As a breast cancer survivor, my goal is to help other women who have been newly diagnosed to experience hope as they go through the journey. It is my faith in God that kept me going. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, it is also my privilege to help families who are affected by this horrible disease. My husband of almost 40 years and I have two grown children who are married, and seven grandchildren.
Finally, after months of preparing and planning, our next West Airstream Adventure begins!
I made a custom journal for each of the girls with matching pens, stickers, and t-shirts. It’s going to be so much fun!
After celebrating birthdays for three of our littlest grands (pictures at the end), we picked up our oldest Jedi #1 (Alison) and started with her on a road trip! We drove to our trailer which we left in Thackerville Oklahoma, spent the first night in the Classy Girl together, and now she will join us for the next several drive time devotions and singalongs as we traverse the country. The first bit is a three-day drive where we will also pick up our Jedi #2 (Paige), have a birthday celebration for Jedi #4 Gabriel, and then we will take both girls to the Badlands National Park! The last time we went on a road trip with these two girls they were 5 and 3 (do you remember the big diaper blowout 😱??). Hard to believe it’s been half a decade, but now they are 10 and 8. It seems like the perfect age to go on a road trip, and since Alison had a big double-digit birthday in March, this is our BIG birthday present for her. We plan to see some sites, find some animals, swim a lot, play games, and much more. We will wrap up in Sioux Falls SD from where I will fly home with Alison while Yoda drives Paige home. Wish us luck! And please pray for an “un”eventful trip with no injuries! 🙏🏻
Here are some pictures of our first day on the trip together, followed by a gallery of photos from the big birthday party.
Cooling off on a HOT day!Making important life choicesWe are parked on this roadOklahoma!Alison and our Classy GirlSleeping on the couch. She is the first visitor to break it in!
Mikayla is 4, Jaxson is 3, and Olivia is 2. They all had birthdays between May 14 and June 30!
Hannah found a dino maskEating hot dogsDaddy puts batteries for JaxsonYoda assembles Mikayla’s cleaning toysAlison models her gogglesOlivia is two!Olivia says “roar”Mikayla says “roar”Jaxson and Nana
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Our next big trip starts in two days, Memorial Day, so we have been busy getting all of our medical appointments out of the way, haircuts and color, purchases that are too hard to get on the road, etc. In this blog I’ll share some updates from my medical journey. And a little bit of Tim’s as well.
Dec. 23, 2024. Scan for Bone Density, known as DXA BONE MINERAL DENSITY BOTH HIPS AND SPINE. I continue to show scores in the “osteopenia” range. It does appear that my bone density is (significantly) better than previous bone scans. The bone specialist continues to do bloodwork to determine the level of Zometa I need. This is an infusion about every three months, and just adds about 15-20 minutes to my normal infusion routine. Based on recent scan and bloodwork, continue with treatment.
April 23rd. MRI of the brain. AND fasting bloodwork (CTX Beta Crosslaps). Since my vision has been changing (increased double vision mostly), my neurology oncologist has been watching my brain again. They scan it about every three months. They always find some little something, but it’s all good. If you’re into the medical lingo, here’s a snippet from my test result. No changes. No new lesions. The spots they follow are residual effects from the radiation in 2019.
1. No new or recurrent intracranial metastases. 2. Stable scattered intrinsically T1 hyperintense lesions in the calvarium may represent hemangiomas and can be followed. Scattered intrinsically T1 hyperintense lesions in the calvarium show no worrisome interval change and appear to suppress on fat saturation techniques which may reflect osseous hemangiomas.
As for the bloodwork, she looks for certain numbers to determine when we need to get my next dose of Zometa. She did another fasting CTX in May, and the numbers went up, so it’s time for another dose.
May 1. CBC (full panel bloodwork) and Hip X-Ray. I saw the doctor on this date. I’m having some hip pain, ever since I drove my daughter to her surgeon’s appointment (4.5 hours away). She ordered a full blood panel in addition to tests for my hip. The blood showed some abnormalities including low hemoglobin, low red blood cells, and low platelets. This probably explains some of my fatigue lately. However, I was sick with a stomach bug from April 28-29, so this was likely the reason for the low blood counts (and fatigue). The X-Ray was normal, with this snippet. “Focal trabecular thickening of the intertrochanteric right femur. These features were present on the radiographs of 10/27/2022 and are considered benign. No evidence of metastatic disease.” That’s good news. They did find “Osteitis pubis” which is basically an inflammation which causes pain. Rest is the treatment for that.
The doctor noted this in my chart, “No fracture or evidence of cancer on the x-ray from yesterday. We’ll wait for the results from your CT and bone scan and go from there.” She scheduled my whole body bone scan and CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. It has been eleven months since my last body scans, and since we are traveling soon it’s probably good to get those done anyway.
May 8. Whole body scans. Also known on MyChart as CT CHEST ABDOMEN PELVIS W CONTRAST and NM BONE SCAN WHOLE BODY. This is a half-day long process, as they have to access my port, insert the nuclear medicine contrast for the bone scan (then wait two hours to do the scan). In the meantime I have to drink the CT contrast, wait about an hour and they do the CT. There’s about an hour in between scans where I typically go and eat something, since the CT is a fasting exam. If I have enough time I go off-campus, but usually there’s no time for that. I brought my breakfast this time and ate in the Marketplace on the 2nd floor.
Results: CT states “No evidence of active metastatic disease.” Also known as NEAD. They always find a few nodules in my lungs or other places, but they are stable and of “unknown origin,” so as long as we continue with the current treatment plan, there shouldn’t be any progression. Bone scan states, “Stable bone metastases involving the left fourth rib and the right iliac bone.” Mind you, the reports are much lengthier, but seeing the words “stable” and “NEAD” are what we hope for.
May 15, 2025. MOHS (Tim). Tim had surgery on his nose to remove basal cell carcinoma, and on this day he had the stitches removed. It was right by his eye, so a bit scary. However, the surgeon did an excellent job! She didn’t have any trouble closing it up, and she was able to get clean margins. You can’t even tell it was there. This is an ongoing issue for Tim as he has fair skin, thanks to his Irish blood. I believe this is his third surgery. Many of you have had this done as well. The older we get, the more we regret not wearing sunscreen as a kid.
May 15, 2025. Dental Crowns. I had two crowns put in the right molars (top and bottom) due to cracks in the teeth. I have to be very careful about what I allow dentists to do, as the Zometa can cause necrosis in the bones if they do any deep work. This dentist was well aware of my situation, and the crowns were not only the best option but they fit perfectly! I am very happy with those results.
Whew! Quite a month. Or two. We are now primed and ready for our next big adventure! More on that in the near future.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Sometime in February our daughter called to tell us her eye doctor had diagnosed her with detached retinas in both eyes. She needed surgery. Her left eye was worse than the right eye, and they considered it an emergency. She had no center vision in her left eye.
They made some referrals, and the referral made another referral, so that she ended going to a university hospital several hours from their home. Long story short, they did the surgery on the first eye the first week of March, and the second one two weeks later. They put a “buckle” in both eyes, but fortunately she didn’t need the “bubbles,” which is a very long and arduous recovery. Almost immediately she could see better, but it’s still a very long healing process. Initially she couldn’t lift anything over five pounds. She has been unable to drive since the first surgery, as her vision is so blurry it is akin to not wearing glasses before the surgery (she’s very nearsighted, which is most likely the risk factor causing the detachment). She is also warned not to strain her eyes.
She’s in college, has a family with two elementary aged children, and she still can’t drive.
What does this have to do with my metastatic breast cancer journey? Or traveling in an Airstream as full-timers? It connects to my story because we never know what might pop up along the way that can change the trajectory of our path. It could be a new lesion, or side-effect of the medication. It could be a break-down in something Airstream related. We just have to be willing to be flexible and go with the flow. That doesn’t come easy for a planner, but God’s still working on me!
The patient becomes the caregiver.
We were in Florida when we received the call, and we immediately started thinking about how we could help her. Should we leave immediately and fly up, or take the Airstream, or wait and see? We had plans to go back to Texas visiting capitol buildings along the way, attend some rallies (which were already paid for in non-refundable payments), check on the new house build, and stay in Texas until June or later depending on the progress of our house. How might this change those well-made plans? Sometimes, the cancer patient becomes the caregiver to someone in their family or circle of friends. It’s what we do. It’s called life.
We considered taking the trailer as we didn’t know how long she would need us, but the RV parks in this area have yet to turn on their water, due to freezing temperatures. Her husband decided to take off work until the beginning of April, so that gave us time to attend the rallies and find a place to settle in Texas. We booked flights and headed north to help her out once we got the Airstream settled in at a gated RV park in Montgomery. Tim had a work visit with a church, and it’s not too far from her, so that helped defray some of the costs. We really miss our home!
Aside, we are happy to have made the decision to purchase the Airstream Classic. It has a multiplex system that allows us to turn the A/C or Heat on and off as needed. It doesn’t have an “auto” feature (yet), so we have been checking the internal temperature and turning it on as needed.
Hanging out with Dad before he flies home.
We originally planned on flying back to Houston yesterday, but Elizabeth still doesn’t have new glasses so she can barely see. She needs a ride to the hospital for her follow-up consult now that Anthony is working. Tim has a biopsy scheduled for a spot on his nose that he has put off for way longer than needed, so he went back on the original flight. Getting him there was a bit of drama in itself, as we had a rental car from the airport three hours away and one of us would need a ride. Tim found a local guy who transports to the airport, and they had a nice chat all the way there. I stayed behind for another week and I’ll return the car when I get there. Logistics!
I was fortunate to get the exact same flight schedule at no additional charge. I can change the flight again if necessary, but that would require missing medicine (I didn’t bring enough to go past Monday), and rescheduling appointments at MD Anderson. At this point we are praying Elizabeth will have glasses on Friday so she can get used to them over the weekend and then I can head home the day after Easter. I took her to her local eye doctor who gave her a prescription. She will be able to see 20-20 out of her right eye with new glasses. That’s progress! Her left eye still has a ways to go.
Tomorrow we pack up the kids in the car rental and head to Iowa City for Elizabeth’s follow-up appointment with her surgeon; we hope to get her new glasses there. Iowa City has a same-day eyeglasses store in town that can make her a cheap, temporary pair until her vision settles and she can get a new more permanent prescription. That should be about three to six months from now, but at least she will be able to drive!
I’m sitting in her community college lobby as I type this, feeling a bit reminiscent of my own college days. I’m watching young students come and go while waiting for Elizabeth to attend two of her classes so I can once again be her seeing eye dog and chauffeur for lunch. I went with her to Bible study last week, which she attends on Wednesdays, and one of the students who goes to it just walked by and acknowledged me, asking if I would be there again today, saying that they enjoyed having me. That was a good feeling as I thought I added some depth to the room with some of my comments, but you never know how students will react.
Looking at illustrations in poetry books for children, in our hotel lobby.
I have enjoyed helping with her children’s literature class!
As I have been reading her book chapters and poetry aloud, typing what she dictates, and helping her finish assignments, I sometimes have to turn the screen away so she does’t squint and try to read what’s on the page. While her attitude is positive, she keeps saying, “I wish I could see,” usually with a laugh of frustration.
We never know how much we use our sight until we no longer have it. Don’t take it for granted. Holy Week, leading up to Easter, is a great time to remember to thank God every day for the ability to see, hear, walk, talk, and everything else He has given you for free. Especially remember the sacrifice of His one and only Son. His arms are stretched out for you. Can you see?
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
It was a warm day in Jackson. A beautiful day to visit the capital city. This used to be the entrance, but now you have to go around to another side where they have security ready to check your bags and put you through a metal detector. Notice the dome and eagle on top of the building, and the beautiful carving over the entrance. The eagle that stands atop is eight feet tall and 15 feet wide, made of copper, and gilded with gold leaf.
We are almost half-way through our bucket list! Hard to believe. This is the first time we have visited two state capitols in one day. We woke up, toured the Montgomery Alabama state capitol and First White House of the Confederacy across the street, went back to our RV Park, hitched up, then headed out for Jackson Mississippi.
We hadn’t planned on seeing Jackson’s state capitol today, but our other plans fell through for the day and we were gifted with some additional time in the afternoon. We pulled our Classy Girl from Montgomery to Jackson and stopped at the capitol on the way to our RV Park where we stayed west of Jackson. Fortunately there was parking big enough; a security guard showed us where we could park so we felt safe leaving our Classy Girl there. She thanked us later, as she always wanted to see a State Capitol up close.
Mississippi State CapitolBack shows off the stained glass windows we saw insideHonors women of the Confederacy of Mississippi
Third time’s a charm! We finally managed to get a tour guide to show us around. The building is quite impressive. According to Wikipedia, “architect Theodore Link used the new technology of electric lighting when designing the Capitol and incorporated 4,750 electric fixtures, which are still being used today.” The guide reminded us that electricity was only starting to enter the picture, so it was an awe-inspiring experience when people arrived and saw all the floors lit up. People came from far away just to see the lights. The architect didn’t know how many lights it would require, so he may have gone a bit overboard. However, the building is designed after the French Beaux-Arts Architecture, which is quite ornate and majestic, reminiscent of an old-style theatre.
This state’s legislature was in session, as we previously experienced in Atlanta. They were a bit more protective of their senators, so we could not take pictures in the House and Senate chambers, but we did get to go inside and look around from the gallery with our tour guide, in addition to hearing some interesting stories along the way. Wish I had a picture, but the architecture is similar to what you see here.
See the resemblance to an old movie theatre? It reminds me of the movie, “The Majestic.”
Outside the House of Representatives we stopped to look at some of the former members. One name kept popping up, taking our eyes off all others in the frame: John Grisham.
Yes, that John Grisham. You probably know him as a famous author, but he also served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983-1990. His first novel was published in 1989 (A Time to Kill), which he worked on for four years while still serving the government. As a lawyer and State Representative, he heard stories that had a big influence on his writing.
The tour guide spilled the tea. She remembers when Grisham was talking about his novel to various people in the building, while he was still a state representative. They all laughed at him behind his back, having no idea how famous he would be one day. He failed English in his Community College class, but a law instructor saw the value in his writing and he went on to be a lawyer. Did you know he is one of only three anglophones (English-speakers) to sell 2 million copies of the first printing? No one is laughing now! Let that be a lesson to us all. You simply can’t judge someone’s future. Encourage them. They may be the next best astronaut, author, inventor, or physician who finds the cure for cancer.
And I’ve digressed. I actually took fewer pictures in this Capitol than most. We were a little tired, and we were also not permitted to take pictures where I would normally take them. Here are a few pictures of the inside.
The central dome rises 180 feet above ground level.Grand staircase leading to stained glass windows. For this reason some people like the back view of the building better.One of the stained glass windows.Lady Justice, blindfolded.Governor’s Office, and maybe some famous politicians.See the many lights overhead? They changed originals to LED.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
After leaving Georgia, we towed our Airstream to Montgomery Alabama where we spent two nights. We toured the Capitol as well as The Legacy Sites. The Capitol is not open on the weekends, so we walked around the grounds and visited the Legacy sites on Sunday and then went back the next day to see the inside of the Capitol. You can see all three Legacy Sites for a mere $5.00 (The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park). Did you know the Confederacy was started here? We also visited the First White House of the Confederacy. Montgomery’s history is very interesting, as are the stories of those who monitor these sites. My book club just finished reading two books from the first person perspective of slaves who escaped and gained their freedom, so it was appropriately timed for us to see what I have been reading about. This blog will primarily cover the Capitol building, but I recommend seeing all of what Montgomery has to offer if you get the chance. You will learn a lot!
It was a really windy day on Sunday. It died down by the next day and warmed up. Weather can change so quickly.
Montgomery holds one of the most beautiful grounds and buildings we have seen. All the government buildings surrounding the Capitol, as well as the Capitol itself, are solid white, well kept and manicured.
All fifty states flags are represented here. It was a really windy day when we toured the outside of the Capitol.
This “Moon-Tree” was planted on the grounds of the Capitol in 1976. Loblolly pine crown from seeds that journeyed to the moon with 1971 Apollo 14 Mission.
Honoring the Officers.Statue of the Confederacy.It’s a very tall statue.
They don’t offer tours of the Capitol unless you come with a large group (mostly schools), so once again we were on our own. It turns out the building is no longer used for legislature. They have their own separate building (which you can also tour, but it’s just a bunch of offices). This Capitol is here for more historic purposes, basically a museum rather than a working government building like the others we have seen.
Alabama has had five capitals since it became a territory in 1817: St. Stephens, Huntsville, Cahawba, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery (where it has been since 1847).
The original rotunda has some interesting factoids. The interior finish was originally very plain. Ornate plasterwork, marble floor and vestibules to House and Senate Chambers were added 1906-1912. Murals depicting scenes from Alabama history painted by Mobile artist Roderick MacKenzie 1927-1930. Building was restored to circa 1930’s appearance.
The eight murals beneath the Dome illustrating Alabama’s history are seen in the video below. They were painted on canvas by one artist named above, and then mounted on the walls. It took him three years to complete them all.
The House of Representatives (1851-1985) was restored in the 1990s to its original state circa 1870-1890. It’s the site of the statewide convention which took Alabama out of the Union in January 1861. Trompe l’oeil ( fool-the-eye’) wall painting replicates scheme introduced in 1869. We didn’t know at the time Tim made this video that they really don’t do any work in here LOL.
A few other artifacts are found in the House Chambers. Two were of interest to me: The ART LAUREL STOVE #16 (c. 1904. Constructed of nickel and embellished with nickel relief and lions heads, the Art Laurel stove #16 was considered to be the top of line model in stove construction. A 1904 catalog described it as “the highest type of base burner construction, surpassing all other base burners in appearance, in heating capacity and economy of fuel.“) and one (of the few remaining) GARDNER CHAIR, (c. 1879. made by the nationally renowned furniture maker, Gardner and Compary of New York. After the furniture was in place, Secretary of State W. W. Screws praised the Gardner Company by stating that he “greatly admired (the furniture) for its strength of make and its handsome appearance.” On loan from the Alabama Department of Archives and History Montgomery, Alabama).
Art Laurel StoveGardner ChairChairs designed for ventilation and beauty, light shines through.BenchHouse from floor view
Next we visited the Senate Chamber (1851-1985). One oddity we witnessed was what appeared to be spittoons at the end of the front rows. It was this point where we wished we had a tour guide to tell us more about it.
The Senate was restored to its 1861 appearance, when southern delegates met here to organize Confederate States of America. You will see original “Egyptian” marble mantelpieces and the gallery columns were painted to imitate bronze. It has replicas of original desks and chairs, as well as oil-burning chandelier and column sconces. Period carpet was installed: 27-inch strips hand-sewn in traditional manner.
Floor view of SenateChandelier. Floor view of SenateGallery view of SenateSpittoon??Gallery view of SenateWow
We walked down the spiral staircase to the first floor, which also holds a unique history. A formerly enslaved man, Horace King, was commissioned to design and construct these twin staircases. Enslaved individuals played a crucial role in building cities, bridges, railroads, and more, yet their contributions were often overlooked. It was meaningful to see his story acknowledged in the brochure.
It’s a long way down!The designer of the stairsOne of the twins
To wrap things up, I’ll include a few random pictures of the Legacy Sites and contrasting First White House of the Confederacy. I’m thankful my family was not born into bondage, and we never had to endure the horrors of slavery. However, I think it’s important to note we are all born into the bondage of sin. We can only be free by accepting the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior. Regardless of our background, ancestry, race, or ethnicity, He is the ultimate unifier.
Harriett Tubman, Visitor CenterFreedom Sculpture made of scrap metalThe National Memorial for Peace and JusticeFreedom Sculpture – Picking CottonFirst White House of the ConfederacySuch a contrast from the slave homesNational Freedom MonumentFreedom Monument Sculpture Park. Those guards in the distance yelled, “no photos!” There are five places we could take a picture, but we forgot where we were. Oops!We are allowed to take pictures in front of the waterfall. “Thank God Almighty. I’m Free at Last.”Mural on the street beside the museum. It’s even more impressive when you look at the detail up close.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of Alabama’s State Capitol, and some of the history of Montgomery. Don’t hesitate to go there!
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In case you missed it, I write these blogs to glorify God. He is allowing me to live life abundantly even though I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. It’s only by His good graces that I am still alive today. I want to share the places we visit in addition to updates about my cancer journey as I know my many friends are traveling both journeys with me.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
On our way from Florida to Texas, we took a circuitous route through three neighboring states to visit their state capitols and mark yet another state (Georgia) on our Airstream map. While I can condense the information from these marvelous stops into one blog each, you may want to go and visit them all to see for yourself!
March 13, 2025. Atlanta Georgia.
We spent the day in Atlanta and earned two passport stamps. One for the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, and one for the State Capitol. The Carter Center is also worth a visit, although I was a little disappointed in the lack of display or mention regarding his recent death. On to the Capitol.
Downtown Atlanta. This was our 18th Capitol, and it is by far the hardest to get access to, out of the ones we have toured thus far. There is no parking close by, and our truck made it a bit more challenging with the full parking lots. We were SO glad we weren’t towing our Airstream to the Capitol, as we have been known to do.
State Capitol
The previous picture of us was taken in the back of the Capitol. I failed to get a picture of the front (smh), but they had a nice model of it in the governor’s office.
Perhaps it was busier at the Courthouse because the Senate and House were both in session. We saw at least six school busses full of students eager to get a day out of school while going on a field trip (even if they aren’t fond of government). The building was hopping!! But the staffers did say it’s getting worse downtown, even when legislature is not in session.
Passport stamp! When I asked the security guard where I could get my passport stamped he said, “we don’t stamp passports here.” He thought I meant an actual passport . Yet he was the one with the stamp.
They didn’t have any tours available, so we did our own self-tour. The governor’s office gave us a bag of peanuts, which were delicious!
House of Representatives. See all the papers on the desks? They were in session but currently on a break. We couldn’t go inside, so I snapped a picture from outside the balcony door. These rooms have been restored to their original design.
The Senate looks very similar to the House. Again this picture was taken through a guarded door from the other side of a roped off area for “non-members” outside the gallery. (No one said I couldn’t take pictures.) The desks are original from 1889.
Grand StaircaseJames Oglethorpe
A bit of history of the Capitol for the “buffs” (from the brochure). In 1868, Atlanta became Georgia’s fifth permanent capital city. James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia in February of 1733, on the site of present-day Savannah, which was Georgia’s first capital. After the Revolutionary War, the General Assembly met alternately in Savannah and Augusta. As Georgia grew the capital city moved to Augusta in 1786, Louisville in 1796, Milledgeville in 1807, and, finally, Atlanta in 1868. The General Assembly first met in the Atlanta City Hall/Fulton County Courthouse before relocating to the nearby Kimball Opera House. In 1883, the legislature appropriated $1 million for a new building. Designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham and built by Miles and Horne of Toledo, Ohio, construction began in October 1884 and finished in 1889– $118.43 under budget. The new Georgia Capitol was built using many of the state’s natural resources. Georgia marble is only found on the interior due to high cost. The Capitol’s exterior is Indiana limestone. The Capitol was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
The dome is not the tallest, nor is it the most exquisite. But it still made me stop long enough to get dizzy while looking up.
The fourth floor comprises a museum of Georgia artifacts, gems, agriculture, fun facts and oddities. Probably the most intriguing are the two-headed cow and two-headed snake. These reminded me of the movie Dupont, and made me wonder if there was something in the water from where these animals drank. Here are a few pictures from the museum. One could spend a lot of time reading everything up there.
Beautiful Japanese vaseScandalous!Two-headed calfBaseball bat signed by Atlanta BravesReplica of Miss Liberty who stands on the domeDon’t clap!210 pound meteoriteAnimals of GeorgiaMy favorite bird
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
We finally made it to Florida! The weather is so beautiful, as one would expect (hope for) in the Sunshine State. The humidity so common in the summer months has not yet arrived, and we have had a nice pleasant breeze so far. We left Texas two days ago wearing shorts and t-shirts, stopped in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and then on to Tallahassee, where we visited the State Capitol.
I wouldn’t say this is the most exclusive of the buildings we have toured. After seeing 17 to date, we have a general idea of what capitols might include. Big domes, cupolas, grand marble staircases and columns, famous artwork, rare and exotic wood, historic artifacts, governor’s office, senate, house, and the supreme court amongst other things. Tallahassee has a new capitol building that is 22 stories high with an observation deck overlooking the city. It houses all the current workforce. The New Capitol overshadows and dwarfs the smaller, Old (Historic) Capitol, which the state outgrew many years ago and has since been turned into a museum.
This is the fourth building to serve as a capitol for Florida. A log cabin served as the first capitol, erected just two days after Tallahassee became a territory in 1824 (Florida would later become a state in 1845). The cabin was replaced by a 2-story frame structure. The third Capitol was built in 1845. (Can you guess why? Hint: the date.) They considered demolishing that Old Capitol building, but thankfully cooler heads prevailed. The Old Capitol was restored to its 1902 state, and is now home to a museum similar to the ones we have seen in so many of the other capitols we have visited. The New (current) Capitol was built between the years 1973-1977, and opened in March of 1978.
This building does have a couple of interesting features. The State Capitol is one of four official Welcome Centers for the State of Florida. We stopped at the one in Pensacola and got some free orange juice, which they do not serve at this one. I’m not sure other state capitols have official welcome centers inside their buildings. Wikipedia was not helpful.
The lower floors have a nice display of the Florida State Seal, Florida Halls of Famers, and Florida fun facts. Of course there are chambers for the House of Representatives and Florida Senate where we looked down on from the galleries, but we couldn’t go inside.
FLORIDA FUN FACTS
STATE DAY: April 2nd
STATE MOTTO: In God We Trust
STATE NICKNAME: Sunshine State
STATE FLOWER: Orange Blossom
COUNTIES: 67
STATE PIE: Key Lime
LENGTH NORTH & SOUTH: 447 Miles Long from St. Mary’s River to Key West
WIDTH EAST & WEST: 361 Miles Wide from Atlantic Ocean to Perdido River
ACQUIRED BY UNITED STATES: From Spain by Treaty 1821
ADMITTED TO UNION AS STATE: March 3, 1845
RANK AMONG STATES OF ADMISSION: 27th
More Florida Fun Facts:
27 first magnitude springs – more than any other state – and more than 200 total springs. (Wakulla Springs has the longest and deepest known submerged cave system in the world.)
Ranks first in amount of groundwater of all states. More than 11,000 miles of rivers, streams, and waterways. Approximately 7,700 lakes of 10 acres or more.
Approximately 1,200 miles of coastline, 2,300 miles of tidal shoreline, 650 miles of beaches.
4,510 islands of 10 acres or more.
3 national forests comprising more than 1.1 billion acres.
Sunshine about 66% of daylight hours
No point more than 60 miles from coast
4th largest state by population; more than 80% of Floridians live less than 10 miles from the coast
An interesting carving titled “Resilience” is on display outside the State Senate. The plaque tells the story of the carving and the wood, which I’ll repeat here as well.
“Resilience”
Signifying the resilient and enduring spirit of Floridians, Resilience showcases the unique silhouette of Florida, highlighting the barrier islands of the Space Coast, the Northern flowing St. Johns River, Tampa Bay, the beaches and islands of the Emerald Coast of North Florida, the Florida Keys and many of Florida’s other unique natural features.
Resilience is constructed of pecky cypress recovered from the Ocklawaha River in North Central Florida.
This distinctive wood is unique to the Southeastern and Gulf Coastal Plains. The holes within the wood occur when a fungus enters a cypress tree after a limb falls or an injury to the tree occurs, typically in cypress trees more than 100 years old. Over time, the holes grow in number and size; however, the spring fed, low oxygen waters of certain Florida rivers protect the wood from decomposition. Estimates indicate the cypress wood used in this sculpture was originally harvested during Florida’s Steamboat Era, the time of the territorial State Senate.
We enjoyed visiting both the New and Old Capitol buildings. The New Capitol has an enclosed observation deck on the 22nd level, overlooking the city. It was foggy and cloudy when we went up there, so we couldn’t see very far away, which of course was disappointing. Try to go on a sunny day if you have options. Two groups from very different schools were also touring the building. It was interesting to see the first group, dressed in street clothes. They were not necessarily unruly, but they didn’t demonstrate the same decorum and level of respect as the second group, dressed in Ivy League uniforms.
Art exhibits are rotated on the top floor. Famous Noh Masks were on display around the deck when we were there. There are a few other interesting pieces of art, but otherwise, it’s a pretty neutral building. The exterior is also under construction, which makes it hard to find one’s way around to the visitor’s entrance. The Old Capitol has a small dome with stained glass,
One thing that really impressed me about this capitol was the elevator system. I know! It’s not a big deal, right? But it was the first time I have seen this technology in use. It has apparently only been around for the past few years, and is used in tall buildings around the world. Quite cool if you ask me. Watch this brief video of us using the elevator system, and be sure to watch to the end for views from the observation deck (and Noh masks).
Florida State Capitol Elevator to the 22nd floor (observation deck)
The Old Capitol. The Old Capitol building has been turned into a museum, displaying artifacts among the hallways and chambers of the three branches of government: executive, judicial, and legislative.
One of the historians showed us how the Old Capitol has changed shapes over the years, and how it now fits inside of the New Capitol as it has been since 1982. You can see its transformation in the banner at the welcome desk.
There is a glass dome, which is a replica because the old one was removed when it started leaking within the first year after it was installed. Interesting fact: When they restored the building to its 1902 glorious self, they found over 100 pounds of broken dome glass in the walls of the building. The original glass was made by the Opalescent Glass Works, who also made the glass used by Louis Comfort Tiffany in their famed lamp designs. Perhaps hiding it in the walls was some worker’s way of saving the beautiful glass pieces. Or, it was simply easier than throwing it all away. Makes me wonder what we will find inside the walls of our new house that is currently under construction. The things that make you go “hmmm.”
Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court in the Old Capitol are interesting to look at. Hard to believe Florida population used to be small enough to only need a building this size.
THE McCOOK FLAG
At the end of the Civil War, the United States Flag was raised over this Capitol as Union Brigadier General Edward M. McCook received the surrender of the Confederate government in Florida. In a transfer ceremony on May 20, 1865, Confederate Governor A. K. Allison officially turned the Capitol over to Union forces.
This flag is a reproduction of the large silk flag owned by General McCook. The flag appears to have started as a 31-star flag. Between 1858 and 1865, five states were added to the Union and the flag evolved into this unique 36-star pattern.
The original McCook flag is in the collections of the Museum of Florida History.
The governor’s private office is seen in the Old Capitol Building, along with some more historic flags and the Mountain Howitzer that sat on the Capitol steps for 70 years. “The roll top desk, made of Honduras mahogany, is Jennings’ original desk. William Sherman Jennings served as Florida’s governor from 1901 to 1905.”
This was the office room for the governor’s staff; a secretary, Mr. Charles Dickinson of Madison, Florida, and a stenographer, Grace Irene Marietta Mann, Governor Jennings’ sister-in-law. The large document file cabinet was in the room after 1902 and is almost completely original. Some of the original labels can still be seen, including “W. S. Jennings Private” and “Bank Pardons.”
When we got back to our hotel (where we stayed for one night), Tim had some things to say about the Capitol as well. This brief video pretty much says it all.
I hope you enjoyed our little tour of the Florida Capitol. Sign in and comment below to let us know what you think! I promise we won’t bug you or send you a bunch of spam emails, but it will give you an opportunity to interact with us in the comments.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
After my last update blog we learned our new house build would be delayed a bit longer, due some county related issues. They are anticipating a finish date in June or July, but we believe the closing will be closer to August or September.
Based on this knowledge in November, we made a decision to purchase a new Airstream Classic — which we picked up in December — so we could have a bit more elbow room for the time we are living in it full-time. We’ve made some videos about that, and we put them on our YouTube Channel.
We didn’t expect much movement after that, until further into the new year. However, things started picking up in January. On January 7th, the builder held our pre-construction meeting. Soon after that we started seeing forms, footers, plumbing, foundation, and then framing taking place. It’s moving along!
January 5, 2025 – Form is in place. Ready for the pre-construction meeting.January 20, 2025 – We have some plumbing.Jan 20, 2025 – King of his garage LOL. That was a cold day, the night before the big snowstorm. Our property didn’t get much, fortunately, but it did delay pouring the foundation by a few days.February 1, 2025. We are leaving for Florida in a few days, so we took another drive out to the property. We were surprised to see so many sticks in the air! Here’s a picture from the last time we went out to the property, about four days ago.
Now we are heading to Florida for a month, and we are anticipating some real progress by the time we get back into town. I will be flying in for treatment a couple of times before then as well, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll have enough time to drive out and check it out while I’m in the area.
This reminds me of a verse in Isaiah (40:31, NKJV). We are encouraged to be patient, allowing God to do things in His own timing. I don’t mind the wait, to be honest. I love our current life and I look forward to making some more great memories.
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
We had planned to leave for Florida today. Our plans were to spend a week in Panama City Beach at St. Andrews State Park, and then travel on to Melbourne where we would stay a month at Land Yacht Harbor (an Airstream only park). But the closer today approached, the more our uncertainty as to what to do expanded.
A few events lead to our decision.
Weather. We checked the weather. Daily. Hourly. Sometimes even more often. As you are probably aware by now, the weather forecasted a major snowstorm for the entire southeast. Unless you live under a rock, you have probably read about this or seen it on the news. It’s making national and international news.
I went to FaceBook and asked, “stay and play in the snow, or leave early?” Of course, my Florida friends said, “you have to ask???” Our Airstream friends were mixed, and extremely helpful in terms of making sure our Alde heating system was working. Some of our northern friends had already come south, but at least one of my friends experienced snow in the deep south after they left clearer skies up north.
Houston doesn’t get snow. In fact, KHOU-11 (our Houston news) said in a recent blog post, “Snow is so rare in Houston that we cannot even discuss the top ten recorded snowfall events in Houston’s history, because only eight of them exist.” Well, now there will be nine.
The NPR is talking about it. Winter storm “Enzo” is wreaking havoc all along the I-10 Corridor. Pictures and videos are flooding the internet of Beaumont, downtown New Orleans, Galveston Beach, and the panhandle of Florida. It’s a HUGE blizzard of “epic proportions.” (Now I sound like a weatherman.) I even saw a video of a cowboy in Texas riding his horse through the snow, pulling someone on a makeshift sled behind him. Classic.
Medical concerns. In the meantime, Tim received some disturbing news from his dermatologist. He has a few skin concerns, and the medicine would come in the mail for some of them. More importantly, he needs to schedule surgery on a spot very close to his eye (right on the corner by his nose). She’s about 95-99% certain it is basal cell carcinoma. He is waiting for the MOHS center to call back with an appointment, and whether we can afford the cost.
Work concerns. In addition to his regular work obligations, Tim is now scheduled for a presentation trip to Minnesota the first week of February (2-4). It’s easier to fly out of Houston than all the places we had planned to visit in Florida.
I also have some work to catch up on. I’m still supervising some LMFT Associates in Texas, and I need to complete some CEUs for my AAMFT supervisory status as well as licensure. I can do this better with the solid internet we have here as well.
Sometimes, it’s less hassle to go with what you know.
All that being said, we decided to “hunker down” and stay where we are. We were able to cancel our reservation at the State Park for a small fee, and delay our reservation at Land Yacht Harbor by a week (no fee). Both of these were paid in full, and LYH has no refunds, so we were glad to make these changes. We did try to reschedule St. Andrews, but it’s really hard to get in Florida State Parks this time of year. There are only one or two days available here and there (across the state).
We did end up getting between an inch or two of snow. The pictures are pretty. It stuck to the ground, but not the concrete. I was hoping for a total blanket. You know the kind that turns the trees to a solid white? The kind you see in all the other pictures from up north? However, this was pretty exceptional for our neck of the woods.
When stuck inside, it’s a good time to bake bread. There’s a little heat coming up from behind the sink, so my einkorn starter rose really well.
If you look closely, you can see the icicles hanging from the front of our Classy Girls, looking like fangs. She kept us nice and toasty warm inside! It warmed up to the 40s later in the day and most of the snow melted.
As it turned out, Panama City Beach Florida ended up getting more snow than we got in Willis Texas. Go figure! Looks like we made a good decision.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Foot pain. Not to be confused with plantar fasciitis, I was just diagnosed with plantar fibromatosis, or what I call “foot pain.” I’ve had some left foot pain for a while now, in the arch. It’s one of those things I kept putting off, thinking it would heal itself. When it started keeping me up at night, it was time to get some help.
With plantar fasciitis, which is what I thought this was going to be, foot massages can help loosen it up and make it feel better. Unfortunately, the opposite is true with plantar fibromatosis (although that is debatable). All those times I’ve talked Tim into a foot massage have more likely been hurting more than helping. He was happy to hear he could forego any future foot massages 😂🤣.
Since we are in our “home” area in Texas for a while, still living in our Airstream, I scheduled a visit with my regular foot specialist out in the Lake Conroe area. That’s what the sign by TX-105 outside his building says, “Foot Specialist.” His office is as modest as the sign, as is the strip mall where he is located. It’s always clean and his staff are very professional and pleasant. Every time I see Dr. Ehret for a foot problem, I learn something new. And I come away feeling glad that I went in to see him.
This particular foot specialist has been at this profession for quite a while (since the early 90s), and he doesn’t hesitate to diagnose. He immediately saw what I was dealing with, gave me a diagnosis, talked about how it likely got started (it’s usually more than one thing), and offered me some options for treatment. In addition, he talked to me about the neuropathy, explaining how the muscle, tissue, cartilage, and nerves all interact.
Plantar fibromatosis, per Dr. Ehret, is scar tissue related to some injury to the connective tissue in the foot. Maybe I stomped on the shovel too hard when we were putting down sod in our yard, getting it ready for sale. Or, perhaps I stepped on a rock the wrong way or landed on a ladder with poor soles, or hit the curb on my arch. It could be a multitude of injuries. Once it is injured, the connective tissue keeps building up scar tissue with constant re-injury, resulting in a “ball” of scar tissue beneath the service. As previously stated, he did indicate there are typically multiple causes, and not one singular reason this condition develops.
He said I could look it up online, which I did, but “don’t pay attention to the pictures,” he said, because they always show off the worst-case scenarios. I was interested in what Dr. Google would say, and I was mainly there for the text anyway. Wikipedia calls it an inherited disease, also known as Ledderhose’s Disease, named after the surgeon who first described it. The disease can remain dormant for many years, or even generations, but then show up in the form of benign nodules unexpectedly. Once it shows up, it will likely recur throughout life. I wonder if any of my family members have had issues with this? This article from the National Library of Medicine was also helpful.
Fortunately, mine is in a “good spot.” It’s right in the middle of my arch, which we don’t use as much to walk on. The two primary options in my case are inflammatory medicine, or surgery. Most doctors, Dr. Ehret included, like to take the more conservative approach first. So, we agreed with the inflammatory approach.
We aren’t talking about Ibuprofen. He marked my foot, had his assistant hold my foot and big toe with a strong, death-grip, and then gave me a shot of numbing medicine followed by the injection. When I said “OW, OW, OW!” toward the end of the shot he indicated, “Got it!” with a smile. He had to hit the exact spot, apparently, which he knew he had found when it hurt. But it also felt better. In the words of John Mellencamp, “It hurt so good.”
If the problem persists, especially to the point where I have trouble walking, we can do the surgery option. I hope a shot every year or two will suffice. Also, he handed me a hand-written note in his “best doctor script” which reminded me to walk in shoes and slippers with memory foam, not bare feet, stay off my toes, and baby the arches. The cute black boots I wore into the office, which I got at Walmart for $16.00, have memory foam soles; he was very surprised to see that. They don’t typically see shoes with good soles walking into their office. I’m proud to say my boots are officially podiatrist-approved 😊.
I walked out of there (yes, I can still walk) with some new knowledge and a whole lot of relief. God is so good. We prayed for foot relief right before I went in there, and He answered that prayer almost immediately. He has connected me with the exact right physicians at the exact time I needed them. And of course, He is the Greatest Physician of all.
One final thought. As I was contemplating Jesus as the Great Physician, I did a little Bible Study. He never calls himself that. He became known as the Great Physician because of all the miraculous healings he performed. But the reason he healed people was not just so they could see, hear, touch or dance again. It was to draw them (and others) to Him. He came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). That was his mission. If you are in need of healing, perhaps he is waiting until the opportunity for that healing to draw you closer to him. To save you. To become Lord in your life.
À la prochaine à bientot…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
. Yet he was the one with the stamp. 
