Saturday, July 14, 2007

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

7 comments:

  1. Oh phooey! Once again you are relatively close to me and I am otherwise occupied :-(

    Rai

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting. We also recently moved to Abbeville where my husband will be teaching high school this fall. I wish you'd be having a book signing somewhere in this area, or maybe I'll be fortunate enough to meet you somewhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  3. At what school will she be teaching? We are only about two hours from Abbeville.....maybe we'll see her sometime!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awww! I wish she was coming to Sioux Lookout to teach! We need a teacher here too. Anyone out there know someone who would like to teach???? Preferably with ACE teaching experience? ~Edith

    ReplyDelete
  5. Doc, I think Amy will be at Shiloh. Gary Troyer is the pastor I believe, and Amy met him and Ruth at Bible school.
    Edith, if I find a teacher I'll refer him/her to you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ohhh Meridith - I wish i was single, i would come in a heartbeat. I have been so homesick for the north, but my husband would utterly freeze, and i have to many complications to coming - but i will pray you find a great teacher soon!
    sil geneva

    ReplyDelete
  7. Now I know where Matt gets his tendency to say whatever pops into his head: his grandma. :-)

    ReplyDelete