Generous Hands and Going the Extra Mile On a lonely two-lane road in rural Montana, our truck decided to quit. It just stopped. And that’s when it hit us: a two-lane country road with a narrow shoulder is not where you want to break down. With two hours to wait for a tow, we had plenty of time to think. What’s wrong? How would we get it fixed? And just how much would this little adventure cost us? Optimism Led the Way We were optimists when we chose a 2002 Ford F-350 for our

Fear, Courage, and 130 Steps Underground “Mimi, I don’t want to go down there,” four-year-old Benson said. In that make-or-break moment, my oldest grandson Kaysan quickly took Benson’s hand. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll help you.” For a split-second, I felt both proud and disappointed. Proud of Kaysan’s instant, loving response. Disappointed because I wanted to be the one who soothed Benson’s fears. As a long-distance grandparent, I long to “be there” for my grandkids—for

But Not in My Heart Slam! The boom holding the mainsail swung sharply across the boat from right to left. Unplanned, but not unforeseen. We were about an hour out from Channel Islands Harbor and the storm we’d been watching all day had finally hit. And we were ready. Roger and our guest for the day, Kristen, stood on the cabin steps under the dodger, out of the rain that began pouring down. I braced my feet and held tightly to the wheel as the boat heeled and pulled against t

But I Looked There Three Times! Snow was in the forecast. Big snow. Record-breaking snow. And I wanted to be prepared with my best ski jacket, a light purple number with a matching fleece inner jacket. But that jacket was in storage, not in the RV. Organized Storage (NOT) Last fall we packed up our house in Alabama, preparing to move into our fifth wheel. With plenty of moving experience under our belts, you might have thought by now I’d have a foolproof system to keep track

Insect Hitchhikers Tick…tick. Tick-tick-tick. Tick. No, it wasn’t a bomb, and it wasn’t the cute clock in the corner. Roger and I looked at each other, thinking, Really? How many more can there be?!! We recognized that annoying ticking. It was yet another Asian lady beetle bumping against the ceiling near the light. When will it end? Since camping near Montgomery, Alabama, in November, we’ve been swatting these little beasts daily. They’re wannabe ladybugs, as evidenced whe