A very full week . . .

The time since last Sunday has been very full. We took our first "real" outing in Gus, our motorhome. We went to Billings with good friends and had a wonderful few days of laughing, shopping and enjoying the comfort of our own "homes" when we returned to the RV park. Everything on Gus worked fine. When we bought him last September, there were some things that had to be fixed and we got them fixed in Spokane before bringing him back to Montana in October. He had been winterized so we couldn't test out all the systems. We are really, really newbies to the RVing world. Our plan was to head south after Christmas, but that plan got put on hold when the snow came (and kept coming) and Bob had some medical problems. All is better now and we are going to enjoy the Gus.

We also celebrated Walker's first birthday this week. Here are a couple of pictures - one after eating his pizza which is all over his face. But he was so excited and the cake was ready for the second part of the celebration. The second picture shows him while he was really enjoying the birthday cake. And he really did enjoy it!

But - - - yesterday was one of those days that will be indelible in my memory forever. We went to Fort Benton to bury Dad's ashes at the cemetery where his family is buried. He passed away last December in Missoula and we had a funeral/memorial service a few days later there. Here is a picture of Dad a couple years back with my son, Roy. His name came from Dad, his Grandpa Roy. The weather was awful in December and so many of nieces, nephews, and friends could not get to Missoula. Montana is a big state and when the snow falls and the wind blows, it is not for traveling. So, yesterday, we gathered in Fort Benton to share memories, gather hugs, shed some tears, and give thanks that we all knew Dad, Uncle Roy, Grandpa Roy, good friend Roy. I love him more every day.

We may head to the lake today or early tomorrow with Gus. We are blessed.

Just an update . . .

It is hard work to "MMOB" - mind my own business that is. But, I have done very well for the past 9 days. It has made the load of the journey much lighter. I have had a couple set backs - both with my Bob. That is the one area I really need to focus my energies to not tell him how to do things "better" before there is even a need.

Also I want to share another "ah-ha" I had this week. I was at our Art Group on Tuesday night. It is kind of an informal group of fiber artists and I am fortunate to be included. One of the women is very prolific and brings several items each month to share. Another member said to her, "I just don't know how your brain works to get so much done." The first artist responded, "My brain doesn't do the work, my fingers do." That stuck with me. I am so often "in my head" designing quilts and art that I don't get enough time to let my fingers work. So this has been a nice addition to my 30 day "no solutions offered" journey. I am just letting my fingers do the work.

We are taking off in Gus today for a short trip to Billings so I will write more later.

A month later . . .

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." John Wooden

I can't believe I haven't written for over a month. I wasn't taking an intentional moratorium as I sometimes do when I haven't much to say.

But, I am starting a new focus here for a while and I need your help. I am going to do some work to strengthen my character.

I have had some incidents happen in the past few days that have shown me that I can be an "intruder". Oh, I don't walk uninvited into peoples homes. I know better than that. But, I do have a habit of offering to solve people's problems before they even know they have a problem and it appears that I may be a "know it all" - or that I may be "inviting myself" - or that I might enjoy being a martyr because I offer to help out and do for others so often that I get myself worn out. I don't really know of this is true, but I can sure understand how it appears to others. Seriously - I truly mean to be helpful. And - that might be why I was too busy to blog - I may have been too busy being involved in other people's worlds.

So, I am taking 30 days to really work hard to mind my own business. Maybe I can build a new habit. I have set some goals here to help guide my efforts for new practices.

1. Don't reach out in phone or email to offer to help when no one has asked. They don't need my solutions to problems they don't even have - yet.
2. When, and if, asked to help, I will listen, pause, take time to time to think on it and get back later with a response. (Unless, of course, someone is in dire need of life sustaining efforts. I am great in emergencies.)

Now, I am focused mostly on this with my family, but I have noticed I am "johnny on the spot" to offer my sterling advice to some friends as well so I have just made this a blanket guide to everyone. I am sure my Bob is going to really enjoy the next 30 days of "no solutions offered".

I am going to just "do Carol" and let everyone else "do themselves". Hmmmm - seems I paid big bucks a couple decades ago to hear those words from a "professional".

Yesterday was "Day 1" and it was peaceful. Today will be another good day. So this is a similar effort to my virtual vacation I took a few months back. Only this time, I am on a "no solutions offered" vacation.