Settling In

We are now in our third week at Dan and Carol’s.  Bruce has started helping his brother, Neal, out with various chores around his tree farm in Churchville and a building in Caledonia that housed much of our nephew’s accumulation.  That is Bruce’s form of workkamping.

I have been helping Carol any way I can and, that is my form of workkamping.  Some days we weed the garden and gather vegetables; do laundry/folding; cook (although my cooking doesn't compare to hers since she’s had so many to cook for over the years and is much fussier about it than I am), iron, or clean house. Last week we prepared massive amounts of food for another graduation party held this past weekend - in the pouring rain.

On the 8^th, I wrenched my knee in my own RV putting away clothes in the closet.  The next day I went with Carol to her gym/physical therapist.  He was kind enough to look at it for me.  He determined nothing was too amiss, and when he found out I have my own tens unit and electric heating pad with me, he suggested I use both.  It’s doing much better.

On the 10^th, Carol and I drove to Gates and went to the movies with Carol’s sisters, Patti and Nancy.  Patti and I had been best friends during our high school years.  We saw “Jersey Boys” (love, love, love the music!!) and then had dinner out and birthday cake to celebrate Nancy’s birthday.

On the weekend, Bruce and I took a trip to Greece, NY to visit my aunt.  On the way, we stopped by his old house and mine. 

My aunt Dottie is 94 years young and recently moved into an Independent Living facility.  It is one of the nicest I have ever seen.  She is absolutely amazing!  She loved having us and treated us to a Zwiegle’s white hot dog for lunch.  We walked around the grounds and just had a great time.  I’ll be going back to visit her again and hope to see my cousins as well.  On the way back, we drove down the Lake Ontario State Parkway.  Bruce used to carpool with Herb and drove this road for years and years.  It runs parallel to the lake.  We went through the town of Hilton and stopped at Neal’s antique store.  Oh my goodness!  Talk about stuff.  You can hardly move in his shop, but he likes it that way - good for business!

On Sunday, Bruce and I visited with a couple that he had gone to school with – Dave and Pat.  They have lived in the same house all their married life.  She has a beautiful backyard and a definite green thumb.  We plan to see them again at a pre-class reunion party held at the Rose Garden in Bergen on the 8th of August.  It will be great for Bruce to see some of his classmates that he hasn't seen since he left Byron to move to Spencerport.

On Thursday the 17^th, Bruce took the RV down to Syracuse NY to a Cummins dealership to have it worked on.  He and Danny may have been able to fix it, but taking it to a dealership may help later if anything goes wrong with it again.  The fuel lift pump was leaking and the poor repairman who worked on it did a lot of muttering since it wasn't very easy to get to (Under the RV in the back and under the bed area in the RV; close quarters.)  Hopefully that will be our last repair for a long time to come!

This week (July 21^st – 26^th), Bruce will continue to help Neal and I will help Carol.  We plan to leave here on the 27^th and camp up in the 1000 Islands at Long Point Park.  Friends of ours summer up there from their home in Florida.  We have not seen them since we left for Idaho in 1983 so we have a lot of catching up to do.  We also have a lot of card playing, too!  (Euchre)

I realize that this part of our trip may not sound very appealing to some or pique your interest, but for Bruce and I, it has been a step back into the past. We drive down roads that we used to travel years ago, visit people we haven't seen and places we haven't been to in years and totally enjoy reminiscing with each other.  The Bickerers are temporarily gone!  Gosh, everyone should have an opportunity to do this type of trip especially with a loved one.  What one of us might have forgotten, the other will remember.  It has been great!

My hurt knee

19 Loretta Drive (where Bruce lived when I met him)

273 Straub Road (where I lived from 10 years on)

My Aunt Dottie and me

The Villages at Unity

Dave and Pat

You can't see it but it is pouring!

Dan (Twink) actually getting someone a cup of coffee!!

The farmhouse where Bruce grew up

Now this is a hot dog!!!