Meandering Moments by Elsi

And here I am in Minnesota, having visited Plum Creek this afternoon! I saw the big rock where Mary and Laura played, and the spring where Laura got water. I saw the site of the dugout, far away and across the creek, because the path to the ruins of the dugout is up a steep hill. I saw a school such as Laura would have attended, and a tiny church with a pump organ (but too many keys didn’t work for me to play even the first line of “Holy, holy, holy”). I bought books, including all the Christmas stories from the Little House books—I’m definitely just an old child! Ain’t it fun?

I’m in Mitchell, South Dakota, this evening. I’ve collected more than 30 state license plates (and four provinces), and I’ve driven through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. I visit my friends here the next couple of days, then leave for Minnesota Wednesday morning. It’s Corn Palace week, so the main street is blocked off by amusement park-type rides and booths. The Palace is decorated with murals made of colored corn and grain—this year it’s places to see, so there’s the Grand Canyon, Crazy Horse Monument, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, St. Louis Arch, and so forth. Fascinating! And it continues to be cool and pleasant, which is such a blessing!

What’s my favorite part of a trip? Well, the answer is: yes.

I love everything about traveling except, perhaps, the unpacking at the end. I enjoy working down my list, stowing clothes and other essentials in baskets. I laugh as the dog watches me carrying baskets to the RV; she knows that means we’re going on a trip!

This morning I’m in use-it-and-pack-it mode: brush my teeth and put the brush and paste in the shower basket. Unplug the CPAP machine and set it ready to be taken out. Check the fridge … go through the list one more time to see what’s not crossed out … double-check crucial items: medication (me, dog, cat), insurance papers, cash, itinerary, … all right, Elsi, it’s all on the list!

Map? Check. Along-the-way journal? Yep. Leash … cat … okay, guys, let’s go!

I use email and Biblegateway.
I have a cell phone for 911 and AAA/GoodSam.
i have a wireless card so my laptop has internet access on the road.

BUT:
I use my phone to make phone calls.
When my phone rings, it rings.
I take pictures with my camera.
I carry photo albums so people can see what I’ve done.
I put milk on blackberries and blueberries.
Bluetooth is a dental feature of Bluebeard.
My eyesight is corrected by glasses.
Skipe is one of those mythical birds you send gullible people to find.
I listen to music on the radio or a CD (even, sometimes, a tape!).
Text is what I revise and edit before sending an article to an editor.
Google and app make me think of referring you to a speech therapist.

50% of the population of the United States is over 60.
;-D

I leave Saturday. Today is Monday. I’m beginning to get the I’m-not-going-to-be-ready feeling … which is a normal part of my preparing for a trip. At least the RV carpet and floor are clean …

The main focus is the 100th Anniversary Reunion at Camp Lake Hubert for Girls in Minnesota. But I’m doing all sorts of other fun things, including two sets of friends (South Dakota and St. Louis), five Laura Ingalls Wilder sites, the Caddie Woodlawn cabin, and the “Little Brown Church in the Vale.”

All in all, a pleasant trip, with casual driving hours and freedom to meander a bit. I wonder where the Lord will lead me …

Ah, it’s the little things that cause the trouble sometimes …!

The retreat went extremely well. Ted was sick and went home the middle of Saturday night, and it rained a bit on the hikers Saturday afternoon. Otherwise … the Lord blessed us!

Sunday we drove all the vehicles into the park and had a worship service at the amphitheater at Morraine Visitor Center. Wanqing brought the message, Chris led the music, and the Lord provided a perfect, inspirational setting.

Then some of the kids (and adults) went to a nearby field to play frisbee, and the rest gathered in the RV to play cards and chat. Suddenly a stream of clear water flowed from the bathroom toward the front of the RV. I realized we had overflowed the holding tanks—bleah! I turned off the water and soaked up the overflow with the sheets Vicki had used the night before. A kindly ranger at a nearby campground allowed me to dump my holding tank before we returned to Boulder.

Wednesday a delightful gentleman who does damage restoration spent several hours cleaning my floors and carpet. That’s when I learned the word anti-microbial, which describes the liquid he saturated everything with before using soap, etc.

My Meandering Moose now smells slightly of the cleaning solution and is apparently squeaky clean clear down into the subflooring! ;-D

I do love the smell of woodsmoke! While the youth were roasting marshmallows and teaching the new kids about s’mores, I sat happily inhaling the smoke, watching Joel and Chris play guitar, and absorbing the atmosphere in general. Happy teens talking and laughing, shrieks when sparks flew, plans for hiking in the national park tomorrow, prayers to the Creator of it all—what a great evening!

The youth group retreat starts tomorrow! I’ve spent much of today putting together the paperwork for it: who sleeps where, and rules, and making sure the kids who don’t speak English have a translator, and the devotional pages and songsheets and all.

Tomorrow morning I get the RV serviced, and in the afternoon we meet the kids at WalMart to shop. And then … Estes Park, here we come!

My friend Vicki Schneider and I were driving up the canyon to church this evening—that’s the Little Church in the Pines, in Salida, Colorado (west of Boulder). It’s a steep, twisting road with a multitude of blind corners. Suddenly, in front of us, was a black-and-white dog, maybe beagle-size, furry. I honked. It trotted up the road, not moving to the shoulder at all. I had traffic behind me and was afraid that, if I passed the dog, the car behind me wouldn’t see it and might hit it. The dog kept glancing over its shoulder, clearly saying, “Are you still there? Aren’t you tired yet?” It kept running. I kept following. At pull-outs, Vicki would hop out and call it, and I called from my window. Cars were passing me, and those drivers were calling, too. Another car stopped, and the driver had dog treats with her. She stopped; I stopped. We all got out. The dog stood, panting hard, watching. He would take a treat tossed to him, but was not willing to be caught. He ran up a driveway—but I’d followed him for a mile by then, and we were confident it wasn’t his home. Vicki and the woman went up the driveway. A biker stopped, and he and I were at the bottom. We were calling the dog, coaxing him, tossing treats to him. Finally the woman was able to get a hand on his collar. She read the address on his tag and took him home. The biker rode off. Vicki and I were late to church. Later the woman showed up at the church, calling in from the door that she had taken “Taz” home, that the people had just gotten him, that he’d “been skunked” (from the smell on her shirt).

And I kept thinking about Jesus’ parable in Luke 15, about the shepherd who had 100 sheep, but one wandered off. He searched until he found the lost one. Vicki and I, and the other two people, caught this lost “lamb.” I’m so glad!

I’m home. Absolutely exhausted, but home. I only made it to Cheyenne, WY, last night; I was falling asleep on the road (not good). Did the last two hours this morning, and made my 9:45 and Bible study at noon. But I’m a bit of a zombie. Finally decided it was easier to sleep in the RV tonight than to unpack, so that’s what we’re doing. Sallie’s discovered a whole new point of view on rabbits from the RV windows (sigh). Yawn … I’m going to bed … you have a good night, too!