Unexpected Connections

Twice today I smiled as my cell phone played "Rainbow Connection" announcing friends reaching out from the road. C called earlier to "check in" as she and D drove to visit relatives in New Jersey before reconnecting with the long-time friends ...(who relocated from Southern California to South Carolina several years ago)... they've been traveling with in Maine for the past few weeks. J called about an hour later to announce she & P had enjoyed their visit with her family and plan to head for Harper's Ferry tomorrow so they can add West Virginia to their RV map. Both had questions about the Southern California fires along with travel news to share. Afterwards, I checked in briefly with my sister, B ... catching her just as they were moving to a site with better amperage so we didn't talk long, but she said she'd get back to me once they're resettled and she starts doing laundry. I'm looking forward to that chat later on. We're all Verizon wireless customers and put those free cell-to-cell minutes to good use consistently.

Each is somewhere in the Eastern USA traveling with their husbands in the "happily retired" comfort of their 5th wheels. I'm glad to know they're all well ... enjoying their travels while making time to visit family & friends along the way. Occasionally when I read their newsy emails, see photos, and/or hear vivid descriptions of sights they've seen & experiences they've had, I consider taking to the road myself. However, these thoughts pass quickly for I'm content to travel vicariously while enjoying my simple life near the ocean with Molly, especially now that I have begun to explore the virtual world of blogging.

I took advantage of the 15% off coupon Barnes & Noble emailed today to finally purchase the "Complete Planet Earth Series" on DVD because I missed most of the episodes when they were originally broadcast on TV and I want to see them. I found it "on sale" at a substantial discount, so with my normal 10% discount plus today's coupon ... it was quite a bargain! Now I know why I kept this title on my Wishlist for months even though I don't let anyone know.

Earlier this morning I heard the DOW was down almost 200 points, but it must have reversed itself this afternoon because I note that the financial markets ...(except for the NASDAQ)... have closed relatively flat on the day. What a roller coaster ride! Since my trip to Taos where I attended a Writers Retreat, I've not devoted much time to trading stocks. In true "Scanner" fashion, I've set that interest aside for the time being and moved on to other things. Thanks to Barbara Sher's insights ...(elaborated in her book, Refuse to Choose)... these days I accept these shifts in my life with minimal stress ... knowing I'll return to them ... or not.

The fresher, more breathable air this morning made my long-awaited walk with Molly delightful. Everyone laughed as she raced around joyfully savoring the freedom of being outdoors again. I'm glad we did it early because the air quality worsened as the day progressed. The windows are closed again to keep out the smoky smells from the fires here in Southern California. I hear at least two of the fires are now 70% contained. With the weather changing and the winds subsiding this afternoon, perhaps the the fire-fighters will gain control of the remaining fires soon. I pray so.

I'm hoping this is the week the gardener comes so that he and his crew will do the heavy clean up in the yard. If it's not, I guess I'll be out there picking up debris & gathering thousands of palm seeds myself tomorrow.