Travel Tales and Pacsafe Giveaway!

"I am not the same 

having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world."

~ Mary Anne Radmacher ~

~ Dave and I in Russia ~

Dave and I began traveling in 2008 when "Dr. Jammy", a professor at Bluefield State College, asked me to go to Russia and teach Agritourism which is, simply put, agriculture married to tourism. Dr. J. had written a US State Department grant, which was accepted, and there was room in the budget for me...woohoo! Dave went, paid his own way, and for that I am forever thankful. Long story short...Dave and I flew into the Sheremetyevo International Airport where we were...not greeted...hmmm. Dave plopped me down to guard our luggage while he went in search of our group who had flown in the week prior. He didn't find them but he did find a couple of men who looked like "alphabet soup guys". Of course, I wouldn't put my hand on the Bible and swear to it but there's a certain swagger (and sometimes bulges, iow guns) that ABC (what I call alphabet soup) guys, maybe women but haven't met any of them, have that sort of screams CIA, FBI, DHS, NSA and, in this case, KGB. gulp.

~ Dave and I in the Sahara Desert ~

One man spoke better English than I do Russian (I know about six words in Russian) and said, "Jammy said you come with us." I looked at Dave...umm, I don't think so and now that I've thought about it another second, I know we're not going with you! The Russian gent showed us a photocopy of our passports and I said, "I need to speak with Jammy." Only then did he led me to a phone booth and dialed an out of country number for Jammy. Turns out there'd been a slight problem which resulted in more than a weeks' delay and Dave and I were to get in a van and these men were going to drive us five hours to another city. GULP.

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in Alaska ~

It turned out, as far as teaching, I was on my own for a day or three longer than a week so Dave and I made the best of it. We had each other, we had each other's backs and life was very good, fun and exciting! Although, our Russian/English translator did have a slight problem with alcohol...meaning he was gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white and this at 10:00 in the morning. That man could put away some alcohol and if that sort of thing impressed me, I'd be very, very impressed with his abilities. However, I was never really quite sure what he was translating. No one ever got angry with me, some were really excited and I hope that was in a good way -grin- and, in one word, the trip was fabulous! That was the first time I'd ever had a passport and, four years later, I had to get a new one because the old one had so many stamps that border guards and customs folks were peckish when they had to thumb through the pages looking for an empty spot to stamp. Oh la, get over it!

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in Tarifa, Spain ~

Over the years, I've gotten better at packing and, toward the end of our travels together, Dave and I had one rule...never carry more than we could run with. Dave could travel for a month with his "man bag" (as he called it) and an under the seat case that he could fit three pairs of pants, three shirts, socks, undies, some toiletries and a few other goodies. I had a Pacsafe purse and a twenty-one inch carry-on suitcase on wheels and we each wore travel vests with about a dozen pockets where we'd stuff things we needed at hand. Now I have added another rule which is..."if it don't roll, it don't go" which is horrible grammar but helps strengthen the point. (I've strolled London streets, alone, at 1:00 a.m. searching for my hotel and loving/cursing my rolling suitcase for the noise it was making over the cobblestones.)

~ Dave and I, with Pacsafe purse, in the Azore Islands ~

There are some things that, in addition to passport, credit cards and money, always, always, always go with me on my travels: my Pacsafe purse or wallet, my Macabi skirts (look silly on me but love the convenience) and Mephisto walking shoes. As an aside, Mephisto shoes are expensive but I bought mine on sale about ten years ago and they still look new and an added plus is Mephisto will resole the shoes when needed. I have literally been in those shoes for more than twenty hours and my feet were the only part of my body that weren't screaming in exhaustion. They are...the best shoes I've ever worn!

The Pacsafe purse is a dandy and looks new due to the care it's been given. It's not new but it is now out of production.It has two straps with a velcro strip that encloses both straps and gives a cushion when thrown over the shoulder. The sleeve in the front of the bag is open, top and bottom, so it can be put over a suitcase handle and rest on top, letting the suitcase bear the weight.

The opposite side of the bag has a large pocket, with velcro, where travel tickets, agenda, maps, book, etc. may be stored within reach.

Inside the bag are more pockets with velcro, slots for credit cards, identification, pens, two elastic pockets on either end of bag and an inside sleeve that zips shut and is the length and height of the bag. This zippered sleeve is where I kept passport, boarding passes and other things that needed safe keeping.

Safety features include top zipper locks to keep anyone from dipping into the bag

and locks to secure the bag to a chair or table.

What makes Pacsafe THE bag to carry can't be seen because it's the eXomesh beneath the fabric shell (that may be cut) and prevents the bag's contents from falling out or being removed. Click on eXomesh for full story on the many security features. I know a woman who was targeted for a slash and grab in Rome; she was getting off a bus and a man offered his hand to help her down the steps. She accepted but didn't realize his true intent was to step into her personal space, slice the bottom of her handbag with a box cutter and steal her wallet. By the time she realized what had happened, it was over and he, with her money and identification, had disappeared. I never travel without my Pacsafe bag or wallet (sometimes both); they give me added security for keeping my money, credit cards, identification and my precious passport safe.

The Giveaway: You must be a follower of this blog, you must leave a way for me to contact you, you must answer this: where is your dream vacation/holiday and why? If you win by random drawing, you'll receive the Pacsafe bag shown in this post and a few goodies for good measure that will aid in your wanderlust. A week from today, Monday, April 6, at 5:00 p.m. a name will be decided randomly. You'll have 24 hours to respond to the e-mail stating you've won; after 24 hours, another name will be drawn.

May you use for many travels in good health and happiness!

Blessings ~ travel ~ Pacsafe ~ Macabi ~ Mephisto ~ Dr. Jammy ~ travels with Dave and now by myself ~

A Melodious Small Collection

Some years ago, ML, a dear friend of decades, traveled to London. While there, she bought this small bell, designed to be worn by a sheep or goat. When she returned home, she presented me with this little treasure and said, “I wasn't sure if you had an animal bell...”. No, I didn't but she started me on the way to a small, melodious collection of, mostly, animal bells.

Not for me the beautiful yet fragile, glass, tinkly bells. No, I have always desired the sturdy, time tested, time worn and, preferably, hand made of whatever venue. This now includes bells. A lot of my bells are handmade or, in this day and age, the word is “handcrafted” and all are sturdy and produce sounds ranging from a deep clanging of a cow bell worn to the tinnier sound of the bells worn by horse, sheep or goat.

When Dave and I traveled in Eastern Europe, we were both always on the lookout for animal bells. These, and the one on the right, as evidenced by its tag, were found in Romania and all designed for a horse. Frankly, I cannot imagine having such a clanging going on aside my head but humans, as mostly always, do what they do without considering the animal. Or, perhaps, the humans did what they did and considered all animals...as in notifying folks ahead there was a horse and wagon approaching. During all our travels, I only once saw a human riding a horse and that was for the benefit of tourists; it was invariably always a horse pushing a wagon. As an aside, the horse collar is designed so the horse pushes against it and the wagon has no choice but to follow...ingenious design!

This bell was purchased on our trip to 2004 Russia. It was this trip that necessitated my first passport and, come to think of it, the first bell ever in my collection. It now reminds me of wonderful memories of foreign travel. Dave and I were in Yaroslavl, Russia at a museum where a bell maker had a nice collection of his hand poured bells. Our translator, a former ABC guy (which is what I called the no-neck former KGB man) pressured Dave into buying the bell. Dave was furious but we were alone in a country where we didn't speak the language and the translator had been arranged by the man who had arranged the trip (and would arrive much later) so Dave purchased the bell. Frankly, I'm glad he did as it's a wonderful reminder of a fabulous trip where we did so many exciting things and met so many incredible people. Even so, Dave had many awful things to say about the ABC guy and none were complementary!

This bell was purchased in Ukraine, at a flea market. Ah me, I could have spent a small fortune at that flea market but came home with this bell, some textiles and carried home a hand made from wood pieces room divider to give to my sister. That dratted thing weighed a small ton and I'm not sure my back has ever recovered from carrying it around until I got to the airport and boxed it. Back to the bell...the leather collar is held in place by a hand carved wooden clasp; both leather and wood are well worn, the leather somewhat stiff with age but still a thing of beauty.

This bell is Polish, or rather, was purchased in Poland. That's about all that can be said as it's unknown where the bells were made or by whom. Especially the hand made bells because it's impossible to know the history but the well worn patina from both being hand crafted and worn by many animals, handled by many hands is still a sweet mystery. 

It embarrasses me I cannot remember where I purchased this bell, above. Perhaps my memory will surprise me one day...or not.

This bell still has its leather collar which is in, surprisingly, good shape and could be used today with no other preparation.  This one and the one below were purchased in Southport, NC at an antique shop. The shop owner said the, now deceased, bell owner traveled a good deal in Europe and she thought the bells might be European. It pleases me to know another woman found delight and mystery in such simple, hand made goods. Another woman saw the beauty in the everyday, hand made and found these bells worthy of being bought, carried home and admired.

 

This one is a cow bell, pounded out on some farmer's anvil and has a deep, melodious sound that brings to mind a placid cow, walking across an alpine pasture with nothing more serious on her mind than good grass, sweet water and being milked come evening. 

That's what comes of getting ready to move; no, the farm hasn't sold yet but like Noah ben Shea said, "Be patient. Patience is also preparation. It is the action before the act." Like I've always said, "Wait is a verb."  While waiting, I'm giving away, packing, tossing and wondering at a life well lived here on Thistle Cove Farm. Dave and I made it a good great life, one full of memories, good times, mementos and, it seems, every little thing has a history, a story and I can recall almost each one. I've begun using a small white tag to write where something was purchased or why it's special. I'm told the provenance of something, when written down or proven, makes the item more valuable. I know it makes the item more valuable in that when I read that small tag, memories, precious memories, flood over, around, through me and I'm transported to that time and place. It's part of the healing process, a good part, and I'm grateful.

Blessings ~ ML ~ a melodious small collection of bells ~ Willie Nelson ~ Precious Memories ~ Noah ben Shea ~ Dave ~ 

Happy Birthday, Dave

~ Sandra and Dave in Russia ~

The room was always too crowded

until you walked in,
love as strong as death.

Dear Readers - if you read this post, you know Thistle Cove Farm is for sale. Yes, it's true although it's an unhappy truth. Thankfully, God gave me another birthday last month as well as the determination to make the difficult decision to sell the farm so I can move closer to family - teulu yn popeth. 

Please visit this site, here, for more information; it's updated every day or so.

By the way, Happy Birthday to Val, she and Dave share birth days, many decades apart.

Blessings ~ being Dave's friend and wife ~

TGIF and Random 5 Friday

~ American Curly horses ~

Today, a gentleman from Virginia Currents e-mailed me and asked for  farm photos to use in a television news magazine segment featuring Virginia farms. He asked for four photos and I sent eight; yes, I can count, but having no understanding of what he needed, I sent him twice as many photos so he can cull fifty percent. Whenever possible, I like to make other folks' jobs' easier. 

~ chestnuts, ready for roasting ~

Another gent, from across the mountain, likes to hunt ground hogs in our valley and I like for him to hunt ground hogs on this farm.  They are pesky rodents who dig huge holes that are a safety hazard for my horses, sheep and alpacas. Me too, remembering now the huge hole I stepped into in mid-summer. Anyway, the hunter brought me a coffee can of chestnuts and I plan on X'ing them and roasting them tonight and all weekend. I've never found a nut I didn't like and chestnuts are a favorite. 

~ London travel journal, right ~

Dave and I began traveling overseas in 2008 when I was asked to teach Agri-tourism in Russia. the program was through the U. S. State Department and run by a West Virginia Bluefield State professor. That was the beginning of a entirely new set of adventures for Dave and I. In January 2010, Dave sent me to London because, "I want you to learn to travel by yourself. I'll be here, at home, for a safety net, but you'll be on your own." I planned that trip...airline, hotel, sights, etc....and, yes, it was frightening but also exhilarating! When my plane landed, my transportation to town wasn't there and never arrived. I finally took the Tube into London and my Earls Court stop where I wandered for an hour looking for my hotel. All this at midnight, in the cold, snow and worst winter London had in twenty-five years...exhilarating!  The memory of the red fox and I, crossing on opposite street corners, remains a favorite memory. 

~ July - August 2011 travel journal ~

I'm getting to my point, please forgive a tired, slow woman...in the summer of 2011, Dave sent me to Eastern Europe, amazing because, at that time, Dave was recovering from cancer treatment and, needless to say, I didn't want to leave him. He insisted and gave me the same reason he'd given when he sent me to London the year before. So, that fabulous trip was to Hungary, were I met Timi and her family and Jane and Lance, then went to Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Austria. 

I'm going to submit, for possible publication, my journals to Stampington Public. I haven't a clue they'll accept them but I'm pretty sure the answer is no if I don't ask. This is a huge step for me; when I was in elementary school, my "art" teacher (using the term most loosely!) told me, "You have absolutely no talent whatsoever; I have no idea why you even try." 

My answer after all these decades is, "Life is risky and the answer is always "no" when the question isn't asked."

Through no work of their own, the dogs are ready for cold weather. Their sweaters were washed and line dried this week and bought a smile to my face. 

We had a jail break today; the alpacas found a gate I'd left open and made their way into the yard. They were so funny, looking like they were tiptoeing around the yard. The dogs don't even bark anymore when the animals go where they aren't really supposed to go. Eventually, I got them all back in the same pasture and all is well on the farmstead.

This post is linked up with Nancy's Random 5 Friday at A Rural Journal. Please visit her and see the other participants.

Blessings ~ clean sweaters ~ animals in their correct places ~ chestnuts ~ American Curly horses ~ travel journals ~  alpacas ~

Get off the Boat

Jen, Finding Heaven Today, has a post on...fear which is what I call most of the unknowns in life. She talks about leaving the boat which reminds me of the card someone sent Dave and I when we bought this farm. The card showed two people, standing at a crossroads, with a sign that pointed "Normal" and "Off the Beaten Path". The couple stood at the lane that lead to "Off the beaten path" and the caption said, "George, are you sure we should do this?"

Dave used to say, "Once you get off the boat, you can never go back." He and Cathy were going to sell out, move to Hawaii and raise blood hounds except cancer changed those plans and she died. Eleven months after she died, I met Dave and he and I moved to Hawaii and lived for a while (separate bedrooms) because he needed to find his bearings. Little did either of us know it would take six years for him to regain equilibrium but he was worth every day of wait. Evidently, he thought the same of me.
We bought this farm and moved from Richmond where we'd each lived for years. It was a great decision; it taught us to rely on each other, to depend upon each other and it was the beginnings of a foundation that stood us in good stead over the years. What cemented that foundation, that trust, that love was when we began to travel. 

The first time I ever needed a passport, I was invited to teach in Russia. Thankfully, Dave decided he wanted to go and the two of us landed in the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport where we wandered around for a while. Long story short, the people who were supposed to meet us were detained...for a week...and Dave and I were on our own. The man who'd put the trip together had arranged for a car and driver; eventually, Dave and I were found and, after a phone call to ascertain it was legit, we loaded our luggage into a van with two Russians, one of whom was ex-KGB. Oh yeah, talk about fear factor -smile-. We drove for about five hours before we arrived in Yaroslavl where I was to teach first. It didn't take long for Dave and I to surmise our translator, the ABC no-neck guy as he was quickly labeled, was a severe alcoholic...by eleven o'clock in the morning! God knows what he translated that week but our reception was warm and I still correspond with some of those people we met, so it might not have been too bad. I think. 

Dave and I "got off the boat" to make that trip and it was the beginning of a lot of trips, most of them mild adventure that made for wild adventure and a lot of memories. Were we frightened? Oh yes...but we did it anyway. Like I told my mother when she had a panic attack over our going to Russia, "If God can take care of us in Virginia, He can take care of us in Russia. It's not a problem for God." In the years since, He's taken care of us, and now me, in almost thirty countries and in situations that were sometimes...tense. (Remembering here the Russian Mafia in Gori, Georgia and camping in the Moroccan Sahara Desert nine clicks from the Algerian border.) Since Dave's death, God has kept me safe in Sint Maartin and I feel confident He's also kept me safe each and every day since.

A few years ago, a friend told me she admired me and I was surprised. I asked her why and she said, "because you're not afraid of anything." Again, she surprised me and I told her, "Oh yes, I'm afraid. I'm afraid if I say "no" to God, He'll stop giving me opportunities."  Getting up in the morning takes a lot of faith and courage. How do people who don't have God in their lives manage? I mean, why bother? Life is full of unknowns; it's full of what if's and, for me, it's full of Jesus. 

I don't know what the future will bring, heck, I'm not sure what all I'm doing tomorrow but I do know my future includes Jesus. 

And that means I can step out confidently, in the direction of my dreams. What's your dream and will you join me?

Blessings ~ Dave ~ travel ~ mild adventure ~ Jesus ~ 

Thank you, Mr. Van Cliburn

~ photo borrowed from Mr. Cliburn's website ~

And in a world gone made with people jockeying and vieing for attention, no matter the cost, there are bit of news that are worthy. A gentleman who made a dramatic and positive difference in this frosty ole world is no longer with us.

Mr. Harvey Lavan Van Cliburn passed away yesterday at age 78. He won the first international Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958 in Moscow when he was only 23 and won only six months after the Soviet's launch of Sputnik 1 which embarrassed the US and pushed us into the space age. Mr. Van Cliburn's triumph helped with cold war conditions between the USA and the USSR and launched his rock star status around the world. This "Texan Who Conquered Russia" returned to a first ever New York ticker-tape parade for a classical musician.

Supposedly Premier Nikita Khrushchev gave permission for Mr. Van Cliburn to receive the award; he was a foreigner winning an award named for a Russian. "Is Cliburn the best? Then give him first prize." This would be the same Khrushchev who, in the 1960's, pulled his shoe off his foot, beat the table with it, or so says "Viktor Sukhodrev, Khrushchev's brilliant interpreter, remembers that his boss pounded the UN desk so hard with his fists that his watch stopped, at which point, irritated by the fact that some "capitalist lackey" had in effect broken a good watch, Khrushchev took off his shoe and began banging."

I well remember Mom and Daddy watching the news and being aghast at such behavior and from a Russian who wasn't all that friendly to the USA. And, if memory serves me correctly, this is the same Khrushchev who said, "Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man."

But, I digress. Mr. Van Cliburn made his last public appearance in September, in Fort Worth, at the 50th anniversary of the piano competition named for him. In 2003, he was presented the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Bush. The next year, 2004, he was presented the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Van Cliburn, you, sir, were extraordinarily talented and a gentleman who encouraged thousands. Your talent was a gift from God and you served Him well; you're already missed. 

Oh, those mad folks referred to at the beginning? The Texas "teacher", and I use the word loosely, who made her female students dress in burqa's and call Muslim terrorists "freedom fighters". She was supposed to be teaching geography but strayed into pro-Muslim territory and needs to be taken to the wood shed. It's insane to think Christian children cannot pray in school but this "teacher" forces her students to pander to her wants and wishes in support of terrorists. Hellllloooo!? Remember 9/11? Or, did that not take place, like the Holocaust? As George Santayan said, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

There are only two ways to live life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein ~

Today's Miracles ~ the gift and talent of Mr. Van Cliburn ~