I know that most folks work on resolutions back in January when the whole year ahead seems fresh and new. I’m sure I made some at that time too. (How quickly we forget!) But right now I’m looking at some shorter-term resolutions. Like things that I will try to do consistently during the month of February, or goals that I hope to accomplish during the month. The list isn’t long, but then again, neither is the month!

So here goes -

1. Write a letter (or postcard to the littlest ones) to each of my grandchildren.  Real letters.  Interesting letters.  And letters that I hope will generate a response!  Maybe I’ll even send some stationery and stamps!  Sometimes it’s hard being the “far away” Grams and Pops and I’ve been convicted lately that I need to work harder at building a relationship with each of the grands at their own level.  Our oldest turns 10 this weekend, and I just know she’ll be in college before I turn around.  I better get on the stick!
2. Learn 5 new things about my new camera.
3. Post something on this blog each day.  It might just be a picture or a quote or even a memory from a previous adventure. I’ll try to keep away from the mundane, but I hope that if I stick with it, in the end I’ll be a more faithful “blogger”.  And I figured that since February was a short month, maybe it was doable!
4. Take a walk every day. (So as not to ruin the resolution on the very first day, I’m counting my walking around the campground today several times to welcome the SOWERS as they arrived as my walk.)

So there you have it. I told you it was a short list! And since I (obviously) already have this post to cover today’s entry, I should probably stop while I’m ahead. But I did want to let you know that following a 30 minute drive yesterday morning

we have arrived safely at our February neighborhood.

While we’ll be working at the Macedonian Christian Academy, we’re actually parked about a mile away at a little private campground. It’s an eclectic mix of volunteers’ RVs (there are six of us, and six RVICS), seasonal units and some that seem to be year ’round. We’re just getting to know the neighborhood, but we’re looking forward to our month here.

See you tomorrow, friends!

Here’s the plan -

• Contact a good number of your baking friends, invite them to spend a day of cookie baking at your house and ask them to kick in $15.00 to cover supplies.
• Do all the shopping to make about 30 batches of cookies.

• Start making the cookie dough the night before -

(Having two borrowed mixers along with friends measuring out dry ingredients really helped that process!)

• Find as many flat surfaces as you can for work surfaces and storage surfaces.

• Come Saturday morning – let the baking begin!

Loved that we had some little helpers join the party!

Almond Shortbread Thumbprint cookies – Yum!

Rolling and dipping the (endless) gingersnaps – Oh, My!

Waiting for a turn in one of the two ovens, hanging out with the gingersnaps.

Frosting the White Chocolate Cranberry Bliss cookies and getting the very last of the cookies onto the cookie sheets.

• Don’t forget to set up a “Real Food” station for when the urge for something without sugar kicks in!

• Be prepared for even the best organization to eventually dissolve into cookie chaos!
• But also be ready for some Bee-U-Ti-Ful end results!

• At the end of the day, send everyone home with about 8 dozen assorted oh-so-yummy Christmas Cookies.
• Load the dishwasher and get the next batch ready to load.
• Collapse on the sofa and remember that the rest of the mess will still be there when you wake up!

We love Costco.
We love their free samples and we love their great buys. We also love their big parking lots. Because sometimes, when you drive a 39ft. motorhome with a pick-up truck tagging along behind, you need a really big place to park. Since we knew there was a Costco in Houston, and we would be passing close enough (just enough shopping district traffic to keep the co-pilot panicked), we took the opportunity to purchase and change out the “House Batteries”. That would be the 4 Golf Cart size batteries that keep us humming when we’re not connected to an electric source.

(The house batteries are on the left. The smaller ones on the right are for starting the engine. And all those wires….well, that must be for someone else to know.)
So here we are, after our first trip into Costco. Ready with the new batteries and the baking soda (to help clean up any battery acid).

Out with the old….


and then clean up the space a bit.


Then to hook up the new ones -

Oooey gooey messy glad it wasn’t me kind of job…..

Make sure the fancy caps are all on tight.
And then check to make sure all the connections are back the way they started.

Never underestimate the value of a little hand-drawn diagram of how it’s supposed to look!

All things connected, no spare parts (doncha just hate those leftover parts?), and the generator started right up! Looks like we’re back in business.
And for a reward, after we took back the old batteries (for our $36.00 credit – every bit helps!) here’s another thing that we love about Costco.

Oh, yeah, baby.

Recently we went into a local Verizon store to add some minutes to Gary’s “pay as you go” phone. (We mostly use his phone when we’re looking for each other in Walmart. ) Although the kind person explained that I could do it over the phone, due to some fat finger errors, I actually got to talk to a Verizon customer service “consultant” in Colorado. After we went through all of the credit card information and how much we wanted to add, she said that we would be charged $7.00 in sales tax.
“Who’s sales tax is that?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean,” she replied.
“Well,” I said, “we have a Montana phone number with a Florida billing address, you’re in Colorado, and I’m sitting in New Jersey. I was just wondering who was getting the sales tax.”

And that, my friends, a snapshot of our life! I know I’ve shared some of the ins and outs about our life on the road and in the SOWER ministry, but I was wondering if YOU had any questions about what we do, how we do it or why we do it. Would you like to know more details about our RV, how we decide where to go next, or how we really feel about going to laundromats? Any questions about how we make life “work” in this crazy life we’re currently leading? The floor is open – send along your questions either in the comment section or by dropping me a line over where it says “Contact Us”. (Or if you’re reading this on Facebook, leave a comment or send me a message.) I’ll do my best to answer whatever you ask! (And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll ask Gary!)
The floor is officially open……