Fire Bad

Many apologies to Camp Chaos...

My little town was hit by a string of arsons last night. From what I've heard, they were all further south of me and they were all focused on cars or garages.

I'd always assumed fire would be the last of my worries out here. I live directly across from the pump house, there's a hydrant across the street from me, and the south station is literally less than 100 feet from my house.

I guess that only helps if the firemen are only fighting YOUR fire and not 6 different ones. At 2 in the morning. The fires went on until almost 6 am. The arsonists went through yards, hitting new targets just as the fire crews were cleaning up from one place, so they were literally rolling from one fire to the next.

Our little volunteer corps deserves a great many thanks, as do all the coops that came to help prevent the fires from spreading further.

I hope they, and our town get some sleep tonight. We're a little jumpy.

The *enemy* invaded!

No, not really. But it felt like it.

This past weekend was our town's small town "Krazy Daze" event (fall festival sort of thing). I knew that there were going to be all kinds of great activities (face painting, Karoake, dunk tank, cake walk, bike decorating etc) but I did NOT know they were having a car show in my front yard.

I looked out my window Saturday and there were a bajillion people in the empty lot ("my" front yard) across the street from my house. A million and one cool old cars, a tonna kids, and all the police for several miles. They were busily blocking off my little corner of the world with barricades and setting up events for the rest of the day.

I live on the back corner of a rectangular block which makes the main block in our little town. I am on the same block as the bank, grocery store, hair salon, hardware store, dollar store and consignment store for kids' clothes. There are 3 houses on my block- all on my back end. All the rest of the block is businesses. I was quickly getting blocked in (so I couldn't get OUT) so that other people could not park in the lot intended for events.

I ran outside and got my car moved so I could leave (which I had to do later anyway) and checked out the schedule for the events. I fished out some money for my kiddos to run about town with, and let them wander.


Things cleared up around 3-4 and I had my yard back, sort of. It was still hangout central for a herd of teenagers for a while.

Later in the day the town threw a parade. We live on the parade route and we make a habit of watching the parade from our front steps. My kids got tons of candy (even though they are a little old for parade candy) and then took about 5 HUGE handfuls over to a little girl who watched the parade from the other side of the street.

There was a street dance/music later and the TallBoy & Associates went out and had a nice time "hanging out" while being good.

Sunday morning, I took Cash on his EarlyAm(TM) walk and there were a good 20 bags of trash yet to be picked up. I had to be extra vigilant on the leash to make sure he didn't get any candy or gum. I also had to make sure he didn't eat leftover food or um, evidence of the beer tent.

I got a report from the owner of the grocery store (a SUPER nice guy) that the receipts from this past weekend were much better than expected due to nicer weather than the forecast predicted. He said there's a lot of money for some great future events and that the invasion while crazy, was worth it.

Bleacher Butt

I am officially a SportsMom.

I have a SweetPea in Basketball (just got out of Softball, formerly played soccer) and TallBoy plays Basketball when it rolls around.

I travel all over G-d's creation, putting unknown amounts of miles on my car, watching my kids play. I know ALL the names of my kids' teammates. I cheer (LOUDLY). I clap, cajole, complain and make interesting comments about refs. I eat hot dogs for dinner more often than I really like. I pay overinflated prices for water & Snickers.

I love every minute. Watching my kids smile, laugh, play hard, be good sports, work hard to be on a team, cheering on their friends and moving outside their comfort zone is immensely rewarding.

I've met other SportsParents and gotten to know a lot of them much better. I have learned a lot about sports I have no interest in, and gotten a very sore backside.

I have also gotten lost many many times. I am fairly inept at going anywhere I have not been before, and am TERRIBLE with directions. More than once I have downloaded the Navigation tool on my cell phone to find the little town we are supposed to play in next. More than once I have called another parent, completely and utterly lost. Of course they try to help- but the conversation usually goes like this:

Them: "Where are you?"
Me: "I don't know!"
Them: "What do you see around you?"
Me: "Corn. A Barn. Some more corn."
Them: [BIG SIGH] "Is there a crossroad anywhere near you?"
Me: "Yes, but it's turned around. Someone hit it. I can't tell what road I'm on."

And so on.

I have started following another mom to the games, and that has helped. I have gained some independence through sports (I am usually not allowed to go anywhere new alone. I usually end up lost, see above.). I now know where every Casey's within 30 miles of my home is, as well as any little eateries.

I know which towns have way too many girls (there are 2 towns with more than 20 girls on their basketball teams in our league) and the towns with not very many at all (1 town cancelled basketball this year due to not enough girls). I know which towns have good concessions and plan accordingly. I know which towns have nice bathrooms and which I want to stop at Casey's FIRST.

Our girls won their first game 15-12 today and I have bleacher butt. I am a SportsMom.

Sun on the Silos

I live in a small rural town surrounded by corn in every direction. We're lucky enough to have a 2 lane highway that connects us to *EVERY WHERE ELSE* but we have to travel 9 miles on this 2 lane to get to the interstate.

On the way along the 2 lane to the interstate is corn. A LOT of corn. There's some beans, some barns, some farm implements, a few homesteads, and corn.

The corn is just now starting to really green up, tassel and be ready for working. It's been seriously delayed due to the massive flooding we had earlier this year. Every other year the corn has already been detasseled and is ready to go to the cribs, silos or elevators. This year, it's finally caught up to where it would have been in July and looks nice.

How the corn looks is pretty essential to our little community, where most of the families farm at least a little, and futures, trading and the weather are just as vital.

The rows always make me dizzy when I drive past them while watching the corn. Somehow something straight, simple and plain becomes a kaleidoscope, whirling past way too fast, with golden shoots arcing across at every opportunity.

I love the quiet in the early morning- I leave for work about 6:20 or so and I'm out with the farmers, truckers, teachers and other early risers. It's a pretty relaxed pace driving to the interstate.

The sun was rising a little low this morning, and the light was reflecting off one of the silos, showering me with orange and fire.

It was a beautiful morning, with the sun on the silos.

TallBoy goes to HIgh School

TallBoy is 14 (and a half). He is tall and lanky, full of sharp edges and bony parts. He doesn't hug well anymore because he is *taller than me* (the NERVE) and all poky.



He starts high school tomorrow.

He is on his way to being his own independent person. His future is full of new people, new things to try, and choices- about his life path and how he becomes who he is meant to be.

I trust him to make good choices. He has a level head and he knows himself VERY well. He's a moral, thoughtful, considerate and deliberate kid. He rarely does things 'on the fly' - he is usually the 'man with the plan'. He's also a little different from most of the kids in our little town. He's very serious, and only plays basketball for fun *he's not very good at it*. He likes reading, painting miniatures for WarMachine or Hordes, and gaming. (Yeah, he's a product of The Dude and I. NO Question about it.)

He made friends with a young man I'll call Fin at church over the summer. Fin is a senior, and is a LOT like TallBoy. He's serious, a little "different" (he's sporting blue hair and Hot Topic gear today), not a jock but more of a word nerd, and he's a GOOD KID.

The two of them have spent a lot of time at each other's houses, playing video games and talking music. Fin CALLS TallBoy to hang out. Fin shows up when he says he will. Fin LIKES TallBoy and is not "using him" nor is he calling Tallboy as a backup when other plans fall through. Fin "GETS" TallBoy. They are really becoming good friends, and I am glad.

This year will be a good thing for TallBoy- a senior friend, rides when he wants/needs them (Fin is very generous with his Jeep), and someone that understands him. It will also be a challenge- Fin and TallBoy are as I said, a little different. We will see how things go, but I am excited and a little nervous.

I am the mother of a high schooler. EEK.

Bells

I live in a town of 1100 that is surrounded by cornfields on every side. The nearest town over 3000 people is 20+ miles away.

Our little town has a "co-op" or "consolidated" school of sorts- our school district of three farm towns merged with another farm town to make a 4 farm town district. Pretty much everyone in town either farms, has family that farms, or is related to the town's 3 founding families.

We only moved here 3 years ago and are none of the above categories. Being the new family in a small town has its challenges and takes some work. But that doesn't mean this is not home.

We live immediately north (by less than a block) of the railroad tracks that serve the grain elevator. Also south of us is the local Methodist church. The church has a bell carillion that plays every day at 6- and usually a different song every day. During the Christmas season they play carols I enjoy (and I really don't like Christmas carols) and every Christmas Eve they play Silent Night right before midnight.

The day the Dude & I moved in, we were working outside and I heard the bells from the church. They were playing "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow", and as we stood in the yard, holding each other, the bells washed over us with the Blessing song in full glory.

I knew we were home right then. When our windows are open, I can hear the bells all the way in my kitchen. I always smile when they are playing.

Yesterday I was standing outside and heard the bells again and smiled, and was reminded of how much I love being here.