Cruise Control

Posted on April 27, 2024 by webadmin

by Fred Prout

Sometimes your life seems to go in one direction. Always forward. A super highway. Doing things. Going places. People. We collect people. And places. Like a bee collects pollen. Life on cruise control. New places. Different people. Eyes always focused ahead. What’s next? And new?   The older we get the faster we seem to go. Time condenses. We perceive it differently. Sometimes we look back at people and events of our life. We smile, and look ahead to the endless highway. No need to feed the gas. Hit the brakes. It’s all automatic. Cruise control. Endless highway. Until…

SPEED BUMP

The other day I heard that a dear friend was ill. Very ill. It hit me hard. We had some adventures together that are indelibly written in my memories. Willie saw my reaction to the news. The shock. A good friend very ill. She reminded me that a burden shared is halved. A laugh shared is multiplied.

Suddenly, more news. Larry didn’t make it. This is the first time I have ever said Larry without also saying Phyllie. They were, are, a unit. An extension of each other. I know everyone who knows them will feel the same.

RV Days

Of the tens of thousands of people we meet, a very few are truly special. Can make us laugh. Or cry. I know my tears will mix with those of many others who spent time with Larry and Phyllie. When you share laughter with someone, it changes you both for the better.

Back in the RVing days, Rita and I stumbled upon a membership RV park. Through sheer luck we got an opportunity to volunteer to work on the activities. That’s how we managed to meet some really great people. Friends. Especially Larry and Phyllie.

TRAILER TRASH

Part of the job was helping with the entertainment. After setting up for the amazing Walt Quigley (the best Roy Orbison ever) we came up with Trailer Trash. We would have Walt play Tequila, and Rita and I would encourage (drag) people from the audience, bounce around like fools and sing the only word in the song. Well, duh,”Tequila “.  Larry and Phyllie were always first up and helped more and more people to join in. They were always willing accomplices to whatever insanity was devised. They always added to everyone’s enjoyment.

TOM JONES

Dick and Charlotte were also friends of Larry and Phyllie. If you ever need to define class, look no further than Charlotte. Beautifully dressed, not a hair out of place. The perfect person to pull off a prank. You would never imagine her capable of doing it. Well, the three couples got together to make some laughs. We went to the local thrift store and bought a pair of ladies bloomers. Size XXXXXXXX. Larry got Walt to sing a Tom Jones song. As he started to sing, Charlotte summoned all her dignity, walked down the center aisle and tossed said bloomers up to Walt on the stage. To his credit he didn’t miss a beat.

SLICES OF LIFE

A few shared moments in our lives. A friendship is born. With very special people. Although I am sharing these words with everyone, they were written for Larry and Phyllie. Phyllie, I know you will have many happy memories of your life shared with The Big Kahuna. Hopefully these words will make you smile. You two touched many lives. Probably more than you know.

Love you guys. You will stay in our hearts forever.

Fred Prout

Posted in Creative Work, Featured, General Interest | Tagged | 4 Comments

The Case of the Kidnapped Housekeepers

Posted on April 20, 2024 by webadmin

One thing’s for certain at The Home For Senior Delinquents. Every day is a new adventure. Breakfast this morning. We have a buffet breakfast that starts at eight am. Some of our folks get there ten to fifteen minutes early, so that,1) they get their fair share,2)they can get their fair share and load up their walkers for later, or never, or for the cat. 3) They have important stuff to do. Like napping.

This morning, Fran, our wonderful cook had to hand out two pieces of bacon per person. See, the people hovering in line are like vultures. Waiting to strip the bones of their prey. Somehow an entire pan of bacon can disappear within minutes. It’s bad enough when the inmates load up their walkers, but, the highest flying and deepest diving are the caregivers. See, some of our inmates are somehow infirm. They hire people to assist them in various ways. Some of these caring individuals swoop in and take enough food for the inmate, themselves, and their seven starving grandchildren. It seems that bacon can turn people into pigs. How’s that for irony?

I could fill a lot of pages describing our various people. Today I’ll concentrate on: The Villain, The Driver, Three Housekeepers, and The Hero.

Walking out of the dining room, I heard Joan. raging at Ronnie, our driver.
So as not to give the wrong impression, I understand that Joan was happy and said nice things. Once upon a time. It could have been when Truman was president and the world changed. “That’ll fix ‘em “ she might have said.

To describe Joan as a vicious, vituperative harridan might be extreme. Or not.
It’s been said that if her walker could fly, they might reconvene the dunking in Salem. Massachusetts, not Oregon. And not donuts.Sorry if I misled you.

As I walk to the elevator Joan is still barking at Ronnie. He’s getting her wrath because for the last six weeks we have had no one on the front desk. Hey, bacon ain’t free you know.

“ I got a call that my housekeeper is sick, she screeched. Time to check the rabies tag? You gotta tell them that I demand that somebody come up and change my sheets and make my bed. Towels. I want clean towels too. And my floor. They gotta clean it. I got rights. I pay my rent. You tell them to get up there now. And another G.. D… thing, tell the kitchen not to let anyone sit in my chair in the dining room. I’ve been here…

Elevator door opens. Inside are three housekeepers, rolling carts, and all. As they start to get out, I, the hero after all, block the door, walk in, backing everyone up, and tell them they are all being kidnapped. For their own good.
I explain that Joan is on the warpath and wants all of your heads. So, up to the fifth floor we go. Three Housekeepers, three rolling carts, and one hero. We all go our separate ways. Another potential disaster averted.

Just another day at the Home For Senior Delinquents. Hey, I just had a thought. Maybe I should have gone over to Joan, opened her walker and handed her eight or nine pieces of bacon to calm her down. What do you think?

Fred Prout

Posted in Creative Work, Featured, General Interest | Tagged | 5 Comments

Do Unto Others

Posted on April 16, 2024 by webadmin

by Jackie Barker (lot 130)

The whole world seems to be going crazy. Road rage, looting of stores by gangs and Karens beyond count are in the news every day. What can be done to stop these insane behaviors?

Perhaps the easiest is to go back to the basic foundation of nearly all religions. They speak of how we should treat our fellow beings. If before you yelled at the driver of another car that annoyed you, you think of how it makes you feel if that driver yelled at you, you then make the world a more peaceful place by smiling instead.

If the looting gangs should think of the Daoism teaching before tearing up a store, “Regard your neighbors gains your own gain and your neighbor loss as your own loss”. Would they still cause all the damage? Probably not, think of how much goodness would be in the neighborhood.

And all the Karens of the world should listen to the Judaism lesson. “That which is despicable to you do not do to your fellow and the rest is commentary, go and learn it.” That would stop a lot of the public confrontations over parking spaces and fence lines and children laughing and playing. Ah, blessed peace and quiet.

Other examples are everywhere.

Buddhism, “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself”

Judaism, “That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary, go and learn it”.

Confucianism, “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire”.

Of course, then one most of us know, the Christian Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Such a brilliant plan for a peaceful life.

Donald W. Pfaff, PhD. Neuroscientist remarked “If it’s really true that all religions have this ethical principle, across continents and across centuries then it is more likely to have a hardwired scientific basis than it was just a neighborhood custom’. Wouldn’t it be great if some powerful entity would just flip the switch and turn it on in all minds?

Peace brother.

Jackie Barker

3/15/24

Posted in Creative Work, General Interest | 7 Comments

Michelle Van Westen, In Memoriam

Posted on April 5, 2024 by webadmin

She was vibrant, enthusiastic, and energetic.  When Michelle entered a room, she lit it up with the sparkle of her personality. She inspired all who knew her and her life was extinguished all too soon. It has taken some time to pull together the many strands of her life from her surviving children and her husband, David; but it is hoped the results are worth waiting for.

Michelle Alba-Lim Van Westen was born on May 26, 1954, in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines.  While her father was alive, the family lived relatively comfortably; able to buy ice cream and take family trips.  After his death, the family had to move in with grandparents, and Michelle was forced to quit school.  

When she was able to return to school she graduated from high school as class valedictorian. She then attended the University of San Carlos on a full scholarship graduating with honors.  An early and abusive marriage resulted in four children who still survive her. 

She traveled to many countries for business and pleasure including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and continental Europe. In 2008 she was granted Permanent US Residency and she became a citizen Nov. 28, 2018.

She held the position of Human Resources Development Manager in the Philippines and the United States before she received a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. In 2013 she was a Training and Development Specialist for 7 Feathers.

She was an avid Toastmaster and received over 40 awards and certifications from Toastmasters International.  She started the Toastmasters group in Oakland, which later moved to Roseburg.

Michelle met David Van Westen on May 18, 2020, after a Timber Valley member assured her he was a “good guy”.  They traveled extensively, RVing, and also taking a three-week Panama Canal cruise and two cruises throughout the Mediterranean.   She and David were married on Nov. 10, 2023, in a beautiful and touching ceremony in Timber Valley Park.  

Michelle bravely battled cancer for several months.  She died as graciously as she lived on March 12, 2024.

She is deeply missed by her four surviving children, Johanne, Mark, Kristine and Katherine, and her loving husband David who attributed the three-plus happiest years of his life to his short and wonderful marriage to Michelle.

A memorial service is planned for May 25 at 1 p.m. at Timber Valley Park.

 

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An Early Thanksgiving Story (with many versus)

Posted on March 30, 2024 by webadmin

By Fred Prout

I’ve been quiet for a while. Among other reasons, I fell in love. Yeah, that too, but I also fell in love with last year’s Thanksgiving Story. I’ve tried and tried to put pen to paper but, I was so moved by the events chronicled in John Tucker’s story, nothing I tried to say came close to the emotions I felt in the hearing, revising and telling about John Tucker and his story. Since I started  my story telling, I’ve given you maybe sixty stories. Some, I’m proud to say, have been pretty damn good. A few mediocre. A couple absolute crap. For those of you who are new to my scribbles, I’m asking the gurus in charge to rerun last year’s story as a kinda prequel.

For those of you who are easily offended, now might be a good time to put this down and turn on The Price Is Right. Or maybe a NASCAR race.

This piece should be written for the anniversary of John Tucker’s death. But that’s in late November. By the time events of early November roll around, some of you may be cracking open the third case of Bud Light in celebration. Some of you might be trying to learn the words to O Canada. Very little in between. That’s the problem. There is simply no between.  I’ve taken the liberty of assuming that you all are aware of what’s been happening in our country. If I have over estimated anyone, please reread the previous paragraph.

John Tucker saw a lot in his life. Some good, some bad. Most of it in the between. He bore witness to many changes. I’m sure that ,like many of us, his politics wavered from center left to center right and back again. I’m pretty sure that he never went too far from the center part. People who knew him said he was always open minded. John Tucker was a private person. No one knew him well but, in talking to a whole lot of people he interacted with, I learned a lot. There are also a lot of blanks to fill in.

John Tucker lived through a time when he was in school and his non Caucasian friends were considered three fifths of a person. He heard stories about aunts, uncles and cousins being incinerated like trash. Not human. Garbage.

As a child John Tucker watched TV as the cowboys massacred the Indians. Guns versus bow and arrows. As an adult, his best friend was an Ojibwa Indian. He didn’t find it entertaining.

John Tucker lived in a time when Polio, measles and other diseases were eradicated. Gone forever. Wiped out. And he watched helplessly as they started coming back. John Tucker lived through the most recent scourge. Covid. He waived his right to inflict pain, suffering and death to others by doing what he was told.And he believed he  was right. Others decided to listen to the naysayers. They got sick and maybe passed the virus on to others. Maybe their own children. Because someone said they had the right to do so.

John Tucker lived in a time when school children were shot and killed en masse. He lived in a time when school children did the shooting. A time when it was perfectly acceptable to provide the necessary equipment to cause these tragedies. John Tucker felt very pained by this because he also was a killer. Licensed and trained by his government. Before they gave him a medal and kicked him to the curb. Before he got up and became a hero to many of us. A large part of our lives.

John Tucker lived through a time when, in fact, our country was truly United. Against a common enemy. It was us versus them. Them being easily identified as the bad guys. He witnessed the beginning of  us versus us. Divisions so deep as to seem insurmountable. He applauded when a wall came down. He watched as many of his countrymen begged for a wall to be put up. He lived in a time when we voted for people to serve us, not themselves.

We, as what we call the Human Race, have always been divided. Us versus them. Rich versus poor. Romans versus Christians. Jews versus Muslims. Them versus us. Black versus white. Extremist versus extremist. You and I caught in the middle. In the between. We try to live our lives and do the right thing. We try to teach our children to do the same. All the while, being bombarded with distorted words and ideas that  cause hate and confusion.  And more hate.  And more division.

What can be done? I don’t really know. But maybe we can try. Personally, I am in a relationship with someone who has some values and thoughts that are diametrically opposed to mine. We understood this in the beginning and decided that we would respect each other’s views. That neither of us had to be right. Or wrong.That we would accept each other as we are and love each other for who we are. Maybe we all, one by one, can have a conversation with someone we disagree with and just talk. Let them know that you don’t agree with all they stand for, but neither of you is wrong. Or right. Just different. How could it hurt. Maybe if someone would just start. One conversation at a time. What do you think? Wanna talk?

Posted in General Interest | Tagged | 10 Comments

Henrietta Hedgehog Ready for Spring!

Posted on March 30, 2024 by webadmin

Henrietta Hedgehog is all decked out and ready for Spring! She is anxiously waiting for warmer and drier weather. She continues to brighten the window box in the Office and brings smiles to those who notice her.

~ Kim

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Propane Safety Reminders

Posted on March 29, 2024 by webadmin

As many of us here in the park use propane, it is important that we stay current on safety and proper procedures. The Propane Education and Research Council offers helpful safety tips and reminders at the link below:

Important Propane Safety Information

Please note that the Timber Valley Rules and Regulations state that “All propane cylinders outside the RV must be anchored so they cannot be knocked over. Maximum size is 30 gallons. (01/08/92; 03/13/14)”

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Quartzite Country Star

Posted on March 19, 2024 by webadmin

Quartzsite, Arizona is a dusty little town of 2500 on I-10 close to the California border. In the winter months, the population grows to over a million. People come for the weather, ATVing, rockhounding and music.

Musicians from Canada and all over the US reunite with friends from past years. Most of the many RV parks have open jam sessions where anyone can participate. Musicians from beginner to retired professionals gather to sing mostly Classic Country and Bluegrass. Bands form and have names like The Travelers, Skyhawk, The Grandmas and Grandpas, On the Road Again, Jade Street and many more. They play together during the winter then separate to return home. You can go to a music jam every day of the week plus the paid shows and dances. Dances are held several nights of the week. The Travelers played dances for fifteen years until death and age caused them and several other bands to retire. There are still a couple of  bands and now new bands are forming to replace the ones no longer there. The music lives on and will continue as long as there are snowbirds with instruments and a desire to share their music.

The music community is quite large. Listeners move from place to place following their favorite musicians. No matter your level of talent, you are welcomed and encouraged. No one criticizes the newby who can’t stay on key or the 90 year olds who sometimes forget the words but still find joy in singing. Love and acceptance flow from this extraordinary music family as they clap and make the singer feel special. Every winter as people return, friendships are renewed. Some have spanned twenty years or more. When a musician dies, a memorial is performed by his fellow musicians. They are quite touching as people remember favorite stories and play music in their honor.

Older musicians are always willing to help the newcomers with vocals and instruments. As you stand on the stage and sing your heart out, for a few moments you are a star. Anyone willing to take a chance and go on stage can become a Quartzsite Country Star.

Ruby Bonham
3-6-2024

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Saturday May 25, 2024 – Michelle Van Westen Celebration of Life

Posted on March 16, 2024 by webadmin

As many of you know, Michelle Van Westen died on March 12th. David appreciates all of the love and prayers that he has received. There will be a Celebration of Life for Michelle in the clubhouse on Saturday, May 25th, 2024. As the day approaches, more details will be shared.

–Melinda Stanfield

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Meet the Office Mascot – Henrietta Hedgehog!

Posted on March 7, 2024 by webadmin

To lighten up the cold, dreary days here at Timber Valley, we want you to meet Henrietta Hedgehog, Timber Valley SKP Park of Oregon’s Office mascot. She is made from pinecones. Henrietta has been a resident of the Office for a few years.

Recently, she has joined in the fun Kim and Kristi have when decorating for the holidays. Her home is the lighted window box.

In February, she adorned a bright pink daisy as a headpiece. This month, for March, she is sporting a very colorful green Shamrock. Stop by the Office to see what her next “fashion statement” will be. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

~ Kim and Kristi
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