Maria has expanded our planned two-day Spring run to the ocean for four days, either in New Hampshire or Maine. So we spent another couple of hours cleaning out our big, heavy, and stuffed piggy bank last night.

The piggy bank seemed to be watching closely.

The first night netted more than $400; last night, we counted $129 before tiring and going to sleep. We estimate the final tally will be somewhere between $600 and $700.

That should pay for at least two or three nights at a motel. That will help.

As an obsessive-compulsive creative, Maria loves tasks like this; they focus and relax her. I do find something is comforting about counting coins.

We have fun talking and counting. I’m learning that when you love somebody, almost everything you do with them is fun, even counting pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters out of a giant piggy bank.

We think May might be a good time.