It’s pretty outside the car window

Movin’ right along. One day follows the next and each morning I wake up, a new adventure unfolds. Sometimes it’s as simple as a house cleaning expedition, to see if I can get all my hoped for chores done with cooperation and pleasant times with the boys. Some days days we leave the house at 10am, go to a friends house, the store, Grandma’s house and return in time to get ready for bed. Some days we are quiet. We pray, read, I assign school work, we drink our shakes, eat breakfast, Devyn and Matthew each enjoy 30 minutes of computer time(usually tending a pet or navigating around pbskids.com), play a while, we eat lunch, then off to the park. Growing up I really didn’t know life could have such a pleasant rhythm.
A week ago, we decided to buy a little simple camper to make traveling easier, cheaper and more relaxed. So for a few days we have been in search mode. First we drove out to a small town a bit south through pretty country on a mild sunny day. We thought that yes, we had found the one! Hardwood floors, 1,000lbs, clean, cute, amazingly bright and funny curtains :). But alas, there were mold stains on the mattress. Still, it seemed likely we’d be able to clean it up. But at the buyers check we found that the water leak was not a simple fix, and the storage space below the bed was ickier than first realized. Still, the drive was sweet.
A day or two later, we found another one to go look at. Since it was farther away, we asked Grandpa Bob to accompany us. Happily, he agreed! Right off I knew that no matter weather this was the one for us or not, I was delighted to be taking a ride with my dad. My childhood is filled with loving, joyful conversation while looking at the corn fields as we whiz by. I was right. We went in to Iriquois county, where my dad grew up. Back roads and little towns, bad directions, potato chips, chocolate and one child choosing to draw on his face rather than the paper and a lot of quiet miles visiting. Fortunately we got lost, which meant we crossed an old wooden bridge that went clank clunk as we crossed like a big snail. My dad said that this bridge made the whole trip worth it. Eventually we pulled in to a driveway that had a camper in it though the numbers weren’t visible…hoping. They knew the man selling a trailer, but he was on the other side of Milford?! Back over the rickety loved bridge, back to town, through town, right at the junk yard down a quiet road a ways, over a hill, around a curve, and there it was. The camper had a leak, was moldy too and a farm cat was a bit too friendly, but what a beautiful afternoon! The weather was perfect. Cool and sunny.
The search continued. One that seemed pretty good was sold before I could check it out. I just figured it wasn’t meant to be ours. Now I was beginning to get a tiny bit discouraged in the feeling part of me, the place where logic doesn’t always reach, where old stuff sits with the present and makes it look worse. I was tired too. David listened patiently while I got all the goop out of my thoughts. And we prayed for our family and for our business plans, because that’s what we do Thursday and Friday and we’d missed Thursday’s prayers. Sleep helped.
This morning I called about another little egg shell, old camper. Clean? Yes. Leaks? No. Etc. Ok, we’ll call after 1pm to see if the people coming at 12pm want it. If not, we’ll come out. Ok, thank you, bye. Farmers Market was kind as usual. Good bread, fresh berries, ugly tomatoes, Michael the one man band, seeing lots of friends and family, sun shine, watching the wood worker, watching dogs. At home after 1pm, found out that the other folks did like the camper and were driving away with it just then.
Back to craigslist one…more…time. Hmm, look at that. A pop up for $100. Looks to be in decent condition. A couple of emails and a calls later and the owner was delivering it to us since we probably didn’t have the right hook up for lights. It sits in our drive way now, set up. It is musty, but seems clean. I learned how to pop it up. I learned some of the “character” it has. We figure that for $100, as long as the bottom is solid, we can’t lose. And if it’s a total wash, well, it’s not a big loss. But I think it will be fine. Yes I’d like a brand new 13ft Scamp. Yes I’d like everything just right and so convenient. But…
2 road trips, time out with my dad, car conversations with the boys, beautiful scenery, never feeling rushed and enjoying the process, extra time with Grandma today as she waited to see if we were driving to Springfield, and a bedroom on wheels that may have potential…good, very good.