Get out of your Box in your 50's

I am finally back to creating my dollies after spending a year up in the mountains by myself.

Why did I spend a year up in the mountains? At 54 I decided I wanted to get out of my box of the same ole same ole in my little bitty world...



I went up there as a customer in the summer of 2007 and decided to stay on and work in the office for the winter. I have lived in the Southern California Desert my whole life and have never seen it snow. So this year I wanted to actually see the seasons change.



And I got my wish when on Feb. 14th we had a snow storm to the point that we actually got snowed in and the freeway between San Diego and Imperial Valley was shut down with 300 motorist being stranded and having to be rescued. It was the most beautiful experience to see the snow coming down and I was jumping up and down

at getting to have a new experience at my age.



While living in the RV camp I got be friends with the most independant woman named Judy.

She was in her 60's and had sold everything and lived in her 38 ft. Motor home with two slides. She made me see how strong women can be and how a man is not always necessary. It's all in the attitude and whether a woman can learn to live with out a man... Don't get me wrong I have a darn good husband but at least I have learned that if he drops dead in the future I do not have to feel like I have to have a man in my life to fulfill myself.



Judy has traveled every where with a goup of gals called the Winds. They are all older women that travel together in their RV's. And most all have become extremely independent and chose not to live their lives in one place but to see the United States and live for their own lives and not like whiny old women that talk about their illnesses to get attention or at the whim of their grown children or grandchildren. It was a real revelation for me considering how helpless my Grandma acted was when she was alive or how Dependent I see my husbands Mother on her Children instead of having her own life and friends. I Have to say Judy really woke me up as far as what one can do with their lives when they become older.

Just like the poem says, When I am old I shall wear a Red Hat with purple dress and learn to spit...In our older life we need to release our selves to enjoy all the things we might have missed out on because of family and life responsibilies.



If anything ever did happen to my husband I am out of this stick house I live in. I have learned that homes are nothing but work and a drain on one's life. I plan on selling everything and hitting the road. Living in an RV is so simplified. You get rid of all the stuff you spend a life time accumulating and believe me it's just stuff!!! And what a sigh of relief I would feel if I could get rid of all these things surrounding me that do nothing but collect dust bunnies. Since I have come back home once again I feel like it's a never ending cycle of cleaning this and cleaning that, washing this and washing that. I will always look back on last year with real fondness.



But not only that I got out of my little world. I was so protected before I lived in the mountains last year and when I lived in the camp I met some of the most sub culture type of characters that worked in the camp as seasonal work ampers. (I will save those particular characters for another story). I have to say some of my experiences really toughed me up. I even had a married woman come on to me and at the time I was shell shocked because this was so out of my relm of life but now realize that I can see life with a broader view point. And even though at the time I was embarressed about the situation it's now a good story for a laugh with the girl friends.



Plus one of the best experiences was picking up my boyfriends for companionship. Well that's what I call my two dogs I got at the San Diego Central Shelter. One is a shit zu and the other is a cockapoo. I just love these boys and we went on lots of long walks on trails that wound through the RV camp.

Plus we had a cart that we also went on long rides in to see all the wild life and flowers.



But I am back to reality again and once again trying to gain an audience for my dollies. The economy is in the dumper and all my old customers are long gone but it's been fun to start over again even if I get low prices since I am gaining new customers. I am looking forward to this year in determination to climb that hill again as far as my creations.

Signed The mountain woman from last year...