It's really hard to summarize oneself for the general public. I mean, really, what does the public want to know about me? Am I married? Yes. Do I have children. Yes, three, and they're all grown thank God. (By that I mean parenting is HARD. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but I'm really glad our offspring have all reached adulthood.) Do I have pets? Yup. Two dogs. Since the kids are all grown, you'll read more about my dogs than my kids. Because that's what happens when you get old like me. I have three grand kids, too, so you'll read about them as well. But the dogs live with me and, when I am desperate for blog topics, they usually help me out.
I wish I could remember where I first read about Virginia Bluebells, a Spring wildflower that grows in moist woodlands. Maybe it was while reading the literature about the Shenandoah River State Park. Or perhaps I read about them while researching Texas Bluebonnets in preparation for this trip to Texas in 2014.
Whatever the source of my fascination with the flower this year, I finally got to see them in bloom. It took three thrips to Shenandoah River State Park, but was worth it to see the otherwise brown woods carpeted in a lovely blanket of green interspersed with flowers in various shades of blue, pink, and purple.
I will let the images speak for themselves. Click on any of the images for a larger version.
The logs pictured in the last image are where I decided to sit and eat lunch. I sat at the end of the top log, on the right-hand side, atop the bank. It was a lovely, peaceful spot. The woods on both sides of the little stream were carpeted with Bluebells.
I hope you enjoyed seeing the Bluebells. Here’s hoping each and every one of you are safe, healthy, happy, and finding creative ways to spend time with your loved ones during this very unique time in our history.
Petunia is a BBQ grill at The Apple House in Linden, Virginia.
I started this blog in early 2008. My purpose, at the time, was to have an easier way to document our then-upcoming vacation to Alaska. By “easier” I mean as compared to manually building/maintaining a group of web pages, like I did to document the building of the WV Place. (Sadly, we no longer own the WV Place.)
Slowly, over time, other people found my blog. Many of those folks also have blogs. I started interacting with some of them on a regular basis and, as a result, established some online friendships. I have even met several of them in person, which is awesome.
Many of the people who found my blog did so because of the motorcycle and/or travel-related info I used to share frequently. Motorcycling is the common tie that bound us initially. As we got to know each other more and more, more ties were established. Even as I posted less and less frequently, people still seemed to follow, i.e., care about what was or was not going on in my life. That surprised me. Especially since I’ve gotten awful about keeping up with everyone else.
Like me, many of my motoblog buddies seem to have lost interest in blogging. (Using social media [Facebook, Instagram, etc.] is so much quicker and easier!) I’m pretty sure all of them are still riding motorcycles and/or traveling.
I still maintain the links to my Motoblog Buddies’ blogs. I thought about deleting those that are no longer active, but decided against doing that. They, too, might find their way back to blogging one day. I suspect all of our lives will be very, very different once we get past the coronavirus crisis.
If any of you MOTOBLOG BUDDIES read this and want me to delete your link, let me know. Otherwise, your link will stay:
CurvyRoads (Lynne): last post 28 June 2019. Very active on Instagram. Facebook, too, so she has said, but I shut down my Facebook account m id-2019.
Find Me on the Road (Sonja): still active
Fuzzygalore (Rachael): still active, but not posting as regularly
Life on Two Wheels (David): still active
Machida Meanderings (Bridget [Richard’s wife]): more-recent addition; active
Princess Scooterpie (Darlene): last post 30 March 2019. Active on Instagram.
Richard’s Page (Richard): still active
Scooter in the Sticks (Steve): still active
Travels with ScooterBob (Various): Bob passed away, suddenly, in late 2014. He had been the catalyst that brought many Moto-bloggers together, so a group of us did a tribute/around the world tour in Bob’s honor, which is now documented on what was once Bob’s blog.
Trobairitz’ Tablet (Brandy): last post 31 December 2018
Troubadour’s Treks (Bradley): last post 28 April 2019
Two Wheels to There (Ry): last post 29 January 2017. Active on Instagram.
Slowly, my blog has evolved. It is now less-focused on travels and more-focused on me. Over the years, I have enjoyed going back and using the blog as a reference. That’s how Hubby and I “remembered” when we visited certain places, did certain things, etc. I have missed being able to do that since I have been blogging less frequently.
I’ve re-started posting a few times over the years. This is the FINAL re-start. Really. If I am not able to manage posting regularly, I’m just going to let that urge to blog rest in peace. Because this should be fun. If I am not enjoying it, doing it doesn’t make sense.
So, you’ll be seeing the new, relaxed version of me from here on.
I kicked this week off with a motorcycle ride. It was a completely spontaneous. As it turns out, it was also very well-timed. While I was out riding, the governor of Virginia announced that this state is now on lockdown, too.
This may be the last ride for a while. Here are a few pics I captured while out.
My first stop was the State Arboretum of Virginia (on US-50 near Boyce). It’s a place I have been meaning to visit for years. We passed it countless times over the years on our way to and from the WV place. So, I FINALLY visited. It was pretty, but there were too many people there for my liking. So I rode through, but did not stop.
From there, I headed to Bentonville at the Shenandoah River State Park. My route took me right past Dinosaur Land in White Post, so I HAD to stop.
My bike with two dinosaurs.
Pursuit!
I did not realize when I took that picture that it looks like that dinosaur is trying to eat my bike!
I almost wiped out half a block from home. I forgot the back tire was new.
I did get to visit the state park, but will share pics in a separate post. The state park is only a short drive (15 minutes?) from Shenandoah National Park. So, after I left the state park, I decided to traverse the northern section of Skyline Drive.
Just outside Front Royal off US-340.
Me
View of the Shenandoah Valley from a Skyline Drive overlook.
Such a pretty, clear day! (looking east, I think)
Skyline Drive (my favorite shot of the day)
I love that we are so close to Shenandoah National Park.
From there, I headed home via back roads through Little Washington (the first Washington) and Flint Hill. So much nicer than US-211, which Fodderstack Road and Crest Hill Road roughly parallel.
On Fodderstack Road between Washington and Flint Hill.
If you have spare time and are interested, open Google Maps (or click on View larger map below) and look at some street views along there. It’s idyllic for sure.
Finally, here’s a pic I’ve been meaning to capture and share. It’s a barn quilt that was recently installed at a produce stand on US-211, just east of Sperryville.
Barn Quilt!
And that’s it for the pics.
Stay safe and well everyone. The world is a better place with each and every one of you in it.
I stumbled across an interesting op-ed article on CNN.com the other day about alternate greetings to be used in this new era of infection prevention. There’s nothing like rules forbidding people from touching to make one aware of just how much touching actually goes on in normal, everyday life. Handshakes are particularly bad.
Research shows that a single handshake can transfer 124 million bacteria on average, so it is quite likely a perfect way to share viruses as well.
As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of an upcoming visit I had scheduled with my counselor, Bob, later in the day. I like Bob. He’s a warm, friendly, affable guy. As recently as last week, I shook his hand in greeting and when saying goodbye.
But our world is changing rapidly, and we all need to adapt to survive. It was an interesting read. If you, like me, weren’t even sure what Namaste means, you can read the linked articles. Or you can watch the fun videos I found to share.
This one, from FluffyFriends, is my favorite, but only because it’s funny. In my opinion. And we all know how important humor can be.
This one, is more informative.
Until relatively recently, I thought Namaste was just a trendy, New Agey kind of Hipster word I’d never use. But now that Hubby and I have started doing yoga, I have become more accustomed to hearing the word. Also, since I have learned so much about spirituality, consciousness, and soul energy over the past year, I understand the power of Namaste.
It may not be the Indian equivalent of saying “hello,” but we are not in India. It certainly felt safer than a handshake.
Stay safe, people. Keep your distance. Don’t shake hands. Use “namaste” instead. Or, if that feels silly, just wave.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but wonder if the Universe (or God) has decided that humanity needs a wake-up call. I mean, shit is pretty unreal right now. It’s almost like The Stand, a book by Stephen King, in real life. For serious.
If you haven’t read The Stand, you can watch it as a made-for TV miniseries. In the book, a virus that’s 99.4% communicable escapes and wipes out 99.4% of the US population. Presumably, the rest of the world was similarly impacted, but the book didn’t go into that. It was set in the US. A lot of people died, but the focus was on the survivors. Some were drawn to good and some were drawn to evil. The good folk gathered in Boulder, Colorado and the bad went to Las Vegas. Of course, there was a showdown.
Anyhoo… this virus does not appear to be as dangerous, but there are still a lot of unknowns. Hunkering down and isolating ourselves from each other really does seem to be the best defense. But people aren’t heeding the warnings and advice. So chances are that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
Rather than dwell on any of it, I’m trying to make the most of the situation. I am using this time to paint the basement. Painting is a very meditative task for me. There’s not a whole lot of thinking involved. Plus, I get to listen to music and sing as I paint.
I am generating lots of positive energy as I paint and sing. One can only absorb so much positivity, right? All the excess positive energy is flowing freely into the universe. To be used however, whenever, or by whoever. If every single person in the world who is able chose to do something similarly positive, think of all the positive energy that would be floating freely through the atmosphere.
Yes, I know that sounds crazy. BUT… if there’s one thing I have learned over the past few years, it is this… positivity, as in a positive outlook/attitude, goes a very long way.
Positive offsets negative. Always.
Worrying about the virus, what’s going to happen, how/when/if humanity will recover, etc., generates negative energy.
Each and every one of us has a choice. I choose to be positive. I’m going to keep painting and singing and hoping for the best. I’ll be responsible and stay sequestered away until this blows over. Or, until things get so bad that home is no longer a safe place to be.
Chances are good that it will not come to that, but no one knows what is in store for us. Really.
So, stop worrying. Think about happier times. The world is what each and every one of us make it to be. If you choose to worry, life will be tense. If you choose to let go and let God, or the Universe, or whatever you want to call it, proceed to the next level, I’ll see you there.
Here are a couple of random happy pics that I came across while searching for a post-appropriate image. Both really warmed my heart.
My Honey and my Special K.
Me in my Happy Place (on my motorcycle)
Think happy thoughts, people. We will get through this.
I started this post in early February. That doesn’t sound all that long ago, but, in some ways, it feels like a lifetime. It was a Sunday. I remember that only because it’s the same day I heard this quote:
The greatest moments of your life are the most difficult ones. That’s the only time you learn.
— Mandy Patinkin (CBS Sunday Morning, 2 Feb2020)
Entering and formatting the quote is as far as I got with that draft. Until today.
When I started this post, I was still actively working and quite stressed-out. I feel much better these days, in many ways, but know I still have work to do.
Even I am amazed that I am not ready to go back to doing my job. It’s really a very stressful role. Hopefully, I can figure out how to return to that position, IF the position is even still there.
Whatever. I am still working on me. Continuing the slow process of real, serious introspection and applying the lessons I have learned and continue to learn every single day.
It’s been interesting, really. I have been learning a lot and am confident I’ll be a better person when all is said and done. I just wish I had some idea when “done” will be.
Because I am not currently on the job, it is difficult to know if I am recovering and, if I am, how to quantify how much I am improving. That measurement isn’t as important to me personally as it is to my employer. So far, there is no date for my projected return to work. The only thing I do know is that once I am cleared to return to work, I need to give my employer two weeks notice before I can actually resume my duties. I use the term “resume” loosely as there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to return to the same role. I’d only been with my current employer for nine months, so am not protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), a US labor law that requires some employers to offer employees job-protected, unpaid leave for qualified medical and/or family reasons.
Basically that means I had to put my job on the line to take time off, which is needed to take care of myself. My job might still be available. I just don’t know if I will be able to do the same job. Or if I will want to. With the current pandemic situation impacting the economy, I don’t know if there will be any job openings when I am ready and able to return to work. But, you know what? I am not worried. I need to get better. This treatment is long overdue.
I continue to see a counselor — his name is Bob — on a regular basis. Next week, I have an appointment with a psychiatrist, who I’ll see in addition to Bob. I have never seen one of them before, so am quite interested to see what they have to say, if they will adjust my medications, etc. (Bob can’t prescribe or assume responsibility for medication management.)
I’ve had issues with depression, off and on, for a little over 30 years. It may even have been longer. I just know that late 1989/early 1990 was the first time I seriously contemplated killing myself. In hindsight, I think that first episode may have been postpartum depression. Or plain, old depression. I mean, my life had just undergone a drastic shift. I was still very young (only 23!), unmarried, knocked up, living with someone that was NOT meant for me. Younger people have done it, I know, and with more than one kid. But I had never so much as babysat or changed a diaper. Not even on a baby doll. Not that I ever had many dolls. LOL. The few I did have only had pull-up pants or undies or something. Nothing as sophisticated as a realistic diaper.
I was 23. So it’s actually a little shy of 30 years. But still. That’s more that HALF of my life. And the first 23 years were a little tumultuous. Not horrible, overall, but there were definitely some major incidents that I may or may not be completely comfortable sharing with the world. That could be what got this all started. (Or, it could be everything else that has gone on in the past five+ years!)
I’ve been taking antidepressants for about one-half or two-thirds of the last 29 years, but never in conjunction with counseling. I did try counseling in the past. I saw one or two different doctors, neither of which was good enough to see through my facade. They took my “I am fine” proclamations at face value and never probed further. My skeletons were hidden VERY well.
Maybe it’s good that the job stress was so intense this year.
I am hopeful. Optimistic, even. This time around, I’m older, more mature, and really ready to exorcise all this shit from my brain and fix whatever is broken. Or at least learn how better to cope with the emotions, anxiety, and stuff that, combined, has me bobbing in this fog of mental incapacitation.
It’s all very weird. Otherwise, I am good. Confident that I am on the right track to figure this all out. Mike and I remain healthy and are keeping our distance from others.
Nothing like social distancing and sheltering in place to enhance the meditative possibilities. I am focused on recovering, and really hoping you-know-what leaves all of my family, friends, loved ones, etc. alone.
It’s been a really mild Winter in north, central Virginia, which means an early Spring, too. I’d be more delighted if the whole corona virus thing weren’t an issue. One can’t help but worry about that some. I mean, really. The world feels very strange at the moment. But, we must all heed the advice of health officials and flatten that curve to, hopefully, stop the virus before it spreads and kills more people.
I’ve been sticking closer to home this week. It’s not a problem because Spring has definitely arrived in Warrenton. It’s one of the prettiest times of the year to be in this location.
Belle in front of some daffodils.
Trees flowering in front of post office.
Flowering trees.
My sunset spot.
A lot of my sunset photos are captured near this spot. Most people don’t realize the county jail is in the foreground of many of my sunset captures. It’s ironic that some of the best pics I have captured in town feature the county jail. LOL.
