SummerRoadTrip_2012_Leaving Ohio

Saturday, June 23, 2012 I have spent the last three summers tooling around Northern Ohio; beautiful backroads, wonderful weather, and Lake Erie offers a plethora of water activities. My time spent with 'My Daisies' this summer was a ton of fun...alas it comes to an end at oh-dark-thirty in the morning when we set out for a car trip back to Florida with my Daisy Ann and the Little Sprout (her great-granddaughter) Kyah. My Daisies are the glue that has held my life together all too often, they are the ballast when I have felt like keeling over, and they are the incentive I have for staying active and engaged so as to enjoy my golden years. My Daisies have mentored me through the single motherhood years, helped rear my children, helped me survive the teenage years, and have taught me how to embrace life - wringing every last drop of joy from each day. I've enjoyed the summer weather, cruising along the backroads in Ann's big Mercury....floating is more like it. Floating over the hilly asphalt as it winds through some of the most beautiful farmland in the country; it's reassuring really, to see the lush corn, wheat, and soybeans...the pristine farm houses, huge silos, and immaculate kitchen gardens. The Amish populate this area; horse and buggies are hitched to the post outside the IGA store, homemade baked goods, meats, and cheeses abound in the local markets, and the faithful preserve a life that mimics a bygone era. I'm amazed at the lifestyle and try not to stare at the Amish with their handmade clothing, hats, and homogenous look. Three days spent relaxing, enjoying each other's company, eating, cruising the backroads, and of course laughing....always laughing.

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Plan? What Plan?

"Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have titles until much later." In the last few months I've been asked from several readers and followers, 'How do you plan your trips?' I also see the question asked numerous times (like over and over and over and over...) on the various biker-related groups on social media. Penny Tours I confess: I'm not much of a planner! I ride in the spirit of the intrepid Bessie Stringfield, a pioneer of the sport of motorcycling who in 1930 became the first black woman to ride solo across the U.S.. Bessie was notorious for her 'Penny Tours.' She would toss a penny in the air and wherever it landed on her map of the U.S.....that is the direction she would travel. And yes; I've done the Penny Tour many times. Just a few weeks ago in Indiana; I had a 'free' day between events and tossed the penny on the map of Indiana. It landed in the northern part of the state near the

Summer Road Trip 2014_Final Thoughts

I awoke Friday morning exhausted; as if someone had put on boxing gloves and gently but consistently pummeled me from head to toe. I dreaded the long journey ahead of us. Since arriving in Indiana early Wednesday morning, it had been a whirlwind of responsibilities. Mine were minimal compared to what my brother and sister had already had to do to arrange the funeral, tie up loose ends, and cover all the bases that need covering when a parent dies. After the service and dinner at the church, I think we all felt a foreboding. Our Grandparents were gone, our Mom was gone, our Dad was gone…..who does the family gather around from this point forward? We were all at loose ends. The trip back to Florida would be another ‘get on the super slab and ride’ kinda trip….the worst. I-75 South is congested with traffic, and the Weather Gods were not going to be in our favor today. We gulped a cup of coffee, my brother gave me a hug and we TRIED to slip out quietly…

#Scattered: The Hike

Setting the scene: Della, Tish, and Ann have left Chicago on their bikes on a journey west to scatter their friend Bree’s ashes in Sedona. A trip along Route 66 from its origin in Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in L.A. on their motorcycles was the foursomes’ dream. When Bree was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer her dying wish was for her three friends to make the trip in her memory with a stop in Sedona to scatter her ashes among the mystical red rocks. This scene picks up on the three women – Della - who carries Brees’ ashes in her tour pack, Tish and Ann – approximately 300 miles west of Chicago on their first day out. ~ Della thought a little commune with nature would do everyone good. At the previous rest stop (Jesus… how many times would Ann signal she needed to pee?) Della suggested a little side trip to St. Genevieve outside of St. Louis to enjoy a short hike and a stretch. Ann: Oh! how fun! Tish: (after a major eye roll in Ann’s direction) Sounds Great! Della tapped the co

Bessie and Me: Shifting Gears

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