Making Changes....Setting Up A Website and New Blog!

Well I am working on some changes.  Hubby and I have decided to do a full fledged blog about our Full Time Rving!  We have been gnawing on this for some time and making sure we want to make that kind of commitment.  Of course can you guess who's shoulders this will fall on!  Yup, ME!

Lots of research and the niche we want to fill is pretty wide open.  We follow lots of Fulltimers, to get information, budgets, etc.  Lot's of good stuff, but they are either traveling and completely retired living the good life, or younger and working fulltime, mostly through technology!

Our niche will be Full Time RVing, either seasonally here in Michigan, or traveling 6 mths of the year.  Making additional money by continuing our Ebay Sales,  traveling with two large dogs, finding treasures to sell, hitting thrift stores, campfire cooking (yup I use to teach that) traveling the old highways (we hate interstates and will probably only use them through the worst of the mountains).  That should give me enough to write about, add in some photos of the places we visit and stay!  Plus the perks of the screw-ups, stupid mistakes, and crap happens stuff that will make life interesting!

All that should keep me busy.  So I am setting up our website that will host the blog over the next couple of weeks.  You know how relaxing the next 3 weeks are just before Christmas!! LOL  My written down goal is to be up and running by the first of the year!  The first 3 or 4 months will be all about getting rid of everything you own including our Sticks & Bricks Home.  Lots of dreamers out there trying to figure out how to go about that!  We will be sharing our way of getting from homeowner to Full Time Rv'er.

Be on the look out for Treasure Trail Tails hitting the blogosphere near you soon! 


Dilly

Can you stay on task and finish one thing before you start another??? NOT ME!

When the temps are regularly below freezing at night, the calendar may not technically call it winter, but it sure the heck is!  So now the darkness has invaded part of my day.  Come on 5:00 pm is not night for me!  So that means, for me, it is time to bring the crochet hook out and keep me busy.

Now I am not really a multi-tasker at crafts, probably more a case of ADD.  I need to have several projects going at one time.  It's probably because the large projects are so daunting, and big time suckers.  I actually made 3 afghans for Christmas last year and I have no freaking idea how I did that! That doesn't even include all the little stuff and spinning the yarn for a portion of one of the afghans!  I am more the small project kind of girl. 

Right now if I am completely honest I have one baby afghan (sorry Brandon, Grammie is a dirt bag), an adult Minion Hat (almost done), a pair of baby legs, a pair of fingerless mitts (yes Reggie they are Minion Mits), the last curtain valance for me living room, (I hopefully will finish this before we sell the house),  small Christmas presents, and two sets of dryer balls all going at one time!  I put my focus on the one that is screaming the loudest, the smallest travel with me on the road (yup I am fortunate to be able to crochet at 55 mph.  Hubby is not a speeder).

Now add in the fact I have to liquidate everything in my house, finish the house projects we have started, and be ready to auction this puppy off around May.  Oh, and the fun stuff of looking for a 5th wheel for the spring, and saving up money for the motorhome in the fall!

Oh, Pooh, I forgot to put in that at least once a week, typically twice a week hit the road to find things to maintain my internet income!  Then the 3-4 hours 5 days a week I list items for sale on Ebay!

I know I am working harder today than I did as a Commercial Designer!!  This is semi-retirement???  No wonder I can't keep on task!!

Wow, time does fly when you are not paying attention!!

Less than a year and we will be out of here!  Yehaaaaa!!

But, that just means lots and lots of work and so far we are procrastinating!  I am ready to get down and dirty, but I had to come to some compromises that I could live with.  So in order to say we will be selling the house in May/June I had to let go of the Motorhome in September!  Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I know it is not out of the picture just postponed!  I also had to deal with the fact that means up-scaling of the 5th wheel (yah, like that is hard :-), and riding in a pick up) .  Once we have all the changes under control, and a firm traveling budget for 6 mths of the year, then we can dump the truck and get the motorhome!  But until then the Dogs and I will have to haul our carcass in and out of a truck!!

We actually do have an idea of what we want in a Fifth Wheel, so that helps.  We have been in the design that we like, and are happy with the storage and layout.  So look for a 36ft Keystone Everest with 4 slides and a den!!  Don't forget the washer/dryer and the computer desk!!! LOL  Hey it is what I will be calling home for a while!  Now we will wait and see what we actually end up with.  A girl can dream don't you know!

Everyone is doing well.  Little Brandon had a busy week, and I am sure Mom & Dad are ready to crash and relax this weekend!  Xavier made it through his first school conference with flying colors!  Todd has a long weekend what with Veterans Day on Monday.  The family is doing well and that makes life good! 

Here are my little boys!

What a lucky Grammie I am to have these boys to Love!!!

 

Snow was on the rooftops this morning, and the furnace is kicking on.  I should go out and clean the yard up, but I am not in the mood.  I know I will pay for that.  Please remind me not to get that involved in landscaping the lot we will have for the summer.  Maybe some rocks, a few containers of flowers and mow the rest!!! LOL  I think the best part of the landscape next summer will be a sign by the road that reads  "Slow......Grandkid Crossing!!"

Our Last (Sniffle) First Snow of the year (Hack) in Michigan!

Yup, it is snowing here in Mid-Michigan.  Our neighbors roof was white last night as the sun was setting and still has a few flakes still on there this morning as the sun rises!  With Luck this will be our last FIRST SNOW in Michigan.  I do love the snow, for about 2 weeks, than it can go away.  So coming home for Christmas to see our family will fill that whole need for slippery and slidey!

The first snow does bring good thought as I remember our Grand Puppy Daisy who was thrilled with the chilly temps and the white snow!  She would have to be coerced to come back in the house after the first snow.  So when I see the first flakes I pretend it is just Daisy hair falling from Puppy Heaven!  Here is Miss Daisy on a Easter Sunday, participating in a Easter Cookie find in our yard.  She got ears and snow and dog cookies....color her happy!

 

From the word in parentheses you can tell I am fighting off a frigging cold at this time.  Yesterday the cold got serious and I fought back with the appropriate goodies.  When hacking up a lung and it's contents I decided not to go easily.  So I put on my cold uniform, sleepy pants, long t-shirt and my fleece robe.  Filled the pockets with Kleenex and cough drops.  Put my vicks on all the appropriate places, took my cough meds, and slipped into my comfy slippers.  Bring it on!!!

 

OK only 362 days until our leave date next year, only 1 more day before we celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary!  OMG, it is  hard to believe that it has been that long.  Just think, after 37 years I am still willing to be stuck in a 38ft. tin can (RV) with this man!!!  Oh and two huge dogs too!  I am frigging insane, that is for sure!!!

 

Dilly



Well the FIRST BIG STEP is taken!!

We got the call today and drove down to Potawatomie Recreation Area to meet with Rose, the owner.  We signed the papers, paid the money  and now have a seasonal lot!!!  We are only a couple of lots from the girls, so I guess I will have to make a sign that reads "Grandkid Crossing" to put out by the road!! 

Here is the view when you pull into the campground!  Or what I will consider arriving home after next spring!!

 

We will seriously be looking at 5th Wheels in February, as long as the ground is frozen we can get the 5th wheel on the lot then.  If not it might not be until April.  Either way, it looks like I will be gardening again and making the lot look presentable!!  Rose and Randy took the measurements for the maximum length 5ver we can get on the lot!  So we at least have a length to work with!!  Now lets see how many slides I can slip in to get maximum space! LOL

 

So if you are in the Coldwater, Michigan area, the Schafers will be calling lot E-17 home for a few years!  It is a thrill to take the first steps of making these big changes in our lives!

 

 

I hear the 3rd time is a charm!!! We Shall See!!!!

Why am I starting this back up you ask?  Well I actually have a countdown calendar on my computer that reads 367 days today.  Which means with luck, good health and some good MoJo,  we will be putting on the "Rambling Man" music a year from now, turning up the volume and pulling out of our digs down by Coldwater, MI in 367 days! 

Yes we are STILL working on doing some traveling at least 6 months out of the year!  Some of our plans have changed.  Instead of one vehicle and dragging that all over, we are working on purchasing a large 5th wheel for a home base.  Then having a Class A Motorhome to travel the rest of the year with.  Now be kind, don't snicker trying to figure out how we are going to pull this out of our butts?

With a little luck and lot of hard work we found the good life!  Randy has continued with his typical Country Trader business.  We were lucky to pay attention over the last year.  I sold my glass studio that went to lots of good homes, worked on selling books.  Didn't work, too much work not enough return!  I had been having feet problems, and discovered the raised bar that Birkenstocks and others install behind your toes was giving me problems and pain.  So I looked at my collection of close to 20 pairs (no I didn't buy them new, I can't afford that!) I checked to see what those things sell for on Ebay.  Light Bulb going off here should blind you!!!!!

Yup I am selling used, name brand shoes.  Brands like Dansko, Clarks, Birkenstock, Ferragamo, Easy Spirit, Naot, Teva.......you get the picture.  Well, lets just say the Motorhome should be named the shoemobile!!  In stead we will probably refer to the entire adventure as Shobey Doo.  Since our two Great Danes will hit the road with us!

One of the main reasons we altered our plans was to be near our 3 Grandsons.  Yup,  since I last wrote on here, we have been blessed with little Brandon, who is closing in on 3 months.  Xavier at 5, Brock at 2 and little Brandon are more than we can leave for any one long length of time.  We are also waiting to see where Todd & Erin will land when he gets out of the Marines.  His plans right now are to return to college and getting his Masters Degree.  Erin should be finished with her Masters about the time he is getting out!  Where they end up could dictate which way we wander when we leave next fall.

So our first step is getting a lot at Potawatomie Recreation Area between Union City and Coldwater, MI.  Both of our daughters and families have seasonal lots there already.  We are just going to overload the facility with Schafers!!! 

So wish us luck, encourage, snicker, whatever, but just enjoy the bumpy ride.  I found a saying and want it up next to my Simplify Sign.  Thing about this one "If your Dreams don't scare you, they are not BIG enough"  Dream big my friends!!!

Dilly

Back to SIMPLIFY!

Way back when, about 6 mths ago, when I started talking about selling everything and hitting the road, I mentioned I found a sign.  When I went to put the little bugger up I could not find it!  Yesterday hubby came in the house with a big, butt kicking grin on his face!  Low and Behold in the back of my seat in the little van (which we haven't been using a lot lately) was the sign. 

So being the twit, I hauled out the hammer, nails, unsteady chair and hung that puppy up!  Now each time I walk toward the living room, hung over the archway from the dining room, I see this sign!  It inspires me to get the boxes out and start collecting goodies for the garage sale next month. 

It also scares the crap out of me when I see this photo and realize everything in it but the clock has to go!!!  OMG that is a whole lot of work!!  But, after the tears of leaving the girls and their families behind for a few months at a time, I will have a gigantic smile on my face and ready for the new adventures ahead and seeing my boy more often!!

We have sold most of what we own twice in our lifetime.  The above photo is one from our last auction before we moved to Battle Creek.  It is a very cool feeling, back to basics and what is important in your life.  I expect lots of tears along the way, but the outcome will be YAHOOOOO!