And Their Off……………..

 We were up at 2:30 yesterday to get the girls off to the airport (Bethany, Emily & Stefani).Our Caravan left at 3:40 am.  Got them checked in and thru security ok.  Really helpful people working there. Then stood on the parking level 5 to watch as the plane pulled into the sky. I was doing pretty well.   We had good-by  hugs without tears.  Had watched them go. But as the plane whisked passed us pulling up the landing gear the words from a familiar cradle roll song  whispered echos of the past into my ears.  “ Missionary …. Missionary…. Go your way,  Missionary, missionary, go your way..... help the little children who are far away……… missionary go your way.”  Then the teas began to come. Haven’t I been preparing for this day with every task, with every educational endeavor. Knowing that  there is a needy world out there. People to reach.   I turned to see Michelle who was commenting on them leaving. Then she saw my moist eyes.  That did it. We were both smitten  I had started it. I asked her if she remembered when we used to put them into the little cradle roll boat and sing that song. There are so many firsts in parenting!  You’re never fully prepared for any of them………..   It’s always a road of new beginnings. …………  This was a first time flying since they were babies.  First time away for a significant amount of time. What an adventure.  I know  they had angels with them. Glad they negotiated ok in SEA* T*E ok, and were very glad to hear they arrived safely in Tx!! 

 We’ll I’m virtually alone in the house this morning. My exhausted hubby is finally sleeping after an extensive day with a 6 hr trip to the airport and a 12hr night shift, including a co*de strong –wow he  still knows how to give a headlock! Angels  protected him though, as the guy was drunk and swingin’ at the nurses and threatening. Finally another fellow showed up and a big doc, 6”+ 250+ so they got the guy tied down. Not exactly an easy night!   Heidi is also sleeping after her exhausting bout with a bad cough this last week, and the early outing yesterday. Coughing still so much in the night.  Graci slept in the house as the garage was still so warm, even with her shorter summer coat.  Glad to see her leg is continuing to improve. She did a nice twist on some loose rocks a few weeks ago.  Using turmeric for nerve inflammation and also M*S*M which seems to be really helping

The house was so hot after the electricity went off due to a thunder storm that moved through very slowly last night. I had just taken some extra fans to my in-laws as their air/conditioning was broken. But when I pulled up at home I discovered the electric was off when the garage door didn’t open. We slept very warm last nite.  Would have opened the west windows wider but it was threatening to rain, which it finally did now this morning. Wondered if we would have enough water, as the sprinklers had been on and the tank could be nearly empty.    Went to shower this morning but after getting wet discovered the hot water heater had tripped (again) and so will wait.  It’s been giving us trouble. Ron drained it but perhaps there’s  too much buildup over the thermostat or heating rod.  At least it works with prompting and patience, and fortunately I woke up early enough to discover  it in time so the girls could have hot showers before their long trip. We left @ 3:45 am.

We got to talk with them this morning. They sound happy in their new adventure.  They arrived at their location about 7:45 last evening, after being picked up they went to the other airport to pick up others.   At the dorm the girls played a get to know you game. Moved in and are rooming together with Stefani Johanna and Dakota.  Stef is sleeping in another room until her cough is better- no one else needs to get that, it’s a bugger.  Poor girl she had the same thing as Heidi. (They must have gotten too wet and cool from the hike in the rain after Heidi’s Baptism last Sabbath. Of course the river water was about 48’ though sunny till the storm hit.)  Felt sorry for her traveling yesterday.  She needed a day to just sleep!  At least she wasn’t running a fever last night.  Hope none of the others get it….  They  had pancakes this morning with raspberries and strawberries but said our berries taste better!  (Well Tri-stars aren’t very big, but they are sure flavorful!!  Which we’ll need  picked again today or tomorrow. ) Things are going well and of course we miss the them. But I’m not feeling sorry for myself with them gone.  We have wanted for them to have a “mission” adventure for a long time.  Also the training for door to door and evangelism  are excellent opportunities to aid them in realizing humanities’ great need  of Jesus.  So I’m thankful that they can go.  Thankful for all the bread sold and odd jobs they got which helped  towards their trip.  They will undoubtedly value it more for the  time and effort they put into getting there.

This past couple months has been very full.  Prep for their trip.  Beth’s Graduation.  Heidi’s Baptism.  Garden to plant.  Etc…etc. We have had lots of sewing, mending, shopping and planning….  They each sewed  three new skirts, but had to shop for tops and shoes. I can’t boast that I taught my daughters to sew at an early age, as they were learning a lot of construction skills with our transition at that time. But the time spent  in the open air was worth a healthy constitution.  Now they were ready to take hold and do much of it themselves.  Heidi did piles of ironing. Good Job girls! I had a lot of mending to do which had piled up for a while, is so nice to have so many misc things done.  Special  thanks  Barbara  for showing us the fast way to do zippers!   Stitch up the seam, lay the zipper face down, tape it in place. Stitch it in place.  It saved many frustrating hours.  Am using blue masking tape, need something a little more adhesive, but not to sticky. Scotch tape is harder to get off especially if you stitch through it. ….. I feel a bit like my huge marathon is over- at least the deadline. Until we pack for our trip to the Rockies- hopefully there will be something left of them.

For Sabbath I made a large batch of Millet Pudding. We had fresh Rainier cherries,- am getting more tomorrow! mangos, raspberries and strawberries on it.  Took it for our breakfast yesterday too.   Also made a potato vegetable bake and despite my efforts  to be careful the veggies got over soft.  So………. Am planning to add a cheese sauce, sort make like a potato cheese casserole out of it.  As there is plenty left for the three of us to eat!

A few hours later.......  

It’s going to warm up again this afternoon, and at least we have air conditioning with electricity today. We’ve been puttering around. Ron and Heidi woke up after noon and ate breakfast. Ron started some laundry and we’ve been straitening the house up. Still  have another load to run with the dishwasher before we’re caught up. 

Hopefully it will cool off this evening so we can pick some strawberries. In the next week or so we need to pick blueberries too. Still have some in the freezer but would like to can more sauce.  It’s such a staple on pancakes, waffles and millet pudding.  I took millet pudding to potluck with blueberry sauce….. That was the rave!  And I was out of creative potluck of ideas- or so I thought.

Since the girls don’t have computers there I think I’ll copy this off and mail it to them with Emily’s watch that she forgot at home.   Tomorrow there’s ortho for Heidi.  The fill in Dr. did something different with her rotated tooth. Put a sprig to increase the gap between two other teeth then put a bent heavy wire  with  twist in it to spin it around. Pretty interesting set up.  I think he came up with the plan on the spot. Emily remarked that she thought this generation has lost much- that is: how to solve it’s own problems. May see if one of the ladies there want’s strawberries again.  Some time we’ll do them for ourselves. But we just have so much jam in the freezer and a lot of sliced ones too.  Hopefully we will get enough raspberries. Something has nearly eradicated a whole row and the hardiest ones to boot!  Not sure what.  Half of the other row looks very good.  Will have to transplant again this fall.  Tons of blackberries coming on though, and katadah berries too.   This year we have artichokes !!! May have needed a little more water though.  We wintered them under heavy straw and then put chicken wire over and anchored it down to keep the straw in. Am wondering if we should put more in, in a better/permanent location. We had lots of kale and more coming. Several different stages too.   Even though it’s now July there are still a few things I’m planning to plant- hopefully!! Figured out this last year to seed the onions in the fall, let them winter over and they will do well in the spring.

It’s been so long since I’ve blogged anything and I’ve been so busy that I keep thinking of things to write about.  Have a greenhouse idea now that might work with our high winds, and be sturdy enough. But have to check out the particulars yet, and the costs.  Idea: Using hog panels ( heavy goat/stock fencing) to arch over.  Tee beam down the middle and plastic over the top.  Definitely  idea formation phase…………Do I really need another project? Or my husband…  Just seems that some things can’t go in early enough here due to the cold and a green house would be a good option.  Also would like to have more greens active through the winter too!! Haven’t  gotten a handle on how to do that effieicntly- that is REALLY do it.

Such a long post!  Oh well the girls will get it as a letter too, that just doubles the advantage of writing.