Long trip preparations

As we get closer to the trip "up north," I find myself making various changes to my normal routines. For example, today I was going through the coupon inserts in the Sunday paper, and learned I couldn't use some of the ones I normally clip because they expire while we're on the road (and I don't need them now). Later, I was getting ready to add an item to my shopping list, and realized I wouldn't need it until we returned this fall.

I'm already making a mental list of what to take from my fabric inventory--not too much, because I KNOW I'll be hitting any quilt shops we pass.

I look at the freezers, and have decided I have to get the large one downstairs emptied out so we can turn it off for the summer. Therefore, my meal planning centers around that. I plan to fill the freezer in the trailer, especially with meat, since groceries are going to be more expensive further north. Since I want to utilize local produce as much as I can while we're on the road, I need to use up some of the frozen fruit and vegetables I've accumulated. First up will be a trifle for my book club, and I'll throw in the strawberries. The blueberries will go in muffins and pancakes, and the bell peppers are probably going with me. The rest will gradually be eaten over the next few weeks.

We are taking one more short trip before the big one--we're going to the upper Kern River Thursday and will be there for 3 nights. We have a reservation at Fairview Campground (Forest Service). No hookups. But at $9 a night using Don's Senior Interagency Pass (also called America the Beautiful), it's a bargain. Don will get to fish the Kern, and I'll take a couple of good books and my cross stitch. I haven't done any cross stitching for almost a year, and have 2 nice pieces to work on. I've spent many nice hours cross stitching next to a river, and I can tell you it's one of the most soothing activities I can do.

We'll use this short trip as a "shakedown" for the long one, and make lists of things we need to do or put in the trailer before summer.

One thing I'm looking forward to is putting some more books on my nook. I've been told that I'm getting a Barnes & Noble gift card or two as retirement gifts, so deciding what titles to get will be great fun. I have plenty of paperbacks to take as well, so I don't have to worry about running out of reading material.

-----Only 31 more work days!------


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