Busy Busy

We are in the middle of harvest, which means that Paul is gone many hours of the day, the boys work odd shifts sacking seed and cleaning at the warehouse, our schedules are so erratic that someone always shows up in the kitchen to eat their next meal right after I wipe the last countertop, and everything from boys to petunias to Pigga the cat seems to be constantly hungry and thirsty.

Not only that, but my sis Becky and her family are coming for 5 or 6 days at the end of this month. Now that is cause for celebration and I can't wait. However, I don't get a blessed thing done when she's here so I have to do everything up ahead that I possibly can.

And, not only that, but as soon as Becky's clan leaves, we begin our Big Adventure, the logistics of which IMHO make D-Day look like a run to the grocery store.

I have a new book coming out, Paul's nephew Byran is getting married, and Amy is moving to Abbeville, South Carolina to teach school there. So, the Lord willing, as people say before a big undertaking, Amy and Emily and I will set out at the end of July in Amy's car and drive across the country. First to the BMA (Biblical Mennonite Alliance) convention in Ohio, where Amy will look up Bible school friends while I have book signings in that area. (And Emily hopes to have someone cool to hang out with--see me for applications [girls only please])

From there we go to Pennsylvania to my sister's house. Then Paul, Matt, and Jenny fly in and we all go to Byran's wedding on Friday, August 10, which happens to be our 23rd anniversary.

(Meanwhile, Ben and Steven are staying in Oregon with friends/neighbors and looking after the dog and cat and petunias and such.)

Then we go to Lancaster for more book signings on Saturday and we also spend time with my niece Annette and her fine husband Jay.

After the weekend the others fly back home, and Amy and I drive to South Carolina, where I get a glimpse of her life for the next school year before flying home the next day.

Now I am by nature an in-the-moment/deal-with-whatever-crisis-is-in-front-of-me person, but I know that if I'm going to survive with a shred of sanity, I have to do lots of planning and preparation NOW. So before Becky gets here I'm trying to write my column for August, make food for Paul and the kids, make lists for Ben and Steven, arrange for places for them to stay, make a list of the clothes Jenny will need to pack, file my flight info where I won't forget it, make motel reservations, plan routes, and a hundred other things.

Paul's cousin Trish is a true Smucker who loves to plan. She is also going to the wedding, and she sits on the combine these days and happily plans and plans, even though she has probably 1/4 as much to prepare as I do. How I wish I could have her do all the planning for me.

I will post the locations and times for signings as soon as I get them, and I do hope to meet some of you wonderful people.

Quote of the Day:
"A little runt like you??!!"
--Paul's mom, to Amy, when she found out that Amy was going to teach high school students