In Loving Memory of Two Special Friends

In loving memory for two special friends

We recently lost two dear friends. Our hearts are sad and we are struggling with the loss. 

For the love of Sam

Sam was a special camping friend and a member of our Good Sam Chapter-Freedom Travelers.  He loved to camp in his motorhome with his wife and family. One of his favorite camping locations was Myrtle Beach

Family was so important to him.  His eyes would light up when he talked about his children and grandchildren.  His love for his wife, Carol, was so apparent.

He was so thrilled for us when we purchased our motorhome and oftentimes asked us about our full-timing plans. Luckily our camping club had a surprise party for him just a few weeks before he died.  It was a fun time and many members of our club have expressed how glad they were to have had this special time with him. 

He was diagnosed with lung cancer and had endured many treatments including chemo therapy and radiation.  He was very brave and did not complain.  His doctor seemed to be very encouraging and always gave him hope.  They seemed amazed by his ability to respond to the treatment.  He would laugh when I told him  his bald head was sexy.  We all knew his time was limited due to the cancer spreading to his bones, but his rapid decline was a surprise.  We will miss him very much.  

For the love of Sharon

Sharon was a colleague of mine from St. Vincent.  Many years ago she taught me how to be a nurse auditor. At the time I had several eye surgeries that made it impossible to work in the operating room.   Having to change careers was devastating to me at the time.  Sharon was so encouraging and taught me about a whole different aspect of nursing.    Over time, she became a close and dear friend.  We kept in touch and met often for dinner after I left St. Vincent. 

Sharon had such a strong faith and was such a gentle soul.  Several years ago she participated in a mission and mentoring program.  Her project was to provide a daily devotional to anyone who desired it.  Each day a lovely story with scripture would arrive in my email.  Luckily one of her co-workers has decided to continue it.  It is called  Sharon’s Prayer.  If you are interested in receiving this each day, please send me your email. 

Sharon had pulmonary fibrosis and was unable to recover from pneumonia.  She died very unexpectedly. 

Losing a friend is so difficult.  Our lives have been touched by them in such wonderful ways.  Godspeed! Our love and prayers go out to their families and loved ones.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”  John 5:24 

Shopping Spree

A great benefit of a rally (except for your bank account) are the vendors who set up booths selling everything a RVer needs or desires.  Most of these items cannot be found at Camping World or local RV dealers.  We had made a list of items we wanted to check out while we were there.  Here are a few of our purchases

• 
  
  
  Magne Shades- these are windshield shades  attach by the use of magnets.  They help keep the coach cool and block out the sun rays that can fade your carpet and drapes. It is  very easy to put up and a ladder is not required.  Click on the link that demonstrates how easy they are to put up.  We also purchased shade covers for all our tires to protect from UV rays and hopefully extend their length of service,  We will post pictures later after they arrive.  They are made in North Carolina

• 
  
  
  Relax-r-recliner-It is a swivel wall hugging recliner manufactured by Lambright in the little town of Topeka.  The factory is right in the middle of Amish country and a lovely drive.  Our recliner is broken and this will fit in our "living room" much better.  We will pick this up in a few weeks.

• 
  
  
  RV cleaning products-I attended a great class on how to clean your RV from top to bottom.  I purchased a long swivel pole  easily clean the RV without using a ladder.  There are different micro fiber pads you use.  We also purchased a product called The Solution  cleans and protects your RV between waxes.  It is an amazing water-less product.

• 
  
  
  RV Professor Videos-Terry Cooper was a presenter at the Rally. He is one of the instructor for Workamper University.  We purchased four videos demonstrating how to maintain your AC, refrigerator, furnace,  and water heater.  John said his class was very informative and he found his instructions very easy to follow. 

• 
  
  
  Travel Guides- Mike and Teri Church-after attending their travelogues we purchased several of their guides.  I really like the way the books are laid out and they are designed for RVers.   

It was fun checking out all the vendor booths.  There was a lot of variety and not very much duplication.