Detailed Preparations

Dear Mom,
I am planning The Big Road Trip. I think I need help with the wardrobe part. Do you suppose I ought to buy driving gloves?
Love, Your Second Daughter

Daughter
Of course, you should, and you should search around until you find a really spiffy pair.  Look on line at horse-owner products.
Dad gets his new car today after lots of waiting.
Love, Mom

Mom,
I am taking seriously your suggestion of looking at the horsey set for gloves. They are bound to have good ones that actually have protective value. The reason I think this is that Bingo has a maniacal side when it comes to squirrels, much like a horse bolting from a rabbit. A leash is somewhat similar to a rein, although Bingo weighs about 2000pounds less than a horse.

A whole bunch of different gloves for different occasions might be warranted and will certainly set me apart from the normal road tripping tourist as someone on a serious research project.

JD says hello and warns that there is a new business trend called, "frugal innovation." These are people who are trying to figure out how to "do the most with the least." They would like to produce a $2000 car. JD worries that this might cut into the tiki-mug collecting effort in some way.
Love, Susan

Dear Second Daughter,
One should never go on a venture without suitable gloves (especially if one expects to hold something).  You are very wise to search soon.  I'm taking liners for Russia.

Have you decided on shoes?  I just bought some for my Russia trip AND some WRIGHT socks from REI and a new pair of Born heavy walking shoes and a scrunch skirt, of course.  I am now wearing some Jamue's (I'm not sure that is how they are spelled, but they are quite comfortable, sort of Mary Jane's with socks.)

Poor JD!  I am on to social justice and have actually taken more stuff to Habitat than I have bought.  However, I am glad to give him some Batman mugs.  I will soon send Karl some more books, but I must collect them.  We have so few around the house, only a few thousand or so.

When do you think you might arrive in Colorado in May for car picking up?
Much love, Mom

We are thinking we would be there on May 2nd. Will you all be around? Can we stay at your house for a couple of nights?

Dearest wandering daughter,
We will indeed be around, and, of course, you can stay at our house.  We'll give Bingo special treatment.
Lina spent the night with us Friday night, and we had a wonderful time.

We look forward to your arrival, and I have started preparing.

The mule deer was out at the Zimdahl's, and was as curious about us as we were of her.
Love,Mom

Most hospitable of mothers,
Oh good. We will need a place to rest our weary heads. Bingo will be very grateful for the warm affection. Right now JD is giving him the cold shoulder since Bingo misbehaved and didn't come back when called and chased a squirrel instead. This irritates JD very much. I think it is karmic payback for his own childhood misbehavior.

It will be really pleasant to see all the nieces  and nephews. I have a feeling I won't recognize them. Did you have tea with Lina and serve her ice cream? I'm sure that will do her some good, she needs to experience sweet things once in awhile and I understand there is not much of that in Joe's household at the moment.
JD and I are planning on coming to Fort Collins for a longer visit over the fourth of July after the McComb camping trip in June. Will you allow us to stay again? We won't take up too much
room.
Love, Susan

Delightful but misled daughter,
Now, now, JD is just being a 'dad.'
We served Lina froz. yoghurt.  I'll have to tell you about it later.
Of course, you all can stay here for days and days, and I will spoil Bingo until he is fat.
We saw a mule deer again last night.
Love and more hugs, Mom

Dear Mom,
You are right as usual. JD has already gotten over his fear that Bingo will be staging a doggie coup. He is back to normal treats and training. Now Bingo knows roll-over too.
Bingo would love to see a mule deer.
We are buying a portable induction cook top to take with us.
Susan

Susan,
We gave an on-the-road refrigerator to Katherine.  You may want to use it; I think it plugs into Dad's old Subaru.
Mom

Very good. It will work well with our portable induction cooktop that we are bringing.
Our packing frenzy starts this weekend.

Susan,
I, the most perfect of all mothers, have found for you some driving gloves.  They will be on the guest-room book shelf just under the Captain Jack magnet for J.D., or did he give it to us?
Mom

Dearest Mother,
!!!oh I am so excited!!! You are indeed the most perfect of mothers. I had not found anything adequate in terms of gloves.
I think you must have found the magnet for JD. I don't remember it. It will be a start of the magnet collection we will create going across the country.
Much love, Susan

Susan, and siblings,
Is one of you interested in a yellow hammock that Barbara Krebs brought me from South America when I kept Swen and Arn and she got the bot fly in her leg?
Mom

JD and I would be happy to take it to Santa Fe to string up between the trees if the other siblings do not have an interest. I, the ever generous one, will allow my siblings to have it first.

Children,
I just found 8 more of Mama Jennie's India tablecloths, all rectangular.  I'm setting them out for you all to go through when Susan is here.
Love, Mom

Oh most generous of mothers,
We will take any tablecloths you no longer want.  I'm sure Katherine and I will agree perfectly on everything. I will distract her with limes.
Love, Susan