Summer in a Backpack

Today was the first full day of our 10 weeks in NC this summer. Yesterday we spent the entire day travelling through Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and, finally, North Carolina. The car was packed full of all the things we'll need for our stay.

I have often wondered if we could sell most everything and move into an RV and travel. It's a little fantasy of mine. I don't think my honey believes I could do it. I am a pack rat. But, I am always relieved when we get to the farm and there is just so much less stuff than at home. It's smaller and less cluttered, which makes for an easy tidy up each day with everything in its place when we hit the pillow each night.

Headed into town this morning to stock the cupboards, the brakes started protesting against their long journey yesterday...overloaded with stuff and passengers...long down-hill jaunts in WV. When I dropped it to be serviced tonight, I began wondering what we'd do without this big old van to carry a summer's worth of books and wine and shorts and art supplies. What if we each just had a backpack?

What would each of us take in our single bag? I think my list would include...

• My kindle, loaded with fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, word games, and a subscription to The New Yorker.
• My iPod, for music, podcasts, email, pics of my family
• A sketchbook and colored pens
• My camera
• 2 skirts, 1 pr. shorts, 2 tank tops, 1 cardigan (and unmentionables, of course)
• My Chaco sandals
• A hair band
• Lip balm
• A sun hat

Of course, this is for summer...not for school, or teaching, or directing. But, I think I could live without most everything if I had too. What about you? Share your list in the comments!

Update: Summer 2011 @ the Farm

Day 1 - June 1, 2011

• The kids made and destroyed about 100 water balloons.
• Aunt Billy's "Cow Seeds" have sprouted into a lima bean plant - go figure!
• The kids started their summer schedule of no screen time until after dinner. It went better than expected. It's 10pm now and no one's screen-timing it but me. Embree is practicing guitar, Reeves is still making water balloons, Brice is polishing off a bag of carrots.
• Bought and assembled bunk beds for the kids' room (Thanks for the help Dad!).
• Mom finally got to go to her own bed after 10+days away from home. 
• Began installation of the new rope ladder for the fort - will finish tomorrow after the battery on the drill recharges.
• Brice spent a couple of hours drawing and painting on his new easel.
• Inspected the raised bed garden we planted over Easter break. Relatively weed free. Cucumbers and squash came up beautifully from seed. Tomato plants survived being planted before May 1. Tiny basil plants peeping through the soil.
• Dropped car to have brakes serviced (Thanks for the ride home Sis!). 

Have a great one! Love you Daddy!

J, E, R, B, & V