Maylong weekend is over so now we can say that summer has arrived. Bob and I haven't been away on the Maylong for....... sheesh I don't know how long!!! ;} This Maylong we took a road trip to SK. to see our son Mike and his family. It was a lovely uplifting time. Bob did really well even tho he had had chemo on Fri. We drove out on Sat. and back on Monday. Kinda short time for a long drive.
It was so enjoyable to be out in the country and seeing all of the spring activities taking place on the farms. Lots and lots of seeding. Huge equipment doing what I could only imagine would be acres and acres in a day. I didn't see one husband and wife team loading a 12 foot disc drill by pail fulls hmmm. Lots of fields were already beginning to grow---you could see that hint of green just emerging from the soil. We also saw the most amazing deep green field of alfalfa (once our specialty). Wow, "that will be ready to cut in a matter of a couple of weeks." Then there was either fall rye or winter wheat that was a good size. We saw so many cow/calf herds with all the sweet baby calves. I took special note of the farm yards---rotor tillers parked by or in gardens----BIG gardens, nice, bright white stakes to mark the rows of each vegetable, garden tractors cutting grass, push mowers doing the trimming around trees and flower beds. Bob and I couldn't help but talk about our old farm and all the things both great and crazy that we had done. Knowing what details are involved in all these pastoral scenes made us stop and think!!!!!!!!!! and give thanks that we have been there, and done that.
As I write this we are still awaiting another wee granddaughter. Thot we might have been with Mike and Cori to help out but no, baby is on her own time schedule. The family is doing well, Cori is amazing as a wife and mom. The three little ones will be 27 months apart from oldest to new baby. Taylor is 12 and is a big help. Mike is doing well, sorted life out and dealing well not only with baggage but also the future. Mike and Cori see and correspond with Mike's 3 kids in MB and I think that is a positive. They are looking to God for input and direction in their lives. No one knows the direction or purpose or how God uses ones past to impact our future. We trust Mike and family to the Lord and pray that the Lord will continue to make their path straight and sure as they go on in their lives.
NORMAL------ever changing. It seems that Bob's normal will be chemo in some form forever. We will both be dealing with the side effects of that chemo most of the time. Bob will be having pain from neuropathy and will be using a walking stick to help keep his balance. Do not be quick to judge someone who stumbles on a flat even floor. See only the love between two people when someone has his arm or hand on a companions shoulder. We are not stopping the fight or to deal with the cancer, we are dealing with the new normal and the reality of multiple myeloma.
There is a beautiful rain as I write this almost a week after the Maylong. The rain refreshes and brings hope. That is how we always thought of rain in the Brandon Hills. In my little yard I still see it that way----my shrubs and trees will love this first real rain of this growing season. Near the rivers folks are beginning to think of high water and beginning to plan for flooding, as the spring runoff from the mountains is still to come. I am still thinking 3 inches of rain is darn nice plus I have my cool rubber boots by the back door.
Each new day brings hope as well. Enjoy each day.
