THREE CHEERS FOR TECHNOLOGY!

Hubby and I had dreamed about traveling in an RV for years, but I wouldn't commit to it for a long time. I knew I would miss my family and friends terribly and I just didn't think that I would be able to do it because I would be too lonesome. Well, we're doing it! Oh, I'm still lonesome. Sometimes really lonesome. On those days I have a good cry, hubby is usually pretty understanding, and I grab the cell phone and call my mom, one of the kids, or a friend. This past weekend we talked with our two daughters and two of our sons in Minnesota. We called the other son in Minnesota, but apparently he was "up north" which means he was ice fishing, and son's wife was busy, but hubby talked with our grandson for a few minutes. We also talked with the son in North Dakota, and with the son in Alaska. All this within two days! It was great. We call my mom at least once, usually more often, each week. We called her this weekend to tell her of our latest adventure, not to make her jealous, but because that is the time we miss her the most. We used to take her and my sister on long rides, often on Sunday afternoons, and we know she misses those special times as much as we do.

Email is also a wonderful tool we use daily. Hubby has his circle of old Air Force buddies that he corresponds with, usually just sending jokes back and forth. I have my work friends that keep me posted on the latest happenings at the college. I get many announcements and news items from the gals, and I even had them send me a copy of the Dean's List so I could see who made it this semester! We had an emailed picture within hours of our grandson's first deer and our granddaughter's engagement ring!

We read the hometown newspaper daily and check the Grand Forks Herald, the Anchorage Daily News, and the little Seldovia weekly newspaper so we can keep up on the happenings where our kids are living. Once in awhile we see an article on someone we know, and often see items on the sports teams from the college. The college has 4 webcams that we watch to see what's happening as it's happening! The tiny fishing village of Seldovia, Alaska, also has 4 webcams, and we check there to see what the weather is doing or if the ferry is at the city dock. We even read the police report and city manager's report because we got to know them when we were visiting there this past summer.

I also read several blogs. I love my daughter's blog and enjoy the pictures of my grandkids that she often posts. I also read a blog written by a gal who moved unto the street where we used to live, three written by other gals I've met, and three written by people I haven't met but feel attached to because of our similar life travels with large families and adopted kids.

Also on my list to check daily are many CaringBridge sites. What a wonderful way to stay informed on the progress of those people who have been given some real tough situations in life. It also reminds me to pray for those folks as I read the updates. I check on a sweet little boy with a rare type of brain growth, a gal from our college who was in a terrible car accident, a woman who developed a brain illness while pregnant, and a pair of twins born too soon and too small. All of these people are doing quite well. And I read updates on a happier subject: my daughter-in-law's friend is in Guatamala to bring home her new little son. They have written a couple of updates and posted pictures of their precious baby.

Add to all this the ability to pay bills, transfer money, and check accounts, and you can see that technology has made it a lot easier for me to be off traveling, but to still stay connected with my regular world.

Three cheers for technology!