Our world got a little bit scarier. This time, it’s not due to a virus or concern for a vaccine. Protests, violence, hatred, evil…nothing new to this world. It’s been around since the days of Adam and Eve. I don’t foresee it getting any better or any easier in the near future. If you believe what the Bible says, it won’t.
Everyone is drained from the craziness of this world. Everyone is mentally fatigued. Everyone just wants things to be “normal”. It sort of seems funny to think about the issues we were dealing with prior to March 12 and they all seem so much easier to bear. At the time, however, they did not.
We must persevere and continue to move forward – one baby step at a time.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5
As I mentioned in the last post, harvest stops for none of this craziness. We will continue to work towards the goal of getting our equipment to Kansas and set up camp by middle of next week. The first load is supposed to begin tomorrow (6/5).
Prior to right now, harvest has been something we talk about while our daily lives continue. Now, however, it’s about to get real.
Real, real.
I wish I could just take everyone with us again!
Jim’s dad served in the Pacific Theater (Philippines, New Guinea and the Occupation of Japan) during WWll. We have pictures and we have stories. But to have actually gotten him to talk about this time in his life…he was mostly mute. No fanfare or hoopla. That’s not the way he was. He did what he had to do because of his love for this country and his family. My favorite story is about him catching malaria while in the Philippines. He was so sick, the natives hauled him from the lines to wherever he could receive the care he needed. When the war ended, his rank was Army Tech Sergeant. We called him dad and grandpa. Today, Memorial Day, his great grandchildren went to say hello!Baby Wayne (aka Layne) is 6 months old! There’s a story behind this dress. It was purchased for my oldest niece, Jill. Jill is the daughter of Jim’s older sister, Maureen. Then, her sister, Holly, wore it when she was 6 months old. It was passed down to us and each of the girls wore it when they were 6 months old. The tradition continues with the next generation of girls. Both Nora and Layne have worn it. How fun is this? This is Taylor at 6 months. Do you see any similarities? Three generations of hands. Lots and lots of time spent at these iris gardens over the years! I was never lucky enough to have had a sister but found a friend who is the next best thing! Trish and I have A LOT of great memories together over the past 35 years!!I used to work with Trish in these iris gardens. We’d drag our kids along with us and they would just do whatever they could to get through the day. If you asked them now, they would tell you some of their favorite memories were created at those gardens! He was SO excited to share his four-leaf clover with me! First one ever found. The same view from a different standpoint. When I allow my brain to think way hard and deep, like it sometimes does, I think about all of life being like this. What we are used to viewing and observing takes on a whole different feel when it’s viewed from a different standpoint and a different perspective!The reason for the above pictures. I was on top of The Beast helping Jim replace that auger cover. There was a wear hole in it that had to be repaired. I’m sure glad there was no one around watching the two of us remove it and then put it back in place. 🙂The kids came over Tuesday afternoon. The summer heat has begun in Eastern Nebraska. We played and played in the pool, ate popsicles and did whatever we could to stay cool. We didn’t put the window air in because we will be leaving soon. Ben was a sticky, sticky mess but it didn’t matter when you could jump in the pool and it all disappeared!Roasted hotdogs and s’mores for supper! It was so sultry – the fire was just too hot. You can visibly see this on Nora’s face. Ben was holding down the picnic table while the others were cooking. Can’t you just hear the evening sounds and smell that wet, damp Eastern Nebraska air?I bought myself a new iphone 11 mostly for the updated camera. This is the moon, taken during the middle of the night outside the door of the tent. WOW! I can’t wait to take some evening harvest shots with this!After the other three left yesterday afternoon, Layne came over to play while her mama was taking senior pictures. She was so sweet and so good for me. This was also taken in the complete dark of our bedroom. The camera on this phone is AMAZING! What a sweet angel.
I’m certainly going to miss these days with the kids – all of them! The Cottage on Wheels is parked right outside my back door. The many trips back and forth are about to begin and I’m dreading it.
Our fourteen day quarantine is now going on 70+ days. Seventy some days ago, our lives changed. Although I don’t want to add the word “forever”, I’m afraid that’s what has happened.
I’m certain I’m not the only one who just gets ANGRY when you allow your brain to think about what we had and what we have to look forward to. I just don’t understand how we’ve allowed this virus to change every aspect of our lives. I just don’t.
Not much has changed in our world. We don’t spend much time in the city anyways – except church, groceries and other needed items. I’ve always been one to purchase enough groceries to get us through a week or two so I didn’t have to try to invent the wheel.
We, as a family, have been back and forth with the social distancing. When this “thing” was brand new, we attempted to keep our distance. And then we decided this was just stupid.
Here’s my thoughts as far as this “deadly” virus goes and how it pertains to me. I really don’t care if I get it or not. If I get it, I get it. If I get it and die…so be it. I’m going to die one day anyways. However, I don’t want to live my life in such a way that I seclude myself from my kids and grandkids. They wanted to “protect” us at the beginning and Jim and I put the kabosh on that! I cannot live my life to the fullest and be scared of dying. Period.
So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Fear. One of the enemy’s most popular weapons that he uses against us. Worry, anxiety, fear…can overwhelm us with a thick shadow of darkness, controlling our every move and decision.
I’m not going to let this virus change the way I live.
We’re currently getting ready to head south for the 2020 wheat harvest. Jim said his goal is to be ready to leave on June 1. However, I’ve been married to him long enough to know that when he sets a date, it will change (about four times). So, I’m going to guess we’ll be heading south with the final load about June 8th.
We have an opportunity to start a little farther south this year than we have in the past – thanks to some great harvest friends! If all goes as planned, our first job of the season will be around Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Funny…this is the same area my grandparents would have gone to so many years ago. It’ll be fun to be back in the same area which I would have been in the very first time I went on harvest in 1974.
I have a feeling things could look/be a whole lot more interesting on the road due to the guidelines set in place. I am so thankful I don’t have a crew of about 15 men to try to figure out how I’m going to feed when the stores have so many limitations in place. The job NEEDS to be done – harvest waits for no one.
While we’re still hanging out here at home, I’ll keep doing what life at home looks like. That would be hanging out with the kids and grandkids as much as I can. Watching my flowers grow. And sew.
Until next time…
Baby Wayne at 3 months (February)Four months old (March)Five months (April)April 5 – eating out takes on a whole new dynamic with Jimbo. Time for the quarantine haircuts!The kids came and spent the night with us. The next day was nearly hot but we had fun on a hike along the railroad tracks and climbing the “hills”. Eli wanted a mohawk for his birthday.While the weather was so great the first part of April, we decided to take the kids on a hike at the Platte River State Park. It was such a beautiful day to be out and about and letting the kids run!Happy 63rd birthday, Jim (aka Papa)!And the very next day, we celebrated Eli’s 7th birthday. He designed his own birthday shirt – and did a pretty darn good job at it!The afternoon was filled with a Zoom gathering with his classmates and then constant drive-by birthday wishes from friends. Nora said to me, “this is me”. I made this dress for Layne’s first Easter dress. Too bad we couldn’t celebrate the day.April 16One of the days Layne and Taylor came over to hang out with me.It happens. The fine line of playing and getting hurt was crossed. Ben hit his head on the frame of the couch and popped it open. A quick trip to the emergicare and some glue fixed him right up. And, it’s healed nicely!!Happy birthday, Jenna!! Later this day, we all gathered at Jamie’s house and surprised her with a birthday supper of pizza and gifts. It was the first time we were ALL together!Picture credit goes to Taylor (Taylor Josoff Photography)Callie and her roommates had their own college graduation ceremony in front of their house. May 8. We celebrated Callie’s college graduation with a quickly planned gathering in Mark and Candi’s shed. Watched the TV for Callie’s name and had a nice evening together. So proud of her!!! She worked so hard and did so well – 4.0 student. Sucks she couldn’t have enjoyed ending the past 4 years by walking across the stage and receiving her diploma. Happy College Graduation, Callie!Mother’s Day – from a distance.It was so good having them all around the table together – like old times. Happy Mother’s Day to me!!The day ended with supper at Imperial Palace – DINING IN!The colors of summer. Like this bow? Check out more of these at my “store” on Etsy. Maureen stopped by to dig up a few baby buckeye trees. She dug up the tree I have and brought it to me on Mother’s Day 1998. Now, she’s coming back to dig up babies to transplant in her new yard. The sunshine was so bright. While Taylor got her hair cut, Baby Wayne and I hung out in the van together. The rose-o-meter got a drastic cut back last fall. It may not have a single bloom on it this year. In the past, this had been the indicator of when we should be heading south. This would bloom just as we were usually pulling out of the driveway – back when the summer harvest used to be the same year after year. It hasn’t been that way for about the last 10 years. Helping Jim change out the concaves. My job was to run the winch while he manhandled the concaves in and out of the belly of the beast. Our “shed”. My traveling garden. The plants were given to me by the girls on Mother’s Day. Three generations of hands.
It was beautiful…sunny and 60 degrees. The wind was out of the northwest and a bit nippy but not so bad that we couldn’t just push our way through it.
It’s been ten days since I posted. The coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on anything that was normal prior to March 12. Prior to the first positive result in our area.
I believe we have all stepped away from the initial shock of what we couldn’t do and are beginning to settle into what we can. We can’t go to school, but we can have online classes. We can’t go to a restaurant and sit down, but we can order take out. We can’t go to a movie theater, but we can order movies via apps. We can’t attend any conferences or meetings in person (unless it’s less than 10 people) but we can have a meeting via Zoom. Changes…they’re all over the place and happening more and more every day.
