Blog

It is very important to wear the correct clothing. The other day we had a rainy outside auction. The temperature was 50 degrees and it rained most of the time. There were old cars, engines and miscellaneous scrap metal all over the farm. We slogged through ankle deep mud from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM. I was so glad that I had dressed in layers with a rain poncho and rubber boots. Others were not as prepared for this weather and setting. One man lost his dress shoe when it stuck in the mire. Another fell when trying to wade through a thick spot. Numerous others ruined good tennis shoes. I was also surprised that many had not worn any kind of rain gear and were trying to cut holes in black plastic garbage bags to put on and keep somewhat dry. Yes, it is very important to have the right kind of clothes.

I have always loved pizza. Often on a Sunday night after church Grandma and Grandpa would order a large pie from Vinny's pizzeria. There was nothing like dragging a hot slice onto your plate, folding it over, and letting the olive oil run down your chin as you took your first cheesy bite. Since moving to Cedarville, I regularly catch a whiff of the tantalizing aroma of fresh pizza coming from our hometown pizzeria. I was reminded tonight that here in Cedarville, not only do we have good pizza, but we have something even better.

I did it again! I got lost. I have never been good at directions and, much to my chagrin, get turned around every time I go somewhere out of the ordinary.  Even just the suggestion of driving to a new place by myself causes my nerves to tingle. For this reason I have been very grateful for the GPS app on my phone. I have come to rely on it heavily and use it even for places that I have been to before to assure myself that I will get there without getting on any unintended rabbit trails.

I sat curled up in my La-Z-Boy chair the other afternoon considering the ending of the classic book I had just finished - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Throughout the pages I had been held spellbound as Mrs Dean, the housekeeper, relayed the heartbreaking story of Heathcliff and the Earnshaw family. This love story was truly gut wrenching for more than one reason. The abandoned orphan, Heathcliff, was brought home to Wuthering Heights where he was met with much disdain. Eventually he and the young Catherine fell in love. It was the only real love he had ever known. My heart was torn when, in a twist of fate, Catherine rejected Heathcliff and married a rich neighbor, a man she didn't love. The rest of the sad story relates Heathcliff's undying, yet twisted, love as he seeks through devious ways to get revenge on Catherine and her heirs. This vengeful mindset carries him to the grave, dragging many ruined lives along with him.

The bright sun danced in my eyes as I zipped my jacket and headed out of the barn into the crisp morning air. I threaded my way through the crowds of Carhart-clad men and women who had gathered for the farm machinery auction. I followed the sound of the auctioneer's chant to the place where our clerking cart was located and exchanged places with the clerk on duty. Without speaking I immediately gave all my attention to what was happening before me. As the auctioneer called bids, my fingers flew over the computer keys recording the description, the price, and the bidder number for each item sold. Moving through the line of green and yellow riding mowers, I inched through the pressing crowd to keep the auctioneer and the items in view.

I stayed home from work the other day to enjoy a productive but relaxing time of housework and leisure.  Everything was peaceful until Emily came running downstairs panicked because she could not find the power cord to her computer. She was on her way out the door to study when she realized that it was missing. We began to comb the house for  this essential piece of hardware. Her computer was dead and she would not be able to study without it. After a frantic search she remembered that she had left it at a friend's house and, filled with relief, left to retrieve it and continue her studies.