a Sunday adventure....
Their names were Don and Eiko.....He was from the midwest and she was from Japan. When we arrived at their home we noticed lots of lawn statues and decorations....and christmas lights....and a whole lot of tender loving care. There were rose bushes and climbing blooms on trellises....and a gazebo....and more lawn creatures. Don came out and shook our hands....Eiko came out soon after. Don and Roger walked around the RV in the Sunday mid-day sunshine and Eiko told me about her problems with allergies and pain and how they could no longer travel in the RV. Don and Eiko were selling the RV. They were in their 70s and just not getting around as much.
We took the RV for a ride and first Don got it off the blocks and down the road...then Roger got in the driver's seat and Don gave him some lessons. Don shared that Eiko had lupus and couldn't stand sunlight and extremes in temperature. He also shared that he was a service veteran of the air force....27 years of service. Roger turned to him and said, "thank you for serving our country". He said "you are welcome".
We got back to Don's house and I saw there was a garage sale down the road. I didn't want to discuss the price of the RV. I just didn't. I walked up to the yard sale and visited with the owners, and sat in a chair on the driveway. Don and Roger walked around the RV again, knocking tires and opening storage bins and explaining hook-ups.
I didn't tell the garage sale owners that we could not afford an RV but that we were likley purchasing one. I didn't tell them that it was because we had decided to take a vacation across the pacific northwest this summer for 2 weeks.....and we had deduced that RV travel was the most sensible. We have 5 children. Nothing is sensible. We plan to travel with Roger's parents.....
I came back and asked Roger for cash to buy the chair. It was a good, solid chair and we always seem to be short on chairs. (go figure). He only had $10 and they were asking $20 OBO.....Don gave me the other $10. I struggled in the mid-day heat for about 15 minutes to get the chair loaded up in the back of the expedition around the golf clubs and bouncy balls and cans of formula and stadium chair.....and Don and Roger walked round and round the RV discussing the aunning, the generator, the switches, the batteries.....
Eiko came out and told me that her family has been asking her to tell her story of WW 2 in Japan and what she remembers and she just could not do it for so long.....but now she is starting to remember and she told me about Hiroshima...and Nagasaki....and bombs....and she said, "I haven't been able to talk about this my whole life and now I am telling you this!".....as her husband signed over the title to their RV.....and it was their anniversary......she said 57 years, he said 30-something.....something lost in translation maybe.
Their grand-daughter and her 2 kids stopped by and their little dog was in the yard. The great-grand-son was headed to baseball.....and they were all sad that the RV was getting sold. We went in their home and it was an eclectic array of Japanese decor and grandparent clutter....but the photos on the walls and the stuffed animals and the tea kettle and all the other clutter showed a full life of love for this family. I found myself aching to be Eiko and Don in 30 years....selling our RV with a lifetime of satisfaction......and if we were lucky, it would be on September 21.....our anniversary.
Tonight, we have put sheets on the bed in the RV. Precious and Josiah think its the best thing ever. Claire is really embarassed that it could be parked in the driveway all summer. The boys? They just want to go camping. Roger and I are kind of like....what? did? we? just? do??????but with a smile....and a prayer....and a hope.....
I'm in the bed with my 2 littles. They will likely spend the most time with us in the RV it we don't sell it after the summer vacation in July.....and I'm settling in after a really busy sabboth day. I'm wondering if Don took Eiko to a fish restaraunt tonight for their anniversary....because she doesn't eat steak. I'm wondering if they are happy with the price they got for their RV. Eiko told me to stop by any time....and I would really, really, really like to do so. Especially after our July vacation.
The chair? Well. It's an awesome chair. We put it in the family room and Jeremiah says it will be "his chair"....and I'm really glad I found it.
Sometimes.
We go on an adventure to buy something....and we end up learning a great deal....and seeing a promise for so much more....and even if it looks crazy.....we know that we know that we know that we did the right thing. That's happened a few times in my life with Roger Earl Kredit. Many doubt us but we manage to maintain a presence in the Will of God by prayer and petition....and....favor.
So now. Late on Sunday night as May turns to June....Precious Maryn is beside me singing lullabies with the radio and Josiah is softly snoring...in our camper bed on the driveway. Yes. My counter-culture kids won't just go to bed if a cool RV is parked in our driveway...so we are here....with windows open and I am so grateful for a cool early summer night breeze....and I'm hoping that my sweet husband can sleep soundly in the house without worrying about the RV and the children and life.
We took the RV for a ride and first Don got it off the blocks and down the road...then Roger got in the driver's seat and Don gave him some lessons. Don shared that Eiko had lupus and couldn't stand sunlight and extremes in temperature. He also shared that he was a service veteran of the air force....27 years of service. Roger turned to him and said, "thank you for serving our country". He said "you are welcome".
We got back to Don's house and I saw there was a garage sale down the road. I didn't want to discuss the price of the RV. I just didn't. I walked up to the yard sale and visited with the owners, and sat in a chair on the driveway. Don and Roger walked around the RV again, knocking tires and opening storage bins and explaining hook-ups.
I didn't tell the garage sale owners that we could not afford an RV but that we were likley purchasing one. I didn't tell them that it was because we had decided to take a vacation across the pacific northwest this summer for 2 weeks.....and we had deduced that RV travel was the most sensible. We have 5 children. Nothing is sensible. We plan to travel with Roger's parents.....
I came back and asked Roger for cash to buy the chair. It was a good, solid chair and we always seem to be short on chairs. (go figure). He only had $10 and they were asking $20 OBO.....Don gave me the other $10. I struggled in the mid-day heat for about 15 minutes to get the chair loaded up in the back of the expedition around the golf clubs and bouncy balls and cans of formula and stadium chair.....and Don and Roger walked round and round the RV discussing the aunning, the generator, the switches, the batteries.....
Eiko came out and told me that her family has been asking her to tell her story of WW 2 in Japan and what she remembers and she just could not do it for so long.....but now she is starting to remember and she told me about Hiroshima...and Nagasaki....and bombs....and she said, "I haven't been able to talk about this my whole life and now I am telling you this!".....as her husband signed over the title to their RV.....and it was their anniversary......she said 57 years, he said 30-something.....something lost in translation maybe.
Their grand-daughter and her 2 kids stopped by and their little dog was in the yard. The great-grand-son was headed to baseball.....and they were all sad that the RV was getting sold. We went in their home and it was an eclectic array of Japanese decor and grandparent clutter....but the photos on the walls and the stuffed animals and the tea kettle and all the other clutter showed a full life of love for this family. I found myself aching to be Eiko and Don in 30 years....selling our RV with a lifetime of satisfaction......and if we were lucky, it would be on September 21.....our anniversary.
Tonight, we have put sheets on the bed in the RV. Precious and Josiah think its the best thing ever. Claire is really embarassed that it could be parked in the driveway all summer. The boys? They just want to go camping. Roger and I are kind of like....what? did? we? just? do??????but with a smile....and a prayer....and a hope.....
I'm in the bed with my 2 littles. They will likely spend the most time with us in the RV it we don't sell it after the summer vacation in July.....and I'm settling in after a really busy sabboth day. I'm wondering if Don took Eiko to a fish restaraunt tonight for their anniversary....because she doesn't eat steak. I'm wondering if they are happy with the price they got for their RV. Eiko told me to stop by any time....and I would really, really, really like to do so. Especially after our July vacation.
The chair? Well. It's an awesome chair. We put it in the family room and Jeremiah says it will be "his chair"....and I'm really glad I found it.
Sometimes.
We go on an adventure to buy something....and we end up learning a great deal....and seeing a promise for so much more....and even if it looks crazy.....we know that we know that we know that we did the right thing. That's happened a few times in my life with Roger Earl Kredit. Many doubt us but we manage to maintain a presence in the Will of God by prayer and petition....and....favor.
So now. Late on Sunday night as May turns to June....Precious Maryn is beside me singing lullabies with the radio and Josiah is softly snoring...in our camper bed on the driveway. Yes. My counter-culture kids won't just go to bed if a cool RV is parked in our driveway...so we are here....with windows open and I am so grateful for a cool early summer night breeze....and I'm hoping that my sweet husband can sleep soundly in the house without worrying about the RV and the children and life.
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