On The Road--Doc Encounters Poop, Pool and a Physician

  

  Okay, admit it, I had you at "poop". Who can resist a title like that--at least that is what I'm hoping. :-) But lest you get your hopes up, no, the poop was not in the pool.. Let's move on.

     I'm excited that so many of you are faithfully following Doc and our family on our blog journey. But in case you are just joining us, you can read a recap of the series up to this point.
1. Meet Doc,
2. Doc Goes to the Jenkins Family Reunion
3. Doc Goes to Church
4. Doc Visits the Desert

    Having shaken the sand from sandals, or rather in this case, our "flip flops", we left the lovely, white hills of Monahans State Park and headed west again. Within a few hours we zoomed through El Paso and left our home state behind. Actually it was hard to tell we'd ever left at all since New Mexico is obviously a continuation of the scrub-brush plains of Texas.
    We are making good time and by mid-afternoon we are slowing to enter a border checkpoint in Arizona. Since we've never been through anything like this before, we find it pretty cool. Darell rolls down his window and the burly border patrol officer peers int our car, makes eye contact with both of us and asks if everyone in our car  is American citizens.We nod and say yes. He waves us on.
    From the backseat, we hear a small voice. I reach back and shove the bag of Reeses Pieces  to the side and shift the package of jalapeno beef  jerky off of Doc's face. He says we lied to the border patrol guy. Lied? When we ask what he's talking about, he tells us to look on the bottom of his boot. I turn him upside down and focus on the bottom of the little guy's lone, still-attached foot. A small label reads: "Made in China". Doc insists that is where he was "born" so that makes him a . . .  what . . . a Chinese gnome citizen???? We're not sure about all of his heritage questions, but we assure him that his paper work is in order. It had to be, to pass customs when he moved to his new home in Garden Ridge, Grapevine, Texas, USA!
      About an hour over the Arizona border, we are following the RV and Darell, Doc, and I notice some sticky residue attaching itself to our windshield. Darell washes it off and comments on the unusual amount of "bug juice" . Within a few minutes the windshield is covered with the gunky residue again and we click on the windshield washer once more. Darell suggest it's coming from the RV's air conditioning, but we've been following The RV for two days and not had any problems. Just then I point out a large spray of fluid coming from underneath the RV. Every bit of the misty cloud seems drawn to our windshield as if pulled by a magnet. While Darell washes the windshield a third time I call Diana and within minutes all of us have pulled off to a deserted section of road. Russell crawls under the RV and of course Doc thinks he needs to help.

Doc and Russell  on poop patrol.

    I put a cup under the dripping liquid and just as I announce that the water is grossly brown, Russell announces there is a large crack in the black water tank. YUCK!!!! In case you are not an RV person, the black water tank is pretty self-descriptive--it hold all the pee and poop from the RV's bathroom. So . . . .
Want to guess what was landing on our windshield?  Yep, you're right. The Jenkins vacation curse just took a uncharted trip into the toilet.
     Since we are only a few hours from our destination of Mesa Arizona, we decide to chance it. But there is one change--we are leading now, and I think you know why. . .

    The sun has set by the time we make it to Darell's brother's house. We are greeted warmly by Dell and his lovely wife, Pat. To us it feels like 10:30 PM Texas time, but we've lost two hours and Dell and Pat serve us dinner at 8:30 PM  Arizona time. Pat is a wonderful hostess and a fantastic cook. Her tostadas and homemade salsa is awesome and we can't get enough. Pat's grandson, James Patrick also helps serve the meal and we feel like very honored guests. After a short visit, Pat directs us to our prepared beds and we tumble into them, totally exhausted.
     The next day Russell and Diana spent a great deal of the morning at the RV stores and find the tank has to be special ordered. In the meantime, they are directed to some tape to hold the crack together--the cost is only $70. For tape????? The rest of the morning and early afternoon, we catch up on laundry, go swimming and visit with Dell and his two dogs, Keo and Kacy.

Did you know dogs can fly? Kacy can.

 Now these dogs are as smart as they come and serve as adorable, non-stop entertainment for us.Witnessing the dogs' amazing devotion to Dell and their almost human-like perception of Dell's vocabulary is fascinating to me. But then again, Dell has most everyone he meets hanging onto his every word. He is a born storyteller and comedian and we are blessed to have him and Pat in our family. Dell is recovering from heart problems faced earlier this year, but he looks great and  we praise God for the strong recovery and for Pat's part in it.  
     Doc whispers he wants to swim and play with the cute dogs. (Seems he's gotten a bit braver since he met Tammie's dog, Romo.) But as his physician, I remind him that he is scheduled to undergo a leg re-attachment at 1:00 PM.  He relents and I perform the pool-side surgery.

Doc in surgery with Physician Ava.

 Within a few minutes on the recovery towel, he is good as new. You can see for yourself there's no stopping that little dare-devil.

Doc is pretty good at hide-and-seek with the dogs.

Writer's Reflections:
      Families are our safe harbors from the rough seas of this life.There's nothing like family. I can say it a million times, but those of us who are blessed to be in a strong family know the feeling is beyond description. God, in his infinite wisdom designed it that way and knew we would need that special support that only family members can offer.
    Granted, some family units are scattered and dysfunctional and for those people there seems to be a longing for inclusion that can't be filled.They are on a constant search to belong to something or someone and gravitate toward those that have those strong family ties. I see it in my husband's family and now in our own. Our children's friends gather often in the safe harbor of our home and become part of our family unit.
     This is the way it should be in the family of Christ. Entwining our lives with our heavenly Father and strengthening our family bonds with Him first, is the key. Then we can be that shining light that draws the lost to safety and brings them into God's family.
       Just reach up before reaching out. Then, whatever you do--Don't let go.

Coming Up: Doc Goes to the Grand Canyon.



   

On the Road--Doc Gets a Taste of the Desert

Doc and the wind turbines of West Texas

            Remember what I wrote earlier? About our family's uncommon habit of having bad vacations? Well . . . uh . . . but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

        It is late Sunday afternoon and we have left the family reunion behind and headed west. Joining my family of four on the cross-country road trip is my sister-in-law Diana and  her husband, Russell. They are traveling in their Winnebago, affectionately called "Winnie",  and we are right behind them in a borrowed Rav 4. Together the six of us are on our way see my husband's brother, Dell Jenkins in Mesa Arizona. We've never taken this journey by car, so the excitement of a road trip is in the air.

     The route is planned and everything is going as designed.After a good three hours on the road, we are starting to relax. We should be close to El Paso by nightfall and have an RV park as our destination for the night. "Should" is the operative word here because . . .
      It never happened that way.

      Just outside of Colorado City, TX,  Russell and Diana pulled off at a roadside rest stop to examine their tires, but we couldn't find a problem. We snapped a few pictures of Doc with the turbines. He was pretty pumped about it all and said the platform he's on, reminded him an outdoor amphitheater stage--the kind rock-stars like to sing on in the summer. We didn't have the heart to tell him it's actually the lid of a smelly trashcan.

      Only fifteen minutes down the road, the first bit of tread flies off Winnie's back passenger side tire. Another big chunk sails through the air and we are slowing to a crawl as Russell looks for a safe place to get off the road. If you have never changed an RV tire, there's probably a good reason--they come in pairs and it is nearly impossible to do without the right tools.

The cactus adds a forlorn touch to the deserted cafe lot. 

         We roll to a stop in front of a long-deserted cafe that rests beneath a large, colorful billboard advertising all the glorious amenities of Pecos, Texas-- almost taunting us in a way. It is hot and windy and and we are miles from any town. Diana manages to find a tire shop that has someone on duty this sweltering Sunday afternoon. While we wait out the next hour, we sort through the sprawl of  junk that litter the cement around us. The cafe has been turned into a junkyard garage of sorts. We peer through the dust-streaked windows and find the remnants of a kitchen that has been taken over by a tire collection, hubcaps and a desk with a chair. It all makes for an interesting story, but we are much more concerned with our current plight.

         After the first hour, we wonder out loud if "Marvin" exists or if the garage might have been yanking our chain. Perhaps "Marvin" is a codeword the garage uses when all the personnel have gone home and are sitting in their recliners and laughing at those goofy travelers stuck on the side of the road. Yeah . . . . Yeah . . . I'm kind of pessimistic that way.

Blowout on Winnie

     We are excited to find Marvin does exist and just to prove it I got his picture. Nearly three hours after the initial blowout, we are on our way again, but we are hopelessly behind schedule now.

Marvin , our tire hero.

        Adjust and regroup! Our new destination for the night is a Monahans State Park in Texas. (Yes we are STILL  in Texas.)We arrive at nightfall and after doing the self-check in, we realize the park only has about 12 camping sites. Thankfully there is room for us. This  place is so cool--literally and figuratively!  Everywhere we look are hills of white sand and in the moonlight it almost looks like mounds of snow. I suddenly remember I have been here once before as a child of 7 or 8 yrs old. Our cousins lived in Kermit, a nearby town. (Yes, Kermit,  like the Muppets) We had come out for the day and played in the soft white sand and had a blast.

Love this shot of Doc in the sand

        The next morning we plan to get an early start, but we can't resist playing in the stuff. Neither can Doc. We giggle, draw our names in the sand, hike the hills in bare feet and giggle some more. Doc was the only one who didn't sink into the shifting granules as he climbed the hill. Our departing time is pushed back as we  play, act like kids and make warm memories.

Writer's Reflection:
You know the old phrase: Humans make plans and God laughs. Sometimes I like to think his laugh isn't sarcastic but joyous. "I know the plans I have made for you," God tells us in Jeremiah. What He has in mind is so much better than our simple plans and agendas can forecast or achieve. If not for the distressing flat on the RV, we would have missed all the child-like fun of playing in the beautiful, white sand. We would have missed  His unique handiwork.

1. Don't be afraid to "sidetrack" your characters and expose their deepest fears and insecurities. ("There is no Marvin, is there?")
2. Allow your characters to be uncomfortable, uncertain and understandably anxious. We have all been there and can identify with characters faced with similar difficulties.That's what makes them interesting and makes us relate to them. We  care about them and what happens to them.

3. Adjust and Regroup!  In the end your characters should see that they were detoured for a reason.  God has a plan for their lives, as He does for ours. They should take a moment in a reflection scene and connect the dots of the ultimate journey God has plotted for them and how they have changed because of it.

4. Think of your own life's detours and locked doors. Where did God lead you after that? To something better? Something you would have missed otherwise? Use your own life story as a teaching tool for your readers and for others.

BONUS: If you stayed for the credits . . .  I mean writer's reflection, then you earned the bonus pic. This is a behind-the- scenes shot of stage-hand, Dalton as he prepares for Doc's photo shoot. Notice the one legged look that Doc is sporting before our CG department airbrushed the photos. Ahhhh , the magic of media!

The making of Doc Goes To the Desert

Coming up: Doc Goes to Mesa, Arizona

     

On The Road--Doc Goes to Church

Doc hits the road and claims a cushy spot in the RV

                When we last left you, we were in the midst of the annual Jenkins Family Reunion. If you missed the last two blog posts, then you need to get caught up . . . Now! I mean stop reading this one and go find the others. It’s okay, take your time. We’ll wait. Here's the first one if you missed it:
Meet "Doc" Gnome And here's the second in the series: Doc goes to the Family Reunion . 

                All done? You know the backstory of our resident traveling gnome, right? Great, let’s move on. It is Sunday at Lake Leon in Ranger, Texas and sadly, it is the last day of the family reunion. However, it is one of my favorites because it is time for our annual reunion church service. In the past, various families have taken turns organizing and delivering the praise service and this year was our turn.

                 My dynamic sister-in-law, Diana welcomed the sleepy crowd and gave a moving testimony at how much the reunion and family meant to her. She opened with a heart-felt prayer that moved several to tears. Praise singing came next and although I hate to brag on the Jenkins family ( insert a sarcastic tone to that last phrase) . . .  But I’ll do it anyway, because I’m giving the glory to God. He has blessed this family with some amazing musical talent that these young twenty-somethings are using to His glory.    

                My great-nephew, 4-year old Jackson, led off the service with a sweet solo, “I am Something Special.” His Nana (grandmother) needed a few tissues after that one. Next up was my bass-singing nephew, Duane and his lovely wife Stefanie. Duane’s proud mother also kept that tissue box busy during their song. Notice in the picture below, that these young “whipper-snappers” don’t need sheet music these days, they just sing from their phones. . . or to their phones it's hard to say which, sometimes.

Stefanie and Duane Stark

  

                Next up was my daughter, Natalie and her talented husband David. Together they sang “The Desert Song” while David accompanied on his guitar. Doc nudged me and said he’d vote for them to move to the final round, but I had to break it to him, that he was a plastic gnome—not a judge on “American Idol.” Now, folks, we have to be patient with Doc. Bless his little heart, we have to remember Doc didn’t exactly grow up going to church at his previous home in the yard-decoration section at Garden Ridge.

David and Natalie Shurley

                Our volunteer-preacher for the morning was none other than my beloved brother-in-law, Russell. He had prepared a wonderful message about the power of prayer and using it as a connective tool to keep our lives in touch with our Maker. Doc loved the sermon because it was short and sweet. He said his backside never even got a chance to get numb. Honestly, I didn’t know this was a problem for the little guy, since I’ve never seen him sit down or even knew that he could. Oh well.

"Brother" Russell- our preacher for the day

Writer’s Reflection:

      So as our reunion draws to a close and all the goodbyes and hugs are delivered, Doc reminds me that I have to take a few moments to put this weekend in a writer’s perspective.

1.      1. Treasure the family that you have. Ties can deepen with a little effort and planning, but even neglect can cause irrevocable damage.

2.     2.  Lack of family can leave a hole in our hearts, even those of our imaginary characters. Having your character attend a friend’s family reunion might stir a longing for family that he/she had not experienced before.
3    3. Perhaps, a family reunion could be a catalyst for conflict among a weaker couple, making them aware of their vast differences in upbringing.
       4.Old conflicts and rivalries can and do resurface at reunions and can be a colorful setting for a fist fights, boat races, fishing competitions or 42-domino tournaments, all of which my family does at the reunion. Except the fist fight part. 
       5. Old wounds, hurts and past regrets can also find a healing place at a family reunion. People grow up and change, at least most of us do.And we'd like to think it is for the better. It's never too late to say "I'm sorry."


 The possibilities are endless, so get busy and use that family reunion in a fresh new way in your story or manuscript.

Coming up: Doc Goes to the Desert—kind of. 

On The Road: Doc Goes to the Jenkins Family Reunion

                I’ve been blessed to be born into a fantastic family. My parents have been married 51 years  and constantly taught us about the love of God. But I was doubly blessed to marry into another extraordinary God-revering family. My husband, Darell Jenkins comes from a large family and each year we have a 3-day reunion with all of his aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family friends and loved ones.

               I know what you’re thinking . . . 3 days of being with family? It’s true, though, we like being together and this family knows how to have fun. So much fun, in fact, that the little plastic gnome we have named, "Doc" insisted on coming with us to the reunion. He doesn't eat much so we agreed, and packed him between the underwear and socks and hit the road.

                For the reunion, the family rents several cabins on the shores of Lake Leon, just outside of Ranger, Texas. We kick off the festivities with a family bingo event on Friday night. This year, all of my sister-in-laws' families were winners, but my immediate family walked away with their usual bingo winnings—Nothing!!! My husband thinks the bingo caller, his cousin Rusty, has it in for him and can somehow see the one number he needs, but refuses to call it. Oh, by the way, Doc didn’t win anything either, but that’s because I didn’t want to spend five dollars on a bingo card for a plastic guy with such a short attention span. Besides, if he had won I don’t think I could have handled that smug, gloating smile of his. Oh wait . . . that's his usual painted-on look that he wears all the time.

                Saturday starts off with biscuits-and-chocolate for breakfast, a famous Jenkins family specialty once served at Grandma Oma’s café. Some of us go cabin to cabin and visit with family members, while some take to the water for boating and fishing. When we caught Doc casting a wistful look out on the water,( see above) we offered to take him for a ride, but he reminded us he had to get to his photo shoot on the chuck wagon. And I do mean an official chuck wagon. See for yourself. Doc likes the shot below because he says the shadow in the background makes him look taller.  Whatever . . .

                Dinner is a family affair and this year two family members, Carol and Odie roped in some of their competition level cook-off friends and made a fantastic dinner of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, homemade honey rolls and peach cobbler with whiskey sauce. Can you tell we’re all from Texas? Yes!! And we're proud of it!

                The family auction is next and is the highlight of the reunion. Family members make or buy nearly 130 items each year to be auctioned off. The auction money goes toward the rental fees for next year. Two very hardworking, gorgeous women have served our family tirelessly over the past several years. Tina (on the left) and Tammie (right) are the accountants, record keepers, and business managers of the family auction, not to mention overall cheerleaders.

                 Don’t we have beautiful women in our family? (Doc told me to write that part, but I totally agree!)  We wanted Doc to pose for the picture, but he refused. We think he was a bit afraid of Romo, the huge, ferocious, teeth-baring dog you see in the picture. Guess it all looks very different from a little gnomes' point of view.


Coming up: Doc goes to church at the reunion.

Change of Pace and Place: Meet "Doc" Gnome

        Greetings! I will have to return to Part 2 of “Are You Where You’re Supposed To Be” at a later date because I’m NOT where I’m supposed to be this week—I am actually on the road. Today is my husband and my 30th anniversary!!! In honor of the event my family is taking a vacation together, the first one in nearly two years, and we’ve decided to blog about it. Lucky you!!!

        I say this because we are known far and wide for having bad vacations—notoriously bad! Our family members and our extended church family pray faithfully for us when they hear we are embarking on a new “adventure”, because that is what we tend to have instead of a restful vacation. We have often been told we should write a book about our disastrous attempts but I doubt anyone would believe the stories hadn’t been exaggerated.

        This year we’ve decided to take a road trip through west Texas, New Mexico and into Mesa, Arizona to visit my brother-in-law and his family.  We’re planning to throw in a side trip to the Grand Canyon and maybe a quick run through Las Vegas, none of which we have seen before. Just to mix things up a bit, we have taken on a miniature, plastic hitchhiker that will hopefully inspire us at every stop along the way.  Meet Doc Gnome!!!

      “Doc” is short for Dutch Oven Cooking gnome and is the traveling prize my daughter, Lauryn, won two weeks ago at our church campout. Her “Very Berry Blueberry” cobbler was voted to be this year’s winner in the Dutch oven cooking competition. The sad part is that just as Lauryn received Doc as a prize, she dropped the poor guy and both legs were instantly amputated. He’s a tough gnome because we never heard a peep from him as we carefully reattached his limbs with super glue. He made a full recovery—for a while, but is insisting on the peg-leg look. I see a Wal-Mart trip in our near future as we hunt for “super-duper glue” to reattach his leg again.

     Since Doc is a traveling gnome, we thought he should get out and see more of the world before he is passed on to the next winner. Doc has discussed this trip with his manager, Lauryn, and agreed to be the star of several photo shoots along our road trip. His contract is very reasonable and only has three requests:

1) I am to list/surmise or state how he or the setting can inspire writing or writers.

2) We are not to ever mention his more famous cousin—The Travelocity Gnome. (There appears to be some family jealousy there)

3) We are to only shoot Doc’s good side, so the glue lines won’t show.

Coming up—First Destination: Family Reunion on Lake Leon. 

Are You Where You're Supposed To Be?--Part I

    It's a question I've been asking myself lately--Am I where I'm supposed to be? And that question is quickly followed by another--Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

    At a recent dinner with some friends from church, I explained that my daughter and her husband were saving every penny they could for a mission trip to Haiti. From the first time they heard about their church's efforts in that country, they were moved to participate. A garage sale, selling cookies and halting all drives through the fast food lanes have netted some of the necessary funds. But it was the generous donations from friends and church members that have boosted their Haiti funds to the halfway point. It has been an amazing journey and I'm excited for them.

   But I don't understand them.

   Or rather, I don't understand their deep desire to travel to other countries to spread God's Word. But they are not the only family members who have been called to this work. For the last three summers, my youngest sister has traveled to dangerous parts of Panama to minister to villages that have never seen someone with blond hair like hers. My college-aged niece has made several trips to Africa over the last several summers. Her joy in serving has spread to her father and he has joined her the last two years. This summer my middle sister is joining them along with the rest of their family. Again, I'm very excited for them all, but . . .





   Is there something wrong with me that I have absolutely no desire to do this? Why don't I feel moved to participate and join in these ministries? After all, isn't this at the very heart of the Great Commission delivered by Christ?

  This past week I turned to a passage in Sarah Young's book, " Jesus Calling". The words must have been written with me in mind:

        You are on the path of My choosing. There is no randomness about your life. Here and Now  comprise the coordinates of your daily life.

   It occurred to me that I am doing what God has called me to do--writing. This is not a desire that He has placed in my daughter's heart, my niece's heart or my sisters' hearts. If He has chosen to place it within me, then it is no less noble a cause than missionary work.

 My job is to spread God's Word in a different way.  And this journey has given me more joy than anything I have ever done. Somehow I think that inner peace is a sign that I am on the right path--the one of His choosing.

"I ask--ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory--to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do." Ephesians 1:17-18 MSG

Are you where you are supposed to be?

Next week: Max Lucado helps me out!

   

Rusty Blogger

No . . . Rusty Blogger is not the name of my character. Sadly, it is my current status in the world.

 ( insert deep sigh here)

It's kind of embarrassing to admit I haven't greased the wheels or oiled the chains of  "ye old blog site," in nearly two-and-a-half years. It was a matter of necessity to get my then, WIP on track. It was a painful decision to choose which baby to nurse along, the blog or the book, but I'm happy to say my first-born manuscript is complete and the second is in its infancy stages.  

In hindsight, letting the blogging world disappear for awhile was the right call for me. It's sort of like the old adage, "You can't love others until you learn to love yourself." I had so much to learn about writing, I had to dig in and learn by doing. I had absorbed so much from the blogs I followed, but the time had come for me to put all that good advice to good use. 

It's not news--blogging takes times and keeping up with fellow writer's blogs can take up even more time. But the payoff is a wonderful, supportive network that opens at our fingertips. Writers are expected to build and maintain their blogs to ensure future sales--and current sales if you are so blessed. But my blog was only in "newbie" status with only 11 posts in all. Very few people even missed it when the"ink" went dry.

So why am I knocking off the rust now, and attempting to oil all the gears? There are two reasons.

Reason One:

I hadn't thought about my blog in months, but it came up in a dream I had last week. Someone I didn't know asked me what had happened to it and I remember staring in surprise at the person for several seconds. Who were they and why were they interested? Those were the first questions on my mind. And the second was--How should I answer? Before I could complete my halting, stammering reply, my dream world morphed into a paint store setting.

Maybe because paint can cover rust--giving fresh life to old things.

When I had a second dream about the blog, I decided it might be one of those proverbial nudges, we Christians come to recognize from time to time. (Oh. . . how I wish it were all the time!!!) I decided to revisit the blog and received quite a shock. Well. . .actually a  very embarrassing shock--I couldn't remember how to access it or how to create a new post. Nearly two hours later, here we are and I'm hoping this all works. 

Reason Two:

Last week when I saw the list of finalists posted for the "Genesis" contest, I was curious about several names on the list. Some I knew from their excellent blog sites, but others were new to me. A close friend confided that she thought my writing style was quite similar to one of the finalists. Really? Of course that got me interested in doing a little blogging research to find out more about these talented women.  It occurred to me that they might be just as curious about me. I'm a newbie to contests and the writing world. What if they were trying to find out more about me? A rusty blog was no way to make new friends. 

So I'm digging out the WD-40 and getting all those gears sprayed and oiled. I revamped the site and it's time to see if we can jump-start the rusty heap  and bring it back to life. We will keep the mileage low at first, perhaps once-around-the-block each week, for starters. 

Congratulations to all the "Genesis" Finalists and what you had to give up to get there!

What have you had to give up to focus on your writing?

--Ava