Showing posts with label state parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state parks. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2026

Fly On The Wall With The Fat-Free Cows

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, three of us are welcoming you into our homes to see what a fly might see- or overhear!

 This month has FLOWN by, and we haven't been home much---3 camping trips since my last blog post! Whew! A lot of people don't get the appeal of RVing; they'd rather go on a cruise or fly somewhere to stay at a nice resort. I get that, but if you don't try RVing at least ONCE in your life, you are truly missing out. 



I actually had a fun essay published in AARP this week, extolling the virtues of RV life (for the non-believers). It was an honor to get this assignment,
and I hope you get a chance to read it HERE ( I think you have to subscribe to AARP "Members Edition" online to be able to read my stuff over there--but hey, it's
only $12 a year. C'mon!)


During last week's camping trip to Myakka River State Park, everything was beautiful and perfect, except I got BIT UP by some sort of insect (and I'm still itching). Tis the season for bugs in South Florida! It's all good, though. The nosey fly and his ugly cronies aren't going to stop me from RVing. But at least the fly was privy to some interesting conversations during my camping trips...... 


"This game sucks. The rules are too confusing, I quit!" 
"It's SCRABBLE. Everyone loves this game! And besides, it says that it's for children ages 8 and up" 
"I must be at the cut-off point. Let's just use the squares for firewood in the camp stove tonight." 


"I don't get why teenagers today are so lazy and entitled."
"It's because schools no longer make students wear humiliating uniforms in gym class or force them to play dodgeball---the game that taught us how not to die."


"Why won't you try Bunjee jumping?"
"Are you kidding? I won't even jump off our one-story roof!"


"Why is there no more fat-free creamer?" 
"They ran out of fat-free cows."



"I read somewhere that there are certain things every 60+ year-old should have: Missing Tupperware lids, a collection of plastic bags, and a drawer full of random cords that no one knows what they belong to."
"You forgot to add to that list an expired jar of pickle relish in the pantry and medicine bottles from 1995." 


"I hate it when you pull out your phone everytime I tell you somethng interesting."
"I have trust issues, so I have to use Google to see whether or not you're telling me the truth about living parasites on our eyelashes or fecal particles stuck on toothbrushes stored near the toilet."
"I'm surprised you didn't Google fat-free cows...."


"I used to be a poo-poo perfectionist. Never missed a day. Now, I'm irregular, and I hate it."
"That means you're just a poo-poo pretender."


"Listen to that sound...don't you love hearing the summer cicadas?"
"No, I have tinnitus--I hear the hum of cicadas all day long in my ears."
"At least you don't have to listen to the mooing of fat-free cows in the fridge."
"FINE! I'll go buy the damn fat-free creamer!!"



"I thought you were trying to declutter your closet. Why do you have so many pairs of jeans?"
"I have to keep different sizes. One pile is what I'm using now. Another pile is saved in case I gain more weight--or eat a really big holiday meal. It used to be a larger collection."
"What happened to the others?"
"I ate too many big meals this year."
"Then what's that really big pile for?"
"That's my regret pile---the jeans I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of EVER fitting into."



Since I can no longer fit into my jeans, I might as well go fatten up those cows so I can at least enjoy some creamer with my coffee.....


***WANT MORE MENO MAMA??" As mentioned above, one of my favorite essays is featured this week at AARP/Members Edition, which you can read HERE. If you have trouble finding it or the link doesn't take you directly to it, the title to put in the search bar is "How RVing Revived Our 42-Year Marriage." Over at AARP/The Girlfriend, I had several pieces published (yay!!). The first is an article on how to whiten your teeth naturally HERE plus Cinco De Mayo Recipes HERE and Mother's Day gift ideas HERE and then at AARP/The Ethel, I had an article about air fryer recipes that you can read HERE

Hop on over to Karen and Diane's house to see what the nosy fly has been up to at their place!!

Baking In A Tornado                                https://www.BakingInATornado.com

                               

On the Border                                         https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/


 





Friday, June 23, 2023

Fly On The Wall On A Camping Trip


Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall, hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, the two of us are inviting you into our homes to give you a fly's eye view of what goes on behind closed doors. 

That nosy fly felt right at home with us recently on our first RV trip we took over the weekend of June 9. He brought a bunch of his friends, too, but I didn't care because I was having too much fun exploring beautiful Highlands Hammock State Park in Florida. If you know me well, then you already know that RV camping has been on my bucket list for many years. Hubs and I have dreamed of retiring together and hitting the road in a little RV, and we finally took the first step to make that dream come true. 




We rented a fully equipped 24 ft. drivable RV and it was perfect! I'm a very organized person who did my research, so the trip went smoothly and was absolutely the most relaxing vacation I have ever had. In fact, I'd say this trip was a game changer for me and my hubs. We know for sure now that this is the life we want, so we are making future plans to turn this dream lifestyle into a reality. The cool thing is that Hubs will be retiring next year, and I work remotely with my writing job, so I can continue to write anywhere, anytime. 


What I loved most about this trip was the pure serenity we felt in the park--it was so peaceful, plus we were surrounded by all kinds of wildlife. The sites, the sounds....we were totally immersed in nature, exploring her glory---but with A/C, indoor plumbing, comfy beds, and a mini kitchen, of course! We spent our days walking trails, checking out the park's CCC museum, photographing wild birds and animals, and socializing with other campers. We also ate like kings during the trip---steaks, ribs, and fresh veggies on the grill as well as yummy side dishes and desserts (calories don't count while you're on vacation, right?). 


But I'd say the best part of the trip was the evenings spent outside playing many rounds of horseshoes,  cornhole, and lawn darts. It was also nice listening to our son softly playing his acoustic guitar while Hubs and I sipped cocktails as the sun set over the thick line of trees. The night sky was so vast and clear that we could see hundreds of stars and track the constellations above us. 

There were also many funny moments on the trip between my son and Hubs, but the funniest was watching them try to figure out how to empty and clean the bathroom tanks. Yes, I'm talking about poo, and it was hilarious. 

This trip was by far one of our best--so much so that we already booked another one in October. Words cannot express how much this experience meant to me, so I'll have to share some of the highlights with photos: 
































If you've been thinking of taking a camping trip in an RV, I highly recommend it! It was one of the best vacations I've ever had, so I can't say enough good stuff about it. I promise it will be an experience you will never forget---bathroom tanks and all!


***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? You can catch me over at AARP talking about another type of vacation (cruising!) with my helpful tips here:  https://www.aarpethel.com/lifestyle/what-you-should-know-before-booking-your-next-cruise

Be sure to buzz around Karen's blog at https://www.bakinginatornado.com and see what the fly has been up to over there!



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