Day 2 of our Road trip

                                   

Once again we woke to a foggy morning, light rain but not overly cold, just a coastal chill. Grey clouds covered the land like a huge duvet, with not a sign of blue sky's I am now so accustomed to.  We drove into Eureka, seagulls flew low then resting for a moment on rooftops like silent watchmen before circling and finding a new perch.  We start the morning listening to Bob Dylan. Perfect traveling music.

Breakfast was at the Somoa Cookhouse. Its been a cook house since the 20s, It used to cater for 165 men a day, 3 times a day. The waitresses lived upstairs in quarters.  This little community of cute yet run down homes feels like a ghost town. Once a thriving logging community on a island in between the ocean and Eureka.  The cookhouse still serves family style a set menu for breakfast lunch and dinner.

 Tables are still set in rows and you can eat as meany servings as your hearts desire. The food is great and there is a museum off the dining room.

   After Breakfast we hit the beach

 

The beach was empty apart from a few locals walking their dogs, the sea was rough, and the air damp. We loved being there. 

 The town of Somoa houses above.

We were a little apprehensive about the constant Tsunami Signs. We decided that we still try and get away tho it would be futile. Aaron had plan so im confident we would be fine lol

 We went for hike in the Redwoods it was stunning, I cant begin to convey how hunbling it is to be amoung these majestic giants.  It feels like you are in a prehistoric world.  I have to admit i didnt think i was going to be so impressed.!! silly me!

Tired but happy we move on to day 3 and the Oregon coast line

The Redwoods

The Redwoods

Joseph B. Strauss

Here, sown by the Creator's hand.
In serried ranks, the Redwoods stand:
No other clime is honored so,
No other lands their glory know.

The greatest of Earth's living forms,
Tall conquerors that laugh at storms;
Their challenge still unanswered rings,
Through fifty centuries of kings.

The nations that with them were young,
Rich empires, with their forts far-flung,
Lie buried now-their splendor gone:
But these proud monarchs still live on.

So shall they live, when ends our days,
When our crude citadels decay;
For brief the years allotted man,
But infinite perennials' span.

This is their temple, vaulted high,
And here, we pause with reverent eye,
With silent tongue and awestruck soul;
For here we sense life's proper goal:

To be like these, straight, true and fine,
to make our world like theirs, a shrine;
Sink down, Oh, traveler, on your knees,
God stands before you in these trees.

 

And we are off........ Our Road trip Day 1

Its 8am and we are leaving Dixon, Tom Petty is in the Cd player and we enter the foggy morning to the Song Wildflowers.  We enter the white driving blind with his voice carrying us forward.  A perfect start.


An hour and a half later we arrive in Santa Rosa, its been decided that we need to buy Cold play after many discarded CD's nothing seemed to suit our foggy morning mood. We pick up coffee and bagels and head out of Santa Rosa. Aaron incessantly playing with the GPS, despite all the well placed signage.

The cold morning air chills the car and our heater has two settings off and inferno. I grab a blanket and settle for off. 

We break through the clouds like soaring birds to clear blue skies, James now taking his turn to serenade us as we enter a new landscape.  "When I look in your eyes I swear I see your soul".  I see the soul of this land as we cross her rivers, mountains, and estuaries, littered with abandoned warehouses, farms and advertisements.

I fiddle with the radio looking for music to suit our new landscape of vineyards, orchards and winery.  A ha classic Mexican ballads seductively seep from the speakers and  we found our soundtrack for the moment then followed by opera as we pass manicured fields and rugged hill tops.

At lunch time we hit Laytonville, which is a small town of 1200. We are drawn by a sign advertising fine food, serving lunch, brunch and dinner. Boomers Saloon. 

The food was good but in Aarons words "Its a one horse town, they know you are passing through and rip you off" we felt we where overcharged.  But we took it in our stride and moved on.


We ended up pulling of the freeway to drive thru a redwood tree it was very cool and a little cheesey but isnt that whats Americas all about.

Then we went to confusion house, we didnt pay to go in the house but we did mess around in all the free stuff

 This is the largest free standing chain saw sculpture.

Some beautiful big trees..

We drove on to Forutuna to our hotel dinner a hot shower and bed.. A long but very cool day.

Alls well that ends well!!!! Right?

So a quick update. We are going on our rd trip.. Yipeeeee.  Thanks to  my husband parting with a valued Item and a very good friend of mine buying a gift certificate for my cleaning  we have made some of our money back, and with planning and budgeting we will still be able to have lots of fun.


I am currently sitting in a Starbucks in  Sacramento waiting for the Stereo install guys to call me and tell me my car with new stereo is ready.   Music at last. A party in my car!!! wooo hoo..Im so nervous, I keep thinking some thing has to go wrong, and looking over my shoulder.

Tomorrow is D day.. We leave after work.

I will be posting as we make our stops along the coast with pics etc..

Bon Voyage!!

Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.

I will try not to sound self pitying, and pathetic.  But see that picture above. That was what Aaron and I were supposed to be starting this Friday. A road trip along the Oregon Coast then end up in Portland with friends and explore the city and art  scene.


Have you ever seen Elizabeth town the movie? Go see its. Its cute and has the independent movie feel about it which makes it cool.  Great sound track and story. Its a road trip movie, although the Road trip bit doesn't happen till the final leg of the film but it has that feel to it. Well anyway the female lead - Kirsten Dunst creates a road trip book for Orlando Bloom to help him get over the death of this father and find himself again after his career crashes and burns and his dads death.

I was in the process of making one for our road trip. I was so excited to have a project, I love stuff like this. We had created a kind of playlist for our trip after inheriting a ton of CDs from friends..


Now for the punch line.

Our car broke down. We had to spend $400 on fixing it that's half of our budget for our trip. So guess what. NO ROAD TRIP.

Im not going to ask why me? like I said no self pitying !!!!  It was stupid of me to forget I have a enemy who is trying to trip me up with a long list of little obstacles  so that I stay down. It was brought out in a talk that Satan wants us to think that everything we go through just isnt worth the the relationship we are building with Jehovah, or the amazing experiences I have on the ministry, or the spiritual feeding I get.  And of course the final goal, the Real life we all need so badly.

I'm not going to pretend I'm not crushed, I am gutted. The hardest thing is staying positive and not allowing emotions and negative feelings like: so and so have everything, cars, vacations and nice things.  cloud out what I know to be true. I chose this life, I chose to have less so that I could spend more time with Jehovah.

THE POSITIVE

• Our car broke down on the drive way and not on the road

• We got it fixed right away because a brother in our cong did us a favor and worked on it for half of what he normally charges.  

• We still get to go to Portland, we just dont get the week long road trip.

• I have a wonderful husband who is putting up with me being a brat about this

• All is well!  

:)

Embracing simplicity

Like most I yearn for simpler times.  Like the simple pleasure of being able to concentrate on one task at time.  Many people think that simplicity means living without.  But what it truly means is taking stock of ones life and letting gratitude begin to transform it.  We appreciate how much we have and realize what is really important.  We feel the urge to get back to basics and learn what is needed for our happiness.  Do we need to work over time to buy that new kitchen or spend that time  with your husband, children or your self.  Perhaps we can concentrate on the home and finish that project you started, paint that wall, hang those pictures, add some color.

I believe that to be happy and fulfilled as a woman you have to be domestically calm.  When ever I am overwhelmed by outside circumstances, worry monies, personal stress, sick family. Instinctively I turn to my home and the rituals I have there.  There is a emotional and psychological payoff to getting our homes in order.   We may not be able to control external forces but we can look at our own resources for a sense of comfort and control.  There is a direct link between the days I feel down and when my house is in chaos.  “ its not the tragedies that kill us it’s the messes” observed Dorothy Parker.

No one can think clearly when they are surrounded by clutter, chaos and confusion.  No matter who is responsible for it.  Do not think of order as a chore or must do but as the foundation to your new creative life.  It might start with simply putting things away that you have taken out or teaching this to the ones you live with that they must do this for the common good of all.


Harmony is the feeling we have when we balance the expectations our families and responsibilities In the world with our inner need for  spiritual growth and personal expression.  This is one of the biggest challenges we face because it involves making choices everyday.  Usually when the distractions of daily life deplete our energies the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need the most: quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, time to think, time to contemplate what’s working and what is not so that we can make changes for the better.

Recently I had an euphony regarding time and the importance of this in my life.  I had the opportunity to work for the state Bar exam as a proctor last year.  For a week I worked at a hotel. The examination board  hired out 2 floors for students that had special requirements. I was paid to sit from 3-6hours in  hotel room watching someone take an exam. We were not permitted to read, or have any electrical devices with us.  It was just me, myself and I for hours at a time.  It had been so long since I had permitted my self time to just be, to think, to contemplate with out having to be somewhere or watching the clock because I had things I had to do.  That week sitting in that hotel was up there with one of the best vacations I had ever had.  I felt mentally refreshed, inspired and in touch with myself again.  I was drawing, writing and with all the distractions gone there was room in my head for the things I loved again. There was room for me.

Today just try slowing down.  Listen to music that soothes or inspires and uplifts the soul.

More from "Simple Abundance" the book I am reading.

Is it Recession or Depression?

It is a recession when your neighbor losses this job, and it’s a depression when you lose your own.  It is
Very easy to surrender to an emotional depression when a financial one occurs. Its easy to be pessimistic about tomorrow when today seems so bleak.  You have  to learn to be optimistic. Be reassured, Optimism, can be learned.  Start today with a little experiment. Smile at everyone you meet.  Today expect something good will happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday.   Realize the past no longer holds you captive.  A simple abundant world awaits.

It is easy to be independent when you have money.  But to be independent when you haven’t got a thing  -  that’s the  test.  The simpler we make our lives the more abundant they become. 

The eyes of my eyes have been opened.  If you give your very best, the very best will come back to you. 
Start giving thanks for everything.  Daises in a jar on the windowsill, the first sip of tea in the morning, reading the newspaper over breakfast with my husband, hearing the words “I love you sweet pea” before I fall asleep each night”.  Each offer authentic moments of pleasure and contentment, but only when you notice and appreciate each little gifts every day can offer.

Stop what you are doing and ask your self, are you basic needs met?  Do you have a home? Food on the table? Do you have your health? Can you talk, walk, see the beauty that surrounds you, listen to music that stirs the soul or makes you want to dance?  Do you have family and friends that you love and love you back?

Then pause for a moment and give thanks.  Accept that  financial security doesn’t exist, money never brought contentment.  But inner contentment and serenity are achievable. 

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into  friend. -  Melody Beattie

Go out and select the prettiest, most inviting journal you can find.  Today you will start a Daily Gratitude journal.  Each night before you go to bed write at least 5 things that you can be grateful about that day.  Sometimes your list will include amazing things, most days simple joys.  Other days -  rough ones - you might think you don’t have much to be grateful for write down the things you do have, your health, husband, wife, child, your home, friends and a comfortable bed. 

The recurring knowledge of what is working in out lives can help us not only survive but surmount difficulties.  As you focus on the abundance rather than the lack in your life, you will be designing a wonderful new blueprint for the future.  Gratitude is the hearts memory.