Little Things

One of the questions Cathy and Steve asked us during Sunday's long lunch was "What's a typical day like?" Of course, the answer depends on whether we're traveling, stopped for a quick visit, or parked in one spot for awhile.

Our days here in Kansas City have varied from busy family days to quiet time with not much to do. Of course, we've had more than enough of those days when our primary concern is keeping ourselves and our motorhome warm. We've noticed that our productivity level here tends to rise with the temperatures.

With today's high forecasted to be near a balmy 50 degrees, and absolutely nothing planned, we found ourselves getting busy on a bunch of little things that needed to be done around here. Paul silenced a squeaky fridge door, steadied our slightly wobbly dining table and reattached a piece of fallen molding. He's quite the handyman! With the inside work done, he took advantage of the rare nice day and washed the Jeep.

I topped off a handful of little tasks with one big little thing. For the first time on our fulltiming journey, I assembled my sewing tools and went to work on a quilt project. While the project itself is fairly small, my first sewing effort in our rolling home was a big deal. After all, we've been lugging this heavy sewing machine around since the beginning. It was about time I put it to use. Adapting my work that was once done in its own room with plenty of space took a bit of creative thinking. I transformed our kitchen counter into a cutting space, with a cutting mat, of course. Our light-filled dining table became the sewing surface. And, when it came time to press seams, my small ironing table turned the cutting space into a convenient ironing spot. The biggest adjustment, though, came when today's work was through.

Once upon a time, I'd simply close the door on my sewing center and leave it for the next wave of inspiration to strike. These days, if we want to cook or eat, I need to put it all away. With cooking and eating on tonight's agenda, I carefully packed everything up for another day. Once again our kitchen looks like our kitchen and our dining area is fit for dining. We're good to go.

All of these little things are important steps in feeling at home in our rolling home. When the handyman and the quilt lady get to do their thing around here, it might not be a typical day, but it sure is a good one.