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I'll say this much: I picked a good time to be going away (later this week): the cold snap has settled in for the long haul here, in south central Wisconsin. Or at least for the time that I will be away. It's all a matter of unplanned luck though. I did not pick this period to travel -- it's been in the books for almost a year now and it falls on school spring break. I'm traveling with the oldest grandchild, to a country that used to be a favorite destination for Ed and me, but one that is totally unfamiliar to the girl. 

We leave on Wednesday and neither of us is ready for that departure. I purchased books to get in some background reading. We've looked at none of them. Packing? Ha! 

So today, after the walk to the barn...

 

And after breakfast...

(Ed's on the floor tending to a cat's needs)

I stare at my open suitcase and make some decisions about what to take.

And then, after school...

 

And after an abbreviated time at the farmhouse, I take Snowdrop and Sparrow home, and I do the same for the girl: with her assistance, we pack up her bag for our trip. (What about Sparrow, you ask? Fact is, he's much less ready for such travel, nor does he particularly ask for it. His idea of adventure is very different from hers. Too, I am definitely not feeling strong enough to make such a complicated trip a success for two kids. Snowdrop was a light challenge even two years ago. By now, she is so good at managing on her own that I can have downtime each day and not worry about keeping her happy. Too, if things unravel, she can handle it.)

The packing is not without guesswork. The temps in our destinations have been bouncing around a lot and we can expect some cool evenings (and a mixture of warm and cool days). How do you prepare for that? The proper attitude, in my view, is that it doesn't really matter what you pack. Take something warm for those colder days and a good pair of shoes. All else is trim. You can re-wear or wash if you're a fanatic. Yes, there's always something that you'll wish you had brought along. More often though, you work with what you have and don't give it a second thought.

In other words, packing took no time at all.

In the evening I cook up my farro-cauliflower dish for supper. It's one that will have leftovers for Ed (in addition to yesterday's leftovers). He claims he doesn't need them, but I do know that he likes not to fuss with food in the evening. Reheating something in the microwave is about as simple as it gets.

We watch the next to last episodes of the least season of Loudermilk. That show has given us periods of loud laughter every evening!  In your everyday, if you can find just one wee source of merriment -- you are golden.

With chocolate. And love...