blog Followers

Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts

Sunday, June 23, 2024

A caravan summer

1955: Mobile homes serenely look out on Loch Lomond in Scotland at one spectacularly placed caravan park
1955 Caravan Holiday camps

 

As a cheerful welcome representative of “Sunny Side Caravan Park”, Natalie escorted the Phillips family to their regular trailer. So darn cheerful that Hazel wanted to choke her. When the nubile sweetie enthusiastically bounced off to greet other campers, Hazel cursed her with obesity and a jiggly butt.

Jimmy Phillips was already in his swim togs, snagging some biscuits on his way to the brisk northwestern English sea. Running over the rock and pebble beach, Jimmy was the vision of joy.

Husband Roddy had headed to the “Bully Bar” barely after the car door had slammed, and was well into his second pint.  Same old, same old.  

But, Hazel stood in this worn moldy caravan where her family spent every single summer holiday for the past 15 years, and wished to be under sunny skies, somewhere, anywhere but here.

Her laser eyes mentally scorched and eviscerated every other old campers as they settled in their own mouldy caravan. Do you hate this as much as I do? Where did we go wrong? 

Every now and then, she met the eyes of other mothers and communicated the same thoughts they had. Oh, how I hate this. I hate this so much.

Her caravan was sandwiched with other caravans in a field of domino caravans--rusty moldy chipped-paint caravans filled with their own Jimmy or Roddy people.

Stifling a scream,Hazel pulled a bottle of Jameson from her bag, opened it in a panic, which she glugged down 1/3 of it.  Her second bottle was tucked away now behind the biscuit tin. 


As sunset folded into dusk, Hazel strolled to the dining hall, where tea/supper was being served.  As the alcohol gave her a warm fuzziness, Hazel smiled. Same old, same old. 

Hazel hoped she had remembered to bring the vodka.



An old friend Hazel told me about this every summer, putting a smile on her face but panic and anger in her eyes. God bless her, Hazel managed to hold her family together during these holidays.


 
 

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Big vacations are overrated.

pearson     

Luggage    

In years past, we have taken big trips.  I don’t know why we feel we have to take a big trip, but back then we must have seen big trips were a rite of passage.  We visited our daughter and husband in Switzerland in 2007.  We went on a jaunt to Utah in 2008.  We went to Hawaii in 2009.  In 2010, I made numerous trips  to Illinois. In April 2011 we laid Mom to rest.

All but the 2010 trips involved many suitcases, copious planning, mail put on hold, newspaper redirection, instructions for plant watering, and a variety of snippy- tight lipped words to each other about not forgetting things (well, mostly from me).

“Why do we do this?”  We have asked ourselves.  So we did a ‘mini-trip.’ And here are the results.
 
My own personal 'Bear in the Forest"

Our Cabin at Woodlandpark Manor in Idyllwild, CA

Alpine strawberries--incredibly sweet

Holly berries

The new totem pole in down town Idyllwild, Ca

Tahquitz Rock in Idyllwild, CA  This is popular for rock climbers.
 


Flowers are everywhere in Idyllwild, CA

To check out this awesome mountain town, click on Idyllwild, California 


Now, I ask you, which is the best thing to do:  take a big trip, or just take a trip?

 I am having surgery on my right hand.  I will post clever stuff on this site.  I want your comments.  It will be like a break from having pain.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Vacation


In years past, we have taken big trips.  I don’t know why we feel we have to take a big trip, but back then we must have seen big trips were a rite of passage.  We visited our daughter and husband in Switzerland in 2007.  We went on a jaunt to Utah in 2008.  We went to Hawaii in 2009.  In 2010, I made numerous small trips to Illinois to visit my dying mother.  In April 2011, we made a final trip to Illinois.

All but the 2010 trip involved many suitcases, copious planning, mail put on hold, newspaper redirection, instructions for plant watering, and many snippy- tight lipped words to each other about not forgetting things (well, mostly from me).

“Why do we do this?”  We asked ourselves just a few weeks ago.  So we did a ‘mini-trip.’ And here are the results.
Watching a movie with Sunshine and Bright Eyes

Swimming with grandkids and their friends

My own personal 'Bear in the Forest"

Our Cabin at Woodlandpark Manor in Idyllwild, CA

Alpine strawberries--incredibly sweet

Holly berries?

The new totem pole in down town Idyllwild, Ca

Tahquitz Rock in Idyllwild, CA

THE restaurant to check out: AWESOME

Flowers are everywhere in Idyllwild, CA

To check out this awesome mountain town, click on Idyllwild, California


Now, I ask you, which is the best thing to do:  take a big trip, or just take a trip?