Heading for the Hills

We said goodbye to Coastal Carolina and began our homeward trek. Homeward is a bit of a misnomer, since we remain homeless, but, at least, we were pointed in the direction of more familiar territory. The Spanish moss faded away and was replaced by a variety of budding hardwoods, most of which were spewing fuzzy, green pollen. Through itchy eyes and sporadic sneezing we managed to do some hiking at North Carolina and Virginia State Parks. The flat, seaside terrain was behind us, and the elevation changes had us headed for the hills.

When I was a kid, we had a very consistent bedtime routine. When it was time to go upstairs to brush our teeth and say our prayers, my dad would announce that it was time to “go up the wooden hill.”

The wooden hill, naturally, was that long flight of stairs that we ascended, heading for our bedrooms, and towards a good night’s sleep before the dawn of a new day.

Well, wouldn’t you know that it is the ‘wooden hill’ that is currently causing our home delay angst? You can’t make this stuff up. We have walls, and a roof, and plumbing and some wiring, but we can’t have the required inspection work done because we have no stairs between the basement and the main level. The stair subcontractor is the new antagonist in this never ending tale of new home woes. It’s a good thing that I am inclined towards kindness and forgiveness during the Easter season, otherwise I might punch him in the nose.

Regardless of the staircase dilemma, some progress is being made. A small part of me is actually beginning to believe that I may not be living in a truck until the end of time. That glimmer of hope is making it even harder to exercise patience. Waiting for a firm date for the inspection is like waiting for your favorite pie to cool. I don’t want to wait for my ship to come in; I want to grab a dinghy and motor out to it.

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” —
Leo Tolstoy

Thankfully we have lots of welcome distractions over the next month or so. We are back in the mid-Atlantic, where we were able to celebrate Easter with family and friends. With April’s promise of renewed life surrounding us, the apprehension of the setback situation eased. Spending time with the grand-nieces and grand-nephews was a powerful elixir for combatting the unpredictability of what lies ahead.

In the upcoming weeks, we have lots of softball, and travel-team baseball to enjoy. Watching our grandkids hone their skills, while gaining a true understanding of their sport is priceless. We have opportunity to chauffeur them to their music lessons, and to see the progress they have made with their respective instruments. We can have sleep-overs at the campground and play loads of games, both outdoors and indoors. We also have a school musical coming up, in which our granddaughter will play the leading role. We are beyond proud and unbelievably blessed.

… And so, we will enjoy our stay at Ramblin’ Pines campground, enjoying the warm, spring weather and relishing the time spend with people we love.