We love this insightful article written by a Counselling Psychologist with her very comprehensive list of the benefits of having girlfriends in your life, ladies.
Here are a couple of those:
· There aren’t any taboo topics while talking to them. We can talk just about anything — if things are good, they are excited for us; if not they encourage and support us in whatever we are going through.
· Even if we don’t say anything, they can read our mind, and never fail to show us compassion.
· They walk with us through everything — death, divorce, illness; are each other's cheerleader, offering a helping hand and reminding us of the "glass half full."
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” e.e.cummings
OLD SCHOOL Sentiments
Remember what it felt like as a child at the end of summer? The air changed. The colors became muted as the end of the growing season hit. Nights became cooler. Locusts began their incessant call as daylight waxed to evening. We stayed outside till the street lights came on...milking every moment of joy we could from each day. School was right around the corner. Maybe we had our new book bag purchased. Maybe we had new shoes. Maybe our moms were busy sewing dresses or knitting sweaters or socks to send us into a new season. Whatever was going on in your individual world, you knew a change was coming. Something new. Something fresh. Something unknown. It was simultaneously exciting and terrifying. And...inevitable.
Change of Season
Thus we have August. The “dog days of summer”. Heat shimmers off the asphalt during the day. Nights hold a velvety warmth for an hour or so before the chill brings you closer to the fire or you grab a wrap for your shoulders. You know your camping days are numbered now. What felt like an endless stretch of time before you turns into a sense of urgency to get out there and get some fun under your belt while you still can.
No Better Time than NOW
I was fortunate to find the Sisters in late spring. When I joined, I had an open calendar, a new camper, and unlimited time to spend traveling, meeting new friends, and exploring new places. My husband had just died in March so my time was now my own for the very first time in my life. As a method of coping with his death, I signed up for every event I possibly could and I have to tell you...that was singularly the best thing I ever could have done for myself. I had instant support, yet there wasn’t any of this “hand-wringing pity” you so often are faced with as a grieving widow. Instead, I had empathetic listeners who sat respectfully while I shared my story, reached out and gave me a hug, then immediately said, “Hey, a bunch of us are going hiking in a little bit. Wanna join us?” It was exactly what I needed. Acknowledgement of my pain...encouragement for my healing.
Jump in With Both Feet
The fast paced, frenetic schedule I set up for myself when I first joined soon morphed into a more laidback stretch of time. I relaxed into the comfort that comes when you arrive at an event and recognize someone you met earlier in the year. You get a little time and experience under your belt and before you know it, you start to recognize the newbies. The ones who are currently sitting in the seat you sat in not so long ago. This is one of the very best times to be a Sister...when you can reach back and offer the same love and encouraging support to those coming up the ranks behind you. It gives you such a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment to have learned new skills you can now share.
Growing Up & Growing Confident
Sisters on the Fly has grown so much since its inception nearly two decades ago. There have been growing pains, surely. But the basic premise of the whole endeavor has withstood the test of time. Sisters have come and gone as not every group is the right fit for everyone. I am here to tell you, as a member of five years, you will get out what you put into this organization. If you are looking for someone to cater to your every whim, you are in the wrong place. But if you are willing to roll your sleeves up, pitch in where needed, step out of your comfort zone, and be willing to put yourself out there to meet new people and learn new things, you are going to thrive with these gals.
Take Ownership & Make it Yours
If there aren’t enough events in your area...host some. If there aren’t enough events with your area of interest, create one. The Wranglers in your area are there to answer your questions and to guide you through the website to teach you how to find events. While some Wranglers host events, they can’t be expected to plan, organize, and carry out every event in your area. We Wranglers depend on our area Sisters to step up and be brave and BOLD and schedule the kinds of events you want to go to. We’ll help in anyway we can by answering questions and pointing you in the right direction.
Sisters on the Fly is entirely what YOU make it to be. There are large events all over the country that are often “bucket list” trips to aspire to. There are yearly events that are a bit competitive to get into because so many Sisters want to return year after year. That’s why we have gone “back to basics” and we are encouraging lots more small, free, impromptu gatherings. No muss, no fuss. Just camping, gathering around the campfire, sharing our Sisterhood with other like-minded women. I don’t know about you, but I kind of enjoy the smaller gatherings more anyway. You have the opportunity to really get to know your fellow Sisters on a deeper level. There is more time to bond. There is more time to laugh. There is even more time to nap or read in a hammock or stand in a river. Not every minute has to be planned out to make a SOTF event successful. This isn’t a competition to see who can put on the biggest show. Far from it.
Step in & Step Up
So, we’re winding down the camping season. Why not step in with both feet and start something new? We have recently had a huge surge in new memberships with the video released by The Travel Channel. Take advantage of that uptick in the number of Sisters available to have more fun than anyone with. You will never regret having fun with a bunch of women who have magically become girls again!
With much love,
Ginny
Post contributed by blogger, Positive Aging Expert & Motivational Speaker,
Ginny McKinney, SOTF #3537 Marshmallow Ranch Blog
Getting BOLDER & Letting It Shine!
Sisters at Caddis Hatch #2
Go Camping, naturally!
June is National Camping Month and can you think of anything more wonderful to do than getting yourself out in nature during the perfect month of the year?
School is out so the kids and grandkids can enjoy learning new skills and follow in your camping footsteps. They may not seem terribly enthusiastic, but you’re planting a seed...and that’s a good thing. As with most of these “National Holidays”, National Camping Month was the marketing brainchild of The North Face, makers of excellent camping gear. That’s not to say observing this “holiday” is without merit.
Amazing Outdoor Events R Us!
Sisters on the fly members love joining up with other Sisters and finding something wonderful to do and the summer months are prime camping season. Just take one look at the June calendar on the Sisters on the Fly event page for members and you’ll find some pretty amazing opportunities for gathering around that campfire and enjoying yourself. (Be logged into the SOTF member portal and view all events HERE.)
How about the Annual "Sister Swarm" Event held in conjunction with the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY? There are many things to do in the area besides the Fair, but if you’ve never been to one, you really should try to attend. Seriously, it’s like walking into the pages of Country Living Magazine.
Or, you could go to the Synchronized Fireflies SOTF event in the Great Smoky Mountains. This is certainly on MY bucket list. There are only a handful of places where these synchronous fireflies can be seen. Normally, you can find fireflies (more commonly referred to as lightning bugs) all over the mid-Atlantic states from late May through June. They seem to twinkle...one here, another there...giving fields and woods a sparkling look just after sunset. Synchronous fireflies, as their name implies, light up “en masse”...all on, all off. It is a sight to see!
Sisters love kayaking together
We are A-OK with OK! and in a KOA
Oklahoma is where you’ll find Sisters gathering for the Trailer Trash III at Natural Falls State Park in West Siloam Springs. This event offers campers the opportunity to spend some time out on the water at the Kayak Park. You can bring your vintage wares to sell or barter, too. Who can pass up a good tag sale when you’re looking for that perfect tchotchke for your vintage camper? Can you say “Plaid” or “Pyrex”?
One of the BIG bucket list trips you might be yearning for is held at Willow Creek Ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming. The 3rd Annual Cowgirl College Rendezvous is being held in June. This is a "GO Sister" Trip where you can learn cowgirling skills on a working ranch. And, work you will do! Riding, roping, wrangling...whatever needs to be done, you’ll be pitching in and doing it. They work hard and play hard and I hear it’s not to be missed. One word of caution, however. This event is for horse riders that are intermediate or above and limited to ten Sisters plus Maurrie and Becky, so it is something you need to plan for well in advance.
Riding the range at Willow Creek Ranch
The annual Buckeye Bash Event is being held at the KOA in Dayton, Ohio at the end of the month. As is the Northwest Gathering, celebrating their Lucky #13 this year! So, as you can see there’s plenty to do. The larger events are already full by this time of the year, but careful planning for next year could see you starting a new tradition. In the meantime, there are still plenty of events open in the month of June and beyond.
If you aren’t finding what you would like to do, or if there aren’t any events scheduled near you, plan your own! It doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can do a fee free gathering at a local campground or camp in your own backyard if you have the room. The possibilities are endless!
“TOW-Wanda" is my home away from home.
There were three in the bed & the little one said... ROLL OVER
I didn’t camp as a child. My first camping experience was when I was seventeen. I went with my first boyfriend and his family. We slept in a musty-smelling canvas hunting tent with side walls in North Bend State Park in West Virginia. His dad had an elaborate, homemade camp kitchen cabinet that intrigued me. His mom slept on the cot between my boyfriend and me to keep things...appropriate. It was my first taste of the good life in the great outdoors.
It was many years before I had the opportunity to camp again, but at that point, if my daughter couldn’t plug in her blow dryer, she wasn’t interested. I took my second child a couple of times when she was younger, but she never really liked it either.
I didn’t really get into camping on a regular basis until I became a widow five years ago. Now, it’s my happy place. You all know the feeling...when you can’t camp, you sleep in your camper in the driveway. I actually lived in my camper pretty much full time for about three years after I lost my husband and that was the very best thing I could have done for myself.
Shine On, Summer Sunshine
Summer Solstice occurs at 6:07am on Thursday, June 21st this summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the day... the perfect day for camping. The most hours of daylight gives you ample opportunity to cram in as many activities as you can... or float in an inner tube down a lazy river... or lie in a hammock under a shade tree with a good book sipping sweet tea. Whatever floats your boat, get out there this month and have a blast. Save up all that sunshine and all those memories so you can sit inside in January and look at the pictures. Make new friends. Meet up with old ones. And... Have more fun than anyone!
With much love,
Ginny
Post contributed by blogger, Positive Aging Expert & Motivational Speaker,
Ginny McKinney, SOTF #3537 Marshmallow Ranch Blog
Getting BOLDER: You need to grow. And blossom.
You have heard it said before. “Bloom where you are planted.” No matter where or what life hands you...blossom! I used to picture a beautiful flower garden when I read that phrase. Massive, colorful blossoms waving and twisting in the wind, their roots growing deep into the earth. I’ve lived that kind of life. You know the one...where you spend long stretches of time in one place. Peaceful. Content. Convinced this is your garden...your place to bloom and blossom till the winter of life takes you home. Then the storms came.
When my first marriage ended in divorce, I stayed on as a single mother in Denver...far from the comfort of family. I knew there were more opportunities for my daughter if I stayed right where I was, no matter how difficult it would be. I was planted in Colorado, and I would bloom like there was no tomorrow. When my second marriage ended in divorce some twenty-three years later, I was a single mother yet again with my daughters being 16 years apart. This time, it was harder to bloom. The marriage had taken its toll on me. I was older. I had been out of the workforce for nearly two decades. It took a lot of work before I could coax a little blossom from my weary soul.
When my third marriage was interrupted by my husband’s sudden death, it would have been easy to just shrivel up and die with him. If I hadn’t had my faith, I don’t know how I would have survived. But there were two things I put in front of me that helped me get through that...nature, and camping with Sisters on the Fly.
The closer I get to nature, the happier my heart is, the stronger my mind is, and the healthier my body is. Camping has allowed me to take off into the wilderness and backroads of Colorado, the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, the cedar forests and tinsel of Nashville, the beautiful hills, woods, and rivers of West Virginia. Every campfire, every cookout, every night spent under a canopy of stars has allowed my weary, broken heart to mend and bloom just a little bit more.
I lived a pretty nomadic lifestyle for the first four years after my husband died. My roots had to be mobile. I was away from my family, I’d sold my home, I got rid of 95% of my personal belongings. I had to learn to put my roots in a planter...to be mobile and bloom wherever I set that planter in the sun. The result has been a far more fluid existence than I had ever lived before. I began to look forward to each new adventure as another layer of the onion, another look within myself, and another view of the ever changing backdrop that was my life.
My most recent foray has brought me to the Outer Banks. While I stayed in the comfort of a timeshare, there are numerous opportunities for camping on the OBX and nearby Roanoke Island that I would like to explore. And as a destination, these islands along the coast of North Carolina offer an incredible variety of activities and places of historic interest. From The Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk to the Wild Horses of Corolla Beach, from the various lighthouses to the aquarium, from the wonderful little shops to the dazzling array of restaurants...there is truly something for everyone here.
Take the ferry over to Ocracoke for a day of exploring. Dine on fresh local seafood or fabulous North Carolina BBQ. Soak up the sun on the beach or explore the sand dunes along the coast. Fish or kayak in the quiet waters of the sound. Climb the steps of a lighthouse. Rent a bike or a dune buggy. Take a knitting lesson at Knitting Addiction in Kitty Hawk. Watch the sunset over the sound at the Sunset Grille or get a fabulous cup of coffee at Sweet-T’s in Duck. Summer brings live music to a number of venues on the island. Indulge in a pile of pancakes at Stack ‘em High at mile marker 4.5. (Tell Christine, the owner’s wife, that Ginny McKinney sent you and she needs to be a Sister!) Take a drive up and down through the neighborhoods and view the amazing homes on the north end of the island. Look for the house down south near the Cape Hatteras National Seashore that was featured in the movie, Nights in Rodanthe.
My favorite excursion this year was a visit to the Elizabethan Gardens. Queen Elizabeth I had elaborate and fanciful gardens for her entertainment during her reign. As a tribute to the history of Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists who lived here over four hundred years ago, this sprawling botanical wonder is a project of the Garden Club of North Carolina. Wide, pea-graveled lanes weave in and out through massive displays of azaleas, rhododendron, camellias, live oak and loblolly pines. Paths lead you along the sound, through a brick walled rose garden, and on to a meticulously groomed formal garden with sculptures, fountains, and exquisitely groomed crepe myrtle and boxwood hedges. It was easy to get lost in thought in such gorgeous surroundings on one of the most pristine spring days North Carolina has had to offer so far this year.
The soil on the Outer Banks is sandy unless something has been added, so ground cover is sparse. After a tremendous thunderstorm came through and drenched the area, little yellow flowers sprung up and blossomed in less than a few hours. It reminded me that even in the most harsh environment, we can indeed bloom where we are planted if we get what we need to grow. In the case of us Sisters, we just need a little wood smoke on our clothes, a little libation in our glasses, a little food on our (recyclable) plates, and the sound of laughter well into the good night to help us bloom...wherever we are planted!
With much love…
Ginny
Post contributed by blogger, Positive Aging Expert & Motivational Speaker,
Ginny McKinney, SOTF #3537 Marshmallow Ranch Blog
Where (and who) is Tiffany?
Wonderful Women in Waxahachie
Sister #1, SOTF Founder Maurrie Sussman and I had the pleasure to represent our Sisterhood at this event within an event. The big event being the Crossroads Film & Music Festival put on by the Waxahachie Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Texas Draw
It was an over the top event and drew so many "Wonderful Women" campers & attendees to it. I fell in love with the Texas Sisters I met, the locals, the town, the history and local tastes and color. The blue bells were still in bloom for us and the weather was kind of classic for Texas- gorgeous until the flash flood downpour hit! If my husband's ex wasn't from Texas, I would've make a seriously hard pitch to relocate from Boise there and may have had a chance! C'est la vie, y'all...
The Stories
There are so many great stories to tell from this event but there was a first-time camper there who tells hers so well and when we asked if we could share her blog article about her experience this was her reply:
"Thank you. I wish I had more time to spend with everyone as well. I hope our paths cross again and we get a chance to camp out or hangout. I enjoyed my time hanging out with so many likeminded people. I walked away with a whole new perspective and love for camping. Yes, please share. I created the blog to inspire, encourage and give hope to those that dream of traveling or traveling solo. Thank you for reading my story. Part 2 will be up on May 13."
Her Story
Tiffany attended this event as a tent camper having not camped much and wanting a sense of what women campers were all about. Here is the link to Tiffany's blog article. Enjoy her story and her amazing photos:
My quest in life began long before I knew Sisters on the Fly existed. The fire in me came from a life of working as an RN. It was intensified when taking care of my mother through two bouts of breast cancer: one in 1982 followed by a seventeen-year remission then death in 2000. Working in medicine taught me how quickly things can change.
From that experience, I became obsessed with seeing and doing it all. I've discovered five principles to motive me and to live by each day.
- Learn Something New
- Use it or Lose it
- Make short, and long term goals
- Share your love
- Keep moving
I returned eight years ago and bought a 1969 three-story townhouse. I gutted, retired, and-and replumbed it, installed tile and hardwood floors and completely renovated it. Then I flipped it. Now I'm the one who fixes most things around our home.
I am in the middle of a completely from off of a 1965 Airstream Caravel restoration and have a 1950 Clipper trailer waiting in the wings.
I loved fly-fishing as a kid in Montana, and joining Sisters on the Fly brought my Montana roots back to me. Now I fly-fish all the time. I learned to kayak, belonged to a road biking group for almost five years and rode many century rides, and now I'm teaching myself to play the guitar and piano.
Sisters on the Fly gave me a new love of vintage trailers and a palace to exercise my five principals. I found like-minded friends and we developed a little saying - "Tick Tock" - a code we use to remind ourselves there is no time like the present.
I found many women in Sisters on the Fly who had lost someone vital in their life, are suffering from a disease or recovering from one or need someone to learn from or someone to teach. I found close friends with the same desire to do the things I like to do, with the same fire in life.
I am thankful for the new friends I found, for the spirit in this group of women, and for the reminder of all the parallel things that occur in our lives. We helped one another without knowing that help was given, offered strength and fortitude against all obstacles, and shared our collective wisdom and knowledge. Sisters on the Fly reminds me to notiv=ce the green grass, the blue skies, and the gorgeous clouds. When I'm on a trip, I wake up every morning excited to see what the day will bring. Listening to giggles, laughter, jokes, teaching, sharing, swearing and unbelievable support. the words strength, resilience, bravery, adventure, support, and camaraderie describe Sisters best for me.
It's all a journey and there's no time like the present. - Linda, Sisters #2095
Like so many Sisters, when I found Sisters on the Fly, I thought the little trailer were so cute. I had to have one. I love being outdoors: the smell of the campfire, listening to the sounds of the creek, the wind, and animals. I love camping! I love my trailers! I've had four. I still have my first one - the circle G! Bunkhouse. I've sold two of them, and my last one is called Bezos. I named her after the original owner, Norman and Lois Beze. They bought her in 1954 and camped in her until 1999. She was kept in their garage until she was noticed by my friend Chris, who bought her, cleaned her up, and solder her to me. We drove from Arkansas to California to pick her up. So it was perfect for her to take a trip on Route 66 and end up in California again.
Until joining SOTF, I had never been confident enough to take off alone. I'd not been away from family for any period of time, and had certainly never pulled a trailer! My first "outing" was to take off with my new Sister-friend, Debra, Sister #23, leaving from Little Rock, Arkansas, and headed to Cowgirl College" in Phoenix, Arizona! We were gone sixteen days. It was scary, exciting, big, fun, and still some of the best memories. I learned self-confidence, and that I could actually take care of myself. I overcame my fear of basically everything on that trip. I met Maurrie and Becky, Sister #1 and #2, learned to hitch a trailer and saddle a trail horse; had Rocco," the original head of Arizona Cowboy College, say my throwing of a lasso was a "thing of beauty"; saw rattlesnakes in the desert; and I pulled my first little trailer up the mountain out of Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Arizona, without dying!
... now that we know we survived it! It was epic! - "G," Glenda, Sister #62
I knew when I retired that I wanted to travel and see as much of our beautiful country as I could. I loved the idea of camping. I googled "women traveling alone," and Sisters on the Fly was one of the sites that came up. I loved the "rules" (No Men, No Kids, Be Nice, Have Fun) and made contact with the local wrangler. She set up a meet and greet with a few other Sisters, and by the end of the lunch I was hooked! I went right home and signed up!
When I decided to buy a camper, I chose to get a new one so I would have a warranty and room for grandkids who want to camp once in a while. There are so many amazing women in this group, and I now have some lifelong Sisters.
I named my camper Madame Butterfly in honor of my mom, who passed away in February 2008. That was her CB handle years ago and she always loved butterflies. On every trip I take, I always see at lease one butterfly, so I know she is traveling with me. - Linda, Sister #4547
"I first saw Sisters on the Fly at the Country Living Show and thought, 'Wow, this is for me!' I grew up camping and traveling all over the United States. My husband and I did the same with our children. But it took four years for me to join, and I'm kicking myself now! I purchased a 1969 Lakeland and had it repaired. It's named after my grandmother, Grace, who was always the first one in the ocean or the lake, telling us how 'invigorating' the water was. She would have loved this." - Bonnie, Sister #5380
I had never heard of Sisters on the Fly until three years ago. I saw the group on the news. Two weeks later met a Sister from Indiana who explained Sisters on the Fly to me.
Joining has been the best thing I've ever done. I have met the most wonderful and caring women possible. I finally found my camper in a front yard where it was being used for a storage shed! I circled that house until I got the nerve to knock on the door and ask if they would sell it. A few weeks later I finally bought her. Soon, I realized she was in worse shape than I had expected, full of mold and dry rot and more than I wanted to do by myself. With my brother's help, we gutted the inside, built a new frame and retired her. Now she is strong, durable, and a pretty little thin! I got to do the fun part - decorate her! I call my brother, Brother. His name is Dean. I named her Miss Brodean, meaning Brother Dean. He loved it! I love him for helping me make this possible. With Sisters on the Fly, I've explored so many cities, met wonderful sisters, and had experiences that have been life changing. I now have the Sisters' bug - and I don't ever want to stop "having more fun than anyone" with my Sisters on the Fly. - Loretta, Sister #3704
unlimited time to spend traveling, meeting new friends, and exploring new places. My husband had just died in March so my time was now my own for the very first time in my life. As a method of coping with his death, I signed up for every event I possibly could and I have to tell you...that was singularly the best thing I ever could have done for myself. I had instant support, yet there wasn’t any of this “hand-wringing pity” you so often are faced with as a grieving widow. Instead, I had empathetic listeners who sat respectfully while I shared my story, reached out and gave me a hug, then immediately said, “Hey, a bunch of us are going hiking in a little bit. Wanna join us?” It was exactly what I needed. Acknowledgement of my pain...encouragement for my healing.
Wide, pea-graveled lanes weave in and out through massive displays of azaleas, rhododendron, camellias, live oak and loblolly pines. Paths lead you along the sound, through a brick walled rose garden, and on to a meticulously groomed formal garden with sculptures, fountains, and exquisitely groomed crepe myrtle and boxwood hedges. It was easy to get lost in thought in such gorgeous surroundings on one of the most pristine spring days North Carolina has had to offer so far this year.
Wonderful Women in Waxahachie
