G-r-r-e-a-t Grand Canyon Trip
As promised, I’m sharing our recent trip to the Grand Canyon by train. A package is available through the Auto Club that includes either 3 days and 2 nights with meals at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel, or there is an RV package so you can spend your nights in your own bed in your RV parked in a park next to the hotel.
I would have preferred my own bed. If you’ve ever slept on a lumpy rock, then you know what the 2 nights were like on the hotel’s mattresses. So okay, I’ve never slept on a rock, but now I don’t need to. The mattress memory will stick with me!
The trip was wonderful. We met four friends (two couples) from California who don’t own RVs, so that’s why we stayed in the hotel. Included in our package were 2 buffet dinners and 2 breakfasts, the train ride to the Grand Canyon and a buffet lunch at the GC plus snacks onboard the train. We took the first class car, so snacks were conveniently located inside our car, as well as nice restrooms.
Following our lunch at the GC after arriving, we boarded a bus for a tour of the South rim. What a wonderful time, and the views were amazing! Our driver took us to some overlooks that had fewer
tourists, so we had mostly unobstructed views to die for.
After leaving the hotel the next day, our friends came to Cottonwood to spend the night, so we decided to have dinner at the Grand Hotel up in Jerome. It’s perched high on the mountainside above Jerome, which is roughly 3000 feet above the valley floor (elevation approximately 6000 feet). The Asylum is a gourmet restaurant that has a limited number of tables inside, so we ate out on their porch. The view was magnificent and the weather was perfect for eating outdoors. It’s a steep climb from the parking lot up to the restaurant, but if you have reservations, you can enter the hotel lobby and have someone take you up on the elevator. That’s an experience not to be missed! The elevator has definitely been around for many, many decades!
The next morning we all met to eat breakfast at a Cottonwood restaurant before our friends left for home. This trip was like all others with our friends in one way—our time together seems to revolve around food. However, this time no one had to cook!
If you already travel by RV, it’s still great to get away from your usual life for a few days, even if your most serious challenge consists of pursuing leisurely escapes on the road. Getting together with old friends is always a great change from the everyday sameness that even RVers sometimes settle into.
So whether you decide to take your RV or take the Grand Canyon hotel package, or create your own with a stay at a more modern Williams motel while sampling local eateries, the train trip is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy the view and spend the day. No matter how you get there, the Grand Canyon should not be missed when you travel to Arizona.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
NEWS TO USE TODAY!
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
"Looking Back" is now available
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Writing for Magazines
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Never a dull moment for RVers
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
Subscriber has written book for RVers
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Do you need all those RV goodies?
This time I'm writing about RV goodies that some of us want, some of us need, and some of us simply can't live without. Just like a home, owners can define and personalize their living space and lifestyle by the add-ons. And RV add-ons can be just as expensive as home accessories and improvements.
Our neighbors next door just added a new screen room to their motorhome today. Now they can sit outside, bug free. Only thing is, there are no bugs where we’re parked in Arizona. This is the most bug-free place I’ve ever been. Screen rooms are nice in places where the air is thick with mosquitoes, flies, and other airborne nuisances, but these screened porches are also nice for creating a private space outdoors. And they're only one type of goody that RVers can add to their homes on wheels.
Some items are required for comfort and safety, but some are "gotta have its," and not necessities. Still, they add a lot to the RVing experience. Some other goodies are "over-the tops" that simply make life more pleasurable.
We’ve added a few gotta have-its to our RV, too. We have an outdoor rug that matches the coach so that as little dirt as possible is tracked indoors onto our carpets. We have awnings all around, which not only shade the windows, but also allow us to leave windows and the door open when it rains for air circulation. Awnings are definitely requirements for us.
Tire-covers are required items. They protect the tires from ultraviolet rays and help them last longer. Most RV tires never get enough mileage on them to wear out. Instead, the sun cracks the sidewalls and the tires usually fail long before the tread wears down. That’s why it’s recommended to replace tires at least every seven years, even if the tread looks fine. Tire covers help extend the life of tires.
A screen covers our front windshield and side driving compartment windows while we’re parked to help filter the sun and for the extra privacy they provide during daytime hours. It does little at night with lights on in the motorhome, so would fall under the heading of a gotta have-it.
We also installed a folding shade on the inside of the windshield that can block the sun on bright days, or can provide complete privacy. We discovered these shades after leaving the car parked in the hot sun while at shopping centers during our first season in Arizona. The driver can simply grab each side of the shade and fasten it together with the snap and loop fastener attachment. Then when we got ready to drive, it’s simple to unfasten the shade in the center and let it snap back into position on each side. When it’s folded back, it takes less than an inch of storage space, so it definitely doesn’t cause a hazard by blocking the view. In fact, it isn’t even noticeable.
We finally bought one for the motorhome, and have had one installed on the three cars we’ve owned since first spending our first winter in Arizona. They’re definitely requirements for anyone who lives or spends time in hot, sunny climates.
We can see a motorhome from our site right now that has screens attached to the outside of all its windows. These are custom made and help cut the glare on windows while providing privacy during the daytime. To us, these would definitely fall under the heading of over-the-top extravagances.
Then there are the lawn chairs. Every season it seems, a new, more comfortable model comes out, and some RVers rush out to purchase the latest thing. It’s the same with barbeque grills. Some RV Parks furnish them, but after we saw someone put his sewer hose on top of a grill, we realized having our own was a requirement. But some RVers rush out to buy the newest model every year. We found one small enough to haul around in its own carrying case, and we’re sticking with it.
There are so many other items RVers can spend extra cash on, like a cover for the stovetop that keeps it from rattling while driving down the road. It also provides a little extra work space when the stove isn’t in use. However, the times when I’m cooking are the times when I need extra countertop space. Then I have to find a place somewhere out of the way to store the heavy wooden cover so it doesn’t crack somebody’s ankle if it falls over as they walk by. I guess when we bought it, it was one of those gotta have-its. It does do a good job of hiding a dirty stovetop when company drops by unexpectedly!
Other accessories are mostly decorative. But to most women, those are requirements simply because they make the RV more homelike. Consider cookware and dishes. You gotta have them, so why not buy pretty ones? I bought expensive dinnerware similar to the old Melmac of the ‘50s, but thin like china, while we were in Canada. Next I purchased placemats, napkins, and cute decorative napkin rings that coordinated. I still use the dishes, but I couldn’t locate the rest of those other little gotta have-its if my life depended on it. Guests get paper napkins if they’re lucky. If I’m out of those, they’re offered a paper towel to dab their mouths and protect their laps. And napkin rings? Anyone out there need some cute, colorful parrot napkin rings when I find them?
All semblance of “class” disappeared from view in this RV after only a few months on the road!
Next on the RVer’s list are the various vehicles to get around an RV Park like bicycles, over-sized tricycles, Segways, scooters, 4-wheelers, etc. Prices on these things can set you back a few thousand dollars. Hoofing it is a lot cheaper, even with the price of new walking shoes every so often, and walking helps keep weight under control (the RV's and yours). Or so I'm told!
If you’re buying a new RV, realize that your first trip to a camping store will probably set you back some big bucks after you spot items you can’t live or travel without. You’ll quickly create your own list of requirements, gotta-have its, and over-the-tops to outfit your home on the road.
Next you’ll be renting a storage locker to store all the stuff you bought for your new lifestyle, but soon realized was taking up too much space. It’s a lesson all RVers learn sooner or later, some much later than sooner. Travel in your RV for awhile and observe what other RVers have and use. Ask them how important various items are, and why. You’ll save lots of money if you determine what you can’t live without before loading your RV down with a lot of gotta have-its and over-the-tops that will add weight to your RV and that you’ll never use.
This time I'm writing about RV goodies that some of us want, some of us need, and some of us simply can't live without. Just like a home, owners can define and personalize their living space and lifestyle by the add-ons. And RV add-ons can be just as expensive as home accessories and improvements.
Our neighbors next door just added a new screen room to their motorhome today. Now they can sit outside, bug free. Only thing is, there are no bugs where we’re parked in Arizona. This is the most bug-free place I’ve ever been. Screen rooms are nice in places where the air is thick with mosquitoes, flies, and other airborne nuisances, but these screened porches are also nice for creating a private space outdoors. And they're only one type of goody that RVers can add to their homes on wheels.
Some items are required for comfort and safety, but some are "gotta have its," and not necessities. Still, they add a lot to the RVing experience. Some other goodies are "over-the tops" that simply make life more pleasurable.
We’ve added a few gotta have-its to our RV, too. We have an outdoor rug that matches the coach so that as little dirt as possible is tracked indoors onto our carpets. We have awnings all around, which not only shade the windows, but also allow us to leave windows and the door open when it rains for air circulation. Awnings are definitely requirements for us.
Tire-covers are required items. They protect the tires from ultraviolet rays and help them last longer. Most RV tires never get enough mileage on them to wear out. Instead, the sun cracks the sidewalls and the tires usually fail long before the tread wears down. That’s why it’s recommended to replace tires at least every seven years, even if the tread looks fine. Tire covers help extend the life of tires.
A screen covers our front windshield and side driving compartment windows while we’re parked to help filter the sun and for the extra privacy they provide during daytime hours. It does little at night with lights on in the motorhome, so would fall under the heading of a gotta have-it.
We also installed a folding shade on the inside of the windshield that can block the sun on bright days, or can provide complete privacy. We discovered these shades after leaving the car parked in the hot sun while at shopping centers during our first season in Arizona. The driver can simply grab each side of the shade and fasten it together with the snap and loop fastener attachment. Then when we got ready to drive, it’s simple to unfasten the shade in the center and let it snap back into position on each side. When it’s folded back, it takes less than an inch of storage space, so it definitely doesn’t cause a hazard by blocking the view. In fact, it isn’t even noticeable.
We finally bought one for the motorhome, and have had one installed on the three cars we’ve owned since first spending our first winter in Arizona. They’re definitely requirements for anyone who lives or spends time in hot, sunny climates.
We can see a motorhome from our site right now that has screens attached to the outside of all its windows. These are custom made and help cut the glare on windows while providing privacy during the daytime. To us, these would definitely fall under the heading of over-the-top extravagances.
Then there are the lawn chairs. Every season it seems, a new, more comfortable model comes out, and some RVers rush out to purchase the latest thing. It’s the same with barbeque grills. Some RV Parks furnish them, but after we saw someone put his sewer hose on top of a grill, we realized having our own was a requirement. But some RVers rush out to buy the newest model every year. We found one small enough to haul around in its own carrying case, and we’re sticking with it.
There are so many other items RVers can spend extra cash on, like a cover for the stovetop that keeps it from rattling while driving down the road. It also provides a little extra work space when the stove isn’t in use. However, the times when I’m cooking are the times when I need extra countertop space. Then I have to find a place somewhere out of the way to store the heavy wooden cover so it doesn’t crack somebody’s ankle if it falls over as they walk by. I guess when we bought it, it was one of those gotta have-its. It does do a good job of hiding a dirty stovetop when company drops by unexpectedly!
Other accessories are mostly decorative. But to most women, those are requirements simply because they make the RV more homelike. Consider cookware and dishes. You gotta have them, so why not buy pretty ones? I bought expensive dinnerware similar to the old Melmac of the ‘50s, but thin like china, while we were in Canada. Next I purchased placemats, napkins, and cute decorative napkin rings that coordinated. I still use the dishes, but I couldn’t locate the rest of those other little gotta have-its if my life depended on it. Guests get paper napkins if they’re lucky. If I’m out of those, they’re offered a paper towel to dab their mouths and protect their laps. And napkin rings? Anyone out there need some cute, colorful parrot napkin rings when I find them?
All semblance of “class” disappeared from view in this RV after only a few months on the road!
Next on the RVer’s list are the various vehicles to get around an RV Park like bicycles, over-sized tricycles, Segways, scooters, 4-wheelers, etc. Prices on these things can set you back a few thousand dollars. Hoofing it is a lot cheaper, even with the price of new walking shoes every so often, and walking helps keep weight under control (the RV's and yours). Or so I'm told!
If you’re buying a new RV, realize that your first trip to a camping store will probably set you back some big bucks after you spot items you can’t live or travel without. You’ll quickly create your own list of requirements, gotta-have its, and over-the-tops to outfit your home on the road.
Next you’ll be renting a storage locker to store all the stuff you bought for your new lifestyle, but soon realized was taking up too much space. It’s a lesson all RVers learn sooner or later, some much later than sooner. Travel in your RV for awhile and observe what other RVers have and use. Ask them how important various items are, and why. You’ll save lots of money if you determine what you can’t live without before loading your RV down with a lot of gotta have-its and over-the-tops that will add weight to your RV and that you’ll never use.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Today's Articles
- Progress on book and readers’ contributions
Book blog address: http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com and http://boomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com - RVing to explore history
- A bit about grammar
Contributors to Looking Back who are also Subscribers
There are some wonderfully talented writers among the list of subscribers to this newsletter (there are probably a lot more, but I haven’t seen everyone’s writing. I would like to pay tribute to them. In all, 19 people sent in 22 essays and 2 poems that recalled history from World War II to Hurricane Katrina. One even sent an essay about one of the future challenges I wrote about concerning health problems that we face in the new Century—eating disorders. That disorder seems to be a growing trend, and a worrisome one for all parents of teenagers, especially girls.
The book’s contributors are listed in alphabetical order:
Dave Beckes wrote a great article about what it was like to have been brought up in a segregated world, then to suddenly join the integrated society of military life. Dave manages to capture a snapshot of being exposed to people different from him after he joined the military during the Vietnam War, and recalls how racism sometimes filtered into their lives even while in faraway ports. He also poignantly describes serving aboard ship just off the coast of Vietnam, and how he hesitated to get acquainted with some Marines onboard after one he became friendly with failed to returned from a mission into the thick of war.
Bill Chatham recalls in his essay that he wasn’t all that interested in history until he had raised “four new history deficient people.” Then he remembers someone saying one day, “Everyone remembers where they were the day Kennedy died,” and he realized he did. He recalls sharing some significant historic moments while gathered around a card table with friends, and how that helped him realize the importance of all he had lived through.
Nola Rae Lewis remembers graduating from high school just as World War II ended, and then meeting her husband in college, which he was attending as a veteran returning from the War. She relates the contribution to their lives of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, which was passed to help those who fought in that War return to civilian life. She recalls that the Veteran’s education bill paid for her husband’s education, and a Veteran’s Administration loan helped them buy their first home.
Maria Russell remembers the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. She and her husband had just settled down in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi after years of living aboard a boat and traveling along the coasts of the United States while raising their kids. Hurricane Katrina destroyed their two-year-old home, leaving nothing but a couple of pilings standing. She recalls returning after having evacuated ahead of the storm, and helping neighbors clean up, then getting a 5th-wheel and truck and once again becoming nomads. Maria also recalls a bit of humor as well as the generosity of ordinary people when she went into a store to purchase a cosmetic product following the hurricane.
Rev. Barry Zavah captures the essence of growing up as a baby boomer in an “Ozzie and Harriett world,” then in less than a decade, being confronted with a drastically different existence. In his words, “ America went from the music of Little Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys to acid rock; bobby sox to mini-skirts; June Cleaver to woman’s lib; segregation to black power; turbo props to moon landings.” On television, he witnessed images of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, riots, and assassinations, all within the space of a decade. He recalls a lifetime of a Boomer’s memories in his essay.
If I’ve left anyone out, please let me know.
The wonder of it all
One of my main reasons for writing this book was because I realized the influence television has had on the Boomer generation, and the effects of seeing all the startling images flashed on screens in living rooms, night after night. Those around from the ‘40s to the ‘70s witnessed the violence, turbulence, political upheaval, and other disturbing scenes that seemed without end. And then we watched with amazement as the first astronauts landed on the moon and stepped out onto its surface. What a thrill to see that historic moment!
The world has changed drastically since the ‘40s. Who would have thought following World War II that in only a few years, our domestic tranquility would be challenged by issues like integration and civil rights?
Integration was a big deal for those of us born before the early ‘70s and who had previously lived segregated lives. And yes, I realize there are still areas of our country that are segregated to this day! But even those people who live in segregated communities are used to now seeing all races living, working together, and getting along in movies and on TV. I can remember when there was a huge uproar in the ‘60s because a white female singer, Petula Clark, touched the arm of black singer, Harry Belafonte, while performing on television together. That was the first physical contact between a man and woman of opposite sexes on television.
In the book, I cover the integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School because I was a student there at the time. We students weren’t concerned that black kids would be going to school with us. Our lives focused on ourselves, like most teenagers. Clothes (poodle skirts or matching sweaters and straight skirts, penny loafers or saddle oxfords, and bobby sox) and hair (ponytails and duck tails) consumed the attention of the girls.
I doubt that the boys were thinking much about what to wear, but their hair was obviously a concern because they all began sporting flat tops and crewcuts. Most had sports on their mind, just like now. We were all captured by the new music, rock ‘n’ roll, and anxious to learn the newest dance craze. We went to the drive-in movies to watch the latest movies under the stars and to mingle with friends at the snack bar. That was our lives, in a nutshell. I’m sure some kids I went to school with were racists, but in a mix of more than 2000 students, I didn’t know them personally and didn’t witness any violence.
To suddenly be confronted with mobs of racists outside the school seeking to prevent integration was horrifying to most of us, just as it was to the nation and world that watched the scenes unfold on television. But we students kept our mouths shut because we were afraid—of what, we weren’t sure. We didn’t even talk among ourselves about the conflict. Emotionally, we were still children, prematurely faced with grown-up realities that most of us had never been exposed to, or had expected to face. This drama hadn’t been listed in our instruction book for growing up.
But, we made it through, just like most of our generation who didn’t either get killed in Vietnam or wasted by drugs in the ‘60s. Now, some of us are talking about what happened back then at Central High, and in the world at large. The crisis at Central changed my life, and I write about that. Two excellent essays appear in the book about Central High that year of 1957/58.
Because of television, everyone living now was a part of history as no other generation in history has been. We were sometimes ashamed, sometimes astonished, and sometimes horrified and saddened by what we saw, but I somehow think it strengthened those of us who survived it all.
The book is at the publisher’s and I’ve already approved the cover design. The design is outstanding, and I think all the contributors will be pleased when they see it. Many different stories appear in the book, and some come from different viewpoints. But then, they all reflect the diversity and fortitude of Americans at large. That’s what makes this country great! We lived it, we survived it, and now our stories are about to come out in print!
I’ll email subscribers when it is printed and ready for sale.
There are some wonderfully talented writers among the list of subscribers to this newsletter (there are probably a lot more, but I haven’t seen everyone’s writing. I would like to pay tribute to them. In all, 19 people sent in 22 essays and 2 poems that recalled history from World War II to Hurricane Katrina. One even sent an essay about one of the future challenges I wrote about concerning health problems that we face in the new Century—eating disorders. That disorder seems to be a growing trend, and a worrisome one for all parents of teenagers, especially girls.
The book’s contributors are listed in alphabetical order:
Dave Beckes wrote a great article about what it was like to have been brought up in a segregated world, then to suddenly join the integrated society of military life. Dave manages to capture a snapshot of being exposed to people different from him after he joined the military during the Vietnam War, and recalls how racism sometimes filtered into their lives even while in faraway ports. He also poignantly describes serving aboard ship just off the coast of Vietnam, and how he hesitated to get acquainted with some Marines onboard after one he became friendly with failed to returned from a mission into the thick of war.
Bill Chatham recalls in his essay that he wasn’t all that interested in history until he had raised “four new history deficient people.” Then he remembers someone saying one day, “Everyone remembers where they were the day Kennedy died,” and he realized he did. He recalls sharing some significant historic moments while gathered around a card table with friends, and how that helped him realize the importance of all he had lived through.
Nola Rae Lewis remembers graduating from high school just as World War II ended, and then meeting her husband in college, which he was attending as a veteran returning from the War. She relates the contribution to their lives of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, which was passed to help those who fought in that War return to civilian life. She recalls that the Veteran’s education bill paid for her husband’s education, and a Veteran’s Administration loan helped them buy their first home.
Maria Russell remembers the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. She and her husband had just settled down in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi after years of living aboard a boat and traveling along the coasts of the United States while raising their kids. Hurricane Katrina destroyed their two-year-old home, leaving nothing but a couple of pilings standing. She recalls returning after having evacuated ahead of the storm, and helping neighbors clean up, then getting a 5th-wheel and truck and once again becoming nomads. Maria also recalls a bit of humor as well as the generosity of ordinary people when she went into a store to purchase a cosmetic product following the hurricane.
Rev. Barry Zavah captures the essence of growing up as a baby boomer in an “Ozzie and Harriett world,” then in less than a decade, being confronted with a drastically different existence. In his words, “ America went from the music of Little Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys to acid rock; bobby sox to mini-skirts; June Cleaver to woman’s lib; segregation to black power; turbo props to moon landings.” On television, he witnessed images of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, riots, and assassinations, all within the space of a decade. He recalls a lifetime of a Boomer’s memories in his essay.
If I’ve left anyone out, please let me know.
The wonder of it all
One of my main reasons for writing this book was because I realized the influence television has had on the Boomer generation, and the effects of seeing all the startling images flashed on screens in living rooms, night after night. Those around from the ‘40s to the ‘70s witnessed the violence, turbulence, political upheaval, and other disturbing scenes that seemed without end. And then we watched with amazement as the first astronauts landed on the moon and stepped out onto its surface. What a thrill to see that historic moment!
The world has changed drastically since the ‘40s. Who would have thought following World War II that in only a few years, our domestic tranquility would be challenged by issues like integration and civil rights?
Integration was a big deal for those of us born before the early ‘70s and who had previously lived segregated lives. And yes, I realize there are still areas of our country that are segregated to this day! But even those people who live in segregated communities are used to now seeing all races living, working together, and getting along in movies and on TV. I can remember when there was a huge uproar in the ‘60s because a white female singer, Petula Clark, touched the arm of black singer, Harry Belafonte, while performing on television together. That was the first physical contact between a man and woman of opposite sexes on television.
In the book, I cover the integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School because I was a student there at the time. We students weren’t concerned that black kids would be going to school with us. Our lives focused on ourselves, like most teenagers. Clothes (poodle skirts or matching sweaters and straight skirts, penny loafers or saddle oxfords, and bobby sox) and hair (ponytails and duck tails) consumed the attention of the girls.
I doubt that the boys were thinking much about what to wear, but their hair was obviously a concern because they all began sporting flat tops and crewcuts. Most had sports on their mind, just like now. We were all captured by the new music, rock ‘n’ roll, and anxious to learn the newest dance craze. We went to the drive-in movies to watch the latest movies under the stars and to mingle with friends at the snack bar. That was our lives, in a nutshell. I’m sure some kids I went to school with were racists, but in a mix of more than 2000 students, I didn’t know them personally and didn’t witness any violence.
To suddenly be confronted with mobs of racists outside the school seeking to prevent integration was horrifying to most of us, just as it was to the nation and world that watched the scenes unfold on television. But we students kept our mouths shut because we were afraid—of what, we weren’t sure. We didn’t even talk among ourselves about the conflict. Emotionally, we were still children, prematurely faced with grown-up realities that most of us had never been exposed to, or had expected to face. This drama hadn’t been listed in our instruction book for growing up.
But, we made it through, just like most of our generation who didn’t either get killed in Vietnam or wasted by drugs in the ‘60s. Now, some of us are talking about what happened back then at Central High, and in the world at large. The crisis at Central changed my life, and I write about that. Two excellent essays appear in the book about Central High that year of 1957/58.
Because of television, everyone living now was a part of history as no other generation in history has been. We were sometimes ashamed, sometimes astonished, and sometimes horrified and saddened by what we saw, but I somehow think it strengthened those of us who survived it all.
The book is at the publisher’s and I’ve already approved the cover design. The design is outstanding, and I think all the contributors will be pleased when they see it. Many different stories appear in the book, and some come from different viewpoints. But then, they all reflect the diversity and fortitude of Americans at large. That’s what makes this country great! We lived it, we survived it, and now our stories are about to come out in print!
I’ll email subscribers when it is printed and ready for sale.
Standing on this spot in Big Hole Montana where the Nez Perce Indians were ambushed by the U.S. Army early one morning before dawn, visitors can still feel the terror and horror of that battle. More than 100 years later, the wind howling through their abandoned camp sounds like the screams and moans of the women, children, and elders who were killed that day. In spite of the surprise raid, the Nez Perce managed to defeat the troops on this spot. Many lived to fight another day after a long march through a portion of what is now Yellowstone and up through Montana in bitter cold as they faced starvation.
Searching for History in Your RV
One of the best uses we’ve found for our motorhome is exploring historic sites. We’ve all read about the Wild West; places like Tombstone, Virginia City, the Black Hills of South Dakota. We’ve heard about the Oregon Trail and the people who followed it west to new homes and lives. We know about the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s ride through the area warning settlers that the British were coming.
There’s so much history in this country that didn’t have much meaning to me until I started traveling in an RV. We had made plenty of trips across the country on vacations, but mostly we were rushing to visit relatives, then rushing back to wherever my husband was stationed at the time.
It wasn’t until the early ‘90s that we finally found time to meander and talk to people we met. In 1993 or 1994 I was directed to a man to interview in Mountain View, Arkansas for an article I was writing about the area’s music and attractions. That man quickly became a friend and a fountain of information about the Civil War and other interesting stories from the past. You see, when I met him, he was already in his mid-eighties and had known his grandfather, who was born before the Civil War. Suddenly history was alive, and I was hooked.
Next I met an elderly woman who also lived in Northern Arkansas, and did she ever have some stories to tell. I was sent to her to find out about some of my ancestors who had settled that area, but I learned a whole lot more. She was active in politics and served on Clinton’s presidential election committee, even at her advanced age. And she knew a whole lot about history. Now I was really hooked on history.
Now, every trip we make involves checking out historic sites, no matter whether it is famous or a lesser known place. We’ve walked the streets of Tombstone. We’ve visited Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood. We followed the Freedom Trail in Boston and saw where the tea was dumped. We went aboard the U.S.S. Constitution while it was being restored in Boston Harbor. We climbed to the top of Washington’s Memorial in D.C. (no longer allowed—too many people suffered heart attacks climbing the 800 breath-robbing steps). We visited Dealey Plaza in Dallas where President Kennedy was assassinated. These visits gave us a close-up perspective on those events, but a couple of historic sites really moved us.
We visited Northeastern Oregon because my family had settled there in 1878. While there, I became curious about the story of Chief Joseph and his people, the Nez Perce Indians who had called that area home before the land was taken from them by the government. We followed their trail to Big Hole, Montana, where the U.S. Cavalry ambushed them early one morning before dawn and killed numerous women, children, and elders. You see, they had already left their homeland headed for Canada after being forced out when their treaty was voided. The story gets even worse before they finally surrendered and were forbidden to ever return to their beloved homeland.
This was one of the most horrifying stories I’ve ever encountered, but it made me realize that behind every historic event are real people whose lives are affected. I felt similar sadness when I explored the Civil War Battlefield in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Enemies, some of them relatives and former friends of each other, fought face-to-face battles over principles that are difficult to understand now. Traveling through the Battlefield and imagining the hardships they faced, as well as the terror that reigned on the townsfolk, was almost more than I could bear—even after almost 150 years.
That sums up why traveling to the sites where history is made is so educational. It gives an up-close perspective when you can stand on the ground where historic figures stood. You can almost hear the battles. You can almost see the wounded and feel their pain. Your stomach growls in sympathy and you want to cry out when you learn that the townspeople and Rebel soldiers at Vicksburg were reduced to eating shoe leather before the siege on the city finally ended. How did this happen in a civilized country, among civilized people?
Traveling gives you a personal perspective that makes history hard to forget, and makes you realize how lucky you are to be living now. It instructs you to understand that as a civilized country, we must never let issues divide us so deeply again. And that’s what learning history is all about, in the first place. It teaches lessons for the future so the same types of mistakes are never repeated.
If you have an RV and haven’t yet explored some historic sites, think about making that your next RVing adventure. There are sites all across the country, so a long trek shouldn’t be necessary. Simply hop in the RV, turn the key, and drive down the road a piece where you’re sure to find something significant from the past, no matter where you live.
A Bit About Grammar
I’ve written about this subject before, but I may have made a slight mistake on one point. I said that periods and commas should always go inside quotation marks. Well, it seems the world has passed me by, and me without a clue that I wasn’t “hip”. I kept wondering why I saw so many people putting the punctuation outside the quote marks. I’ve even seen it a few times in publications, but I just figured the editors were ignorant. Yeah, that’s it, they were ignorant. Certainly it wasn’t me.
When I had Looking Back edited, the editor asked me if I didn’t want to put some of my punctuation marks outside the quotes. I quickly answered, “No way! Why would I want to do that?” Well, she tells me, this has become an accepted way to do it now because it makes more sense to some people. Whether it was the failure of teachers to teach proper grammar, or lazy people who didn’t learn the rules, I don’t know. But just like some of the other rules that have changed in recent years, it is now acceptable to put commas and periods outside the quotation marks on occasion, as listed below.
It is acceptable when you include a word or phrase inside quotation marks at the end of a sentence, but that is not a direct quote.
Example, outside: He claimed he was a “General”.
Example, inside: He said, “I am a General.”
Okay, now that I’ve told you this, I can say that I honestly can’t do it. I can still hear the English teachers screaming at us to learn the rule about commas and periods going inside the quotation marks. So I left my punctuation as I had been taught in my new book, Looking Back. If that marks me as old-fashioned or behind the times, so be it. Until I have a magazine editor say something about it, I will continue to punctuate the traditional way.
And I realize rules do change. I can remember in school learning to use commas everywhere. There were a million rules about using commas. Then one day, it became acceptable to basically only use commas to separate clauses in places where you would pause in speech. That was a lot easier for me, I’ll admit, but I still use more than many other writers. Sometimes if you’re not careful, carefully worded sentences can turn into long, confusing run-on sentences that have to be read several times to make sense.
So here is a place where you can go for help when you’re confused about a grammar point. A site called Ask the Grammar Lady is operated by a former teacher. You can go to her website, or direct your grammar questions to: p.acton@mchsi.com.
Best of luck with all your writing adventures.
I’ve written about this subject before, but I may have made a slight mistake on one point. I said that periods and commas should always go inside quotation marks. Well, it seems the world has passed me by, and me without a clue that I wasn’t “hip”. I kept wondering why I saw so many people putting the punctuation outside the quote marks. I’ve even seen it a few times in publications, but I just figured the editors were ignorant. Yeah, that’s it, they were ignorant. Certainly it wasn’t me.
When I had Looking Back edited, the editor asked me if I didn’t want to put some of my punctuation marks outside the quotes. I quickly answered, “No way! Why would I want to do that?” Well, she tells me, this has become an accepted way to do it now because it makes more sense to some people. Whether it was the failure of teachers to teach proper grammar, or lazy people who didn’t learn the rules, I don’t know. But just like some of the other rules that have changed in recent years, it is now acceptable to put commas and periods outside the quotation marks on occasion, as listed below.
It is acceptable when you include a word or phrase inside quotation marks at the end of a sentence, but that is not a direct quote.
Example, outside: He claimed he was a “General”.
Example, inside: He said, “I am a General.”
Okay, now that I’ve told you this, I can say that I honestly can’t do it. I can still hear the English teachers screaming at us to learn the rule about commas and periods going inside the quotation marks. So I left my punctuation as I had been taught in my new book, Looking Back. If that marks me as old-fashioned or behind the times, so be it. Until I have a magazine editor say something about it, I will continue to punctuate the traditional way.
And I realize rules do change. I can remember in school learning to use commas everywhere. There were a million rules about using commas. Then one day, it became acceptable to basically only use commas to separate clauses in places where you would pause in speech. That was a lot easier for me, I’ll admit, but I still use more than many other writers. Sometimes if you’re not careful, carefully worded sentences can turn into long, confusing run-on sentences that have to be read several times to make sense.
So here is a place where you can go for help when you’re confused about a grammar point. A site called Ask the Grammar Lady is operated by a former teacher. You can go to her website, or direct your grammar questions to: p.acton@mchsi.com.
Best of luck with all your writing adventures.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
TODAY'S ARTICLES:
- Writing makes the time fly: sharing the big OOPS in my book manuscript
- RVing during the dogs days of summer where the living is easy
- My essay on the latest Supreme Court ruling, copied from 6/29 posting at: http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com
WRITING MAKES THE TIME FLY
Nothing tells me it is summer more than looking at the thermometer and seeing we’ve hit the century mark. When did that happen? I’ve had my nose (and mind) buried in the new book for the past couple of weeks, trying to make sure everything is perfect before it goes to press. Yesterday I went out and suddenly noticed that it is really hot. The “monsoons” haven’t arrived yet, so we don’t have the thunderstorms to cool us down in the afternoons.
Writing is something that comes easy to me, but getting it right doesn’t. So, I thought I would share the most common boo-boos that my editor found with my manuscript. Some are silly mistakes. Come to think of it, most are, because I should know better. I know that some would-be writers are afraid to commit their stories to paper because they’re afraid they aren’t perfect enough. So, here’s imperfect. Look at it and see if you can’t do better.
The worst thing I did (I think) was not sticking to the same usage throughout the book. Not even through one paragraph. I sometimes wrote “US” and sometimes, “U.S.” Same with Washington DC, and Washington D.C. And sometimes I wrote the forties, the 1940s, and ‘40s. I didn’t notice, but my editor sure did!
To make it worse, when I got the manuscript back, I thought I could go under “edit” and “find ,” then type in US and change all of them to U.S. at the same time. What a mistake that was. I was really confused when my program showed it had found over 1000 uses of US. No, I thought! There’s no way that I mentioned the United States that many times. It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened, but by then I had to go all the way back and check each U.S. separately until I got it straightened out. Unfortunately, it had automatically changed every place “US” or “us” appeared, even in the middle of words like cU.S.tard and tumultuoU.S.
The same thing happened with DC. Suddenly words like grandchildren became granD.C.hildren. Now I have to read each page carefully to change them all!
Then there was number usage. I know the rule: ten or under, you spell the word out. Over ten you use the number. Just one of those stupid mistakes I make when my mind is working on autopilot. When thoughts are flying at me, my mission becomes to get them entered into the computer and not worry about mistakes until later. However, I should have caught these simple problems when I proofread the manuscript before sending it to the editor.
It’s getting corrected, but I’ve spend extra time now trying to get it all straightened out. What’s my message here? If I can get a book written and published, considering the ridiculoU.S. mistakes I make, then I know each of you can do better. Next time, read about more of my goofs that the editor caught!
NOTE: Some of this newsletter’s talented subscribers submitted essays to my new book. You can read some of these great essays when the book gets published—hopefully this month.
Nothing tells me it is summer more than looking at the thermometer and seeing we’ve hit the century mark. When did that happen? I’ve had my nose (and mind) buried in the new book for the past couple of weeks, trying to make sure everything is perfect before it goes to press. Yesterday I went out and suddenly noticed that it is really hot. The “monsoons” haven’t arrived yet, so we don’t have the thunderstorms to cool us down in the afternoons.
Writing is something that comes easy to me, but getting it right doesn’t. So, I thought I would share the most common boo-boos that my editor found with my manuscript. Some are silly mistakes. Come to think of it, most are, because I should know better. I know that some would-be writers are afraid to commit their stories to paper because they’re afraid they aren’t perfect enough. So, here’s imperfect. Look at it and see if you can’t do better.
The worst thing I did (I think) was not sticking to the same usage throughout the book. Not even through one paragraph. I sometimes wrote “US” and sometimes, “U.S.” Same with Washington DC, and Washington D.C. And sometimes I wrote the forties, the 1940s, and ‘40s. I didn’t notice, but my editor sure did!
To make it worse, when I got the manuscript back, I thought I could go under “edit” and “find ,” then type in US and change all of them to U.S. at the same time. What a mistake that was. I was really confused when my program showed it had found over 1000 uses of US. No, I thought! There’s no way that I mentioned the United States that many times. It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened, but by then I had to go all the way back and check each U.S. separately until I got it straightened out. Unfortunately, it had automatically changed every place “US” or “us” appeared, even in the middle of words like cU.S.tard and tumultuoU.S.
The same thing happened with DC. Suddenly words like grandchildren became granD.C.hildren. Now I have to read each page carefully to change them all!
Then there was number usage. I know the rule: ten or under, you spell the word out. Over ten you use the number. Just one of those stupid mistakes I make when my mind is working on autopilot. When thoughts are flying at me, my mission becomes to get them entered into the computer and not worry about mistakes until later. However, I should have caught these simple problems when I proofread the manuscript before sending it to the editor.
It’s getting corrected, but I’ve spend extra time now trying to get it all straightened out. What’s my message here? If I can get a book written and published, considering the ridiculoU.S. mistakes I make, then I know each of you can do better. Next time, read about more of my goofs that the editor caught!
NOTE: Some of this newsletter’s talented subscribers submitted essays to my new book. You can read some of these great essays when the book gets published—hopefully this month.
RVing during the dog days of summer
Here it is again, the 4th of July weekend, and the RV Park has filled with working people who are taking a holiday with the kids. While I think it’s too hot to fire up the motorhome engine and head out on the road, people from Phoenix and Tucson are rushing to places exactly like where we’re staying to cool off. Funny how “feeling the heat” is relative depending on the individual’s perspective.
Owning an RV and being able to jump in it and hit the road for a weekend away is a fantastic choice, and it is less expensive for families than motels and eating out. I’m also reminded by all the rain and flooding in Texas that having an RV is convenient when you need to escape the ravages of nature—assuming you manage to get out before the floods hit. Those owning RVs in California have their own emergency preparedness kit on wheels, assuming it isn’t destroyed by the earthquake. Some people keep their RVs stocked with clothes, food and fresh water just for such an emergency. Since the RV is on wheels, it is less likely to suffer damage from the ground motion as long as everything is put away safely into cupboards or a tree doesn’t fall on it. And as long as escape routes remain open, owners only have to drive away until it’s safe to return home.
About those families who have come to stay for the holiday, once they arrive there’s swimming, fishing in what remains of the water in the river, hiking early in the morning before the sun gets too fierce, or lying out and relaxing under a shade tree or the RV’s awning. Sightseeing at Indian ruins (one actually has shade trees and a creek) and exploring funky little mining towns are within a few minutes drive from here. We have everything available that resorts nearby offer, only they charge $250-600 per night for the experience. I’ve stayed in one a few miles from here and it was nearly perfect, but believe me, it’s cheaper to stay here in our RV. I could have done a lot with the change left over from the $325 per night they charged for the “exclusivity” of sleeping in one of their lovely, but costly casitas.
The only bummer this weekend is that cooking outdoors on the grill is forbidden right now because of the dry conditions. However, it’s only a short trip into town if eating barbeque is important to the camping experience. Meals are even served in the clubhouse on some days here, especially on holiday weekends, and there are lots of activities for the kids.
The air conditioner is keeping us cool, but it’s only a short hop to Dairy Creme or Cold Stone Creamery if we need something cooler. Life doesn’t get any better than this!
Here it is again, the 4th of July weekend, and the RV Park has filled with working people who are taking a holiday with the kids. While I think it’s too hot to fire up the motorhome engine and head out on the road, people from Phoenix and Tucson are rushing to places exactly like where we’re staying to cool off. Funny how “feeling the heat” is relative depending on the individual’s perspective.
Owning an RV and being able to jump in it and hit the road for a weekend away is a fantastic choice, and it is less expensive for families than motels and eating out. I’m also reminded by all the rain and flooding in Texas that having an RV is convenient when you need to escape the ravages of nature—assuming you manage to get out before the floods hit. Those owning RVs in California have their own emergency preparedness kit on wheels, assuming it isn’t destroyed by the earthquake. Some people keep their RVs stocked with clothes, food and fresh water just for such an emergency. Since the RV is on wheels, it is less likely to suffer damage from the ground motion as long as everything is put away safely into cupboards or a tree doesn’t fall on it. And as long as escape routes remain open, owners only have to drive away until it’s safe to return home.
About those families who have come to stay for the holiday, once they arrive there’s swimming, fishing in what remains of the water in the river, hiking early in the morning before the sun gets too fierce, or lying out and relaxing under a shade tree or the RV’s awning. Sightseeing at Indian ruins (one actually has shade trees and a creek) and exploring funky little mining towns are within a few minutes drive from here. We have everything available that resorts nearby offer, only they charge $250-600 per night for the experience. I’ve stayed in one a few miles from here and it was nearly perfect, but believe me, it’s cheaper to stay here in our RV. I could have done a lot with the change left over from the $325 per night they charged for the “exclusivity” of sleeping in one of their lovely, but costly casitas.
The only bummer this weekend is that cooking outdoors on the grill is forbidden right now because of the dry conditions. However, it’s only a short trip into town if eating barbeque is important to the camping experience. Meals are even served in the clubhouse on some days here, especially on holiday weekends, and there are lots of activities for the kids.
The air conditioner is keeping us cool, but it’s only a short hop to Dairy Creme or Cold Stone Creamery if we need something cooler. Life doesn’t get any better than this!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Looking Back needs update with new Supreme Court Ruling
As I sent the book Looking Back to the editor, I expected to be finished with it except for making the changes she suggested. Instead, one important, historical news item after another has filled the airwaves during the past week, and some of them seem to be important to the book's promise to cover history from the '40s to the present.
For instance, yesterday the Supreme Court turned back the clock on racial integration. So in the year of the 50th anniversary of school desegregation in Little Rock, racial diversity is no longer a goal of our society. Apparently, neither is equal education for all, because that will certainly change as many parents rush to move their children to new, segregated schools.
Why does this disturb me? Well, 50 years ago this September, I was one of the 2000 white students at Little Rock Central High who had our lives turned into a media frenzy by the forced integration of our school when nine black students were admitted. We lived a year filled with fear, pain, and humiliation as we watched on TV nightly as mobs of racist bigots, with the help of an over-zealous mob of photographers and reporters, turned what would probably have been a non-event, or at least a less dramatic moment in history, into a media circus.
We faced almost daily bomb threats, and had to nervously stand around outside while all lockers in the building were searched for explosives. We lived in fear that our school would suddenly be bombed, or closed down by politicians trying to placate their most vocal voters. Our parents were frightened out of their minds as they sent us off to school each day to face, what? No one knew for sure.
We students had no voice in what was happening. We were merely victims of a Court ruling and were suddenly picked out of a lottery of faceless young people to become guinea pigs for that first experiment in integration in the South. We were forced to grow up—to prove that we were more adult than the racists who waved signs and shouted in front of the school each day. And yes, we were scared. Yet, more than 600 seniors managed to graduate that year, along with one black student.
Students the next year weren’t so lucky. Schools were closed down and some dropped out. Others were forced to live with relatives out of town or else their parents had to pay for them to attend private schools.
That is the price we paid. Now, after all these years, we find that it was all for nothing. A Supreme Court that is out of touch with the real world, real lives, of people in this country, both black and white, has decided that racial diversity doesn’t matter. So, if parents want their kids to live in an all-white (or black, or Asian, or Hispanic) community and not have exposure to others of different races, they can move to segregated neighborhoods where they never have to rub shoulders with someone different from them.
That’s not the real world. Well, yes it is in some exclusive gated communities like where Supreme Court Justices live, but do the rest of us really want things to be like they were back before integration? Personally, I think my life has been richer for knowing people of all races. How would I have survived moving to Honolulu in 1964, where white faces were few and far between? What would I have done when I was sent to a black home as an interior designer? Refuse to go in? Walk in and say, “Hi, oh I see you’re black. Too bad. Goodbye”?
Right now, I’m thinking this is the scariest thing our Supreme Court has ever done—even more frightening than the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education was to those of us in Little Rock at the time. Maybe I’m over-reacting, but I worry about more race riots and violence, more hatred and less respect and understanding of others. I hope I’m wrong.
The sad thing is, I can see the point of people who don’t want their children bused out of their own neighborhood. It has to be hard to put a child on a bus early each morning and not have her or him come home until late. But, as I write in the book, no ethical question is either black or white. There are all shades of gray when these types of problems face us. I feel with this decision, the Supreme Court has created a situation that will haunt us all for a long time.
And I’m mad about having gone through all I went through at Central High, only to find out 50 years later that it was all for nothing. I'm mad about the sacrifices we made, and for what? What had been accomplished has been erased by this decision, and justice has not been served by the “Justices.” If they’re concerned at all about the future, they should realize we’re a nation where the Caucasian race will soon be a minority. Isn’t it important that we be exposed to other cultures, other races, before we become the minority?
You can read all about Central High in 1957 in the book, Looking Back, when it is released in July (or possibly, August). In it are essays by two other students who were there that year. In all, 22 exceptionally expressive essays and poems on a wide variety of historic events provide personal insight into the times that shaped Boomers’ lives, and the lives of all of us.
I’ll list the essays and point out the contributors who are also subscribers to Portable Writing Newsletter as soon as the book comes out.
As I sent the book Looking Back to the editor, I expected to be finished with it except for making the changes she suggested. Instead, one important, historical news item after another has filled the airwaves during the past week, and some of them seem to be important to the book's promise to cover history from the '40s to the present.
For instance, yesterday the Supreme Court turned back the clock on racial integration. So in the year of the 50th anniversary of school desegregation in Little Rock, racial diversity is no longer a goal of our society. Apparently, neither is equal education for all, because that will certainly change as many parents rush to move their children to new, segregated schools.
Why does this disturb me? Well, 50 years ago this September, I was one of the 2000 white students at Little Rock Central High who had our lives turned into a media frenzy by the forced integration of our school when nine black students were admitted. We lived a year filled with fear, pain, and humiliation as we watched on TV nightly as mobs of racist bigots, with the help of an over-zealous mob of photographers and reporters, turned what would probably have been a non-event, or at least a less dramatic moment in history, into a media circus.
We faced almost daily bomb threats, and had to nervously stand around outside while all lockers in the building were searched for explosives. We lived in fear that our school would suddenly be bombed, or closed down by politicians trying to placate their most vocal voters. Our parents were frightened out of their minds as they sent us off to school each day to face, what? No one knew for sure.
We students had no voice in what was happening. We were merely victims of a Court ruling and were suddenly picked out of a lottery of faceless young people to become guinea pigs for that first experiment in integration in the South. We were forced to grow up—to prove that we were more adult than the racists who waved signs and shouted in front of the school each day. And yes, we were scared. Yet, more than 600 seniors managed to graduate that year, along with one black student.
Students the next year weren’t so lucky. Schools were closed down and some dropped out. Others were forced to live with relatives out of town or else their parents had to pay for them to attend private schools.
That is the price we paid. Now, after all these years, we find that it was all for nothing. A Supreme Court that is out of touch with the real world, real lives, of people in this country, both black and white, has decided that racial diversity doesn’t matter. So, if parents want their kids to live in an all-white (or black, or Asian, or Hispanic) community and not have exposure to others of different races, they can move to segregated neighborhoods where they never have to rub shoulders with someone different from them.
That’s not the real world. Well, yes it is in some exclusive gated communities like where Supreme Court Justices live, but do the rest of us really want things to be like they were back before integration? Personally, I think my life has been richer for knowing people of all races. How would I have survived moving to Honolulu in 1964, where white faces were few and far between? What would I have done when I was sent to a black home as an interior designer? Refuse to go in? Walk in and say, “Hi, oh I see you’re black. Too bad. Goodbye”?
Right now, I’m thinking this is the scariest thing our Supreme Court has ever done—even more frightening than the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education was to those of us in Little Rock at the time. Maybe I’m over-reacting, but I worry about more race riots and violence, more hatred and less respect and understanding of others. I hope I’m wrong.
The sad thing is, I can see the point of people who don’t want their children bused out of their own neighborhood. It has to be hard to put a child on a bus early each morning and not have her or him come home until late. But, as I write in the book, no ethical question is either black or white. There are all shades of gray when these types of problems face us. I feel with this decision, the Supreme Court has created a situation that will haunt us all for a long time.
And I’m mad about having gone through all I went through at Central High, only to find out 50 years later that it was all for nothing. I'm mad about the sacrifices we made, and for what? What had been accomplished has been erased by this decision, and justice has not been served by the “Justices.” If they’re concerned at all about the future, they should realize we’re a nation where the Caucasian race will soon be a minority. Isn’t it important that we be exposed to other cultures, other races, before we become the minority?
You can read all about Central High in 1957 in the book, Looking Back, when it is released in July (or possibly, August). In it are essays by two other students who were there that year. In all, 22 exceptionally expressive essays and poems on a wide variety of historic events provide personal insight into the times that shaped Boomers’ lives, and the lives of all of us.
I’ll list the essays and point out the contributors who are also subscribers to Portable Writing Newsletter as soon as the book comes out.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
RVING AT MILITARY CAMPGROUNDS
I know many readers of this newsletter can’t access military installations because they’re not eligible, active-duty or retired military personnel. However, for those who can, I’d like to pass on information about some that we’ve stayed in recently. These campgrounds are usually located on a military installation, or next to one, and they’re most often located near major highways. Sometimes they’re located in remote recreational areas, or at military installations in the middle of nowhere, where you’d find it difficult to find other camping facilities.
Before I tell about the ones we’ve stayed in, I should mention that almost every military installation entry is now protected by an obstacle course. If you’re driving a car, it’s easy to wind between the concrete barricades that force you to take a zig-zag route. However, if you’re driving a large rig, you might find it difficult to maneuver through the barricades. Always call the installation in advance so you can get directions for entering. They may have a commercial entry for big trucks that you can use, but entry times to these gates will be limited to business hours.
Sometimes the obstacle course is unavoidable, so don’t try it during rush hour as you might hold up military personnel rushing to get to work. We had one guard offer to call for moving equipment to remove a couple of barriers when we entered, but my husband drove very slowly and took extreme measures to wiggle his way through, so the heavy equipment wasn’t necessary. You might not be so lucky!
Our favorite military campground is south of Tacoma, Washington, just off I-5 (exit 122), and is situated on the banks of American Lake in a beautiful setting. Camp Murray Beach Military FAMCAMP is often busy, especially in the summer, so if you fail to secure reservations, try Ft. Lewis next door, which is located on the same lake but lacks the spectacular views. Another nearby park is at McChord AFB, across the freeway and north about three miles from Camp Murray. Camp Murray closes from December to March (check your military RV & camping directory for details), but the other nearby FAMCAMPS may stay open year-round.
Ft. Lewis FAMCAMP is at exit 121 west has lovely wooded sites, and log cabins and bungalows are available for rent. Propane is sold within the campground and Ft. Lewis also has 30 additional rustic camper and tent sites that are free.
McChord AFB FAMCAMP is at exit 125 east, then follow road to the gate. The FAMCAMP is located in the woods among giant fir and pine trees, and is populated with wildlife. You will hear jets taking off and landing, but the thick woods help muffle the sound.
All three of these facilities are located near Mt. Rainier and only about 60 miles south of Seattle and its waterfront. There are many recreational opportunities available in the area, including boating, fishing, and swimming on American Lake. Prices are reasonable compared to commercial RV parks, which are few and far between in the metro-area of Seattle/Tacoma.
In Wyoming, we stayed for a few days at D.A. Russell FAMCAMP, which is at exit 11 on I-25 in Cheyenne, WY. One entrance to the campground has a low clearance, of 11’6” under a railroad trestle, but guards at the gate can tell you the best route to take to avoid this underpass. Speaking of the railroad, the tracks run right above the campground, but very few trains go through and they’re traveling extremely slow—especially when antelope are roaming the base during hunting season.
This is an area we would love to explore more someday, so may go back for a longer stay.
In Southern California, we stayed at March AFB FAMCAMP, which is on a former Air Force installation that now belongs to the National Guard and Reserves. It’s at the March exit on I-215 just south of CA-60. There’s nothing special about the campground, but does have a nice laundry room and restroom facility. And this park is located within easy driving distance of many Southern California attractions. No reservations—first come, first served, year-round.
We checked out the FAMCAMP at Nellis AFB, NV, but decided not to stay there. Somehow, having noisy jets taking off and landing overhead didn’t appeal to us. However, it does have nice, level RV sites and is convenient to on-base activities and Las Vegas casinos. It’s located north of Las Vegas, just off I-15 east.
Another beautiful FAMCAMP we’ve stayed in several times is at Little Rock Air Force Base, which is located in central Arkansas just off US67/167. It is an on-base park next to a lake. Some of the RV sites are paved back-in, tree-shaded, facing the park and lake; pull-thru’s and more back-ins are located in a clearing past the back-in spaces. The restrooms are nice, but you’ll have to go into Jacksonville, outside the base gate, to find laundry facilities. This FAMCAMP provides a central location for exploring Little Rock and the rivers, lakes, and tourist attractions the area offers. You can drop your payment in a drop box at the entry to the park, and a gas station with a mini-mart is located across the road from the park.
Just off I-40 and I-17 outside of Flagstaff, AZ at 7000-foot elevation is the Luke AFB FAMCAMP. It is called Ft. Tuthill Recreation Area and is in a beautiful wooded site that holds RV sites as well as yurts, cabins, multi-family cabins and a hotel. This is within easy driving distance (80 miles) to Grand Canyon, Skiing at Snowbowl, and about 20 miles, straight downhill through Oak Creek Canyon or by I-17, to beautiful Sedona and the Verde Valley. This area is cool in the summer and very cold and snowy in the winter.
We have stayed at numerous other FAMCAMPS overnight while traveling, including Gila Bend, AZ and Edwards AFB, CA, but haven’t had occasion to stay long enough to rate their quality.
Military campgrounds do offer an alternative to commercial parks, are usually cheaper, often nicer, certainly secure, and sometimes are located in areas where there are no other RV camping facilities. If you are eligible to use them, check http://www.RVBookstore.com for their current edition of U.S. Military Campgrounds Directory on CD.
I know many readers of this newsletter can’t access military installations because they’re not eligible, active-duty or retired military personnel. However, for those who can, I’d like to pass on information about some that we’ve stayed in recently. These campgrounds are usually located on a military installation, or next to one, and they’re most often located near major highways. Sometimes they’re located in remote recreational areas, or at military installations in the middle of nowhere, where you’d find it difficult to find other camping facilities.
Before I tell about the ones we’ve stayed in, I should mention that almost every military installation entry is now protected by an obstacle course. If you’re driving a car, it’s easy to wind between the concrete barricades that force you to take a zig-zag route. However, if you’re driving a large rig, you might find it difficult to maneuver through the barricades. Always call the installation in advance so you can get directions for entering. They may have a commercial entry for big trucks that you can use, but entry times to these gates will be limited to business hours.
Sometimes the obstacle course is unavoidable, so don’t try it during rush hour as you might hold up military personnel rushing to get to work. We had one guard offer to call for moving equipment to remove a couple of barriers when we entered, but my husband drove very slowly and took extreme measures to wiggle his way through, so the heavy equipment wasn’t necessary. You might not be so lucky!
Our favorite military campground is south of Tacoma, Washington, just off I-5 (exit 122), and is situated on the banks of American Lake in a beautiful setting. Camp Murray Beach Military FAMCAMP is often busy, especially in the summer, so if you fail to secure reservations, try Ft. Lewis next door, which is located on the same lake but lacks the spectacular views. Another nearby park is at McChord AFB, across the freeway and north about three miles from Camp Murray. Camp Murray closes from December to March (check your military RV & camping directory for details), but the other nearby FAMCAMPS may stay open year-round.
Ft. Lewis FAMCAMP is at exit 121 west has lovely wooded sites, and log cabins and bungalows are available for rent. Propane is sold within the campground and Ft. Lewis also has 30 additional rustic camper and tent sites that are free.
McChord AFB FAMCAMP is at exit 125 east, then follow road to the gate. The FAMCAMP is located in the woods among giant fir and pine trees, and is populated with wildlife. You will hear jets taking off and landing, but the thick woods help muffle the sound.
All three of these facilities are located near Mt. Rainier and only about 60 miles south of Seattle and its waterfront. There are many recreational opportunities available in the area, including boating, fishing, and swimming on American Lake. Prices are reasonable compared to commercial RV parks, which are few and far between in the metro-area of Seattle/Tacoma.
In Wyoming, we stayed for a few days at D.A. Russell FAMCAMP, which is at exit 11 on I-25 in Cheyenne, WY. One entrance to the campground has a low clearance, of 11’6” under a railroad trestle, but guards at the gate can tell you the best route to take to avoid this underpass. Speaking of the railroad, the tracks run right above the campground, but very few trains go through and they’re traveling extremely slow—especially when antelope are roaming the base during hunting season.
This is an area we would love to explore more someday, so may go back for a longer stay.
In Southern California, we stayed at March AFB FAMCAMP, which is on a former Air Force installation that now belongs to the National Guard and Reserves. It’s at the March exit on I-215 just south of CA-60. There’s nothing special about the campground, but does have a nice laundry room and restroom facility. And this park is located within easy driving distance of many Southern California attractions. No reservations—first come, first served, year-round.
We checked out the FAMCAMP at Nellis AFB, NV, but decided not to stay there. Somehow, having noisy jets taking off and landing overhead didn’t appeal to us. However, it does have nice, level RV sites and is convenient to on-base activities and Las Vegas casinos. It’s located north of Las Vegas, just off I-15 east.
Another beautiful FAMCAMP we’ve stayed in several times is at Little Rock Air Force Base, which is located in central Arkansas just off US67/167. It is an on-base park next to a lake. Some of the RV sites are paved back-in, tree-shaded, facing the park and lake; pull-thru’s and more back-ins are located in a clearing past the back-in spaces. The restrooms are nice, but you’ll have to go into Jacksonville, outside the base gate, to find laundry facilities. This FAMCAMP provides a central location for exploring Little Rock and the rivers, lakes, and tourist attractions the area offers. You can drop your payment in a drop box at the entry to the park, and a gas station with a mini-mart is located across the road from the park.
Just off I-40 and I-17 outside of Flagstaff, AZ at 7000-foot elevation is the Luke AFB FAMCAMP. It is called Ft. Tuthill Recreation Area and is in a beautiful wooded site that holds RV sites as well as yurts, cabins, multi-family cabins and a hotel. This is within easy driving distance (80 miles) to Grand Canyon, Skiing at Snowbowl, and about 20 miles, straight downhill through Oak Creek Canyon or by I-17, to beautiful Sedona and the Verde Valley. This area is cool in the summer and very cold and snowy in the winter.
We have stayed at numerous other FAMCAMPS overnight while traveling, including Gila Bend, AZ and Edwards AFB, CA, but haven’t had occasion to stay long enough to rate their quality.
Military campgrounds do offer an alternative to commercial parks, are usually cheaper, often nicer, certainly secure, and sometimes are located in areas where there are no other RV camping facilities. If you are eligible to use them, check http://www.RVBookstore.com for their current edition of U.S. Military Campgrounds Directory on CD.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Writing (and Rolling) Down the Road
I can just hear you asking what is meant by “writing and rolling.” Well, it’s the world’s best way to earn income from writing while traveling. And it becomes easier to do every day. With a satellite-ready portable computer with an air card, an online connection that works almost anywhere, and a portable inverter, anyone can continue to write and submit their work, or research the Internet while rolling down the road. In other words, you can work just like you would if sitting at your desk or dining table at home.
When I started doing this, it was not impossible to write while traveling—but forget about submitting an article via the Web. There was no such thing as the Internet for average users then. We had a cell phone, but forget about being able to contact anyone, or them contact us. We could receive and send calls in our home area, but if our cell phone provider didn’t have an “agreement” with those in other states, we were forced to stand in line at the pay phone to keep in touch with business contacts. Ditto for anyone else we had to speak with. All of America was supposed to be connected by satellite by the end of 1992, like Canada already was. It has never happened!
We started out with a cell phone, a computer and everything we thought would be necessary to operate our business on the road. We picked up the phone in Nevada (our residence then), but as soon as we drove into California, we could no longer receive our messages or calls. Arizona was even worse since we had to use our long-distance phone card to make a call on our cell phone. Arizona definitely didn’t have an agreement with Nevada!
Thank goodness for mergers. Cell phone providers got larger, then started sharing towers. Finally we could stay in touch with those important in our lives and to our livelihood.
With our new satellite equipped laptop, we were finally able to merge Internet with cell phone usage. Then by purchasing a portable converter, I was able to work while we’re traveling down the road.
Wow! It just keeps getting better!
In case you are interested, the costs involved in setting up a working system like ours follow:
Laptop computer with satellite capabilities: between $500 and $1000.
Cell phone: Watch ads for providers in your area. Verizon often runs specials that include the cost of the phone and some accessories for under $100. You’ll have to sign a one- to two-year agreement for service (meaning that if you decide to cancel before the agreement ends, you’ll pay a hefty fee). We’ve had our service since 2002 and couldn’t be happier with it.
Cell phone service: Service for 450 minutes (peak time) with no roaming and no long distance charges runs about $40. Calls after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone, and on weekends are free.
Internet service: Unlimited Internet access runs about $60 per month. Most ISP’s that provide email service will charge from nothing to $30 per month. Yahoo is free for now, and Juno charges a small yearly fee. We’ve been able to connect everywhere we’ve been so far.
Portable Inverter that plugs into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter: $60
All prices of the above products depend on where you buy them, and are subject to change. Watch for sales. Check prices at www.Fryselectronics.com if there’s no store nearby since they seem to consistently have the best prices on electronic equipment.
I can just hear you asking what is meant by “writing and rolling.” Well, it’s the world’s best way to earn income from writing while traveling. And it becomes easier to do every day. With a satellite-ready portable computer with an air card, an online connection that works almost anywhere, and a portable inverter, anyone can continue to write and submit their work, or research the Internet while rolling down the road. In other words, you can work just like you would if sitting at your desk or dining table at home.
When I started doing this, it was not impossible to write while traveling—but forget about submitting an article via the Web. There was no such thing as the Internet for average users then. We had a cell phone, but forget about being able to contact anyone, or them contact us. We could receive and send calls in our home area, but if our cell phone provider didn’t have an “agreement” with those in other states, we were forced to stand in line at the pay phone to keep in touch with business contacts. Ditto for anyone else we had to speak with. All of America was supposed to be connected by satellite by the end of 1992, like Canada already was. It has never happened!
We started out with a cell phone, a computer and everything we thought would be necessary to operate our business on the road. We picked up the phone in Nevada (our residence then), but as soon as we drove into California, we could no longer receive our messages or calls. Arizona was even worse since we had to use our long-distance phone card to make a call on our cell phone. Arizona definitely didn’t have an agreement with Nevada!
Thank goodness for mergers. Cell phone providers got larger, then started sharing towers. Finally we could stay in touch with those important in our lives and to our livelihood.
With our new satellite equipped laptop, we were finally able to merge Internet with cell phone usage. Then by purchasing a portable converter, I was able to work while we’re traveling down the road.
Wow! It just keeps getting better!
In case you are interested, the costs involved in setting up a working system like ours follow:
Laptop computer with satellite capabilities: between $500 and $1000.
Cell phone: Watch ads for providers in your area. Verizon often runs specials that include the cost of the phone and some accessories for under $100. You’ll have to sign a one- to two-year agreement for service (meaning that if you decide to cancel before the agreement ends, you’ll pay a hefty fee). We’ve had our service since 2002 and couldn’t be happier with it.
Cell phone service: Service for 450 minutes (peak time) with no roaming and no long distance charges runs about $40. Calls after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone, and on weekends are free.
Internet service: Unlimited Internet access runs about $60 per month. Most ISP’s that provide email service will charge from nothing to $30 per month. Yahoo is free for now, and Juno charges a small yearly fee. We’ve been able to connect everywhere we’ve been so far.
Portable Inverter that plugs into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter: $60
All prices of the above products depend on where you buy them, and are subject to change. Watch for sales. Check prices at www.Fryselectronics.com if there’s no store nearby since they seem to consistently have the best prices on electronic equipment.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
WAS THIS THE ORIGINAL RV?
My ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail around 1878 on their way to Union County, Oregon in a covered wagon similar to the one pictured above. Their trip was neither smooth nor easy. Wagons were oxen or mule powered instead of driven by diesel or gas engines like modern day RVs. And it took six months of numerous perils and untold tragedies before the more than 300,000 pioneers that included my great-grandmother, reached their destination.
The above photo was taken at one of the interpretive museums along the Oregon Trail in Northeast Oregon. It offers a wonderful contrast to glossy photos of modern RVs that are found in magazines today. Aren't we lucky to be able to travel as far and as often as we like in air-conditioned, padded comfort? Or, are we unfortunate not to have been part of that great adventure in the 1800s?
Saturday, June 02, 2007
TODAY'S ARTICLES
- Getting your self-published book printed
- Green RVing - yes it is possible!
UPDATE ON THE BOOK "LOOKING BACK"
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present is still being edited, but as soon as I get it back and make needed changes, it will be on its way to the publisher. The name has gone through a couple of changes that the editor suggested, and I've decided she's right. It is a compilation of history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it! and includes 2 poems and 17 essays contributed by writers and other extraordinary Americans who lived through that timespan - from World War II through Katrina and beyond. The final chapter covers future challenges we all face as we look forward.
Look for my soon-to-be-announced release date, which will probably be in July. This is a book that everyone who wants to reminisce about the past can enjoy as they read stories submitted by people who were personally involved in history-making moments as well as those who were only witnesses as events swirled around them.
History is a living, breathing document that continues to evolve. It is there for all of us to recall and enjoy its most memorable moments - both good and bad.
GETTING BOOKS PRINTED IF YOU PLAN TO SELF-PUBLISH
I’ve heard about Morris Cookbooks for years and had heard that they also print regular books, so I finally decided to order their kit to see exactly what is offered in the way of cookbook printing. I received three examples of their cookbooks (complete cookbooks, but all the same recipes) that include a padded notebook, padded hardcover that’s plastic spiral-bound, and laminated soft cover that is spiral bound. They are lovely. The cost for the soft cover is only a little over $2.00 per unit, and the notebook edition costs a little over $5.00 for each copy and includes a holder that you can stand on a countertop to hold it upright. Their work is extremely nice, as are the layouts of the books and the artwork. They furnish everything for the price, but you can make changes for an upgrade in price.
They provide a CD that has all the information on it as well as a step-by-step book that displays their covers, page designs, etc. in color.
The only downside I could find during my quick read through their how-to-book was that they put their copyright on it UNLESS you provide your own artwork, do your own setup and send it in camera-ready. Also, I don’t think it is a “print-on-demand” company, meaning they can’t print small runs immediately. Minimum order is 200 copies.
I’ve heard about Morris Cookbooks for years and had heard that they also print regular books, so I finally decided to order their kit to see exactly what is offered in the way of cookbook printing. I received three examples of their cookbooks (complete cookbooks, but all the same recipes) that include a padded notebook, padded hardcover that’s plastic spiral-bound, and laminated soft cover that is spiral bound. They are lovely. The cost for the soft cover is only a little over $2.00 per unit, and the notebook edition costs a little over $5.00 for each copy and includes a holder that you can stand on a countertop to hold it upright. Their work is extremely nice, as are the layouts of the books and the artwork. They furnish everything for the price, but you can make changes for an upgrade in price.
They provide a CD that has all the information on it as well as a step-by-step book that displays their covers, page designs, etc. in color.
The only downside I could find during my quick read through their how-to-book was that they put their copyright on it UNLESS you provide your own artwork, do your own setup and send it in camera-ready. Also, I don’t think it is a “print-on-demand” company, meaning they can’t print small runs immediately. Minimum order is 200 copies.
When I had 25 copies of a self-published cookbook printed four years ago, it cost about $5 per copy for a cover of card stock and a plastic comb binding. Then I had to go back and get 25 more printed! I did them simply as Christmas gifts for friends and family, but found there was a demand for them from others who saw them. So my total cost was about $250. I could have had 200 copies of the same book, better looking, for less than $500.
Morris is a viable source for printing that cookbook you’ve been thinking about writing and if you want to get their publishing kit to see exactly what they offer, you can order it for free from their website: www.Morriscookbooks.com. They’re set up to print for non-profit organizations, but they also do family and individual cookbooks.
I know there are plenty of printing companies that self-publishers use that have “print-on-demand” capabilities. I don’t know anything about the prices they charge, though, or even the names. The best way to find out about them is to network with other writers and ask those who have self-published who they use. I’ll write more about self-publishing as I learn more.
If you are thinking about doing a self-published cookbook or regular book, Morris should definitely be contacted for pricing before you choose a printer. The quality of books they send in their kit is exceptional.
NOTE: You should always check several sources of printing for pricing and offerings. I have never personally used Morris for a self-published book, so can’t recommend them based on personal experience.
GREEN RVING? YES IT IS POSSIBLE!
I know some of you are wondering, what is up with anyone who believes it’s possible to be a green RVer? Is she crazy?
No, I’m not (officially), and yes it is possible to be a nomad and still demonstrate concern for the environment. In fact as a group, we RVers are much more conscious of our natural world because we spend so much time in it. We appreciate the splendor that we see unfold beyond our windows as we travel, and many of us love to walk among newly fallen leaves, or take a hike when the leaves are just beginning to bud in the spring. Some of us even appreciate a fresh blanket of snow and frigid temperatures that nip at our noses. We tend to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying nature’s beauty.
Few stick-house dwellers ever spend time just enjoying what nature has to offer unless it is during their too-short vacations. They’re too busy earning a living to pay for their homes, cars, and the kid’s piano, soccer, tennis, and cheerleading lessons, and then rushing them back and forth between home, work and classes/practice.While they may live in a gorgeous region of the country with beautiful mountains as a backdrop to their lovely homes, most don’t get much time to relish the view. I’d venture to say that most are just biding their time in unfulfilling jobs until retirement, when they plan to sit on the porch and suck in the view while they suck up cocktails. Some are even waiting for the day they can hit the road in their own RV.
Still, many of them are hesitant to dream of a life on the road because they think RVs waste fuel and pollute the air. They don’t want to be accused of contributing to the destruction of the environment. Frankly, I get r-e-a-l-l-y cranky when ALL RVers are accused of being polluting, fuel-wasting gas or diesel hogs. Sure, some can be accused of being mega-polluters, but so can everyone who drives a big SUV.
To those who accuse all RVers of being guilty of harming the environment, I want to ask, “What have you done for the environment lately?” Do you keep your thermostat turned up to eighty in the summertime and down to 68 during the winter? Do you turn it off at bedtime? Do you use solar panels or wind power to heat and cool your home? Many RVers do one or all of the above.
How big is your home? If it’s the average-sized house, do you know how much energy it takes to heat it as compared to a 300-400 square-foot RV? Lots more, I can promise. Plus RVers are prone to head to sunnier climes if the weather gets cold and rainy, cutting heating costs even more. The same goes for when it gets steamy and hot. We usually rush to cooler locations to spend the dog days of summer. And as a group, we tend to leave the windows open to capture fresh breezes.
Do you know how much water you use when you take a shower? RVers do. We have small fresh water and holding tanks, and even tinier water heaters. We know not to stay in the shower one minute longer than necessary!
Do you help clean up the environment by picking up litter alongside your community’s roadsides? In many RV parks, you’ll find days set aside for just that duty. Even if there’s no special day, a lot of active RVers (meaning those young and flexible enough to hike and bend over, then manage to get back up without help, and those strong enough to tote heavy garbage bags) organize groups or go out on their own to pick up trash along highways.
How many loads of laundry do you wash and dry each day? RVers have to travel light, so many own lightweight clothes that they can hand wash and hang in the shower overnight to dry. Few of us enjoy spending $2.00 or more per load at the Laundromat, so we wait until we have a FULL load before heading over to drop our quarters into bottomless slot machines that never pay out. Somehow, a clean load of laundry doesn’t have quite the same impact as a big, noisy payout on a slot machine!
What about the magazines and books you read? Do you go to the library to read magazines and check out books, or do you recycle your reading material by passing it on to someone else? Most RV parks have a place where guests can leave magazines and books they’ve finished reading, and pick up more that they haven’t read. This exchange shelf keeps our minds sharp by offering reading material that is sometimes not found at local newsstands, plus we get to recycle our onboard libraries.
Does every home in your neighborhood have an under-used swimming pool? Think of all the water that is wasted, the chemicals that are released into the environment, and if the pools are heated—well!!! We RVers usually find a nice, clean pool in the parks where we stay and can all swim or play to our heart’s content. And it only takes one set of chemicals to keep it fresh and clean.
What about the cleaning chemicals you use for your home? Again, RVers don’t have much storage space, so most learn to exist with only a couple of cleaning agents. Some even make our own cleaning solutions from natural products that we already have on hand—like vinegar and baking soda.
I don’t want this to sound critical of home owners. Certainly, I don’t mean to come across that way. Anyone anywhere can conserve energy and live a more “green” lifestyle, whether in a home, motorhome, or teepee. I know many house dwellers that go out of their way to help the environment, and I know some RVers who think nothing of littering, polluting, and otherwise damaging our atmosphere.
We RVers sometimes face rude comments when we pull into gas stations, especially when a vehicle pulls in just in time to see the total amount of gallons we’ve bought. However, they don’t realize that this may be a one-time fill-up before we park for several months.
Yes, RVs notoriously squander gas like it was flowing freely out of a gushing spring. However, the average RV is on the road for fewer than 6000 miles per year. People drive them for their vacation trip, or full-timers travel back and forth between a couple of favored spots. Neither of these types of RVers put a lot of miles on their rig. Very few of us drive our RVs daily! Who can afford to? And if you’ve ever driven a big rig, you know it’s not an experience most people would relish doing every day.
Sheer economics force RVers to conserve energy and travel fewer miles than if we had daily commutes to jobs, and limited storage space forces most of us to travel light and lean.
Some Americans have been environmentally aware for years, and others are now joining the movement, what with the new data on global climate change. It is possible to travel and enjoy your RV lifestyle and still keep your journey and home on the road “green.” It takes planning—just like at home—but it’s worth the effort if it helps protect our environment. When it comes down to it, it’s the only one we’ve got!
I know some of you are wondering, what is up with anyone who believes it’s possible to be a green RVer? Is she crazy?
No, I’m not (officially), and yes it is possible to be a nomad and still demonstrate concern for the environment. In fact as a group, we RVers are much more conscious of our natural world because we spend so much time in it. We appreciate the splendor that we see unfold beyond our windows as we travel, and many of us love to walk among newly fallen leaves, or take a hike when the leaves are just beginning to bud in the spring. Some of us even appreciate a fresh blanket of snow and frigid temperatures that nip at our noses. We tend to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying nature’s beauty.
Few stick-house dwellers ever spend time just enjoying what nature has to offer unless it is during their too-short vacations. They’re too busy earning a living to pay for their homes, cars, and the kid’s piano, soccer, tennis, and cheerleading lessons, and then rushing them back and forth between home, work and classes/practice.While they may live in a gorgeous region of the country with beautiful mountains as a backdrop to their lovely homes, most don’t get much time to relish the view. I’d venture to say that most are just biding their time in unfulfilling jobs until retirement, when they plan to sit on the porch and suck in the view while they suck up cocktails. Some are even waiting for the day they can hit the road in their own RV.
Still, many of them are hesitant to dream of a life on the road because they think RVs waste fuel and pollute the air. They don’t want to be accused of contributing to the destruction of the environment. Frankly, I get r-e-a-l-l-y cranky when ALL RVers are accused of being polluting, fuel-wasting gas or diesel hogs. Sure, some can be accused of being mega-polluters, but so can everyone who drives a big SUV.
To those who accuse all RVers of being guilty of harming the environment, I want to ask, “What have you done for the environment lately?” Do you keep your thermostat turned up to eighty in the summertime and down to 68 during the winter? Do you turn it off at bedtime? Do you use solar panels or wind power to heat and cool your home? Many RVers do one or all of the above.
How big is your home? If it’s the average-sized house, do you know how much energy it takes to heat it as compared to a 300-400 square-foot RV? Lots more, I can promise. Plus RVers are prone to head to sunnier climes if the weather gets cold and rainy, cutting heating costs even more. The same goes for when it gets steamy and hot. We usually rush to cooler locations to spend the dog days of summer. And as a group, we tend to leave the windows open to capture fresh breezes.
Do you know how much water you use when you take a shower? RVers do. We have small fresh water and holding tanks, and even tinier water heaters. We know not to stay in the shower one minute longer than necessary!
Do you help clean up the environment by picking up litter alongside your community’s roadsides? In many RV parks, you’ll find days set aside for just that duty. Even if there’s no special day, a lot of active RVers (meaning those young and flexible enough to hike and bend over, then manage to get back up without help, and those strong enough to tote heavy garbage bags) organize groups or go out on their own to pick up trash along highways.
How many loads of laundry do you wash and dry each day? RVers have to travel light, so many own lightweight clothes that they can hand wash and hang in the shower overnight to dry. Few of us enjoy spending $2.00 or more per load at the Laundromat, so we wait until we have a FULL load before heading over to drop our quarters into bottomless slot machines that never pay out. Somehow, a clean load of laundry doesn’t have quite the same impact as a big, noisy payout on a slot machine!
What about the magazines and books you read? Do you go to the library to read magazines and check out books, or do you recycle your reading material by passing it on to someone else? Most RV parks have a place where guests can leave magazines and books they’ve finished reading, and pick up more that they haven’t read. This exchange shelf keeps our minds sharp by offering reading material that is sometimes not found at local newsstands, plus we get to recycle our onboard libraries.
Does every home in your neighborhood have an under-used swimming pool? Think of all the water that is wasted, the chemicals that are released into the environment, and if the pools are heated—well!!! We RVers usually find a nice, clean pool in the parks where we stay and can all swim or play to our heart’s content. And it only takes one set of chemicals to keep it fresh and clean.
What about the cleaning chemicals you use for your home? Again, RVers don’t have much storage space, so most learn to exist with only a couple of cleaning agents. Some even make our own cleaning solutions from natural products that we already have on hand—like vinegar and baking soda.
I don’t want this to sound critical of home owners. Certainly, I don’t mean to come across that way. Anyone anywhere can conserve energy and live a more “green” lifestyle, whether in a home, motorhome, or teepee. I know many house dwellers that go out of their way to help the environment, and I know some RVers who think nothing of littering, polluting, and otherwise damaging our atmosphere.
We RVers sometimes face rude comments when we pull into gas stations, especially when a vehicle pulls in just in time to see the total amount of gallons we’ve bought. However, they don’t realize that this may be a one-time fill-up before we park for several months.
Yes, RVs notoriously squander gas like it was flowing freely out of a gushing spring. However, the average RV is on the road for fewer than 6000 miles per year. People drive them for their vacation trip, or full-timers travel back and forth between a couple of favored spots. Neither of these types of RVers put a lot of miles on their rig. Very few of us drive our RVs daily! Who can afford to? And if you’ve ever driven a big rig, you know it’s not an experience most people would relish doing every day.
Sheer economics force RVers to conserve energy and travel fewer miles than if we had daily commutes to jobs, and limited storage space forces most of us to travel light and lean.
Some Americans have been environmentally aware for years, and others are now joining the movement, what with the new data on global climate change. It is possible to travel and enjoy your RV lifestyle and still keep your journey and home on the road “green.” It takes planning—just like at home—but it’s worth the effort if it helps protect our environment. When it comes down to it, it’s the only one we’ve got!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
“LOOKING BACK” IS BEING EDITED AS I WRITE THIS
The history book, Looking Back – 1940-2005: History as seen through the eyes of those who lived it is now in the hands of the editor. This book has turned into my favorite project of all times—especially with the addition of 17 essays and 2 poems written by people who responded to my call for their personal stories.
Four subscribers to this newsletter will have their essays featured in the book. Some share memories of specific moments during the forties up to 9/11 and Katrina, while others cover a lifetime of recollections. An excellent assortment of events were covered, and some essays and poems were very touching as the writers recalled poignant moments like visiting the Vietnam wall for the first time and losing everything they owned to the wrath of Katrina. There’s one very touching story from a retired Air Force sergeant who helped in the mission to return the Vietnam POWs home in 1973.
The book will make an excellent gift for those in your families who have lived long enough to recall much of the information--especially Boomers who made history by their sheer numbers and influenced everything from education and family life to transportation and technology. They'll find much that will stir memories of their younger days growing up in America, including incredible recollections from the exciting and tumultous sixties.
I intend to make it my personal mission to see that youngsters are exposed to the book if I have to go to schools and read it to them, myself! It will certainly be more interesting to them than learning history from dry facts taught from a textbook, even if they have to put up with an old lady with a southern accent reading it aloud to them. I hope parents will share this book with their children and tell about their memories of the events that are covered in the book.
The people whose essays and poems appear in the book will, of course, get their own free copy as thanks for their generosity in sharing their thoughts with the world. To those of you who shared your memories: your contribution is tremendously appreciated. I don’t know if you realize how much enjoyment readers will get for years to come from your wonderful and heartfelt stories! You are the reason this country is so great!
Read more about Looking Back at the blogsite: http://lookingback1940-2005.blogspot.com.
The history book, Looking Back – 1940-2005: History as seen through the eyes of those who lived it is now in the hands of the editor. This book has turned into my favorite project of all times—especially with the addition of 17 essays and 2 poems written by people who responded to my call for their personal stories.
Four subscribers to this newsletter will have their essays featured in the book. Some share memories of specific moments during the forties up to 9/11 and Katrina, while others cover a lifetime of recollections. An excellent assortment of events were covered, and some essays and poems were very touching as the writers recalled poignant moments like visiting the Vietnam wall for the first time and losing everything they owned to the wrath of Katrina. There’s one very touching story from a retired Air Force sergeant who helped in the mission to return the Vietnam POWs home in 1973.
The book will make an excellent gift for those in your families who have lived long enough to recall much of the information--especially Boomers who made history by their sheer numbers and influenced everything from education and family life to transportation and technology. They'll find much that will stir memories of their younger days growing up in America, including incredible recollections from the exciting and tumultous sixties.
I intend to make it my personal mission to see that youngsters are exposed to the book if I have to go to schools and read it to them, myself! It will certainly be more interesting to them than learning history from dry facts taught from a textbook, even if they have to put up with an old lady with a southern accent reading it aloud to them. I hope parents will share this book with their children and tell about their memories of the events that are covered in the book.
The people whose essays and poems appear in the book will, of course, get their own free copy as thanks for their generosity in sharing their thoughts with the world. To those of you who shared your memories: your contribution is tremendously appreciated. I don’t know if you realize how much enjoyment readers will get for years to come from your wonderful and heartfelt stories! You are the reason this country is so great!
Read more about Looking Back at the blogsite: http://lookingback1940-2005.blogspot.com.
FIVE SURE-FIRE WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WRITING
Below are 5 more ways to make money writing. All 25 projects that I’ve used to earn writing income for the past twenty-plus years appear in my book, Portable Writing, with instructions for how to produce them and how to market your skills.
News releases and press kits
Press releases pay huge dividends to business owners, so write one for your own writing business and use the published copy of it to generate new business. You’ll probably get some clients from people who saw your first published news release in your hometown newspaper. Always, always send news releases to your local or regional business newspaper, and to the business editor of the local paper.
Sometimes a client will approach you with a request for a press kit. This is simply a folder, usually personalized, that holds information on the business, including published articles, some of which you will have written.
Ghostwriting articles and books
Many business and professional people want to share specialized knowledge about their industry and they need a writer to produce an article for them. As a writer you’ll interview the expert and write the article, although you might be asked to do some research. In some cases you might be asked to write the query letter to a magazine or trade journal proposing your client’s article.
These same people will sometimes want a book published on their topic, so you could land a much bigger project. I’m just now reading, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iacocca, which shows a co-writer on the cover. It could be the name of his ghostwriter, or it may be someone who collaborated with Lee.
My husband grew up next door to the Iacocca’s and played with Lee’s younger siblings. I can guarantee that if it was me who had that kind of connection, I would have long ago made sure I had written him to let him know that I would love to be his ghostwriter. Make sure you use your connections, no matter how tenuous.
Trivia Newsletters
I’m sure you’ve noticed those little papers filled with trivia and jokes that cafes and family-style restaurants have on the tables or stacked by the checkout stand. Writers can produce these by simply typing up a sample issue that includes information on local history and tourist attractions along with some jokes and trivia. Leave plenty of room for ads, which you will sell to local businesses to pay for printing. Find out how many local eateries are willing to carry them, then get enough copies printed to distribute them to the restaurants that want them. Usually home-style cafes are more receptive to these little newsletters than finer restaurants.
Brochures
Almost every business needs a brochure to help market its products or services. Sometimes corporations need help writing a brochure, which can be multi-paged, but most businesses want a simple tri-fold. Learn to write strong, short blurbs that highlight products and services, but focus on stressing the benefits of doing business with your client.
This can be a flyer that’s folded in half or thirds with an eye-catching cover, or a well-designed multi-page brochure with great artwork on the front, but the main point of it is to get your client’s message across to people who might become your client’s customers.
Speech writing for local politicians and businesspeople
To write speeches, you’ll need to know the speaker’s style of speech. Does he speak slowly or fast? Does she pause often for effect? Is there a tendency to stumble over complex words? Get an idea of what the speaker wants to say and ask how many minutes the speech should fill.
When you finish writing, ask your client to give the speech out loud so that you can find any trouble spots and check the time, then adjust if necessary.
My speech writing and the fact that I taught classes on color usage in marketing and advertising got me an offer as campaign manager for a local politician. I turned it down because, 1) I didn’t have time and, 2) I would have felt awful if he didn’t win—like it was my fault. By the way, he didn’t win and I could sleep easily knowing it definitely wasn't my fault.
Business writing is a great way to increase your income as well as to improve your writing skills. Learning how to write succinctly while getting paid isn’t a bad way to practice and improve your skills.
All of the above projects can make money while you’re traveling if you network and promote your skills in the towns that you visit, and you can still work with clients back home. For worldwide exposure, set up a Website or Blog, or get a friend to do it for you. If the Internet isn’t possible for you, then create a professional-looking brochure that you can hand out or mail to prospective clients. Tell them what you can do, how you can do it, and how your help can increase the viability and visibility of their business. That's what they want!
Kay Kennedy is author of Portable Writing: the Secret to Living Your Dreams with 25 Projects to Fund Your Freedom. In it you’ll find step-by-step instructions for producing the above projects and all twenty others. Visit Kay’s Web site: www.kennedyk.com
Below are 5 more ways to make money writing. All 25 projects that I’ve used to earn writing income for the past twenty-plus years appear in my book, Portable Writing, with instructions for how to produce them and how to market your skills.
News releases and press kits
Press releases pay huge dividends to business owners, so write one for your own writing business and use the published copy of it to generate new business. You’ll probably get some clients from people who saw your first published news release in your hometown newspaper. Always, always send news releases to your local or regional business newspaper, and to the business editor of the local paper.
Sometimes a client will approach you with a request for a press kit. This is simply a folder, usually personalized, that holds information on the business, including published articles, some of which you will have written.
Ghostwriting articles and books
Many business and professional people want to share specialized knowledge about their industry and they need a writer to produce an article for them. As a writer you’ll interview the expert and write the article, although you might be asked to do some research. In some cases you might be asked to write the query letter to a magazine or trade journal proposing your client’s article.
These same people will sometimes want a book published on their topic, so you could land a much bigger project. I’m just now reading, Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iacocca, which shows a co-writer on the cover. It could be the name of his ghostwriter, or it may be someone who collaborated with Lee.
My husband grew up next door to the Iacocca’s and played with Lee’s younger siblings. I can guarantee that if it was me who had that kind of connection, I would have long ago made sure I had written him to let him know that I would love to be his ghostwriter. Make sure you use your connections, no matter how tenuous.
Trivia Newsletters
I’m sure you’ve noticed those little papers filled with trivia and jokes that cafes and family-style restaurants have on the tables or stacked by the checkout stand. Writers can produce these by simply typing up a sample issue that includes information on local history and tourist attractions along with some jokes and trivia. Leave plenty of room for ads, which you will sell to local businesses to pay for printing. Find out how many local eateries are willing to carry them, then get enough copies printed to distribute them to the restaurants that want them. Usually home-style cafes are more receptive to these little newsletters than finer restaurants.
Brochures
Almost every business needs a brochure to help market its products or services. Sometimes corporations need help writing a brochure, which can be multi-paged, but most businesses want a simple tri-fold. Learn to write strong, short blurbs that highlight products and services, but focus on stressing the benefits of doing business with your client.
This can be a flyer that’s folded in half or thirds with an eye-catching cover, or a well-designed multi-page brochure with great artwork on the front, but the main point of it is to get your client’s message across to people who might become your client’s customers.
Speech writing for local politicians and businesspeople
To write speeches, you’ll need to know the speaker’s style of speech. Does he speak slowly or fast? Does she pause often for effect? Is there a tendency to stumble over complex words? Get an idea of what the speaker wants to say and ask how many minutes the speech should fill.
When you finish writing, ask your client to give the speech out loud so that you can find any trouble spots and check the time, then adjust if necessary.
My speech writing and the fact that I taught classes on color usage in marketing and advertising got me an offer as campaign manager for a local politician. I turned it down because, 1) I didn’t have time and, 2) I would have felt awful if he didn’t win—like it was my fault. By the way, he didn’t win and I could sleep easily knowing it definitely wasn't my fault.
Business writing is a great way to increase your income as well as to improve your writing skills. Learning how to write succinctly while getting paid isn’t a bad way to practice and improve your skills.
All of the above projects can make money while you’re traveling if you network and promote your skills in the towns that you visit, and you can still work with clients back home. For worldwide exposure, set up a Website or Blog, or get a friend to do it for you. If the Internet isn’t possible for you, then create a professional-looking brochure that you can hand out or mail to prospective clients. Tell them what you can do, how you can do it, and how your help can increase the viability and visibility of their business. That's what they want!
Kay Kennedy is author of Portable Writing: the Secret to Living Your Dreams with 25 Projects to Fund Your Freedom. In it you’ll find step-by-step instructions for producing the above projects and all twenty others. Visit Kay’s Web site: www.kennedyk.com
THE RISING COST OF FUEL - WHEN WILL IT STOP?
Yikes! RVers--what's happening to gas prices? Can we control the costs? Another question popping up among environmentally sensitive citizens is: Is it possible to "go green" and still RV?
Most RVers are being affected by gas prices, although you won’t find that information in RV magazines. They’re in business to promote RVing–especially to attract young, new buyers into the market–and negative thoughts about the cost of traveling aren’t usually expressed within their pages. In fact, almost all of the RV magazines (Escapees magazine is the one exception I’ve found) focus on the younger crowd who still have two incomes and take their kids out for weekends with their off-road vehicles.
I don’t think these “good news” RV groups and magazines are in touch, anymore, with retirees who find it a little more difficult to keep up with rising prices, or with people who are chucking the rat race and choosing a nomadic lifestyle on the road in their RVs. Some members of these two groups have to budget to maintain their lifestyles!
However, all is not doom and gloom for RV owners on a budget! We’re still traveling. We’re just choosing to stay put in one spot longer, and not travel from one end of the country to the other, then back within a six-month period. I can remember the days not long ago when gas was only a buck a gallon, and friends traveled completely around the perimeter of the United States on one long trip. However, they didn’t travel at all this fall, even though they usually make it down to Yuma for a couple of months or more each winter.
If saving on gas by traveling less is out of the question for you, maybe you would like to know what our family does to save money. Well, one way is by keeping our food costs down. We don’t buy more than we’ll eat in a reasonable amount of time. We buy what we need, use it, then buy more. We don’t have that much storage space in our RV to carry a huge surplus. We buy at farmer’s markets so we can get the freshest vegetables and fruits possible, and we buy what is in season. Sure it costs more, but we don’t have to buy more than we need at farmer’s markets. If we want one orange, we don’t have to purchase an entire bag full.
We time our travels with the seasons so we don’t ever need heavy, winter clothes. We don’t have room to store those, either, and they’re more expensive to buy than the lightweight, year-round clothes we need. A couple of sweatshirts and jackets for chilly nights and rare, cool days suffice. Following the seasons also helps keep heating and cooling costs down.
We can work camp where we’re staying if we’re so inclined. I’m not! I have enough to do with my writing career, but right now my husband works 2 days a week in the camp store. No commute costs, they furnish his shirts, and it’s just enough time to keep him out of my hair for a few hours.
Bonus: The job pays for our site! We make it okay, and we can travel when, and if we choose! Gas may keep going up, but we’ll figure it out because this is such a good life!!!
There are many ways RVers can cut costs, and still get to see the country in style. Don’t let the new, ”green” movement scare you off. The movement isn’t new to most of us–we’ve been environmentalists all along. RVers who have been at this for a few years can tell you that we consume less energy than most homebound Americans.
Few of us travel further than 6000 miles a year, and many of us travel far less than that. We make short trips to change the scenery and the climate. Stack that up against your neighbor’s big SUV, which doesn’t get any better gas mileage than an RV, but is driven daily for the commute to work, and on weekends for leisure pursuits. That is a waste of fuel! Most RVers (not all, I’ll admit) tow small, economical cars behind their RVs for local travel to sightsee, shop for groceries, and for other errands. Most RVers also use bicycles for short trips, which don’t use any fuel.
Many of us use solar power–which saves energy usage. Solar power is free once you’ve set up your system. Most RVers that we know believe in preserving the environment, because they enjoy its beauty. Most are very careful to avoid using excess water, and are cautious when disposing of waste water. And most RV parks have recycling bins for paper products and aluminum cans.
Some RVers go to extremes to avoid leaving their footprint on the environment, but even those who live a normal life within the confines of their RV manage to conserve energy when compared to a large home.
So go green! Go RVing. Figure out the best way for you to save money and the environment while seeing the USA. Do your part to protect our wonderful vistas by volunteering to pick up litter along highways, or in the park where you choose to stay. You can be tree-hugger (I’ve been accused of being one) and still enjoy the lifestyle and freedom that an RV offers. Believe me, you’ll enjoy the ride!
Gas prices aren’t likely to drop, or if they do, it will only be by a few cents for a short period. Think you can’t afford to travel? You can’t afford to be held hostage by high gas prices if you’ve always dreamed of someday RVing. Sacrifice where you can to find the money to buy gas, and seek out ways to economize so you don’t jeopardize your freedom–or the environment.
Yikes! RVers--what's happening to gas prices? Can we control the costs? Another question popping up among environmentally sensitive citizens is: Is it possible to "go green" and still RV?
Most RVers are being affected by gas prices, although you won’t find that information in RV magazines. They’re in business to promote RVing–especially to attract young, new buyers into the market–and negative thoughts about the cost of traveling aren’t usually expressed within their pages. In fact, almost all of the RV magazines (Escapees magazine is the one exception I’ve found) focus on the younger crowd who still have two incomes and take their kids out for weekends with their off-road vehicles.
I don’t think these “good news” RV groups and magazines are in touch, anymore, with retirees who find it a little more difficult to keep up with rising prices, or with people who are chucking the rat race and choosing a nomadic lifestyle on the road in their RVs. Some members of these two groups have to budget to maintain their lifestyles!
However, all is not doom and gloom for RV owners on a budget! We’re still traveling. We’re just choosing to stay put in one spot longer, and not travel from one end of the country to the other, then back within a six-month period. I can remember the days not long ago when gas was only a buck a gallon, and friends traveled completely around the perimeter of the United States on one long trip. However, they didn’t travel at all this fall, even though they usually make it down to Yuma for a couple of months or more each winter.
If saving on gas by traveling less is out of the question for you, maybe you would like to know what our family does to save money. Well, one way is by keeping our food costs down. We don’t buy more than we’ll eat in a reasonable amount of time. We buy what we need, use it, then buy more. We don’t have that much storage space in our RV to carry a huge surplus. We buy at farmer’s markets so we can get the freshest vegetables and fruits possible, and we buy what is in season. Sure it costs more, but we don’t have to buy more than we need at farmer’s markets. If we want one orange, we don’t have to purchase an entire bag full.
We time our travels with the seasons so we don’t ever need heavy, winter clothes. We don’t have room to store those, either, and they’re more expensive to buy than the lightweight, year-round clothes we need. A couple of sweatshirts and jackets for chilly nights and rare, cool days suffice. Following the seasons also helps keep heating and cooling costs down.
We can work camp where we’re staying if we’re so inclined. I’m not! I have enough to do with my writing career, but right now my husband works 2 days a week in the camp store. No commute costs, they furnish his shirts, and it’s just enough time to keep him out of my hair for a few hours.
Bonus: The job pays for our site! We make it okay, and we can travel when, and if we choose! Gas may keep going up, but we’ll figure it out because this is such a good life!!!
There are many ways RVers can cut costs, and still get to see the country in style. Don’t let the new, ”green” movement scare you off. The movement isn’t new to most of us–we’ve been environmentalists all along. RVers who have been at this for a few years can tell you that we consume less energy than most homebound Americans.
Few of us travel further than 6000 miles a year, and many of us travel far less than that. We make short trips to change the scenery and the climate. Stack that up against your neighbor’s big SUV, which doesn’t get any better gas mileage than an RV, but is driven daily for the commute to work, and on weekends for leisure pursuits. That is a waste of fuel! Most RVers (not all, I’ll admit) tow small, economical cars behind their RVs for local travel to sightsee, shop for groceries, and for other errands. Most RVers also use bicycles for short trips, which don’t use any fuel.
Many of us use solar power–which saves energy usage. Solar power is free once you’ve set up your system. Most RVers that we know believe in preserving the environment, because they enjoy its beauty. Most are very careful to avoid using excess water, and are cautious when disposing of waste water. And most RV parks have recycling bins for paper products and aluminum cans.
Some RVers go to extremes to avoid leaving their footprint on the environment, but even those who live a normal life within the confines of their RV manage to conserve energy when compared to a large home.
So go green! Go RVing. Figure out the best way for you to save money and the environment while seeing the USA. Do your part to protect our wonderful vistas by volunteering to pick up litter along highways, or in the park where you choose to stay. You can be tree-hugger (I’ve been accused of being one) and still enjoy the lifestyle and freedom that an RV offers. Believe me, you’ll enjoy the ride!
Gas prices aren’t likely to drop, or if they do, it will only be by a few cents for a short period. Think you can’t afford to travel? You can’t afford to be held hostage by high gas prices if you’ve always dreamed of someday RVing. Sacrifice where you can to find the money to buy gas, and seek out ways to economize so you don’t jeopardize your freedom–or the environment.
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