image_pdf

Changing Lanes

I’m not sure why my son Kadon got his first car soon after he got his driver’s license…but he did. It was an almost 20-year-old, hand-me-down, 2002 Supercharge Pontiac Bonneville from his cousin Jessica. She got it from her brother Brad and his mom Michelle bought it from some mechanic for $3000 (a good deal I guess). It was named Jemall–it means “handsome” in Arabic (in case you were wondering, which I’m pretty sure you weren’t).

But anyway, to operate Jemall, you needed a screwdriver to stop the windshield cleaning system from spraying and wiping your windows if you dared to brush the button. When it rained, water puddled on the floor of the backseat. Pins held up the headliner. Ice and fog regularly formed on the inside of the windows. You had to manually lock all the doors because the automatic locks clicked, but nothing happened. And only the driver’s window went up and down. Whew, I think that’s it. Continue reading

Keeping Things Equal

1972 DatsunIn my lifetime I have owned quite a few cars: mostly older models and a couple of really nice vehicles.

When it came time to share the driving experience with the two daughters we had it was decided, as did everything else, to be on an equal basis.  Continue reading

Matt’s Puma Mobile

First carMy mom got her first driver’s license when she was 55 years old. My dad had passed away and she often found herself stranded with errands to do and places to go. She bought her first new car in 1984. It was a celery green Chevy Celebrity. She literally was the little old lady who drove to the grocery store and to church on Sunday.  Continue reading

Inheriting the Red Hornet

Hornet

Picture this – faded fluorescent orange with yellow front quarter panels

In our family, the general consensus is that teenagers don’t need a brand-new car for their first car.  Mom and Dad held to this philosophy and therefore, I did too when my kids were of the right age.  My dad must have been obsessed with the year 1972 because Lisa’s first car was a ‘72, my first car was a ‘72 and my second car was also a ‘72. Continue reading

A Blue Door in France

cruiseTraveling abroad was never on my bucket list. There are so many places in the U.S. that I have not seen.  

Then several years later I was asked to go to France with my oldest daughter’s mother-in-law.  The timing was right, and it felt good to have something exciting to plan and look forward to.   We took a Viking River Cruise in France. Continue reading

The Joy in the Journey

journeySome of my favorite trip memories all begin with the car ride there.  When I was little, we didn’t have car seats or required seat belts or anything like that.   Continue reading

Road Trip to Graceland

It was the spring of 1996. Tom and I took a creativity class together based on Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way”. Not only did we develop a writing habit, but we also made our first dream boards, learned a basic sun salutation practice, and played around with dying fabric.

Not only did we expand our repertoire of self-discovery tools, but we also met some creative and adventurous people. Dave and Paul were two young men in our class. They had wanderlust and brought up the idea of a road trip to Graceland. Continue reading

The Search for Goodson Mountain

Goodson mountainOne of my favorite trips with my husband Michael was our trip to Galax, Virginia for his brother Rodger’s funeral. I had heard so many stories about Galax, Virginia, Michael and Rodger’s dad Price Goodson and about the land they call Goodson’s Mountain. I always thought it was an exaggeration, but it turned out to be as true as the stories. Continue reading

Hiding in the Car Wash

dangerous weatherEvery summer, our whole family gets together for two weeks at the family cottage in Door County. When Michael, Matt, and I lived in Colorado, this trip home was a hike.

We had spent a very enjoyable time with my sister, her husband, and our two nieces and their families. Continue reading

Climbing to Kjeragbolten

It was the end of our Norway excursion. The one place my sister-in-law wanted to see was Kjeragbolten –but we were tired. Did I really want to go or should we pass?

According to VisitNorway.com “The hike to Kjerag is around 11 kilometers (almost 7 miles) long and the round trip takes 6 to 10 hours. You need to be in good physical shape before heading out on this mountain hike which has an elevation gain of 800 meters. In some places, you have to pull yourself up and slide down with the help of wires, so it is a demanding hike even for experienced hikers.” Continue reading