The Human Icicle

This is nothin' compared to how I felt this morning!!

Just in case you think life on the road is all peaches ‘n cream, allow me to lay that myth to rest.  One way in which living in a converted bus is different than living in a home is plainly obvious in the shower.

To start with, all of our plumbing is under the floor of the bus, and that means it is neither heated nor cooled.  It is merely outdoor temperature.  Our water heater can only heat the shower water so many degrees warmer than the water going into it.  So, that makes the shower frustratingly hot in the summer, and cold in the winter. 

Today, another dynamic was added: having to greatly conserve water because we’re running on the tank.  Now, our onboard tank hold 100 gallons of water, which gets us through a whole day’s worth of showers for 6 people plus one load of laundry.  That’s not bad.  And that usually works fine until we get to our destination where we can hook up to a water source…unless something happens and we don’t make it to our destination, like last night.

Everything was going fine until my husband, Iron Stomach Raub, got sick…terribly sick.  The odd thing is, in all the years I’ve known him (which is about thirty-three!) he’s NEVER gotten sick like that.  He’s gotten sick in other ways, but not stomach sick.  Unfortunately, he’s the only driver of this mess, and so we didn’t make it to our destination.  Instead, we spent the night in a Walmart parking lot.

That means that the water which was slated to last for a day has to last for an undetermined amount of time.

But, back to the shower.

 

This morning, I had to take a shower that used about 1 to 2 gallons of water. 

But to complicate matters, it was cold last night, about 31 degrees.  And our shower room has no heat.

 

I estimate my water temperature to be about 50-60 degrees, and the shower room air temperature to be about the same, but the floor of the shower room was about 40 degrees.  Add to that, the fact the condensation builds up inside the rooftop vent (35 degrees) and drips down on my back (no longer 98.6 degrees) because there’s only 2 feet worth of space in the shower room.  Yikes!

I think I was an icicle when I got out.  

But I succeeded in only using my allotted amount of water!

Hopefully, My Beloved will be better soon…(like, in the next few hours??) and we can roll along.

They may look innocent, but...

See that cement post on the left?  It's not as innocent as it seems!

We got hung up today trying to get the bus into a tight spot to get fuel on our way out of town.  We didn't know the cement post was there until we ran into it, but run into it we did!  I thought it was funny how about half a dozen men came out of nowhere, swarmed around and offered their opinions about what to do.  It was quite a scene; I imagine it probably made some of those guys' day to help us out.  (Excitement is hard to come by in Albany!)  Thankfully, with prayer and a lot of fancy maneuvering on my husband's part, and we were on our way again.  It'll take some buffing to get the blue scrape marks off the side of the bus, but it should come out.


Off we go to Southern California!


Keep rolling on for Jesus, dear ones!

Pumpkin & Spice & Everything Nice!

If you look really closely, you can see the Emergency Exit sign!  If I drink all of this tonight, I'll need that exit!  lol

Here in Oregon, the days are getting shorter, the evenings cozier, and the mochas are calling.  Sharon gave me a wonderful pumpkin spice candle, which spices up the evenings.  Add to that a delicious hot drink, and you have an instant cozy evening.

The lighting is not real good, but the sign behind my husband is a sign of giving thanks to the Lord!

It was quite an opportunity to present our ministry, sing and preach (my husband! lol) at a church near Portland on Wednesday.  It is a storefront church, which is near and dear to our heart.  Everyone was so gracious to us, and kind.  If half the people who say they will pray for us really do, then we're very blessed.

Keep your days full of spice by keeping on serving Jesus, dear ones!

Free E-Book!

Something for your homeschool!

I am a bit new to the Charlotte Mason style of home education, but what I've seen so far I really like.  I found a really good web site, Homeschooling Down Under, and it seems to be full of all sorts of really good ideas.  I especially think it is great to have someone from New Zealand who has a vision to create a special homeschooling space just for her own people.

You can download their free e-book, which is a geography textbook written by Mason revised in 1925.  Elementary Geography, Book 1 was written to introduce young children to the study of Geography in a step by step, reasonable and interesting manner.  Even though my youngest is 8, this book has been a great read-aloud!

Keep the homeschool fires going, folks!

Watch out for those low sinks!

We passed a few very strange creatures in a field!  I think they're baby llamas!!

It was an uneventful Sunday here in Oregon, where we need to extend our time while my husband has  some very important dental work done.  On our way to church this morning, we enjoyed the beautiful changing leaves and crisp fall weather.  There were also some odd sights that made us smile, like baby llamas!

This buddy keeps those baby llamas in line...

Of course, we know who's REALLY in charge!

We were enthusiastically greeted by church folks as soon as we entered the door!  It was quite a blessing and an encouragement to all of us.  There was such a positive air in the church, and excitement about the things of God.  It was apparent by the signs that were plastered all over the walls:

At church, we were greeted by a sign that has the greatest message about the greatest Pewrson!

It's wonderful to know that we serve a God that can do ANYTHING!   Just like the angel Gabriel said to Mary, "For nothing is impossible with God."  Mary's response is mine, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy will."

Here's a strange thing we often see on the west coast: unisex bathrooms!

After church, we stopped at a burger joint to feed the hungry masses.  While I was there, I noticed the unisex restroom (yikes!).  I don't know about those low sinks with the really strong smelling soap!

Keep rolling on for Jesus, dear ones!

Created for a Purpose

God never made us to fit in, He made us to STAND OUT!

Keep rolling on for Jesus!

Jonathan & Brooke!

I doubt anyone out there doesn't know by now, but just in case there's someone who's been in a remote corner of the world and hasn't seen a computer in awhile, here are some pictures of my son, Jonathan, and his fiance, Brooke!!

I was going to put up just one picture, but I liked all these so well that I had to put all of them on.

We are thrilled for them, and thankful to the Lord for His working in their lives.

Interestingly enough, I've been praying specifically for (and writing to) Brooke for years, long before they began courting.  I look back now and see God's handiwork and am amazed at His wonderful workings.  

The wedding date is set for December 10!  Lord willing, it will be a tremendous time to have all my family together again for the first time in years!!

Their plan is to settle in Mississippi for awhile, and then Jon will be, Lord Willing, continuing to prepare for ministry as a missionary bush pilot.   Please pray for Jon & Brooke as they prepare for their new life together!

Update - December 2011: Jonathan and Brooke are now married!  Read about the beautiful wedding here.