Texas and Beyond!

Sep 14, 2016

Dear Family,

“If an ass goes travelling he will not come home a horse.”
—Thomas Fuller

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-- Texarkana, TX (Wright Patman Dam, Clear Spring Campground)

It's Not The Mosquitos, People!

Sep 06, 2016

This guest post by Lauren Ayers is an eloquent reminder of how important it is to demand science and investigation from those who create our news feeds.

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Almost every print article or electronic report about the increased rate of microencephaly could be titled, “Terrorist Zika Mosquitoes Invade the USA.”

However, there is plenty of evidence that some other factors play a role. So why do Americans hear only about a rare virus carried by mosquitoes?

East of Texas

Aug 30, 2016

Dear Family,

Fuck simplicity. Or more specifically, whatever it was I said a short time ago concerning how I thought getting rid of most of our stuff, selling our house, and moving into a camper was going to bring us closer to it.

I was obviously just trying to soothe my fears. Or Jeff's. Or I was in total denial.

But I'm guessing you probably already knew that: there is absolutely nothing simple about traveling with four children in a tent trailer and van with two fridges and a Special Diet and seven bicycles in tow. Nothing. At all. Simple.

The Traveling End of The Beginning

Aug 15, 2016

Dear Family,

Concerning Spanking - A Post Script

Aug 14, 2016

The day after I sent my last update, a friend wrote:

"I can't not respond to this. I grew up in this. I was this child. Complete with the hitting and the cult-like religious involvement. And yes, it is a cult. Report it. Next time, please report it. It damages. For life.

"Even if they ultimately get off because it's legal, there will be a CPS investigation in their file. Even if that means nothing, you have not stood by. We have to stop standing by.

Contemplating a Strike

Aug 11, 2016

A group of church families were camped nearby during the first week we were here. Lots of kids. Lots of rowdiness. A little girl just a year older than Eliza, who came over to play pretend games on the second afternoon.

That second night, I overheard a father and a crying child in their tent across the street: "I told you to put on your pull-up, and I told you AGAIN to put on your pull-up, and when I turned around, you were lying there with your legs out and you had NOT put on your pull-up. You have to learn to do as you're told!"

A Soliloquy of The Moment

Aug 07, 2016

After Jeff and I had been together for awhile, I pretty much told people that my favorite topic of conversation was sex. I was probably a bit, I regret only a little, insufferable about how fun my life had become. But you know how it is - when something takes up a lot of your brain space, it becomes your Primary Topic of Import.

In Which We Are Home Free!

Jul 30, 2016

Dear Family,

"The notion that we need the same type of economic system for all areas of life is ridiculous. For big things like cars, airplanes, computers, etc, capitalism is appropriate and works very well. For public services, education, utilities and (I believe) natural resources, a kind of socialism is the appropriate model. But for things like food, farming, clothing, low-tech manufacturing, etc, the best model is free enterprise (which is different from capitalism)."

--Sally Fallon Morell

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In Which We Get Rid of 95% of Our Possessions in 3 Weeks

May 30, 2016

Dear Family,

"Working as a mover makes you not be a hoarder. I see so much stuff every day, and I don't want any of it! All they are...are nice things."

--G. Owner of a local moving company

So yeah. It's pretty crazy to decide, after ten years of living in a place, to leave. It's even more crazy to decide to stop living in a house. Especially when you, despite some exceptions during camping trips, always HAVE lived in a house, and now suddenly you've decided to keep only those possessions that are absolutely necessary AND will fit into a van + pop-up camper.

In Which We Make It Through Another Winter, Get The Chickenpox, and Begin An Adventure

May 08, 2016

Dear Family,

"Why change the diet, many people ask; we are going to die anyway, so shouldn't we just enjoy what we eat? The problem...is that if we just eat anything that tempts us, and allow our families to do the same, we end up with a life in which little can be enjoyed.

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