Mama 🇩🇪 June 2023

 I just got home from 2 weeks in Germany for my Mom’s funeral. While she passed May 10, the funeral was scheduled for June 20 so everyone had time to get home and be there. 

My mom was cremated like my dad and she joined him in their selected crave side on the same date just 10 years apart. My Dad 6/20/13 and now my Mom 6/20/23.

I arrived 7 days prior and stayed with my oldest sister, Carmen and her husband Erwin. They opened their home and it was the exact respite and peace I needed. To counter the stress and sadness of our loss my time there was balanced with being physical active, biking, hiking, swimming. Also most importantly soaking in much family time with my so beloved family that is over 30 strong. As well as friends. My time was however limited so I did not get to spend time with everyone or as long as i liked but never less it was really good for what my needs were. And of course the food! Yummy yummy German, Korean and Indian Food all around me.

I am not sure I ever mentioned how diverse my family truly is. This is what truly shows how open hearted and accepting my parents were, both born in the early 30’s. We have the following cultures (immigrants 😉) represented:Turkey 🇹🇷, Italy 🇮🇹, USA 🇺🇸, South Korea, Russia 🇷🇺, China 🇨🇳 , India 🇮🇳. Darn I feel I am forgetting one so might have to edit.

My point is that our Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma loved to travel and went to several continents in her lifetime. She embraced other cultures and loved a wide verity of cuisines. So to her delight came when her as a powerhouse in Germany Cooking became enhanced by having family cook for her in their ethnic ways. Ron and I contributed many times with BBQ Spare Ribs and Baked Potatoes which she loved.

How does one truly describe a person who loved her family fiercely and who embraced life to the fullest? Well it showed when at her request no announcement of her death was to be made prior to her funeral, only after were we suppose to put something in the paper. As mentioned before, we as a family are over 30 people, the chapel seated 72. Just by word of mouth the chapel was full. The following event at my moms wish prior to her death was coffee and cake at a coffee shop was full! I don’t have the count but it was beautiful to visit with so many who had each a connection and memories of her. At 89 she had touched more life’s than I could even imagine. One was lucky to have known her.

As to me, my two weeks at home at my birth place was filled with adventures. Some I might get into detail at separate blog postings. The heavy sections of us going through our moms things was made easier by us all working hand in hand without any friction. Peaceful is what I would call it. She raised us well!

So again. I call ‘growing up with the parents and siblings’ was and is the ultimate lottery win. No money in this world could ever replace the gift I was given. Lots of love, unconditional love and total respect for each other. Honesty was rated highest next to kindness and compassion. 

Indiana - The Mothership. Elkhart.

 We arrived in Elkhart IN on June 2nd and settled in for the long haul. We had booked our stay at the Elkhart Campground until July 7 due to a couple of factors. One, we were getting our new theater seats put in on June 5th and may I say we LOVE LOVE LOVE them. We finally have a living room we can use. In the 15 months we been traveling we can count on one hand how often we used the sofa. It was just uncomfortable and not user friendly for us. On the other hand our pups loved it. Keetna be laying on the sofa and Oliver would be perched on the backrest to look out the window and check on our neighborhood and neighbors, when we had any. Ron and I however had no benefit from it. But now, with the new seats, we absolutely do. We spend more time now in that section of Lucy than ever before. Our pups are however not to thrilled yet but are getting used to it.

The other reason to stay there for 5 weeks is me needing to go to Germany. My moms funeral will be June 20 and I wanted to have a cushion before and after my trip. 

The campground is very basic but has three nice amenities for us. One, we can receive all our mail there which makes life easier. Second it has a wonderful very large dog run/park. Oliver and Keetna are enjoying this part very much. Third, it has a pool. Granted I only used it once so far but just knowing there is one and water access for me makes it a win.

As to me my focus now is on spending time with my siblings in Germany for a couple of weeks, while Ron holds down the base. Then I am staying busy planning our trip to the North East as in northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. I have wanted to see that area for as long as I have been in this country and that’s been a very long time now.

We did explore some of the area. We went to our Lucy’s Birthplace and the Mothership: Renegade. We wanted to see if we could make a service appointment for her which was scheduled for October. But what was wonderful was that we got to tour how our Motorhome was build, from the ground up. Impressive. What struck me was how organized and clean everything was. They are definition not a mass production and only a few hundred come out of there each year. The quality from the walls to the electric to the woodwork is just amazing. 

Our other outing was to Shipshewana to eat at an Amish Restaurant. We saw so many horse and buggies and one had to drive very careful. 

Oh and we are not just coming back in October for the service appointment. Ron and I also put an order in with Brad and Hall to replace the Dining Room furniture. Who says one can not customize a Motorhome?