July 31, 2007

• …life is full of blessings…and challenges.

  Last week we enjoyed having our daughter, Sarah, and her little girls, 7-year-old Emma and almost-2-year-old Lucinda, visiting on the farm. Sarah has always loved to be busy and had several things she wanted to do while home. We went to the nearby creek nearly every afternoon after Lucy’s mid-day nap, so that the girls (and Mimi) could play in the water. Chip enjoyed going with us, as he is very much the water dog.

                                                     

  (Emma and Lucy in Bryant Creek)

  On Wednesday, Sam, our son-in-law, drove down to join us on a canoe trip (we call it a float trip). Our stream is crystal clear and cold and the surroundings are simply heavenly. Lucy stayed with our neighbor, but we decided that a seven-year-old in a life jacket was old enough to float, so Emma went along and enjoyed the whole day. We picnicked on the creekbank and stopped often to swim. Stan caught a few fish in the rapids, no keepers but nice little bass and perch. We had the creek to ourselves, with only herons and kingfishers and a multitude of other birds to keep us company, as well as the occasional deer. I wished, time and again, that I had gotten a waterproof disposable camera…but alas, I didn’t, so we don’t have pictures of the day…just good memories.

  Saturday was lake day. We went over to our little place on Bull Shoals and took out a pontoon. Susannah, Derek and Wyatt came, too, as did our niece and her new husband. And Sam’s sister, Buzz, also came down from Kansas City and was with us. I stayed with the little ones for their naps, so no one got cranky or too tired…but we all slept well that night. A whole day on the water makes you feel like your bed is floating…floating….rocking you to sleep.

                                             

  (Poppy and Emma on Tex)

  There was a birthday bash for great-grandma, with yummy steaks, fresh garden vegetables and homemade ice cream and birthday cake, and horseback rides and four-wheeler rides and bike rides and green-bean picking in the garden and a cookout in the barn with Sarah’s high school buddy and her three little girls….all in all, a busy but fun week.

                                              

   

  (Above, Lucy, Wyatt and Emma)

  All, that is, except for the call that came at 10:30 Thursday night, waking us just as we fell asleep. The message was grim: the big hay barn was on fire, fully engulfed! Nine hundred big round bales, representing two months of hard work, up in smoke in a matter of a few hours! Four rural fire departments responded, but there was nothing to be done except keep it from spreading. Hundreds of people stopped to offer to help and to watch as if in a trance….such a big fire! And it’s still smoldering today, but almost through. The state fire marshall came and determined there was no evidence of arson, so now we’re dealing with our insurance people. Thankfully, it was insured!

  And all, that is, except for the afternoon we spent in the emergency room with my mother-in-law. She has been having heart problems and was scheduled to receive a pacemaker tomorrow…but TODAY decided against it! I’m praying she has made the right decision, and I’m praying she’ll be better now…maybe it was mostly anxiety from the adjustment to widowhood and the aloneness that she hates. I’m praying she’ll come to terms with that and be able to find contentment and peace.

  And all, that is, except for the phone call from a dear friend whose son was nearly killed in a boating accident on Sunday. This young man had a very close call and is in ICU on a respirator, with an injured lung and shoulder. If the boat had hit his head, he wouldn’t be here now. God just wasn’t through with Trey, yet….his mama told me that, and it must be true. One of his companions had fire-fighting training and knew CPR….pulled him from the bottom of the murky river where he was taking in water and sinking and did mouth-to-mouth and saved his life. I’m praying he’ll be okay and will not take his young life for granted, ever again, after this harrowing experience.

  Life is just like last week. It’s full of good and bad things, rejoicing and grieving, full of laughter and tears, heartache and happiness, helplessness and hope. And at the end of it, I’m so thankful for all of it….that the lost hay was “just hay,” that my mother-in-law is feeling a tiny bit better, that our young friend’s prognosis looks better each day….and that we have precious little ones in our midst who keep us laughing and having fun!

                                                       

  (My mom, Sarah, me, Stan, his mom, Susannah and Wyatt, with Emma and Lucy in front….the sons-in-law didn’t get in this shot)

  Now can I take a nap????

  • 11:17 pm
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