Trina’s Turn To Visit
September 12, 2010Seeing Sondra Again
September 12, 2010
Avoiding Vultures and Drag Car Races
August 15, 2010Last week, I couldn’t find a pay phone so went to several hotels, asking to use their land line. No luck. Finally I wandered the halls of a large convention center, looking for a place that my cell phone got those coveted five bars. Allan stood guard in the hallway as I did the interview, asking people to whisper if they walked by me. The things husbands do for their wives!
Fitting Personalities With Shoes
August 14, 2010As Allan and I distribute shoes to people in need around the country, we obviously try and make sure the shoes fit each person properly. It’s fun also to match the shoe to a persons’s personality. This gentleman came in wearing his favorite (and only) pair of brightly colored shoes. He was so happy to get another pair of shoes that matched his upbeat personality.
Giant Visitor Wants Ride in RV
August 13, 2010Millions of years ago, dinosaurs rumbled across the landscape of what is now Utah. Thousands of remnants of this prehistoric era are carefully preserved and interpreted in various places throughout the state. We hiked several trails in Vernal to see dinosaur bones still embedded in the ground. We also had one friendly dinosaur try to hitch a ride in the Soles4Souls RV.
3,500 Creative Kids
August 2, 2010The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington’s Thingamajig Invention Convention gives nearly 3,500 local children the opportunity to create eco-friendly inventions and compete with other young inventors for fun prizes and awards. Thingamajig encourages children to explore the fields of science, engineering and design. Kids use only recycled materials to create their inventions and learn about the importance of protecting the environment.
Out of those 3,500 children, Soles4Souls was able to give 500 low-income children new shoes. Our daughter Sondra headed up the shoe distribution from 9-3 pm and made sure all the kids got shoes that fit them perfectly. She also helped the volunteers feel comfortable helping the children get their shoes. Most of the volunteers were engineers and weren’t use to the noise and activity of 3,500 kids running around!
My New Hobby: Spying On Scuba Divers
August 2, 2010Because the water is 65 feet deep, many people come to scuba dive. We played it safe by snorkeling. As Allan and I swam, I thought we were the only people in the water. Then as I put my face in the water, I saw several scuba divers below me. Waaaaay below me. Their movements were so smooth as they glided beneath me. The air from their scuba tanks floated up to me like thousands of tiny jelly fish. Floating on my back, I could see the cathedral-like opening above me. The hole at the top of the dome lets in sunlight and fresh air while the interior stays heated by the mineral water. Below the surface divers can descend 55 feet into the hour glass shaped depths.
Anyone that’s even remotely close to Midway, Utah needs to head over to the crater and simply soak in the hot water, snorkel or scuba dive. The experience is way beyond anything offered at your local community pool. (Not that there’s anything wrong with community pools!) http://www.homesteadresort.com
One Giant Bubble Bath
August 1, 2010For most people, washing their car is a minor event in the course of life. When you are on the road with a big motor home, finding a car wash that is high enough for us to enter is a major event. That’s why I screamed with joy when we passed a sign reading, “Car and RV Wash”. $15.00 worth of quarters later, the Soles4Souls RV sparkled as miles of grime washed down the super-sized drain.
After all, the RV is going to be on display all next week at the Outdoor Retailers Trade Show in Salt Lake City.
Major Craft Project
August 1, 2010Wayne Elsey, founder of Soles4Souls, has a collection of license plates in his garage. As Allan and I travel, we occasionally buy a plate to add to his garage décor. In an effort to make a gift for Wayne, we want to show everyone our latest project involving license plates. We got a plain extra large boot and covered the entire surface with cut up pieces of license plates. Boy, is it hard to cut all that metal and attach it to a boot!
An RV With Three Views
July 31, 2010Sometimes, as we tour the country for Soles4Souls, we stay in heavily wooded state parks. Last night we had views not typically described in campground journals. On one side, we saw two towers from a nuclear power plant. The other side of the RV had a great view of a casino. To complete the panorama of views, we enjoyed a sewage treatment plant. Try to top that!