Home Away From Home

We have a new home! It's a home that we will take with us for many get-aways and adventures in the future. After looking and planning and dreaming and 'scheming' for a long time we bought a travel trailer that will be our home in a lot of different places. We are busy packing and outfitting it for a trip that was planned before we knew we would have our little home on wheels and we will leave later today for a fun weekend with family.

Here is what our home-for-adventure looks like. This is the way we first saw it at the home of the sweet people who sold it to us. They were so kind and generous to us, giving us many accessories that make our little palace-on-wheels safe, useable and comfortable. We bought this little jewel two days ago but we didn't bring it home until yesterday. We needed to take care of the business that goes along with things like this - insurance, a special trailer brake control installed inside our car and mirrors that will let us see if someone is 'sneaking' up behind us on the road. During that time we planned, shopped and packed totes and boxes of things so we could move in as soon as it was in our driveway. I've had fun gathering odds and ends of things at the Goodwill and discount stores so we have some of the things needed to help us enjoy our stay when we're on the road. I have had to fight the tendency to 'decorate' it - I haven't had time in two days to take care of all of the necessities plus the fun things that will make it uniquely ours. So - there will be more fun in the future! An excuse for more garage sales and thrifting expeditions! I can't wait to share some of my trailer finds with you but that will have to wait for another day.

In years past, when our children were young, we spent many hours camping in a tent. We have such fun memories of those times together. My sweetheart has continued to camp in the tent for some of his hunting expeditions and with our grandsons but as time went by we knew it was time to fold the tent and move on to something else. The last two days have been interesting and have brought back a lot of memories as we brought all of the camping equipment into the house, sorted, tossed, reminisced and laughed a lot. Some of those things have been moved into the trailer; others will find new homes and just be part of our memories. A look at the floorplan of our new 'home' reminds us how small our tent was when it was filled with the four of us and a good-sized dog. Especially when it was pouring rain outside! This isn't a large trailer but it's perfect for the two of us - that's all that matters!

We will leave home in a few hours - headed for the Oregon Coast where we will meet some of my sweetheart's family for the weekend ahead. All of them have trailers and we were going to be the only ones in a tent. We haven't told them about our new trailer. We can't wait to drive into the campground and see the looks of surprise on their faces when they see what we have. (Right after we bought the trailer my sweetheart called the campground and changed our 'tent' reservation to a 'trailer' reservation.) We will be in the camp site next to my sweetheart's sister and her husband - neighbors for a few days! What fun we will have!

I will be away from here for a few days but, oh, what tales I will have to tell when I return. Until then - may you have a safe and restful weekend.