There are many great things about traveling. And for me, one of the great things is the chance to see TV again! At home, my TV reception is pretty darn bad. I can receive two channels, and just recently one of those stations went off the air. So, that leaves me with one channel to watch.

I can get a dish TV system. And one day I will. I just don’t want to bother with that yet.

So, on my first day here in Mississippi, I put up the antenna, crossed my fingers, and turned on the TV. And starting watching football! Wonderful! And then, I realized that this is the first week of all the new shows. More good news! And, I will now be able to see that commercial that my friend has been telling me about.

In case you didn’t notice the time of this blog, it is early morning. I did consider turning on that TV, but I decided to write this blog instead. And while I was up, I decided to make my nametag for tomorrow. (I’m such a new NOMADer that my nametag hasn’t arrived yet.) And while I’m up, I think I’ll also move my keys from that high hook to a better, easier location. And while I’m up, I think I’ll prep my coffee machine to make coffee quickly in the morning…..later morning, that is!

And guess what, I think I’m getting sleepy. Wonderful.

Good night.

Suzanne

The trip from Sulphur, LA, to Moss Point, MS, was pretty easy. All I had to do was get on I-10, set the cruise control on fifty-eight, and head east.

But, I did have a couple of challenges. One challenge I knew about. In fact, most of you probably know about it. I-10 in Louisiana is rough!!! There is this one 40 mile section where the pattern of roughness is exactly perfect for getting the maximum bounce out of my truck and trailer. When I reach that section, I disengage that cruise control and drop on down to fifty miles per hour. Now, what’s interesting is…….not all that many cars pass me!

The other challenge was the swarming of LoveBugs! They swarmed over me and my truck all the way from Sulphur to Moss Point. No let-up at all. I cleaned my windshield five times today, and they still are not all off. And I know that I have to get them off. After all, they are notorious for taking a finish off a truck’s paint job.

But, I made it here just fine. I am part of the NOMADS group which is staying at Caswell Springs United Methodist Church. The membership at this church knew that it would be a long process to put their community back into shape after Hurricane Katrina hit last year. They knew that the volunteers who came would need electricity and water. So, the church installed seven RV hook-ups in their front yard!

It is good to be here. I’ve already met four of the other RV’ers. Two more will arrive tomorrow.

Here’s a picture of our group with the church in the background.



That’s it for now. I’ll talk with you later.

Suzanne

I have joined a group called NOMADS and am on my way to my first volunteer job. NOMADS is a Christian organization whose members volunteer their time and energy in all kinds of projects. It is a program which offers people with recreational vehicles the opportunity to share their time and skills in United Methodist projects, including churches, camps, mission agencies, and local neighborhoods.
My first project as a member of this organization is to help rebuild houses damaged/destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Moss Point, MS. I am familiar with the area since my parents lived in Biloxi…only about 20ish miles away.

This project is a 3-week project. Our group will be working with sheetrock and will be doing some insulation work. I am going to learn “the art of taping, mudding, and finishing sheetrock.” I have mentioned before that I am a handyman…..just a very untrained one. And now here’s my chance to learn something very handy and to help out some people who sure could use a helping hand.

I do know what it’s like to live in a hurricane-damaged area. I was in central Florida when Hurricane Charlie blew through two years ago. My home suffered some damage, and I remember how it felt when that phone call came months and months later to tell me that MY roof was NEXT in line to be REPAIRED!

I can imagine how tired these people are. It’s been a year now. This work will bring a few families closer to having a normal life again. It sure will feel good for them!

I’ll arrive tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. But, I know I’m going to be so sore when I start using those muscles that haven’t been used in a while! Oh well!

Ya’ll take care,
Suzanne

I lived in Florida for fourteen years and learned to love lawn flamingoes. There is just something about those pink plastic birds that makes me smile. I had a really neat one whose wings would whirl frantically when the wind blew. Unfortunately, one wing finally broke.

So, I went to the internet and typed in Pink Flamingoes. Lo and behold, I found one website devoted entirely to pink flamingo gizmos. I browsed around and finally found the one gizmo that suited me perfectly. So, this whirl-a-gig gizmo now has a home here on the lake.

I thought you would like the picture because you get a good view of the woods and lake that I see when I walk out my door.

Oh…..with this pink flamingo, the tail whirls! And it faces into the wind!

Ya’ll take care,
Suzanne

P.S. See that grass across the road? It is part of a biiiiiiiiiiig field that I cut two days ago with the John Deere tractor and bush-hog. My first time to ever drive a tractor and to ever use a bush-hog!

I’ve been feeling a little…..a lot…..guilty for a while now. The four plants that my mom gave to me a year ago had turned brown. A month ago, they looked great. Then, last week, I saw that they were brown, and not just a little brown. Crispy brown pretty well says it.

When my mom came to visit about four days ago, I hoped that she wouldn’t notice them. And I was so relieved when she didn’t see them! But what am I saying?! Mothers always know everything. She saw them; she was just pretending not to see those plants so I wouldn’t feel so bad!

Anyway, I walked over to those four crispy browns today to pinch off those stalks so that I wouldn’t have to see them accusing me every day. And I found green. Hidden down at the base were tiny little shoots of green. (And, no, they weren’t weeds!) So, I ran back to my home and got the camera. And that is why this blog has a picture of tiny little shoots of green amongst crispy brown debris.

Hope! Hope! Joy!

Love to you all,
Suzanne