Of Mice and Men and Roadtrips

I really didn't get a lot out of Literature in high school.  We studied Edgar Allen Poe (dark and dreary, indeed) and some Shakespeare (I wouldn't appreciate him until years later), and we read Of Mice and Men.  Yuck.

But as much as I hated that depressing book, the origin of the title has stuck with me, and I think about it every time we plan a trip.  It comes from a poem called "To a Mouse", written by Robert Burns in 1786.  The original line, written in the old Scots/English language, goes, "the best laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley"  or, in modern English, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry".

Ain't that the truth?!  We've had trips interrupted by illness, by mechanical problems, by floods, by an emergency back home and, last year, by a hurricane.  Most of the time we simply decide on new destinations, make a new plan, and keep on going.  A few times we've limped home with a sick RV.  Once we rushed home to attend a funeral, once, a birth.

There have also been happy interruptions.  We decide we'd rather go to a place we just learned about instead of our original destination.  Surprises can be fun.

Anyway, I said all that just to say this.  I'm going to go ahead and post here our plans for this trip.  They are certainly not written in stone, and are subject to change at any time, but for anyone who cares, here they are.

Our first stop was at Texoma Lake, on the Oklahoma side.  You already know we went to Hugo while we were there.

We are now at Belle Starr Corps of Engineers Park on Lake Eufaula.  Tim is planning to play golf tomorrow and Thursday.  Wednesday we plan to go to Robbers' Cave State Park and see Belle Starr's cabin.  We will probably also look for her gravesite.  When we were little, my cousins and I played a lot Cowboys and Robbers.  The boys were the cowboys, and my cousin Linda and I were Belle Starr.  She was Belle, I was Starr.  I don't know why we both wanted to be Belle Starr, and not Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane.  I guess Belle Starr just sounded so glamorous.

When we leave here, we will go to Bartlesville and Pawhuska to see The Mercantile, Ree Drummond's store, bakery and deli.  Ree Drummond is also called "The Pioneer Woman."  She has a cooking show and writes a blog.  And now she's opened this place in an old building in Pawhuska that she and her family have renovated.  I've been wanting to go ever since it opened.

After that, it's on to Branson, Missouri.  Kansas City for our family reunion.  Amana, Iowa.  Madison, Wisconsin.  Perhaps Marinette, Wisconsin, or maybe some other place nearby.  Around the upper peninsula of Michigan to St. Ignace, Michigan and Mackinac Island.  Holland Michigan.

Then Elkhart, Indiana to see the RV History Museum.  Shipshewanna, Indiana.  New Paris, Ohio/Richmond, Indiana.  Williamstown, Kentucky to see the Ark Encounter.  Memphis, Tennessee.
Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Millwood Lake, Arkansas.  Then we will head home, with maybe one more stop.

So that's the plan.  For now.  If you have any suggestions about RV Parks, scenic drives, or places to see, let us know.

I hate to leave you without any pictures at all, so here's one that Tim took the other day.  Because he knows I love pictures of old barns.

Isn't it lovely?  When I was a kid, Daddy would often take us on drives through the country, going to visit our grandparents, or just riding around on an easy Sunday afternoon.  Sometimes we'd take a picnic lunch.  And every time Mama would see a rickety old house, she'd exclaim, "There it is...my dream house!"  And we would all laugh as if that was the first time we'd heard it.  It never got old.
It's funny, the things you remember isn't it?

Here's my final thought for tonight.  It's from Proverbs.  Chapter 16 Verse 9:

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Be sure to include the Lord in all of your plans!

Good night!