STORM HAS STOPPED US (but not for long!)

This is what's happening in NASHVILLE people!

Wally and I were over half-way to our destination down south when we got blindsided by a freak storm. "Worst ice storm in a decade hits the Tennessee Valley" and THAT's where Wally and I are! I was too QUICK to say "we're almost there!" After a great start it took us 7 hours to drive a hundred miles today. We saw dozens and dozens of cars off the road. Semis, four-wheelers, trucks, state troopers...an ambulance - wham, all off the road. A combination of ice, freezing rain, snow, sleet and wind created some of the WORST driving conditions this northern girl has EVER seen.

Plus, these Tennesseans and Kentuckians, who are sweet and awesome and helpful do not know a lot about ice driving and why would they? The last time they saw a blizzard like this in the Tennessee Valley was 1996. They have no snow plows and bless their hearts, the DMV treated the roads with beet juice in preparation for the storm. Beet Juice? do beets have some naturally occurring antifreeze element? All I know is juice is liquid, and if they hosed the highways down with liquid before the storm hit - no wonder they were like skating rinks.

but FEAR NOT my dear friends! If there's anything this Minnesota Girl knows how to do - it's drive on ice. I was like a pace car on the highway today...driving "aggressively slow" with my blinkers on. We crawled the whole way from Nashville to Chattanooga at 10-12 mph and led about 20 cars, who also put their blinkers on, down the highway. The good news is we reached Chattanooga and landed one of the last hotel rooms in town. The bad news is there's a teen Christian music convention in town. Kids with guitars. Practicing. In their hotel rooms.

But Wally can sleep through anything!


This is a small set back - a trifle! We will not be stopped! We will however, be delayed. We're staying at a hotel until this ridiculousness ends. Walter has been a spectacular passenger and his backseat apartment has served as an excellent scamperland. The bad cut on his foot is almost completely healed now - it hampered rehab in a serious way - but it's almost totally better and I cannot wait for him to pee on grass!!!!! Meanwhile, anyone know of stuff to do with dogs in a blizzard in Chattanooga? Yup...looks like it's time to start the next book. :)

Eric, Steve and everyone in FL - we're coming! Hold tight!!!!!! Everyone please continue to pray for our safe travels...it's what kept us from going into the ditch today!

almost there

im uploading this from my phone - hope it goes thru. We're almost at our destination!

Ocean, here we come!

Has anyone ever seen this great commercial? A lady is working at her humdrum job when suddenly her little heart bursts out of her chest, goes into the bosses offices and quits. then it marches out of the building. The best part is the very end when it marches out on its little legs. AWESOME! and it reminds me of our upcoming roadtrip.

I know I told you we were going south but I didn't have time to tell you the whole story. Here it is. you all knew I was looking for a place to go - so I jumped on a plane. I had no plan or contact other than to "follow my heart." Goofy, simple, possibly stupid.

But get this.

When I flew down I met a really nice couple on the plane. I told them my story, that I was looking for a place because of Walter and we exchanged numbers in case I got near their neck of the woods near Key West. Then we all go our separate ways and I start my search, wending my way down the coast without any hotel reservations. (this is the week of New Years eve, NOT a good time to not have hotel reservations.) sure enough, by night four I was homeless. I called the nice couple from the plane, and asked if they have any friends who'd rent me a couch for the night. They called their friends and co-workers and whipped us up a little miracle.

One of their co-workers (HI STEVE!!) let me stay in the vacation cottage next to their house and right on the water for FREE. Then the next day we found a little pink house nearby that would be for rent Feb 1st and it's only one block off the beach. It is LESS (half) of the rent we pay now. And it gets better. we learned one of our soon-to-be neighbors has a pug, Louie (HI LOUIE!!!) and so when I met Louie's owners, I started explaining that I have this pug and he was hit by a car and we really need to move someplace warm...and the guy looks funny and he says:

"Is it Walter?"

I'm not kidding. I just stared. Thunderstruck.Turns out they'd been following Walter's blog and knew our whole story. I couldn't believe it. There I am, so far from home...and the people there know Walter. If that isn't faith rising to meet us, baby, I don't know what is.

So OFF WE GO into the wild blue yonder! and you're all coming with us!~!!!!! I am a bit nervous about everything, but mostly in an excited way. I am telling you all - Walter has taught me anything is possible and if you just have faith, the road will rise to meet you.

-Believe that some boundaries are meant to be crossed.
"Do not let your fire go out. The world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible it is yours."
- Ayn Rand

-Believe there is always, always a way.
"When you have exhausted all possibilities,
remember this. You haven't."
- Thomas Edison

- These quotes are taken from this amazing little book called "Believe." I highly recommend a copy for every household. I've re-read it almost every day - or anytime I get nervous about our trip. It's lovely. We will try to keep you posted from the road. I opted to stay in hotels rather than visit with all of you on the way, only for walter's stamina's sake. He has very sleepy days, and next to no excercise right now, so the trip will be exhausting for him. Meeting new people and pugs on top of that would be too much I think. Please pray for our safe travels. It is a long way to go. (also ice-free roads and fart-free back seats if you have extra time.)

Happy Birthday WALLY BOY!

My big man is THREE today! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thank you God/Goddess/Universe/collaborative lifeforce for letting Walter live to see this wonderful day!

A Stimulating New Year!

Happy New Year everybody. 2010 has a rather auspicious ring to it, doesn't it? like this is already and important year. If 2009 taught me anything, (and lets face it, I got more lessons than a Rodeo Clown gets from a bull) I learned that life happens whether you're ready or not. It's also short (but sometimes feels long) and filled with beauty (as well as ugliness.) The most important thing is what you FOCUS on. The beauty vs. the ugly, the luck vs. the accidents.

The most amazing part of 2009 was the grace we were shown after Walter's accident. By people, by medical technology, by prayer.

Todays grace comes by way of electrodes and acupuncture. Yes! We have been waiting for this day for a long time. Walter's nerves and muscles had to get strong enough to even handle electro-stim and acupuncture needles. These hopefully help his nerves grow. Nerves, I've learned grow verrrrrrry slowly. We STILL believe walter will walk again. I know sometimes when he's putting on his shoe he flinches, and more than he used to, like maybe I'm pressing on something he can feel.

He really liked acupuncture. he didn't like sitting still, but the vet popped a "happy place" needle in his forehead and he went all melty ga-ga (for anyone unfamiliar with acupuncture, the "needles" are so fine, you can't feel them, so while these pictures make it look like we're doing something akin to medical experimentation to wally, he was actually conking out on my lap.)After the needles are placed they are hooked up to electric wires and receive a very (very) low vibration. It's like someone ringing a doorbell on wally's nerves and saying "Hello? HELLO?" We hope this will greatly improve Walters nerve growth! If you have any prayer time to spare, please pray for that nerve to grow!

The other good news is I think I found a place to stay down south. we are praying PRAYING we can work it out.

We all have the power to give away love to other people. And if we do so, we change the kind of person we are, and we change the kind of world we live in.
- Harold Kushner

You have to pick the places you don't walk away from.
- Joan Didion