No tomorrow for Diana Schuler

By Elisa Claassen For the Tribune

FERNDALE — Diana Schuler does not have a bucket list. For her, it’s a No Tomorrow List.

One of the things on the list of the Ferndale resident and retired postmaster is skydiving.

“Both my children have been many times and love it,” she said recently.

However, Schuler’s husband George doesn’t have skydiving on his list.

This is definitely on that list but not (husband) George’s.

Diana (Ehlers) Schuler grew up in southern California’s San Fernando Valley, the oldest of six children. She attended school with actress Valerie Bertinelli. Her career started at age 20 with the United States Postal Service (USPS) in California. With a few moves —from California to Washington’s Bellingham, Sedro Woolley, then Ferndale — she continued her career until retirement at 56.

Diana’s first marriage to Ree Ehlers of 23 years ended when he died suddenly. With a 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, she became a single parent in her 40s.

She met George at an active Christian singles group and married in 2012. The Schulers then gained what Diana calls 50 happy pounds.

“I was 277 pounds,” Schuler said. At her peak, Schuler weighed 295 pounds. Since age 20 she had been gaining weight and had tried different weight loss plans but “usually the weight came back and brought its friends.” As a widow, that also brought on more weight with the grief and stress.

George, 5-foot 7-inches, had worked in the automotive industry. When Diana decided to lose weight George also wanted to lose weight. His snacks at the time, she said, were comprised mainly of pizza, peanut M & Ms and ice cream.

“I asked Dana (her friend) if she got paid for coaching,” George said. So Dana coached the pair. George lost 80 pounds in five months and by Feb. 1, 2021, he was off of the program and has maintained the weight loss.

Diana lost 127 pounds in 15 months but has continued with the program. Life has gone from being more sedentary and sitting on the couch to being really active, Diana said.

No Tomorrow List

Life to Diana is experiences. Getting together with the singles group, making memories with her grandchildren, volunteering at the Foothills Food Bank and bringing firewood to veterans, riding motorcycle with the Warriors of Faith motorcycle group and American Legion No. 7.

“I’m not into things,” she said. “You can’t take it with you.” While COVID-19 restricted many activities, the Schulers traveled either on their bikes or their motor home. “There are no guarantees,” Diana said. “Don’t wait. Do it now.”

They’ve traveled stateside as well as overseas.

One trip grew from around three weeks to 86 days and 13 countries: Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, the Vatican, and Slovenia. Spain and Portugal originally were going to be included but going to Croatia changed that plan.

Diana Schuler decided and her husband George agreed that it was time to lose weight. Diana lost more than 100 pounds, George lost 80. As active as the couple was before losing weight, being lighter has made travel - and life - better. (Photo courtesy Diane and George Schuler)

“I loved it,” she said. “Just to be there and be a part.”

It was the colorful Christmas markets that stretched the trip into the holiday season. They didn’t go to just one but several in different countries with the favorite in Esslingen, Germany full of medieval traditions.

Off they went with backpacks, a rolling suitcase, a day pack, and looks of pictures but few souvenirs. Every three to four days they would move.

To save on money, they ate out little and took food in one carrier. Diana still checked in with those she was coaching, no matter where they were. They worked in rest time and didn’t take the non-stop approach to seeing everything. They jumped onto buses and trains, ferries, drove in six of the countries, and did plenty of walking.

Since they experienced one 24-hour train ride, the Schulers decided to forgo it the next time for a shorter plane ride to give George a break, Diana said.

One memorable part of the trip was hearing of Denzel Washington filming in their vicinity on the Amalfi Coast and then taking the car ferry ride took them from Ancona, Italy to Split, Croatia on the coast in just under 12 hours. Unlike the ferries in Washington, these ferries were more upscale.

Diana said she was impressed with tablecloths in the dining area and velvet seats. They stayed in a two-berth cabin but others were sleeping in the coffee/bar lounge. Together it cost $230 for both of them.

Another must for Diana was Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park and garden in Copenhagen, Demark. It is the most visited amusement park in Scandinavia, per a 2016 Tivoli annual report. Other special moments were the secret chairlift on the island of Capri, without much in the way of safety equipment, Disneyland Paris, and meeting the mostly friendly people along the way.

No longer pre-diabetic

The Schulers saved on costs by stopping at food stalls and grocery stores to make most of their own meals. One surprise was the meat in Europe tends to be leaner than in the U.S., she said. The pair also allowed enough space in their schedule to be flexible.

The weather also was a bit unexpected and it snowed in Croatia but was warmer the following week the next week as the journey progressed in Copenhagen.

Evenings included around two hours of sorting photos and posting with commentary initially on social media. Several months later is finishing that task, she said and laughed. She didn’t want to forget the memories. Her perspective changed too: so many people in Europe living in 500-year-old houses and watching other tourists appearing demanding. “Many there are happy with little and so generous.”

The postal person in her picked up post cards to send to friends. The most expensive postage was in the Vatican at $3 for a stamp.

They returned to California with a 17-day stint in Mexico to enjoy a favorite place and to be with her former mother-in-law who is still part of her life.

Diana may be retired from the post office, but she still works as a substitute bus driver and is a health coach.

“I encourage,” Diana said. “There’s no product, no sales.” She enjoys seeing people meet their personal goals such as shopping in their closet, being able to zip up a jacket.

Diana also met her initial goal of “being able to tie my shoes and breathe, not use the CPAP machine (at night), and I’m no longer pre-diabetic.”