Closing Out Our Time in the Camper.....

How's this for a country pic?

Louis Dean is sporting his overalls with bare feet and his only accessories are a fly swatter ( a PATCHED one at that!) and a cup of coffee! It's bad that we have swatted so many flies over the last two years that we are now in the market for new ones!

We have loved out time here!

The mornings are special with coffee and reading out here on the west side of the camper in the shade. Most mornings there has been a bit of a breeze making it very pleasant indeed.

Most evenings, Grandson Robert has built us up a nice campfire,

We've used the ashes to roast our potatoes and buttered onions.

Last night we had pork chops (courtesy of Dean) all flavored and marinated and cooked on the grill.

We have gone on bike rides......

and breathed in the sweet country air.

We have gone exploring and simply enjoyed being here.

The critters have kept us entertained and I am amazed that so many different animals seem to get along together so well. This morning when I went down for my shower, I saw one of the horses over by the chicken coop and several of the hens were out there with him as if they were all passing the time of day with each other.

Dean gave Rufus a good bath....

And I watched the geese and the goats.

I love all the sounds of the country!

We have had such a good time.

This is the only place where I seem to relax completely.

I've worked on my book every single day and feel as though I am actually building something. 

Brick by brick. Story by story. Connecting all the dots of our childhood. 

The hardest part is over - that of simply getting deep INTO the book now.

But in a way, THIS is the hardest part and until I put in words the events of August 1957, I had not fully understood just exactly the extent it shaped our lives.

Right now it is at a sad point in time but I have to remind myself that humor and the sheer strength of the human spirit and the grace if God has allowed me to write and relive those times once again through my writing and yet realize that it is not as depressing to me as I had feared.

It's like that line of song in gospel music - I read the back of the Book and we WIN!

I am so proud of my siblings and all they have had to overcome. If my book does nothing more than to tell our story to our children and then for them to appreciate how far we have come from 1957 - it will be enough. I read chapter five to Louis Dean and he was so moved that I'm afraid it may be too emotional or sad. He says no. It is a story of survival and victory.

Once I have the Prologue edited and feel it's a done deal, I will share it here.

It's only 1,068 words and can be read in less than two minutes.

We have done everything we hoped to do this trip.

All four of my Santa paintings have been based in and will be ready for detail painting to begin next week. I am really cutting it close this year!

This afternoon, while I was busy writing, I heard hammering outside.

Louis Dean was out there hammering in all the nails in the deck that had popped up a bit.

I think it's time to go home and let him get back to his projects!

But for now - I have one last night and Robert has the campfire burning.

Dinner will be easy.

Pan fried ham and Ruth Ann's potato salad.

But first I need to stretch my feet out by the fire and sip my wine and thank God for all the blessings of this week and this life.