Hey guess what?!
My wife was ever so wonderful to set up a new blog for me.
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Family Fun in La Crosse
The past month we have been in Wisconsin. Its so hard to post about everything, so I’ll just pick some of the highlights.
We spent time in La Crosse. This is where I was born and both my mom’s and my dad’s family is still there.
My aunt and uncle were kind enough to let us stay on their farm for two weeks. (Thanks Aunt TT and Uncle Ron!) My other aunt and uncle let us borrow their car while in town so it was easy to get around. (Thanks Aunt Sally and Uncle Scott!) Here’s a couple of pics of the family hanging out around the fire:
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We also had dinner with my other side of the family but I was having so much fun I forgot to take pics. It was nice to catch up with everyone. I haven’t seen most of my family in WI for 8 years.
Lots of get-together’s and eating. My grandma made yummy rhubarb pie, and my aunt Sally made Almond Hershey Pie. I bet I gained 10 pounds while in Wisconsin. 😉
Here is a pic of my Aunt Nancy and Uncle John and I. They came all the way down from MN to see us. I feel so special. They’re the greatest.
Man, I think its time to shave my head.
I love all of my family; they are so great. I hope to come back soon and visit again.
For Z’s birthday we went horseback riding. It was so much fun and he really loved it.
Here’s to family and fun times!
Blacksmithing Class
Smithing has interested me ever since we interned on the farm in Albuquerque, NM, where it was introduced to me. I had the opportunity to stop and take a weekend-long blacksmithing class in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, last weekend while on our way to visit family in La Crosse. I love the uniqueness and the endless possibilities of things you can make with smithing. Its a dying trade that not too many people know how to do anymore, since we live in the age of machines.
This was my teacher David Day. He has 18 years experience smithing.
Here are some of the things I made: a coat hook (top left) that I made frome a push rod out of a engine, a ornamental leaf (top right)which was made out of a 1/2in diameter piece of metal . and a pair of tongs custom fit for my hands. ( The tongs they had at the class sucked; I couldn’t hold any piece of metal tight with them.) I had so much fun, and learned so much about the dynamics of smithing and metal. I wish there was a way I could smith on the road. 😦 It is so simple but yet so complex at the same time. I have hopes of using my carpentry skills, and smithing skills together one day to make some really beautiful pieces of art. I can’t wait to have the chance to do it some more.
Homesick or something like it….
I kinda feel like I’m homesick. Not the homesick everybody would think. I don’t want to go back to Vegas. I just miss having a big place to move around or veg out on the sofa or play video games.
Today I just had the strong urge to want to settle down and have a place of my own again. I don’t know if that’s just cuz of the size of the RV and maybe it’s just too cozy for me. Or maybe not being able to be by myself for awhile without having someone two feet from me.
It’s not that I don’t mind it’s just that everyone needs their own space at times and I think I’m just going through one of those times. I don’t know why I feel like that.
Maybe it’s just being around new people all the time and not really being used to it. Not knowing how to react and deal with being a “people person” all the time. It’s one thing I’m not good at doing. But it’s one thing I went on the road for, too. To break out of my shell and meet new people and put myself in those awkward situations…
Maybe I am breaking out of my shell and I don’t feel comfortable so I’m trying to find that comfort zone again.
Earlier this week I was ready to move on out of Nashville. I don’t know if I want to move on now. If there was any place I’d be able to hang out and do nothing it would be here at Tara’s aunt’s house. But I still feel like it’s not where I want to be.
Maybe I need to just get on the road and keep doing things that I’m uncomfortable doing to overcome my discomfort of dealing with people.
For the past couple of months I’ve been finding busy work to do with myself instead of really sitting back and processing everything. And now it’s just like a pot that’s boiling over. It’s reach that point. I’m so used to knowing what’s around the next corner and what to expect day in and day out. Now having all this freedom and uncertainty…not knowing how to handle it or not knowing what to do or what direction to go or what to expect…that is really difficult for me to finally face.
Tara’s calling it deschooling. I’m not sure what to call it yet.
Fun with Friends
I just want to say sorry to all of my readers for neglecting this blog so long. There is just so many interesting things to see and do. We have been staying in Keatchie, Louisiana (about 40 minutes outside of Shreveport) for the past 3 weeks visiting one of my good friends and helping him with some things. We also got to jam on the djembe which was so fun. His dad, whom was one of my bosses from Vegas, lives right down the street from him. He was gracious enough to let us stay on his beautiful land with full hookups for the RV.
The first weekend we were there we went to Mudbug Madness, which is a crawfish eating festival in downtown Shreveport. I have to say after having crawfish for the first time they were very yummy. Z was grossed out by the way they looked and didn’t have any. But he did take advantage of all the cool things to do there. He went in a “euro ball,” which is ball you get in and fill up with air and can run on top of water. He looked like a hamster in one of those balls. 😉 He also had the chance to try out one of those bungee jumping trampolines.
We just decided to leave Louisiana Friday and head back to Texas to meet up with some of our good friends that have just decided to buy an RV and embrace the RV lifestyle. We stayed at Martin Creek Lake State Park. It was a great park.
The only thing that weirded me out was swimming with the power plant in the background, and how warm the water was. Sara and Chris told us that the power plant uses the lake water to cool down the plant. And wouldn’t you know it when I got out of the water I had a fricken third arm! 😀
I helped Chris and Sara do a little remodeling to their RV and help acquaint Chris with his new home and all of the cool gadgets that come with it. I can’t wait to meet up with Chris and his family again.
I’ll try to blog more frequently for ya’ll. Peace!!
Not Too Simple 