Before I went to bed this morning, a back tooth broke off 😳 - it was a capped tooth & apparently the post was weakened enough 🤦🏻♀️ .. that I was glad it came out, while I as still awake. I could have swallowed it in my sleep! So, I washed it up, wrapped in in plastic wrap, and stuck it in my purse: I'll call my dentist Monday morning to schedule an appointment. Meanwhile, I have to be careful what I eat: there's a hole in the back of my mouth now, and I don't want it to get infected.
This morning, while I was drinking my coffee & telling Holland about the tricky tooth; Holland listened … we discussed finances 💸 - then, he shut his laptop and said, "How about we take a drive to Olequa as soon as you finish your coffee and change out of your p.j.'s? 👩❤️💋👨 If you don't get out of this house for a bit - we're both gonna suffer the effects of cabin fever."
YES! 👏😁
The weather forecast was promising hot sunshine ☀️; that shot of Vitamin D, is what we both need, and it would feel good on our skin, too.
A road trip 🚘 … even a short one, with windows down and music filling the cab 🎶 would be most welcome; thank you, husband!
The fresh air 🌬️, the bright color pops 👀 of summer flower bursts, flitting butterflies 🦋, & the heady scent of warm resin wafting 👃 from the sighing 👂 towering evergreens is my idea of heaven on Earth.
Living in the moment & making memories 📸🦌 is always a win-win, as far as I am concerned.
I like that drive, and firing off a couple rounds once we get there, would do us both good.
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We reached the top of the steep Olequa terrain; the last time we were here together, was July 3rd, 2024 - we had been hunkered down in Woodland-WA, waiting for Independence to have some repairs done … & Holland brought me here for a fun, out-of-house, day.
I like the Taurus TX22 I was shooting today - so, I traded my wedding gift Taurus 9mm for it, & Holland wasn't offended: he could see that I was more comfortable with the 22 than I ever have been with the 9. The 9 is small, which is why it was mine … but it has a kick recoil, and the 22 is a smooth shot. The 22 smooth shot is easier on my wrist, and I'm not tensing for the snapping recoil sting. We're both happy with today's shooting & the handgun exchanges.
We were liking the sunshine. We were living our life in celebration of our National freedom ⚖️🏛️ of gun ownership. I was enjoying myself, Holland was encouraging & praising me - and happily satisfied that I can "hold down the fort" if need be: I basked in the glowing warmth of his compliments.
We try to get target shooting in at least once every 6 months:
July 5, 2023~A BANG OF A 4th OF JULY: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-bang-of-4th-of-july.html)
July 3, 2024~OLEQUA HEIGHTS-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/07/olequa-heights-wa.html)
I think we missed last year because we were in a location & situations, that didn't allow for a trip into the forest.
But we made time to find the time, this year.
On another note - my workout today wasn't the norm - but it was still effective. And that's what matters:
Leaving Olequa Heights, I smiled seeing my handsome mountain off to the left of my sight - and topless Loowit, off to the right of my sight: and I thought to myself, what a wonderful Day is was to be alive.
If anything resonates with you this week, I hope it’s that you celebrate you and celebrate YOUR life. Just the fact that you wake up every morning and are able to breathe & enjoy precious unfolding moments in this incredible beautiful world … is something to celebrate. I know times in this era can be rough, but you’re here: and that’s worth celebrating.
Louis Armstrong - 'What A Wonderful World' Lyrics: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3yCcXgbKrE&list=RDA3yCcXgbKrE&start_radio=1)
Back home, we stopped at Burger King to grab an order of crown chicken nuggets, fries, and a soft ice-cream cone 🍗🍟🍦; then, once settled into our comfy home space, we both relaxed in our own ways - Holland vegging out with his YouTube video subscription updates 💻🎞️🎙️; me checking Blog & FB PM's 💻💬, and jotting down notations for tomorrows domestic duties that can't be avoided 📝
And picking out a new Clive Cussler Novel to begin. For me, there has always been something magical about getting lost in a good book 📖 and Clive's stories are always engaging. Some stories make me laugh, some make me cry, some are frustratingly mysterious, and some simply & quietly remind us who we are. Since being introduced to Clive somewhere around 2004, his storyline characters have become old friends I visit again and again - they bringing comfort, adventure, hope, and a little bit of wonder into my immediate space every time I turn a page. If you ask me, a cozy chair (or bed), a warm mug of cocoa, and a book filled with adventure in far flung places, is a pretty wonderful way to engage in a nighttime ritual 📚☕️
