ON THE ROAD AGAIN

We're so excited! We are on the road again.

Finishing up our trip to Kansas, Mom's ride didn't work out, so we took her home. We had to do it in a day, because she needed to get back to work. We were going to take it slow, to stretch out our gas money, but she paid for the gas. We got back to OKC, two weeks to the day after leaving.

And then, we sat there. We had several doctors' appointments, a friend's party, and Christmas, all in Shawnee. We had postponed the first appointment until we got back, moved up the 2nd one, then had to wait till the 31st for the 3rd. In the meantime, we missed having Christmas with children because of the Big Oklahoma Blizzard of 2009. There's a link on Facebook for those who survived. Me? I stayed indoors. I have always hated winter, so if I don't have to go out, I won't. Thomas had to take care of Bengy, our Lab mix. He was the only dog not allowed in the house. We put him in the van when he started getting wet. We tried to set him up a shelter, but he would not go in it. He has never liked dog houses, and he would rather stand in the rain. So we put him in the van, and he was a lot happier. This is the male dog that we have tried to give away. My mom didn't like him, until she met him, but now she says he is a good dog. Here is a couple of his earlier photos. He would love to have a fenced backyard, but we can't find anyone to take him. He is not use to strangers, so he growls at people.

Anyway, after trying twice at home base to get everything taken care of, we were off! Mom tried to get us to stay longer because of the frigid temps, but I was concerned about Thomas and Bengy staying outside without heat. We can't afford to just run the van, though we have anyway. We went to the house to check on it, and Thomas found more stuff he thought we needed before they take the house. But our storage is full, so now we have a bed frame, end boards, and a small table in the van, until we can find someone to take them. This place is still a mess, and I can't get to my bedroom until we find a thrift store to take them. Oh, well, maybe by the time we are in New Mexico, I'll be done.

Right now, we are in Ardmore. We can stay at a truck stop, or I can drive farther tonight. The only way we can do this is if we travel an average of 50 miles a day. This will be a slow trip compared to the last one. But we are headed in the direction of California. Say a prayer for us!