Day 70 9.26
Danny had known all along I had a plan & a schedule, which I included him on. I was going to see as many of my friends & family as I could while here. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.
This morning we were headed to Lawrence to meet up with my “Walker Women”…these badass adventuring so very very fit women whom I’ve walked with over the years. They were amazing during last year when I was so sick…checking in on me, coming out to see me, & then when I could start being active again, willing to go at my super slow pace for just a short distance. I love these women (we’re missing Laurie here…who is out in ‘Colorado with her grandkids. Laurie & I always talked about being away from our grandkids…just another thing we had in common!) & admire & respect them so much! So, we had a long lunch & all caught up with each other lives & families.
Then Danny picked me up, saying hello to the women, then we ran a couple of errands. One errand was to the fantastic quilt store we have in downtown Lawrence called, “Sarah’s”. I have bought a boatload of fabric from them over the years, & it’s also my place to go when I need a Xanax (which I’ve never had, but I know what it does for you)—but this place somehow calms & quiets me when I needed it. Today, I was picking out fabric for the baby’s flannel quilt. I didn’t give Claire & Emma’s there’s until they were 3 years old, but time feels fleeting now & I’ve not found a decent quilt shop in Orlando, so I’m buying it now. I will probably give it to the baby at age ONE, but I’ll be happy I have the fabric from this place whenever I do decided to make it. Danny went with me to help pick out fabric…for about 10 minutes. Then he told me the Red Lyon (a friend of ours owns it) was having a tap takeover & he went there, just across the street. But, no worries, we both did our own thing & I got all the fabric I loved.
Then according to our schedule (don’t roll your eyes). it was time for a me & Danny date night. He’d told me that the Burger Stand, was having Green Chile week…& well everyone knows how I love green chiles. And Burger Stand was the place we went to every Friday night for years & years until Covid hit. It never seemed to be the same after that.
But tonight, it was super quiet in Lawrence, so we sat outdoors, sharing a GC cheeseburger. Then we went across to the street to our most favorite place in Lawrence…Merchants. We were just going for cocktails, but they are always always sooo good & fun to visit with the bartender again who said “haven’t seen you in awhile”…I know.
We drove back to Kansas City….visiting all the way. Really glad to be back together.
Day 71 9.27
I dropped Danny off this morning at his friend Mikes house so they could catch up & visit. I met with another dear dear friend of mine…who I wouldn’t miss on any trip to KC—Kathi. We went to high school together & keep in touch now more than ever. We met & sat outside & chatted the couple of hours away. We’ve both been through a lot….medical & personal….so we had a lot to discuss. Happy to say she’s on her way to feeling better. I’m so glad she could make time to see me on this trip! (also didn’t get a pic).
I went to pick up Danny from Mikes & three of us decided to go out to lunch at Barleys…a place that has really good beer & close to Mikes house. Before we left for lunch I spent about 30 minutes cleaning out & re organizing the back of Camper. While Danny was in Lawrence yesterday & I was with my Walker Women, he hit up the liquor store to bring back all the good stuff we can’t find in Orlando. The back of the 4Runner was a huge mess…I couldn’t stand it any longer. So, I unloaded in Mikes driveway then reloaded the 4Runner until everything was nice & tidy!.
After lunch we went back to my brothers for a family party. I have a small family & my cousin (the sister to the one I saw in Colorado) was coming through town from Virginia. Mike had offered to cook up a party & my niece & nephew & their families came too. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my cousin Sue, & I’m super glad we all got together! So great spending time with everyone!
My niece Amanda, my nephew Brett & his wife Andrea.
Danny, Rick (Sue’s husband), Sue & Damon all enjoying the visit.
So wish Gary could have been here with us, but wonderful to spend time with Sue & talk about old times & our families then & now. My brother Mike, me & Sue.
All of us! (We miss you Gary!)
Day 72 9.28
Danny & I had the most of the day to spend together, so we took off for the Plaza….a place of history to me & near & dear to my heart. Our first stop was Andres…a swiss bakery. My Mom used to buy my birthday cakes from here when I was growing up & it’s been my tradition to get a Napoleon from here every birthday. But, since I won’t be here in January, I moved it up a few months & that’s where were on this beautiful morning.
Walking along Brush Creek.
We walked aways to the Kaufmann Gardens & went through them. Still lots of flowers blooming on this September day.
Settled on photographing this tree….the Labyrinth was closed today, so we couldn’t walk through it.
The Nelson Atkins museum….I’ve been here so many times. Used to come here on field trips when I was at Loretto & just kept coming back as an adult.
We knew it was going to be late tonight when we ate, so we stopped in at an iconic Kansas City burger joint called Winsteads.
I told Danny I don’t call this comfort food, I call it memory food….it’s a walk down memory lane when you eat here. My Mom & Grandma & I came to the Plaza often when I was a kid, & we stopped to eat here a lot. I ordered the Cherry Limeade to old time sake…they didn’t put the sherbert on it back then & it didn’t taste the same, but oh well. It’s nice to think about those days.
The city of fountains…& the Plaza is a wonderful place to see them.
Danny wondered if he was eating a burger from Winsteads.
We had some more time after our walk, so we opted to go to the Grand Street cafe & sit outside on this perfect weather day & enjoy a cocktail & just visit & take in all we could of our time together.
My sister in law introduced me to Kim Osborne & her amazing talented singing about 15 years ago. Over those years, we’ve gone to several of her concerts together. Jan has definitely seen her more than I have, but tonight she was playing in KC with a new band called, Whiskey Business. So, we’d made a plan to go to the concert together. Kim really has a wonderful voice.
The three of us…Danny, me & Janice enjoying the music & each other’s company.
We got back to Mikes house late in the evening but before they’d gotten back home. We knew they’d gone out to dinner with Sue & Rick, so it was fantastic when the four of them got home & we spent another couple of hours just talking about old times. Really grateful for this random spontaneous visit tonight. Hugs all around as Sue & Rick were leaving in the morning. I hope Danny & I can make our way to Virginia to see them again.
Day 73 9.29
Mike & Pat are big bicycle riders…Pat rides about every day. So, this morning they took us on a ride. They have recently purchased e-bikes, although their’s are a smaller assist than most. I rode Pats road bike with some trepidation…these three have been biking quite a bit & on my best day, I’m not a good biker. But Pat’s bike was awesome to ride…way easier than my mountain bike. We did 12 miles of riding in North town on Sunday morning deserted streets. We stopped at a cute little coffee shop near the end & just visited. I was glad it was a fun ride, instead of dreading it would be a struggle for me only, as I’d originally worried about.
Danny & mine official second date was this afternoon & our fave date whenever we lived in Kansas. We had reservations at Q39 downtown…we love their BBQ & have never been disappointed. We ordered the same things we always order then just visited. I make it sound like we never talk when we’re not traveling together & that’s not true. We talk multiple times a day…but this year we’ve been apart more than usual & especially with Danny retired. So were savoring our time together.
Ribs, apple cole slaw, Mr. Burns sandwich (burnt ends) & fries…our go to & we feel like it’s the best BBQ in the state (this is always a hotly debated topic in KC though).
Then we always drive down through the old neighborhoods over the brick streets to Boulevard brewing. It was more dead & empty than I’ve ever seen it this afternoon. Most likely everyone in KC was somewhere else watching the football game since this is one of the few breweries that don’t have TV’s (yay!). Danny picked up a case of one of our fave beers & we enjoyed some small pours on the deck. (This is the last of buying beer here on this trip…it’s getting harder to find a place for it in my 4Runner!) We talked about how “weird" (both of us agreed this was the descriptive word) that we don’t have a home here to go to. I’m glad the term wasn’t “sad”.
We went back to my brothers house after…he’d taped the game & was waiting to watch it with Danny. Pat & I visited the rest of the evening, then I hit the sack…really tired tonight.
Day 74 9.30
I was super grateful I could meet up with these two on a last minute plan. Vickie & Fran worked with Sandy & me at the college. They are super special women & I sometimes have lunch with them when I see Sandy. But this spontaneous meet up was wonderful & didn’t want to miss catching up & laughing & hugging!
After Danny picked me up, we drove out to the cemetery where my Mom & Grandparents are buried. I’d bought some flowers earlier in the week to set out. Going to cemeteries is not comforting to me, so I never stay long. But, we pulled out the old flowers & added the pretty new ones, then we left. My Mother & Grandmother used to love visiting cemeteries whether they knew anyone there or not (I thought it was creepy). Those feelings didn’t get passed down to me. They just always make me feel sad, reminding me of what I missed…my Mom for my whole adult life. For years I didn’t even go there because it would just depress me, but then I started to take flowers out a few times a year just to make it all look nicer. I just wanted to take flowers out one more time since I was here.
We stopped at our fave Eddie Bauer outlet store & Danny picked up a couple of things…on sale because it’s fall in Kansas but would be perfect for Florida weather.
I wasn’t excited about driving by our old house, but Danny wanted to. He’d been by it in June when he was in Kansas, but wanted another look. It looked exactly the same except theres a curtain on the big front picture window. Our name is still even on the mailbox. All the stakes that Danny had seen in June, marking out 5 acre plots, were gone, so maybe they decided not to bust it up after all. We missed seeing our neighbor because we had to be in Lawrence soon. We did see our neighbors son mowing the pasture & stopped & talked to him briefly. He said they’re renting it out to someone’s son from down the road. I have great memories of raising our kids there & I do miss some things about our house…quiet, private, tons of outdoor space, dark skies to see the stars & moon. But I have no regrets about the move or thoughts of going back …zilch, zero, nada.
Then it was back to Lawrence to meet up with my sweet friend Michele…or ‘One L’ as we called her in Bike and Beer. We met up a the local small pub called Gaslight Gardens. She was so great when I was sick last summer, meeting up with me & coming out to my place. I loved chatting with her & I will definitely miss her. I met her when I randomly joined a group I found on FB called “Bike & Beer Wednesdays”…it was so much fun & I met so many wonderful people there…but she is the best!
Not ready to leave Lawrence yet, we drove down a quiet Mass street. Then we ordered a pizza & took it to the Lyon & sat outside on this lovely evening. Saying good bye once again, to our town.
Day 75 October 1
This morning we packed up our stuff from my brothers house, had a slow morning of coffee & conversation. Then big hugs all around with hope to see these two next winter in Florida (although with the hurricane that just came through while we’ve been here, it destroyed the resort they always stayed at in Cedar Key),
Danny & I took a long walk at Shawnee Mission Park…my fave section from when I used to run here. Then we went to Spin, one of our fave pizza places for lunch. We still had a little time to kill, so we took a ‘walk down memory lane’ drive around Wyandotte County Lake. I’ve been here a few times over the past 3 years or so doing the hike that goes all around the lake. But I’d never driven it since high school & neither had Danny. So, we took our time & did the drive.
Danny didn’t just fly up here to see me & everyone else. The plan has been for him to take my 4Runner & go to his family’s lake house for awhile to do whatever work needs done, check to see how it is, & hopefully this trip, get a new & bigger septic tank put in. It seems we are still tag-team traveling, not spending the time together that we’d planned on when discussing retirement. Our two lovely wonderful old cats require someone be there sometimes. We just, at this point, don’t feel like it’s a good thing to leave them with a sitter coming in twice a day for more than a couple of weeks. So, he is taking me to the airport, & I am flying home with 4 bags! I’d brought all my summer clothes, sandals, etc with me on this 75 day trip & I will need them back in Florida.
So, we say good bye when he drops me at the airport…but we’re looking forward to spending lots of time together over the mild Florida winter.
And, as cheesy as it sounds, the sunsets on another trip.
Random
I saw this near the river in BV….just wondering if there’s a story behind it. This seems like it could be a sad one.
When I was in Santa Fe at the campground, I got stung by something near my collarbone. I never saw what got me. But a few days later, it turned from a puffy sting into a rash. That rash stayed for a couple of weeks. The rash then turned into a bunch of bumps & that lasted for another 2-3 weeks. As I sit at home & update this website, I can still feel a few of them lingering.
So Freaking Weird
But I’ve learned to be grateful for the things that stay small things & never get horrible.
The Pee Bucket Mystery
One night while camping in my lovely spot in Crested Butte, I got up about 3am to pee. I use a collapsible bucket that sits near by back tire. I have done this a thousand times & could do it in my sleep (ha ha). So, this night was no different. However, the next morning when I got up the bucket was empty…& totally dry on the inside. It wasn’t tipped over, no hole in the bucket, the ground was dry & the inside was like I’d never peed in it. It’s a mystery. It’s the Pee Bucket Mystery…hasn’t happened before….ever.
I buy lemons to make my Whiskey sours. It’s a bit of pain to squeeze these babies & store the juice in my cooler, but the cocktails are great! But look at the size of these lemons! So big I had to quarter them! But they were also super juicy so I was able to exist on these for a good while!
This is not my photo, but one I swiped from Sherry’s page. It was so much fun making a point to meet up with her along this route. This is the day she rode into Colorado’s capital & all the friends that were there to cheer her! It was a blast!
I practically went coast to coast this trip…from near the Atlantic to the Pacific…I love those years when I’m at both coasts. I went through four time zones….keeping family & friends all confused (I tend to be less confused since my family is on East & West coast time, I’ve lived on Central time but spent the summers in Mountain time).
I’ve been practically living outside for more than two months…it never gets old. I love it & so does my body…waking up with the light & tiring out when it’s dark. My skin is darker than my dermatologist would like, but I love this life of being outdoors so much. This time heading “home” is different though. I’m ready to leave Colorado…the hunters are coming out with their noisy & deadly guns, the temps are dropping rapidly making both day & night a little uncomfortable, soon it will get dark way too early, & the snow has already started to fall, already closing passes & roads. I’m looking forward to “passing through” my home state only because I want to see my friends & family. Then I will be heading home to see Sara’s family & the cats. I have missed the girls soooo much! I’ll be settling in to our home & not dreading winter…camping season is not over when you’re in Florida. The winter clothes will get packed away from this trip (during the time I was in Colorado, with the exception of Denver, I was in my Mele hoody & most mornings & nights also layered on my puffy) & I will not have to drive in ice & snow. I”m excited about this new life for me & Danny, looking forward to a new baby in our lives & a wedding next summer. It’s all really, really good.
A final note about my health:
It’s very good. I am not back to normal yet, but my BP has not dropped for a long time. I just need to get my energy & endurance back & I will be good. This year was different, but not like last year which was the year from hell. I couldn’t do the hiking as easily as I always have…many times it was slow & a slog. But I did it. And a few little things happened to make me concerned that it was coming back…but I’d talk myself off that cliff , move on, & thankfully, my body would right itself. Danny is probably the only one that tell a difference in my health, but I’m so grateful for him to give me the OK to try & do what I’ve always done. He doesn’t just give me the OK, he’s my biggest cheerleader. So, very very very grateful for him, for my body that is coming back & for all the friends & family I got to see along this trip that have also been there for me over the years. They all made time to hang out & catch up on this trip & I’m grateful they did; it means a lot to me.
It’s love in so many ways.
The Two of Us
So, I’m finishing with lots of photos of me & Danny…hoping next year we’ll have figured out a way to spend more fun times together!
Thanks for following along. Here’s to all of us having a wonderful life, many adventures, tons of travel, & amazing love in our life!