I spent part of yesterday working on the new issue of the Gypsy Journal, which has to be at the printer on Tuesday of next week. I need to knock this one out, so I can concentrate on all of the details we still need to finish up for our Eastern Gypsy Gathering, which is less than three weeks away.

In the early afternoon, our pal Michele Henry from Phoenix Commercial Paint stopped by to visit and welcome us back to Elkhart. Michele said she has been getting a lot of work in from Gypsy Journal readers, and as soon as she finishes one of her custom full body paint jobs on one RV, it’s time to start on another.

I like to see a small businessperson succeed, and while Michele says we have had a lot to do with that, I know that word of her excellent work and affordable pricing has spread far beyond our modest reach due to her many satisfied customers, who are so thrilled with the results.

After Michele left, I talked to our screen printer and started the ball rolling for our rally T-shirts. If you’re coming to the rally and want a shirt to commemorate the event, please send me a quick e-mail at editor@gypsyjournal.net and let me know the sizes and how many shirts you want. You can pick them up and pay for them at the rally, but we just need an idea of how many shirts we need to order in each size.

Speaking of T-shirts, check out our friend Marlene Hinman in her one-of-a-kind shirt from our Arizona rally. Marlene won the shirt as a door prize, and since it was a larger size than she wears, she took it apart and rebuilt it as a sleeveless style. How cool!

Later in the afternoon, I had a meeting at Heartland Recreational Vehicles with Coley Brady, Director of Sales, and Jim Beletti, Director of Owners Interests. We are trying to set up a factory tour for our rally attendees, and if we can work out the timing, it would be an interesting opportunity to see how a top quality fifth wheel is built.

We also stopped by Elkhart Bicycle Shop and arranged to have owner Steve Peterson present a seminar on Bicycling For RVers at the rally. Steve will be talking about the different styles of bicycles on the market, how to choose the right bike for your needs, and different methods of transporting your bicycle as you travel.

We were only back at Elkhart Campground for a short time before Greg White called and said it was time for dinner, so we went to Lunker’s in Edwardsburg, Michigan with Greg and Jan.  Lunker’s is a great place, where you can buy everything from a shotgun to a fishing road, not to mention a kayak, a tent, or a sleeping bag.

They also have a great restaurant called the Angler’s Inn, and it’s one of our favorites in this area. The fare ranges from burgers and several varieties of fish, to such exotic choices as alligator tail, frog legs, buffalo burgers, ostrich, and elk.

They were pretty busy, but our server was very efficient, and took good care of us.  We topped off our meal with excellent slices of Totally Turtle Cheesecake. Yummy!

While I was busy with all of that, Bad Nick posted a new Bad Nick Blog titled Fighting Fire With Fire. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day – It’s not the pace of life that concerns me, it’s the sudden stop at the end.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

This really isn’t an RV topic, but I wanted to share something with you, besides the fact that we are still moving from the bus to the Winnebago, between a never-ending series of rain storms that have made the move a real hassle.

Like most people, I have seen magnetic jewelry for sale at RV rallies and craft shows, and probably like most folks, I really didn’t give it a whole lot of credibility. I had heard that wearing a bracelet of magnetic hematite could reduce all kinds of physical pain, and over the years I have even had friends tell me that they have had amazing results when they tried the things. Still, I guess I am too much of a skeptic, so I wasn’t convinced. Until now.

For two or three months now, I have been dealing with a lot of pain in my right elbow, to the point where it seemed like I was taking Advil or Tylenol a couple of times a day just to keep the pain at bay. I’ll be having my annual checkup at the VA hospital in Lexington, Kentucky soon, and it was one of the things I had planned to talk to my primary healthcare provider about.

I have also been dealing with either a bone spur or something on my tailbone, which over the winter got so bad that I could not ride my bicycle, and just sitting in the office chair I use at my desk was extremely uncomfortable after more than an hour or two. That was also on my list for when I have my medical checkup.

Last year at our Ohio Gypsy Gathering rally, vendors Russ and Debbie Davis were selling magnetic bracelets, and they gave me one. I promptly laid it down on my desk and forgot all about it.

About three weeks ago I came across the bracelet when I was sorting through all of the stuff I allow to pile up on my desk, and I slipped it onto my wrist just to get it out of the way. About three or four hours later I suddenly realized that my elbow had stopped hurting! I was amazed, because the pain had been there so long, and it took me a while to notice that it was gone.

I have been wearing the bracelet pretty much fulltime ever since, and if I had not experienced it myself, I’d still be very skeptical. If I had to put it in mathematical terms, I’d honestly have to say that the pain has been reduced by 80%. My elbow still hurts if I lay on it wrong at night, or if I leave it extended in any position for a long time, but otherwise, I really am not aware of it any longer.  

Just this week there was a vendor at the Carriage RV rally selling magnetic bracelets, and I bought a couple more. When Miss Terry and I were talking about how much the bracelet has helped my elbow, I suddenly realized that the pain in my tailbone has been dramatically reduced too.

Yeah, I know some of you are shaking your heads right now, but all I can tell you is what I have experienced. I can’t explain how it works, but for me, it does. I’m not selling magnetic jewelry, and I’m not pointing you toward any particular vendor who does. But I know I have felt a tremendous reduction in my pain levels since I’ve been wearing the bracelet, and for the few bucks they cost, you might want to give one a try. What do you have to lose?

Thought For The Day – Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things.