September 20, 2009

Thank goodness for flexibility and being able to think "outside the box"!

As we programmed the Verizon GPS to reach our destination of Harrison, MI, this past Monday, Larry found that we were to be 2-1/2 hours north of our gig on Wednesday, and 1-3/4 hours north of Friday's gig.

Somehow, signals got crossed way back when, and we thought this weekend's Good Sam Samboree was going to be in the Charlotte, MI, area.  If so, our Wednesday and Friday gigs would have been easily accessible.

So ... revamp of plan ... stay in La Porte for two more days and work on the new show and the church music for the upcoming weekend.  Move to Battle Creek and boondock on the outskirts of their property.  They offered electric hook-up, but the quarters were just too tight for this big ol' 5th wheel to get in and out.  It was very cool—three deer were in our "backyard" when we finished the gig.  More were down in the glen the next morning—totally aware of Henry and me.  Henry had no clue they were there.  A hunting dog he isn't.

Moved the next day to East Lansing.  Thanks a lot Mr. Google and Ms. Verizon—the address we were looking for is on the EAST side, not the west!!!  We had to make a stop at a Jayco RV service place for a problem with our heater.  Yes, we try to avoid these cold nights/mornings, but here we are in Michigan in September!  Gillette's RV fixed us up right quick!  Found two metal shavings blocking the pilot light from lighting. 

Finally got to Friday's gig around 5:00 on Thursday.  Found a big enough spot on their lower driveway (having already obtained permission to park there).  Performed there at 3:00 on Friday, then on the road again by 5:30 for the original destination—Harrison.  Lovely traffic glut on 127 cost us half an hour.  Made it here by 8:00 and got parked and settled by 9:30!!  Gotta love parking in the dark—NOT.  The volunteers Paul and Dave did a great job getting us settled and subsequently welcomed us with a gift bag the next morning!

We had a great time with these folks.  They made us wear "First Timer" ribbons which welcomed old hats to make us feel right at home.  We even won one of the raffle prizes from Chapter  22 (I think!).  Our show was really well received and the Sunday morning church service went well, too.

So, despite complications, we were able to cover all the gigs and everything worked out fine.

Peace,
Melissa



September 7, 2009

Wow.  This has been an interesting week.  Larry and I are both fighting colds.  If you've been following our schedule, you know that there are very few instances that we have serious down-time.  But this is one of those weeks.  We made it to Henry, IL, without complications and immediately bedded down for the next couple days.  We had so looked forward to visiting with the folks we met here last year at the Illinois Good Sam Samboree, but we were just too ill to do so.

Jim, the State Director, stopped by to check on us the day of our show.  We assured him we'd rise to the call and we did.  The show went off very well.  I'm sure no one knew we were "under the weather" except those already in-the-know. 

The next morning's church service was a little rough for me—morning singing is always a little tougher than later times, but I guess it went OK.  We met a great preacher—Michael Derrick.  His web site is now on our Links page.  Very inspiring, captivating and personable.  His wife of 32 years, Linda, is lovely.  We hope to keep in touch with them and meet up again along the road!

Such a nice bunch of folks.  I was so happy to have a moment to visit with "the other youngsters", Lynn and Lou.  Lou was our on-stage volunteer last year at the rally.  While none of us were feeling very well, we still had a nice visit in the fresh air while walking our dogs.

I can see how this rally thing makes life-long friends.  We hope to be able to meet up with them out west—Lynn spent many years in Las Vegas and knows the surrounding area very well.  It'll be fun to share campfires with these two and many others, I'm sure, along the way.

Peace,
Melissa



August 2, 2009

Last night around 9:30 we were almost done packing up after the 8:00 show.  A woman about my age stopped in to talk.  I'd seen her earlier.  She'd asked how long the show would be.  I told her an hour and she nodded okay.  Now, she started, "I was so mad at you earlier."  (Me? Us? What'd we do?)  She continued, "My mom wanted to come to this program and I had things to do.  It really put me out that I had to get her here and come back so late to get her back to her apartment when I still needed to get to the grocery store and run other errands.  But it was all worth it.  I haven't seen her so happy in a very long time.  We had a wonderful conversation.  She doesn't talk much anymore, so this was really special.  She has advanced Alzheimer's and has been difficult to be with for months.  This visit was wonderful.  Thank you for what you do."

I sure do thank that woman for taking the time to stop and tell us her story.  It means so much to us to hear that we've made a difference in someone's life.  When we have an audience that is not impaired, we enjoy the rowdy response to our songs and antics.  It's instant gratification and justification for our act.  With those who are impaired, and thereby less visibly responsive, it's extra nice to hear from those who can speak for them.  We know the music and fun is going in.  And they need it more than anyone.  It's great to hear the way it carries over after the show!

Thanks again to those of you who enable us to do this work.  We're truly blessed and thankful for this opportunity to do what we love to do -- make people happy!

Peace,
Melissa



May 6, 2009

I'm amazed at the various types of places we live.  Within the span of three days, we stayed in three very different campgrounds.  The first was a beautiful, spacious, secluded site on the lake at a State Park in SC.  Next was an overnight stay at a very homey, family-run campground with grassy pull-through sites.  Not very private or scenic, but comfy enough.  Our current situation is a continuation of the same trend.  Even less private, less scenic and less comfy, yet still fine.  This campground is split into two sections.  We're on a single paved lane with about 30 gravel sites.  We're lined up such that it looks like a dealership except for all our trucks and cars.  There's only a small patch of grass between our rig and the next.  Thankfully for Henry's sake, there's some grassy areas at each end of the road.

But the cool thing that every RVer will attest to is ... no matter where we are, we're always "home".  No matter where our rig is parked, it's still our bed, our living room, and our fridge with our food inside!   That's why we travel this way instead of checking into hotels.  We've stayed in our fair share of hotels -- from one star to four stars.  Sure, there's maid service in a hotel, but we'd often eschew that anyway.  And the bed is always different (and scary if you've seen those black-light demos!)  There might be a fridge, but it doesn't have our left-overs and stock of basics that we rely on.

So, yeah, we're very happy to be "home" and "on the road" all at the same time.

Peace,
Melissa



April 27, 2009

While visiting with us, our friend, Nick, said something that hit home.  I don't know why it struck so soundly at that moment.  I've heard the philosphy before.  And I'd heard the catchy phrase, "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I would've taken better care of myself!"  So,  when Nick shared his goal of being in the best shape of his life when he's fifty (he has several years to go), why did I decisively start to germinate a similar goal in my mind?  It struck me that I truly, actually, honestly may indeed live to be 100 years old -- or more!!  54 more years!  Wow!   For the first time in my life, I actually feel convinced that I may well live to be 100 or more!

Now, here I am, having just turned 46.  I'm not in the best of shape.  Pretty good overall, but there's a lot more I can do!  Hadn't I, too, better prepare myself for the long journey ahead?

I've known that there are plenty of ways to get exercise without any equipment.  And that's a good thing.  Every RVer knows we don't have all that much room to store heavy equipment!  And I've heard so many excuses why we can't exercise.  Not enough time, not enough energy.  Ha! 

Upon realizing this would be a journey to be started with one small step, I found myself "Dancing with the Trees."  While walking Henry in that gorgeous late-afternoon Georgia sun, I found myself holding his leash loosely with one hand and stretching with the other arm.  Sometimes, the moves resembled that of a ballet dancer going from 1st to 2nd to 3rd positions.  Since we were just walking around the circle that envelopes 12 pull-through sites, most of what I saw were trees and leaves, and sunshine and shadows.  Thus, "Dancing with the Trees".  I'll tell you what ... just those sincere stretches with each arm plus a few shoulder rolls, really felt like a great start to my new goal -- being in the best shape ever when I reach 50!

What if I live to be 100? How do I see myself looking in 2063?  Shriveled and frail or steady and vital?  I need to eat even better. I need to do my "Dances with Trees" routine while walking the dog more often (despite how silly I look).  I need to suppliment my diet more effectively and drink more water.  And floss!  And continue on in our purpose!  And laugh and have fun!  And enjoy those little moments along the way, focusing on them long enough that they stay with me long after the moment has passed!  You, too?

Peace,
Melissa



April 26, 2009

We had a great time here at Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville, GA (just NW of Atlanta).  It started with an easy decision as to which site we'd have.  11 of the 12 were already taken.  That's why we usually move on a Monday -- better choices available.  This park is beautiful and well-maintained.  We get cable (but only 12 channels!), 50 amps and water for $25 a night.  And gorgeous scenery! 

Our week started with an always entertaining visit with our "on the road family", Judy and Whitt.  Each time we're together, I find we're learning more and more about each other and still enjoying each other's company!  That always bodes well for "families"!  Check out their website from our "Links" page if you haven't yet!

We also had a wonderful visit with two of our Atlanta friends, Nick and Cindy.  We met Mr. Nick a few years ago when Larry was part of various Barbershop choruses and quartets.  Nick has an amazing voice and stage presence.  And he's quite the calm guru-type guy in person.  I don't know if he'll take offense to that description or not.  Let's hope not.  It was meant in a kind way.

Peace,
Melissa



April 7, 2009

Another fun word I've been thinking about is "juggling".  Currently, we only have access to 20 amps to run all-things-electrical in our rig.  The fireplace takes twelve.  The small electric heater takes nine.  The microwave takes sixteen whether it's on High or Low.  (Go figure?!?)  We're experiencing the cold snap that's come across the east coast for a couple days, so we're trying to keep relatively warm and not trip the breaker.  Whenever we want to make the coffee, off goes the heat.  When we want to heat up something in the microwave, off goes the heat.  Don't even think about turning on the electric water heater (six amps) with something else creating heat!

It takes some getting used to, but we're juggling effectively.  I've started labeling our appliances so I don't have to remember how many amps each draws.  Never had to do that in a regular house!

We have other alternatives, too.  We have a generator which we can use if we want to have 50 amps available.  However, I learned ;-) that having a generator with 50 amps still doesn't mean you can run the fireplace, heater, electric water heater, coffee pot, toaster and microwave all at the same time!  Thank goodness for Jayco's technical support line.  Dopey me didn't realize there's a breaker on the generator itself.  All I had to do was reset it and all was well.  Juggle, learn, juggle, learn.  As long as I (we) keep learning from our goofs, we'll be all right!  Right?

Peace,
Melissa



March 22, 2009

As we were setting up for the gig tonight, I got to thinking about "balance".  I probably started when I lost my balance!  Just a little bit ... no damage. 

This was our "BIG" show set-up.  All the staging, props, costumes, wigs.  It was a big, long room and was filling up fast.  We ended up with about 100 people there. 

There's a lot of preparation to pull off the big show.  Lots to set up.  The back-drop has six panels that drape over a rod suspended by four old speaker stands that can't bear the weight of speakers anymore.  As I work with all of this, Larry is busy setting up his keyboard, the speakers and sound system we'll use.  He runs all the cables and tunes the instruments.  I lay out the hats and wigs and other items we'll use throughout the show. 

We're sweating up a storm because it's so hot in there.  But things are looking good.  Even though a few residents were still eating when we arrived, the activity director was there and had the cart for us.  The load-in wasn't terribly long, and we worked around the folks still eating, trying not to let them feel rushed.  Susan offered us free reign over the beverage bar—juice, soda, water ... nice!  She gave me the check.  Double nice!  It was even made out right.  Triple nice!  She opened a couple windows and chatted about things as we all worked to make it perfect for the residents.

So, it's looking like we'll be able to start on time without rushing too much to change our clothes and look "purdy".  We all know it takes Larry longer and longer to accomplish this. 

Indeed, we do start on time.  They laugh at the ice-breaker.  We're off to a good start.  After a couple songs, the tide has shifted.  We're getting applause and smiles, but not like we're used to.  Is it because the room is so big?  Is it because they're so far away from us?  Are we too loud?  Too soft?  Are they just distracted by the snacks being served?  We persevere.  We give more and make our antics bigger to reach them.  We reel them in.  They're with us again.  Whew!  Such a workout.

We're pooped and now it's time to tear it all down.  While we do, Susan explains that she hasn't been able to find our kind of talent in her area.  The residents are used to a certain type of show—one that they can talk over and mingle during.  I guess kind of like background music.  We surprised and confused them because we were like nothing they've seen there.  They loved us, she said.  She's heard tons of great comments and expects to hear more throughout the coming week.  I'm to call her next week so we can book a return engagement in November.

Back to balance.  We give a lot, sweat a lot, love it a lot and pray a lot, and it all works out in the end.  It's not clear sailing all the time, but it ends up great.  Larry and I make a great team in so many ways.  We've found a very good balance between us.  We both give and take, but we're both sure to give much more than we take.  The minister who married us explained it like this:  You make deposits whenever you can.  You go that extra mile, you do something nice, you remember to say, "I love you" a lot.  And you mean it!  Then, when you need to make a withdrawal, it's much easier on the bank.  There's still a reserve for the next hurdle.  If only our Federal Reserve were in such good shape! ;~)

So we're still counting our blessings, spreading the good Karma wherever we go.  We'll be sad to leave Memphis tomorrow.  We've had such a good time, we've adjusted our route to come back in November.  We're very excited to be returning to Nashville.  We have many friends waiting for us there.  We'll be parked at Jeff and Ruth's and able to visit a lot, renewing an ever-growing friendship.  And more good friends are traveling from PA for a long weekend visit!!  I can't tell you how important friends and family are, especially when you're away for so long, like we are.  That sounds like another chapter...
 
Peace,
Melissa

March 13, 2009

Well, Tennessee is definitely in the running with Mississippi for Most Hospitable!  We've had two gigs here in Memphis, and they were both great!

I gotta tell you, I knew from the moment I first spoke to Tony, the Activity Director at an assisted living facility here in Memphis, that he was someone we'd like to know better.  He was funny and had an amazing speaking voice with an accent I couldn't quite place.  When I asked how to find him when we got to his facility, he said, "Oh, just ask for Tony.  You know... I'm quite famous around here!"  LOL!
While we set up for our show, he held a current events activity.  It was exciting, interesting and fun!  I remember eons ago, watching another activity aide in NJ run a current events program.  She had a slide show that came once a week (so some of the news was already quite old).  The room was dark.  She read from a script.  No wonder almost everyone was asleep.  Quite the opposite, Tony's session was filled with very current information—politics, the stock market, celebrities.  The residents shouted out answers to his many prompts as he shouted out the information with enthusiasm and wit.

OK, enough about Tony.  Suffice to say we were as impressed with him as he was with us.  We put on a great show and had a great audience.  The people who need "Assisted Living" care vary quite a bit as far as their needs.  Some need mild physical assistance, others need a lot of cues to accomplish daily tasks that most of us take for granted.  Some need both.  However, music transcends it all.

One specific example:  The daughter of a woman who lives in the Alzheimer Special Care wing of the facility told me the following after the show.  "My mom has Alzheimer’s.  She rarely talks, let alone full sentences.  As we sat together, I noticed that she was smiling and laughing throughout your show.  She spoke in full sentences:  'Look at him!  It's Elvis!  Listen to her voice!  Such pretty hair she has.'"  The woman went on to say that she was amazed at how well we held everyone's attention and attributed it to the way we entertain beyond just singing the songs.  And she emphasized that I needed to hear this.  Twice she said, "You need to hear this."

And I did.  And I do.  It's crucial to those of us who reach out to folks through theater, music, art, all aspects of health care, volunteering, the ministry (giving in any way), to hear this.  It's the give and take of the world that makes it go 'round.  It's this round robin that creates these wonderful bonds and encourages us to go on.  Especially during the rough times.  And there are rough times!

Believe me—we're over the point where it will swell our heads and make us think we're destined for stardom.  We don't belong on American Idol.  (Do they even let folks as old as we are on there?)  We're down to the meat and potatoes of what we do and what our role here is in this world.  Serving our Lord, serving our seniors, making our world a happier place one concert at a time. 

Peace,
Melissa



March 11, 2009

As we left Mississippi, Larry and I reflected on the people we'd met.  Every single person we met struck us as being very nice!  Every person.  Makes one wonder what's in that Mississippi Mud.

We stayed in Hattiesburg and Jackson and played at several incredibly nice places.  And I mean "nice" in several ways, but the biggest and most important to us is always the staff's interactions with us and their residents.  We met outstanding activity staff and happy residents.  Every single person in charge of our performance was right there to meet us, creating a warm and welcome feeling.  Each had conveyed their excitement to their residents about the upcoming performance.  Everyone was filled with anticipation!  Do they know that makes us want to give 120% instead of just 110%?  I don't know if they know, but I know it's true!

It brings us such joy to be a blessing to folks.  I had tears in my eyes at one place.  A woman came up to me after the show to say, "You have no idea how happy you've made me.  There are no words to express how I'm feeling."  She just held my hands in hers and stared into my eyes.  And I told her that she had no idea what it means to me to have her respond as she did to our music.  We're the blessed ones!  To have the opportunity to serve through our music, doing what we love to do, and make ends meet at the same time is awesome!

Not only were all these Mississippi folk so hospitable ... every one of them had our check waiting for us.  Every one of them was very accomodating re: providing us with water and a cart on which to load in our gear and even offering to help us pack up or stay for supper.  We'll definitely look forward to coming back to Mississippi!

So, watch out Tennessee.  Can you beat Mississippi in the Hospitality Department?  We'll see.  Our first stop is in Memphis.  We're staying at one of the state parks.  We LOVE the state parks because they most often have very natural settings (woodsy sites with lots of room), are reasonably priced, and are generally not very populated when we're coming there.  Since we try to follow the spring and fall weather, they're not usually full.  It's only 34 degrees today, so we may be a bit early for Spring.  We do like the added peace and quiet...

That's it for now.  I hope you'll enjoy following our travels here in my blog.  Soon we hope to have a guest book.  In the meantime, please send an email.  We'd love to hear from you!

Peace,
Melissa