We have always had a deal with our kids during their teen years. We won't sit up impatiently drumming our fingertips on the table waiting for them to get home at night as long as they wake us up when they do come in. Sometimes Alyssa forgets (she's the last one left at home), so I invariably wake with a start at a truly ungodly hour wondering if she's still out. Then I have to haul myself out of bed in the dark and walk into her room to see if there's a breathing lump under the red down comforter. (Their usually is.)
Last night she had been down the street at Kassie's, no doubt either watching movies or sitting around the bonfire, which seems to be the typical modus operandi for this crew of teenagers. She poked her head into our room at 2 a.m. to let us know she was safely home. Perfect timing. It meant I was then awake for the crash of thunder loud enough to wake the dead that rocked the house, followed by a deluge worthy of Noah's ark. Enough rain, already! Roads are closed due to flooding all over the state. Farmers have been kept out of their fields past the critical dates for planting, and fields that WERE planted have seedlings that will likely rot. Another tornado touched down south of Marshalltown destroying more homes. Turbulent weather abounds, compounding the heartache inaugurated during a few violent minutes on May 25th just twenty miles north of us in New Hartford, Parkersburg, Dunkerton, and Hazelton.
When I rolled down my driveway at 5:30 a.m. (it was still pretty dark, due to the brooding rain clouds), I saw glowing lights in the hosta border. Fireflies! My heart lifted at the cheery sight. Everyone was a little late to the Target Fit exercise class today. Sheila said she hadn't slept all night because she was afraid of the storm (a little post traumatic stress). Steve hadn't slept because he kept feeling like he had something to do, but he didn't since school let out for the summer yesterday (he's a junior high teacher). I hadn't slept because my five page "to do before we move" list kept scrolling through my mind as I listened to the rain lashing the window by my pillow. Everything looms much larger than life in the middle of the night when there's not a whole lot you can do about any of it anyway.
So, I went to work out, then went to coffee at the church, and now I am going to continue my assault on the basement. I tried to call and make an appointment to have the carpets cleaned, but there have been so many flooded basements this spring that they are booked up until July 11th! I guess I'll be renting a machine and working on it myself. One more thing to add to the list. But I keep reminding myself how blessed I am. I still have a carpet to clean. I still have stuff to sort. Now I better get to it!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
God in the Little Things
Yesterday was our customary "Panera Bread Lunch Day." The Kia needed an oil change, so we dropped it off at the car dealership and hitched a ride to Panera (since it was POURING rain). When we picked the car up after lunch we were told that we'd need a couple new tires soon (really? The car only has 20,000 miles on it, for heaven's sake!). Randy mentioned that he wanted to get a "real" tire for the spare to replace the "donut" variety that came with the car. Since Alyssa and I will be driving across the country at the end of June with two cats and a dog (prayers, please), he wants us to have a good spare in case we get stranded with a flat tire in the Rockies or the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Today I drove up to Kohl's in Cedar Falls, following my morning women's Bible study. Randy needed some towels for a special project he's doing for the church he will begin serving in California in exactly two weeks. I embraced the opportunity to dilly dally and try on some summer shirts and basically malinger (yes, this is basement-avoidance behavior). By the time I checked out it was past time for lunch, so I decided to stop at the Subway on University Avenue before getting on the highway and heading home. As I drove west on University, a bad sound started under the front of the car. I pulled into the Subway parking lot and confirmed that my right front tire was totally flat. This is the Subway RIGHT NEXT DOOR to Smitty's Tire and Appliance. Imagine that!
While I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Subway, a nice young man named Jacob, walked over to Subway with a portable pump with which he inflated my tire long enough to drive it next door to Smitty's. I continued to enjoy a relaxing lunch while they replaced the irreparable front tire and mounted a new tire on the spare wheel in the trunk.
It could not have been handier unless I had actually had the flat tire in the Smitty's parking lot! God's grace and timing amaze me sometimes.
Now, about that trip across the country. We have a Kia Spectra, a car on the smallish side with not much room in the back seat. We will have two medium-sized cat carriers housing two very unhappy cats, and a gimpy (not small) dog on the back seat. That should about consume all the available space. The vet said a couple times/day we should let the cats out to eat and drink and use a cat box. Picture this. Alyssa and I will take up the front two seats, the animals the entire back seat area. Somehow we are supposed to find room for a cat box and food and water bowls which the cats are supposed to take advantage of while we let them "roam" around the car. First of all, I'm pretty sure once they are freed from their cat carriers (in which they have ONLY ridden to the vet's office and back) it will be no small feat to get them back INTO them again. About the only floor space big enough for a cat box will be under Alyssa's feet in the front passenger's seat. So, here's how I picture the scene. I will turn around and get on my knees to liberate the cats from their carriers. Then Alyssa will put her feet in my lap, so the cats have room to do their business if they should so choose, while they are, more likely, frantically trying to make their escape or at least get far enough from me that I can't wrestle them back into their carriers. I should also mention that the dog HATES riding in the car and is so lame that it's nearly impossible to get her into the car since she can't hoist herself in and HATES to be picked up. Sounds like fun, don't you think? Any advice will be gratefully accepted.
Today I drove up to Kohl's in Cedar Falls, following my morning women's Bible study. Randy needed some towels for a special project he's doing for the church he will begin serving in California in exactly two weeks. I embraced the opportunity to dilly dally and try on some summer shirts and basically malinger (yes, this is basement-avoidance behavior). By the time I checked out it was past time for lunch, so I decided to stop at the Subway on University Avenue before getting on the highway and heading home. As I drove west on University, a bad sound started under the front of the car. I pulled into the Subway parking lot and confirmed that my right front tire was totally flat. This is the Subway RIGHT NEXT DOOR to Smitty's Tire and Appliance. Imagine that!
While I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Subway, a nice young man named Jacob, walked over to Subway with a portable pump with which he inflated my tire long enough to drive it next door to Smitty's. I continued to enjoy a relaxing lunch while they replaced the irreparable front tire and mounted a new tire on the spare wheel in the trunk.
It could not have been handier unless I had actually had the flat tire in the Smitty's parking lot! God's grace and timing amaze me sometimes.
Now, about that trip across the country. We have a Kia Spectra, a car on the smallish side with not much room in the back seat. We will have two medium-sized cat carriers housing two very unhappy cats, and a gimpy (not small) dog on the back seat. That should about consume all the available space. The vet said a couple times/day we should let the cats out to eat and drink and use a cat box. Picture this. Alyssa and I will take up the front two seats, the animals the entire back seat area. Somehow we are supposed to find room for a cat box and food and water bowls which the cats are supposed to take advantage of while we let them "roam" around the car. First of all, I'm pretty sure once they are freed from their cat carriers (in which they have ONLY ridden to the vet's office and back) it will be no small feat to get them back INTO them again. About the only floor space big enough for a cat box will be under Alyssa's feet in the front passenger's seat. So, here's how I picture the scene. I will turn around and get on my knees to liberate the cats from their carriers. Then Alyssa will put her feet in my lap, so the cats have room to do their business if they should so choose, while they are, more likely, frantically trying to make their escape or at least get far enough from me that I can't wrestle them back into their carriers. I should also mention that the dog HATES riding in the car and is so lame that it's nearly impossible to get her into the car since she can't hoist herself in and HATES to be picked up. Sounds like fun, don't you think? Any advice will be gratefully accepted.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Feeling Blessed
Wow, I am slow about getting these things posted. Life is rushing by too fast and I want to grab it by the coattails, dig in my heels and lean back to slow things down. Only two weeks until Randy rolls out of here in his little white pickup. I can't bear the thought. My heart is so full after this weekend.
Saturday a vanload of us drove up to Parkersburg to help with tornado cleanup. As we drove north on highway 14 the traffic slowed to a crawl as cars, vans, busses, trucks converged on Parkersburg from all directions filled with people ready to roll up their sleeves and work. The town is flattened (and I do mean flattened). If you want to see photos, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/generaldcmills/ParkersburgTornado/photo#s5204893272879008178. It staggers the mind and heart. As we stood on the foundation of the house we were working at, we could look out across town as far as we could see, and thousands of people were there sorting the debris into piles: wood, metal, debris, combustibles. Heavy machinery would then move in and haul away the piles little by little. Red cross vans drove around offering free tetanus shots, water, and work gloves. The Iowa Pork Producers fed people all afternoon at the Methodist Church, which has become the relief staging area. It helped put things into perspective for me. My basement may be full of things to sort after we had four inches of water, but we have stuff to sort. The place where we were working was reduced to splintered wreckage in which barely anything recognizable remains. We found one silver spoon, a small pile of recipes, a couple small pieces of china. That's it. The rest is just gone.
Then Saturday night I was sitting with my feet up recuperating from the day of bending and throwing mangled wreckage in the sun and the wind when we got an invite to join the Draffens for their backyard barbecue. We sat outside and talked until dark, then they lit the bonfire and we continued talking while the flames were reduced to glowing coals and the smoke kept the pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Sunday morning was Randy's last time to serve communion to our church family here in Reinbeck. He wanted it to be extra special, so he decided Alyssa and I should join him and we could serve communion to each person individually. Alyssa held the plate of bread. I held the plate of cups, and Randy used anointing oil to bless each person. I about came unglued as all these dear faces stood in front of me and I realized I can call every single person by name. What a treasure! How difficult to leave them all behind in a few short weeks. I can't even think about it or it undoes me.
That afternoon the church threw a great party for our family, to which they also invited the community. It was an Open House from 2-5 p.m. Sherrie filled the place with gorgeous flowers from her yard. Marlys baked the famous Orange Marmalade cake from the Mitford series of novels. Rachael took pictures (you can see some on her blog. She also framed a photo of our family at Randy's graduation with a large mat around it for everyone to sign their name on. Sara sustained me with hugs and her wonderful smile. Dan and Tom kept everyone's cups filled with punch and coffee, Jean, Sherri, Kathy, Carol and many other ladies from the church kept the dessert table filled with mouthwatering delicacies. We felt very loved as people stopped by to give us their best wishes and their hugs.
Today found us in the church kitchen again serving the meal after Alan Hinders' funeral. Those ladies run that small kitchen like a well-oiled machine. It's a sight to behold. This time I got to help! It's always a wonderful time of fellowship, making sandwiches, drying dishes, refilling trays, and chatting all the while. It always reminds me of holiday meals when I was growing up when all the women would end up in the kitchen. Now I know why they enjoyed it so much! It's a perfect picture of hearts and hands working in harmony.
Saturday a vanload of us drove up to Parkersburg to help with tornado cleanup. As we drove north on highway 14 the traffic slowed to a crawl as cars, vans, busses, trucks converged on Parkersburg from all directions filled with people ready to roll up their sleeves and work. The town is flattened (and I do mean flattened). If you want to see photos, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/generaldcmills/ParkersburgTornado/photo#s5204893272879008178. It staggers the mind and heart. As we stood on the foundation of the house we were working at, we could look out across town as far as we could see, and thousands of people were there sorting the debris into piles: wood, metal, debris, combustibles. Heavy machinery would then move in and haul away the piles little by little. Red cross vans drove around offering free tetanus shots, water, and work gloves. The Iowa Pork Producers fed people all afternoon at the Methodist Church, which has become the relief staging area. It helped put things into perspective for me. My basement may be full of things to sort after we had four inches of water, but we have stuff to sort. The place where we were working was reduced to splintered wreckage in which barely anything recognizable remains. We found one silver spoon, a small pile of recipes, a couple small pieces of china. That's it. The rest is just gone.
Then Saturday night I was sitting with my feet up recuperating from the day of bending and throwing mangled wreckage in the sun and the wind when we got an invite to join the Draffens for their backyard barbecue. We sat outside and talked until dark, then they lit the bonfire and we continued talking while the flames were reduced to glowing coals and the smoke kept the pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Sunday morning was Randy's last time to serve communion to our church family here in Reinbeck. He wanted it to be extra special, so he decided Alyssa and I should join him and we could serve communion to each person individually. Alyssa held the plate of bread. I held the plate of cups, and Randy used anointing oil to bless each person. I about came unglued as all these dear faces stood in front of me and I realized I can call every single person by name. What a treasure! How difficult to leave them all behind in a few short weeks. I can't even think about it or it undoes me.
That afternoon the church threw a great party for our family, to which they also invited the community. It was an Open House from 2-5 p.m. Sherrie filled the place with gorgeous flowers from her yard. Marlys baked the famous Orange Marmalade cake from the Mitford series of novels. Rachael took pictures (you can see some on her blog. She also framed a photo of our family at Randy's graduation with a large mat around it for everyone to sign their name on. Sara sustained me with hugs and her wonderful smile. Dan and Tom kept everyone's cups filled with punch and coffee, Jean, Sherri, Kathy, Carol and many other ladies from the church kept the dessert table filled with mouthwatering delicacies. We felt very loved as people stopped by to give us their best wishes and their hugs.
Today found us in the church kitchen again serving the meal after Alan Hinders' funeral. Those ladies run that small kitchen like a well-oiled machine. It's a sight to behold. This time I got to help! It's always a wonderful time of fellowship, making sandwiches, drying dishes, refilling trays, and chatting all the while. It always reminds me of holiday meals when I was growing up when all the women would end up in the kitchen. Now I know why they enjoyed it so much! It's a perfect picture of hearts and hands working in harmony.
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