north texas, may 2015 - awesome & incomprehensible strength
5.2015
working traffic, cowboy-style, in austin, texas
3.24.2015
a bungalow, and its history, saved!
1.15.2014
Several years ago when we moved to this area, we would almost daily drive by a sweet, little, white bungalow way out in the country on our side of town. We have only now lived in this area for about 7 years, but, my, how the area has grown in those 7+ years! One day, way back when, I decided to do a little research on the house's history. I discovered that it was owned by some Pflugerville city founders, the Bohl's family, and that the Mr. Bohls who lived there now was the grandson of the man who built the house back in 1910. This made the house about 100 years old! She looked beautiful. A little more research led me to the county tax assessor's website where I discovered the house itself sat on 6 acres - a homestead proper, with a hand-dug freshwater well, a couple of small, simple, white-painted barns, a couple of other smaller outbuildings, a garden area and yard - and the surrounding land was part of a huge family farm. Digging a little more in local papers and books at the local library, I found that the Bohls grew cotton, corn, wheat and other crops on the land surrounding the house and had been doing so since long before my own parents and grandparents had been born. The Bohls family, along with another Boles family, of a different spelling, are both part of the history and fabric of Pflugerville, Texas. The Bohls were early German immigrants who settled in the area and set up farming, growing and changing over the decades along with Pflugerville.
The name Bohls was already familiar to me. A couple of miles down the road there was another historic Bohls home. This other one graced the prairie landscape now as a local Heritage Museum, marking the importance of the area's early settler families, the Bohls, the Boles and others, and the trials and triumphs of their lives. This particular home is a Victorian-style farmhouse, with all the beautiful grace a Victorian offers. The Prairie family and I had visited the site several times since moving to the area. On site near the Victorian house, there is a large round gazebo. Prairie Husband and I love to visit it and remember the gazebo in another German immigrant history park, in another town, where he asked me to marry him and be his one and only until death do we part.
About a year or so after I became enamored with the Bohls' bungalow, and we just could not stand it any longer, Prairie Husband and I decided to knock on the door, introduce ourselves, meet the owners and see if he or she would be willing to share a little about the home's history with us. I knew from my initial research on this particular house and others like it, she was most likely a catalog home -- most likely from Sears and Roebuck. As *luck* would have it, a few days later, we happened to find Mr. Bohl's driving down the driveway. Prairie Husband pulled in along side him, and we talked. In short order we learned that he was a widower of some 20 years, he had been born in the area in 1920 (he was 90 years old now) and had lived in the house and farmed the land that had been his grandparents' homestead for his entire life. His grandfather had indeed ordered the home from the Sears and Roebuck catalog and had it shipped piece by piece, in boxes and cartons, via the railroad, sometime in late 1909 or early 1910. His father had then helped his grandfather build the home with their own hands. They assembled all the parts and painted the walls inside and out. Much of the original furniture had also come from the same catalog, and amazingly, was still inside the home in its "place". Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bohls had married and he and his family had lived in the house at 2411 FM 685 one generation after the other, ever since. Mr. Bohls talked about the home as one would fondly mention an old friend or love. I can only imagine the memories she held for him of times gone by, loves come and gone, and family members long grown up and passed on. Here we were talking to him about the house 100 years after she was first built and she looked as good as ever! Eventually, I did get around to asking him if he'd ever consider selling her to someone who would love her as much as he did? With a tear in his eye, he replied that he just might because his own family had moved on and was no longer interested in the old place. :-( Hearing those words broke my heart almost as much as saying it broke his, I suspect. After a few more minutes and stories traded, we left him our names and contact information, just in case... We had to dream it, right? As we drove away, I remember thinking that this house was extra special with his story, his family history in the area and his gentleness when talking about her. This house HAD to be saved when he was gone.
Years have passed since that day in 2010. I drove by her at least weekly -- always watching, guarding, savoring, longing and knowing that times were changing and progress was progressing. As it happened, development took off in the area when a new toll road opened behind the house. I began to worry more for her safety. Then I worried some more. I worried a LOT. I talked about worrying about it a LOT. Prairie Husband gave me funny looks because I talked about it so much. The Prairie Kids rolled their eyes at my obsession. Still I worried.
Kennith Henry James Bohls passed away on Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 92 years of age. What a life he must have lived! What things he must have seen and experienced in his near-century of life! I didn't know him personally. I only talked to him that one time, but I felt a real and sad loss at his passing. I always feel that same loss when a wise, beautiful, tender, yet tough pioneer crosses over to the other side. Their stories are forever silent with their passing; only the LORD knows of their fortitude and their bravery at that point, and that is a deep loss for every one of us. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=160243394
And I worried about his house more now, even though it seemed to be well-taken-care-of, even with him gone. In fact, one day as we drove by I noticed she was getting a new roof and a paint job! There were men trimming trees and the shrubs out front were being tidied up a bit, too. Could she be getting a new family? Could she be getting ready to become a business -- getting a new lease on life?? Was she being spruced up to go on the market for sale!? Terror struck me!! Then a few weeks later I learned that a summer water park developer had bought some acreage in the immediate area. I was mortified! I tried in vain to get more information but had no luck until a few days later when I saw construction trailers moved in to the yard next to Mr. Bohls' home. I cried. I literally cried. Like a baby. I announced aloud to my Prairie Kids that afternoon that if anyone thought they were going to tear down that house, like they had done so many others in the area, they were going to have a fight on their hands from ME! Again, my kids rolled their eyes. I think they secretly were afraid of how serious I might be.
I fretted. I cried. I lamented about it off and on and went out of my way to drive by every chance I got. Amazingly the workers and the machinery never touched the house. Construction went on all around it, trees were ripped up, fences torn down, electrical poles moved, driveways and roads roughed in, but the house sat there silent and untouched. Sad and lonely. I told Prairie Husband I was going to be devastated if I drove by one day and it was gone, rubble, a trash heap. He would probably need to call 911 for me. And possibly for the workers who were brave enough to lay a finger on it! With a sigh and a heavy, heavy heart, I then told him I gave up. I told him GOD knew how much I loved the house and its story, but I just could NOT drive by it anymore. And I didn't. I even made myself forget all about it.
But GOD is GOOD! HE IS SO GOOD!
So, tonight, with a smile, and a knowing look in his eye, Prairie Husband told me that the house was GONE! He just casually mentioned how he had been shocked to all-of-a-sudden see her up on a TRUCK two days ago, but then he forgot all about it, AND about telling me. Then again tonight, he had almost forgotten to tell me that she was GONE!!!
GONE!!?? GONE WHERE???? Was she moved someplace to be forgotten and left to rot and fall apart!? Perish the thought! If that was the case, I HAD to save her; I had to have her!! Was she moved to a new location because she was getting a new, happy family to renew her life? Where could she be??? I think I was logged onto my computer searching before Prairie Husband's words had even left the air.
It took exactly four minutes, before I FOUND HER!!! Just today she had been MOVED down the road to join her glorious Victorian cousin at the Heritage Park where she will be fixed up for everyone to grow to love as much as Mr. Bohls loved her! (and me!) HALLELUJAH!!
Again, GOD IS SO GOOD, even in little things! Thank you, sweet ABBA!!!
The name Bohls was already familiar to me. A couple of miles down the road there was another historic Bohls home. This other one graced the prairie landscape now as a local Heritage Museum, marking the importance of the area's early settler families, the Bohls, the Boles and others, and the trials and triumphs of their lives. This particular home is a Victorian-style farmhouse, with all the beautiful grace a Victorian offers. The Prairie family and I had visited the site several times since moving to the area. On site near the Victorian house, there is a large round gazebo. Prairie Husband and I love to visit it and remember the gazebo in another German immigrant history park, in another town, where he asked me to marry him and be his one and only until death do we part.
About a year or so after I became enamored with the Bohls' bungalow, and we just could not stand it any longer, Prairie Husband and I decided to knock on the door, introduce ourselves, meet the owners and see if he or she would be willing to share a little about the home's history with us. I knew from my initial research on this particular house and others like it, she was most likely a catalog home -- most likely from Sears and Roebuck. As *luck* would have it, a few days later, we happened to find Mr. Bohl's driving down the driveway. Prairie Husband pulled in along side him, and we talked. In short order we learned that he was a widower of some 20 years, he had been born in the area in 1920 (he was 90 years old now) and had lived in the house and farmed the land that had been his grandparents' homestead for his entire life. His grandfather had indeed ordered the home from the Sears and Roebuck catalog and had it shipped piece by piece, in boxes and cartons, via the railroad, sometime in late 1909 or early 1910. His father had then helped his grandfather build the home with their own hands. They assembled all the parts and painted the walls inside and out. Much of the original furniture had also come from the same catalog, and amazingly, was still inside the home in its "place". Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bohls had married and he and his family had lived in the house at 2411 FM 685 one generation after the other, ever since. Mr. Bohls talked about the home as one would fondly mention an old friend or love. I can only imagine the memories she held for him of times gone by, loves come and gone, and family members long grown up and passed on. Here we were talking to him about the house 100 years after she was first built and she looked as good as ever! Eventually, I did get around to asking him if he'd ever consider selling her to someone who would love her as much as he did? With a tear in his eye, he replied that he just might because his own family had moved on and was no longer interested in the old place. :-( Hearing those words broke my heart almost as much as saying it broke his, I suspect. After a few more minutes and stories traded, we left him our names and contact information, just in case... We had to dream it, right? As we drove away, I remember thinking that this house was extra special with his story, his family history in the area and his gentleness when talking about her. This house HAD to be saved when he was gone.
Years have passed since that day in 2010. I drove by her at least weekly -- always watching, guarding, savoring, longing and knowing that times were changing and progress was progressing. As it happened, development took off in the area when a new toll road opened behind the house. I began to worry more for her safety. Then I worried some more. I worried a LOT. I talked about worrying about it a LOT. Prairie Husband gave me funny looks because I talked about it so much. The Prairie Kids rolled their eyes at my obsession. Still I worried.
Kennith Henry James Bohls passed away on Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 92 years of age. What a life he must have lived! What things he must have seen and experienced in his near-century of life! I didn't know him personally. I only talked to him that one time, but I felt a real and sad loss at his passing. I always feel that same loss when a wise, beautiful, tender, yet tough pioneer crosses over to the other side. Their stories are forever silent with their passing; only the LORD knows of their fortitude and their bravery at that point, and that is a deep loss for every one of us. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=160243394
And I worried about his house more now, even though it seemed to be well-taken-care-of, even with him gone. In fact, one day as we drove by I noticed she was getting a new roof and a paint job! There were men trimming trees and the shrubs out front were being tidied up a bit, too. Could she be getting a new family? Could she be getting ready to become a business -- getting a new lease on life?? Was she being spruced up to go on the market for sale!? Terror struck me!! Then a few weeks later I learned that a summer water park developer had bought some acreage in the immediate area. I was mortified! I tried in vain to get more information but had no luck until a few days later when I saw construction trailers moved in to the yard next to Mr. Bohls' home. I cried. I literally cried. Like a baby. I announced aloud to my Prairie Kids that afternoon that if anyone thought they were going to tear down that house, like they had done so many others in the area, they were going to have a fight on their hands from ME! Again, my kids rolled their eyes. I think they secretly were afraid of how serious I might be.
I fretted. I cried. I lamented about it off and on and went out of my way to drive by every chance I got. Amazingly the workers and the machinery never touched the house. Construction went on all around it, trees were ripped up, fences torn down, electrical poles moved, driveways and roads roughed in, but the house sat there silent and untouched. Sad and lonely. I told Prairie Husband I was going to be devastated if I drove by one day and it was gone, rubble, a trash heap. He would probably need to call 911 for me. And possibly for the workers who were brave enough to lay a finger on it! With a sigh and a heavy, heavy heart, I then told him I gave up. I told him GOD knew how much I loved the house and its story, but I just could NOT drive by it anymore. And I didn't. I even made myself forget all about it.
But GOD is GOOD! HE IS SO GOOD!
So, tonight, with a smile, and a knowing look in his eye, Prairie Husband told me that the house was GONE! He just casually mentioned how he had been shocked to all-of-a-sudden see her up on a TRUCK two days ago, but then he forgot all about it, AND about telling me. Then again tonight, he had almost forgotten to tell me that she was GONE!!!
GONE!!?? GONE WHERE???? Was she moved someplace to be forgotten and left to rot and fall apart!? Perish the thought! If that was the case, I HAD to save her; I had to have her!! Was she moved to a new location because she was getting a new, happy family to renew her life? Where could she be??? I think I was logged onto my computer searching before Prairie Husband's words had even left the air.
It took exactly four minutes, before I FOUND HER!!! Just today she had been MOVED down the road to join her glorious Victorian cousin at the Heritage Park where she will be fixed up for everyone to grow to love as much as Mr. Bohls loved her! (and me!) HALLELUJAH!!
Again, GOD IS SO GOOD, even in little things! Thank you, sweet ABBA!!!
(Left) Heritage House Museum, a Texas Historic Landmark, is the former home of early Pflugerville settlers G.W. and Bertha Bohls and was built in 1913. The Heritage House Partners is a nonprofit established to promote and preserve the history of Pflugerville... (Right) Kennith Henry James Bohls house, formerly located at 2411 FM 685, as it is being moved to the Heritage House Museum property to be placed next to the 1913 Victorian Bohls house..
There is no reason for me to think that Mr. Bohls wasn't the one who set this all up before his death. Maybe he even had it set up long before Prairie Husband and I came along to talk to him that afternoon in 2010. Maybe not. Perhaps we got him to thinking more about the importance of his beautiful home. I will never know, but either way, it makes me smile wondering. I am as pleased as punch about it all. I will patronize the water park that is building on his land and I will tell everyone who works there how very happy I am that they did their part to save a little part of local
history and timeless beauty that only comes from One.
We have seen many historical, important, beautiful, worthy, personal and well-loved homes torn down in the name of progress and materialism -- all to make way for raking in more of the 'almighty buck' as cities and towns in rural America have grown. All of this leaves me even more grateful to GOD for small things that the preservation of this house and home stand for -- beauty, grace, love, family, loyalty, dreams, heritage, a strong work ethic and indomitable character. We -- all of us -- were created in GOD's IMAGE and part of the blessing of that is we were given the ability, foresight, intelligence and talent to create things as He does... bungalows are but a tiny reminder of the immeasurable blessings of our Father.
Thank you, Abba!
Here is a link to all of the pictures of the house being moved from 2411 FM 685 to it's new location at 901 Old Austin Hutto Rd, Pflugerville, Tx.
http://tx-pflugerville3.civicplus.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1482
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofpflugerville/sets/72157639810049914/
history and timeless beauty that only comes from One.
We have seen many historical, important, beautiful, worthy, personal and well-loved homes torn down in the name of progress and materialism -- all to make way for raking in more of the 'almighty buck' as cities and towns in rural America have grown. All of this leaves me even more grateful to GOD for small things that the preservation of this house and home stand for -- beauty, grace, love, family, loyalty, dreams, heritage, a strong work ethic and indomitable character. We -- all of us -- were created in GOD's IMAGE and part of the blessing of that is we were given the ability, foresight, intelligence and talent to create things as He does... bungalows are but a tiny reminder of the immeasurable blessings of our Father.
Thank you, Abba!
Here is a link to all of the pictures of the house being moved from 2411 FM 685 to it's new location at 901 Old Austin Hutto Rd, Pflugerville, Tx.
http://tx-pflugerville3.civicplus.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1482
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofpflugerville/sets/72157639810049914/
time for a new beginning...
11.1.2013
I have written, or rather, "journaled", for about 6 years, but for my own sake and enjoyment. Some of it, I was smart enough to save on my computer. Other posts were just put on the web willy-nilly. Writing has always been a great way to get my thoughts and prayers out of my head and into "real" places where I can work through them fully. (Strangely, I am a paper and pencil kind of gal; virtual lists and ebooks just never seem to work for me). Over the summer I took a break from it all. It was a busy and difficult time for my family and for me personally. I attempted to write now and then, but didn't manage to get anything from my head-heart to the page. Oh, but did I miss it!
Recently I got some bloggie invites from a couple of sweet friends and felt the call to get back to my own writing. Boy, was I in for a surprise! With my mind fumbling over all that I could finally say, I began to sign in. Something was wrong. My site did not come up. Neither my email address nor my sign-in was recognized. Uh-oh. Trying not to panic, I tried several more times. And several more passwords. After some tense minutes, a little more than worried, I contacted support. I was hoping and praying it wasn't a big deal. Boy, was I in for another surprise! Techie Guy worked hard. He pulled out all the stops. He was a man on a mission. He then said, "Sorry, Prairie. It's gone."
"WHAT?! GONE?! Really? Five plus years of lessons learned, precious pictures posted, growing children, garden harvests journaled, faith lessons shared, difficult times plowed through, and events celebrated -- ALL GONE?" I half-thought he was kidding. He wasn't.
Techie Guy assured me that he was sorry and, as per protocol, they had sent at least 3 emails my way before it was given the heave-ho. I never got one email from them. I was upset. I was sad. I was angry. Honestly, I went back to visit sad several times. Then I had to finally accept it. What could I do about it now? But why!? Why did this happen? No, it's not earth shattering loss by any means, but still a valid question. I firmly believe there is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason and our Creator knows and is in control of every single event and happening.
So, I asked Him. The LORD is always faithful and always knows what is best, even when I don't or can't understand. Thank the Lord for sweet, answered prayers! I could almost hear Him when He answered. He was saying that it was time for a new beginning. Feeling a momentary panic, I began to ask Him, "Another new beginning, GOD?" You see, in the last few years the LORD has faithfully led our family through many *new beginnings*. For instance, in the last twelve months we have walked down some pretty incredible new paths with the LORD. We've been learning new things about Him through His Word, things we were never taught in church our entire lives, and as a result we joined a new church, my husband has taken a new job, our family joined a new homeschool co-op, I have found and relished new free time I just didn't have for the last 6 years, we have made a whole new set of friends with our church and co-op changes, we've gotten new neighbors, rejoiced with our sweet, former neighbors as they began their new relationships with the LORD, we had to buy a new (used) car, we learned some difficult and yet wonderful lessons with the circumstances we went through this summer and now, I've stared a new blog. :-) Some *news* are bigger news than others, I know. I will be the first to admit, there have been times it has been downright scary, unbelievably painful or fabulously peaceful. And guess what? The LORD has never let us down; He has never left us hanging; and He has taught each of us amazing, deep, life-rocking lessons along the way. I would not change that for anything.
So, here I am, starting again, again. :-) And still, my prayer is the same: YHWH grow me, grow my family, grow us! - each of us in my family, in our trust and dependence on you. Grow us in our obedience to you and our desire to please you with our words, thoughts, and deeds -- with our whole beings. Draw us to you, through your Spirit and give each of us a burning desire to know you more, to see your face, like Moses desired. Through my study, reflections, prayers and life lived in you and worked out in writing on these pages, teach me, show me and lead me in Your will and direction in every day life. Grow each of us tall and strong, like the mighty terebinth trees in Mamre and the giant oak of Abram in Hebron, and the strong cedars of Lebanon, LORD. Abba, open my eyes and my family members' eyes to your Truth and love. Give us your eyes to see the people around us as you see them and the strength to show them your love as you direct us. Help us to stand firm in the face of persecution and trials, knowing full well, vividly and consciously, that our Messiah has already overcome this world. It is in Messiah Yeshua's precious name I pray this. Amen.
Recently I got some bloggie invites from a couple of sweet friends and felt the call to get back to my own writing. Boy, was I in for a surprise! With my mind fumbling over all that I could finally say, I began to sign in. Something was wrong. My site did not come up. Neither my email address nor my sign-in was recognized. Uh-oh. Trying not to panic, I tried several more times. And several more passwords. After some tense minutes, a little more than worried, I contacted support. I was hoping and praying it wasn't a big deal. Boy, was I in for another surprise! Techie Guy worked hard. He pulled out all the stops. He was a man on a mission. He then said, "Sorry, Prairie. It's gone."
"WHAT?! GONE?! Really? Five plus years of lessons learned, precious pictures posted, growing children, garden harvests journaled, faith lessons shared, difficult times plowed through, and events celebrated -- ALL GONE?" I half-thought he was kidding. He wasn't.
Techie Guy assured me that he was sorry and, as per protocol, they had sent at least 3 emails my way before it was given the heave-ho. I never got one email from them. I was upset. I was sad. I was angry. Honestly, I went back to visit sad several times. Then I had to finally accept it. What could I do about it now? But why!? Why did this happen? No, it's not earth shattering loss by any means, but still a valid question. I firmly believe there is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason and our Creator knows and is in control of every single event and happening.
So, I asked Him. The LORD is always faithful and always knows what is best, even when I don't or can't understand. Thank the Lord for sweet, answered prayers! I could almost hear Him when He answered. He was saying that it was time for a new beginning. Feeling a momentary panic, I began to ask Him, "Another new beginning, GOD?" You see, in the last few years the LORD has faithfully led our family through many *new beginnings*. For instance, in the last twelve months we have walked down some pretty incredible new paths with the LORD. We've been learning new things about Him through His Word, things we were never taught in church our entire lives, and as a result we joined a new church, my husband has taken a new job, our family joined a new homeschool co-op, I have found and relished new free time I just didn't have for the last 6 years, we have made a whole new set of friends with our church and co-op changes, we've gotten new neighbors, rejoiced with our sweet, former neighbors as they began their new relationships with the LORD, we had to buy a new (used) car, we learned some difficult and yet wonderful lessons with the circumstances we went through this summer and now, I've stared a new blog. :-) Some *news* are bigger news than others, I know. I will be the first to admit, there have been times it has been downright scary, unbelievably painful or fabulously peaceful. And guess what? The LORD has never let us down; He has never left us hanging; and He has taught each of us amazing, deep, life-rocking lessons along the way. I would not change that for anything.
So, here I am, starting again, again. :-) And still, my prayer is the same: YHWH grow me, grow my family, grow us! - each of us in my family, in our trust and dependence on you. Grow us in our obedience to you and our desire to please you with our words, thoughts, and deeds -- with our whole beings. Draw us to you, through your Spirit and give each of us a burning desire to know you more, to see your face, like Moses desired. Through my study, reflections, prayers and life lived in you and worked out in writing on these pages, teach me, show me and lead me in Your will and direction in every day life. Grow each of us tall and strong, like the mighty terebinth trees in Mamre and the giant oak of Abram in Hebron, and the strong cedars of Lebanon, LORD. Abba, open my eyes and my family members' eyes to your Truth and love. Give us your eyes to see the people around us as you see them and the strength to show them your love as you direct us. Help us to stand firm in the face of persecution and trials, knowing full well, vividly and consciously, that our Messiah has already overcome this world. It is in Messiah Yeshua's precious name I pray this. Amen.
moore, oklahoma tornado - may 20, 2013
5.30.2013
Almost two weeks after the devastating EF5 tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, our family traveled to Kansas to meet relatives. 23 people lost their lives that terrifying day, including seven children and a handful of teachers in one elementary school - Plaza Towers Elementary. We knew it had been on the ground for 39 minutes and that it's path was 17 miles long and 1.3 miles WIDE. We knew that we would certainly see some of the damage and devastation because we knew the tornado had crossed Interstate 35, on which we would be driving. however, none of us, had any idea it would be this bad, this close to the highway, this wide spread, this heart-breaking, this easy to follow the path, this shocking. Nothing can prepare anyone for seeing this! Nothing! Oh! how my heart aches and breaks for the people who have been forever affected by this 39 minute time slot of terror!! The utter and total destruction was just as bad, if not more horrific than, the photos I've seen of the aftermath of World War II or wars in various European countries. I will never be able to forget those images even if I wanted to. The resilient, brave, and heroic people in Oklahoma need us to remember them, to pray for them and to help them in whatever way we can.
After a quick, but shocking, drive around Moore, we had to continue on to Kansas and drop off the Prairie Children with family. On the way home, Prairie Husband and I got off the highway and tried to take it all in. I had a hard time getting out my camera and capturing it all. I was sorry I only had my iPhone -- the documentation certainly deserves much more than a camera phone can offer. We drove around for several hours. It was all we could soak in; we were pushing ourselves into numbness. Personally, I went from speechlessness, to tears, to terror and back to tears, over and over again. Prairie Husband was very quiet except to point out things such as what used to be a house or car or the incredible debris on a fence line. We saw many things that you always hear about - paper driven through telephone poles, buildings shredded into 1/4" bits and pieces, etc. The oddest things though were homes that were practically untouched compared to the total devastation and disintegration on either side of them, or places where concrete slabs were completely scrubbed off the face of the earth. A particularly crazy sight was yards and yards and yard of heavy steel siding - about 12' X 8' when installed -- wrapped perfectly and tightly around telephone wires like yarn. It almost looked like art - but it wasn't! It was most likely someone's livelihood or barn!
There really are no words to describe the feelings of horror and incredulity as we drove into neighborhood after neighborhood, down street after street and saw what had become of the lives of the precious people who used to live in those homes and work or play or worship in those buildings. Strangely though, we actually saw very few people. I kept asking Prairie Husband how anyone could so easily stay in the area, pick up, start over, and move on, especially if they lost a family member, a child? It struck my hard how many of these people try to do it on their own, without help, without a job now, and more amazingly, without GOD? The feelings of overwhelming hopelessness sure has to overtake some of them. I read a headline the day before we were there about the cost of tornado shelters in that area; a typical house shelter runs about $2600-$3500 and yet about 83% of homeowners don't have a shelter. Astounding. Why?
Two weeks later we went back up through Moore and Oklahoma City to pick up the Prairie Kids. Everything looked the same until we got to the hospital. It had been torn down, as well as the post office, right along the Interstate 35. Other buildings were gone, too, that were in these pictures (slideshow below). The bulldozers were hard at work scraping and the back hoes and other equipment were working overtime to pick up and remove all of the debris - the pieces of homes, the little bits of peoples' lives... All of the wrecked cars that had been staged in front of the movie theater were also gone. Where did they take all of the trash? Where did they ever find a place large enough to hold it all at once? Did they burn it all or bury it? Did other counties or states accepts some of it? How can you possibly clean this up? If I could have, I would have had Prairie Husband drop me off and I would have stayed until it was all cleaned up, all fixed, all rebuilt. How do you even decide where to begin??
Father, YHWH, please comfort these mommas and daddies, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters in this hour of urgent and shocking need. Help them as they work to put their lives and their neighbors' lives back together. Father give them strength and comfort that only come from You. Most importantly, YHWH, use this calamity to draw each heart to You and to show them Your overwhelming love and care for them. Amen.
After a quick, but shocking, drive around Moore, we had to continue on to Kansas and drop off the Prairie Children with family. On the way home, Prairie Husband and I got off the highway and tried to take it all in. I had a hard time getting out my camera and capturing it all. I was sorry I only had my iPhone -- the documentation certainly deserves much more than a camera phone can offer. We drove around for several hours. It was all we could soak in; we were pushing ourselves into numbness. Personally, I went from speechlessness, to tears, to terror and back to tears, over and over again. Prairie Husband was very quiet except to point out things such as what used to be a house or car or the incredible debris on a fence line. We saw many things that you always hear about - paper driven through telephone poles, buildings shredded into 1/4" bits and pieces, etc. The oddest things though were homes that were practically untouched compared to the total devastation and disintegration on either side of them, or places where concrete slabs were completely scrubbed off the face of the earth. A particularly crazy sight was yards and yards and yard of heavy steel siding - about 12' X 8' when installed -- wrapped perfectly and tightly around telephone wires like yarn. It almost looked like art - but it wasn't! It was most likely someone's livelihood or barn!
There really are no words to describe the feelings of horror and incredulity as we drove into neighborhood after neighborhood, down street after street and saw what had become of the lives of the precious people who used to live in those homes and work or play or worship in those buildings. Strangely though, we actually saw very few people. I kept asking Prairie Husband how anyone could so easily stay in the area, pick up, start over, and move on, especially if they lost a family member, a child? It struck my hard how many of these people try to do it on their own, without help, without a job now, and more amazingly, without GOD? The feelings of overwhelming hopelessness sure has to overtake some of them. I read a headline the day before we were there about the cost of tornado shelters in that area; a typical house shelter runs about $2600-$3500 and yet about 83% of homeowners don't have a shelter. Astounding. Why?
Two weeks later we went back up through Moore and Oklahoma City to pick up the Prairie Kids. Everything looked the same until we got to the hospital. It had been torn down, as well as the post office, right along the Interstate 35. Other buildings were gone, too, that were in these pictures (slideshow below). The bulldozers were hard at work scraping and the back hoes and other equipment were working overtime to pick up and remove all of the debris - the pieces of homes, the little bits of peoples' lives... All of the wrecked cars that had been staged in front of the movie theater were also gone. Where did they take all of the trash? Where did they ever find a place large enough to hold it all at once? Did they burn it all or bury it? Did other counties or states accepts some of it? How can you possibly clean this up? If I could have, I would have had Prairie Husband drop me off and I would have stayed until it was all cleaned up, all fixed, all rebuilt. How do you even decide where to begin??
Father, YHWH, please comfort these mommas and daddies, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters in this hour of urgent and shocking need. Help them as they work to put their lives and their neighbors' lives back together. Father give them strength and comfort that only come from You. Most importantly, YHWH, use this calamity to draw each heart to You and to show them Your overwhelming love and care for them. Amen.
moore, oklahoma EF5 tornado damage photos - slideshow
may 20, 2013
a new place to relax...
2.3.2013
I am oh-so-grateful for a husband that can do ANYthing! I mean A. N. Y. THING!!! And he does these anythings with a smile, not a grimace! With superb craftsmanship and to last a lifetime! The latest example: take a look at our new yummy, cottagey, beautiful window seat. Thank you, Sweet Prairie Husband!! <<kiss, kiss!!>>
Update March 2: cushions (Prairie Husband found them on clearance - outdoor fabric and all!!!) and pillows installed on the last photo! Yay! I guess someday I will get around to actually painting it... but you can't tell it isn't painted until you really look.
Update March 2: cushions (Prairie Husband found them on clearance - outdoor fabric and all!!!) and pillows installed on the last photo! Yay! I guess someday I will get around to actually painting it... but you can't tell it isn't painted until you really look.
restoring a 1973 argosy (airstream) camper
12.23.2011
http://www.vintageairstream.com/ArchivesArgosy/73Argosy24/index.html
The photos in the link above are NOT photos of our camper, but after an exhaustive online search for anything that looks even remotely like the one we have, I finally got this link from a friend. Yes, we now own a 1973 Argosy (Airstream) camper, fully decked out to the gills in 1970s regalia..... but not for long. YAY!!
Yes, our couch cushions used to look like the ones in the photos linked above... with those funky 1970s zig-zag yellow covers. USED TO...... being the key. We inherited the camper from Prairie Husband's father. Prairie Poppy loved to camp so a few years ago he went out and bought himself a 1973 Argosy camper (made by Airstream). It had a few rough spots, but he did some of the absolutely necessary work himself. As much as he loved camping, though, he could not find anyone who would join him for a trip. The camper sat. It sat, and sat, and sat. Then, it sat with a lovely blue tarp over it because it began to leak. When Prairie Poppy passed away last March, Prairie Husband's mother did not want the camper. ;-( She never liked camping. At. All. So, Prairie Husband decided it would be a good thing to honor his daddy by restoring his beloved camper. And, our family LOVES camping. We all agreed, brought her home and began working. And working. And cleaning. And cleaning.
Let's see --- so far we have washed it 6 times, in and out, and it's still a bit grimy. We've completely cleaned the interior, inside cabinets, all the walls and in every nook and cranny. Then Prairie Husband began heavy work on the bathroom, replacing the toilet and the floor under it due to age and dry rot. He worked in the shower and the cabinets, and those are sparkling and in tip-top shape now, too.
Then he took a deep, long look at the air conditioner so that his prairie wife will go camping with him. It works like a champ, which is why it is almost my favorite part of the camper. hee hee
Here on the blackland prairie we've been in a drought for over a year, so although we suspected the thing leaked someplace, we had not seen one indication of where. We moved on to refinishing the table at the dinette. The laminate on it was falling off, bubbling, etc. Prairie Husband decided to try his hand at lamination and it looks great now. It wasn't too hard to do, soooooooo.... Prairie Husband got one of those wild looks in his eye and then bit off a little more work and decided to redo all the counter tops. Those were taken out, too. Ugh! Then we discovered that the refrigerator wasn't working so, that had to come out, too. Guess what? The only way it comes out is if the entire cabinet assembly comes out. Well, if we're going to take out that entire side of the kitchen and replace it, then we might as well take out the other side and replace the hot water heater and the fresh water tank while we're at it. <sigh and smile> If you don't remember reading the prairie introductions on the main page of this blog, now might be a good time to go back and re-read them, especially Prairie husband's.
And now guess what? If we're going to have a whole new kitchen and dinette area, we have to do something about ancient carpet in the bedroom and the tiles in the kitchen. :) So now, even though the camper had looked like it was about 85% ready for our first trip, it now looks like a big empty cave on wheels. Yes, it does have two beds and a nice bathroom -- but no flooring there either. LOL Honestly, I know it will be great when it's [finally] finished, but it sure is a lot more work than either of us had counted on. I take that back. Prairie Husband loves projects and so I would not say that he didn't know this was coming.... he just didn't share his plan. Smart man! We might not have signed on if we had known in the beginning... ;-)
Summary (done or in progress) :
~ harvest gold counters out - blue speckled granite laminate ones in
~ old nasty filthy carpet and stick down tiles out - new wood flooring throughout in progress
~ old toilet falling through floor out - new base and flooring in, new potty on order
~ old leaking windows being repaired, weather sealed
~ roof leak being repaired, sealed
~ ancient TV antenna coming out and getting sealed tight! AH HA! We found the leak!! :)
~ new curtains all around - fabric bought, hardware on order - to be sewn in spring, we're going for a yellow and blue french country feel; there is no way to get rid of all the harvest gold in the interior so we're playing it up!
~ bathroom window exterior shade awning - in planning stage
~ all interior windows to be one-way tinted, sealed and weather stripped
~ exterior door lock and catch repaired
~ screen door refurbished and ready to be installed
~ keeping harvest gold sink and installing into new blue granite laminate counters
Now for the girly parts: I think the curtains and bedding/couch cushions will be a floral yellow and blue french country fabric in the front/table area, and the kitchen and also the padded sides above the twin beds, with remnants for pillows. You can see the fabric I am thinking about using here: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_01471952a
The fabric for the curtains in the bedroom area above the twin beds, with remnants for pillows will be a coordinating stripe. You can see this fabric here: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_01471960a
I also have some upholstery weight denim for recovering the twin bed mattresses, and if possible, the possibly the bathroom curtains.
It took us an entire afternoon and evening to strip out all the old flooring and scrape the floors flat, then seal them with kilz. Prairie Husband had to do a repair near the door. The new flooring arrived this week -- it was ordered three weeks ago, but Fed Ex had a few, ummm, shall we say, issues, with their delivery process. ;-) TWICE they completely RUINED every last box of the flooring. TWICE. Not once, TWICE. :( All is well now. The boxes are lined up on the floor behind our sofa "acclimating". HA HA! That's funny. Here we are at Dec 23 and yesterday the prairie kids and I wore short sleeves and had a real picnic in a park. I got SUNBURNED it was so warm and sunny! Today it is 41, feels like 32, damp and overcast, and the wind is howling as it does on any given day in this forgotten land. How can any ONE or any THING acclimate to this!?
Anyway, I'll post pictures of our finished baby as soon as I can. Please don't hold your collective breath, for it may be a while....... :) A long while. Prairie Husband just announced to me this afternoon that he would like to replace all the plumbing and the gray water tank while we have her broken down, and maaaaaaybeeee some electrical. <slapping my forehead> Should I be laughing? Or crying? I knew this was coming. Really, I did! We've been married a long time now.
You'll probably laugh when I tell you that we're probably going to rent a camper for our next outing, but please don't.
~the prairie gopher
The photos in the link above are NOT photos of our camper, but after an exhaustive online search for anything that looks even remotely like the one we have, I finally got this link from a friend. Yes, we now own a 1973 Argosy (Airstream) camper, fully decked out to the gills in 1970s regalia..... but not for long. YAY!!
Yes, our couch cushions used to look like the ones in the photos linked above... with those funky 1970s zig-zag yellow covers. USED TO...... being the key. We inherited the camper from Prairie Husband's father. Prairie Poppy loved to camp so a few years ago he went out and bought himself a 1973 Argosy camper (made by Airstream). It had a few rough spots, but he did some of the absolutely necessary work himself. As much as he loved camping, though, he could not find anyone who would join him for a trip. The camper sat. It sat, and sat, and sat. Then, it sat with a lovely blue tarp over it because it began to leak. When Prairie Poppy passed away last March, Prairie Husband's mother did not want the camper. ;-( She never liked camping. At. All. So, Prairie Husband decided it would be a good thing to honor his daddy by restoring his beloved camper. And, our family LOVES camping. We all agreed, brought her home and began working. And working. And cleaning. And cleaning.
Let's see --- so far we have washed it 6 times, in and out, and it's still a bit grimy. We've completely cleaned the interior, inside cabinets, all the walls and in every nook and cranny. Then Prairie Husband began heavy work on the bathroom, replacing the toilet and the floor under it due to age and dry rot. He worked in the shower and the cabinets, and those are sparkling and in tip-top shape now, too.
Then he took a deep, long look at the air conditioner so that his prairie wife will go camping with him. It works like a champ, which is why it is almost my favorite part of the camper. hee hee
Here on the blackland prairie we've been in a drought for over a year, so although we suspected the thing leaked someplace, we had not seen one indication of where. We moved on to refinishing the table at the dinette. The laminate on it was falling off, bubbling, etc. Prairie Husband decided to try his hand at lamination and it looks great now. It wasn't too hard to do, soooooooo.... Prairie Husband got one of those wild looks in his eye and then bit off a little more work and decided to redo all the counter tops. Those were taken out, too. Ugh! Then we discovered that the refrigerator wasn't working so, that had to come out, too. Guess what? The only way it comes out is if the entire cabinet assembly comes out. Well, if we're going to take out that entire side of the kitchen and replace it, then we might as well take out the other side and replace the hot water heater and the fresh water tank while we're at it. <sigh and smile> If you don't remember reading the prairie introductions on the main page of this blog, now might be a good time to go back and re-read them, especially Prairie husband's.
And now guess what? If we're going to have a whole new kitchen and dinette area, we have to do something about ancient carpet in the bedroom and the tiles in the kitchen. :) So now, even though the camper had looked like it was about 85% ready for our first trip, it now looks like a big empty cave on wheels. Yes, it does have two beds and a nice bathroom -- but no flooring there either. LOL Honestly, I know it will be great when it's [finally] finished, but it sure is a lot more work than either of us had counted on. I take that back. Prairie Husband loves projects and so I would not say that he didn't know this was coming.... he just didn't share his plan. Smart man! We might not have signed on if we had known in the beginning... ;-)
Summary (done or in progress) :
~ harvest gold counters out - blue speckled granite laminate ones in
~ old nasty filthy carpet and stick down tiles out - new wood flooring throughout in progress
~ old toilet falling through floor out - new base and flooring in, new potty on order
~ old leaking windows being repaired, weather sealed
~ roof leak being repaired, sealed
~ ancient TV antenna coming out and getting sealed tight! AH HA! We found the leak!! :)
~ new curtains all around - fabric bought, hardware on order - to be sewn in spring, we're going for a yellow and blue french country feel; there is no way to get rid of all the harvest gold in the interior so we're playing it up!
~ bathroom window exterior shade awning - in planning stage
~ all interior windows to be one-way tinted, sealed and weather stripped
~ exterior door lock and catch repaired
~ screen door refurbished and ready to be installed
~ keeping harvest gold sink and installing into new blue granite laminate counters
Now for the girly parts: I think the curtains and bedding/couch cushions will be a floral yellow and blue french country fabric in the front/table area, and the kitchen and also the padded sides above the twin beds, with remnants for pillows. You can see the fabric I am thinking about using here: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_01471952a
The fabric for the curtains in the bedroom area above the twin beds, with remnants for pillows will be a coordinating stripe. You can see this fabric here: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_01471960a
I also have some upholstery weight denim for recovering the twin bed mattresses, and if possible, the possibly the bathroom curtains.
It took us an entire afternoon and evening to strip out all the old flooring and scrape the floors flat, then seal them with kilz. Prairie Husband had to do a repair near the door. The new flooring arrived this week -- it was ordered three weeks ago, but Fed Ex had a few, ummm, shall we say, issues, with their delivery process. ;-) TWICE they completely RUINED every last box of the flooring. TWICE. Not once, TWICE. :( All is well now. The boxes are lined up on the floor behind our sofa "acclimating". HA HA! That's funny. Here we are at Dec 23 and yesterday the prairie kids and I wore short sleeves and had a real picnic in a park. I got SUNBURNED it was so warm and sunny! Today it is 41, feels like 32, damp and overcast, and the wind is howling as it does on any given day in this forgotten land. How can any ONE or any THING acclimate to this!?
Anyway, I'll post pictures of our finished baby as soon as I can. Please don't hold your collective breath, for it may be a while....... :) A long while. Prairie Husband just announced to me this afternoon that he would like to replace all the plumbing and the gray water tank while we have her broken down, and maaaaaaybeeee some electrical. <slapping my forehead> Should I be laughing? Or crying? I knew this was coming. Really, I did! We've been married a long time now.
You'll probably laugh when I tell you that we're probably going to rent a camper for our next outing, but please don't.
~the prairie gopher
barn swallows
5.25.2012
Ah. That feeling of satisfaction and peace -- it always comes afterward.
Not during!
No, during the time it takes to pay the bills it is tedious, tiring, sometimes frustrating, to say the least!
But when it's so done: aaaaaahh. Oh, they'll be back thought. Bills are like barn swallow, returning season after season, cluttering up the porches of our inboxes, muddying our desktops, wearing out their welcome with incessant chirping and squealing in their exuberance to be noticed, to make their stake known. I do not like barn swallows or bills, but they are part of life.
I am so grateful for this life, and for the ability to pay my bills, and even for the opportunity to clean up the front porch after the barn swallows have moved on.
The season will come around again.
Not during!
No, during the time it takes to pay the bills it is tedious, tiring, sometimes frustrating, to say the least!
But when it's so done: aaaaaahh. Oh, they'll be back thought. Bills are like barn swallow, returning season after season, cluttering up the porches of our inboxes, muddying our desktops, wearing out their welcome with incessant chirping and squealing in their exuberance to be noticed, to make their stake known. I do not like barn swallows or bills, but they are part of life.
I am so grateful for this life, and for the ability to pay my bills, and even for the opportunity to clean up the front porch after the barn swallows have moved on.
The season will come around again.
change of moving plans...
3.12.2012
It's been nearly a month since the big announcement.
Guess what? We're not moving. Is that good? Or bad?
It's not either. It just is. And it's okay. Really, honestly, strangely enough, it's okay. In a way it's actually a relief NOT to be moving. I know, I know, after all the lamenting and whining I've done about living here the passed 4 years, believe me, it is just as weird for me to say that as it is for you to hear/read it. ;-) But, I have to keep you on your toes, right?
Do I love it here? No! Do I have a secret affinity for wind and flat, barren land and heat and humidity and mosquitoes and the crazy anti-conservative, anti=GOD lifestyle of the area's inhabitants? Emphatically NO! Am I okay with YHWH having total and complete control over where my family lives and for how long? Certainly yes!
Sure, there is a slight bit of disappointment; it's always fun and exciting to hunt for a new house, look forward to new adventures and new friends, and to play with all the possibilities in your mind. Change is exciting to me; it always has been, but it's not necessary for life. :)
As Prairie Husband and I fell into bed after another exhausting weekend of house prepping (for a sale here) and house hunting 200 miles from here,, it had to be said. Neither of us feels that this is the right things to do. Neither of us hears the LORD telling us to go. Both of us hear Him saying Stay Here -- now that we have stopped to really listen. Why did we take so long to listen? Human desires? Anticipation of a change? Getting caught up in the fun of a new place? The pay increase? There are numerous reasons. Another reason might be because the LORD was and still is leading us.... but that he never intended that we actually move -- there were lessons to learn here along this exhausting ride of ups and downs. Lessons about His sovereignty and grace and strength and love for each of us.... to prove to us once again that His plan is better than ours ever could be!
So, flat, treeless, barren prairie, as much as I lamented having to be here with you, I have a confession to make..... You are my home. I came to realize in this whirlwind, that I have come to think of you and all your black dirt and wind and treeless vistas, as my home away from Home.
There is no way I can put into words the peace that floods into my soul just by saying that aloud. I literally did just that --- I stopped typing, looked up and said those amazing words aloud. Wow! Blackland prairie, you and I might end up friends after all. It's been a long time coming. There are people I know who would slap their foreheads in disbelief because they thought I would never allow the LORD to change my heart on this place. He literally dragged me here kicking and screaming - and that continued for YEARS! Sadly. Someone was brave enough to tell me to stop complaining and ask GOD to change my heart. I admit I was totally offended by her presumption that she could speak anything at all into my life! But as time went on other things that sounded like her words kept coming up. I had to admit that she was right. It's funny how the LORD can use someone that totally rubs you the wrong way from day one to change you from the inside out, isn't it? I thank YHWH for her words now.
But the prairie had better beware, because I aim to conquer it much like the settlers from Sweden and Germany did so many years before... only I have air conditioning to help me get through your merciless summers!!! PRAISE YHWH!!
Thank you, Father, for your mercy and grace, even when we at first scoff at it!
Guess what? We're not moving. Is that good? Or bad?
It's not either. It just is. And it's okay. Really, honestly, strangely enough, it's okay. In a way it's actually a relief NOT to be moving. I know, I know, after all the lamenting and whining I've done about living here the passed 4 years, believe me, it is just as weird for me to say that as it is for you to hear/read it. ;-) But, I have to keep you on your toes, right?
Do I love it here? No! Do I have a secret affinity for wind and flat, barren land and heat and humidity and mosquitoes and the crazy anti-conservative, anti=GOD lifestyle of the area's inhabitants? Emphatically NO! Am I okay with YHWH having total and complete control over where my family lives and for how long? Certainly yes!
Sure, there is a slight bit of disappointment; it's always fun and exciting to hunt for a new house, look forward to new adventures and new friends, and to play with all the possibilities in your mind. Change is exciting to me; it always has been, but it's not necessary for life. :)
As Prairie Husband and I fell into bed after another exhausting weekend of house prepping (for a sale here) and house hunting 200 miles from here,, it had to be said. Neither of us feels that this is the right things to do. Neither of us hears the LORD telling us to go. Both of us hear Him saying Stay Here -- now that we have stopped to really listen. Why did we take so long to listen? Human desires? Anticipation of a change? Getting caught up in the fun of a new place? The pay increase? There are numerous reasons. Another reason might be because the LORD was and still is leading us.... but that he never intended that we actually move -- there were lessons to learn here along this exhausting ride of ups and downs. Lessons about His sovereignty and grace and strength and love for each of us.... to prove to us once again that His plan is better than ours ever could be!
So, flat, treeless, barren prairie, as much as I lamented having to be here with you, I have a confession to make..... You are my home. I came to realize in this whirlwind, that I have come to think of you and all your black dirt and wind and treeless vistas, as my home away from Home.
There is no way I can put into words the peace that floods into my soul just by saying that aloud. I literally did just that --- I stopped typing, looked up and said those amazing words aloud. Wow! Blackland prairie, you and I might end up friends after all. It's been a long time coming. There are people I know who would slap their foreheads in disbelief because they thought I would never allow the LORD to change my heart on this place. He literally dragged me here kicking and screaming - and that continued for YEARS! Sadly. Someone was brave enough to tell me to stop complaining and ask GOD to change my heart. I admit I was totally offended by her presumption that she could speak anything at all into my life! But as time went on other things that sounded like her words kept coming up. I had to admit that she was right. It's funny how the LORD can use someone that totally rubs you the wrong way from day one to change you from the inside out, isn't it? I thank YHWH for her words now.
But the prairie had better beware, because I aim to conquer it much like the settlers from Sweden and Germany did so many years before... only I have air conditioning to help me get through your merciless summers!!! PRAISE YHWH!!
Thank you, Father, for your mercy and grace, even when we at first scoff at it!
an overdue update on happenings.... we are moving.... ???
2.12.2012
Wow. It is hard to believe it has been a couple of months since I wrote anything here. Time flies when you're having.... no wait...... Time flies when you're so busy you can't sit down to type. Yup, that is more like it. :)
Since I last wrote, we've had a bit of change in our lives. Prairie Husband has gone through an interview process and has taken a new job in the D/FW area. He is SO excited; it really is a perfect job (they literally asked him what his dream or perfect job would be and when he answered, they handed him a piece of paper with what he'd just said written on it!). So, it looks like we are moving!!! It seems like it took forever to get to this point, but then it seems like yesterday we were just beginning to talk about the possibility...
We signed the offer two weeks ago - he must be there, for work, with bells on, April 16, so it's been a busy two weeks.
Let's see, first we de-cluttered, then cleaned, then piled everything in the center of the rooms so that we could install all of the door and window trim and baseboards in the addition we built last year. Next, we had painters come by and make it look beeeeeeeautiful!!! OH MY it looks so GOOD!!! I was lamenting that I knew it would look great when it was done and how much I wish we had finished it up so that we could enjoy it for a while, too. Prairie Husband admitted it looks awesome and that he should have let me nag him more about it. LOL.
When the painting was about half done, we began packing 75% of our household belongings (to make the house look bigger, and BOY! does it look bigger! I may NEVER unpack all that extra clutter and stuff again!!!!). Prairie Husband packed it all into a POD to be taken off to storage for the next month and a half. The POD was picked up yesterday.
Before we ever got started on the inside, we took a weekend to tackle the outside by cleaning and clearing out the garden area, and removing all the debris from our last couple of growing seasons. I had freecyclers and Craigslist buyers coming and going for three days to get it all cleaned up. Remember, our garden is about 900 sq ft. Lots. Of. Stuff. Before it was over, we opened the shed. Bad idea. More stuff!!! :( But I can happily say the shed is now standing empty except for a riding mower and some ladders -- and maybe an errant spider or two. :)
TC and LB are ready. TC is happy as pie. He is like his mom and likes change, even craves it. When finally hearing what our decision was, his exact words were something like "I was ready for a new adventure last year!" (As parents we have always put a positive spin on things, even moving, calling it an "adventure", so they don't usually see change as bad at all). When the kids were little we would load them in the car and take them on "secret adventures" (something we knew they'd like, from a simple trip to the zoo or a museum, or a trip across the US to South Dakota), but we would never tell them anything about it, only drop tantalizing little clues, build it up, prepare them for the things they'd see, hear, etc. For the most part, they both view the bigger part of regular life as an adventure now. Amen! What a blessing! We hope they will carry that forward with their own kids someday.
LB has more of his daddy in him than his mom with regard to changes. He takes a little longer to make decisions, and warm up to things that are wholly new, so, he wasn't so sure about moving at first. His eyes were as big as saucers at dinner a couple of nights that first week of discussions. we explained all the possible changes it could mean, pointing out good and bad, really laying it all out there for LB to consider and mull over. With him it's either lay it all out there, or have him come back over and over and over with questions. Prior to "the big reveal", Prairie Husband did some research and found out about places to camp, hunt, play soccer, boat, fish, shoot, attend 4H, hike etc. -- all those things the boys love to do together. He found out how far it would be to drive to South Dakota, too, and pointed out how much closer to Oklahoma and Arkansas we would be for hunting there. I did research on homeschooling and extra-curricular activities up there, as well. There are TONS of options. It would appear, for all practical purposes, that D/FW is the home school mecca of the world!
Once everyone was okay and fears were worked through, the house was ready and packed, and the yard sign on the way, we set about seriously looking for a place to live. Should we rent something for a year so that we can get to know the area? Should we buy right away since rent is so expensive up there? Renting would mean we have to move twice. UGH! Buying and not knowing the area would mean we might not end up being all that happy about our choice of area. Double UGH!
Through ALL of this we have been aware that the LORD has been leading us. The details and the open and closed doors have been His work. We could not have done this. No man could have. From the interviews, to the conversations with friends and neighbors about it, to the littlest of details.... It has been His handiwork. We know and trust that we will find the right house - to rent or purchase, in the right area, because His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and He can see what we have no clue about. Amen!
So, we're ready to go. Literally. The Realtor is coming Thursday, with yard sign in hand..... And hopefully a buyer or two in her pocket, as well.
Today I am off to finish the hundred or so tiny final projects -- installing doorstops, putting new screws in the air-conditioner registers, packing a last box or two, scheduling a carpet cleaning in the bedrooms, and directing TC to mow and weed-eat while LB edges and spreads mulch. Tonight we are all taking it easy and going to the rodeo and a concert! YeeeHaw, y'all!!! There is a peace and satisfaction that comes after all that hard work, ya know? Or, is it total exhaustion?
Since I last wrote, we've had a bit of change in our lives. Prairie Husband has gone through an interview process and has taken a new job in the D/FW area. He is SO excited; it really is a perfect job (they literally asked him what his dream or perfect job would be and when he answered, they handed him a piece of paper with what he'd just said written on it!). So, it looks like we are moving!!! It seems like it took forever to get to this point, but then it seems like yesterday we were just beginning to talk about the possibility...
We signed the offer two weeks ago - he must be there, for work, with bells on, April 16, so it's been a busy two weeks.
Let's see, first we de-cluttered, then cleaned, then piled everything in the center of the rooms so that we could install all of the door and window trim and baseboards in the addition we built last year. Next, we had painters come by and make it look beeeeeeeautiful!!! OH MY it looks so GOOD!!! I was lamenting that I knew it would look great when it was done and how much I wish we had finished it up so that we could enjoy it for a while, too. Prairie Husband admitted it looks awesome and that he should have let me nag him more about it. LOL.
When the painting was about half done, we began packing 75% of our household belongings (to make the house look bigger, and BOY! does it look bigger! I may NEVER unpack all that extra clutter and stuff again!!!!). Prairie Husband packed it all into a POD to be taken off to storage for the next month and a half. The POD was picked up yesterday.
Before we ever got started on the inside, we took a weekend to tackle the outside by cleaning and clearing out the garden area, and removing all the debris from our last couple of growing seasons. I had freecyclers and Craigslist buyers coming and going for three days to get it all cleaned up. Remember, our garden is about 900 sq ft. Lots. Of. Stuff. Before it was over, we opened the shed. Bad idea. More stuff!!! :( But I can happily say the shed is now standing empty except for a riding mower and some ladders -- and maybe an errant spider or two. :)
TC and LB are ready. TC is happy as pie. He is like his mom and likes change, even craves it. When finally hearing what our decision was, his exact words were something like "I was ready for a new adventure last year!" (As parents we have always put a positive spin on things, even moving, calling it an "adventure", so they don't usually see change as bad at all). When the kids were little we would load them in the car and take them on "secret adventures" (something we knew they'd like, from a simple trip to the zoo or a museum, or a trip across the US to South Dakota), but we would never tell them anything about it, only drop tantalizing little clues, build it up, prepare them for the things they'd see, hear, etc. For the most part, they both view the bigger part of regular life as an adventure now. Amen! What a blessing! We hope they will carry that forward with their own kids someday.
LB has more of his daddy in him than his mom with regard to changes. He takes a little longer to make decisions, and warm up to things that are wholly new, so, he wasn't so sure about moving at first. His eyes were as big as saucers at dinner a couple of nights that first week of discussions. we explained all the possible changes it could mean, pointing out good and bad, really laying it all out there for LB to consider and mull over. With him it's either lay it all out there, or have him come back over and over and over with questions. Prior to "the big reveal", Prairie Husband did some research and found out about places to camp, hunt, play soccer, boat, fish, shoot, attend 4H, hike etc. -- all those things the boys love to do together. He found out how far it would be to drive to South Dakota, too, and pointed out how much closer to Oklahoma and Arkansas we would be for hunting there. I did research on homeschooling and extra-curricular activities up there, as well. There are TONS of options. It would appear, for all practical purposes, that D/FW is the home school mecca of the world!
Once everyone was okay and fears were worked through, the house was ready and packed, and the yard sign on the way, we set about seriously looking for a place to live. Should we rent something for a year so that we can get to know the area? Should we buy right away since rent is so expensive up there? Renting would mean we have to move twice. UGH! Buying and not knowing the area would mean we might not end up being all that happy about our choice of area. Double UGH!
Through ALL of this we have been aware that the LORD has been leading us. The details and the open and closed doors have been His work. We could not have done this. No man could have. From the interviews, to the conversations with friends and neighbors about it, to the littlest of details.... It has been His handiwork. We know and trust that we will find the right house - to rent or purchase, in the right area, because His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and He can see what we have no clue about. Amen!
So, we're ready to go. Literally. The Realtor is coming Thursday, with yard sign in hand..... And hopefully a buyer or two in her pocket, as well.
Today I am off to finish the hundred or so tiny final projects -- installing doorstops, putting new screws in the air-conditioner registers, packing a last box or two, scheduling a carpet cleaning in the bedrooms, and directing TC to mow and weed-eat while LB edges and spreads mulch. Tonight we are all taking it easy and going to the rodeo and a concert! YeeeHaw, y'all!!! There is a peace and satisfaction that comes after all that hard work, ya know? Or, is it total exhaustion?
bungalows are classic americana. can you tell i have been captivated by them?
11.29.2011
It breaks my heart that in so many places, even around my own town here in small-town America, they are being torn down, seen as too small and antiquated, eyesores, or "in the way of progress". Their uniquely American cultural value and architectural heritage is not fully appreciated by those looking for McMansions and cookie cutter versions of pallid shoe boxes and inverted, mirror-image milk cartons. Museum quality, historical landmarks have been torn down or pieced out in the name of bigger landfills, shopping malls and gas stations. My husband and I have begged more than one developers to let us buy more than one old bungalow or prairie cottage and have it moved, only to have them say laugh at us and call the bulldozers in. Nothing is salvaged most times. I try to at least take photos for my own peace and healing.
But where and when did my love affair with the modest, yet inspiring, homes begin? As a 7 year old, I remember stopping in front of the beautiful bungalows lining the streets I walked down on my way to school. I could have taken a more direct route, but the views were simply grotesque by comparison. Our house was a complete contrast to the bungalows I was falling for at the ripe old age of 7. It was one of the small wood-frame, post-war homes, built in 1952, if I remember correctly. While cozy and just big enough for our small family, that was living on a very modest income, it was nowhere near as enchanting as the thick, enveloping porches and graceful columns of the bungalows that were built before our house was ever conceived! Post-war homes were built of necessity, to house returning soldiers and their growing families. The were quick to slap up and had nothing unique about them. NO character. They were the beginnings of the neighborhood sprawl of shoe boxes we find today all over our country - devoid of character, and quite often trees and actual inhabitants. Bungalows were built in a time of growth and prosperity, for getting to know your neighbors, and for enjoying the simplicities of life - a time of advancing the American Dream of home-ownership for the common man, and at a time of great architectural and artisan advancement that we know as the Arts and Crafts Movement which swept America and England like a firestorm. Many of these homes, the bungalows, were built piece by piece from boxes ordered out of catalogs, such as the Sears and Roebucks Catalog. Can you imagine mail-ordering your house!? (If you ever have a notion to read more on this, I highly recommend the book Bungalow Nation by Diane Maddex and Alexander Verftikoff). I remember one home in my childhood neighborhood in particular. This home literally changed my life. It was a thin house to the street, but it went waaaaay back into the yard. It must have been a mansion at 1000-1200 square feet. :-) Long before I was born, the owner, Mrs. M, had it painted lilac/blue with white trim and shutters. The front porch literally called to me at least three days a week. I will never forget the day my mom took me with her to visit Mrs. M and I got to sit, for 45 minutes, on that magical porch and dream about my some-day home.
I don't own a bungalow. Not yet, anyway. We are ALWAYS looking. Prairie Husband knows of my life-long love affair with these houses, and he knows that someday may come along sooner or later. Thankfully, he finds them almost as enchanting and inviting as I do. We often drive the tree-lined streets of little out of the way cities and talk about how gorgeous the sometimes tired-looking houses must have been in their prime, and we daydream together about how we could fix up this one or bring the original charm back to the porch on that one and how this color or that color would really enliven and revive that one. It's great fun. It keeps us smiling. And who knows that someday isn't right around the corner? We may stumble upon the perfect little fixer-upper, out in the country surrounded by an old oak tree or two, and we simply won't be able to forget her.
But where and when did my love affair with the modest, yet inspiring, homes begin? As a 7 year old, I remember stopping in front of the beautiful bungalows lining the streets I walked down on my way to school. I could have taken a more direct route, but the views were simply grotesque by comparison. Our house was a complete contrast to the bungalows I was falling for at the ripe old age of 7. It was one of the small wood-frame, post-war homes, built in 1952, if I remember correctly. While cozy and just big enough for our small family, that was living on a very modest income, it was nowhere near as enchanting as the thick, enveloping porches and graceful columns of the bungalows that were built before our house was ever conceived! Post-war homes were built of necessity, to house returning soldiers and their growing families. The were quick to slap up and had nothing unique about them. NO character. They were the beginnings of the neighborhood sprawl of shoe boxes we find today all over our country - devoid of character, and quite often trees and actual inhabitants. Bungalows were built in a time of growth and prosperity, for getting to know your neighbors, and for enjoying the simplicities of life - a time of advancing the American Dream of home-ownership for the common man, and at a time of great architectural and artisan advancement that we know as the Arts and Crafts Movement which swept America and England like a firestorm. Many of these homes, the bungalows, were built piece by piece from boxes ordered out of catalogs, such as the Sears and Roebucks Catalog. Can you imagine mail-ordering your house!? (If you ever have a notion to read more on this, I highly recommend the book Bungalow Nation by Diane Maddex and Alexander Verftikoff). I remember one home in my childhood neighborhood in particular. This home literally changed my life. It was a thin house to the street, but it went waaaaay back into the yard. It must have been a mansion at 1000-1200 square feet. :-) Long before I was born, the owner, Mrs. M, had it painted lilac/blue with white trim and shutters. The front porch literally called to me at least three days a week. I will never forget the day my mom took me with her to visit Mrs. M and I got to sit, for 45 minutes, on that magical porch and dream about my some-day home.
I don't own a bungalow. Not yet, anyway. We are ALWAYS looking. Prairie Husband knows of my life-long love affair with these houses, and he knows that someday may come along sooner or later. Thankfully, he finds them almost as enchanting and inviting as I do. We often drive the tree-lined streets of little out of the way cities and talk about how gorgeous the sometimes tired-looking houses must have been in their prime, and we daydream together about how we could fix up this one or bring the original charm back to the porch on that one and how this color or that color would really enliven and revive that one. It's great fun. It keeps us smiling. And who knows that someday isn't right around the corner? We may stumble upon the perfect little fixer-upper, out in the country surrounded by an old oak tree or two, and we simply won't be able to forget her.
giving thanks in luckenback, texas - honoring wounded warriors
11.24.2011
The Prairie family spent a wonderful day in Luckenback, Texas today, giving thanks for one another, our countrymen, our founding fathers, our heroes - both fallen and wounded, and our LORD and Messiah (Savior), Jesus Christ (Yeshua).
Today turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny 61 degrees, with not a cloud in the sky. The folks who came from all around the hill country, were, as usual, friendly, smiling and you could see in their eyes and on their faces - thankful. The food was (overly) plentiful and very tasty --- and the best part? All the donations will go directly to the Texas Wounder Warrior Association for the wounded and hurting soldiers and their families who reside, because of trauma and the debilitation effects of war, at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC), in San Antonio, and at Ft Hood, in Killeen, Texas. The proceeds help them to escape, if even for a day, from the day to day reminders of what they are experiencing and relax in the sun and fun and honor given them in the Texas Hill Country - in Fredericksburg, Texas. I speak for all of us when I say we were honored to be there, to honor and support those men and women who have given their best for our country.
It touched my heart and soul deeply when the person saying the prayer before our community meal began thanking G-d for soldiers who protect and care for our country. He was big man, tall and hairy, wearing dirty cowboys boots and chaps, respectfully laying aside his hat while he talked to his Maker. As he began to tell G-d his heart, he began to weep for the soldiers whose lives have been so touched and changed by war. When he finished praying, there were not many dry eyes in the enormous, dusty, old dance hall. Surely G-d was in that place. And surely He heard our hearts.
Amen.
Thank you, Abba.
Today turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny 61 degrees, with not a cloud in the sky. The folks who came from all around the hill country, were, as usual, friendly, smiling and you could see in their eyes and on their faces - thankful. The food was (overly) plentiful and very tasty --- and the best part? All the donations will go directly to the Texas Wounder Warrior Association for the wounded and hurting soldiers and their families who reside, because of trauma and the debilitation effects of war, at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC), in San Antonio, and at Ft Hood, in Killeen, Texas. The proceeds help them to escape, if even for a day, from the day to day reminders of what they are experiencing and relax in the sun and fun and honor given them in the Texas Hill Country - in Fredericksburg, Texas. I speak for all of us when I say we were honored to be there, to honor and support those men and women who have given their best for our country.
It touched my heart and soul deeply when the person saying the prayer before our community meal began thanking G-d for soldiers who protect and care for our country. He was big man, tall and hairy, wearing dirty cowboys boots and chaps, respectfully laying aside his hat while he talked to his Maker. As he began to tell G-d his heart, he began to weep for the soldiers whose lives have been so touched and changed by war. When he finished praying, there were not many dry eyes in the enormous, dusty, old dance hall. Surely G-d was in that place. And surely He heard our hearts.
Amen.
Thank you, Abba.
bastrop, texas wildfires - labor day weekend 2011
9.4.2011
On September 4, 2011, Texas and Texans were deep into one of the worst droughts we had ever seen. The Piney Woods of upper east Texas stretch down into Bastrop County, making it an ideal place to "get away", grow a family, build summer camps and go out for a scenic picnic almost in our own backyards. We had/have friends that live out there among those tall pines. Some had been there for generations, others moved there as soon as they could manage. The prairie kids and some of their very best friends had been attending a Christian summer camp nestled in those pines for several years. And we supported that same camp, providing labor and funds and materials to help grow the cabins and the ministry. The prairie kids LOVED it out there. Prairie Husband and I talked about the beauty of the area and someday trying to move out there, or just simply retire out there once that time came.
Honestly, I cannot tell you why I am drawn to that area, other than the fact that it has trees (it won't take you long to figure out how much I adore trees). I think part of it is because it completely reminds me of the opening scenes of Little House on the Prairie from when I was a little girl. Ma, Pa, Laura and Mary loaded up Jack (the family dog) and all of their worldly belongings, tied on the family cow and set off for the west. In that scene they are leaving the Little House in the Big Woods, the only place they have known. The only place Laura and Mary had called home. They are leaving family and familiarity. They are leaving the forest, the Big Woods, for the wide, open, barren, windy prairie and plains, going west. Truly, they don't get that far physically. We can make the trip in a matter of hours in our fancy-schmancy cars. But it took Ma and Pa and the girls ages to get to their new home; they were moving in a covered wagon, after all. They could barely make 8-10 miles on a good day with little girls walking and with a cow tied to the wagon.
That ride out of those woods, and into the wild, open prairie, was a life-changer for me as it was for Ma and Pa Ingals! Laura and her family, through the Little House books and through the eyes of Michael Landon on the TV series, would be my escape, my dream, my imagination, my fear and my love affair right on through my teens, into my 30s! It was in my early 30s that I would FINALLY get to travel to Minnesota and South Dakota with Prairie Husband and TC, while pregnant with LB, and get to see the houses that Pa and Ma built with their bare hands, look out the cloudy windows that Mas would have gazed through, and stand in barns where Laura and Pa took care of the fresh farm calves or horses used for plowing. I was touched, speechless, quiet, in tears and even a little offended at some of the things I saw coming from my fancy-schmancy life of luxury. I will never forget what I saw, nor will I forget how much of it was truly familiar like going to visit my own grandma's house.
But, back to the Bastrop wild fires. The trees out in Bastrop County are the closest thing to The Big Woods that we will ever have here in Texas. We have a rather mixed terrain of desert, prairie, coastal shores and hill country -- but very few areas of true "forest". To hear about them on fire, raging, out of control, taking the homes of friends and neighbors, wiping out businesses we love and patronize, flattening schools, charring farms, and acres and acres of piney woods forest was almost more than we could take. It was frightening, indeed! We could look out our back windows and see the smoke billowing. At night we could see the glow of the flames and we are 40 miles from Bastrop - less, as a crow flies. After the third day, when hundreds of acres were burning, we could smell the smoke, even inside our home. The news was relentless as the stories kept pouring in. Finally, we could take it no more.....
We got in the car and drove there. I must say, it was like driving. into. hell. I am NOT exaggerating. Don't believe me!? Look at the first three photos below, then keep reading. We were not prepared for all of the chaos and smoke. We were not prepared for [not] seeing what was already gone and or blackened. We were not prepared to see half of the state park cordoned off and wiped out. We later learned that our own 4H club had been camping that weekend as a group at the State Park and had been evacuated hastily in the middle of the night as the fire was about a mile from them. While we were out that way we got a call from a friend of Prairie Husband's. Another fire -- totally unrelated, but also a wild fire due to the severe drought, had started a little further south. It was now threatening his home and neighborhood. That fire was later called the Cedar Creek Fire. We ended up leaving Bastrop and rushing south to help M and his wife pack up what they could before they had to get out. Every direction we looked, for as far as we could see, the sky was black, orange or filled with smoke.
I cannot stress enough how apocalyptic the scenes all around us were. Firefighters from all over the nation and world had already begun arriving in the area and were staged at different outposts. Whole parking lots were taken over by RVs (rented for those fighting the fires to come back and rest and sleep, as if there was even the remotest possibility they could!!) and emergency staging areas littered all the other open areas. Every corner store and restaurant was full to capacity with residents, fire fighters, people -- they were everywhere.... all talking and planning and looking scared and distraught. Some were crying and holding tightly to someone else. Again, there is no way to explain how it looked. You will just have to look at the photo gallery below.... we were driving IN some of this. Other places we stopped and took zoomed-in pictures because it was so hot and windy we could not drive closer, or because the police and highway patrol had an area blocked off for safety reasons. Whole neighborhoods (where we had recently looked at purchasing homes!!) were evacuated and left to burn when the fire moved in because the fire fighters were doing all they could in every area they could possibly be in! The winds had been howling for days, like they often do on the prairies east of IH 35 -- and the weather reports were predicting they were not going to stop for another 7-10 days!
In the end, when the fire was contained and then out, the statistics were stunning and heartbreaking. And the camp that the prairie kids so love? It was gone, too. Praise the LORD though, the directors and the staff of the camp were spared! Other businesses that we loved and frequented, owned by some of the nicest people around? Well, they were gone, too, like the fabulous Roscar Chocolate Factory?
http://www.austin360.com/news/lifestyles/food-cooking/bastrop-chocolate-business-considers-future-afte-1/nRfcS/
Half the State Park and many of its historic, WPW built structures, were charred and some were possibly not salvageable.. As far as I know, though, and I cannot find anything to contradict this, no one lost their life in these fires. Praise the LORD, again!
From wikipedia:
Bastrop County Complex Fire
On Sunday, September 4, 2011, a firestorm known as the Bastrop County Complex Fire engulfed Bastrop, Texas and by September 30 had destroyed 1,645 homes, burned 34,068 acres, and killed two people.. This fire is now regarded as the most catastrophic wildfire in Texas history.
Due to the ongoing exceptional drought conditions in most of Texas and the high winds brought to the state by Tropical Storm Lee, a series of wildfires flared up over Labor Day weekend and continued into the following week. The largest and most destructive was what is now known as the Bastrop County Complex. At approximately 3:00 p.m. (CDT) on September 4, two fires started north of Bastrop State Park in the communities of Circle D-KC Estates and Taihitan Village. The likely cause of the blaze was sparks from electric power lines. 30 mph gusts of wind apparently toppled trees which tumbled into electrical lines at two locations, creating sparks that fell onto and ignited the dry grass and leaf litter below. The fire was exacerbated by the outflow of Tropical Storm Lee in conjunction with exceptional drought. The fire quickly spread, engulfing 400 homes. Multiple areas and locales were evacuated, including the Bastrop Animal Shelter, Bastrop State Park (more than half of which was burned), and other communities affected by the fire. By 7:30 PM on September 5, 2011, the fire had burned about 25,000 acres and 500 homes. Winds began to calm the evening of September 5, but the fire still had no containment by the evening of September 6. By September 11, 1,554 homes had been destroyed. By October 1, the fire had reached 98% containment but had burned a total of 34,068 acres and 1,645 homes, making it the most destructive fire in Texas history. At 8:00 PM on October 10, the fire was declared 100% contained.
Honestly, I cannot tell you why I am drawn to that area, other than the fact that it has trees (it won't take you long to figure out how much I adore trees). I think part of it is because it completely reminds me of the opening scenes of Little House on the Prairie from when I was a little girl. Ma, Pa, Laura and Mary loaded up Jack (the family dog) and all of their worldly belongings, tied on the family cow and set off for the west. In that scene they are leaving the Little House in the Big Woods, the only place they have known. The only place Laura and Mary had called home. They are leaving family and familiarity. They are leaving the forest, the Big Woods, for the wide, open, barren, windy prairie and plains, going west. Truly, they don't get that far physically. We can make the trip in a matter of hours in our fancy-schmancy cars. But it took Ma and Pa and the girls ages to get to their new home; they were moving in a covered wagon, after all. They could barely make 8-10 miles on a good day with little girls walking and with a cow tied to the wagon.
That ride out of those woods, and into the wild, open prairie, was a life-changer for me as it was for Ma and Pa Ingals! Laura and her family, through the Little House books and through the eyes of Michael Landon on the TV series, would be my escape, my dream, my imagination, my fear and my love affair right on through my teens, into my 30s! It was in my early 30s that I would FINALLY get to travel to Minnesota and South Dakota with Prairie Husband and TC, while pregnant with LB, and get to see the houses that Pa and Ma built with their bare hands, look out the cloudy windows that Mas would have gazed through, and stand in barns where Laura and Pa took care of the fresh farm calves or horses used for plowing. I was touched, speechless, quiet, in tears and even a little offended at some of the things I saw coming from my fancy-schmancy life of luxury. I will never forget what I saw, nor will I forget how much of it was truly familiar like going to visit my own grandma's house.
But, back to the Bastrop wild fires. The trees out in Bastrop County are the closest thing to The Big Woods that we will ever have here in Texas. We have a rather mixed terrain of desert, prairie, coastal shores and hill country -- but very few areas of true "forest". To hear about them on fire, raging, out of control, taking the homes of friends and neighbors, wiping out businesses we love and patronize, flattening schools, charring farms, and acres and acres of piney woods forest was almost more than we could take. It was frightening, indeed! We could look out our back windows and see the smoke billowing. At night we could see the glow of the flames and we are 40 miles from Bastrop - less, as a crow flies. After the third day, when hundreds of acres were burning, we could smell the smoke, even inside our home. The news was relentless as the stories kept pouring in. Finally, we could take it no more.....
We got in the car and drove there. I must say, it was like driving. into. hell. I am NOT exaggerating. Don't believe me!? Look at the first three photos below, then keep reading. We were not prepared for all of the chaos and smoke. We were not prepared for [not] seeing what was already gone and or blackened. We were not prepared to see half of the state park cordoned off and wiped out. We later learned that our own 4H club had been camping that weekend as a group at the State Park and had been evacuated hastily in the middle of the night as the fire was about a mile from them. While we were out that way we got a call from a friend of Prairie Husband's. Another fire -- totally unrelated, but also a wild fire due to the severe drought, had started a little further south. It was now threatening his home and neighborhood. That fire was later called the Cedar Creek Fire. We ended up leaving Bastrop and rushing south to help M and his wife pack up what they could before they had to get out. Every direction we looked, for as far as we could see, the sky was black, orange or filled with smoke.
I cannot stress enough how apocalyptic the scenes all around us were. Firefighters from all over the nation and world had already begun arriving in the area and were staged at different outposts. Whole parking lots were taken over by RVs (rented for those fighting the fires to come back and rest and sleep, as if there was even the remotest possibility they could!!) and emergency staging areas littered all the other open areas. Every corner store and restaurant was full to capacity with residents, fire fighters, people -- they were everywhere.... all talking and planning and looking scared and distraught. Some were crying and holding tightly to someone else. Again, there is no way to explain how it looked. You will just have to look at the photo gallery below.... we were driving IN some of this. Other places we stopped and took zoomed-in pictures because it was so hot and windy we could not drive closer, or because the police and highway patrol had an area blocked off for safety reasons. Whole neighborhoods (where we had recently looked at purchasing homes!!) were evacuated and left to burn when the fire moved in because the fire fighters were doing all they could in every area they could possibly be in! The winds had been howling for days, like they often do on the prairies east of IH 35 -- and the weather reports were predicting they were not going to stop for another 7-10 days!
In the end, when the fire was contained and then out, the statistics were stunning and heartbreaking. And the camp that the prairie kids so love? It was gone, too. Praise the LORD though, the directors and the staff of the camp were spared! Other businesses that we loved and frequented, owned by some of the nicest people around? Well, they were gone, too, like the fabulous Roscar Chocolate Factory?
http://www.austin360.com/news/lifestyles/food-cooking/bastrop-chocolate-business-considers-future-afte-1/nRfcS/
Half the State Park and many of its historic, WPW built structures, were charred and some were possibly not salvageable.. As far as I know, though, and I cannot find anything to contradict this, no one lost their life in these fires. Praise the LORD, again!
From wikipedia:
Bastrop County Complex Fire
On Sunday, September 4, 2011, a firestorm known as the Bastrop County Complex Fire engulfed Bastrop, Texas and by September 30 had destroyed 1,645 homes, burned 34,068 acres, and killed two people.. This fire is now regarded as the most catastrophic wildfire in Texas history.
Due to the ongoing exceptional drought conditions in most of Texas and the high winds brought to the state by Tropical Storm Lee, a series of wildfires flared up over Labor Day weekend and continued into the following week. The largest and most destructive was what is now known as the Bastrop County Complex. At approximately 3:00 p.m. (CDT) on September 4, two fires started north of Bastrop State Park in the communities of Circle D-KC Estates and Taihitan Village. The likely cause of the blaze was sparks from electric power lines. 30 mph gusts of wind apparently toppled trees which tumbled into electrical lines at two locations, creating sparks that fell onto and ignited the dry grass and leaf litter below. The fire was exacerbated by the outflow of Tropical Storm Lee in conjunction with exceptional drought. The fire quickly spread, engulfing 400 homes. Multiple areas and locales were evacuated, including the Bastrop Animal Shelter, Bastrop State Park (more than half of which was burned), and other communities affected by the fire. By 7:30 PM on September 5, 2011, the fire had burned about 25,000 acres and 500 homes. Winds began to calm the evening of September 5, but the fire still had no containment by the evening of September 6. By September 11, 1,554 homes had been destroyed. By October 1, the fire had reached 98% containment but had burned a total of 34,068 acres and 1,645 homes, making it the most destructive fire in Texas history. At 8:00 PM on October 10, the fire was declared 100% contained.