in the still of the morning adding another layer of peace. 

I don't know what it is about a Saturday morning campground, but the air permeates scents of pancakes, eggs and bacon. For us it was bacon and omelets...oh, and mimosas. 

King Ralph grilled pork steaks, got them in the slow cooker to make them fork tender, and headed to the river. King Ralph secured our perfect spot earlier in the day--our chairs sat idle waiting for us. My sister-in-law, niece and D joined us. We all sat in the river, sipped cocktails, ate homemade hummus, gourmet cheese, and soaked up the sun. Princess A secured my boat to her chair that she sat in the water. She found a de funk tire from a swing on the beach, drug it in the river and created a redneck ottoman for her legs to tan. Once we reached the daily allotment of sunscreen, we all headed back to our camp site for dinner. Our meat was cooked to perfection, salad was tossed, the corn-on-the-cob sweet, baked potatoes were loaded, and the bread was toasted just right. We finished a night of family fun with games--Left Right Center and Trouble. The girls roasted marshmallows over the campfire and we sang Sweet Caroline. 

Sunday means the escape from home ends and my summer hall pass draws closer. With my foot feeling pretty darn good the three of us set out on the Swimming Deer Trail. It was a tranquil way to start the day. We hiked to the top of the bluffs,

stood at the edge to look down at the river, peering up and over the tree tops. On the way down we passed the old dilapidated saw mill,

where King Ralph signed our names in chalk. Chalk chunks lay all around shack's base. 

Then we packed up and headed home. 

It's Monday...

I'm sorry I can't hear you, I have a banana in my ear.

(To the curious, this phone connected to the ear bud jack of my cell phone did actually work) 

Or.

I'm floating in the pool and can't be disturbed, because...I've still got a few days left on my summer hall pass. 

Springfield Adventure

I woke on Monday morning, started a load of bath towels in the washing machine, unloaded the dishwasher, made a cup of tea, read a few pages in my book and thought--I miss my M. I then grabbed my phone, clicked on my calendar and saw I had a wide open week. Then I set out solo on the open road. I love that my summer hall pass allows me the freedom to be so spontaneous. I also love that M is more available this summer than she has been than in the previous two summers. Last summer she had a full load of summer classes and the Cardinals and the summer before that she was in New York doing an internship. My timing was perfect because the Cardinals home stand wasn't starting till Thursday. 

I arrived at M's apartment around 2pm. We chatted about life and such, then headed to the grocery store to stock up. We had plans to grill steaks, but you know Mother Nature this summer, she's just evil. And so it rained. Again. We opted for our Tuesday dinner plan of spaghetti and salad. College kids can have great dinner conversation too: "if you could change one course in history what would it be?" I loved listening to these young adults and how they wished the world wasn't such a place filled with hate. We then gathered in the living room to finish watching the Netflix series Grace and Frankie before setting off to bed. 

M and I woke on Tuesday excited to check something off our bucket lists--Laura Ingalls Wilder's house. First, we grabbed a coffee, because every great adventure starts with a dose caffeine and a Snap Chat to the sisters and King Ralph. 

Then we headed down a highway we had never traveled before...trail blazers of sort, exploring an unknown section of our state. I loved watching the local Amish riding on the highway's shoulder in horse and buggy. One buggy was even spotted hitched at McDonald's. As my friend told me, "even [they] like french fries." When we finally arrived at our destination we were like giddy school girls. We snapped lots of photos to remember our "Field Trip Tuesday." 

(Nice hunk of gum in the mouth Jodi) 

(M runs around in the front yard of Laura and Almonzo's Rock House)

We had lunch in the picnic area across the road from the original house 

Mother Nature was in our favor so we took to the backyard of M's apartment and transformed into the 

Wednesday we woke with a plan for adventure. It was misting a bit, but that didn't stop us from walking to the corner gas station, grabbing a coffee and then strolling around the university campus. It was quiet and peaceful, void of student activity, and I hadn't been to the campus since I took D for a college visit her senior year of high school. It was nice seeing the improvements [my money] is helping to make. (Wink wink) 

(bumped into M's sorority little during our stroll)

In mid May a new outdoor restaurant, with a bike theme, opened across from the trails. It was quickly decided we would try our hand at a tandem bike. We rented the bicycle built for two. 

What a device and lesson of team work...every work force should have a tandem bike day. It was quite the work out! It had challenges along the way too, but totally fun despite.  We ate lunch el fresco on the patio of the Sequiota Bike Shop, had delicious sandwiches and sipped well deserved adult libations. 

In the evening we decided on one last escape. Last week the St Louis Post ran an article about fifteen unique attractions in Missouri.  Just happens #13 was right there in ole' Springfield, MO--World's Largest Fork.  So off we went on a scavenger hunt to find the "absolute must-visit" attraction. It was a bit of a challenge spying it, as it hides on the back side of the building, as did the address placard. M spotted it and we felt like champions! To celebrate having seen such a marvel it was off to Pineapple Whip for a refreshing summer treat.  

I woke on Thursday kissed my M goodbye and headed home, but with my heart full. Don't worry middle, I'll be back again soon! 

Arm Wrestling With Mother Nature

"Some old-fashioned things like 

fresh air and sunshine 

are hard to beat"

~Laura Ingalls Wilder 

We had planned and plotted the long weekend get away for months: The Cousin Camp -n- Float Trip. Mother Nature thought differently. We, however, refused to be beaten! 

Packing the camper was extremely difficult because all it did (or should I say does this summer) is rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. When Wednesday came it was quickly decided that setting up camp in the torrential rain just wasn't going to be any fun. Instead we kicked it at home, trading BBQ and a campfire for an Imo's pizza and our own bed. Thursday morning I starting stuffing gear into the camper in my not-so-usual organized fashion. It was a day that was predicted to have a bit more rain...we gambled with evil Mother Nature and headed southwest to a popular Missouri state park. The entire day was georgous! King Ralph and I biked around the park for over an hour under a canopy of blue skies. The river; however, did not hide the ugliness that Mother Nature has cursed upon it. The river was swelled to the brim thanks to the relentless summer storms. We had hopes that the water levels would drop, along with the swift current, in time for our cousin float trip and the few visible rocky beach banks would multiple or widen.  

Then it started. The rain. Again!  Five hours of rain over night on Thursday into Friday. The rain beat long and hard on the camper, which I likened to a baby that cries all night. You know the kind of irritation that you must embrace, but cannot ignore. We took a short drive into town to find a Redbox (which turns out was a blue Redbox...still trying to figure out that color pallet) to rent a movie for rain alternative fun. Then we woke on Friday to mini ponds surrounding our campsite and a river that had risen higher and was clearly unsafe for water fun. The river was closed for business. It was swift, but quiet.

Saturday, the day of our planned cousin float still had hope and the makings for family fun. 

Friday King Ralph and M went zip lining.

I enjoyed reading outside , as the day was georgous. By evening Princess A, her Prince Charming, D and the dog joined us. We grilled burgers, sipped bourbon   limeaide slushies and made a roaring fire.  Then we slumbered with our hopes high that old man river would drop.  

Saturday, we woke to partly sunny skies and a phone call that the river had rose seven feet over night...no floating, the river was ordered to have yet another quiet day. The cousins began arriving, pitching tents in nearby campsites, unloading coolers and yard games.  That is when the alternative cousin plan went into full swing.  Princess A and my niece purchased prizes at the nearby dollar store and the "Family Olympics" were born.  We stood unified in a family circle, hats were removed while D and I sang the National Anthem.  We sang loud and proud, no cares if surrounding campers thought we were nuts.  We had events like corn hole, croquet and bocce ball. 

We played in pairs, but with an odd number the dog got a spot on the team...and was teamed up with me. 

 Once the dog forfitted her spot, I was assigned to select a teammate from the losing team when my round came into play. How I came to get my croquet mate felt like a version of Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First." I just quit trying to understand, instead I gave it my all and was the real loser of the "Family Olympics." There was medal preparations...some raised hands in a show of champions, while other sipped a drink from their mini golden chalices.

We broke for lunch, bike rides, beer and booze, a quick dip in the shallow somewhat-still portion of the river, 

before the patriarchs of the cousindom took to being the grill masters, while the matriarchs prepared side dishes. It was a good ole' tailgate buffet! 

Some cousin engaged in deep conversations, some of us played Yahtzee (where I reined the winner--a loser no more). There was desserts of watermelon and s'mores. There was music and some break out dances. There were men smoking cigars around a campfire...even cigar smoking lessons to the young cigar virgins. Quiet hour struck and cousins scattered to tents, park motel, and to a nearby homestead. 

We woke on Sunday, prepared a morning feast, sang a somewhat on key Happy Birthday to one cousin, hugged good-bye with hopes for a float trip one day and a guarantee that the "Family Olympics" will happen again! 

Breaking Free!

For months, I MEAN MONTHS, our street, neighborhood, has looked like this. Uhg. Sigh. 

As soon as it appears to be in re-pave state, it looks like this all over again. Except this time around it looks and drives worse. It is almost like off-roading, as you navigate past orange barrel after orange barrel, swerving left, then right to avoid large pot holes and cleanly cut squares of once concrete street surface. The Honda Accord isn't a big fan of off-roading. When leaving the neighborhood, often turning around to detour is the only option, as you are met with construction equipment and blocked street passages. Language skills of sort are heightened! There's a lot of "damn", "son-of-a-bitch" and the more flavored "mother f&@$;##*!" Walking on a beautiful morning outside is squandered by the taste of road dirt and the hum of concrete trucks. The other morning I'd had enough and took my exercise from the treadmill to the nearby nature center 

void of orange barrels and chug holes, I pumped my way down the path and through the woods. The hum of road equipment was replaced by the chirps of birds. The outdoor peace fired up a burn in me to escape farther. Soooooo....King Ralph and I woke Thursday morning and decided to head to the burbs of Chicago. We had 36 hours till we had to be at an already calendared affair.  We tossed essentials in carry-on bags and headed out on the highway.  Then we got stuck, no sitting idle in Springfield for 30 minutes because of road construction, then we continued to creep along. Uhg! No escaping what we longed to escape. And then again as we neared my Grandmother's nursing home--more road construction. Road construction EVERYWHERE!! 

After surprising my grandma, after she treated us to her stand-up comedy routine (jokes she learned at the home's beauty shop), I kissed her and promised I'd be back soon. 

Then it was off to my bestie's house. Nothing is better than a bestie fix. In a night and day we 

Sipped cucumber martinis

Hiked Swallow Staircase and Trails 

headed to the southside--for the best ice cream ever! 

(Let's see that rainbow up close) 

After dinner, and as the sun set, we headed to the backyard for a fire and marshmallow toasting.

Then we all crawled into bed, slumbered, woke, drove home and headed to a Fourth of July party. 

(Blue and white clothes in a red chair--makes patriotic attire). 

That's how we rock forty-eight hours of mostly spontaneous fun. 

M Is for Middle. M is for Madison.

I read this saying the other day that your first born child is the one who makes you parents, and it's your youngest child that makes you empty nesters. While that saying is very much the truth, what about that middle child? What does the middle child make you--crazy, perhaps? 

When our middle gets the opportunity to come home we are not left wondering if she is in fact here.  Her larger than life personality does not leave us questioning.  She always is adding humor and fire to situations. On the flip side she is always quick to show her gratitude for the things we do for her--like spending hundreds of dollars on her car to keep it in safe running condition, or reflecting on past adventures. 

She enjoys spending time with us...from getting rained on in the botanical gardens on a mom date, to infusing herself with history on a parent date. 

The middle is never left short of picture opportunity with a sister.  The middle is the meat between two slices of bread, or the pages between the cover of a book....

When it was time for our middle to return to her college town where she works for a minor league baseball team, parting was sweet sorrow.  I was back in my world of "home alone"-- which actually isn't all that terrible! (sorry kids!).  What neither King Ralph or I expected was a call that half way into her drive she blew a tire.  A tire was not part of the hundreds of dollars spent on car repair while she was she home.  Thank God for AAA.  Walmart, uhg! The place where prices drop, but the automotive department stands still in time.  Three hours later she had a new tire, and never showed for work that day.  

While she was sitting idle in Walmart I kept finding all these reminders that she was home.  

And this my friends, is how sibling wars begin! 

(The pantry white board) 

(The lower level family room) 

My thought, Princess A made us parents, and D made us empty nesters, but the middle child is the one who keeps the family alive! 

M is for middle. M is for Madison.

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY, Come Again Another Day (like weeks and weeks and weeks from now)

There is something lost in my usual summer hall pass morning ritual of sipping my cup of hot tea on the deck, grabbing the morning sun and reading a book.  There is something lost in my morning summer hall pass ritual of walking to Starbucks on Monday and Friday for a latte--exercise and caffeine all rolled into one.  There is something lost in my usual summer hall pass morning ritual when all my phone does is spit out emergency alerts that the area rivers are about to flash flood. There is something lost in my usual summer hall pass ritual of taking walks outside or bronzing my skin for an exact thirty minutes a day.  There is something lost in my usual summer hall pass ritual when I can't lunch with my girlfriends at eateries with patio dining or float on a raft in my sister-in-law's pool.  Mother Nature is screwing with a ritual that cleanses my spirit and lifts me up.

Yesterday; however, after a day of constant rain, I caught a burst of unexpected sunshine.  At 5pm a short break in the rain occurred.  The sky was blue, with soft white fluffy clouds and the sun poured down right onto my deck.  I grabbed my NOOK, opened my favorite chair and stretched out soaking in every last ray that was offered up in that twenty minute tease of a gift.  A girl's got to take whatever Mother Nature is willing share...or should I say spare?  While the sun was shining a gust of pleasant sweet wind blew and the rain laden maple tree leaves danced.  They danced a day's worth of water off its leaves--mimicking rain falling.  It was so beautiful, almost musical, with an encore performance.  Then as fast as the sun appeared it was gobbled up by a new batch of grey clouds and the rain resurfaced.

Once the sun set the rain stopped.  Then while we slept it started again.  And hasn't let up.  I miss the sounds of the cardinals chirping their early morning song of "birdie-birdie-birdie" and the young neighbor kids laughing in their yards.  I miss the sound of lawn mowers grooming yards .I miss the sight of my neighbor's underground sprinkler going off at the exact same time each day. I miss, I miss, I miss--a lot of thing sunshine permits us too. Ugh! ENOUGH ALREADY. IT'S BEEN RAINING SINCE LAST SUNDAY.  ENOUGH!!

Instead I am left to watching Redbox and Netflix movies, walking on the treadmill, jumping rope in the red room next to the piano, sipping tea or a latte (brewed from the Keurig) while sitting in the living room (peering out the window at rain) and surfing Pintrest for the next best thing I can cook up in the kitchen.

The grass is so tall I may have to resort to borrowing a goat or two to graze and chew down the height.  Good Lord, the lawnmower would bottom out in the marsh the yard has become.  The only sound besides rain I hear is our sump pump churning so often I fear it can't keep up.  There's a good chance that my old neighbors (and they out number us 10 to 1) are building an arc just in case the creek across the street rises and threatens to sweep us all away.

So. I plead with you, Mother Nature.  Down on bended knee, hands pressed together in a prayerful form...please, please, please, pretty please bring down the curtain on this symphony of rain.  My productivity is highly dependent on the amount of sun that shines.  The weather conditions have left me a muck, thus resulting in a bed that has not been made all week.

Think that begging was heard?  Or did that fall onto deaf ears, like when I ask my college kids to pick up after themselves?  Oh well, can't fault a gal for trying to plead with Mother Nature!        

Singing In The Rain

At the present moment I am experiencing first world problems. I have no electricity and my cell phone is dead. No landline, just a cell phone...see the problem? Being in communication with me is not an option. Opening the refrigerator is a no-no, need to keep the cool in the box, so cooking is out of the question. As is grocery shopping to restock the staples we are out of.  Just when I think the thunderstorms have passed, and natural light will flood the house, here comes yet another storm. 

Let me take you back a few hours , back to the mother/daughter date I had with M today. With just a few days left to her week home, while the minor league baseball team she is employed by is on the road, we figured some good local fun was calling us. We decided on the Botanical Gardens

where we could enjoy the lantern festival showcase pieces in the daytime.

When we left home it was a beautiful and comfortable 81*, but as we walked around the gardens it was clear the summer Saint Louis heat was catching up. We didn't care, we were spending time together. Ooooing and aaahhhing at all the things beautiful (that my black thumb could never grow), from flowers to artichoke plants in bloom. When the quickly approaching dark clouds, that I was confident we could beat, got us.

Once the rain began it came down in buckets. Once we were wet we were committed to being wet and just walked on--laughing and playfully singing the water cycle song. Honestly, what else is a soaked to the bra and undies mother-daughter duo to do? By the time we got the entrance the gentleman who graciously took our photo at the beginning, just happened to be there (soaked like us) at the end of the adventure, to snap our picture again. As you can see, like the flowers, we too got watered!

This just proves it's not how you spend  time together that makes the fun, but who you spend time with that makes the fun!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There is no greater joy than that of my work year ending and my glorious unpaid summer break beginning! It's been a year to say the least!  A year of things I've seen, heard and processed I am more than happy to forget! 

This summer break will give me time to refill my empathy tank (it's been on empty way to long), stop the self soothing eating (M &Ms I shall miss you in a 3lb bag form), clear my mind and soul, lose some pounds (M&M I blame you, but thank you for helping me through the rough spots), read, bronze my skin (poolside) and hang out with the people I love. The people that fill me with joy.  I plan to camp, sip grapefruit and cucumber martinis, chug a blueberry lager, hike, run on the tread mill, have coffee and lunch dates with girlfriends, hang out with my nieces and daughters, float the river, go on dates with King Ralph... The joyful possibilities are endless. Make homemade strawberry jam. Visit the lavender farm (on my bucket list). Go to the lantern festival at the botanical gardens. Go to a Cardinals ball game. Take a trip to the wineries. Most of allow erase the nastiness of a year of ridiculous behaviors that permeated my work space. 

Hello summer I've been missing you!