PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON; Castle Rock-WA

Holland had a consultation about his knee relief options, in Centralia, this morning (I was supposed to go with him for a day-out-of-house - but kelso interfered, and I stayed home); consultation assessment is that his disability insurance will pay for the consultation, x-rays, future doctor visits/x-rays … but the injection itself is not covered: that's fine. Just knowing that there will be some kind of relief medically & financially is a plus in regards to this option.

On my end, I called my dentist while Holland was gone, to set an appointment for my partial (I managed to come up with the $$$$$ required); and was told that the dentist will not do the tooth replacement until I submit to a barrage of x-rays, and an in-depth cleaning; which upped the quoted $1,800+ cost for the tooth replacement, by an additional $2,000 = total cost $4,000 for the [cheap-option] partial. None of this will be covered by my social security coverage. It's a major hit to the wallet. But, I need the partial & the dentist knows that; hence the ultimatum squeeze.

So, I cut the connection with an appointment for a cleaning set on the 16th.

Which leads into another ultimatum squeeze: this one put on heavily by Holland, who is once again dragging me over the coals concerning the Kelso riff-raff. However, I am not that easy to drag anymore; I've reached my tolerance limit with this man and his shady connections. I'm not accepting the burden of responsibility anymore, when it comes to Lana, Jake, Mark, or Tim - these loose bullets are solely Holland's responsibility, seeing as how he has made them, so: I want no part of any of that kelso mess.

What caused the recent blow-out?

The mere mention that I was going to go on a 40-Day Fast when August came around - he had been talking about groceries, and I said that he should probably concentrate more on what he likes, instead of figuring groceries with me in mind, since I was not going to be eating for 40 days. He asked why; I said, "August is a National Fast for our Nation that has been infiltrated with muslims, and nearly given over solely to islam on every front; Americans need to gain the upper hand again, and islam needs to be rooted out of all high seats of governing powers and education establishments. And I'm going to be fasting for personal reasons, too. It's a good thing." He went ballistic: just the mention of muslims had him grinding his teeth. Then the accusations started; & the tone went to heightened decimals of ridiculous rancor, that set my watch off with environmental sensory overload warnings.

I was shocked, following our Reno wedding & subsequent USA State Hops … to find that Holland's entire family - both sides, is filled with muslims & islam ideology. This revelation has been hard or me to live with.

Christianity & islam is not compatible.

National Fast 2026.

Personal reasons fast, too.

He has recently spent time in Kelso.

With Tim; Holland's "best" friend. An Albanian muslim.

With Mark; Holland's only living sibling. A democrat & stuck to Bob Redmill like glue. A Redmill religion devotee.

With Jake; Holland's nephew. A democrat & stuck to Bob Redmill like glue. A Redmill religion devotee. He married Tim's sister, Arta - they have adult, twin sons.

With Lana; Holland's SIL. A mouthy democrat. A Redmill religion devotee. Jake's mother, family patriarch, & interfering person.

We had recently enjoyed time in the sunshine, in a forested environment: that directly butts up against the family compound in Olequa.

He has been talking about Aunt Gaye, in AZ

I was fooled by Holland's claim & show of Christianity, & outward appearance as such; the mask didn't slip, & his religiosity didn't rear it's head, until we were married. That's the Redmill standard M.O.

Holland grew up around islam indoctrination - he doesn't have a problem with it, because it has been accepted as normal. It's the Harris standard.

islam is firmly rooted in Holland's family nucleus, but I will never accept it. This causes a lot of friction between us; a friction that I do not feel I should apologize for. I do not accept, "need to understand", or apologize for devilry. BIG NO. Big squeeze in our home.

For the past 2 weeks, he has recently been highly sensitized.

I have been expecting the blow-out, and actually expected it sooner.

I know that when the steam builds up and the cork pops … he's on a roll, and hurt is the primary objective to anything that falls out of his mouth.

It's a Redmill trademark.

I spent the majority of the afternoon burning energy and blowing off steam, by heavy lifting and furniture shifting - thank the Lord for my strength building exercises. When I had heard enough & had reached my limit with his ridiculousness, and he saw me danger zone-cleaning, Holland finally zipped his lip, wisely kept his mouth shut, and stayed out of my way - the tone he had set in our immediate space, led him to rightly assume that if he'd uttered another asinine  & inflammatory accusation at me, or tried one more time to justify his shitty behavior or his family's obsession with islamism … there was a pretty good chance (a very good chance, actually) … that I would have done everything in my power to lift and shift him. I was that steamed up.

It's not just his love affair with muslims that is raw nerve in this marriage. It's the combination of a lot of things: he has disabilities that limit him & he doesn't like that, so he's kinda always in angry mode. And my asthma concerns him, which adds another complication to the disabilities issue.

Asthma takes it's toll~April 10th, 2024; Barstow, CA

It's the absolute refusal of any of Redmill men to grow up and morph into full-grown men, willing to shoulder their own responsibilities - and Holland's crazy notion that he has to be smack-dab in the middle of all the chaos, running the dog & pony show from the sidelines: with the exception of Jake, who is around 50 or so … everyone else is 62 & above! They should, by now, be able to man up & be mature enough to handle their own crazy train ride. Tim is the wild card, & from what I can see, what I am hearing, and what Holland should be wise enough to understand - is that that 35 year old [friendship] is no longer a 2-way deal; Tim only calls now, when he wants something from Holland ("track down a car for me", "sell a vehicle for me", ect.): and Holland, jumps right on it. Holland & I have been married a little over 3 years now, and Tim has never once come through for Holland. Not once. Holland has, for 3 years, asked a simple request of Tim … Tim agrees … drags the situation out, blows him off, and just outright ignores him. Until Tim needs or wants something form Holland. This clearly is not the bonded friendship Holland seems to believe it is. It has, to my way of understanding it, played itself out. Tim has moved on; it's the muslim way.

There is nothing that interests me, in kelso.

There is nothing about islam, that interests me.

There's nothing in kelso that I want; & I don't want it in our home.

And I am really tired of having this same argument with my husband every couple of weeks; about the same people, over the same behaviors.

Holland's mother's oldest brother's daughter married a black man & she was shunned by the family ever after. On one hand, they will embrace islam … and on the other, they will cut ties with a family member that dares to engage in an interracial marriage; it's another whacky train car on the family crazy train ride. And that adds another complication to this already complicated marriage, as I am a heinz 57 mutt with Jewish DNA, Native American DNA, and North Africa DNA. I come with baggage Holland doesn't know how to appropriately deal with.

I always knew about the Blackfeet Indian DNA.

I didn't find out for sure about the Jewish DNA until the late 1980's.

I didn't find out about the African DNA until February 2019.

I come with baggage.

He's in a physical & emotional war with himself, in regards to me - keeping this relationship strong & healthy, is too costly to him & he's not ready to pony up.

He's in a spiritual war with Elohim, in regards to me - honing a relationship with Elohim & honoring this marital relationship, is too costly to him & he's not ready to pony up.

The only ones he is not in war with, are the kelso morons - and he will distance himself from God Almighty, & sever any other relationship that threatens his kelso connections. kelso is his be-all.

With the whisper of a dove wing's touch, 1 phone call came & 1 text were sent to me during this time that were Heaven sent (thank YOU, Lord, for the unfailing love you keep ever present, in my Life) - clear and present proof that I don't "hate!" everyone, and that rational people do keep me close. Of course these people don't matter to Holland - they do not qualify as proof: they are not "his people"; his people are all that matter, according to him.

So, I shot him an "I'm d.o.n.e." glare, broke the in-house squeeze, & cleaned house like a frenzied maniac.

Furniture was lifted & shifted.

Windows are sparkling.

Bathrooms smell fresh.

Then, I checked the Anti-Inflammatory Honey Concoction I had set aside to ferment, a months ago, and swallowed a healthy spoonful. I like the color & I like the flavor. I've never tried this for my asthma before … so, I'm hoping for a good result. I want to deal with my asthma, holistically & organically. The honey was gifted to us from Holland's cousin Bruce, when he visited us in Coalinga-CA, a couple months ago.

ALCOHOL FREE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY HONEY CONCOCTION; Castle Rock-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/06/alcohol-free-anti-inflammatory-honey.html)

If Holland would stop acting like an ass & distance himself from kelso connections, that would really be helpful with my asthma flareups.

PLEASE, GOD.

NECESSARY EXPENSES~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA

While in Rainier yesterday morning, we got the bank appointment squared away - then crossed over the river into Longview to get Betsy's oil and filter switched out, made a short stop at Willow Grove (our 1st '"getting to know you" coffee date, was here) … where we noticed that there is now a newly installed fenced-in dog park, at least 2 acres long & wide: it's huge; then, we took the long way home over Coal Creek Road & Delameter Road, to where we currently have Independence parked, in Castle Rock.

Morning stretches~Aim for 21 reps EA, x3

Willow Grove Day Park; #7325 Willow Grove Road, Longview, WA~Internet Pic

A new Willow Grove welcome sign, was recently  installed on June 3rd.

The River was quiet, so we didn't stay long.

It looks like Loowit (Mt. St. Helens) is huffing & puffing again, but updates say 'normal activity w-minor earthquakes'.

Today, this morning, I enjoyed my morning joy juice - thankful to see this lovely, sunny, Wednesday morning … and trusting big that Yeshua would touch my lungs today in a healing way, so my asthma wouldn't be troublesome in the dentist chair: I had an 11 AM dentist appointment concerning the back crown that broke off at the gumline, Sunday evening.

Sending out an S.O.S. to my praying friends.

I know Elohim has already goes ahead of me - before my Day starts.

I know Yeshua has healing for me.

I am grateful to be alive & I have every confidence that I walk in blessedness.

At Twin City Dental, in Kelso, Dr. Anderson (who has been examining my teeth since at least 2001) examined it & removed it -  it came out hard, but oral surgery was not needed to extract it: cost was $400. A replacement for the extracted tooth was discussed and I opted for a partial implement rather than the implant option. The partial will be for 2 teeth replacements, which will also cover the tooth I had pulled in 2019 before my social Security Benefits were approved (basic Social Security - no frills). I'm happy about that decision - I am not happy with the cost, which will take a significant amount of time to save towards: $1,900.

It will take time, because Holland needs his knee taken care of … 

… and that needs to get done first, I am standing firm on that: he needs to be able to enjoy some quality of life with a reduction of his pain level. If this option will not work for him, I don't know what else can be done for him. He was young and foolish, like most young men running on testosterone are prone to be; and between the youthful foolishness, the young adult ego, and the adult to mid-life years of heavy construction work - his poor body took a beating before his brain kicked in and said, "maybe you should rethink that - like, don't". His aging body is now feeling and dealing with the result of those body-beating years. I am praying he can get some relief.

Right now, he's catching up on the sleep he missed last night when my asthma flared up and sent me into a coughing fit that worried him (he never sleeps after an episode). So, when we got back home from the dentist, I said, "My face really hurts & I know I'm going to be a handful to deal with today … why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep. I know you didn't sleep at all last night after that asthma attack." He said, "I think I'll do that. You're right, I didn't sleep - I kept my ears on all night long. I love you & I was worried about you. I waited a long time for you: I don't want you to die on me. I'll make supper too, when I get up - I'm giving you the Day off." Isn't he a sweet guy? I said, "I have no plans to die any time soon. Go get some sleep; I love you, too." 

Back home & thankful.

Self-care is a necessity & we are working on it.

THE OLD SCRIPT IS BEING FLIPPED; Castle Rock-WA

Yesterday was my grandson, Azariah's, 12th birthday.

This is the 1st year … in 12 years … that I have not cried with the missingness.

I credit that blessing with the presence of Holland in my Life.

It is hard to continue to show up in a life that has been seriously altered: the scenario has drastically changed. The landscape is unfamiliar. Even happy memories carry a haunting heaviness. All the newness of a New Life can be exciting & rewarding … but, it can also be very disorienting & and a bit scary when stepping into a new script unfolding on shaky ground.

Pink Flyod 'Comfortably Numb' song: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQ9_uTSyBQ&list=RDLnQ9_uTSyBQ&start_radio=1)

Holland brings a freshness into my Life.

His ever vigilant protectiveness offers secure peacefulness.

He is buoyantly optimistic.

He is calmly encouraging.

His love is steady - even on black mood days.

I am no longer comfortably numb; with him all jets are firing - he introduced me to life, again. With my hand tucked into his, I feel a relaxation I can safely rest in. Year 4 is looking very good.

He is everything I need to stabilize, and balance, a life that went seriously sideways in the winter of 2018 - and was completely erased the July of 2020.

I kept (and keep) showing up.

He shows up.

The old script is being flipped 💝

Life, again, is very good 😘

THANKING ELOHIM FOR HIS GRACE; Castle Rock-WA

Thank Elohim for His grace that carried me through today.

Allergies were giving me a migraine this morning, so I prepped for our supper meal early, so all I had to do at suppertime was put it all together & slip it into the oven at 4 PM for an hour. Easy-peasy.

Allergies had my head pounding this morning, so I prepared early for supper's quick casserole meal …

CHICKEN & YELLOW RICE BAKE Recipe; Castle Rock-WA:  (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/06/chicken-yellow-rice-bake-recipe-castle.html)

When Holland got up, I told him my face hurt with allergy pressure pushing hard on live nerves & asking him not to hold it against me if I got testy sometimes through the day. The pressure was really painful.

And he was as good as gold all Day, being as quiet as a man can be (given that he is a man & can't help that; LOL) & saying he'd make supper if I wanted to pass the baton to him - but I said, "No & thank you; I appreciate the offer & you are a good guy for offering to step into the gap, but this is a new recipe I want to try - and everything is already ready to go when it comes time to pull it together and cook it."

He is a good guy.

And he's come a long way in relationship.

I do appreciate him - but I'm not going to take advantage: my face is sore, yes … but his knee is still really painful, and I know he'd be in big pain to make life easier for me. He has a consultation in 2 weeks for an injection procedure, & hopefully something will actually get done to relieve the inflammation & allow him some relaxing quality of life that does not wrap up with searing pain at Day's end.

We are both learning to be more compliant with each other's limitations.

Bob was always there for me: no matter what - I came to him with a lot of baggage he patiently unpacked while giving me lasting security, and unconditional love. He came to me with a lot of baggage too. We were both privately dealing with emotional & physical handicaps … but, together, we learned to lean on each other to ease the burdens and make room for healing.

Holland is learning what I learned from Bob: he's relaxing in the knowledge that I'm not going anywhere: we are married & I meant it when I said, "for better or for worse".  He is learning that leaning on each other does is not weakness, but rather, strength. He is relaxing in knowing that no matter what, we will weather the storms and we will grow deep roots. Together.

Childhood abandonment lasts a lifetime. It takes someone very special to wade those deep waters with you. It takes the joint effort of 2, to ford the rapids of life's hardships, handicaps, and disappointments & make it to the other side; with the satisfaction of knowing you've beat the odds, and pushed through the limitations.

He's a good guy - and I'm glad he's my guy.

Through my dining room window, I watched a little squirrel; and that redirection of focus took my focus off the face pain:

A furry little beggar showed up, this afternoon; Toutle River RV Resort, Castle Rock-WA

While I was watching the squirrel, Holland was cleaning his vest pockets and found yesterday's grocery shopping receipt, saying, "Hey Baby, I'm going to have to go back into town tomorrow - we were charged $25.85 for that head of lettuce we bought. I want to go into town and get that straightened out"; and I agree. It was a good size head of lettuce - but certainly not $25 worth

Yesterday's grocery shopping resulted in a pretty spendy head of lettuce.

And, I checked my FB Page, and saw that I had a private message from a lifetime friend. I am thankful for the friends I have been blessed with - I feel privileged to have every one of them in my life: they have been anchors of open-handed friendship, genuine lovingkindness, examples of real caring, prayer partners, & true God-sends that crossed my life's path & stuck around. They are love personified.

I watched Victor's podcast tonight - the topic was interesting. I love History, and I especially love American History focusing on our hard won independence:

The Untold Story of the Declaration of Independence | Victor Davis Hanson:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGRv-d3ihq0)

Original writ for the Declaration of Independence~1776

Then, I tried to upload a recipe post for at least an hour before crying, "uncle!": I couldn't post to any Blog Hops tonight, because InLinkz is refusing to work with my Google Chrome; I hope this is a glitch that will get worked out speedily … I would really miss my Blogs that I share with - most of them I have been interacting with for at least 20 years, they are like family. I was able to post to Blog Hops since Sunday with no issues & I've done all that I know to do to rectify the situation tonight, but nothing seems to be working: so, I am going to stop giving myself a headache, & knock off for tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, in that regard.

But tonight, I'm taking my pounding head upstairs to bed - early. Thankful for Elohim's grace that carried me today … praying tomorrow will dawn easier on my live nerves.

GOOD FRIEND - BAD FRIEND~Christian Inventory; Castle Rock-WA

Can you be a good friend … and stay silent while your friend destroys their life, and torches other lives their rebellious behavior touches? Or, can you be a good friend - and step back to allow consequential lessons when a rebellious friend continues in willful destructive behaviors?

My husband & I have this same type of talk every time Kelso comes into play:

The real question is - 'Why is this a comfortable situation with you?'

He doesn't "understand" why I take issue with his friends' or family's behavior patterns.

And I, don't understand why he doesn't understand.

Respond to poor behaviors, correctly.

My understanding from a Biblical point is that bad company corrupts & staying silent about said bad behavior means that you approve of that bad behavior. And ultimately the person you refuse to make "man up" and start behaving like a decent person … will eventually disrespect you because they see that you have no moral compass while claiming to be moral.

I don't spin my wheels. Once it becomes abundantly clear to me that situations aren't going to change - I move on. Keeping a friendship seeped in bad behavior, simply because "I've known them all my life" is foolish. If the "friendship" has lasted that long, then everyone knows where they stand on issues; and if your "friend" feels comfortable doing things around you, or comfortably talking to you about those wrong things: they have no respect for you at all. And neither do you.

Silence means approval & it hurts everyone involved.

Mature people want mature friendships.

Honest people want honest friendships.

Moral people want to hang with moral friends.

Commonality seeks commonality.

Your relationships TELL a LOT about YOU.

Who & what you associate yourself with tattles loud & clear.

Ask yourself why you are allowing a bad connection to taint your life. 

MOVE ON

Christians can't judge the world - the world does not know any better … or, they are rebellious to the point of callousness & deliberately snubbing their noses at Elohim & you - like Lucifer, their Father. And sometimes you can't avoid them; but, you do not have to go out of your way to make a place for them in your inner circle - the place of close companionship. They are an unruly flame that will seriously scar you and burn everyone and everything in their proximity to the ground, with their willful recklessness.

The waffling excuse of "it's none of my business how they live" is a self-serving, lame, excuse for you to indulge in a wrong-minded situation. IF they are DOING IT in front of you; IF they are OPENLY DISCUSSING IT with YOU - then, IT IS {YOUR} BUSINESS. They have made "it" your business. And you have a decision to make. Are you a true-compass Christian; or are you a lip-service Christian? Why do you continue to make time for them and their bad behavior that you know is wrong? Why are you continuing to allow them to disrespect you? It's true that they are not Christians … BUT YOU ARE. Why are you not sharing with them that there is a better way to enjoy Life? Why are you not encouraging them to be a better person - for themselves, for your friendship, for the people around them? Who you chose to hang with IS [your business]. And it reflects, affecting the people close to you. Waffling taints relationships & is an unfair burden on those you claim to love.

Christians ARE to judge the spirit among their brethren and prod them out of the weeds & back on track. If people claiming to be Christians get angrily "offended!" when their bad behavior becomes the topic of conversation - and if they refuse to behave, let them go; their attitude highlights the reality that they are "not of us, and never have been": they were pretenders & they will foul your Life up if not nipped in the bud.

IF people I personally know and associate with, tell me that they are Christians … then, I am going to EXPECT them to act accordingly. Or cut them lose without hesitation. I have enough troubles of my own - I don't need, or want theirs.

You can love a person without getting down in the muck with them. Elohim does it all the time. He expects us to understand that simple understanding.

So, I really do not understand why people claiming to understand … don't "understand".

Practical Takeaway: Scriptures (Old Covenant & New Covenant) urges those who claim kinship with sons & daughters of the Most High God -  to seek godly, encouraging, and morally upright companions who will lift you up and help you grow in faith … & we are warned against the dangers of negative influences, reminding us to be discerning in our friendships: “The company of the godless is barren” (Proverbs 4:23).

So choose your inner circle companions wisely, for the choice you make, shapes who you are and who you become; this admonition is often paraphrased as, “You are the company you keep”. A truth Scripture affirms through many verses, such as these:

Psalm 1:1-2: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Proverbs 12:26: “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”

2 Corinthians 6:14: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

The Word, is the Christians Handbook on Godly Character, Righteous Living, & Holy Relational Matters. It's the standard for Life in real-time, down here on Earth = it doesn't apply in Heaven: Heaven is our Graduation for completion of lessons learned & applied.

The modern idea that a Christian can become as the worldly to save the worldly is a direct lie passed to your itching ears from the lips of Lucifer & his imps. If you feel perfectly comfortable & at ease among blatant sinful behavior … your character, as well as your salvation status is in serious question - and you need to get real with yourself and reevaluate your soul situation. Then have a heart-to heart with whoever (relative or friend) that you have been willfully & sinfully engaging with: and if necessary carry scissors and cut the rotten umbilical cord.

MEMORIES LIGHT THE CORNERS OF MY MIND; Castle Rock-WA

This Memory came up on my FB Feed this morning …

Memory: Bob planned this hiking trip on the sly & surprised me one morning, when he whisked me off to enjoy a Day on "my mountain"; Mt. Rainier National Park~2014

Beginning the hike on the trail head leaving Sunrise Lodge, a very wide snow bank covered the trail a ways. My sneakers were soaked, after crossing that snow patch. I didn't care 🙂

My gentle giant waiting for me to catch up; I kept getting sidetracked with the chipmunks. LOL

The trail just kept going up, and up, and up ... it was a pretty steep incline for 2 old duffers - but we were determined.

Beautiful panoramic view, seen from the Wonderland Trail; Mt. Rainier National Park~2014

The view of Mt. Rainier's crown was pretty cool. Box Canyon is directly behind that peak.

Bob made pretty good time with his bum leg; I was proud of him. And my heart was full of love because I knew he was doing this for me, and it was difficult for him.

NO WAY I was crossing the snow bank! Bob was the daredevil. It was straight off the edge on the other side, and Bob toed it to get a look at what lay at the bottom: and teased his chicken little (moi) when he snapped this picture 😉

He took this picture of the lake at the bottom so I could see it later on at home. He was always a thoughtful and loving husband to me.

Walking the loop in Box Canyon - just over that tallest peak of Mount Rainier is where we just came from. I love this place. But I don't think I will ever be going back alone.

I did go back to Box Canyon, solo lobo; 2 or 3 times before Holland came into my Life - however, I avoided the Sunrise aspect of the trip: NOTHING could compel me to try the Sunrise Lodge Road again! That was hair-rising enough the 1st time around, with Bob!

I did the 1st return as a dare to myself: I was missing my mountain, and pulled my big girl panties on & turned the Highlander's ignition with Bob's remembered encouragement echoing in my thoughts, "You can do it. Baby. You & I both know that you can do anything you set your mind to." I set my mind to "GO!" and off I went, in the full confidence Bob always inspired me with.

September 15, 2021~WINGS ~ Mt. Rainier Solo Lobo Daytrip: (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/09/wings-mt-rainier-solo-lobo-daytrip.html) * There is a vid in this post with a salty message; proceed as warned.

The subsequent return visit wasn't so scary; and as always, was enjoyable.

August 20, 2022~NEW ADVENTURES FOR MY NEW LIFE ~Shabbat Blessing: (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/08/new-adventures-for-my-new-life-shabbat.html)

But now, my lungs aren't as strong as they used to be - and even though Holland also encourages me in things I want to do … Life has changed & is taking me in different directions, now: and with each passing year, high elevations are too tricky to do solo lobo.

I miss my majestic mountain.

But, if I close my eyes and focus on it - I can feel the coolness of the atmosphere, I can smell the crisp & pungent alpine air, and in my mind - I am again walking the trails & enjoying the beautiful scenery.

I had a Good Life.

I have a Good Life.

I am a fortunate woman.

LIFE UNDER CONSTRUCTION~Self Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA

Today we had planned to hop over the bridge, grab our mail & spend some time enjoying the sunshine at the Columbia River Park on the OR side of the river.

From Toutle River RV Resort to the Lewis & Clark Bridge - via I-5 S; 24 min (20.9 miles)

That did not happen because the traffic was backed up again.

I don't know what is going on with the Lewis & Clark Bridge, but I wish someone would get it sorted, so traffic will flow again. This backed-up crap is ridiculous: and it causes wrecks - a fatality the other day.

Today's bumper-to-bumper back-up was 6 miles long; with new arrivals to lengthen the line, arriving every 5 minutes on each end of the bridge: in WA & OR 🤨

The hop across the river, was canceled; traffic backed up all the way from the Hospital in Longview-WA, & over the bridge to Rainier-OR

So, we decided to grab a boxed chinese lunch 🍜 from the Golden Palace, to chow down on, at Lake Sacajawea:

From the Lewis & Clark Bridge to the Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant - via Oregon Way and 15th Ave; 6 min (1.7 miles)

The Golden Palace; #1245 14th Ave, Longview, WA

From the Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant to Lake Sacajawea; via Hemlock St and Louisiana St; 5 min (1.2 miles)

Holland's Szechuan Beef

My Almond Chicken

The Day was pleasant - weather was good, food was good, companionship was good … and Holland was relaxing & opening up. There is active relational construction taking place 💞

He said, "I need you"; I said, "I'm glad; because for a while there - I wasn't sure." He said, "I'm sorry I made you doubt me, Baby. But you don't have to worry - I'm in this thing for the long haul."

Appetites satiated, Holland drove the long way home; and when we were driving out Coal Creek & getting closer to Woodside Drive - I asked him of we could go check out the Coal Creek Church: last time I had been there, sometime in the Fall of 2017 with Bob, the people there were discussing putting some kind of hydraulic lift off to the side of the steps to make things easier for the senior citizens. I was curious if that ever happened, as I haven't been there, since.

Holland had never been there & I had only been there twice. I knew we were on the right road … but, it became obvious as the road got thinner and higher, that we had missed the road we needed to turn off onto. I apologized for leading my husband astray, & as soon as we found a place wide enough to turn around: we did.

And backtracked to the correct road, where we both saw that there had not been any construction of any kind, there:

From Lake Sacajawea to Coal Creek Church - via Pacific Way and Coal Creek Rd; 16 min (8.9 miles)

I love to see an abundance of foxgloves; my favorite wildflower~we turned around here, to backtrack.

As the road climber higher & got snakier, I realized we had missed the Church road … we doubled back.

Coal Creek Church; 609 Carlon Loop Road Longview WA

I couldn't find much info on Coal Creek-WA, but I did find this short snippet of History …

{{Inman-Poulsen Logging Co.'s new Log Dump trestle on Coal Creek Slough northwest of Longview, WA in 1907.

Inman-Poulsen Logging Co. Log Dump trestle on Coal Creek Slough northwest of Longview, WA in 1907

Inman-Poulsen Lumber Co was incorporated in Portland, OR in 1890 building a large mill there. In 1906 the company bought the Coal Creek RR, a 42"gauge 7-mile long coal hauling railroad on Coal Creek west of Kelso, WA (years before Long-Bell Lumber Co built Longview). Inman-Poulsen Logging Co was incorporated to operate the railroad and do the logging. The following year they built a new log dump on Coal Creek Slough and a trestle to reach it, shown in the photo below. The company also added two small shay locomotives to supplement the small rod locomotive that came with the railroad. Over the years the railroad was extended up to 12 miles and two additional shay locomotives were added. The railroad extended to the headwaters of Coal Creek and a decline was used to get over a saddle into Delameter Creek (originally Scentygrease Creek). The tracks extended as far as Arkansas Creek. Operations were closed out in July of 1923 and the tracks were moved to a new operation near Keasey, OR.}}

We aimed Betsy's nose up Woodside Drive, towards Delameter Road& Home.

From Coal Creek Church to Toutle River RV Resort - via Woodside Dr and Delameter Rd; 24 min's (14.4 miles)

Back home, Holland finished off his chinese lunch & went upstairs to catch a few zzz's; and I went online to visit my Friends' Pages. The latest pics of Baby Ace had me smiling: Ace is a true preemie, and though he is growing healthily and if filled out handsomely, he is still very small.

I'm so happy for this little family undergoing intentional & mindful construction 😊

'Littlefoot & Bigfoot'~Bob's youngest brother, Kerry, & Kerry's 1st Great-grandson, Ace.

I checked the honey concoction I whipped up the other afternoon - then, grabbed some light weights to take with me to bed tonight, for a quick & effective workout 🧘 before the sandman arrives.

Exercise is relaxing to me, and I'm going to try to make it a point to get to bed before the sun comes up: this will help stave off asthma attacks, too: or so I've been told. We'll see.

Working out before a decent bedtime = will help with asthma control, too.

Exercise can help control asthma symptoms and improve lung function, but it must be approached with caution and proper management. Benefits of Exercise for Asthma - Improves Lung Capacity: Regular physical activity can enhance the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use, which is beneficial for overall lung health. Reduces Inflammation: Exercise can decrease airway inflammation over time, helping to improve how your airways respond to physical activity. Increases Endurance: Engaging in regular exercise can help your airways build tolerance to physical exertion, making it easier to perform activities that might typically trigger symptoms. Enhances Cardiovascular Fitness: Improved heart conditioning leads to better blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout the body, which is crucial for individuals with asthma. Boosts Mental Health: Exercise releases endorphins, which can help alleviate stress and anxiety, factors that may exacerbate asthma symptoms. Types of Exercise Recommended - Low to Moderate Intensity Activities. Breathing Exercises: Incorporating specific breathing techniques can also help manage asthma. Precautions to Take - Before starting any exercise program, it’s essential to discuss your asthma management plan with your healthcare provider. Use Medications as Directed: Always use your prescribed inhaler or bronchodilator before exercising, as recommended by your doctor. Warm-Up and Cool Down: Gradually increasing and decreasing your activity levels can help prevent sudden airway constriction. Monitor Environmental Conditions: Be cautious of exercising outdoors in cold weather or when air quality is poor, as these can trigger asthma symptoms. While exercise can be beneficial for individuals with asthma, it is crucial to manage the condition effectively and take necessary precautions. With the right approach, many people with asthma can enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity without significant issues. Always work closely with your healthcare provider to tailor an exercise plan that suits your individual needs.