Next Wednesday (August 20th), John and I will move our fifth wheel to the Midland Fairgrounds for the 15th annual Midland Dulcimer Festival. It starts Thursday evening with a large potluck.

John and Margaret Loper are co-chairmen. I am in charge of the stage show, and run the copy and hospitality service, but for me, it’s not stressful. John has all of the work for this one. We’ll stay until Sunday, the 24th.

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When we’re home on Monday the 25th, I will need to do some laundry, unpack the trailer, and transfer some of my festival clothes to my suitcase because at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the 26th, I fly down to Florida to visit my mother.

I think I am as well-organized as I can be. I’ve gone as far as I can packing for my Florida trip, and I have a list of the stuff that I can’t pack until we get back from the festival.

I’ll fly back from Florida on Tuesday, September the 9th, in the evening. Hopefully John will be ready to take off again for our long drive back to the “sunshine state.” We’re planning to leave on the 11th.

I had thought I could get to the point where I’d leave my clothes down there and not bring stuff back and forth. I left a lot last time and I’d thought I would be traveling light this time, but I find that the stuff I really like, I want to have available no matter where I am. Clothes don’t stay in style all that long, and when I have something new and cute, I really can’t see leaving it behind.

I’d rather have a large wardrobe in Florida than in Michigan because we have more social engagements down there, but even when we’re home in Michigan, I find I need a decent wardrobe.

My plan was to buy two of my favorite items (one for Florida and one for Michigan), but I find even if I have two, I want to bring them both down there. So buying two of some items has actually increased the amount I bring. Oh, well…

I do vow that what I bring back when we head north next spring will be just a fraction of what I am taking down there.

Or maybe I can just look at it as “helping the economy.”