Brain Freeze and Brain Fog

My dad, oldest of six boys, used to tell about the fun they had watching Uncle Paul eat ice cream because he would always pass out. Doesn't that sound like boy fun? They probably timed him and placed bets on who would be closest to the right time!

That's brain freeze. When a cold object touches the roof of your mouth, the blood vessels contract in response in an effort to prevent loss of body heat. It's like a bad headache. Apparently Uncle Paul was a slow learner or just liked the attention.

Brain fog is something entirely different. I'd never heard of it until I got it. It's also called Widow's Brain. It's a common thing, apparently, but who knew? That's why I'm telling you in my blog, my continuing quest to spread knowledge, bring enlightenment, and look on the bright side of life.

Widow’s brain is a real thing. It is a side effect of grief caused by your brain trying to protect you from the pain. I have learned that it affects all people who experience a traumatic loss. It can leave you helpless and confused during a time when it would be helpful to be in full control. It's a normal process of grief.  You are in survival mode and your brain is doing all the "intellect" functions,but anything to do with emotional thought is being blurred. It's sort of like a grief-induced amnesia.

It helps me understand why I get weepy at church, why I stand around wondering why I'm standing around, why I turned left the other day instead of going straight. I have to think through easy things that I never used to think about.

Case in point: I got gas the other day (thank God I didn't have to pump it myself or I'd have been up a creek) and when I was ready to go, the car wouldn't start. Tried everything. Another puzzle. Got out to look for help (excuse me, I can't start my brand new car that's full of fuel) - everyone's busy. Quick prayer (never fails), glanced back in the car and noticed that it was still in drive! The engine turned over just fine after I got it into park and I was on my way. Who knows what happened? Not me.

Is it my new normal? I don't like that. It's been better lately. It's really helped me to find out that other people have had the same experience. Have a great day.

Life goes on

I was nearly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that I received after Dick's unexpected passing August 2nd. I heard the phrases "words cannot express" "words fail" and "words are so inadequate" but I have made a decision to turn again to words to help me focus. I considered retitling my blog Lynn @ Large but can't do that yet.The time will come.

The words that have helped me the most this past two months, because two months ago was when Dick went into the hospital, have been the words of God. God has held me in his arms and scripture has truly become alive to me. It always comforts me and is the only thing that comes close to being adequate to meet my needs.

Just to write "I have made a decision" is huge for me right now. I know not to make any big decisions right now - wait a month, wait six months, wait a year, wait two years. I've heard it. No problem. Not making a decision is easy because it doesn't require anything of me. It's the little things like what's for dinner that are hard.  So deciding to write and then actually doing it ... I'm giving myself a pat on the back. Starting may give me the impetus to continue.

Living Life at Crane Hot Springs!

Sunset on Saturday, May 31st.

Currently we're living at Crystal Crane Hot Springs RV Park south of Burns, OR. The water was 102 degrees today. It comes out of the ground at 180 and the tower thing in the picture is for cooling it down. The pond is lined with spiky gravel and is pretty shallow, like a big bowl. My favorite way to enjoy the pool is to ride/float on a noodle. The hot water is awesome. 

They have cute little cabins that can be rented as well as tent camping, RV hook ups and even the teepee with a hot tub in the middle. The building on the right has private bathtubs. We met two couples from Denmark here two days ago! It amazes me. We are truly in the middle of nowhere and here are these great Danes! CCHSRV is well worth a trip.

In addition to soaking, floating, luxuriating in the hot water, there's all kinds of interesting birds, including yellow headed blackbirds, black bodied redbirds as my dad used to call 'em, burrowing owls, avocets, terns, egrets, etc., etc. Some lady yesterday tried to convince me that the bird we were watching was a sandhill crane but I think she was high on the sulphur fumes.

Interesting things I've learned here:
1. about the only thing that will get rid of sagebrush is watering it but everything else grows like crazy when it's watered.
2. When all the water starts out warm and you let the cold water faucet run to get it a little cooler, it just warms up.
3. Carp are taking over Malheur Lake and are affecting the bird life there. They muddy up the water and the birds can't feed. Apparently the birds are doing a fly-by! The solution they're trying is commercial fishing. They have a huge fishing boat on the lake; they're netting the carp and hauling them off in dump trucks to a fish fertilizer plant. Hopefully they'll knock the crap out of those carp! I think it's a smart approach to a nasty problem.

If you haven't got it, you'll find it at Quartzsite!

Quartzsite, AZ has the world's greatest collection of stuff that we've ever seen.We could have/should have hauled all our household possessions down here and set up shop.

The cattle skulls were $65 each
The longhorn horns were about $225

 Rifles, rocks,license plates, jewelry, dishes, clothes, antiques, collectibles, junque - all of it fun to browse through.

 This was a really cool teeter totter. You could even build your own because they had a pile of tractor seats available!

Wish we could get this one home for Markie.

From the Quartzsite website:
Quartzsite, Arizona, barely 18 miles east of the Colorado river, on I-10, may be the RV boondocking capital of the world. Quartzsite has become a mecca to visitors and exhibitors for rocks, gems, mineral specimens and fossils during the town’s famous two-month-long gem show and swap meet every January and February. From its humble beginnings the now-massive Quartzsite show has grown to RV-epic proportions with vendors offering everything under the Quartzsite sun.  http://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/

Happy New Year! 

We're basking in the sunshine in Hope, Arizona awaiting New Year's festivities at Ramblin' Roads RV Park. They only go from 7 to 10, probably because this is a 55+ park!

This little community between Quartzite and Wickenburg is where we're hanging our hats for the winter. We returned yesterday from a Christmas trip to Vancouver where we filled up on grandkid love and are back to blue skies once again. 

We've made a dramatic change in our life style this year, selling our home of 25+ years, moving into our 5th wheel trailer and living life “at Large” for an as-yet-to-be determined period of time. 

We're looking forward to seeing the goodness of the Lord in 2014 and wish you and yours all the best.

Our campsite on Beyond Hope Road! What's beyond hope? The golf course!

 Trying to figure out how to take our picture

 Beautiful skies

 Fun in our ATV

 They grow cotton around here (Pima County Arizona)

 Lemons are almost ready to pick

Loved being with our grandsons.

RV life: Random odd thing

Our old trailer had a digital clock on the microwave as well as a"round-time" clock mounted in the living room. Our new trailer only has the clock on the microwave which is fine, but small and hard to see from the couch located down and across from it and, of course, impossible to see from the recliners beside it and directly across the the couch, so we felt the need for a clock. Where does one go to get a wall clock if Bi-Mart isn't handy like at home? Wal-Mart of course.

Wal-Mart is every RVer's go-to store.
     Casserole pans - I somehow gave mine all away, no problem. They have glass, ceramic, aluminum
     Fruits, veggies, ice cream, milk, yogurt - you bet.
     RV TP - just believe me on this one - they've got it.
     Vitamins? Yep.
     Soap or soup, you can count on Wal-Mart.
In RV "paradise" Wal-Mart is the only place you're likely to see children - everyone, everyplace else is over 55. (Don't get me started on Wal-Martians!)

Anyway, we went to Wal-Mart and found a very nice clock, 1 AA battery, not included.

Supplied the battery (#1), hung it up, and it worked fine for about 36 hours then slowed considerably. It took a while to register that the time was wrong and then to determine the solution.

Troubleshooting, I changed the battery (#2). Clock worked fine for about 15 hours then slowed again.

Troubleshooting again,  (advice of husband - take it back, looks good but just a piece of junk, but it was just before Thanksgiving and I'd already stood in endless lines there twice) I changed the battery again (#3) but used one that was just lying loose in the box of batteries, not matching the two previous batteries. Inadvertently I dropped the clock but was able to catch it before it hit the floor but it did bounce lightly off Dick's head. It must be the combination - that 3rd battery, the head bonk, the threat of return (back to China with you, clock!) but the clock is ticking away!

A solution to every problem! We just used Dick's head!

Fun in the sun on the RZR

So the ATV we ended up getting is a 2010 Polaris Ranger RZR:

We went on what's called a Poker Ride today. Everyone pitched in $5, spun a wheel and got the first of 5 card values at the community hall at Ramblin' Roads RV Resort here in Hope, Arizona. We took off at 10:30, all bundled up because it was chilly and the air conditioner works full time on these rigs! We stopped three more times, spun the wheel and then one more spin, 35 miles and 3 hours later. Dick ended up with three 9's which was the highest hand and he won $115 which I think he should use for helmets for us for the next time. (warmer and safer)

We saw some beautiful scenery but with all the bouncing around didn't get too many pictures. We're going to retrace our steps another time.

I think we drove all over the first mountain and in the gulley behind it. Possibly we were up on the other side of the tall mountain. It was awesome. The desert has so much variety. We were on a trail the whole time on both sides of highway 60. Fun, fun, fun.