Hi 👋 We're Val & Holland Redmill … living our Life Story as silver-haired Road Gypsies in our 5th wheel RV Home~41 months married & 65,000 miles traveled across America; covered in grace every Day & trying mightily not to lose our sanctification during the bad & ugly times. I post everywhere - about everything: and if what I post can help someone else, I'm glad for the experience. But from sunrise to sunset, we live our Life for US. Trusting Elohim every step of the way.
I'm just going to post some of today's highlights … I'm actively following what headlines are printing following President Trump's strike on iran, the other day.
Fox News - 'Keane: We are 'on the cusp' of ending Iran's 'malign and aggressive behavior' in region':
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv7hzq095uA)
'THE GAME IS UP': Rubio says Iran's days of 'playing the world' are over:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APD5gNeIJjY
Iran fires back after Trump strikes nuclear facilities: US 'blew up' diplomacy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy7O0ulpkWM
9 News Australia - 'U.S. braces for Iran's response; Australia supports U.S. strikes':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0KpTx5QAHM
Even so, I am not allowing the world's chaos to dominate my small corner of the world 🙏 - my exclusive and ultimate concern, is for my personal Life.
That trumps Trump's actions: no pun intended.
So, I will let the following pictures tell today's story 😉
A beach drive; Ocean Park Beach Access-WA
Swarmed by the seagulls we startled …
Huge Great White Shark Kite; last year, this fella flew a gigantic Orca.
Smooth rolling Pacific Ocean waves; Ocean Park Beach Access-WA
Dolphin kite.
Low-lying ocean-mist cloud hugging the beach down by the Cranberry Road Beach Access-WA
I was wondering if this bulk on the sand was a beached whale; but upon closer inspection, we saw that it was a fire damaged palm tree top connected to a pole & cement bracing; Holland thinks it may have washed up on this beach, from CA or Hawaii.
Pretty little lavender & magenta hued wild sweetpea blossoms … purple sweetpeas signify success: Holland & I believe that regardless of what we are struggling through - {WE} will succeed 🩹💕👩❤️💋👨🕊️💯
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My heart was gladdened to read that my Graysriver friend, who has recently been hospitalized & laid low … is doing much netter: better enough to drive to Church Service this morning 😊
I am dedicated to getting back into the clothes hanging in my closet that haven't seen the light of Day since we started Road Gypsying - I am sticking to daily indoor exercises and light meals.
It's a hell of a situation that either of us can breathe easy in environments that are good for either of us- but not both of us 😳🤔
AZ State dust devils kept us inside; sick with lung fever the entire time we were there. We were there in the winter months to "enjoy the sun's warmth": the sun came out, and it felt good - so did the devil winds, which weren't enjoyable. Holland refuses to live in AZ during the Spring or Summer months because, "it's hotter than Hell, and we won't be able to breathe there." Breathing the air in AZ, it seems, won't be happening with us … any time of the year 😔
WA State pollen - and the humid rainforest environment … which keeps the pollen at nose level, year round … has kept us inside with itchy, runny eyes & runny noses, whiplash sneezing, sore throat coughing, stuffy noses, mucus loogies, constant fatigue, and nausea since we got here in April; add the month-long rainfall, and it's been miserable ☔️😕🤮🛌😟
Despite Holland's claims that "we can breathe better, here" - ((I)) am not noticing 😡 that marvelous experience. I visually see Holland is still hawking and spitting loogies into a spit bottle, wiping his runny nose, coughing like a cat with fur ball stuck in it's throat, and eating my cough drops like hard candy; I am not seeing him breathing any easier than before 🙄, but I am noticing him burning up the highway between here and Kelso: which, is really the reason we are here, in WA State.
I am suffering asthma misery's because he can't bring himself to cut apron strings 😟
Holland has been outside our 4 walls several times a week (grocery shopping, wave watching, and weekly daytrips to Kelso-WA to visit with his family & friends, there): all totaled, I have only been able to venture outside the 4 walls, maybe, a dozen times. I am understandably cranky - I've been carrying Kleenex 🤧 around with me, e.v.e.r.y.d.a.y., for the past 6 weeks.
95% housebound - half of that, sleeping my life away, fatigued.
Full out survival mode.
I do not want to be in fight or flight mode when awake!
I want to be able to enjoy Life, fully.
WA State may be a better environment for my husband … but, it is not a [better environment] for me 😕
I've spent 95% of my time in WA, in bed because I'm worn out just trying to survive the pollen-laden-assault on my lungs ☔️🥱🌺🛌💤
I cannot effectively get this point across to Holland 😑
Hence, this morning's blowout.
It didn't need to be a huge blowout, but it was, because Holland stayed up watching YouTube videos & movies until 6 AM, and only got about 3 hours of sleep before his alarm went off at 10 AM (he laid awake for an hour rehashing the crap he fed his brain with before stumbling to bed).
He woke up cranky.
Which triggered my cranky 😭😤
And had Holland reaching for Betsy's keys, so he could beat a hasty retreat - down to the ocean to watch the waves.
Big Mama Thornton - 'Ball N' Chain' song:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TixL6Tycgho)
WA State has never been friendly to my lungs.
There has got to be someplace in America where we can set pegs and breathe the air easily!
This running from place to place to find agreeable comfort for our struggling lungs, is ridiculous.
Looking out my window's & watching deer meander across the gravel in front of Independence this morning, I am sick of being sick and tired.
I watched 2 deer this morning; walked up behind Betsy - alongside Independence, which caught my attention; Ocean Park-WA
I am sick and tired of fighting with a husband who has the unbendable mindset of a neanderthal.
I want to be able to breathe without my lungs seizing up.
There has got to be someplace in America that will be acceptable for both of our lung issues 🙏
I want a peaceful home environment 👩❤️💋👨
*********************
Being strong is not something that was always clear to me, it is something that I learned along the way, in moments where I had no other option.
I remember when everything seemed to fall apart. The expectations I had for life were not met and the people I trusted the most disappointed me. It was there that I understood that I couldn't depend on others to feel complete or safe. I learned that true strength is born when you face loneliness, and instead of feeling weak, you decide to turn that loneliness into your ally.
Life taught me that pain is not an enemy. Life taught me that crying does not make you less strong, on the contrary, it gives you the ability to feel deeply and heal. In every tear lies a lesson, a reminder that, after the storm, calm always comes.
Being strong is not about keeping quiet about what hurts you, it is about speaking firmly about your fears and accepting them. It's not about pretending that everything is fine, it's about accepting that there are bad days, but not letting those days define you.
I have learned that it is not about not falling, but about how you get up. And you don't always do it immediately, sometimes it takes time, but the important thing is not to stay on the ground. I have fallen many times, I have stumbled over my own mistakes and the difficulties that life has put in front of me, but each time I have gotten up more confident in who I am.
Being strong is understanding that self-love is the basis of everything. You can't expect others to fill the gaps that only you can fill. I learned to be my best friend, to be kind to myself on my worst days, and to celebrate every little achievement, because it's those moments that remind me how much I've grown.
What taught me to be strong was life itself, with all its imperfections and challenges. And although I still have a lot to learn, I know that as long as I maintain that inner strength, I can handle anything that comes.
Keep Following Life’s Journey.
~Amira Mouzaki
Randy Stonehill - 1976 'Welcome To Paradise' ~ Full Album: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aMlShFS6c8&list=PLPcTOx34g9XQeEtTw-2zRd8rJEs3i9Y_d)
September 27th: My Swan Man is vigilant about getting us back to Arizona for the winter months, in a couple days; this morning, he got the oil in Betsy changed - but he had to drive to Longview to accomplish that … I opted to stay behind and clean house.
Independence's interior straightening & cleaning needed tended to; there hasn't been time to tend to all the nooks and crannies since we collected her from the repair shop in Vancouver, 2 weeks ago.
I claimed some 'me time'; and encouraged Holland to do the same.
Holland needed alone time to listen to his music, touch base with people he he misses, and just generally have space. He has a lot on his mind(travel concerns, as well as concern for me). I've not been feeling very well for the past week … he needs alone time space.
Longview-WA from Ocean Park-WA; 1 hr 47 min (79.4 mi) via US-30 E
It was still inky black when he left the peninsula for the city.
While he was gone - I got Supper rockin'-n-rollin' (a Bean Soup), spent 3 hours taking care of business with Independence, gave ear to my recent favorite weirdo's on their podcast (there's good info being spoken, that gives me insight into my new husband), and worked on the preemie sleep sack I'm currently designing: we both had full days.
Supper, tonight ;-)I added veggies to the basic bean recipe on the package.
Everyone views 'fighting' differently …
Worth Fighting For? l The Side Piece S2 E18: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZZ3P27O7uI)
While the soup cooked, and I listened to Chris and Peaches … I tidied the rooms, organized stuff (and found the crocheted Christmas Gift Bags Garland & the Mezuzah I thought had been lost ;-)), and worked on the little preemie sacque I'm knitting; and I also thought on how we are both working together on our future together.
(((YES!!))) I was happy to find this box!
MOD striped preemie sleep sack.
MOD Striped Preemie Sleep Sack; ready for the sleeves …
There was a lot coming from that podcast, to digest and consider.
Holland is literally an answer to prayer: he completes my life as it is now, to the end of my life. He truly is a "God-send".
My Swan Man allows me to relax - he considers my physical limitations, and pitches in to shoulder the bulk of tasks if necessary.
He gives me space - more than I need, actually.
These things were difficult for me to get used to in our first year of married life, because I wasn't used to either - my life before was kept very busy; but with new lines drawn concerning gender roles, I'm learning to relax - and enjoy alone time space (that doesn't involve widowing growth). In this marriage, I really don't have much to do, but simple domestic things like supper (I insist now, on doing the cooking), laundry, and easy house cleaning … Holland takes care of everything else (his gender lines are very specific about this).
I like being pampered and spoiled wife - but, I also like being a productive wife ;-)
September 6th, 2024 'MEET ME HALFWAY; Castle Rock-WA' Post:
Throughout the eras, the swan metaphor was originally used as a compliment, meaning “one of a kind". Swans are a beautiful symbol of love and romance, the connection of two soulmates: mated swans remain faithful - even after the death of their mate; they are eternally connected.
In ancient paintings, the swan is associated with the autumn seasonand is one of five types of men:https://psycho-tests.com/blog/swan-description
In present-day England, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, the verb "swan” means"to travel", "move or behave in a relaxed way for pleasure" … generally without caring that others may feel annoyed. Swans symbolize self-esteem and security, a powerful energy to bring to mated partnerships.
Their deep connection to water reminds us to go with the flow in life and in our relationships.
In every way … and according to swan meanings … Holland fits the description of being a Swan Man: and I'm glad he is mine.
I'm glad Elohim was faithful, and that Holland finally found me ;-)
The Moody Blues - 'I Know You're Out There Somewhere' lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zix9FC_GopE
And in sharing with each other (another major happenstance with Holland), Holland is learning how to relax about his Past, so it doesn't handicap his present, or future. I let go of past hurts decades ago - but Holland's past hurts are still raw because Redmill people on that branch of his familial tree continue to spin out outrageous, and slanderous lies; and sibling deaths are still fairly recent (Tami, around 2-3 years ago).
Add to that - the pressure (out of the blue musing) of feeling he was competing with a ghost.
There were a lot of emotional stuff happening our first year of married life & gypsy life travels.
But, we've worked through the hard stuff now, and pray we both stay healthy enough to get us from WA to AZ without any more delays.
**This Week's Posts, posted September 27th:
WINDS OF CHANGE~Indian Summer 2024; Ocean Park-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/09/winds-of-changeindian-summer-2024-ocean.html)
FOGGY WANDERINGS; Long Beach Peninsula-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/09/foggy-wanderings-long-beach-peninsula-wa.html)
RAINY DAY LOOP DRIVE: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/09/rainy-day-loop-drive.html)**
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