The (long) Road Home

As I walked past stacks of new doors and building equipment to enter the new french doors to our living room, which now has a floor down – a nice bamboo wood floor, I realized it was exactly 5 months since the BigBadFlood changed our – and so many others – lives so very much.

I’m usually too tired to even think of coming in here after work, but this cooler weather, the progress, and maybe some vitamins have given me a boost.   I see our really nice, new (used, but best we’ve ever had) refrigerator standing alone out in the middle – now we know it works.  My hubby, Lynn, is sitting in a lawn chair on the  recently laid kitchen tile  – tired of a long day of restoration, including restoring the washing machine we saved from the flood.  I step in my new laundry room – water!! – 2″ too much on the floor.  I wipe quickly while he re-connects the hose again.  Lavette, his legs, and insulation  hang out of the attic opening as he finishes up for the day.  Chris, painting our bedroom, hands me books left up on ceiling high shelves – the only ones that weren’t removed and trashed.  I wipe these books that made it through the flood – the ones shelved high because they weren’t used much – volumes of Shakespeare and books on reading and teaching young children.

There is some peace here that I haven’t felt in awhile.  I step out on the porch a look up at lovely stars against the deep blue night.   I hear a little hammering from a few houses down, I see a neighboring house, windows all lit up, a silhouette still working, slower, late in the night.  We’re all just trying to get back home.  The journey has been long; there is satisfaction now when looking at our progress, but frustration when looking at what needs to be done.

We’re all on that journey toward our home.  Our 5 month long journey here has been full of ups and downs as has our true journey, the journey back to the Father, who’s waiting in that Beyond-Belief New Home, who calls us, the One who speaks softly, “This is the way,” sometimes  louder, “Not that way,” then softer, “Come take my Hand.”    May we always hear Him as we journey and be ready to reach out to fellow journeyers.

(written by Jo Ann the first of October, Chapmansboro, Tennessee)

a new baby, a new life, a new path

We are grateful for the baby, Miles Walden Clark, who started into this world on Advent   I  looked into the eyes of this little one, fresh eyes, just as deep blue and heavenly  as I remember when my first baby arrived.  It was wonderful to spend that first week with my daughter, Summer, and her husband, Nathan, and the new one in D.C. the first week of December during the blessed, busy week of pleasure and adjustment for all.  When Summer said something about hoping to get some sleep again, I dared not say what I was thinking: “Maybe in a year or tw0 – Maybe even 18 or 20!”  But they will be great parents, so devoted and grateful.

The Willis Clan

Just wanted you to know that this homeschooling family (who lives in Ashland City) has traveled through the US, winning music and step dancing competitions, and even made it up to a level that competed in Ireland last summer, and did quite well there. So this show – yes they are coming to our place again! – AUGUST 15th  in downtown Ashland City will be top notch and livelye, to say the least! www.thewillisclan.com

Sunday afternoon Cumberland River nature area

With Dad Lynn and Daughter Abbey home again we made a short, oh-so-pleasant family bike trip, just around the bend, to the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail on Sunday.   If you’d like an easy nature walk or bike ride, take this paved 4-mile trail (starting on Chapmansboro Road, just off highway 12 north at Ashland City’s edge) that stretches to the other end of Chapmansboro, then another 2 1/2 miles of unpaved walk all the way to Cheatham Dam.   I had not been on the first stretch since my eye operation a year ago, and since I couldn’t see well before that, I did not realize all I’d missed.  I continue to thank our Creator God for those beautiful trees over-hanging the path, the expanse of water-lily covered water I now see through the trees, and the cool from the water trickling down the little dark rocky cliffs on the other side.

Lynn Plans New Rental House

Lynn, ever on the lookout for a good real estate deal, found a beautiful home overlooking a dessert valley. From my understanding the occupants have already moved out and it’s available immediately if anyone is interested.

Lynn wanted me to give you the mapquest link…

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Mesa+Verde&state=CO

he says feel free to stop anytime and take a look. They’re still working on the plumbing… but what the heck…

Lynn In The Wild Wild West

Tim here, posting for Lynn. Didn’t get any comments from him, just the following pictures from Colorado.

Lynn and His Mom’s Church In The Snow

Message from Lynn…

1. Tell Josh it’s Snowing
2. This is a picture of his mom’s church in Larimie Wyoming which she started when he was five. Picures should tell the rest of the story.

I’m adding this later just so everyone can see where Montrose is..

Travels With Lynn and The Good ‘Ole Bike

This is Tim, I’m posting for Lynn… he said to tell Jim that’s it’s not hot, in fact he’s been wearing his coat most of the time. Sounds like he’s having a good time.

Old Men/Old Bike Expedition

Left AC 7:30 on Sat. Morning. Rode all day, and got to OKC at 10:30 PM, just as it started to rain. Got the bike undercover just in time. Slept hard till 11:00 the next day. Checked out the bike and found that one of the saddlebags had busted out the bottom. Lost half of my tools. Hope no one was killed when it hit the pavement. I remember some strange noises during the ride, but it didn’t occur to me to check the bags.

I’ve tried to explain to these guys that I’m going for what I can see, while it seems that they are going for the sheer joy of riding. And riding fast. For me it’s a way to get to see the west. They’ve lived here all their lives and see nothing special in the little towns with the dirt roads and the trees that we would call bushes. I have tried to hold my tongue. But I fall behind constantly, and they don’t like it. I’ve tried to explain that I’m just as interested in the towns as I am in the scenery.

Leaving the grassland, and crossing into New Mexico, we came up to a large outcropping. (I should say we gradually came up to it, over an hours time, as you can see everything for a long way off.) I was told that it w as called Rabbit Ears and was a landmark for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. The landscape changed dramatically as we entered volcano country. Drove up Capulin Ntl. Monument, a fine old volcano. I sent pics of it. then we rode for about an hour down through the volcano field across Johnson Mesa. Then thru Raton to Trinidad, then through the most gloriously beautiful valley/pass I have ever seen. Check out Purgatoire valley and Cucaras Pass. We now are camping in a little dirt road town called La Veta at the foot of the Spanish Peaks.

There is much more to all this, but the librarian has just called that she is closing in 5 minutes.

Tell Rosemary that I haven’t seen any tornadoes yet, but will look out for them. The weather has been fine, have worn a coat most of the way.