Tis’ the season folks!
The Christmas season came later this year. It seems to have burst upon us like a light switch flipping on the lights. Out here in Terre Haute, its arrival is accompanied by cold weather and a sprinkle of snow.
Teens people, we’re in the teens at night!
An RV in the cold presents new challenges and a bit of a learning curve.
Propane is our bestie, can’t keep enough of it around. Several mornings have found Bruce outside switching around tanks as they’ve drained themselves before breakfast. And guess what?
I don’t leave the covers till we’re up and running again.
We planned for this when we made the decision to stay till April. The campground sells refills at a reasonable price so we are able to keep the supply rolling. A couple of the longer term residents have rented larger tanks that stand outside their RV’s. We considered doing the same, but since our stay is over in April, we felt it wasn’t warranted.
The next hiccup was water.
The campground requires us to use a heated hose (didn’t know they made those things didya?) All the spigots that connect hoses to RV’s are wrapped in thermal wrap so that the water doesn’t freeze in the pipes. However,
It takes two, 50ft hoses for us to reach our spigot and only one is heated. So guess who woke up to a frozen hose one morning?
We have a hose outlet on the side of the RV that can be used for washing stuff so Bruce connected it, and used the hot water to thaw the hose.
Voila’, back in business.
We’ve ordered a skirt that wraps around the bottom of the RV to keep the cold from underneath, or at least mitigate some of it. After researching various ways of doing this, the skirt system won. Ideally, there are inflatables that you can use that work better, but the cost is 3x’s as much.
Unfortunately, the skirt is on back order…
Staying warm in bed at night became an issue. In Chicago we always used down comforters during the cold months and loved them. I debated buying one last year when we spent Nov/Dec in North Carolina, but opted for a wool blanket instead. It worked beautifully. However, it was no match for the nightly teens we’re currently living in.
Down comforter here we come!
It made all the difference in the world. We’re toasty all night, no matter the temp in the RV. And while it’s a bit cumbersome to manage in our tight space, it’s well worth the effort.
There was a bit of shoe/boot shopping last month, and digging through storage for coats and hats. Bruce is living in his fleece shirts. I’ve had to wear layered clothes in my sewing room, it’s pretty chilly in there. And our electric fireplace runs 24/7.
Milo is in heaven.
When we purchased our RV, we made sure it would be secure during winter months. We really never planned to be anywhere this cold while living in it, now we’re very glad we checked that box! And while RV’s are not necessarily long term housing, they can offer a safe, warm, and convenient kind of life temporarily.
Defining temporarily is the key!
We were able to spend Thanksgiving with my cousin at her daughter’s home about an hour away. Lovely, fun, feasty time. I love having dinner with people who love good food. And I’m not sure how it could get much better than raising your own turkey and smoking it on the deck! Definitely not a crowd who bans butter, white flour, sugar and dairy, (thank you Jesus)…
Don’t look for resemblances, there are none. No matter how often I try to explain our connection, she refuses to limit us to a ‘cousin by marriage’ definition, (though that is really what we are). I spent a good deal of time with her during our teen years. Sleepovers, church, prayer meetings at our house and eventually we attended the same high school. She assures me that I orchestrated her relationship with her future husband, and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding.
Landing an hour from her is a, happy coincidence. It wasn’t planned or anticipated, but it’s turned into a very sweet thing. She lived in the Chicago area part time while her husband worked for United Airlines, and we’d see each other every couple of years. I met her daughter/son in law, and 7 of her 8 grandkids, who are all 13 and over. Fun group, lots of laughter and good vibes. And we got to watch the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears! (loyalties have already shifted)
Awesome!!
November also saw us celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary with an overnight to Carmel IN. Shopping, (those warm boots), dinner in a tony Italian restaurant and a king size hotel bed for the win.
This morning we woke to an electrical outage. That’s a new one. Bruce and the camp manager are tracking down the source. It seems it was cold enough last night to flip breakers at specific campsites. We know it will get resolved. And there is no guarantee that living in a traditional house would be without its own problems either.
We roll with the issues…
I’m looking forward to Christmas. Our daughter and son-in-law will be with us. They’ve been here a few times already. Last weekend it was for her to see “Wicked” with me. Unfortunately it also included a stint in the Emergency room, after a fall down our short stairway. 11 X-rays later they ruled out any breaks, and sent her home with some meds to help with pain. She’s back to work today in all her colorful glory.
And we’re also planning to visit our church in Detroit again, the weekend of the 15th when the children’s choir is singing. Maybe even an overnight at the French Lick Hotel in French Lick IN. We hear they do amazing things with Christmas lights.
That’s the latest from our corner of the world. We pray your holiday season is jolly, bright and full of the warmth that the season brings.
God bless,
Bruce and Cinda
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