SOOOOOO Thankful to Be Home!

Hello 2010 and all you preppers/bloggers/readers out there.

We drove 1250 miles in three days, slept very little and enjoyed seeing Sweetie's nieces and nephews, despite the death of their mother and his oldest sister. And miracle of miracles, we had dry roads for all but the last 150 miles!

We came home to about 2 inches of new snow so there was no need to walk in 400 feet or plow. What a blessing for two tired folks.

Kitty, Kitty, who's not much of a lap cat, has blessed Sweetie with her presence. Our dog Lady has remained in HER recliner and the wood stove is peculating away. All is well in our little world.

Being away for a few days and white knuckling our way through 4-6 lanes of traffic gave us an appreciation of our little home. As we were introduced to various mourners, we were always referred to as the "hardy folks who drove all the way from the UP." That caught people's attention and the questions about our location, how much snow we have, and how cold it is soon follow. As invariably happens, we met transplanted Yoopers or people who are related to them. Even the funeral home director's wife grew up 15 miles from us. When I asked her maiden name I discovered she's the sister of my lawyer. Small world indeed.

Some of you are familiar with a grocery chain called Save-a-Lot. We stopped at one in Gaylord on our way north. Every spare space in the car was utilized. Our poor dog had to squeeze between the step ladder we picked up at Sweetie's mom's vacant house and stacks of canned goods. Our bed pillows cushioned the area for our dog and the luggage was re-arranged in the trunk so two sets of shop lights could squeeze in. Canned soups and veggies for 59 cents a can; crackers for 89 cents; coffee for $4.69; and great deals on meat were a huge savings compared to what we pay here.

One of my three nephews leaves tomorrow for Afghanistan. I'm not happy about that and pray that he'll return safe and sane. He joined the Marines after high school and loves the discipline and camaraderie. In that respect it's been a good experience for him. But, I don't support the "war on terror" and I think we're in a quagmire. It troubles me that my young nephew has no comprehension of the politics surrounding our presence there - or in Iraq - and has been thoroughly brainwashed. He no longer thinks (not that he was ever taught to) but just reacts to instructions. And yes, I understand that a soldier's duty is to follow orders. But we have millions of young people coming out of high school with no ability to think or analyze and many of those are prime targets for a military machine. So there's my political rant for the day.

Well, it's time to take a rest. I've been going non-stop since we got home at 4:15p.m.

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Keep prepping, have perseverance and hope for 2010. Treesong