I am so excited. 
Lavender Letters has turned a year old and it is loved by its subscribers. 
Every author wants their readers to enjoy what they create and of course, this is no different, except that Lavender Letters is VERY different from a one-and-done book. 
For those who are not familiar with Lavender Letters, it was created (in my brain) while I was traveling west on the Oregon Trail (in true time- or as closely as possible!).  I was completely entrenched in the culture and lifestyles of the people (women) who braved this most treacherous journey!
They would leave their homes and families knowing full well they may never see them again, but are so pulled by the "new" or their husbands, they are willing to risk everything.  
I read hundreds of diary entries, hundreds of letters sent home to families and I was fascinated.  Now, if I were normal, I would have just taken this information and chalked it up as part of my research.  Not this girl...

What if... the letters accumulated into a story?  And what if the reader could ONLY get their information about the characters FROM the letters?  And there the thoughts percolated... 

What if, instead of a book of letters... what if they were ACTUALLY letters?  Sent in the mail!  Is this a doable thing??

Well I plotted out a story line and sent out a personal invitation exclusive to my email list comprised of people who know my writing and suggested the idea.  They loved it, took a chance on this new idea and since then, I have re-launched to the public three more times!

I've learned a lot along the way.  (One, being that the post office doesn't always cooperate with my plans! and Two, my audience loves being spoiled!)

In addition to the actual letters that are mailed out twice per month, subscribers have the opportunity to request extra "gifts" along the way.  (Gift- giving is my love language, so I LOVE this idea!)

But I still wasn't quite satisfied... so I added a full-length novel at the end of the "story".  So it takes thirteen months for all of the letters to be delivered.  And after the final letter is delivered, the book arrives.  The book- is NOT just a copy of the letters and diary entries all bound together.  It is a complete RE-Telling of the story from a different perspective.  (Because I'm "extra".) 
The letters and diary entries are told from the perspective of the "writer" of the letter- meaning, they only know what they can know.  But the book is from the perspective of a narrator.  A "narrator" knows all.  So the lingering questions you might have about "what happened to this person or that person", or "why is this person like this"... those are all answered in the book.

From an author's perspective, this is the most difficult and challenging thing I have ever created.  But it is also the most exciting.  Authors don't usually get to communicate with their readers, and I send out notes and post cards all the time!  Authors don't usually get feedback from their readers, but I am loved and encouraged by the subscribers all the time.

It's a new concept for sure- it keeps me on my toes and does not allow for me to become idle or distracted, (some of the writers biggest "fears") as I know my readers are anxiously awaiting their next letter.

We are now into season two of the Westward Bound Series and I am just as excited as I was a little over a year ago when this all started.

If this is all new to you- Welcome!- and if you'd like more information, head on over to the Lavender Letters page and depending on when you see this you may be able to link to the sales page or jump on the waitlist.
(Because of the detailed organization that has to go along with creating Lavender Letters, I can only open the doors to new subscribers twice per year.  May and December.)

If you're more curious about my writing style in a stand-alone book, you're welcome to check those out by clicking here.

I am SO honored that so many have chosen to follow me down this Oregon Trail of writing... I know it's new, and different and you can't "binge-read" the whole story in a few days, but I am so grateful to be able to create exciting stories that are being loved by my readers. 

The Whole Story

This is going to be such a hard post to write, so bare with me... 

Things have shifted. And in a big way. Things don't always go as planned, and... you have to shift.  The emotion is still really close to the surface so, I apologize if it spews out across the page, but... you've been with me this far, and you're still here so this won't be the first time.  Lol

To start... my husband left me in February this year.  I knew I was taking this trip alone so, that was just that.  If I'm being honest, I didn't give myself much time to work through that grief because I'm a master of being busy.  I am always going, doing, creating... all the things.   Being a life student and a relationship coach... it is really hard to swallow that my own marriage wasn't a perfect and lovely textbook example.  It is humiliating, if I have to put a word on it.  It feels like I learned nothing if I couldn't even see and remedy the issues in my own marriage.  I must be a terrible relationahip coach. 
What they don't tell you in your relationship classes, and you have to pretty much figure out for yourself is that... sometimes, you can't control another person's actions.  And by sometimes, I mean, MOST times.  You have no control over someone else's choices.
I had no control over his leaving me... I just had to decide how I was going to respond and what I was going to do next.

Fast forward to half way through my trip...
My husband's health is failing.  He suffered injuries while serving his country and they are tired of being ignored.  In short- his vertebrae is crumbling and trying without success to reframe his bones and muscle structure to still give him support.  It's not working.  He's going to require surgery (or series of surgeries, and if it sounds like I'm making light of it, please understand that it's my defense mechanism. )

I need to get back and take care of my husband.  I love my husband and this is that part "in sickness and in health" that I agreed to whether he did or not.  I believe in marriage and I want a happy marriage, but I can only do what I can do.  And do it to the best of my ability without judgment, or punishment and in an unconditionally, loving way.  And what I need to do is get to Alabama to get my husband through this surgery and physical therapy on the other side, in the most loving and supportive way I know how.  God is pretty amazing and is capable of turning this marriage around at any point, so I walk in faith. 

No dates have been set, as yet for the surgery and I have come to realize that I will no longer be able to travel.  It's a hard pill to swallow since I've worked so hard to finally get here and now I have to put it to rest.  I am so very thankful that I was able to have this one last bang of a trip.  (Sidenote: This is WHY you don't wait until retirement to follow your dreams or do the things your heart tugs you toward.  Don't ignore it. Don't wait... you might not get the chance "later".)

I am beyond grateful that I got to follow The Oregon Trail... It wasn't the trip that was originally planned, but I'm not sad.  I saw so many things.  I learned so many things.  I made friends along the way.  I learned things about myself that I would have never discovered otherwise.  I got to "meet" all of you.  These memories will set me up for a very long time. 
​
I have yet to go through all the photos, something to look forward to.

A lot of new wheels have been put into motion.
- I cancelled the PostCard Club. 
As I have mentioned before, I did not receive an income from the Club, and more times than not, it cost more than it brought it.  Plus, I will no longer be traveling, so it seemed the right thing to do.
I have decided that all the members will still get their ornament and the 2020 group will still get their digital copy of my book A Devil's Errand when it is released.  I will still send out all the postcards for the month of September and for those who purchased for the full year, I'll send along other gifts instead to make up the difference.

- The History Revisited Facebook Group. 
The group... oh... this is hard... I have enjoyed my time with you so much and I have loved getting to know you throughout the years.  And those who popped in every once in a while... I saw and appreciate you too! 
Seeing as how I'm about to be a full-time caregiver, I feel the best course of action is to delete the group as I won't have the time to keep up with it and again... not going to be traveling or visiting historical sites until further notice.
I will still be producing the Bag of Bones Podcast, for those of you who need your history fix.  I'm going to turn all of my (spare) attentions on that and my author life.  I'll be writing books, coaching and maybe creating some new writing or history courses, I don't know.   I have no idea what my future looks like, but my writing is everything so it will continue in some form or another.

I would be so honored if you would follow me on my Facebook page(s)-
Elizabeth Bourgeret- Author and/or Bag of Bones Podcast
Perhaps we can continue our friendships there.

If neither of those are a fit for you, please know that I will miss you and again, have enjoyed beyond words your participation and presence in my life.

- The Wildwood Conestoga
I am grateful that I will get to visit with my children (both in MO) and my family (mostly in AR) before I get settled in Alabama where my husband and his family reside.
The Conestoga will be sold next month.  It has served me well, kept me safe and the new owner gets a new set of tires! Lol! ​
What a good, mostly sturdy companion it turned out to be :)
Money is about to get extremely tight, so I am downsizing in every way.

I have been so blessed and so ridiculously grateful to have been able to come on this adventure.  It truly has been an adventure of a life time and I am beyond thankful that I was able to make it to Oregon.  
I have earned my Coast to Coast title and being an ocean girl at heart, that's no small thing.
I have SO many new story ideas that have come from this trip so I will never run out of book tasks.  And being able to see what they saw, feel what they felt, touch the flora and fauna, cry with their pain, celebrate thier victories... I promise you to give their stories true depth and emotion so you feel as if you are there.  Witnessing the land and their crossing (even the California route too!) I will have SUCH an advantage to creating an authentic Oregon Trail Series. 

So, I am blessed.  I'm not upset.  A little sad, (okay fine, a lot sad) but I know that I will continue to be blessed in other ways, because my God loves me, and shows me everyday. 
So I walk... and drive... in faith. ​

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.  Thank you for your friendship.  Thank you for taking this journey with me.  Thank you for being my penpals. 

If this could NOT be a good-bye, but just a transition... that would be really great.
So... not goodbye... I'll see you on my author page or the Bag of Bones page

And don't count me out... there's more to come from this plucky author,  I promise...

Helpful links to stay in touch:

Bag of Bones Facebook Page

Elizabeth Bourgeret- Author Page

Month 2 Check In

​It's hard to believe that I have only been on this adventure for two months!  It feels like I've been out here for at least four.  I've been spending like it's been four!  (#funnynotfunny)
I was supposed to check in around the 11th, so I'm a few days late.
​
I was whining about gas prices being a whopping $2.54 per gallon and and I was struggling with that.  I just had to fill my gas tank at $3.79 per gallon.  Having $70 and $80 gas trips are the norm.  (and that's probably about half a tank!!). So, that's the biggest change from last month to this.
The second, is the campgrounds.  It's getting more difficult to find spaces available.  I realize how great camping is and I'm excited that everyone else is finally figuring that out, however... it is leaving very little space for me!  Campgrounds in the midwest average in the $20- $30 range... the further west you go, you start at the $33 range and it can go up from there... WAY up.  The highest I've seen was $112.  PER NIGHT!  And that did not come with any thing special.  It's crazy.  I mean, really crazy.  And I didn't budget for that... so I am SO over budget. 

I am down to one pair of jeans that don't have rips or tears in them.  To be fair, they were old to begin with.  Pretty sure I haven't bought a pair of jeans in at least ten years.  But I sure have been rough on them!  I love my jeans.  They are my favorite thing to wear, year round.  And out of all the clothes, I packed, I pretty much only wear the same 6 or 7 outfits.  So, if you'd like to rub it in that I didn't need all the things I thought I would need, this would be a good place for that... because coming right behind it is the kitchen items.
Turns out, I didn't really need all of those, either.  In all fairness, I was supposed to be doing a heck of a lot more cooking!  I still have yet to use either of my dutch ovens.  The propane stopped working in the camper (yes, there's propane in the tanks), so I have no stove (or hot water for that matter).  If I can't heat it up in the microwave, it has to be eaten cold.  Or I have a crock pot, so I've been making chili a lot.
So, yeah... all of my mixing bowls and baking tools, pots, pans... just being carried from one place to the next.

Which means my food supply is still in pretty good shape.  Since I was ready for the thought of not having much fresh food, I haven't had to go to the store for much.  Since I am the worst pioneer ever, I gave up on trying to ONLY do and eat what they did, because I can't cook outside.  (Turns out wildfires are a HUGE thing this way and it's no joke.  They don't allow any type of out door flames during the summer.)
So, I will probably go home with 90% of my flour and 80% of my beans that were purchased for the trip.  

I've eaten out twice this month... if you want to count gas station food.  And I have cheated with bottles of Pepsi about 8 times.  (In my defense, they sell vanilla Pepsi here, which I can't get in the midwest, so I splurge... plus it helps ease the pain of the gas price I just paid!)  Other than that, I just buy my half n half for my coffee.  I need to get some veggies here soon.  All the produce markets are open and I love me some fresh produce! (And still don't want scurvy.)

The Wildwood Conestoga has really taken a beating for some reason.  Do the manufacturers not know that the camper is going to be set up and taken down over and over again?  Don't other campers do this?  It shouldn't be so fragile!  It shouldn't be having so much trouble.  It's only a 2017!  

 So, I've already mentioned my propane tanks.  (No hot water, and no cooking flame), now my rear legs won't extend, so I have to figure out how to deal with that.  My ball hitch either won't lock onto the ball, or won't let go!  So we have this dance every single time in hooking up and unhooking to make the ball hitch fits just right.  It's so aggravating! 
I rarely use the air conditioning, (that could be the problem) but I had it on yesterday because it was 106 degrees and it whined the whole time... and when I turned it off for the evening, some exhaust fan (somewhere) was blowing and whining... I don't even know.
I've had three flat tires.  Two on the trailer and one on Xander.  (I had to get four new tires for Xander, because they were all close to going out, so I bit the bullet and did that.  Ouch, but I feel safer.  I do still have to buy a new spare tire for the camper just in case it happens again.)

The temperatures here are SO hot and dry, and even though I don't speed on the highway, I'm afraid of the tires over-heating or something happening.  I've had to call my insurance roadside three times so far on this trip, so I can't imagine what my premium is going to look like next month.  Ugh... the price of chasing your dreams.

Let's see, what else... nope, still. no videos.  Not gonna happen.
I haven't written the new book either.  I'm just so busy taking everything in!  Every morning though, just as I am coming into conscience my brain is writing.  Not that I can remember by the time I get back to my computer... but it IS up there... so there's hope.  I'm thinking that once I am finished with this trip, all the ideas and senses and feelings and characters will come bubbling up.
I've also been thinking about creating a book about the actual trip- talking about what I've learned and sharing some photos... like a more complete and orderly History Revisited on paper... and also a journal/planner for other people who are getting into the camping thing.  I really do love this life.  (And I will be so sad when I reach the end of this trip.  It's all coming too fast. ). But for others just getting started or want to document their trip but don't know how or what to say.. this journal thing might help... that's just an idea though...

So, if you're reading this and are not yet familiar with my writing style, please don't see complaining.  (Okay, fine, there might be some, because this life is sometimes hard!). This is mainly documenting.   I just like to keep track of stuff and I thought you might want to see the other side of things as well.  I'm sorry it's not more scientific... probably why it comes across as complaining, but it's really not. 
I am so happy to be doing this.  It is such an adventure and I am learning so much.  And not just historically speaking!  I am learning more about me every day.  I've discovered that I'm a lot more afraid than I thought.  It's one thing to talk a big game, it's another thing to be out here facing those fears (or side skirting them) on a daily basis.  
This is something that will keep me company for years to come.  I have SO many pictures to go through and I can't wait to cover my walls with them! 
This history and this country is absolutely amazing.  I am seeing things I've never seen before and actually seeing and feeling and using all my senses, gives me such a deeper understanding to those pioneers who have traveled this road over a hundred years ago.  I am so honored to be. able to do this and be able to write about if for years to come.

I will do just about anything to see ALL the monuments wherever I am traveling.  Caveat to that is if I'm pulling the camper, I can't very well whip over to the side of the road to see the historical marker sign.  But if I'm out and about, heck yeah, I want to see them all!

So I have to tell you about my adventure today. 

I went out in search of the Oregon Buttes, that the pioneers used to guide them on their way.  They could see them for miles and miles and pointed their wagons right at them to help them navigate the South Pass. (This was the only place they could get through the mountains) It was a landmark that way a high priority for them to see, and so it became so for me.

I was GOING to be content, grabbing some picture from a distance, but a woman that was working at the visiter's center of the South Pass City, told me theres a little known road that could get me closer.
I asked, "Are there signs?"
She said, "Yeah, I mean, you'll have to look for them and then there's a monument..."
There it was... I had to do it. 

So I take off down this dirt road... I can see them... WAY off in the distance... I could have been, should have been happy with that... nope.  There's a monument.
Make a left at the highway.  Once you pass the rest area and cross over the Sweetwater River, you'll make a left.

Uh... no signs.... I go a little further, cross the Continental Divide... Now I KNOW I missed it.
Turns out the only sign of any kind, is a street sign.  So, I head down the gravel road in search for the monument. 
It said it would be about 10 miles, so I knew to be patient.  I was only going about 30 mph, and the roads twisted and turned every which way, uphill, down hill... and I could see the buttes in the distance, getting closer, and closer...
I am snapping pictures left and right, because I just can't wrap my head around all this beauty.  It's just breath taking.  I'm stopping, taking pictures, inch forward...
I'm getting some really amazing shots of these buttes  and then the gravel road turns to a dirt road. Pause.  Do I go?  Do I turn back?  There is literally. NOTHING out here.  No humans, no other vehicles, no phones, gas stations, or cell service.
Maybe the monument is at the base of the buttes?  That's how it's been at all the other places... I keep going and then, suddenly there's a heard of pronghorn antelope!  I've been waiting my whole trip to see these!! 
pictures... 
Still going....
Still going...

I finally decide to stop and turn around and am looking for a safe place to do this.  This road is NARROW!   So I slow down even more and then around the next bend, is some of the most beautiful scenery!!  I know I keep saying that, but in my head, I can't understand how the next curve can be more beautiful than the last curve!
And then I think.... NO ONE gets to see this!  This stuff, right here... this is like a private show!  I am literally in awe, I can't even describe it.  
I had to upgrade my cloud storage after this trip!!

Okay, okay, let me fast forward, so the dirt road eventually PASSES where the base of the buttes would have. been.  (I never got to the base, but the road I was on. was now veering away from them all together.  I had to turn around... no really, i mean it this time.   So, reluctantly, I did.
I drove a few feet and a pack of wild horses WITH A BABY runs across the road in front of me!!  Omigoodness!  It was so ... so.... I couldn't get out my camera fast enough.  I did get some, but... again... this was just for me.

I had to give up the monument, and while I might have been disappointed for maybe a minute, so many other things made this side trip SO worth it!!  The views, the scenery- these mountains were painted!!!  They had blue and red and peach colored stripes!!  My God, is an awesome God.   And they are hidden back here along a long, long (LONG) dirt road.  I feel so very priviledged.  (I will be sharing many of the photos in the History Revisited facebook group if you're curious. 

On the way back, after getting back to the gravel, I look to my left and down this tiny little dirt driveway, is a stand.  I start cracking up laughing.  Is that my monument????  I whip the truck and pull up next to it.  There it was... my monument/plaque to let me know how important the Oregon Buttes were to the pioneers. 

And to think... if I HAD found the monument when other normal people would have... I would have missed the whole show. 


And if just this story alone, doesn't have you believing in miracles and that He watches every step... then here's the rest of the story.

When I'm almost home, a warning light pops up on my dash.  I can't do anything right now, so I go straight back to the campground to look it up.  Tire pressure.
I'm so tired and worn out from this trip, but decide to go check it out, because I have another long drive tomorrow.
My rear tire on the driver's side is FLAT.  Not low... F. L. A.T.
I call the good folks at the Roadside Service, I pay lots of money to every year and they send a guy out.  Fixed.  No problem.
But- IF that tire would have gone flat out there on that dirt road...  I would have been in serious trouble.  There was no phone signal.  There were no cars passing by.  There was nothing.
I am so thankful that God was watching over me and got me safely home.  I do believe in miracles because I witness them on a regular basis, this time, today, they were happening to me. 

The Pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail from the 1840s - the 1860s didn't have GPS and for those early trips, they barely had maps!
What they did have are mile markers.  No, not the ones we have today along side the highway, but they had all natural landmarks that they could use to guage their direction, how far they've come and to help others that come along behind them. 
Just like being at Ft. Laramie on the fourth of July was an important date for me, reaching some of these other landmarks were equally worth celebrating. 
The halfway point for the Oregon Trail, is agreed upon my most to be Independence Rock. 
This spot is in the middle of nothingness of Wyoming.  There are huge, beautiful bluffs and buttes pushing up from the ground and settling in with such character and raw elegance, but then there's this one, that kind of sets out on it's own.  It's somewhat smooth and if you look at it in just the right way, it resembles an elephant that lay down to take a nap.  You can only see it's back, but it's unmistakable. 

And... I have reached it.

So, the folks that decided to name this beast Independence Rock, did so because it's where THEY decided to stop to celebrate the birth of our nation.  which means they completely missed out on all the fun at Ft. Laramie, but... who am I to judge?  Lol. 
This became a signature point as well.  This rock, however is hard granite, so unless they were willing to get out the tools to carve their name in deep, most just fell back on grease to paint their name.  Sadly, most of those have washed away from the weather and time.  There is an interesting collection of names still visible at one end of the rock which has since been protected with fencing, and plaques have been hung here as well.  
It's SO cool to see, I still get goosebumps writing about it.
I was going to climb to the top, but was only wearing my flip-flops.  Not good climbing shoes.  Although, if it was cool enough a barefoot climb would have been possible.  It was not, however cool enough.
And I found out later that there are a ton more names carved on top.  Had I known that then, I probably would have made a greater effort to dig out my tennis shoes. 

In spite of that, here I am... at the halfway point.  My trip to Oregon is half over.  I am both excited and quite sad.  It always just seem to go so fast, even though I'm striving to make distance, I don't want it to be over.

I know, I know, I said I was going to video all this amazing stuff, but I just can't wrap my head around it, so it's going to have to be photos.  Best I can do, for right now until I get a "team" that I can hand off the editing and uploading process to.

I have put off these new recipe challenges for a time because of that- well, that and other things, like... fear.  Which is silly, because, if it doesn't work out, I can just try again... these are things I have to remind my perfectionist self, because it's afraid of being embarrassed.  #truth

But I purchased all of the supplies the pioneers had on their list, so I had better get to it.
I found a few bread recipes that I'd like to start with.  Bread was a staple for them.  The women made it almost every day.  They sometimes were able to make thicker, more stout bread that would last longer and when supplies got low, they would scale back to "hard tack".

Hard Tack was a thick cracker that goes way, way back.  It's pretty tasteless and was mainly used to thicken soups or be soaked up in beer or broth to make the... whatever... more filling.  So supplies would last longer.

Yes, I'll make hard tack, but since I know I won't eat it the way the original recipe was made, I found a few tweaks that might make it palatable. 

There's various forms of corn bread (some used it as in addition to a main meal- like with beans, and others used it AS the meal by adding bacon or ham or sometimes dried veggies to it.)
Biscuits.  And fried breads.  All on my list.

I found that I am missing a few things before I can use my cast iron dutch ovens... for instance, I have no way to remove the hot lid.  I have nothing to redistribute hot coals... I knew that I wanted to cook outside... I guess just actually acquiring the dutch ovens was exciting enough that I didn't really think past that! Lol!

So when I get back into civilazaton, I will snag those few missing articles.  In the meantime, I am mesmerized with YouTube videos and the like and can't wait to get started.  Watch for the videos!!

Ha- just kidding... plenty of photos though!! Lol! 

This morning I had a private prayer meeting at the sunrise service.  It was just me, the Platte River, the sun sneaking up over the plains and God.  The birds were the choir and a slight breeze kept the heat away.  

The brand new sunlight caught the mist coming up from the water and gave it warm etherial look. 

Per our usual conversations, I begin with gratitude.  How thankful that I am that I can take this journey.  It's come at a high cost, and I never want Him to think that I don't realize it.  I also know that there will probably be a high cost when my travels end, and I let him know that I accept that too.   I am grateful for the littlest things like a safe place to sleep and the beautiful orchestra of nature around me, but I am most grateful for an audience with Him.

Because, and I'm sure He knows it... it's not long before I begin to fret about all the things.  "How am I going to afford this?"  "What happens next?"  "What if this... what if that..."
His answer, is always the same..."Let me take care of that, you take care of the things that are in your control."
At which, I instantly felt the tiniest sting of reprimand. 
Am I doing all of the things I'm supposed to be doing?  Maybe... but am I doing them to the best of my ability?  Probably not.

I am easily side-tracked with the latest, newest idea and I usually chase it down for the length of my leash to see what I can do with it.  Sometimes I have no business being there.  Sometimes I can find a few nuggets to make the things I do better and sometimes, I think that I have the power to bend time... that's my biggest problem, I think.  I WANT to do all these things, so I TRY to do all these things, but it turns out that I have the exact same number of hours in the day as everyone else.  I'm not SUPPOSED to be doing ALL the things apparently.   And He waits patiently until I can come to our meetings for Him to tell me so. 

I have been given a great deal of success and growth with my podcast, Bag of Bones.  I love it.  I really love everything about it, but I'm not utilizing it as best as I could.  Meaning, I'm spreading out, instead of digging the well a little deeper.  I jumped into a second podcast before Bag of Bones was even a year old and one, both are extremely research intensive, and two, I wasn't able to give them the amount of time I need to bring forward the quality I desire.  So, with heavy heart, I am cancelling the release of Trails of History.  Maybe postponing it?  I don't know, but for now, it needs to come off my plate so I can continue to grow and nurture and monetize the podcast I have currently.

The other thing I need to remove right away is the more public version of the Writer's Lounge.  I am moving this branch of my company to a more niched down version.  I am discontinuing the Facebook group.  It takes a huge amount of time creating daily posts for people and it's just not being used.  And I am also discontinuing the League of Authors Membership site for this year.  I love the concept of this- but it's just too big for me to deal with at the moment.

I am going to switch my focus to smaller group coaching to writer's who are ready to get their first book written and published.   Many people SAY they want to write a book but few actually put in the time and effort to do so.  I want to work with those few and help them with all the crazy transition stuff to make it a dream come true.  
​
And then finally, my readers have been most patient with me, allowing me to follow this path and that- not having a new book from me.  I need to get back to that.  I owe you all A Devil's Errand that was supposed to be released in May, but I will do my best to get it released before the end of the year.

So keep an eye out, these transitions will be happening slowly throughout the website.  Things will disappear and new things will pop up, fear not... all part of the Master's plan...

Whenever I tell someone that I’m following the Oregon Trail, revisiting it as a modern pioneer,  they either smile politely and nod, or if they are curious they’ll ask- what exactly does that mean?


Well, in this particular, personal case, I have chosen to narrow down my experience to the 1840s.  I’m following thier routes.  I’m following thier practices/ recipes and routines, as I make my way toward the end goal of Oregon City, Oregon.  The 1840s is still considered the beginning of the emigration.  They weren’t really sure where they were going.  They didn’t have much of an idea of how to prepare or what might befall them, they were just ready for a change.  Ready enough to sell off everything but what could fit into a wagon or two and set out to meet their options for a different life.  I can appreciate that…


While I will dip into the other two centuries where Oregon Trail travel was still very popular- I couldn’t help myself if I tried, but I’m trying to focus my “experiences” in that first decade.


So…what are the rules?


I don’t have any hard-fast rules, but chose to go with the flow and implement what I can.  Obviously, I’m not traveling by horse and buggy, but I am in my trusty truck Xander (which counts as 300 plus horse power(?), and my little covered wagon of a camper- Marlee, a 24 foot, just enough to make me somewhat comfortable between worlds. (I need to have my office and computer, for work, and then there’s coffee… do I really need to justify that?? Lol)


I have done some research… but not too much more than what we might have learned in school, if our teacher really liked the time period.  I have never seen these things before and I want them to be as much of a first impression when I share them, but also as I safely can.  Meaning, I'm not going into something totally blind.

So, I am learning as I go.  I study up on where I am headed and then when I get there, and am seeing the things for the first time.  Once I'm there, whatever catches my interest, or "moves the story forward"  I’ll deep dive and learn more about them.  And then in the facebook group History Revisited, I share what I am learning in little bite size pieces and lots of photos.  And now, for those who want more detail or more information, I’ll add that here.  (Eventually there will also be a podcast, but I just can't seem to get my act together to make that a thing.  It's very time consuming and I need to not spread myself too thin. Easier said than done.  I have SO much I want to do!)


I am doing my best to follow the trail in “real time”.  Now I can’t plod along in the slow lane, blinkers on at 5 miles per hour the whole way, so I make jumps.  I’ll go a certain distance and then do a big circle around where I land to cover all of the interesting sites and museums and then I’ll move to the next spot.  So if it took them 6 weeks to cross Nebraska, it will for me too.  (And I’m going by the recorded maps and journals to plot out my timeline and things I see.   I am a tourist nerd!)


As far as experiences go, I am trying not to go “out to eat”.  I have stocked up on the same supplies as the pioneers were encouraged to do and am curious to see how I fair with just that.   It’s a lot of beans, bacon and bread…


Right now, I’m still early in the game, so I am still finishing off all of my “fresh food”.  Like eggs, cheese, lettuce, fruit and milk (for my coffee- not sure if I’ll cave and get more half n half for the coffee, or if I’ll learn to do without or just give it up entirely…)


I’ve given up ready-made food, so nothing in a box, nothing pre-made.  I do make use of the luxury of refrigeration. All of my meats are either refrigerated or frozen.  All of my beans are raw, everything has to be made from scratch.  (I did purchase some granola already toasted and sweetened with vanilla in bulk)


I have given up soda.  I do have a filter for my water, let’s not get crazy.  Don’t want to die of dysentery.

I'm not being drastic or unreasonable, but I am trying to stretch my boundaries to make it a learning experience.


I would love to be able to get up at 4 and eat my breakfast cooked on a fire every morning and be ready to start my day by 7:30, but I haven’t found that much dedication yet.  (I have recently retired and to me, retirement is all about NOT having an alarm! Lol)  Maybe it will come, but for right now, I still let myself sleep until I wake up and I make my coffee in the automatic coffee pot.  (I honestly didn’t think about getting a firepit coffee pot, otherwise I probably would have tried it!)


The object is not to see how much misery I can handle, it’s to experience parts of their life so as to bring it forward.  I have never made bread from scratch, never needed to.  I’ve never cooked using cast iron.  I’ve never had to walk everywhere, conserve water, ration out my food, milk a cow or learn about disease…


What makes history fascinating to me was their day to day life.  We are the same on the inside.  But the things they did from one day to another are so very different from the life that I have.  I have never really had to do certain things in order to survive.. except, perhaps pay attention to traffic rules and what not.


I want to revisit this historical era with modern eyes and appreciate- truly appreciate how good I have it.  How absolutely amazing these people were that faced these unknowns.


I can always bail on my alternate universe and slip into a Walgreens or a Taco Bell, but I’m just… trying this.  I want to see how my body adjusts for one.  But I think a bit of humility may be in order for two.  I take things for granted.  I’m spoiled.  And even though I’m choosing campgrounds that are primitive or a step above, I’m still spoiled.  I draw the line at sleeping on the ground!  This body is TOO old for that!


Are there rules?  Kinda?  I might be making them up as I go along.  But I sure am enjoying the ride.


It’s just an experiment.  There’s no right or wrong.  Win or lose.  Pass or fail.  It’s more than a vacation, but less than a Discovery Channel series.


But I do take it seriously.  I am sincere as I am revisiting history and becoming acquainted with a time gone by and documenting things as I go.  As a modern pioneer… I’m off on adventure.  A new view of an old route.


I’m glad that you’re here with me.  I am always open to suggestions to things I should try or places I need to see along the way.  I have a list of 1840s recipes, I’d like to sort through and see how many I can make. I’d like to know about their survival skills.  I'd like to shoot a black powder rifle.   I’d like to milk a cow and make butter and fresh ice cream.  Id like to ride a horse and gallop freely across the prairie. I’d like to cook over an open fire.  I’d like to learn how to sew and do leather work.   I’d like to dive in a bit more and learn about the people who made this trip before me.  Maybe I’ll even sleep outside under the stars by the fire, once.


There are lots of options that may present themselves as I make my way through unseen territory and experience brand new things from a time gone by, brought back to life from a modern day perspective.
I guess we will have to see what presents itself.


If you want to take a bigger part of my adventure, be sure to join the History Revisited Facebook Group.  That's the most immediate interaction.  I post all my photos and love to converse with everyone there!  Jump in and join us!

There's another option if you're interested in a more personal experience with my travels.  It's the PostCard Club.  This is a group that receives postcards from me where ever I go, about 3-4 times per month and then if you'd like, you can upgrade to receiving magnets every month or even an entire gift box filled with goodies from places I stop along the way.  Souvenirs, locally made edibles, other unique items I find every stop I make.  To find out more or to sign up- click here.