Bonfire

We prepared for the colder weather by trimming all the trees and burning the trimmings. That fire included cedar tree limbs that were green. I didn't think that would burn at all since it was freshly cut a few hours before, but it took off and created the highest flames I'd ever seen. We cut a few of the bigger branches into 2-ft. lengths for the inevitable bonfire we would have when our son came home from college.

A business acquaintance operates a packaging plant and has a huge amount of scrap wood that he discards every day. When I mentioned we were going to have a bonfire at our house, he offered the wood scraps from his business. All we had to do was show up with a pickup and trailer. It was unbelievable that so much would have been thrown away, and that was just a day's discard. We had a 20-ft. trailer not quite full, but not much more could fit on it.

When our son arrived, he and his friends had not one, but THREE bonfires the week of Thanksgiving. We were so happy to see him back home. Before Christmas, we need to see about stocking up on more firewood! (and hotdogs and marshmallows)

Empty Nest

There are some things that hit you hard that you think you're prepared for, and this is one of them. The empty nest is what most people refer to it as. This past week has been one of the most emotional times I can remember. When the oldest left for college, she was only an hour away, and sometimes not even that. When she graduated, she didn't come back home to live, she had her own apartment, and the whole "leaving the home" idea was a gradual one. When she said she was going to Brazil, we checked into cell phone coverage and internet services, and found we can communicate through Skype. Between email and chatting and voice messages through Skype, we stay in touch. The youngest, however, graduated high school and his college is 8 hours and 4 minutes away if you drive non-stop. We still haven't been able to attain the record that Mapquest set; our best being 9 and 1/2.

I don't know if more time after graduation would have prolonged the ache, or if it would have been any easier to let go. All I know is that I find myself crying randomly throughout the day, and even now as I write. I miss my kids.

Looking back, they were my main focus for the past 20 some years. They are grown and getting on with their lives, and it's my focus that needs to change. I email and chat and make calls on the cell phone, and I suppose it is the next best thing to being there, but it sure isn't the same.

What hit home was when I went up to the bedroom that he used to occupy, playing XBox or Playstation games with his friends, sending internet messages, or watching t.v......... and saw wall-to-wall carpet that had been vacuumed and an empty closet. Some people try to offer comfort reminding me that the empty bedroom is not a granite stone. Although truth is in those words, comfort is hard to find.

Today I will put on my happiest face I can muster. Tomorrow maybe I can take a few steps toward change.

Jane

There she is, Miss America. The baseball, apple pie, all-american muscle car that nobody else has: Jane. Now why that name? I dunno. Maybe it has something to do with Tarzan, or maybe nothing at all, just a name. Why is it that guys name their cars anyway?

Sittin' in the mornin' sun

Yesterday we gathered up lawn chairs and drove to Wymore to watch the Mud Drags. I've never been to an event like that, and it was amusing to be a spectator. We arrived on a farmer's land, parked in the grass, walked past some Johnny-on-the-spots and some tables with a canopy as the concession stand. The entry fee was $8 per person plus $5 if you brought a small cooler, $10 if you brought a large cooler. I didn't understand the charge for the coolers that could be easily concealed in a trunk, but it didn't apply to us, so I went on my way.

There was a large rut cut out of the land, large enough for a tractor to drive through, and appeared to be as long as a football field, goalpost to goalpost. I noticed an amubulance, and two vehicles equipped with water and pumps. There was a tractor with a plow attached to it at the far end. A wire was put up on either side of the rut, leaving enough room for a vehicle to drive beside the rut. Flags were tied to the wire to let people know the wire was there, and that spectators were not permitted beyond the wire.

A trailer with wood poles in its stake pockets and a tarp tied to the wood poles provided a make-shift canopy for the announcer. He would announce the type of race, the driver's name and where they hailed from, the type of vehicle they were driving, and if/when they finished, their time. Some did not make it to the end, thus had no time.

On either side of the announcer's trailer were tent-like canopies placed next to eachother. Lawn chairs and people were spread out down the lines. Across the way, there were pickup trucks with their tailgates down to provide seating, as well as canopies and blankets on the ground. There were people of all ages, mostly young adults with small children. Some even brought their little dogs tied on leashes. The announcer began by thanking the people that made the Mud Drags possible. Someone donated the use of their land for the event, a local company donated the use of the tractor, the fire department for the water, the provider of the timers, the canopies, the concession stand, the port-a-potties, the microphone and speakers, the girls recording the time and helping attach the tow rope to the trucks that need to be helped out of the mud.... and the individuals who donated their time and labor to make it happen.

There was a digital clock that recorded the driver's time. As the pickup crossed in front of a beam, it broke the connection and that started the timer, then, at the end of the rut, if it crossed in front of that beam, it would stop the timer. The first race was "stock," which is another way of saying "just the way the factory made it." Then, there was "modified" stock.

We watched as Fords, Chevys, GMCs, and Dodge pickups all tried to make the best time down the muddy rut. They would get two tries and take their best time. Some were in the 10 second range, others were 8 or 7-point something. One guy got in his little Ford Ranger (two wheel drive, to boot) and attempted the run. He got about 10 feet from the starting line and it sunk in the mud. He jumps out the driver's side window, still wearing his crash helmet, and runs down the rut until his body breaks the beam on the timer at 14 point something seconds.

During an intermission, a truck pulling a large container of water went down the edge of the rut and dumped the water. The tractor brought two loads of sloppy mud to the front of the rut where the Ford Ranger had sunk in. Apparently, the Ranger had left ruts of it's own when it was being pulled out by another pickup.

After the mud was watered down, the trucks went for a run. 5 seconds was broke, then 4 point something. This was pretty fast for the stock division. The pickups that had tall skinny tires fared better than the ones with big fat wide ones. The tractor went through it like it was a walk in the park.

Next up was the modified stock division, but that morning sun had taken it's toll on our skin. We decided to leave while the gettin' was good. By the time we got home, we realized that if we would've stayed much longer, our pasty-white skin would have been painfully burned. We both got sunburns, but it could have been worse.

All in all, it was a good day. I enjoyed watching the competition. The crowd each had their opinions about the different manufacturers of the pickups and some were proven wrong immediately after speaking. The stock division winner was a Dodge.

Brazil and Colorado

Lots in common with these two.... both love Jesus, both have the same day of birth, they like travelling, and they are both brilliant.

One has chosen to do mission work in Brazil. The other will attend college in Colorado, majoring in Jesus.

They have been my centers of attention, and remain in my prayers.

Punkin' writes us from Brazil. She amazes us with how she adapts to humble surroundings in the orphanage.

Bud will soon move to his new apartment we just secured. I'm interested to know if we've prepared him enough for the transition.