Driving across lots of flat land yesterday, with our view like this!  I thought Nebraska and Kansas were supposed to be the flat states, but from what I have seen, there are stretches of Indiana and Ohio that rival them.

I'm writing this from Brownsburg, IN, just west of Indianapolis.  We are on our way to the Burke house in Charlotte, NC!  We were able to leave home Monday about 1PM.  The whole process of getting the truck and trailer ready to roll is still a learning experience for us.  We had 4 camping weekends last summer, so we were feeling somewhat confident about getting all the steps checked off our list to be ready to go.  However, doing that in below zero weather is a different beast!  Bob had to remove snow from the top of the trailer twice.  He had to use the hair dryer twice to open frozen access panels.  The batteries had been stored inside, so had to be re-installed in their compartment that sits on the hitch of the trailer.  It's a confined space, and there are about a dozen little wires and posts and connections that have to be secured.  Thank goodness he had taken a good picture of the hook-ups before he removed the batteries last fall.  We found out that the batteries had not been holding a charge as intended, Bob had used a trickle charger on them in the basement.  So we didn't have enough battery power, and, of course, no 50watt power source in our driveway.  So we couldn't run the furnace.  That left the interior of the trailer still below freezing.  So we had to be selective in our packing, placing the things in the trailer or truck bed that wouldn't suffer from the cold.  Anything else had to be packed in the back seat of the truck.  It was, and still is, a disorganized way to leave home, which really sets my organized mind on end!  Marie Kondo (organization queen) would not be happy!

Stepping outside today is wonderful!  Although we live in a neighborhood, the houses are at a distance from one another, and during the daytime there is not a lot going on.  So yes, it is an immense quiet!  The snow acts like a big soft muffler, and the sounds change.

I recently constructed a new purse/bag/tote for myself.  See, this is what happens when you travel - last September we were visiting Missoula, MT.  That included a search for any interesting stops where I might find inspiring fabric, yarn or patterns.  I have great guys, Bob and Dan, who enable me!  We tracked down The Confident Stitch in the downtown area.  That's where I saw a large tote bag and decided I must have it.  The pattern for the Oberlin Tote Bag comes from Klum House in Portland, OR.

No one will be sitting round the chiminea tonight, telling tall tales and gazing up at the stars! 
​More snow has been falling to the earth throughout the day.  I haven't even ventured out to the mailbox!

I am repeatedly amazed about the path my life is taking now.  All of the big questions about work and finances and retirement are all coming together, and I couldn't be happier!  There are still many unknowns, but we are working through it as well as we can.  One big question is what will it be like for both of us to live without a paycheck every 2 weeks?  It's kind of scary.  We both have been working since we were teenagers.  Sometimes part-time, or full-time, or more than full-time.  Sometimes 1 job at a time, or 2 or 3.  Learning to value the balance between work and family and vacation and frugality and enjoying what our work produces.

I think that Debbie and I have developed a new sport!  It's the act of visiting yarn stores wherever we go, shopping, and then petting our beautiful new yarn that may or may not have a purpose planned for it!

A sharp contrast to the weather we had last week in MN!  Last Saturday, we flew to Tampa for a vacation.  I'm not real sure you call it a vacation when you aren't taking time off from work to do it?  We traveled with our friends, Bob and Debbie Engh.  They have made this trip several times over the past few years, and had already booked a house to accommodate us on Anna Maria Island.