The RV trip is still on hold. This sad story is getting old. We’ve waited months to take our trip. It’s getting hard to get a grip.
Computerized parts seem to me aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Give me the old fashioned way. When problems were fixed in just one day.
We long for days filled with travel fun. When motorhomes were made to run. When you turned the key and the motor started. And down the road we soon departed.
Though whoa is we, we’re not giving up. In life, sometimes you have bad luck. We’ll keep the faith that the day will come that the part turns up and the thing will run.
As I write this poem, it dawns on me that we’re as blessed as we can be. We have our health and so much more. There’s so much to be grateful for.
Is a trip what’s meant to be? As my mother said many times to me. We shall see what we shall see. Whatever will be will be.
(The dealership can’t find the part we need to fix the motorhome. It’s a part that is very seldom needed for repairs. If that makes sense. We still have a wee bit of hope.)
In better timesStill on hold. We’re grateful for our puppy dog.
We are so mentally ready to head out on a motorhome trip. We have been planning this trip for months. The only problem is that we didn’t have the commitment we needed from third parties, otherwise known as repairmen. We have had a problem with a module that needed to be replaced on the motorhome. it is the apparatus that does little things like tell us how fast we’re going and how much gas we have. it’s pretty important that it work. My husband, Kip tried to take the pressure off the repairman by simply removing the old module and ordering a new one to plug back in, only to find out you can’t just plug it back in, you have to have the repairman, reprogram it. The only problem is that the dealership that we had the motorhome at doesn’t do that type of work. We had to take our motorhome to another dealership that has the right equipment and the right repairman to do it. We took the RV there yesterday and as soon as they do their own diagnosis of the problem, they will be more that happy to fix it provided they can find the correct part which we have already found at the repair shop that doesn’t do the work.
My baby, Rylie Our current motorhome
Lest you think we are letting the fact that we have spent 4 weeks getting this far upset us, think again. We are way beyond that. We are in total acceptance. which translates to hope. We hope that there is nothing else that can interfere with our plans because we still have an amazing trip organized. We are going to spend time in Nebraska, because it’s one of the few states we haven’t been in. We’ll revisit New York, Washington, DC, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, and even Florida. We haven’t rv’d in Florida. Maybe we’ll make it there before snow flies in some of the other states. I don’t necessarily have them in the correct order. That’s what happens when you RV by the seat of your pants. We took a trip similar to this 5 years ago except as I said, we didn’t go to Florida. We had beautiful fall weather. We saw some amazing leaves, and some quaint little towns, which we love to visit. It’s our favorite thing to do. To find cute little villages with fun eating places and fun things to do and see.
It will be just Kip and I and our little dog, Rylie. He’s our sweetie. This is the first time in our 10 years of RVing that we haven’t traveled with 2 dogs. We had to have our other dog put to sleep a couple of months ago and we are still missing her. We have made the tough decision to keep it to just one dog. It will be sader on the occasions were he will have to stay alone for a few hours, but it will still be easier to have just one puppy pooch on such a long road trip.
Well, keep us in your thoughts and we’ll keep you posted. We’ve got a feeling that fun times are just around the corner.
This was our New York Parking spot last trip. Different motorhome.
As I get further along into my 70ish years, I have become increasingly aware of the value of time. I don’t think most of us fully appreciate each day we’re given, let alone each hour and minute. Life has many challenges, and circumstances for good or bad can change in an instant. It’s important to value time.
I don’t have the energy I used to or the stamina. I know part of the problem is I don’t exercise. I don’t get the old heart rate up. I know from experience that exercise on a regular basis makes you feel better. So why can’t I convince myself to begin a regular exercise program? The bottom line is, I’m lazy…really lazy. I’m lazy because I don’t get any exercise.
Still trying to find a good picture.
A good goal would be to do 5 things every day. 1) Do something for someone else, ie send a card, make a phone call, and maybe do something nice for Kip. 2) Reach out in some way to family, text grandkids or kids. 3) Exercise 4) Meditate and write in my journal 5) Have some fun
Good goals, right? Right! Will I follow through? It takes 21 days to form a new habit. I have the time. At least I hope I do.
Update: I started writing this a while ago, and since then, I have started taking Rylie for a daily walk. I can already tell the difference. I’m increasing my endurance, and I’m sleeping better. I’ve also started sending out note cards to people that I want to let know I’m thinking about them. I’ve even gotten better at writing in my daily journal. It helps me plan my day and keeps me more focused. So see? I’m making progress, and it feels good. That’s the fun part.
I’m about to state something profound. The older you get, the more people have passed before you. That’s not meant to be depressing. It’s the memory of people that keeps them alive. Remember the Maya Angelou saying? “People won’t remember what you said or did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” The best thing ever is being made to feel loved.
I remember when our daughter, Heidi was a teenager, she made the comment that her dad told her he loved her by changing the oil in her car. She was right to observe that. Back then, Kip was not prolific with the, “I love yous,” he says it much more often, now. Regardless, sometimes it’s the things you do that say I love you much more loudly than what you say.
Our anniversary was a few days ago and Kip came home from the store with a box of chocolates. I felt badly that I hadn’t gotten him anything. In all fairness, he just had a birthday, and I did get him a gift. Anyway, I had spent the morning making him sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookies. He is trying to watch his weight and is pre-diabetic. That was showing him I love him, right?
I feel like I’m preaching what everybody already knows. Just remember the things you do speak to people. Sometimes they can say I love you, and sometimes they can say, I’m just not that into you. Also, remember when you’re gone, people are going to remember how you made them feel, loved a lot, or not so much.
We tell our small children and pets we love them by talking baby talk to them. “Mummy wuvs you witto feetie.” Or, “Rylie is a dood boy.” I often wonder how our kids grow up to talk right. “Her is a good girl and him is mummy’s biggest little man.”
Me with my dad and oldest son. Dad made me feel loved by holding my hand.
Do something today to make someone feel loved, appreciated, and respected. It will make you feel good, too.
GREAT AUNT TET WAS GREAT by Mary McNinch and Valerie Halla
Mary and I decided to ask our cousins what they remember about one of our Grandpa Sanderson’s sisters who saw most of us 13 cousins grow up. We are writing about her today because we have overlooked her while we have covered many family members, neglecting to offer dear memories of her.
We asked several cousins to tell us what they recall about “Aunt Tet” and will include their thoughts along with our own recollections of her.
Cousins Bobby, Suanne, Blake and Jeff H. met recently at the Martin Mason Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota on July 9, 2024 and had these memories of Tet:
Great Aunt Tet was a lifelong loving younger sister of her brother, Maynard Evan Sanderson. She was a true, dedicated professional business partner and manager of the Sanderson General Store in Murdo for much of the time her brother and later his son, Jeff Sanderson, owned the store. She resided in the second story apartment above the store.
The involvement and support of various family members was truly recognized and was highly appreciated in the Sanderson family.
She was born in Burgess, Iowa in 1890. The town was unofficially known as Smithtown in Sharon Township.
She was one of twelve children fathered by Frank Sanderson. His first wife was Ella Current Sanderson. Their first two children, Mabel and Eben, died of a highly contagious disease prior to the birth of Maynard Evan Sanderson in June 1886. Frank had four children by his second wife. He died tragically in 1918.
Aunt Tet never owned nor operated a motorized vehicle. She was thought to have been a teacher in her early years with two years of advanced schooling in Iowa. She never drank nor smoked nor swore. Our cousins that day during their mini-reunion remembered her to be very pleasant and professional.
When the out-of-town relatives visited South Dakota, they weren’t accustomed to the severe Great Plains direct sunlight, Aunt Tet was quick to assure them that we all knew where to find wide-brimmed hats to protect from sunburn. The SANDERSON cousins concluded that day that, “Our dermatologists are still smiling on their way to the bank.”
COUSIN ANDREA’S THOUGHTS:
Cousin Andrea emailed her recollections to me of Aunt Tet in June of this year. She wrote:
When I think back on Aunt Tet, I remember her making caramel apples for Halloween. She would hang them on a rope clothesline with clothespins, just off the kitchen and they looked delicious.
She loved sports and watched the games at Grandpa and Grandma’s house on Sunday afternoon. She would ride down to their house after church and have Sunday noon meal. Then she usually walked back home as she enjoyed the exercise uphill to her apartment on Main Street.
I don’t remember her being vocal about things, rather she was interested and thoughtful.
MY MEMORY OF AUNT TET:
During our summer visits to Murdo and living there for my 7-8th grade years in school, I remember seeing Aunt Tet in her apartment hallway going in and out of the bathroom because during those two years, we lived in the front apartment above Sanderson Store while she lived across in the back apartment. We shared the one bathroom. She kept to herself mostly. She seemed shy and of the personality where you didn’t speak until spoken to.
She was always at the store working or on a raised platform at a desk doing paperwork and it seemed quite dark and mysterious when I would see her there at the back of the old store, bent over heavy account books or maybe writing something.
She wore sensible print shirtwaist dresses with narrow belts, and practical heavy shoes, and she had short gray hair and old fashioned glasses. She wasn’t slim nor heavy but solidly built. She would smile at 12-13 year-old me and make pleasant small talk. My mom made extra dinner for her and I took it over to Aunt Tet- homemade chicken pot pie or ham and bean soup or fried chicken with mashed potatoes. Sometimes even pie, fantastic, scrumptious home baked fruit pies, or tapioca pudding.
My mom, named after Tet’s own mother, and everyone in our family and Murdo respected and liked her. One guy named Tuffy would come in for a banana or a snack from his shift at the auto museum. He had no teeth and ate soft foods, and he would tease her calling her an “old maid”. She would snap back, “ Old bachelor!” Or maybe she would shorten it to “old batch”. My Dad, who also worked at the store for two years, laughed at that.
AUNT TET WITH HER MOTHER, BROTHERS ANDSISTERS WITH TWO OF THEIR SPOUSES. TET IS SECOND FROM THE LEFT.
It was sad when Sanderson Store had to close. Aunt Tet decided to move back to her home town in Iowa to live near her relatives. She adored her brother Sandy who lived in Iowa. In 1971 my new husband and I honeymooned across country and stopped to stay with her overnight. She was a gracious kind person and took us the next morning to her sister’s, my Great Aunt Melitha’s house, for a large hot breakfast Iowa style. We drove off the next morning after our goodbyes and I wrote her letters for many years but never saw her again. She passed away in the later 1970’s close by to where she had been born.
VALERIE, HUSBAND KEN AND AUNT TET- WEARING A LIGHT ROBE- UNDER LOVELY OLD TREES IN A SMALL TOWN IN IOWA IN THE SUMMER1971.
MEMORIES FROM BILLY FRANCIS:
I worked with Aunt Tet for four summers in Sandersons Store. The first thing we did when we got to work was to discuss the baseball games we had listened to (Aunt Tet – Kansas City, Bill – St Louis Cardinals). She and I were huge baseball fans! Aunt Tet was also a fan of Murdo sports. She went to every basketball (home game) and most of the road games if she could get a ride.
She was the bookkeeper for grandpa Sanderson and later Uncle Jeff until he closed the store.
Aunt Tet took the last lunch hour because she didn’t want to miss the kids when they stopped off for their penny candy on their way back to school from lunch. She knew all of the kids by name!
Aunt Tet was my best friend. She was the first person I visited when I came home from college. I truly loved that lady!
Aunt Tet never married. She was an amazing part of our family and greatly loved by family and the people of Murdo.
A big thank you to all our cousins who contributed to memories of Great Aunt Tet. Let us know if you have anything to add, you who were fortunate to have known her.
Billy just turned 80. There’s still lots he hasn’t done. I know that he’ll be going strong when he turns 81.
The horses will be racing, and he’ll bet on one or two. Please, Lord, let him win before he turns 82.
There are lots of Netflix movies that he hasn’t had time to see. Please let him view a few more… beyond age 83.
He’s made lots of friends and he’ll need time to make some more. For that he’ll have to stick around until he’s 84.
In all his 80 years he’s been glad to be alive. He’ll still be really grateful when he turns 85.
If his body holds together and there won’t be lots to fix. I know he’ll still enjoy his life when he turns 86.
To him, life on earth is close enough to heaven. He’ll behave as much as possible when he turns 87.
And if he can continue on this side of Heaven’s gate. He’ll look forward to enjoying turning 88.
I could go on and on, but why all the fuss? Let’s skip right to 93 when he’ll be as old as Gus.
I hope you know this poem is really all in jest. As far as brothers go, you really are the best!
Billy celebrating #80. Dinner at home with a host of friends and family Gus with Billy and Liz’s daughter, Erin.
My favorite little Billy story…He said, “I’m not going to tell you what I got you for Christmas Dad, but you’re not going to have to use that old knife anymore.”
We lost our beautiful dog, Nellie. We had to have her put to sleep. We’re really feeling the loss, but the one I feel sorriest for is our other little dog, Rylie. He doesn’t understand why his buddy for all these years isn’t around anymore.
When we had the two of them, they could be left alone for several hours at a time. We left Rylie alone for a couple of hours this morning to see how he would do. We were able to watch him on our security camera, and he propped himself up on the arm of the couch and kept his eyes on the door the whole time we were gone. When we finally came through the door, he cried in relief. We didn’t go to church last Sunday because it was only the day after we lost Nellie, and we didn’t want to leave him alone that long. We’ll be going to church this Sunday as we realize he’s going to have to adjust to not having his buddy by his side.
Is it worth it to have pets when you have to go through the heartbreak of letting them go? It’s a resounding, yes. They add so much to the quality of our lives, and their unconditional love is too amazing to live without.
Nellie had so many endearing personality traits. We’ll always miss her.
Kip and I have owned 17 dogs in our almost 43 years of marriage. Usually 2 at a time, but once when we lived in the country, we had 6. All but 3 of the 17 have been rescued dogs, so some were older when we got them. All still have a place in our hearts where we store fond memories.
Goodbye, sweet Nellie. Thank you for being our faithful friend.
I’m sure there must be an enormous number of 70ish people out there who play Wordle. A friend of mine recently suggested I give it a try and now I’m hooked. If you haven’t played, Google it. It’s a New York Times word game. You have 6 chances to guess a 5 letter word. It has all the letters of the alphabet at the bottom so you can keep track of the letters you have used. If you get a letter right, a gold tile turns over. If it is in the right place, a green tile turns over. It is addictive. It usually only takes a few minutes, and there is only one word each day. When you get the correct word, all the tiles turn over green, and it is such a thrill. At least it is for easily entertained, me.
So what do I do with the rest of my day? Of course, it varies. Sometimes, I do mundane things like housework and laundry. I usually bake something once a week, and I have recently started reading again.
I’m in this house somewhere
We have been doing some yard work but only to further our goal to make our yard low maintenance because we still have some long RV trips planned.
I don’t do a lot of things with friends, which I miss, but since our move, I live 40 miles from my old stomping grounds. Kip and I only have one car right now, and it seems silly to get another one because we usually go everywhere together. We still make the drive to church each Sunday, but that’s about it as far as going to Mabank.
For the first time in my life, and now in my early 70ish years, I do find myself getting bored. My writer’s block persists. The poetry won’t come to me. What I need to do is find a local fitness class and maybe do some volunteer work, whatever that may be.
Kip stays super busy with projects I can’t help him with so I’m left to my own resources. Yes, as I write this I realize I need to get involved in my new community. I will search things out keeping in mind that we still plan to travel as soon as we get some things on the RV fixed. To be honest, the high temperatures keep us from doing much outside after noon. The dogs hate it. They keep asking to go out, forgetting it’s hot so it’s a constant in and out for them.
So have I rambled on enough? What can I say? I’m 70ish. At least I wrote something.
Those 70ish Girls 