Tuesday, June 15, 2010

To Pack or Not to Pack

Maybe it is because of a negative memory trigger that I start to pack for vacations early. The first little upset I had as a young married lady was over a packing incident. We were going to my in-laws for a visit and when we arrived Fred opened the suitcase and said, “Where are my clothes”? It never occurred to me that I was supposed to pack HIS clothes. Trust me his father and brothers never let him forget the story.

Anyway, he has packed his side of the suitcase for almost 39 years now. I say I set the standard long ago. Fred is a procrastinator for everything, house projects, tests, paper work such as taxes, Christmas shopping and of course packing. So at present, his side of the suitcase sits empty and I have my lists ready and waiting. You know the kind with the little boxes next to the item waiting to check off done. I know it will all get done. Fred seems to love packing the car; it is like an Olympic challenge.

When we were a younger couple the challenge packing the car was always baby stuff, toys, crayons, books and most important the crib mattress for the kids to sleep on (before mandatory car seats, yes they survived) and suitcases etc. We were like the bumbling dozen clowns piling in a Volkswagen or phone booth except our car was a Rambler Pacer.

As the girls grew older we had to remember game-boards, curling irons, journals, cameras, electric rollers, hair dryers, tapes, tape players, magazines, musical instruments, suitcases into a beloved Chevy Astro Van. That van was perfect but for the fact it had no air in the back (a whole other blog)

We have an HHR now and the challenge is far worse. With mom we are no longer a two suitcase empty nest couple. We have mom’s suitcase, our suitcases, our dog’s collapsed cage, two beach chairs, pillows, blankets, sheets, towels, hibachi grill, computers, and the bag of beach toys for grandkids, dog toys, game-boards, I pods, I phones, battery chargers, cameras, Disney DVD’s, coolers, snacks, breathing machines, blood pressure machine, glucose test kit, mom’s box meds, Fred’s meds, my meds, medical records for all including the dog. Listing them all makes you want to break into a vacation version of “Twelve Days of Christmas” “and a bed for their little dog too.” It is exhausting to say the least. But the trials and struggles of packing remind me of the name of my blog. Love Endures All Things.

2 comments:

  1. Great Great Blog. One of my favorites!

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  2. Forget the beach toys. I have some. Invest in new chairs when you get there after 20 years . . . or rent them. I am bringing a cooler so check that one off. Just bring the people. They are the important part . . . oh and the dog . . .

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