Letting Go...

It really is hard to let go.  For 41 years we have collected, saved and squirreled things away. Now we have to get rid of 97% of it. Decisions, decisions...what will we keep what will we get rid of...Hmm. 

Angels...I have a lovely collection of angels, they are small and I don't have many (6) so they will go with us. You can never have too many riding along with you.

A few of my angels

Betsy Ross and Bi-Centennial Candle

 I also have small collections of Multi Holiday paraphernalia that I will take for seasonal changes.  Of course the small 4 ft. Christmas tree and some ornaments. Nothing too big, no room for it.  

Sewing supplies...My sewing machine of course, thread, scissors and whatever else I can pack into a small box.  My knitting circles and yarn and a favorite pattern or two, especially the templet to make the hand towels for the kitchen as gifts.

Computers and Cameras...What more do I need to say.

Just have to make the decision to pare down as necessary. I like my 4-in-1 printer, fax, copier and scanner, but will need to take the Epson Photo Printer for that professional touch as we plan to pursue our photography business on the road.    

West Coast Sunset

Art Supplies...I like to paint miniature landscapes, put small frames on them, then place them on little easels and sell them. So my paints, brushes and canvases all fit in a small two bottle wooden wine box. Imagine that!

Photos and Letters...I have been working on a project for several years "Love Letters from Franklin A Long Distance Love Story". I have been translating my father's hand written letters to the printed form.  I have all of his letters he wrote to my mother during WWII, including his proposal letter to her as he could not face her to ask her to marry him.  He was so scared she would say "no".  I am putting together a book with pictures that tells their story for each of their grand-kids and my brother and sister-in-law.  This will be a good project to work on when I am manning the gate at night while we are gate guarding down in south Texas next year. 

Kitchen...Still have to make some tough decisions there, but I can do it.  I do know that I will be bringing my Kitchen Aid mixer.  Some cast iron ware for cooking outside.  Baking sheets and mom's old electric griddle.  It has to be at least 56 years old and still going strong.  It makes the best bacon and home fries and let's not forget pancakes.  Of course there's the standard stuff, plates, plastic glasses, plastic ware for storage, flippers, tongs, prep knives, silverware, bake ware, microwave cookware and one nice table setting for those special occasions that just include the two of us and a few other items.  I plan to do a lot of my cooking outside our trailer as I love to cook outside. It seems to me the food tastes better.  I'm even going to try preparing food in a solar oven.  

Clothes...Jeans, T-shirts, shorts, 1 nice pair of pants each and a nice top or shirt.  Casual, casual, casual.

Tools...Bow saw, hoe, weed whacker, ladder, and tools to work on odd -n-ends. Sanders and scroll saw and a Miter box that was my great grandmothers.  I make frames. 

Paintings...I have several that I will bring, nothing too big but none the less treasured as they were painted by my mom.  The grans pictures.  I have a collage set that will be perfect in the trailer where I can change out pictures of the boys as they grow.  

A perfect place for the boy's pictures

My Mary Kay business...I have a carry case that will hold all of my Mary Kay products for purchase and it's not too large. So it will stow in a corner nicely.

For my impromptu office... I have a small desk organizer that looks like a mini roll top desk, I use it a lot as it is movable. 

For any space...Portable heaters and oscillating fan.

I will figure it out in time and then the fun really begins. Garage sales!

418 days and counting...

Going Through Clothes

Seasons change and so must we.  Time to put away the summer clothes and transition into fall clothing and start breaking out the winter clothes.  

Now's the perfect time to look at clothing items and ditch the ones that no longer fit or are no longer in style, which seems to fit the description of most of my wardrobe.  I really am a simple person.  If is still has good wear in it I will wear it, if not out it goes. 

Great Grandmother's Cedar Chest seeing the light of day

I have brought out the long sleeved T's, sweaters, heavier pants and warm woolly socks. It turned quite chilly here over the weekend which prompted the change.  I have a closet to go through but have cleared my the top of my cedar chest which seems to be a catch-all.  

I have several pairs of Army issued pants that I keep to remind myself that, that is size I want to get back down into.  Great camping pants and shorts.  I used to be that size and I promise I will be again.  It's a goal.  Besides those suckers wear like iron.  I don't know what they're made of but you just can't wear them out.  

I have several sweaters I need to fix and clean before I wear them again.  What's that you said? "When are you going to do that"? Soon, as I have a fair bit of mending I need to do, not only for myself, but for my daughter as well.  Just need to set up the sewing machine and get to it.  Maybe tonight during the football game.  

As I have been told by countless others take 15 minutes chunks of time and clear a area.  You will be amazed as to how much you can get done.  

Now I just need Dave to go through his stuff, easier said than done.

444 days and counting...

Yes...We Are Still Among The Living...

When I looked at the countdown meter today I realized that it had been over a half a year since I last posted, I was shocked that so much time had gone by without so much a word being posted.  We are now at 449 days and counting. Heaven help us.

More stuff came into the house this past week, ugh!  Dave, Ned's daughters and colleagues went through Ned Hockman's storage locker to clean it out.  Years and years of film, slides, posters, cameras, photos, frames, prints, photography equipment and general stuff. Ned was "the film guy" and a David Ross Boyd Professor of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma. Ned was a combat photographer during WWII and the Korean Wars, made training films with Ronald Reagan, knew everyone in Hollywood and an all around interesting guy with many a story to tell.

We did however gain some great containers and crates for the trailer.

But I digress...Ah yes, more stuff in the house.  George Carlin said it all when he said this...

Could not have said it any better!

Dave has been cleaning but in all earnest we both need to start tackling areas together. I have been bringing boxes home to pack things up in for the "sale", however I think we will tackle the house, shed and garage in zones.  This might be easier to get things sorted.

But for now we plug away with the end in sight. I will say this...When we started on our journey to go full-time we started with 2001 days. Where in the heck did that time go?
In all truthfulness it's called procrastination. Now it's down to crunch time and we don't have a plug nickle to show for it. Well that's about to change. Watch what we get rid of over the winter...

See ya when we get out there...

Dust Everywhere...

There are times when I think our house is liken to a barn,  open and dusty.  Dave and I could sweep every day and there would still be a layer of dust on everything.  When you have 40 year old carpet and three dogs, every time one takes a step it sends up a minute amount of dust, so three dogs are going to kick up a storm of dust every time they move.

Dave has needed to clear his office for some time now.  So what better way to do it than when your computer stops due to dust.  He moved it out to the dining room table and got it up and running again and has now started clearing out his office from all the stuff in it (all moved out into our living room).  I think Nick Russell could understand being an old newspaper guy.  Desks piled high with articles and news clippings.  Dave is a former news person as well and saves everything and I do mean everything.  We found clippings from 20 years ago.  Is there a reason you need it?  Other than the fact that not much has changed in 20 years news wise.  Same ole crap going on.  Just updated stories, same gist.

Last year he had on the DVR some 100 hours of Glenn Beck and I accidentally erased them, HONESTLY it was an accident.  I still have not heard the end of that one.  But it's the same with his news clippings.  Why keep them?  I just don't understand.  Please someone enlighten me.  I really can't speak, I'm just as bad with my recipes but I do however have a binder for them and try to keep them in one place and I do refer back to them.  

We have more empty boxes than we know what to do with.  He keeps every box that any equipment comes in.  We still have the box that the flat screen came in 6 years ago.  It's just taking up space out in the garage. 

I am to the point of calling in a front loader and having it all hauled away.  Trying to go through all of it is a nightmare waiting to happen.  Everyone keeps telling me baby steps, babysteps #*@@.  I'm ready to pitch it all.  It's just plain and simple, we have too much #%*&! 

675 days and counting...see ya out there!

Time Line Pushed Back...

Ok let’s not have a cow here.  I could retire now but would have to pay more
in health care, so I am waiting another 681 days to retire.  Plans change and
thankfully are not cast in cement.  My original plans were to be in Washington

DC for my 64^th birthday and celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival in March. 

I will have to wait until 2015 to do that. But that’s ok, at least there is a plan. 

681 Days and counting…till we see ya out there.