Thanks to Shelly of This Eclectic Life for posting this on Facebook. This is not something I normally listen to, and every second into the song, I connected more and more with it. Old Time Feeling a good feeling, so is making new feelings to become old time feelings later.

Shelly is hosting a contest. You might want to check it out – just click on the link above for information.

Poetry is very much a part of my life: rough draft poetry as I have said before, because most of life is done as a rough draft, we react. But there is something to be said for poetry that is edited and tweaked.

Now if I say I am writing haiku or senryu, many don’t know what the latter is (I didn’t) and others think haiku is nature and descriptive, and would rather just look at nature than read someone’s words about it.

On Twitter, we have allowed ourselves the freedom to play. Much of the haiku you find is so untraditional purists are closing their eyes as they grimace. There is a lot of beautiful and pure haiku posted, too.

One individual, an animal activist, musician, and poet – as well as an everyday human being, is also a collector. He spends extraordinary amount of time searching to post for us what he feels is the best haiku, senry, tanka, and micropoetry posted on Twitter on any given day. He is known as the Dragonfly Hunter.

But, he does not choose only the pure, but, also, the clever, well thought out, different. All are tiny slices of life: seen, hidden, wanted, cast aside, loved, hated; even the everyday. Real life.

Check out the Dragonfly Hunter’s collection. Let your eyes skip across the page and light at random. I dare you: The Dragonfly Archives

Besides being a Fab Grandma, and all that involves, Karen is an RVer and a reviewer of gluten free foods and other items that catch her attention. I chose one post on each to share with you.

Have you ever wondered what an Rv workamper does in a typical day as a volunteer camp host? It’s not all just cleaning toilets, y’all. And the site in Georgia was beautiful.  Fab Grandma shares their day here.

I’ve become interested in Gluten free cooking, not that I’ve tried it yet, but I intend to, as soon as this procrastination thing weeds itself out of my personality. After reading Fab Grandma’s review on this Heartland Muffin mix, I think I will start with these. You don’t really think I was going to make them from scratch do you?

While you are there, why not browse her sites? You never know what you might find you like.

NOTE: Fab Grandma moved her sites. The links above still work, but her new blogs are found here: http://fabgrandma.com and http://reviews.fabgrandma.com/!

Note: NaBloPoMo’s January theme is Best. Fab/Best, works for me!

It won’t run an AC or water heater, but it will run just about anything else for several days even without solar aded.

It is a step in the right direction, I think, but only for those willing to fork out more money than most people would, or have. I won’t be purchasing it, I couldn’t get it paid for before Social Security became my only income, but I can see where it would be well worth any price to some people in their homes, and to many businesses that want to remain up and running in extended outages. So, I deem it well worth sharing, so, definitely, follow the link above and read about them.

The company is selling units in five states already. Kudos to Power Ready for designing it. Now, hopefully, they will realize they can sell it for a lot less than they are. Then it might just go viral.

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I would love to say that meant our RV would be forthcoming, but the market dropped so much, that though our original price was deemed correct for that market, we had to bring it down over the months, we lost 49K by waiting to long to put it on the market – and that was earmarked toward our RV.

On the bright side, we got through it, it looks like it will now be sold, and we can breathe a bit easier. We are trying very hard not to dwell on what could have been, but be grateful, for so many others either did not sell even after years or had to change locations and could not pay for both houses at the same time.

My mind is racing trying to come up with an alternate plan to still reach our dream in a reasonable amount of time, though reasonable in my mind is, quite honestly, this past May. Yes, I am a dreamer and at times less a realist than I should be, I suppose.

But, for now, the ongoing strain, both on the surface and simmering beneath, has eased for both of us. For those of you still struggling to sell, I feel for you, and I wish you luck, there are people out there wanting houses, some just can’t afford what is out there.

Now, do we hold out for a Born Free or look for something lower priced? Do we just get a Class B with a Mercedes diesel to get the mileage to make the trip corner to corner across the US?

It will be a hard decision, one Leon may have to make for us, because if I had my way, I would have a Mercedes diesel to go back and forth every year since the mileage is so much better — and a Born Free to keep in WA for our actual RVing, we won’t be visiting much South other than passing through because of the fire ant issue… his allergy is too strong. And, of course, in my dreams, we would, also, have property at either Lake Tyee (beautiful views and huge lake to kayak on) or Lost Lake RV Resort (small lake, but redone recently and really well kept up when we visited) — and on the ocean in Florida… And, to continue the dream: two lots at the first two, park models on one lot each. We have our floor plans picked out.

Ah, dreams are great aren’t they? They put smiles in our hearts.

Now, to learn how to turn dreams into goals and make the goals a reality. I’m practicing! Are you? I sure hope so.

To quote a famous American document, “We hold these truths to be self-evident….”! Uhmm, I know they are there. Let’s see if I can find them:

1. Solar panels and batteries need space in our RV.
2. A large inverter is a must.
3. No larger than 27-28 feet in actual length is preferable
4. Leaning toward a Safari Trek with the electric bed that “magically appears” from the ceiling or a Truck body Class C. After traveling again in his company van with the Ford chassis, and having to twist my body to allow my feet room, I will not under any circumstances choose a Ford van chassis or even a Chevy van chassis, although the latter have a tad more room for the left foot of the passenger.
5. A desk is a necessity with business and blogging, although much of my blogging will be done on our laptop. I have seen other travelers replace beds or sofas with desks or even create one out of the existing dinette by removing the table top and running a desk surface in the opposite direction, removing the seat cushions and using the seat beneath the new desk surface for the printer on one side and paper bins on the other… a six foot long desk surface! That I loved. She just pulled a desk chair up to it.
6. A bed must be long enough for Leon’s 6 foot frame.
7. Not sure on the macerator issue yet. Need to let Leon check on that since he will be doing most of it, although I will learn how.
8. I want the best backup camera possible!
9. Tires must be moved during long stops to prevent damage. Now, to remember that once we get one.
10. Awnings, remember to put them down to prevent damage.
11. Satellite. Will wait to check on that until we chose an RV, have some sites bookmarked with information for later. We just bought a Verizon wireless broadband internet modem for the laptop, so that will hold us over for the next two years of the contract — and we may be glad to have it even with a satellite dish, I have had others who are grateful to have it.
12. Will need an air cleaner that eliminates chemicals, not just dust and allergens, especially if a newer RV.
13. Counter space. I plan on cooking occasionally, not gourmet, but the easier it is for me to do things, the more likely I will do them.
14. I dream to have room for a water bottle on a stand. If I have water, I will be happy.
15. TV at a lower level, our necks prefer it, though Leon is mechanically inclined, so he can move it if need be.
16. Need room for kitchen items and a few,very very few craft items.

I know there are a million other things, like room for Leon to take a shower without bruising elbows and knees…. Where is that perfect RV in small size? I know you are out there… I saw a HOST Motorcoach I loved on an extended cab truck body with 4W drive — but it was 35 feet long… figured could convert the good-sized bedroom to the TV room, nix the wonderful storage above the double cab and sleep up there — and not order the second seats in the cab area, add a few overhead lights… Put a tiny computer area in place of one seat and just roll on over to the opposite back seat space (can’t say area, way too tiny) and house the printer and papers there… Just another excuse to buy a wireless card for the printer…. grin.

Have you seen those? Click here to see the kitchen and dining area, it is awesome, even has counter space. Four slide outs, whoa…. but it is too long for what we are hoping for and too expensive for now… oh well, it would be perfect except for the length. We spent a lot of time looking at it at the RV show… Now, if only it would magically appear at the doorstep… in our name, fully paid for… OK, so that is a dream! No one I know is rich enough to buy it for me and I wouldn’t expect them to if they were, but if magic were to get it there… grin…