Tag Archives: moving

My Life Story

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My Life Story

How is this for a word prompt? Write your life story using one word per event. No numbers. Abbreviations if places or events have more than one word. Use commas to separate words. Here goes!


Born, Winnipeg, girl, May, Aberdeen, Brock, house, Herzlia, WO, RH, GP, RMH, UWC, UM, MEC, Sarina, apartment, HSC, Skin, PBC, Charlesdale, apartment, Savoy, house, dog, boy, girl, Dunbar, house, Misericordia, Surgery, Grace, Surgery, RRCC, OB, Parkside, house, KTC, HC, CCH, Dash, UM, Freedom, Crestview, house, Culiacan, Senda, Winnipeg, Irapuato, CA, Tlaquepaque, Culturlingua, Winnipeg, Concordia, Knee, Tlaquepaque, GLC, IC, Winnipeg, Concordia, Knee, Tlaquepaque, IC, AFDW, Mazatlan, AS, ES, Leavenworth, Mazatlan, GDL, Eyes,, Leavenworth, SC, SLP, AGS, Leavenworth, AGS, Peshastin, Dryden, AGS, Wenatchee, Leavenworth, East Wenatchee, AGS

So how well do you think you know me?

Quarries and Salad

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Quarries and Salad

I’m really excited about my new laptop. After sending an album to the cloud rather than creating a folder, I’m finally getting a hang of this. Of course I have over 3000 photos on my Seagate that now have to be organized into folders. But I think I need to stay home to do that.

I’ve been staying out in Westwood this week. Donna’s husband Loris has been pampering me with gourmet meals and homemade wine from grapes, not a kit.

On Monday Donna and I went out to her cousin’s place in Stony Mountain. We spent a relaxing afternoon in their pool. Then it was off to go and explore the quarries.

Yesterday we had a delightful lunch at Sorrentos. Whenever I come back to Winnipeg, a Sorrentos Salad is a must. And it’s still located in the same strip mall in Charleswood as it was back in the seventies.

But a downer was that I’m feeling like I’m being held hostage by MPIC. I need to renew my driver’s license and it’s time for a new photo. But it has to be done within 45 days from expiration, and I don’t want to stay here another two weeks. However I found a great agent who will go to bat for me if I can hang in there for at least another week. So I may get to travel out west in Canada yet.

Moving day tomorrow so today I need to pack. I’m actually looking forward to getting out of the downtown area. I can’t believe how run down and full of panhandlers it’s become.

Oh oh! More rain in the forecast. We had an amazingly loud thunder boomer Monday night with lots of rain. We need to send some of it to California where they’re battling wildfires.

Happy Humpday!

Yes I Moved Again

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Yes I Moved Again

Hopefully this is the last Washington move. One night in Seattle, two nights in Leavenworth, one week in Dryden, four nights in Peshastin and now I’m in East Wenatchee.

I’ve unpacked one of my two suitcases. I got here Sunday evening so that’s not bad. The other suitcase has things like pastels and water colors. No time for that yet.

I went into Leavenworth yesterday for a SAIL class. Higher up in the mountains so it’s cooler and there is still snow. I’ll be going into Leavenworth again on Thursday for another class.

We watched House of Gucci last night. I am so glad I watched it in English. Had I watched it in Spanish in Mexico I would have missed a lot of the little nuances. Great movie and I highly recommend it.

For all my hometown friends in Canada…..you are now two hours ahead of me. That means I won’t be calling as regularly as when I was in Aguascalientes in the same time zone. Apparently Washington has also decided to do away with the time change starting in the fall.

The featured photo is the view from my street. I just can’t get enough of these mountains. Living on the flat Canadian prairies for so many years will do that to you. The mountains in Queretero always remind me of the ones here in Washington.

Things are looking better for traveling to Canada this year. Doing away with Covid tests to enter the country is a start. And Amtrak is going to start running to Vancouver again.

My thought for Humpday:

Today Is Moving Day

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Today Is Moving Day

Today is Wednesday and it’s moving day. This time it’s from Dryden to Peshastin. Will be pet sitting for a friend…a dog, a cat and fish.

I will still be on the river, but closer to Leavenworth than to Wenatchee. Temp will be a little cooler and a little more snow left on the ground although the rain the other day washed some of it away.

I saw this the other day.

I admit that this is something this free spirit rarely does. But I’ve started doing it this year. No, I don’t have paranoid friends, although I’ve accused them of this in the past. Maybe it’s approaching the almost seven decades of life. Maybe it’s Covid. Maybe it’s what’s going on in the Ukraine. But this year I have one contact in each of the three countries who always know where I am when I’m traveling.

I was contemplating a trip to Canada next week but have decided to put it on hold until May. The crazy and inconsistent regulations regarding Covid in Canada are raising my anxiety level, and I don’t need that when I can remain here in the USA and live a comfortable and relatively stress free life with a good deal more freedom.

Last week I was able to get a booster shot that had not been available to me in Mexico. While I was at Cascade Medical in Leavenworth, I realized how much at home I felt there. I’ve been there a handful of times in the past few years, yet I can no longer even envision the clinic I went to for so long all those years ago in Winnipeg.

I have friends who marvel at my lifestyle and I have friends who are very critical of it. In all honesty, sometimes I question it myself. But then I think of the amazing people I’ve met and the incredible adventures I’ve had and settling down in one place for a long period of time loses its appeal quickly.

So where’s home?

It’s true that I have called Aguascalientes home six months of the year for the past three years. But I don’t stay there all the time. It’s my home base for traveling elsewhere. Although it’s been more difficult traveling during Covid, this past winter I did get to Culiacan twice to see my Mexican family, celebrated Thanksgiving in Mazatlan, New Years in Jilotzingo and got to explore new places near CDMX and in the state of Hidalgo.

And it goes without saying that the other place I call home is Washington state. I have fond memories of my first visit in July of 2016. I came for two weeks and stayed for four months. The snow in mid November chased me back to Mazatlan. I have lived mainly in Leavenworth when I come to Washington, but that is going to change when I leave Peshastin next week.

Hint: Leaving Chelan County and moving to Douglas County.

I’m Back!

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I’m Back!

First week back in Washington has flown by quickly. I’m trying to adapt to the cold up here. Very different from Mexico and Arizona. So very glad I left a warm ski jacket here. And happy that I don’t need the boots.

I’m living out in Dryden for a few days and it’s always cooler along the river. But I spent yesterday in Leavenworth. I had a CPR course in the morning and went out for lunch with friends after. Then we got some apple cider and visited downtown by the gazebo. The sunshine was most welcome and I think we hit a balmy 50 degrees.

This morning we’re off to Sage Hills in Wenatchee. Can’t wait to actually be with people again and not just do church online.

SAIL fitness classes have started again for me and I really enjoy teaching them. The program was developed here in Washington state and is geared for seniors and aimed at fall prevention. Minnesota and a few other states are now offering this as well.

This coming week I’ll be in Wenatchee for more fitness training. And on Wednesday I’m moving again. Where? Maybe next blog post……..

Yep! I Did It Again

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Yep! I Did It Again

I moved. For the month of May I’m living in Dryden, a small town about 10 minutes down Highway 2 from Leavenworth. I’ve become the master of packing and unpacking and was quite comfortably settled in within hours. I even found the time to dive into my craft bag and play with acrylic paints yesterday.

The air is so fresh out here and of course the traffic is much lighter than in Leavenworth. The house where I’m staying is nestled in nicely between the river and the orchards. And of course the mountain view is outstanding.

I’m looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing month here.

Again? Nomad Moved Again?

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Again? Nomad Moved Again?

YES.

Fourth move in four months.

I’m back in Leavenworth.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to unpack a suitcase. But I always do.

And I keep on moving. And this time I wound up back in Leavenworth.

It snowed all day yesterday and it’s still snowing this morning. It’s the first time I’ve ever moved on a snowy day. Usually it’s bright and sunny.

I also haven’t seen snow like this since 2009. It actually does look kind of pretty.

I was in Cashmere yesterday morning where it wasn’t snowing. I visited my tree, of course, and went to Spirit of America.

It’s a very different winter for me and I’m getting used to it. So far it’s been pretty mild. But it isn’t Mexico.

Nomad Moved Again!

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Nomad Moved Again!

Yes I did. I moved again. On Thursday. To a house in Wenatchee. Covid has slowed me down but hasn’t stopped me yet.

I was at Cascade Medical the other today and the receptionist remarked that I’d been seen on two occasions and this was now a third address and a second phone number.

The phone number is a simple explanation. Because I’m gone more than three months AT&T makes me get a new phone number each time I return to Washington.

Two years ago I saw a doctor and was living on West Street in Leavenworth at the time. Last week when I had lab work done, I had moved onto Prospect Street. And when I saw the doctor on Tuesday, I provided the clinic with my new address here in Wenatchee.

My plan right now is to stay here until my 180 in the USA is up this time around. I must admit I’m getting tired of counting days and dealing with immigration in three different countries. But when I think of actually settling down in one place for more than a few months at a time, it’s actually a tad overwhelming.

Wenatchee is the largest city in Chelan County with a population of just under 35,000. Wenatchee Valley Mall is an indoor mall with Macy’s, Ross, Bed Bath and Beyond, Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works as well as several other smaller stores. North Valley Mall is a strip mall and has J C Penney as its anchor along with Old Navy and a WinCo opening up in the near future. Wenatchee also has Costco, Wal-Mart and Target. There are lots of restaurants here as well including Applebees and Olive Garden. When I lived in Leavenworth I spent a fair amount of time here as it’s less than a half hour drive.

Wenatchee is also closer to Cashmere, my favorite town so far in Washington state. I often visit Spirit of America, an amazing memorial for 9/11. The cinnamon buns and apple fritters at Sure to Rise Bakery are the best I’ve ever had. Agave Azul is home to the best Mexican cuisine in the area.

While the sidewalks in Leavenworth are icy due to the recent snowfall, I just returned from a walk on clear sidewalks with no ice or snow in sight. At a lower elevation, snowfall is significantly less and temperatures are milder here in Wenatchee.

This will be my first winter up north since 2009. Wenatchee seems to be an ideal spot for this experience.

Nomad On The Move Again

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Nomad On The Move Again

For someone who despises routine, I apparently do have one that includes packing, moving and unpacking. And it seems to be done on quite a regular basis. In the past month, I have repeated this process on my journey to Leavenworth from Mazatlan which included stays in Culiacan, Frankford and Toronto. And I have just moved again here in Leavenworth. While I am getting more efficient in organizing this whole process, it’s nice to finally unpack with the idea of staying here for a longer period of time.

My room is quite comfortable and is bright even on a gloomy, rainy day like today, a day very conducive to writing. It’s nice to slow down after a hectic week of packing and running around. Once I get this post up on my blog, I hear my characters calling in my current work in progress.

I once again joined the Bavarian Book Club at the Leavenworth Library. These meetings will be held immediately after my memoir writing class at the Methodist Church, so Mondays will be busy days. The book we are currently reading fits right in as it is a memoir of a family and culture in crisis entitled Hillbilly Elegy by author J.D. Vance.

I spent all day Tuesday at Grace Lutheran Church in Wenatchee with other fitness instructors. It was a most informative professional development day with presentations by physical therapists. It was also a great opportunity to interact with other SAIL instructors from across the state of Washington. The SAIL program is aimed at seniors and focuses on preventing falls as well as remaining fit.

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Wednesday was moving day in the morning followed by lunch and bridge at the Leavenworth Senior Center. And then it was major unpacking and organizing my bedroom. No idea where I found the energy but somehow I got it all done.

Yesterday I unexpectedly taught the fitness class in the morning as the scheduled instructor was unable to teach. Then it was off to Wenatchee to do some shopping in the afternoon. Dinner with a friend rounded out the day. We ate outside and to our delight saw a deer wander down the street.

The rain began last night and has continued throughout the day. It’s a great day to stay in and write. Skies are predicted to clear tomorrow so I intend to pursue some outdoor activities.

The view from my bedroom window at sunset, just a tad different from Mazatlan.

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Have a great weekend!