Yesterday I went on my first REAL kickoff walk for 2014 3Day. Now don't get me wrong I have been doing some walking squeezed in between travels but this past week I have declared myself "IN TRAINING" so that means my walks need to be more consistent and planned a bit better :) I started today by walking beside a water canal. Peaceful, quiet and beautiful as the water flowed, bikers rolled by, and walkers strolled. (You won't find me strolling with my sticks...LOL  :)


As we have traveled to different areas and different states I have begun my collection of "names for the shirt" and shared my goal. Mesa has become my 'kick off' point and I can't put into words the excitement I feel as my countdown for success begins. With the miles there are always opportunities to meet someone new, hear a new story and hopefully to spread a little encouragement as I go. Encouragement has become the main goal and motivation of my walk.
Knowing that the end result will provide HOPE and HElP to someone fighting their battle with cancer puts fuel in my tank and determination in my heart. I have found, though, that it is not necessary to wait for the finish line to share a hug and a word of joy with someone along the path.
So it is that time again, and I am back on the trails,
Walking Strong   Because Everyone Deserves a Lifetime
Laura

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Checking out Arizona

                                                                                                                                  

We traveled from Vegas down to Earp, CA almost 4 weeks ago, where we met up with a high school friend.  

Meeting up with old friends in new places is such fun. Friendships made in high school seem to have matured as life has taken us each on our own journeys and we have gained new perspective and priorities.          
Earp is a little community close to Lake Havasu a more familiar destination for the snow birds.

We pulled our motor home in beside George, facing the water, and set up camp for a couple days. There is something about water that calms the spirit and the renewing of old friendship brings jSeveral hours of refreshing memories and draining a couple pots of coffee we toured the area, and discovered a couple local eateries. Nothing demonstrates the personality of a community like a meal among the locals.
The wild burros roaming the countryside were a novelty to all the visitors young and old.
After a couple days in Earp, we secured the inside an hit the road again and headed toward Mesa, Az.
Ya know the old saying, "Home is where the heart is" we are proving again that that is indeed a fact.  In our years together we have lived in many different styles of homes, including very small and large houses, a camp size trailer, a tent (with 4 children) and now a motorhome. Through each adventure we have found that all it takes to make a dwelling a home is love and a willingness to share it.
A pot of coffee, a seat and an open door proves to be a key. When the kids were home it was often an offer of playtime to another Mom and her kids, a dinner shared with friends, or a s-more made over an open campfire.
In Mesa we have found neighbors from "home" are enjoying the sunshine and break away from normal life as we are and new adventures are shared. Our first week in Mesa was spent sharing time and fellowship with neighbors from our home site in Montana and from a small community close by.
While shopping at a nearby grocery and choosing a melon a woman close by commented on how her father used to grow them in Oregon. Of course I asked "Where in Oregon" well, that led to us learning that we had both lived in the same communities in both Oregon and Montana. A small world we live in indeed!!
The RV Park we ended up in, has proven to be a "home away from home. " We have connected with old friends and collected a bunch of new ones to add season and joy to our lives..
Swimming, a workout room, hikes around the neighborhood and a gospel music jam have been among the many activities we have shared. I have begun my training for the 3Day in San Diego so a walk along the water canal has provided a quiet peaceful and beautiful trek.
Cactus and roses blooming in March have added a bit of splendor to the view, while walking the dogs under a sky filled with stars and lighted by a full moon never cease to bring a feeling of awe and wonder.

                                                                                                      
So the search for a home base has begun...will it be in a place surrounded by desert, but offering the beauty of sunshine and roses in the winter...or a home surrounded by the mountains (offering snow covered peaks) and lakes with clear blue water calling me to sit,rest and soak in the peace of it all, or someplace yet unexplored??
My peace comes when I choose to remember that God has promised, that He has a plan for my life and "He will be with me WHEREVER I GO"! The greatest joy is knowing that He has control of the GPS and has my destination set!

Laundry on the road....

Laundry day on the road.

One of those 'blasts from the past' that comes with travel is the weekly trips to the Laundromat. There have been times on and off when we were vacationing that I have visited the local laundry facility and it is always an adventure. Now that my home is on wheels it has become a weekly occurrence and the experience never ceases to amaze me. You are guaranteed of a little adventure each time..the amount of said adventure is dependent on the facility and those patrons using the facility.

The first order of business is always to secure enough quarters to begin the task. This may change drastically from place to place depending on the number of quarters required to run the machines and dryers and the amount of dirty laundry accumulated. (Do you remember when a wash was 50 cents and the dryer ran for 10 -15 minutes on a DIME?) Well,sweetheart, those days are gone forever! I have found in the past few months that a washer can cost upwards to 1.50 and the dryers vary according to the number of minutes for a quarter....and beware of the temp!! This morning we paid .75 per wash and .25 for at least 30 minutes of dry time. We consider this one a bargain as they all worked and did a good job :) (Sometimes it is the little things in life!)

Now, I have found it pays to be friendly to the 'locals' because they just might save you from melting down your favorite sweater, or spending several dollars to dry those towels.
Those same locals can provide you with enough entertainment to last a week. The best bet is to just be quiet and watch and listen. Sometimes that is all you CAN do as a disgruntled citizen attempts to solve the worlds woes as he waits for his wash.

Or it may be an opportunity of a lifetime to learn some of the best household tips ever. Someone is sure to know the best route of travel for your next destination or where to  get the best meal in town!
Best of all is the opportunity to share a moment of encouragement with someone desperately needing it.

One thing for sure, I never leave without being thankful for the clean laundry and a warm and comfy place to put it.

Finding Happiness in Whatever STATE I'm In

The past 6 months have taken us across the country and back,

with many adventures and family time added to our memory book. We have resided for a time in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Utah and now Nevada. Some for months, some for weeks and some for just a day or two. This vagabond thing isn't so bad!! New friends and 'favorite places' every day.

Life in the motor home as HOME has truly begun. These Vagabonds have gathered their belongings {a portion anyway) tucked them in to their new spaces and are ON THE ROAD but taking HOME along.
We returned to Montana from Florida...took note of the snow, ice and cold and headed West leaving our the motor home in the throes of winter. We spent a couple weeks visiting family, soaking up love and hugs. Playing on the beach and waiting for dry roads and a little warmer weather to make its' way north. Our wish was finally  made reality. We hooked the car behind the motor home and pulled away from Tim's home in Stevensville. We drove to Butte and  after spending the night with Tom's family we headed South looking for sunshine.
Several hours of travel later we found ourselves in Utah having found the sunshine and warmth. We shed the sweatshirts and long pants for t shirts and shorts found some fresh water for the tanks and we could now begin to make this place home!
After another day on the road we pulled in to Kings Row RV in Las Vegas for the night. Not before a bit of adventure though. I had programed Vegas into the GPS so it had every intention of helping us get a true tour of the town. I quickly changed the city of desired destination but not before getting a taste of the traffic that comes with the city.  Upon waking the next morning that one night turned into a decision to set roots for a WEEK! There was cleaning and organizing to be done!!
So the past couple days have found me inside sorting winter and summer clothes, combining all the doubles into one,doing a bit of shopping and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.
Jim had outside repairs and chores to do. He quickly met all the neighbors and got the lay of the land.  Men with tools made themselves and their tools quickly available.
The repairs are done the tools returned {with a jar of homemade jam as a THANKS } and today he hung the family pictures, It is taking on the feel and appearance of home.
With the clutter gone and peace restored we are hoping to take the car on a few side trips and explore the state of Nevada then maybe doing a little jaunt into AZ with Pennsylvania on the horizan!!


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From East to West and Ocean to Ocean

It has been a while since I set with some time available to put a few words on the page. Life is so different at this time in my life that sometimes I just have to pause and contemplate the happenings.
Right now we are in Oregon...the last few days I have awoke in the mornings and honestly had to take inventory of my surroundings and remember what STATE I am in. :0)  HONEST!!  (I keep assuring myself that it has nothing to do with age!)

The last time I wrote we were still in Florida and on countdown for returning to the land of frost, snow and ice. Otherwise known as Montana.
The last week before boarding the plane, we made a list of the things left to do and places to go. The highlight was a cruise on the Inter coastal Waterway. We were mesmerized at the sight of all the multi-million dollar homes,  incredible landscaping and the peace of the river. Upon returning to the dock the captain did a drawing from the passengers and guess whose name was called. Yep, Laura Moody, tickets for another cruise with no expiration date.  Florida 2015??
A walk on the beach, collecting shells, wading in the water was another bonus day. A beach which just five weeks earlier was hardly worthy to be called a beach. After five weeks of dredging and pumping sand a new beach was created and we could hardly believe we were in the same spot.
Our time in Florida was such a blessing and more fun than I could put into words. Memories created, new friends made and a vast supply of Vitamin D...compliments of the sun. The last few days we spent walking in the sunshine, laying in the sun by the pool with soaking up as much warmth as possible the desired goal.
Emotions were mixed as we pulled out the suitcases and packed to leave our little spot in paradise. The freedom from all the responsibilities that pull us in normal life had been a chance of rest and healing that God surely knew we needed. The generosity of a friend had been a gift beyond measure.
We flew from Fort Lauderdale with a temperature of 85 degrees only to land in Missoula, MT with a temp of 17. The drop of temperature was held at bay as we were met by the smiles, hugs and love of our son and grandchildren. Nothing warms the soul of a Mom or Dad like the hug of a child or grandchild! We reconnected quickly and then headed to bed...our bodies were still on East Coast time.
The following day we spent organizing the motor home for travel and getting a full fledge welcome home from the dogs.
With another winter storm on the horizon we decided to leave our home on wheels, roll the car off the dolly and take the car back to Kalispell to reconnect with additional family and friends.
Hope to rescue the motor home from the winter wonderland and head to warmer climate was dashed with more snow and ice in the forecast as our time in Kalispell came to a close.
Flexibility being our word of the day we re-packed our bags and headed to Oregon. A short visit with my sister and then on to the Oregon Coast.
                                                                                                                                                                     From the Atlantic to the Pacific. We love our oceans and the diversity between the two.  The warmth and white sands of the Atlantic to the cold and storminess of the Pacific. Winter is so different on the beaches of the two coasts and yet what a joy to walk in the sand of each and to observe the power that lies behind those waves.                                                                                
 Today as we walked, our attention was drawn to the destruction of a barrier built to protect the foundation of a motel sitting high on a hill, much like the beach destroyed in Florida. Cold or warm the results of the power of the waves are the same. Man made barriers will bow and bend to the to the power of nature and the hand of the Creator.
As if given a smile from heaven on our last day by the sea we walked in sunshine! Morning will find us once again packing our bags with plans to meet up with our daughter and family. Then head north to hook up with our home on wheels, unpack the suitcases, and settle in to life on the road surrounded all we call our own!

I Saw The Wink

I saw the Wink!!

When I started this blog and was training so hard for my first 3Day walk for breast cancer I  shared several times about the "Winks of God" along the way.
Life has been a little crazy since that first blog. So many things have happened to cause twists and turns and some pretty steep hills and quick descents in the road in this 'almost' year since that first post.
I completed that walk with the love and support of so many of you, old friends and new in September of 2013. It was an incredible journey that changed my life in so many ways. I was able to take two very dark times in my life and use them as fuel to create an experience that will forever shine light into those dark areas.
It taught me that through strength in training and determination I could do things I would have only dreamed of before. But most importantly, I found a true meaning of commitment to others. On days when it would have been easy to find an excuse for trimming a couple miles from my walk...it was my commitment to so many, and the trust you had shown in me that would remind me "my excuses were invalid."
Those 'Winks of God" (coincidences you may call them) always seemed to come at precisely the right moment....
  My favorite was the time I was checking my pedometer..sure I must be close to my 10,000 steps..and Pandora chose at that exact moment to play "10,000 Reasons to Bless The Lord"
The morning I had decided to take a walk up a mountain trail and met a gentleman whose wife was battling breast cancer. I left the encounter with her name for my shirt.
The morning I slowed to walk with an older lady...her daughter I would learn,had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was thrilled to tell her she would be carried on my shirt for 60 miles...
  The time I was on a LONG walk and feeling a bit tired and Chuck called to tell me his plant manager was making me PINK grips for my walking sticks...
 The moment shortly after starting when my phone 'pinged..you have a message' I stopped to find "a donation of $120 has been made to your acct"
The morning of a 17 mile when a little boy stuck his head out the window to say "I like your pink shirt lady" and I smiled all the way home...
I could go on and on..(I trained for 7 months ) But each of these experiences were opportunities of a reminder that He knew exactly where I was and what I needed to spur me on.
Following the walk our house sold and 2 weeks later Jim had a total knee replacement. Our neighbors left the day we signed papers and offered their home as a place of recuperation. Wait...did you see that wink?
Shortly after his surgery another friend offered 5 weeks in his condo in Florida.
SOOO..here we are in sunny Florida while Montana has been covered with snow and the cold has been record setting. Two months of additional recuperation time for Jim and a welcome respite from the busyness and stress of the past few months.
Periodically the thought will cross my mind that I am without a home to call my own. When someone asks "where do you live" I am in a quandary. A curious place to be at my age to be sure.
A few days ago a friend of another time in life informed me that she was going to, at sometime during this year surprise me with a blessing. She had made a decision to start the new year on a positive note, and was choosing the first five people to recognize her offer. She then ask for a favorite scripture or saying. Several went through my mind and I was at a standstill as which to choose. Then it happened..I remembered another time of decisions to be made..(when we lived in the same little town as my friend)...Jim's job was gone. Where would we live and where would we go....only this time we were living on a farm with cattle, and 5 children."What do we do???"
We were impressed to read the first chapter of Joshua in the Bible. There was much in that chapter that spoke to our hearts (go ahead...read it!) As I re-read it now and got to verse 9 I am pretty sure God smiled and gave me a wink.  The message to "Be Strong and Courageous and not to fear because He will be with me WHEREVER I go" was received loud and clear. I stopped to join Him in a smile and a time of peace.
For this moment I may be a Vagabond, traveling from place to place, but I am not lost and without a compass. He knows where I am and has my route and destination chosen. I just need to follow closely to the path and watch for His footsteps!! (Please Lord, no detours!!)
So thank you Gwen for being a part of this wink!!
I think there were two!
 First, my "chance"of seeing your decision to be a blessing.
Second my remembrance of Lakeview and another time of challenge and promise.
 I'm sure I feel Him smiling just knowing I caught the wink, and His gift of peace has been delivered, received and opened!!
How about YOU....have you shared a Wink with God lately?? Have ya taken time to look??   
Message me an share your wink!

The Florida Keys truly are a little portion of Paradise. Beautiful weather, friendly people and lots to do....or not dependent on you energy level :)
We left Boynton Beach on Tuesday and traversed some of the most incredible roadways you will ever see. 7 miles of bridge over the most beautiful waters imaginable.  Running along side the bridge is the "old Bridge" which was built in the early 1900's as an "overseas" Railroad to the keys. It has not been used for years for travel, but is now used by thousands of walker, bikers and runners each year.
So amazing to realize the talent and mathematical genius it took to engineer such a feat...no computers or calculators just the human brain working its magic.
Once across the bridge there were 8 foot cyclone fences along the sides of the road. Along the swampy area to keep gators etc off the road..farther down to protect the deer. The Keys' deer on the endangered list. I was privileged to see one beside the fence. They look like a Montana fawn minus the spots. Amazed once more at the many species of wildlife we have to admire and appreciate from coast to coast.
The arrival at the motel, beautiful room, the blue water in an enticing pool was a welcome sight after a fun but exhausting day of travel. The speed limit and traffic makes for a long day. but alas it was dinner time and our stomachs were calling for food.
Let the adventure begin! We chose to take a  bus rather that try to navigate through the city the first evening. It was a "Sit down, Hang on and Shut UP" kind of experience.The driver sped through the narrow streets with a honk and nary a brake. But the passengers on board kept the chance of being stressed at bay. When they learned we were new in the area and looking for dinner they took it upon themselves to make sure these two Vagabonds did not go hungry! Suggestions began  coming from all over the bus...with the emphasis on where the best bar and cheapest beer was!!! We just kinda smiled and nodded until one fella turned to Jim and said "JUST FOLLOW ME." Now tell me, how do you argue with that??
So we did. We followed him off the bus and as we began to walk he turns and informs us "I can't walk very fast because I"m waiting for a heart transplant." At this point Jim and I look at each other, my giving him, complete control if CPR becomes a part of this journey! He took us down to the pier and the miles of bars and eateries.
We finally settled into a table at the "Turtle Kraals" It was happy hour so we bought a couple 'buckets' of ribs for dinner and they were YUMMY.
Walked the pier and did some "people watching" and then successfully found the bus stop. Rode "home" with a super young gal..living in the keys alone..and several older ladies down from the north soaking up some sunshine.
The king size bed just seemed to suck us in for a night of rest you only get on vacation. (Now shouldn't retirement be a CONSTANT vacation.) The next morning we awoke refreshed and a little more adventurous. We drove into town..found a parking spot [ a coveted find] on a side street and did some sightseeing on foot. Made our way through the crowd to get a  picture of the Southern most spot in  the US.  Cuba 90 miles across the water
On up town checking out the shops, Lunch at 5 Guys, where we were the only ones to have our lunch delivered to the table. Made us wonder "did we look that old" or as I prefer "he was just a very nice young man".  Then back to the hotel and pool full of blue wonder, where we relaxed and watched the local wildlife wander out to enjoy the fun. Iguanas and 'cow birds' were a reminder of how far we are from what we have known as home.
Evening found us at the bus stop making new friends from Sweden! They live in a tiny village of about 600 people where she teaches and he works in concrete. As we visited she shared that both of her parents had passed from Cancer. Their names will be on my 2014 walking shirt!!
Sunset in Mallory Square was our destination of choice, to view an incredible sunset. We followed the roar and became a part of the crowd gathering to watch the sun disappear into the ocean as the sailboats and ships seemed to float right through the golden glow. Another of those AWE moments. We have shared those 
moments on both coasts now!
The afterglow followed us as we watched the performers and checked out the vendors on the square. A classic coastal dinner, more window shopping, a stop outside a bar to lean across the open wall to enjoy the incredible voice of the young entertainer and the an older couple sharing a dance. We left the music and fun to meet up with our Swedish friends for the bus ride "home", Mark it down as a wonderful day spent together! 
Time seemed to fly and we were sad to once again pack the bags into  the car. After a couple hours at the pool making another friend,adding another name to the shirt, one last walk on the beach we headed north.
We decided we could not pass up the opportunity of a lifetime. We made a stop at the 7  mile bridge to do a walk on the OLD 7. With more memories and stories to add to our retirement journal we headed back to our current "home" in Boynton Beach.