Karen's Blog

Ambling Adventures of Agatha

5/15/2025

The first trip of the camping season always includes a few extra glitches. This year had the added speed bump of having Agatha parked 50 miles away at my son Andy's, instead of fifty feet from my back door as it was at my house in West Liberty. I then had the luxury of running things out and putting them away as I thought of them, stocking staples as I bought them, etc. This year, I made three trips to get the old girl ready. The first was to make up the beds and restock the towels, etc. The second was a cleaning trip and the third to finish up odds and ends.

If I am going somewhere north or west of the Quad Cities, I bring the camper first to my apartment complex and load it there. However, my shake down cruise was to Oakland Mills near Mt. Pleasant, southeast from Kewanee. So it would have taken a lot of extra time and gas to detour to the QC. Yesterday morning, I loaded my car with food, clothes, computer, a couple of games, and a few odds and ends that I had forgotten on earlier trips and left home about 9. Once in Kewanee, I filled the refrigerator and freezer, and put away the rest of the stuff. By shortly after noon, I was on my way for what is supposed to be a two hour drive to Mt. Pleasant, all the way on highway 34.

A few miles out of town, Agatha got a bee in her bonnet, er, windshield. The buzzing bother kept trying to whisper driving advice in my ear, so I pulled off into a parking lot to find the swatter.

I won the skirmish, and headed down the road. The next chore was to gas up the beast. I needed to find a Casey's to use my HyVee discount so I wouldn't have to stop at a bank for a loan. I also hoped to buy firewood. Andy told me where there was one in Galva. I thought I missed it and found another large lot where I could turn around. I hadn't missed it. Turn around again and drive further. Another wasted fifteen minutes. Got gas but no wood.

We bounced long okay--literally--for about an hour until we reached road work. It is almost summer in the Midwest, after all. I believe they placed the cement K-rails for the one-lane stretches, of which there were four, based on the measurement of Agatha's width plus five inches.

We finally crossed the Mississippi, encountered more road work, found wood and ice, and made it to Oakland Mills a little after 3:00. My friend Joanie met me there and the campground hosts for the week are my sister-in-law Harriet and her husband Ken. The forecasted severe storms for Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon didn't materialize but the warm temperatures did. So we spent a great deal of time in the shade and breezes solving the world's problems.

Per usual, we did not starve. Wednesday night we enjoyed foil packets of salmon and asparagus, plus pasta salad and Joanie's fruit pizza. Thursday, Ken smoked chicken breasts with sweet potatoes and broccoli, and we managed to polish off the pizza. Tomorrow, back to the Y to work some of that off.

Next week I have reservations for Johnson-Sauk seven miles north of Kewanee. An easy drive, unless there's road work and I have to detour through Peoria. My youngest grandson, Elliot, will be home on leave from the Air Force, along with his new bride Bethany, so I am really looking forward to it.

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The Writing Life

5/6/2025

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Part of the reason I moved to the Quad Cities almost a year ago was to take a more active part in the Midwest Writing Center, located in the Rock Island Library. I had been a member for several years and participated in a couple of book fairs but none of the regular events.

I am now delighted to be a part of the Writer's Studio, a feedback group the meets twice a month with about 10 to 12 regular members ranging in age from about 20 to 80s. Genres represented include poetry, fantasy, memoir, mysteries. and thrillers. We bring short selections to share and give feedback on. Members also bring other writing opportunities to the groups' attention.

Several members also belong to WOTA, Writers on the Avenue, a Muscatine group. Through that connection, I was asked to help with some publication chores for the Pearl City Press, and arm of WOTA. So I have been attending their meetings as well.

A couple of weeks ago, an invitation to participate in WriteNow, sponsored by the U of Iowa, was announced at Writer's Studio. The format is that we receive 2 prompts by email, have a week to write a piece of 1000 words or less on one of them, and then a week or so later, participate in a Zoom feedback meeting. The first two prompts were an adventure involving a wedding planner and a dog collar, or a fantasy about a news anchor and a VCR. I chose the latter and my Zoom group consisted of four others--two from Iowa, one from Minneapolis, and one from LA. It was a lot of fun to see what everyone did with those prompts.

Last fall, I also joined CASI, the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. in Davenport They offer a wide variety of classes on fitness, health, arts and crafts, and other topics. They were short an instructor for their writing class so I volunteered. We meet once a week and are working mostly on memoir.

So, I'm progressing, although not rapidly, on my latest project, Trailer in the Dust. It will be book 4 in that series. And I have plans for another Mystery Sisters book, Wright or Wrong. Meanwhile, it's camping season and Agatha and I will be off on our first adventure next week.

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Coasting into Spring

2/23/2025

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I left Iowa Wednesday at 9 degrees and arrived in California at 62. Nice change. Last year when I came out to visit my friend Joanie, I think we had only one day without rain, but so far it's been beautiful and the forecast for the next few days is the same.

We've done some hiking and walking. Yesterday we went to the harbor and explored the fish market and walked around the shops and landing areas. Tour boats were being loaded and we got a picture of ourselves surfing. (!)

Then last night, we had a great supper with Jen and Jeff, Joanie's daughter and son-in-law. They really know how to entertain. After supper, they staged a Spacex rocket launch for us! My photos leave a lot to the imagination but then I'm a writer. That's my job.

Today we plan a hike at nearby Arroyo Verde Park and then will run a few errands. Meanwhile, I'm at work on Trailer in the Dust, the next time travel book. And I should mention that To Cache a Killer is free for Kindle through Tuesday.

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Parable of the Lights--Part 2

11/24/2024

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Six years ago, in December 2018, I wrote a blog about how the lights on our Christmas tree mirrored the uncertainty in our lives at that time. Once again, I am struck by the similarities between this traditional decoration and my life. First of all, it is a new tree, smaller and simpler than the trees in all of the years of my life, like my new home. It is not the 9 1/2 foot tree we put up for 20 years in our home in West Liberty, or one of the 12-13 foot fresh trees we had for decades before that. It is the tallest, skinniest tree I could find that would fit in my new space. And it is pre-lit with all white lights--not my choice as I prefer multi-colored lights. But just one of the many adjustments this move has required.

For me, the important part of a Christmas tree has always been the ornaments, not the lights. Every ornament on my tree embodies a memory. Many were Christmas gifts from Butch. Others are souvenirs we picked up on travels--a green ceramic angel from Ireland (2010), a bear from the Smokey Mountains (2015), a street car from Boston (1978), among others. And a large number are handmade gifts from friends and family. There are cross stitched ones, painted ornaments, and felt creations. I was able to get about half of the collection on the tree--and it is loaded!

This is the first year ever that I have put up the decorations before Thanksgiving. I will be traveling to Kentucky over Thanksgiving to spend several days with my kids, their spouses, and possibly a couple of the grandchildren. Since the time between the holidays is shorter this year, I decided to tackle the decorations early. After all, everything had to go in a new spot so there were decisions to make!

Again, this is a repeat of my move. Going from a four floor house to a five room apartment required a lot of pitching, repurposing, and overloading. There is a lot of new to get used to, but it keeps my brain alive and working. New lifestyle, new opportunities, new friends, and white lights on the tree. I have joined the Y and the senior center and a new church. I will be helping at the church food pantry and teaching a writing class at the senior center after the first of the year. And still some old to anchor me. Family, old friends, and old ornaments.

It has been a hectic year, but a good move. No maintenance (like the lights on the tree), many conveniences, events, and places to take advantage of. Bring on 2025!

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Of Leaves and Laughter

10/21/2024

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The final (maybe) outing of the Midwest Glampers is in the books. I say maybe because a few members have been known to take advantage of an unusually warm November weekend. But for most of us, it's time to unload and winterize. It was a good ending. The weather was wonderful and the trees filled with color. The only fly in the ointment was not a fly, but an Asian lady beetle and about a million of his closest friends. My site had no shade and in midafternoon they congregated on the sunny side of my camper and found a number of places to weasel their way in. But we hiked, explored, painted leaves, and had great campfires every night.

Seven Glampers and one 'Manper' gathered for this event from eastern Iowa and Illinois. I had not been able to attend an even this summer since Palisades in April, so it was great to catch up. Several had had losses and challenges. I met a new member--another Karen--who is my age so I am not the oldest anymore! Jackie and Harry filled us in one evening on their participation in Koi competitions and we shared the other changes in our lives. There were also lots of reminiscing and laughs about previous jaunts.

I went for a hike the first morning on a mile long trail near the campground. You know the old saying "What goes up, must come down"? Since the campground sits high, the opposite is true of the trails. What goes down, must come back up. As the trail wound down into a ravine, I knew it would be a challenge coming back up, but I made it and the scenery was worth it.

Later that day, we made a trip to Bellevue, visited a brewery overlooking the Mississippi, a chocolate shop, and a grocery store. We also stopped at a lookout in the northern unit of the park. There are great views of the town of Bellevue and the lock and dam on the Mississippi.

So it was a great wrap up to the season. Unfortunately, after the return home, that also means unloading the camper and preparing it for winterizing. I emptied the fridge and perishables at my apartment, as well as bring in bedding, towels, and paper products before I returned the camper to Andy's driveway. There is still much to be done but there is time for that.

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Final Fling

10/18/2024

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For the year, at least. Yesterday, after a rocky start, I made my way north to Bellevue State Park for the final outing of the year with the Midwest Glampers. I am keeping Agatha in son Andy's driveway in Kewanee, so a trip requires driving an hour east, dropping my car and bringing back the camper for loading. However, I neglected to remove my apartment key from the car key ring that I left with Andy so found myself locked out and had to contact maintenance before I could start loading. The spare key was locked in the apartment of course.

But it wasn't a huge delay and soon I was enjoying the beautiful drive through northeast Iowa. Having grown up in southern Minnesota and North Central Iowa where hills are anomalies, the landscape of northeast Iowa always amazes me. The geometric shapes of corn bins, bales in the fields, and box-like house and barns appear like punctuation marks that man has imposed on the unruly landscape to try and bring order. GPS always likes to jerk my chain by either insisting on an all-interstate route, no matter how much distance and stressful driving it adds, or else cross-country on narrow roads with three different numbers from the feds, state, and county road departments so you can't verify your location on a map. This was my first visit to Delmar, Preston, and Springville.

But I arrived in a timely fashion, and was relieved to find that the water had not been turned off yet in the campground--always a possibility in the state parks after October 15. Two of the Glampers were already here and after a simple supper we had a nice fire until bed called. The full moon was spectacular. Today there are no specific plans except for a soup supper tonight. There are some great trails to hike, a winery to visit, and some shops in Bellevue to explore. I'm sure we'll find something to do.

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Hawg Days and Cool Nights

9/2/2024

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It's Labor Day weekend and in Kewanee, Illinois that means it's Hog Days. I'm camped at Johnson Sauk Trail about seven miles north of Kewanee, a favorite campground that we've visited many times in the past. The only downside this time is that the campground water has been turned off due to well problems but Agatha has a 42 gallon fresh water tank and that's plenty for 3 days. The trip has a twofold purpose: taking advantage of beautiful weather in this lovely place and giving Andy lessons in camper set up and tear down. Since my move, Agatha is residing in his driveway and I would like him to be able to use it.

As I said, the weather has been perfect for camping and especially sleeping. My site doesn't have a view of the western skyline but Friday night I was treated to a big glimpse of color over the towering pines.

Andy is in the middle of finishing his porch roof and the weather that is so great for celebrating and relaxing is also good for working on outdoor projects. But we managed to sandwich in a bit of the local festivities. Saturday afternoon we went to Craft Fair--a full city block of, among other things, handmade jewelry, metal yard ornaments, honey, crocheted items, and even a book seller. Andy and Stacy picked up a couple of the yard ornaments, but I had to continually remind myself how many items I had to get rid of in the last 4 or 5 months. Yesterday, we journeyed downtown and wandered around a little after a great lunch/supper at Cerno's. This morning, we will have breakfast at the restaurant in the park, which has reopened this year, before the tear down lesson.

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

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Back at the Station

8/13/2024

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A number of years ago, we started a tradition of camping the week of the State Fair at Howell Station, a great Corps of Engineers campground below the dam at Lake Red Rock. Some of the group would go up to the fair to watch grandkids show cattle, etc. This year there are only eight of us total but other than light rain Sunday night, the weather has been very comfortable. This is one of our favorite sunset places too.

We always have to visit the shops in Pella--especially the bakery and the quilt shop. So yesterday, the ladies made that trek and also hit the meat market and a few other interesting shops. I'm sure Pella's bottom line benefited from our visit.

Another highlight is always the food, of course. Sunday night, Syd stuffed us with pulled pork sandwiches, pasta salad, beans, and chocolate pie. We have enjoyed two huge breakfasts, courtesy of Letha and Carly (and their spouses of course.) Yesterday afternoon about 4:00, I innocently asked who was cooking last night. They informed me it was me. I had in my head that I was cooking tonight. So needless to say, I had to get moving but I had planned to do a couple of variations of foil packet meals and let every one put their own together so it wasn't too difficult. By 6:00, the fire was going and campers had a choice of chicken breasts or smoked turkey kielbasa, potatoes, green beans, corn, bacon pieces, ranch or Italian seasoning, and shredded cheese. There were guidelines but they could use any combination. I'm very flexible that way. The results were pleasing, even more so after Letha provided fresh cherry pie and Patty happened to have ice cream for embellishment. I slept well after that.

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A Fair Trip

7/15/2024

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I haven't had many camping posts this year because I haven't had many trips. My downsizing and move has swallowed up most of the last three months. Plus Agatha, in RV years, must be about the same age as me because she has certainly had several aches and pains. And she doesn't have Medicare. But last week, we managed to overcome our impairments and headed north for the annual Franklin County Fair/impromptu Class of 60 reunion.

Last year the stars aligned fortuitously and we managed to get fourteen class members out of the original 72 together for a last minute lunch. This year we managed four, but it was till a great time. We are long past much reminiscing--our memories aren't that great any more, but the old friendships never die.

As usual, I camped at Beed's Lake, a beautiful state park near Hampton. Like many of our parks, the big old trees have been decimated in the center loops of the campground, and the weather wasn't conducive to appreciating full sun. So this time I had a great spot in some of the remaining trees near the lake. The shade plus a nice breeze off the lake made the area very pleasant on Thursday and Friday.

I did a walk one morning over to the beautiful old bath house and continued a ways out on the Old Dam Trail. In our youth, the trail was quite overgrown with shrubs and trees. It was very conducive to jumping out and scaring our friends. But unfortunately it's been cleaned up and wouldn't hide a three-year-old. I also enjoyed the sunsets--always a treat there.

We did take in the Fair for a few hours on Thursday and then a short stint on Saturday due to the heat and humidity. Of course we had homemade ice cream in the Pioneer Village and fresh rhubarb pie at the Lutheran stand. All in all, a great trip!

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A Moving Experience

6/17/2024

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I spent much of my early life moving--sometimes to a different house, sometimes to a new town. By the time I graduated from high school, I had spent Christmas in a different house every year. In the 56 years of my marriage, the moving slowed down. Two apartments and four houses. The last house we spent twenty years in. People said "But you have wonderful memories there." Yes, but the person I share those memories with isn't there. My family is spread across the country and I needed a change.

Over the last couple of years, I realized that I badly needed to downsize. I began picking away at that and this spring decided to put the house on the market. I had begun checking out apartments in the Quad Cities and narrowed my choices to a couple. I started with the plan for a two bedroom, but wondered where I would put my office, sewing machine, and craft activities. I decided to go for a three bedroom, but the complex I was most interested in didn't often have those available. The house went up for sale and sold immediately, scheduled to close on June 14. Luckily, the same week, a 3-bedroom was posted but not available until July 3. During the three week gap I would need to store my stuff and basically have to move twice. Yikes! But a few days later, I got a message that the present tenant was going to be moving earlier and I could have the apartment in early June!

The downsizing had to switch into high gear. I planned to move boxes and totes beginning June 3 and movers to bring the furniture June 6. That would give me a week to "finish up." Surely that would be plenty of time to decide what else I wanted to move and get rid of the rest.

How wrong I was! I never would have made it without the help of my tribe. In the ten days from possession of the apartment to closing on the house, we brought about 17 or 18 carloads of stuff. Andy especially stepped up and made numerous trips before going to work in the afternoons. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ken and Harriet, made several trips. My 'baby' sister-in law Mary, neighbor Joy, and old friend Joanie also hauled stuff. Grandson Steven came out from Iowa City and put his Marine training to use cleaning the garage. The last day, Mary and Joy cleaned while I continued to tackle the chaos in my craft room and other areas.

What to do with all of the stuff? Joy again came to the rescue with the offer of her second garage to store anything we couldn't get moved or hadn't decided what to do with. The closing came off on Friday and I then headed to Des Moines for my great-granddaughter's dance recital.

I think my new place is going to be delightful. Chateau Knoll was built in the 70s before developers felt the need to fill every square inch of real estate. Grassy areas and established trees surround every building in the complex. There are two pools, tennis courts, and a fitness center. The photo at the top of this blog is the view from my little deck. People have been very friendly and a couple of maintenance calls has received quick response.

Am I settled? I have a ways to go. One glitch in the move was that my desk is too big to go around the corner into the office. Andy and I may try to cut it down; otherwise I will find something smaller. Meanwhile it's pretty hard to empty the boxes in the the office. And I have numerous other boxes I'm working on, but there's no deadline. I took time last night to go to a poetry reading in a branch of the Davenport Library by Salvatore Marici. Sal took part in several of the writing workshops we had at the West Liberty Library. I look forward to more of these events, no home maintenance, and more time to enjoy.

One of the most useful things we have learned from technology: sometimes the best fix is to unplug and start over.

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<<Previous

Ambling Adventures of Agatha

The Writing Life

Coasting into Spring

Parable of the Lights--Part 2

Of Leaves and Laughter

Final Fling

Hawg Days and Cool Nights

Back at the Station

A Fair Trip

A Moving Experience

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