Cascadia Postcard Poetry Sharing….and….Dumping

We are home from a weekend of camping, and what a joy to spend it with my husband and dogs at one of our favorite places! We left Friday evening with no trip to the grocery store, just our pajamas and toothbrushes and a change of clothes. We only took food we had on hand in the fridge and pantry.

That’s a big change from the first way we camped. We used to go all out with hanging string lights and decorating and doing all the camping things like making s’mores and having a thousand snacks. Now, we’ve learned that the more we put up, the more we have to take down. The more we prepare, the more we feel we must do. So now, we resist all temptation to put out more than our postside name sign that tells other campers who we are and where we’re from. We keep it simple, from the food to the decor to the clothes.

Over the weekend, I added another thing to my list of 100 Things to Do in Retirement. A necessary thing, but I would definitely not call it a favorite. It will go at the bottom of the list among the least favorite, and is there only because to do a fun thing, I have to do a not-so-fun thing.

I’ve helped do this task for years, but until this weekend I’ve not completed the whole chore of dumping the Wayfarer on my own. And it was a natural step in the process. I can drive it, back it into the campsite, and hook up the water and the electric. I can put out the slide and level the RV (okay, it’s self-leveling, but I’ll take it). And now, as of today, I can dump the gray and blank tanks all by myself.

I knew that I could venture out alone for boondocking with the generator, but now I feel good about setting up and staying somewhere for a few days if I get the urge to go on a solo camping trip or join the Girl Campers at a meet-up and make some new friends.

Anyone up for an adventure?

I did it myself~

purged the Wayfarer’s bowels

I did the duty

Cascadia Postcard Poetry Fest Card Sharing

Nothing has to be a stellar work of art to participate in the Cascadia Postcard Poetry Fest, and it’s a good thing, since I’m no talented word or picture artist. But I do enjoy the peace and relaxation of colored pencils, watercolors, and other art supplies – – I think the arts and crafts days of childhood took strong enough root to stay with me for life, blooming like perennials season after season.

And the love of feeling creative has never been a more welcome time than as I began the monthly poetry postcard challenges that started earlier this year for me. Cascadia Postcard Poetry Fest, a Seattle-based worldwide event, was introduced to me by members of my small group Stafford writing group, so I joined this past summer and received my list of names of those to send cards. Registration for the 2027 PPF is underway, as you can see at the link above. The goal: write a poem a day on a postcard and work your way through the names, mailing one to each person on your list. Then watch your mailbox for the long forgotten joy of mail that isn’t all bills.

Throughout the rest of 2026, I’ll be sharing some of the postcards that I have mailed, along with some I’ve received. There is nothing like a smile at the mailbox from someone across the miles who takes time to write a poem and mail it your way! It’s a lost art just waiting to make its comeback!