Please Mr. Postman look and see if there's a letter for me

Living in a Tin Can - Pat G - When you become a full time RVer you have to get your mail delivered somewhere, somehow, someway. How will our bills every find us? Do I really care? probably not. Do I want to get my magazines and catalogs? you betcha.

OK the first thought was the kids can forward it how hard can that be. We will tell them where we land for a week,stuff the mail in a manila envelope and in two days it will be in our hands. Well, it sat at home,  the daughter said honest I will send it first thing tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. So now we knew we must have to find another way.

Next it was looking into a mail forwarding service.Mail forwarding services supply an address which usually consists of a box number, street address, city and a state where your mail is sent. The service will hold your mail until you request it to be sent. MFS is efficient and economical. Now when you decide to get your mail, it's just a phone call away.

 There are many business in that field and there are several RV clubs that also offer those services such as Family Motor Coach, Passport and Escapes, and Sams Club. They offer a variety of combinations on how to recieve your mail. The more details involved the more the service will cost. Postage is also added to the service. They can simply forward your mail or sort the junk mail and discard it, scan the letters and send them to your email. and shred the important items. Some MFS will even read your mail to you.

Ours is very basic. Mail is sent out according to the first letter of your last name. Ours is sent out on Fridays. In the 12 yrs we have had our mail forwarded only a few times has it been late.

Most campgrounds and RV resorts accept mail but if not we just have it sent to the nearby town General Delivery .

So all in all, yes, you can get mail just don't depend on the kids.

Out with the old and in with the minimalism

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Living in a Tin Can- Pat G  - When we decided to move into our RV full time something had to go or should I say, most things had to go. That lead me to ask, "What do I do with my stuff and I mean lots of stuff?"

What do we do with our 'treasures' like the thermometer collection, the victorian hats and purses the door knobs and even vintage urinals (please don't ask)? Should we try giving these to our children and be flabbergasted when they decline a menagerie of goods they inherited like it or not? Maybe we can get them to take them out of guilt? " It was your Great Grandmothers, yes, I know it's ugly, put it on your shelf anyway."

We had one friend who sold all their possesions on ebay but our way was through gargage sales. So the treasures went, our accumulated memories leaving in strangers arms hoping they are going to good homes.

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The thermometer collection that adorned the hallway, the door nobs used to hang towels on in the bathroom, the Victorian hats used for decoration at my crafting station, and even the vintage urinals found new homes where they would be appreciated. Today, after twelve years, unless I cross paths with one of my old knick knacks cousins at a yard sale or in a antique shop, I can't recall what graced my walls and shelves.

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So if you are thinking of going full time in a RV and need to downsize or just get rid of 'stuff' just remember it can be done. If you know, like we did, that selling these items was a needed step to go on to a new phase in our lives and embark on a new adventure, it can make it easier.

One of my daughters still remembers all of the things we sold in our garage sale and has become a packrat for anything we find still lingering in our storage unit. Whenever we do find something from our old life we know we can take it to her and she will appreciate even the ugly dishes, the Chaise lounge, the old tin recipe box, or the old pie safe.

Despite the amazing freedom we found from getting rid of  'stuff' it's hard not to start gathering again. Souvenir magnets, cups, sand in a bottle and the infamous seashell, driftwood and rock collecting are new temptations to remind us of our adventures.

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So now what do I do with these new items starting to collect in bins and cubbies in my motor home? I know, I will put them all in a box and send them to the grand children to share my adventures and the wonders of our travels and teach them of the beauty of what is around us. After all that's why there are Grandparents.

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