"the lives we lead"


Today only one hospice visit, the nurse - all amazing people.   I put up the Caring Bridge site - so many warm notes -  I know people do not have to be near death for so much love to be expressed, but it certainly does make a lot get said that otherwise does is not.  I read yours and theirs and just have to breathe though the waves of emotion.  


(Memory - Tom came to me in a 62 VW bus, with love in his heart, a passel of totally out of date clothing, about five bikes in some stage of ride-ability - or none - about 30 pairs of skis and all the gear that goes with them, a clutch of climbing equipment, some of which have served here, pitons turned into drawer knobs, ropes lashing this that and the other together, and no debt but no money either.  I said yes on condition you go back to a real job with a salary, which he did and then i promptly resigned my job, and began another degree so as to get into higher education, which i did. But the Campers - they lived on with us.  We have had two, or is it three together, and had to sell the fanciest two years ago.  We explored Utah deserts, BC and the Queen Charlottes, hiked with bus as base in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington and BC mountain ranges plus along beaches our favorite being Tofino; we were perfectly suited to living small and compact.  Even now we eat our “camp” lunches, dried soup with rice, a carrot piece of cheese and apple every day at the kitchen table.



So Tom I asked, what is your favorite bus memory time with me and he said Utah, the time it poured day after day and finally we gave up when the bus was by then leaking in Kanob - near Zion National Park - and headed home but kept getting turned around, with the blocked passes so we drove the longest route possible but found the sun in Nevada and somehow those big open spaces ringed with spring snow mountains and the beautiful light was just breath-taking.  Remember that little hole in the wall where we had breakfast? - which one? I asked and then, I bet you had hotcakes, he said right and you your toast without butter and two scrambled eggs - and I added plus two horrid watery coffees as this was pre-decent coffee in the west days.  And you call it favorite cause? just cause it was so bad it was great!  Right Naylor!)