Good-bye, Sarah

Well, it is shortly after 9:00 a.m., and the Daughter has left for Longview for the 5th Fall in a row. The last time. I have a feeling that from here on out, time will fly by, and before we know it, we will all be going through more & different transitions once again. Will she spend one more summer at home, working the native grasslands; cutting, raking & baling??! Will she find that perfect job, and will it be near or far away?? Will she meet & fall in love with the perfect man for her, or will God lead her in another direction altogether? Will she become a missionary in a foreign land, and maybe marry there? Will she live on a ranch and work cattle & train horses? Well, why not? It could happen! She will soon be at a crossroads--how exciting!! I'm reminded of a song by Don McLean that I used to like, called, "Crossroads". Of course, as a broody teenager, it had different meaning for me, but MAYBE it makes sense even today..."You know, I've heard about people like me, but I never made the connection; they've walked one road to set them free, then find they've gone the wrong direction. But there's no need in turning back, 'cause all roads lead to where I'm at; and I believe I'll walk them all, no matter what I may have planned." Changing the subject perhaps...I remember riding my bicycle out to the Red River, where my middle brother, Doug, lived in an old two-story house with some other guy friends. I sat in the back doorway, and gazed out at the Red River Valley, while listening to a vinyl LP of Don McLean, and I remember hearing that song ("Crossroads"). I could see the "Open Book" rock on the side of the hill in the distance. I also remember how very tired I was from my 10 + mile ride out there, and how I asked my bro to give me a ride back home (to the farm), and that he said NO! I was young and skinny back then, but my bike only had 3 speeds--Ha! Well, that's my post for today. As random, and jumbled up, as my mind is, over my Babys' leaving--once again. But, happy, too. Life is good, it really is. I'm excited for her; she has a bright future ahead of her! Good luck, Tank. I love you.

Happy Sunday

I just love Sundays, don't you? A day to start off by praising the Lord at Mass, gathering with family for brunch afterwards, and then doing absolutely nothing! Yesterday I finished reading a book that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to read a good non-fiction, life-affirming, Christ-centered story. It's called, "The God I Love", and it's a memoir written by Joni Eareckson Tada. Her name is pronounced, "Johnny", rather than "Joanie", because after her three older sisters were born, her parents resovled to try one final time for a boy, and that, "Whoever came out--and of whichever sex, boy or girl--would be named 'Johnny,' after my father", she wrote. And because she wanted her father to be proud of her, she decided to be as good a rider as any boy..."I would learn how to tighten my saddle girth, sling manure, lift hay bales, and spur a horse as well as my sisters. I would pretend-wrestle, hike, swim against the high waves at Rehoboth Beach, build campfires, sling an ax, do whatever it took to keep up. And I did. My rank, as we rode single file on the trail, was always immediately behind Daddy on Cherokee." But one day in July of 1967, Joni took a fateful dive off a raft anchored out off the shore of Maryland Beach, and became a quadriplegic. She was only 17, I believe. The book tells how she came to praise God for her injury, and how she used her handicap to minister to the world. It took me a long time to finish the book, because I just don't read much anymore. And as I was coming to the end of the book on Saturday, I came to the part where Joni's mother died, on August 21, 2001. And I asked Sarah, just to make sure, "What's the date today?" And she said, "August 21st". I got shivers! It was only 3 years ago to the day that her mother passed away. The telling of it made me cry, as I know what that feels like, having lost my own dear mother. Yet, her passing, as was my own mother's, was not only sad, but filled with joy, and hope. The messege of this book, is that "God is always faithful. Always faithful. He is the God worthy of your love". Happy Sunday!

High & Dry

It's been a weird week for me, but nothing worth blogging about. Today, however, we celebrated my dad's 77th birthday. Seventy-seven. That means he was 31 years old when I was born. I was the fifth-born of the family. It is an awesome responsibility to raise up 6 children--how'd they ever do it?! If there is one thing, and one thing only, that I know, that I really, REALLY KNOW about my parents, it's that they truly, truly loved each other. One thing that I REALLY KNOW about my mother, is that she truly, truly loved The Lord. I guess that's how they did it. My dad still prays for all us kids. Especially when we're traveling. He wants to know when we will be on the road, so he can pray for us till we come safely home. Come safely home. Something our Heavenly Father wants for us, too. Happy birthday daddy; I love you.

Our clothes dryer died today. As it is as old as Sarah (22), I decided to just buy a new one. I went to Home Depot in Gainesville, and they were having a parking lot sale, and there were 2 washers and 2 dryers. I bought the cheaper one of the 2 dryers, and saved about $45, since it was a bit dented up on the outside. It had no paperwork with it, and no manufacturer's guarantee...buying it was a leap of faith, but it felt RIGHT, ya know?

Sarah (on Apache) and Nancy (on Babe) and I (on Ranger) went riding this evening. We rode north along the road to Klement's, then west through the pasture, then through a gate into more Klement property, and continued west. Through some woods, across a creek, and around the perimeter of the big pasture. Then into Felderhoff's on the return trip. A fine ride.