Driving Miss Norma : one family's journey saying "yes" to living

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Title:

Driving Miss Norma : one family's journey saying "yes" to living

Author:

Bauerschmidt, Tim, author.

ISBN:

9781538416624

Edition:

Unabridged.

Physical Description:

6 audio discs (7 hrs., 30 min.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.

General Note:

Compact discs.

Contents:

Prologue: Home : Baja California Sur, Mexico -- Priorities : Presque Isle, Michigan -- Exploration : Northern Michigan -- Discovery : The Heartland -- Trust : Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming -- Perspective : Boulder, Colorado -- Dreams : Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico -- Healing : Fort Myers Beach, Florida -- Flight : Orlando, Florida -- Impact : Saint Augustine, Florida -- Kindness : Hilton Head Island and Charleston, South Carolina -- Celebration : Marietta and Atlanta, Georgia -- Integrity : Newport News, Virginia -- Flavor : Winthrop, Massachusetts to Bar Harbor, Maine -- Balance : Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming -- Change : Friday Harbor, Washington -- Rest : Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Personal Subject:

Bauerschmidt, Norma, 1925-2016-Travel-United States.

Bauerschmidt, Tim-Travel-United States.

Liddle, Ramie-Travel-United States.

Subject Term:

Terminally ill -- Biography.

Mothers and sons.

Families -- Travel -- United States.

Older women -- United States -- Biography.

Cancer -- Patients -- United States -- Biography.

Quality of life -- Philosophy.

Travel -- Psychological aspects.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Description and travel.

Genre:

Added Author:

Local Subject:

Spoken compact disc collection.

Summary:

When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she decided not to confine herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay. At ninety years old she took off on a cross-country journey with three professional nomads: her retired son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their standard poodle Ringo. In their thirty-six-foot RV this once timid woman said 'yes' to living in the face of death, found her health improving, and strengthened bonds with her family and with strangers who welcomed them with kindness and open hearts.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	SCD 917.304 BAU 6 DISCS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	SCD 917.304 BAU 6 DISCS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	SCD 917.304 BAU 6 DISCS	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Norma--newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage--rose to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, "I'm ninety years old. I'm hitting the road."

Packing what she needed, Norma took off on an unforgettable cross-country journey with three professional nomads--her retired son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their Standard Poodle Ringo--in a thirty-six-foot RV. Driving Miss Norma is the charming, infectiously joyous chronicle of their experiences on the road--a transformative journey of living life on your own terms that shows us that it is never too late to begin an adventure, inspire hope, or become a trailblazer.

As this once timid woman says "yes" to living in the face of death, she tries regional foods for the first time, zip-lines through a former stranger's yard, and reaches for the clouds in a hot air balloon. With each passing mile (and one educational visit to a cannabis dispensary), Miss Norma's health improves and conversations that had once been taboo begin to unfold. Norma, Tim, and Ramie bond in ways they had never done before, and their definitions of home, family, and friendship expand. Stop by stop, state by state, they meet countless people from all walks of life-- strangers who become fast friends and welcome them with kindness and open hearts.

Infused with this irrepressible nonagenarian's wisdom, courage, and generous spirit, Driving Miss Norma reminds us that life is beautiful and precious, and that family, fun, and self-discovery can happen at any age.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

At 90, Bauerschmidt, newly widowed, was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Instead of having surgery and enduring months of recovery, she opted to join her retired son, Tim, and daughter-in-law, Ramie, on a grand adventure as they cruise the U.S. in their "mobile assisted living home." For the first time, as Bauerschmidt writes in this endearing memoir, they got to know one another as adults, and their trip transformed into a warm, thoughtful, and meaningful conversation on family, aging, caretaking, and what happens when you look to other ways to heal besides Western medicine. Along the way, they encountered tremendous interest and kindness from strangers who learned about Norma through Facebook updates and a CBS segment. The trio were feted at parades and treated to home-cooked meals, and they celebrated Norma's birthday with courtside seats at an NBA game. The months on the road were nourishing for Norma, who saw some of her symptoms disappear, and also very therapeutic for Tim and Ramie, who had led itinerant lives free of obligations for years. Tim, Ramie, and Norma's travels are joyful and moving; it's no surprise that their story that has gotten international coverage and touched more than a half million fans. Norma's willingness to be fearless and open to whatever comes her way, even trying cannabis cream, offers profound insights into how we choose to live. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A traveler/retiree's account of the lessons he learned about living well from touring the country with his dying nonagenarian mother.Bauerschmidt and his wife, Liddle, loved their nomadic travel-trailer lifestyle for the "simplicity and clarity" it offered them. But they also worried about what would happen to his aging parents when they could no longer take care of themselves. After his father's sudden death from organ failure, he learned that his mother, Norma, was dying of cancer. Certain only that Norma deserved to experience happiness, he accepted the challenge of caring for his mother on the open road. In chapters that alternate between Bauerschmidt's and Liddle's voices, the book follows the trio along a route that took them from Norma's home in Michigan all across America. Almost immediately, living together in close quarters changed them and how they treated each other. The formality and distance that had characterized Bauerschmidt's relationship with his mother dissipated. Made newly vulnerable, he became closer to her and was able to grieve the death of a younger sister he had lost years before. Meanwhile, Norma's shyness and stoicism gave way to joy. She learned to revel in experiences that included everything from watching Yellowstone geysers in Wyoming and an Indian tribal dance in New Mexico to trying a cannabis-based pain-relieving cream in Colorado and hot-air ballooning in Florida. Liddle, a woman who had been used to serving large communities, found unexpected reward in the renewed sense of purpose Norma gave her. The openness that characterized their relationship allowed all three to be at peace with Norma's ultimate decision to discontinue all medical assistance and "die a natural death [and not deal] with the side effects of medication, or being hooked up to artificial means." Depicting the ageless human capacity to learn and grow, the author celebrates life and offers a heartfelt vision of what dying a good death really means. An uplifting and life-affirming memoir. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* At 90, Norma is diagnosed with cancer and given a choice: intensive chemotherapy and surgery or a motor-home road trip with her son, Tim, and partner, Ramie. Norma takes the road trip. Veteran travelers Tim and Ramie swap their small RV for a bigger model, and the three, plus dog Ringo, set out to tour the country and fill Norma's remaining time with adventures. Tim and Ramie alternate chapters chronicling the journey that begins in Michigan, loops around the South, up the East Coast, and ends a year later in Washington. Norma visits museums, flies in a hot air balloon, sees wildlife, explores national parks, and meets new friends. Faithfully posted on Facebook, her story attracts legions of fans whose enthusiasm carries Miss Norma to Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade, top hotels, and TV appearances. Tim and Ramie are reluctant at first to embrace Miss Norma's popularity, but her beaming smile and delight win them over. Along the way, they all learn more about fear, grief, and love. This is a delightful chronicle of a family determined to celebrate life rather than dread death, and everyone can learn from their courage.--Smith, Candace Copyright 2017 Booklist

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Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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