May 2018 – Life with us ~ The Wandering Workentins

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God Did it Again!

May 27, 2018 Ali

I often say
“I can’t believe God meets me right where I am”

but

alas

HE has done that once again.

Yesterday I took a break from gate~guarding

and drove to Kermit, TX to meet up with a new friend.

We met through a mutual friend ~ all three of us being gate guards!!

Anyway, on the way back I was

having a chat with Jesus

about some of my frustrations,

lots of my joys,

many of my concerns

and life in general.

This morning

(2:30 AM ~ it really is morning)

I grabbed my little devotional and turned to today

(sorry for being blurry, I was trying to keep the shadow off)

but the title says it all

Give Up on Worry!!!

I tend to worry about everything and anything.

I am a planner by nature.

I love my calendar,

to make lists,

keeping a schedule.

Back up to earlier in the day ~

I got an email from my bestie, Dee,

and she had written

“Something I’ve noticed – you are SO much more flexible! It used to be that you had to have a set plan and if something happened that made that plan change, you would go into a panic. Now, you know that the plan will probably change and you are ok with that. I’m proud of you!!”

I had shared that with Ron

and we talked about how I used to be

~ if things didn’t go as planned,

watch out Tornado Ali

would be on the warpath!!!

For those who have known me for many years,

you know how true that was ~ the littlest unplanned change would

send me into a tailspin ~

and yet, look where I am today.

I give thanks to God

for healing me of so much pain and anger

that permeated my life for so many years.

I give thanks for a husband who has been with me for almost 43 years,

for the renewing of our faith in Christ

in the back of our little Datsun pickup in February 1976,

and all those who have been a part of our lives

over the years.

Way too many to name,

because I know I would forget someone,

but know that we are blessed beyond measure

and that God has faithfully taken care of us over the years.

Something else happened today

to remind me of how God has guided me

and how I have learned to use healthful thinking (mindfulness) to

keep the truth in the forefront

and the lies on the very back burner.

I found out today that my friend, counselor, therapist,

confidant, listener and sister in the Lord is retiring from some of her “jobs”

and immediately I thought

“WHAT??? What am I going to do if I can’t call Marla???”

Now, you need to know I don’t talk to Marla often, email once every six months and have not had a “counseling session” with her in over 8 years!!!

But immediately, the old thinking clicked in

BUT GOD

reminded me with his word

during the early morning hours!!!

Thank you Lord,

for friends who share their observations,

for the little devotional book I bought over a year ago

and for your unfailing promises!!!

Thank you Lord

for healing my heart

in so many ways!!!!

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Gate Guarding ~ What’s Happening??

May 22, 2018 Ali

We did our first gig of gate guarding at

McCamey, TX.

It took a bit of adjustments

but we got a little schedule going.

We worked there from Friday, May 11 to

Tuesday morning, May 14

when we moved to the

Pecos Yard for one night.

And par for us ~ our plans changed once again…

Wednesday morning we were informed that we would not be going to Wink or to Orla 2 but instead be going to Barstow, TX

which is about 7 miles from Pecos, TX

So off to do laundry,

run some errands and then we were off to Barstow

The little blue dot is where we are and will be

through the end of September

(well that’s the plan anyway)

This is the view out our back window…

all the trucks must come through right here so when

it’s hot outside we can sit in the coolness of

our little home on wheels.

this was our first sunset on

Thursday, May 17. 2018

and another view from our rig!

Our schedule sort of goes like this ~~~

A ~ work from Midnight/1 am to 7/8 am

R ~ work from 7/8 to 2/3 pm

A ~ I take a nap from 7/8 to about 10; then make brunch for us, take another nap from about noon to 2

A ~ I work from 2/3 till about 6 pm

R ~ takes a nap during that time

A ~ makes dinner about 6 (tonight I am making lazy man’s lasagna in the crock pot (will put it on after I make breakfast

)

R ~ works till midnight or so

So far it is working well. During the midnight shift I do the computer work entering all the logs into Excel; email it to the office by 8:30 am (before I go lay down)

Our goal during the next few months is to work, not spend money and save $$

We have lots to do ~ reading, writing, Ron is scanning all of our pictures; I am taking my journals and putting them on the computer – still thinking I would like to write a book and this is one of the first steps, I am also crocheting – trying to make things using up my stash of yarn – thinking of going of going to sell things through friends and make gifts.

Right now I have a lot of cotton yarn for making dish cloths. Ron came up with a suggestion to make a set of placemats, coasters and a couple of pot holders. So thinking I might do that.

Ron also has a couple of projects on the trailer for this summer ~ reseal the roof, build some cupboards in our closets and also making our pantry a little more user friendly (it is very deep so awkward to get stuff from the back)

Well those are the projects we have thought about doing.

I say that,

because I have talked with a couple of people who

have been doing gate guarding for awhile

who had projects they were going to do

and have yet to begin!!!

So we will see.

Anyway, here’s a glimpse of

our life of gate guarding!!

Well the first week anyway!!!

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New Adventure ~ Gate Guarding ~ McCamey, TX

May 15, 2018 Ali

We have begun another new adventure, makes our name

The Wandering Workentins

TRUE!!

We have just completed our first gate

McCamey, TX

Not sure why I can’t get all the pictures off my phone

I’m sure it is owner/operator

but here is the sky from the yard from earlier today.

This job started has stretched us in some ways

~ figuring new schedules

~ living with lots of dust

~ not going for drives

~ lots of quiet time

At moments it seems like this will be a good thing,

other times the mind

wonders can I survive this?

I can tell in my writing that

I’m a bit displaced

as I can’t seem to gather my thoughts

to put things in order

So as I would tell my bestie

“this is me rambling”

not sure what I want to say

but want those, if anyone,

who reads this blog

to know we are fine,

we are trying new things

and will continue

to keep moving forward.

Maybe after the second week

the thoughts will come together.

So on that note,

stay tuned!!!

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Struggling and Holding On

May 7, 2018 Ali

As I sit here looking at the beautiful scenery here at

Valley of Fires

I wonder how I can feel so down.

I am thankful for a friends message this morning

and felt encouraged.

Emailed my bestie,

felt encouraged,

Wrote a note to a special someone

and ended up in tears

and am now wising I could take back my note

because, just because!

A friend mentioned a word study they are doing,

said I could buy it on Amazon

well not really,

no money

and having to

watch where every penny is going right now.

Tears streaming down my face,

want to run and hide,

want to cry out in hurting pain,

and then tell myself to

Image result for pull your big girl panties up

And get off the Pity Party Train!!!

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Honest Truth ~ Part 3!! And HOPE!!!

May 4, 2018 Ali

As I fell asleep last night,

I found myself praying,

Lord, I trust you

just right now it is so hard!!!

And claimed my life verse

and fell fast asleep.

I woke up a couple of times,

but went right back to sleep.

Woke up at 7:30 this morning,

feeling refreshed.

Quietly got out of bed and went into the living room,

pulled out my Bible,

my devotional journal,

my pens

and opened

Image result for illustrated words of jesus for women

today,

May 4

and read the title

and started laughing and crying!!

God you are so Awesome!!!

You always meet me right where I am!!

And so I colored

and I read,

I cried

and felt comforted!!!

Things may be hard right now

but

GOD has me right where I belong!!!

Right where I need to be!!!

And nothing I am going through,

he doesn’t already know about!!!

Thank you Lord

for this new day!!!

For a husband who loves me!!!

And for every adventure

You lead me on!!!

Is life perfect?

No not at all!!!

But it’s okay,

I will be okay,

I am okay!!!

With God I can conquer anything!!!

The next few weeks may be hard,

that’s okay,

we’ve faced hard before

but we will get through this!!!

And through it all

I will give God the glory!!!

Now let’s go visit that

Ghost Town!!!

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Honest Truth!! ~ Part 2

May 4, 2018 Ali

Thursday, May 3

wasn’t much better.

Didn’t sleep well,

tossed and turned,

talked to God,

wondered why ~ does it do any good?

Felt the wind blow some more,

the trailer was rocking

and it was not fun!!!

Ron said,

I didn’t want to.

I was having a pity party.

Feeling like life was horrible

Asking what was the use?

But off we went.

Drove about five miles into town to find a grocery store.

NOPE

town looks pretty desolate,

found a gas station,

houses look dilapidated

windy and dusty

didn’t say much to each other

did notice one pretty house

found a little store,

bought a loaf of bread,

a bag of chips

and

for me

and a

Image result for reese's peanut butter cup pieces

for Ron

Drove back to the trailer,

made home made chicken noodle soup

WELL

not really,

took a bag out of the freezer

and reheated it up.

Added some more noodles

And watched TV on the broken TV.

Ron mentioned going to a ghost town on Friday

~ how we have no money!!!

means no gas

need what little we have to get us to Texas in two weeks!!!

More silence!!!

Played solitaire and puzzles on my phone

and went to bed about 10:00 pm.

Might as well,

it’s free

and I can!!!

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Honest Truth!!

May 4, 2018 Ali

Sometimes

And the last two days have been just those kind of days.

And sometimes we make

Image result for decisions right or wrong

Last week while in Las Vegas we got a couple of phone calls

that led us to believe we needed to hurry and get to Texas

so we changed our plans and left

Las Vegas Thousand Trails on

Tuesday, May 1.

We drove and drove and end up here

for the night.

The price was right,

sleep was horrible

and we found out we have to plan better for boondocking,

whether it be for one night or many!!!

We didn’t eat right, we were both grumpy

and we were tired when we got back on the road on

Wednesday, May 2 at

6:30AM!!!

We stopped and got gas and found a cute little cafe

and ate an okay breakfast.

And then we drove and drove some more.

Tension was high

and it was not a fun drive.

We called Val (our contact in Texas for our next job)

and found out we don’t have to be there till 5/26!!!

First wrong decision ~ should have called her before leaving Las Vegas, should have stayed in Las Vegas at Thousand Trails ~ free camping, beautiful weather, happy memories, lots of things to do for free

BUT

that’s not what happened.

We drove and drove,

it was windy!!!

which makes for a difficult day of driving,

short tempers,

and lots of silence in the car.

We ended up here

Image result for valley of fire new mexico state park

It is a nice campground. We have water and electric for $9

per night (thank goodness for Ron’s old man pass)

So we have decided to hang out here for a week.

Cheap housing $63 for a week!!!

We got parked

and started setting up the camp

~ did I say life sucks sometimes ~

well it continued.

Ron bought me a stained glass/metal pig

and it shattered!!

Opened the trailer,

one of my ceramic pigs was shattered on the floor,

one pig canister was upside down on the floor, broken,

my earrings had fallen off the wall into the sink,

sending earrings on the floor, behind the cupboard,

the bar door opened, spilled wine!!

And I just cried!!!

Oh, and I forgot to hook the TV before closing the slide

and now the TV has a big crack right down the center!!!

I wanted to scream,

OK I did scream,

through a box out the door,

cried and swore!!

Life was really sucky!!!

I sent a text to my bestie

“I’ve had enough”

I posted on Facebook

“I quit, I’m done”

and then promptly deleted it,

but not before two people commented

“what’s wrong?”

Ron set up the outside of the trailer.

I slowly got the inside of the trailer organized,

well not organized, but liveable.

And I cried on the inside,

on the outside

and wanted to just give up!!!

Even made a comment to Ron that I haven’t made in years!!!

And then I curled up in a ball,

ate a bag of popcorn,

played a game on my phone

and took a nap.

And that was just Wednesday!!!