We are home from a great trip.

The van was terrific and I look forward to many more road trips with Ken. I’m getting used to camping, as long as every once in a while we find a place with wi-fi, so I can check in with friends.

We had very few plans on this last adventure. We knew we wanted to see several old friends and we did. There were also several friends we did not connect with and I’m sorry for that. I hope we will try again soon.

The first part of the trip was spent camping out in the driveways of friends. Some of these folks had notice we were coming and others didn’t. The next half of the trip was just me and Ken and pretty places.

We drove the 101 up the Oregon coast and pulled over to look at the sights whenever we wanted to. We stopped at farm stands. We ate blueberries and cherries, one right after the other. With my feet on the dash, windows rolled down, we spit cherry pits into the wilds and sang the songs in our heads out loud. And we did that thing old people do… we read out loud every friggen sign we saw.

“Kevin’s Tire Store, View point ahead. Best Mexican Food Ever, State Park Fee Area, and on and on.

Ken did all the driving. I told him where and when to turn. He always said, between the two of us, we make one hell of a driver.

On the 9th day I said I was ready to go home. We were going to stay longer, but something in me was just done. I know now what that was. (My qigong is very good.)

When we got home there was a message on our phone. I was surprised to hear not the message, but the news that all messages are deleted in 10 days, and that two messages would be deleted the next day.

Messages not heard. I didn’t know this feature of our phone system and am glad to know it now. One of the messages that had one more day in the machine before disappearing was from Nancy Lee at the Bowen General Store. She said she might have the necklace I lost several weeks ago. I got pretty excited and was ready to jump back in the car and head for the store. Ken said I might want to call to be sure it was still there — after all it had been 9 days since she called and I never spoke up, it might be gone. I called. Nancy wasn’t working and wouldn’t be in until today, Monday. The other clerks had no idea what I was talking about. I called Nancy at home. We played phone tag leaving messages and waiting until Monday to know seemed to be what would happen.

Patience, being my strong suit, I went to the store Sunday morning. Sure enough taped to the shelf by the smokes, in a plastic bag was my pendant! My heart leapt. Saying I’m okay with loss is one thing, being tested is another.

This morning I went to the General Store, after stopping at Cocoa West and buying a big box of chocolates. I saw Nancy, gave her the chocolates and a huge hug. She said she found the necklace on the floor of the store, but no chain. She thought maybe the diamonds were real. 🙂 As were the rubies, pearls and emeralds.

Nancy said she was glad I posted the loss on the Bowen Island Forum and she was glad it came back to me.

I’m glad too.