Honey, I Got A Sliver!

     There is one thing our children love doing with their dad and that is hooking up a small trailer in back of the riding lawn mower and going for a ride around the area.  They all have so much fun.  He will ride up and down the ditch to give the children a thrilling homemade roller coaster ride.  Other times he will ride to the old Pere Marquette Railroad (the railroad was already taken out and eventually made into a paved trail.  At this time it was unpaved) and explore the area for edible berries and other interesting finds.  One particular trip they all would learn a very important lesson on God's creations.

    

     The summer of 2005 was well in the making.  I was 8 months pregnant with our fifth child.  It was a beautiful day and Brian decided to take our four children out for a tractor ride to give me a few moments of quiet relaxation.  I watched them for a moment outside as Brian rode around the yard.  The older kids were sitting at the edge of the trailer letting their feet sweep across the grass underneath them.  They all had smiles on their faces enjoying the ride.  Brian headed north to the trails.  The kids happily waved good-bye to me and I waved back at them.  In their heads they knew they would be on another exciting adventure with daddy.  As they rode out of sight I walked back into the house and listened to the quiet.  I went and laid down on the couch for a moment. 

     The phone rang.  It was Brian calling from his cell phone.  "We are on our way home.  Get the first-aid kit ready."

     Panic sweeps across my mind, "What happened?  Are the kids okay?"

     "Kids are fine.  I just got a sliver."  he said calmly.

     We hung up the phone and I smiled at the thought of my husband worrying about a little sliver.  I went and retrieved our first-aid kit and waited to play the part of a nurse.  Off in the distance I heard the sound of the mower coming closer and closer.  They came into view.  The kids still looked like they were having a good time.  Brian dropped off the kids and went to put away the mower.   They came in all talking at once about grass so tall that it was over their heads and how daddy got a huge sliver.  I listened to their stories waiting for Brian to come inside.  Then my husband walks in the door. 

     He had his hand behind his back.  I look at him with a humours smile thinking how a little sliver can cause this grown man to call me to have the first-aid kit waiting.  What a baby I thought lovingly as I chuckled a little.  "Are you ready to see this?" he asked.

     I half rolled my eyes in humor at what I was about to see.  Brian brings his hand around.   At first glance I thought I was looking at Freddy Kruger's hand.  This wasn't a sliver.  This was a piercing!  I looked at my small tweezers and realized that tweezers would be useless.  It looked like a couple of huge skewers stabbed into my husband's thumb.  One entered just above his thumb joint and exited out from the top of his thumb right below the nail.  This was not a little splinter how I imagined it.  I know I must of gasped.  I looked up at Brian in horror.  "How did THAT happen?"





The grass piercing threw Brian's thumb.  Ashton looking amuzingly up at daddy's thumb.



    He told me how on their ride they came upon grass taller than he was.  He tried to pull the grass shoot to bring it home to show me.  The grass near the base splintered off and pierced my husband's thumb.  He never knew grass to do that.  I think he mostly felt bad that he couldn't bring it home to show me.  "Pull it out."  Brian says.

     I gave him a look of shock.  I cannot handle gross things like this in person.  Just looking at it gave me a chill.  I examined his hand closely.  I didn't even know how to begin to pull it out.  I looked at Brian again with a worried look.  "I don't know if I can."

     "Just try it."  I gave a little tug on one end.  It didn't move.  I tried a bit harder.  I could tell Brian winced at it.  I quickly stopped pulling. 

     "I can't do this."  I looked at him wondering what to do.  I know some small slivers, if you let them be, will work themselves out.  I don't think this was going to work its way out on its own. 

     We decided that the best way to take it out was to go to the emergency room in Reed City, Mi.  He drove himself while I stayed back with the kids.  Several hours later he came back with the large piece of grass in a clear plastic bowl.  He said the staff was so amazed by the grass piercing that they brought in other medical staff to look at it.  They ooh'd and ahh'd over it.  Brian told the doctor we took pictures of it and he said he wanted a copy of one.  He never heard of grass piercing anyone like this and was just amazed by it.

     Brian quickly healed from the wound.  He still enjoys going on tractor rides giving the kids an adventure.  Now he thinks twice about pulling something, free-handedly, out of the Earth.

Useful Driving Tips

     Being in a trucking family we have learned a few tips and tricks of the road that most people don't think about or forgot from driver's training long ago.  Some of the tips may sound so simple but there are a lot of people who don't follow the basic rules of the road and that can lead to road rage. 

HOW TO CHECK YOUR FUEL MILAGE:  Fill up your gas tank and either write down your odometer milage or reset your trip odometer.  Drive around normally and fill back up when your tank gets to be about half full.  Divide the number of miles driven to the number of gallons you put in your tank.  This will give you your fuel milage.  Do this several times and you will know the average of miles per gallon you get. 

102 miles / 7.842 gallons = 13 miles per gallon

Using different octane's can change your fuel milage.  Try different octane's to see which one gives you the best fuel milage. Perhaps the higher octane can increase your fuel milage enough to save money.  Driving a lot in the city will have a different outcome or going on a long trip and you do a lot of highway driving.  You will also use more fuel if hauling a boat or camper.  Weather can also play games on your fuel milage.  If the wind is blowing against you, you will have a lower fuel milage than if the wind is blowing with you.

LOOK FOR ANIMALS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD:  At night keep panning yours eyes to both shoulders of the road.  Animals eyes will give a glowing look when the headlights shine upon them.  When you see something glow slow down.  You know an animal is the area and you never know what they are going to do.  A few weeks ago I was driving down the highway late at night.  I caught a glimpse of a raccoon on the side of the road.  I tried to slow down in hopes that it would scurry off the opposite direction.  As I got closer the raccoon turned around and went right for my tire.  Thump!  Thump!  There went the raccoon.  NEVER! NEVER! NEVER SWERVE FOR AN ANIMAL!  There were no other cars around when I hit the raccoon but I knew if I were to try to swerve I could of flipped the van causing more damage than what the raccoon did.  If you can safely come to a stop before you hit the animal than do so. 

SEEING ANIMALS IN THE ROAD AT NIGHT:  If there is a car in front of you at night pay attention to the headlights or taillights (depending on the direction of the vehicle is traveling).  If the lights "blink" then that is a good indicator that something passed on the road between you and the other car.  Proceed with extra caution.  Some animals, like deer, travel in packs and there may be more deer that follow.  Again I stress NEVER SWERVE FOR AN ANIMAL!  If you do hit an animal pull off to the side of the road.  Check the animal carefully.  If the animal is dead please pull it off to the side of the road.  Also check your car for damages and your insurance company may need a police report for damages the animal may have done to your car.  Know your location so you can tell police (or tow truck if need be) where you are located. 

IS THE ROAD ICY OR WET:  Winter driving can be tricky.  The sun could be shinning down and the heat of the cars can melt the snow.   However, depending on the temperatures and wind chills that wet look can easily turn to ice.  If you are in doubt look at the car in front of you.  If there is spray coming from the tires the road is just wet.  However if there isn't a spray coming off from the back of the tires of the car in front of you than the road is icy and proceed with caution.  If you don't see a spray do not panic and hit your breaks hard.  That will only cause your car to start spinning and it could be the start of an accident.  Slowly lift your foot off the accelerator and slow down gradually.  As a reminder, in the spring, frost in the underground layers starts to melt.  It gives the road a wet look during a sunny, spring day.  At night, as the temperatures drop, that melted frost freezes back up again causing icy roads.  Be very cautious.

IS IT WORTH IT TO PASS THE SEMI:  You are driving down the highway and it is snowing out.  You come upon a semi truck blowing the snow around making the road hard to see.  Should you fall back or pass the semi?  Most people will pass but here is something to think about next time you debate on whether to pass or not.  Semi trucks have CB's.  They radio back to let other drivers know where the slick spots are on the road and other hazzards they come across.  Also semi trucks can be up to 80 tons.  That heaviness can help give a truck traction and manuever easier on the road that a car cannot do. Now say you pass the semi.  You now have 80 tons driving behind you.  If you start to spin out due to a patch of black ice that truck that you just passed isn't going to stop quickly and will run over you.   Look back in your rearview mirror and look at that precious cargo you have in the backseat, your children.  Again, is it worth it to take that chance?  I am not saying to never pass a semi truck but if the roads are bad think twice about it.  It is easier for you to stop behind a semi than a semi to stop behind you.  If you don't like the snow blinding you as you drive than slow down and pull back from the flurries the truck makes in it's wind path.  

HIGHWAY MERGING FROM THE ONRAMP:   Driving law has it when a car enters the highway it has to merge with the traffic already traveling on the highway.  Everyone get's a little stressed coming on the highway and having to merge with traffic.  Here are a few pointers to make the transition smoother for all.  It is polite if the car (red car) in the right lane can move over to the left lane if possible.  The car (green car) who just merged to the right lane should either speed up so the car (red car) can get back into the right lane again or slow down, let the car (red car) get back into the right lane and then pass the car (red car) on the left.  In most states it is the law for trucks to stay in the right lane (or designated lanes) expect when passing.  Many times, especially in the city, a semi will be polite and move over to the left lane to let a car onto the highway.  The car will not speed up or slow down leaving the semi out in the left lane (hammer lane).  If you get into the semi's blind spot it makes it that much harder to have the semi get back into the right lane safely.  Cars will also fill in the gap left from the semi making it impossible for the semi to get back over.  If you cannot speed up in time then slow down.  Let the semi pass you on the left and let the semi merge back over into the right lane and you can speed up and pass on the left.  To let a semi know it's okay to get back over to the lane flash the lights on and off.  DO NOT BRIGHT THEM!  The truck driver wants to make sure there is clearence and brighting them distorts their vision.  While driving down the on-ramp look to see if there is a gap in traffic and aim for that spot.  Look for cars to pull back to let you in or speed up to put more room behind them.  It's a hard dance to learn but when everyone knows the steps it can be done gracefully. 

MERGING FOR A CONSTRUCTION ZONE:  This is a pet peeve that I have.  It is when cars fly down one lane of the road before it ends because of construstion and then try to merge over.  It happens all the time.  By right the car can use the lane up until the point of merging.  People start merging to one lane way before that point and a few cars just think they can beat the wait by zooming up to the front.  That is rude. When cars start moving to a certain lane it is polite to get in that lane as soon as you can.  In doing so it makes traffic run smoother even though it is still slow.  It is when the one lane has to stop to let in other cars that creates the slinky effect where cars have to stop and go before the construction zone begins.  I have noticed cars and semi's huddle over both lanes to stop cars from zooming up too far.  I guess these people who cannot wait their turn get upset by cars and semi's who are forcing them to wait.  This is a good brew for road rage so be careful around these areas.  Mind the road workers, slow down and give them space.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SEMI'S IN TRAFFIC JAMS:  Sadly accidents happen all the time on the highways.  Traffic jams can be miles long and tiresome.  Remember that semi trucks can communicate with the use of the CB.  Pay attention if you see a lot semi's moving to the left lane or the far right lane.  It is a good indicator of what lane to be in.  Start to move to that lane as soon as you can.  This will reduce a lot of the stop and go traffic that the police try to control before the scene of the accident.  Also, don't stop and stare at the accident.  People are hurting.  Let the medical crew, police and tow trucks do their job.  Keep traffic going at a steady pace, say a small prayer and move on. 

DO NOT OVERUSE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS:  Brights can help you see better in the dark, especially in the country.  Be courteous to other drivers around you.  If you see lights from the car in front of you, dim your lights.  Do not wait until the last quarter mile to dim them.  You never know what kind of vision the other driver has.  That bright light will make them unable to see the road properly.  If that other driver does not dim the lights after giving a quick "bright light flash" then look to the white line or roads edge on the far right side of the road and focus on that until the other car passes.  If you are coming up behind a car double check to see if you have your brights on.  The bright lights reflect on the mirrors and makes it harder for them to see the road in front.  Try tapping on your breaks to let the driver behind know about the brights.  If that doesn't work then adjust your mirrors slightly so the glare from the bright lights isn't fully in your eyes.  Slow down and let them pass.  DO NOT BRIGHT THEM BACK!  Some people do forget and this can cause road rage.  Just let them be on their way.  When traveling on the highway and you can see the opposite side of the highway TURN OFF YOUR BRIGHTS!  There isn't some light force field in the median of the road that stops the bright lights from one side of the highway.  It still can impare the vision of the driver.  Rule of thumb, if you can see lights from another car, shut the bright lights off.

DON'T BE CAUGHT WITHOUT BLINKER FLUID:   Okay,  I do know there isn't such a thing but there is a small bar that protrudes from the left side of the steering wheel.  This is called your turn signal.  It is easy to use.  Lift it up to signal right; pull it down to signal left.  USE IT!  Until we are all telepathic the driver behind you has no clue on your intensions.  This is another part of being polite while driving. 

. 

TRAVELING DOWN DIRT ROADS:  You are not Bo and Luke Duke.  Do not speed down them causing dust and leaves to fly up and around when there is another car heading in your direction.  Slow down enough to cause the dust to settle and pass by slowly.  If there are people walking do not dust them as well.  Slow down.  No one wants to be coughing on the dust long after you leave the area.   

REMINDERS:  DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE

                         DO NOT DRIVE WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS

                         DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN & PETS IN CARS (especially in the heat)

                         DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE 

                         DO NOT TALK ON THE CELL AND DRIVE

                         WEAR YOUR SEATBELT

                         BE ALERT WHILE DRIVING

                        

The Worst Fourth of the North (Twice)

     The year was 2008.  The nation was celebrating its Independence Day.  Parades and festivals were going on across the country.  We decided to take the kids to Lake City for its "Greatest Fourth Of The North" fireworks that night.  We have seen the advertisments many times over on the TV, radio and newspapers and wanted to check it out. 

     We drove north to Lake City.  The small country town was wake with activity.  People were strolling along the sidewalks nibbling on ice cream.  New couples were holding hands as if they were the only ones on Earth.  Dogs on leashes were sniffing every passer-byer.  A band was playing in the distance.  Families were swimming at the beach.  It was a Norman Rockwell moment.  We parked several blocks north of the festivities.  I was over 8 months pregnant and we had 5 excited kids in tow.  The walk was uncomfortable but I was determined.  It was going to be a great night.

     We strolled by the Dairy Queen and stopped in for a bite.  The line was stretched out past the doors and far into the parking lot.  It was hot but it was fun soaking in the sites of people hurring by and cars trying to make it to its destinations.  Afterwards we took our ice creams and walked along to see the vendors and came upon the band.  Songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's filled the air.  They were good and fun to listen to.

     Next to the band was an open grassy area that led out to Lake Missaukee.  People were dotted along the field on their blankets and chairs awaiting for the fireworks to begin.  We found a spot that looked good and placed our blanket down.  The kids were occupied with some toys I brought from home.  All was going good.  The night was setting and kids were anxiously asking if it was time yet.  "Soon", we would tell them.  Out across the lake homes were letting off smaller fireworks.  It was nice and somewhat entertaining.  Then we heard loud booms.

     We knew the fireworks were starting.  Peoples eyes were on the sky.  We could hear the explosions of fireworks but couldn't see any.  A few boo's echoed in the crowd.  Finally, to the south, the top of fireworks peeked over the buildings.  Again and again we would see just the top sparks for an exploding firework.  We assumed they were going to light them off from the lake and not from the side.  Store buildings towered over the grassy seating area.  More boo's and complaints filled the air.  Some people grabbed their blankets, coolers and kids and quickly headed south to find a spot to see the show.  We thought about it but instead headed back to the car unhappily.  We didn't want to go further away from the car, with me feeling the effects of being 8 months pregnant plus little kids and trying to make it back to our car in the dark.  We didn't want to take the chance of an accident happening.  That was the end of the firworks for that year.

     A whole year went by.  Advertising for the "Greatest Fourth in the North" was sweeping the papers once again.  In one newspaper there was an apology from the city counsel about the location of the fireworks and they had a lot of complaints from the location so they declared to have the fireworks go off from a boat in the middle of Lake Missaukee so all could view them.  We decided to give it another try. 

     We loaded up the van, this time, 6 children in tow off to see the firework show.  We parked in the same area, stood in the same line for ice cream at the Dairy Queen, and heard the same sweet tunes of a band playing.  We even took our place in the same grassy field as the year before.  We were excited this year.  We brought sparklers to keep the kids happy during the dusk hours.  They enjoyed it.  The night started growing darker and darker.  The 10 O'clock hour struck.  The fireworks should be beginning shortly.  Nothing happened.  Other families in the area had fountain fireworks and people near by ooooh'ed and ahhh'ed over them to pass the time.  Thirty minutes pass.  Still nothing.  Young children in the distance started getting tired and cranky.  Even our children were getting annoyed at the darkness in the sky without fireworks exploding to entertain them.  



Ashton(8), Elizabeth (11), Christian (12), James (6), Halvor (almost 4) and Levi (almost 1) 2009.



     Families were starting to pack up and head for home.  Brian and I started laughing at the funny odds of having two bad experiences with fireworks from the same town.  Our children were starting to get restless and tired.  More and more families were leaving.  Rumors were circulating that they couldn't find the pyro-tech guy or they forgot to bring something to light the fireworks out on the boat.  Eleven O'Clock roamed around and we decided that it was our turn to pack up our things and leave.  The crowd was thinned out by the families that already left.  Again, with unhappy children we made our trek back to the van and headed home. 

     As another year passed by the kids were starting to enjoy the hope of fireworks and the failure of them not happening at Lake City.  They wanted to go back and see what kind of disaster would happen that year.  We decided to opt out and keep it local instead.  We haven't been back there since.  My sister even called earlier today as I was starting to write this blog and asked if I ever been there.  I gave her my experience and told her if she wanted to take her family to experience it that I wish her the best of luck.  

     Moments like that cannot be planned but it is moments like that that become memorable. 

An Awakening: A Christian Camp Experience

     Summer is in full swing and thousands of children will be attending a variety of camps before school will resume again in the fall.  This is a great time for children to feel independent from their parents and interact with their peers in a supervised scheduled surrounding.  It is a way to learn new skills and to push yourself to see what you can accomplish.  It is learning about teamwork while learning about something deeper inside of you. 

     It was the early summer of 1992.  I was 15 years old and staying with my Aunt and Uncle in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a few weeks.  I was slowly starting my walk with Jesus.  Even though I knew who Jesus was I never really took His words into my heart.  Growing up and attending church the priest sounded like the teacher from the Charlie Brown shows, "Wah Wah Wah....Wahhhh Wahh Wah"  Nothing was sinking in.  Church was nothing to get uplifted about.  You went, sat for an hour, and you were good to go.  The crowd I hung around with never really talked about Jesus or church or anything religious.  Faith was something for old people, not for the young. 

     My view of my ideas changed when I went to a christian camp somewhere near Tulsa.  I don't remember the name of it but it was my first time ever attending a camp and I was looking forward to the experience.  And what an experience it was!  I don't remember every single detail of camp but the parts I do remember really moved me.  Each cabin was a team and we had to study a few chapters in a book in the Bible that night and the next day we would do an activity with another cabin of who knew what of that book in the Bible.  I think we had to study 1 Corinthians.  The other ladies in the cabin knew exactly where to go in the Bible as I fumbled with locating it.  I would peek over at the table of contents quietly so the other girls wouldn't know I didn't know where that book was at and quickly get the page number and turn to that page.  Reading the Bible seemed so foreign to me.  We never really opened the Bible.  I knew the main stories of Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah, Birth of Christ and the Resurrection of Christ but the inbetween readings were unknown to me.  The other girls would talk about what they read, quizzed each other and debated over how they interrupted the scripture.  I was impressed that they knew their Bible and they loved learned about it.

     We would gather in a large pavillion for vespers and chapel time.  The songs they sang were upbeat and fun to listen to.  It was the first time I heard the christian song, "Lord I Lift Your Name On High".  I remember looking around the crowd and seeing almost everyone do the hand motions with the song.  I quickly learned it and followed along. We also sang "Lean On Me" and I remember everyone standing on their chairs, arms around each other shoulders swaying back and forth to the music.  What a great time!  It was more than just the songs, much more.  These teens where there praising Jesus and loving it.  They had Jesus in their hearts and were not afraid to show it.  Their parents were not around to push these teens into praying and singing.  They were rejoicing in God's name on their own will.  Never had I ever seen anything like that before. 

     Each day we had a speaker preach to us.  I hate to use the word preach because he wasn't talking on void ears.  He grabbed the attention of all of us and talked to us on our level.  It wasn't the Charlie Brown teacher at all.  He taught us what the Bible is saying in ways we can understand.  One man talked to us on the importance of abstinence.  He explained it this way.  One man really liked a girl and he wanted to impress her so he bought her a ring.  After a few weeks a beautiful lady caught his attention and he bought the same ring for that lady and dated her.  Some time when by and a third lady took his interest.  He purchased the same exact ring for her.  Finally a fourth lady won his heart and affection.  He went to the same store to buy the same ring.  He took the ring home and took it out of the box.  He looked at the ring and as he gazed upon the ring it didn't have the same sparkle, the same pizzaz as it did once before.  He thought about all the girls he had given the same ring to and it just didn't feel right giving her that ring he had given away to all the others who weren't so special as she was.  Point of the story is to save yourself (the ring) for the one you want to be married to, to give them that one special gift from you to them. 

    Another speaker talked again on relationships and abstinence.  He used a candle as a visual.  When you first buy a candle it is unlit, whole, pure, just like you are.  When you light the candle (he lit it) it symbolizes a relationship and how far it advances.  You might get a kiss from your boyfriend or girlfriend.  But when that relationship ends (he blew out the candle) and a new one begins you cannot start pure and whole again.  You start from where the candle was once lit - and kissing is easy to do.  Then your candle burns a little bit more and the relationship gets more advance.  Then that relationship ends.  The flame is extinguished.  Another relationship starts back up.  You don't start up near the top with kissing.  You already move to where the flame was last put out and move quickly forward burning more and more of the candle out.  God wants us to keep our candles (us) pure and whole until we marry.  We shouldn't have our candles burn out before we meet the one we marry. 

     There were other activites we did such as obstacle courses against different teams to get points.  The points led to special privledges such as swimming or staying up late to attend a bon fire.  Nothing stuck in my head more than the way Jesus was the focus in everyone's lives.  It was a real eye opener for me.  God is more than sitting at church for an hour or saying a prayer before dinner.  He is indescribable.  He is there for all people, all ages, whether we want him to be there or not.  He is our creator.  I learned that I need not be ashamed to call myself a Christian.  I learned that God has given us this great book, The Bible, to read and to learn from.  God has been knocking at my heart and I finally opened the doors and let him inside.

   

Jake Miller and His Pickle's

     It seems in every neighborhood there is a kindly old couple that knows every neighbor and enjoys visiting with them as well.  They are there to celebrate good comings and they are there when the family needs a shoulder to lean on.  They wave to the children that pass by on the sidewalks and the children wave back knowing who they are.  That couple in our neighborhood was Jake and Emma Miller.

     Jake and Emma Miller lived across from us on Center Rd in Saginaw Township, Michigan.  They lived in a blonde brick ranch style home with sea-green colored shutters and trim.  If I think hard enough I can picture him riding his yellow and white lawn mower out of his attached garage and mowing around his house while his wife attended to the garden off to the side.

     Jake was born in Russia and came to America as a young man.  He told us of a story of when he was a little boy he remember soldiers breaking into his home and taking his father away and his father was never heard or seen from again.  Right away I got the impression that Russia was a horrible place to be.  Being older and knowing the dates I realized it was during The Great War and turmoil was all over Russia at that time.

     Emma was a bit shy and quiet.  She mostly kept indoors but occasionally she would escort her husband to visiting the neighbors.  I just remember her being a small lady with dark curly hair and glasses.  At time they would visit with my mom and sit down watching my sister, brother and I play around the yard or while we were shooting some hoops.

     Every year we would expect a special visit from Mr. Miller toting a few jars of his homemade dill pickles made fresh out of his garden.  We would see him on the side of the road waiting to cross the busy street.  Someone would shout the news that Mr. Miller was on his way carring the jars of pickles.  Then we would cringe.  We appreciate his kindly gesture of sharing his homemade pickles but  his pickles were not the best tasting.  We were used to eating the kind of pickles with the stork on it bought from the store.  Those were good.  These pickles had a dull dill flavor to it. 

     Soon there was a knock on the door.  We happily invited him inside and we all gathered into the kitchen.  Mom would place the large jars on the counter and talk with Mr. Miller for a moment.  Then she would open the jars and hand my sister, my brother and I a large pickle all the while telling Mr. Miller how much we enjoyed his pickles and looked forward to them every year.  That was pretty much our cue to eat the pickles faking our delight in them.  We mmm'ed and ahhh'ed over them but deep down my sibilings and I were thinking these are awful. 

     After some time he would head back home leaving the jars of pickles behind.  We would sit and stare at them as if the pickles were some nasty medicine we were forced to take.  Eventually we did eat them all.  Mom would serve them up with dinner and we groan as we were forced to eat one.  We were taught to be thankful when someone would give a gift and to use it kindly.  It was a hard lesson to learn. 

     Jake Miller passed away September 28, 1992 at the age of 83.  We moved away a year after that and later learned his wife ended up passing away October 24, 2001 at the age of 89.  I am thankful that the Miller's were a part of our lives and memories even if it was a small part.  I had never had homemade pickles after that but there are times when I would love to have a bite of his pickles just to bring back that fond tradition and kindness a neighbor gave to us.

Amityville Slaughter House

     I do not know why men think women are dainty creatures that needs protecting.  Perhaps some women do faint at the sight of blood or scream at the sight of a snake crawling across the floor but not me.  I was raised with the enjoyment of blood, guts, and gore.  While some girls I knew found gratification of looking at clothes and jewerly, I was finding pleasure in horror movies and getting down and dirty.  As a child my sister and I would watch the movie series Friday the 13th and our VCR had a slow motion button to it.  There was a scene where a cop ran through the woods trying to chase Jason Voorheis.  The cop came to a small run-down cabin.  He is looking through some things when Jason comes up behind him and slams the hammer claw into the back of the cops head.  My sister and I would click the slow motion button and watch how the cops eyes would look as if are popping out of his face once the hammer was entering the back of his head.  Morbid, I know, but my sister and I were laughing too hard to care.  My family is twisted.

     I was only dating Brian a few weeks when he asked if I wanted to join him in the semi-truck to make a pick up in Chicago.  It sounded exciting and it was.  Sitting up high in the semi-truck you can see everything.  You felt powerful and tall.  In Chicago traffic you can look down into people's cars and see what they are doing or little children will look up and beg for the air horn to be blown.  Sometimes Brian would blow it and the kids in the car would hoot with delight. 

     He was scheduled to pick up meat from a slaughterhouse in Chicago.  It was called the Amityville Slaughter House and it lived up to its name.  He told me to wait in the cab as he went inside to deal with the paperwork.  I looked around through the cab's windows and there wasn't much to look at.  Older looking cars were in the parking lot, weeds vined up the broken down fence that surrounded the building, and the building looked old.  I even watched a pig being escorted in the air by a Bobcat 4-wheeler across the parking lot.  Little did this pig know but its final ride would lead him become bacon and ham. Did my mouth just water, I thought.

     After a while an uncomforting feeling came across me.  I needed a bathroom.  Oh how I envied men who can just stand hidden in a corner to use it or relieve themselves in a bottle or jug.  God just did not make women that way.  I looked at the mulitple doors to the building.  I didn't know which door to go into.  I looked around for another business, perhaps a gas station would be nearby.  There was nothing but old, run-downed, two story homes.  Please God, let Brian come out soon! I anguished.  After what seemed like forever Brian came back to the truck to check on me.  The shippers were still messing with the paperwork.  I told him I needed to use the bathroom.  He asked if I could hold it.  I have him a look of urgency.  He begged me to hold it because this wasn't a nice place to use the bathroom.  "I don't care," I pleaded, "I am about to squat in front of this truck if I don't get to a bathroom now!"

     He comes around the truck and opens the door for me.  "I don't want you looking around.  Keep your eyes on the floor.  There is disgusting things in here." he says tenderly as we approach a set of doors.

     Disgusting things?  Did that ever get my curiousity going!  We entered the first set of doors and a lady sat behind a window with papers shuffled across her desk.  Brian asked where the bathroom was for me.  The lady gave him instruction through the factory maze. We entered another set of doors.  It was loud and smelled nasty.  As we rounded a corner the floor turned red.  It's wasn't paint either.  But I was mindful and still kept my eyes on the ground, mostly because I didn't want to step on the chunks that was litered on the ground. We entered another area and he told me that when he says "GO!" we have to move quickly forward.  I couldn't look down any longer.  The urge to look up was too great.  I told Brian I can handle this.  I looked up and gasped out loud.  Brian was so concerned and disappointed that the image I seen was terrifing to me.  On the contrary that was a gasp of excitment. 

     This is a part of our food chain that most people don't get to see and here I was observing it.  Up above were skinless headless pigs hanging on hooks through its feet cascading around on a system that looked like a cruel roller coaster ride.  It went from an upper level and down across the room we were in and into a lower level room for more processing.  As we passed through the room, we had to dodge between the hanging pig corpses.  It was thrilling.  A smile even emerged from my face which confused Brian.

     We went down a flight of grated stairs.  I placed my hands on the railing.  It was sticky and gooie feeling.  I knew it was because of pig blood.  I quickly let go of the railing.  Just because I found this experience interesting I didn't want to feel it.  We finally found the bathroom.  It wasn't pretty, to say the least.  It looked as bad as it did the slaughter house.  I didn't care.  I had to use it.  A toilet was a toilet and I was thankful.

     We made our way back up the sticky stairs, dodged the hanging carcas of pork, and back around to the lady at the window.  Brian walked me back to the truck apologizing for the sights that I seen and that a lady shouldn't of seen something to that degree.  I told him I found it rather interested and I liked it but he didn't understand how someone could like something so grusome.  I climbed back into the truck and Brian went back inside to finish up on the paperwork.  I sat there wishing how I could see the rest of the factory and how a pig goes from being carried on bobcat to becoming bacon on our breakfast plates.

     After some time Brian comes running to the truck.  "We have to go now!" he says urgently, "The inspectors are closing the factory down!  They just finished loading our truck and we have to leave before they lock up the gates."  He gets the truck moving fast and starts shifting gears.  A few other trucks were in line of leaving the premises quickly.

     We get back on the road and Brian says, "I bet after that you won't want to eat meat anymore."

     I looked at him, smiled, and replied, "Actually a grilled ham and cheese sandwich does sound good."  Then we rode off on the highway.  I think Brian then realized that I was different than the other girls he knew.       

Last Day of School

     As kids, the first day of school is equally as exciting as one other day.  That day is the last day of school.  Sitting in classroom as a child it seemed as if May kept adding hidden days to its calendar.  It never seemed to end.  Then June arrives and in no time we are giving our teachers a final hug as we dash out the classroom doors, down the halls enter on the bus to take us home for another exciting summer adventure. 

     The last week of school seemed like fluff.  There really isn't homework and we get extra recesses in to pass the time.  In elementary I remember going through all the text books we had in our desks and look through the pages for any pencil marks we might of made during the year.  As I got older I would intentionally leave notes hidden on the pages of the text.  On one page I would have turn to page 34.  Then turn to page 88.  I would end it with a "Hi" or something silly. With buckets of warm soapy water we wiped down the front and back cover of our books and piled them neatly on a shelf for next years students.  We would pull lost papers out of our desks and reveal them to other students nearby.  Other students would also share their lost treasure of papers hidden in the depths of the desk.  Then we would take the wash rag again and rinse out the desks. 

     Next we would pile out to our lockers with huge garbage bins lining the hallways.  Some lockers were neat as a pin and others were thankful for the garbage bins.  It seemed as if there were always lockers that had a lost juice box stuck to the bottom or a lost hat left over from winter.  Classroom posterboard projects were usually curled up and pushed towards the back.  The teachers would had out extra bags for those who wanted to take their items home to share.  Then another use for the wash rag and the lockers had to be cleaned from top to bottom.  It wasn't so bad.  It seemed more like playtime than work. 

     Teachers would usually toss in extra goodies into our bags on the last day.  Sometimes a textbooks when the school is getting newer textbooks, summer packets to work on, or pictures that were taken throughout the year. 

     The bus dropped us off one last time at our house.  We would run inside anxious to take off our school uniform and put on summer clothes.  Mom would always be inside awaiting our arrival and wanting to hear about our last day.  My sister, brother and I would each have our highlighted time with our mom sitting on the couch as we go through all the papers and books and other treasures we brought home.  The other two sibilings would sit on the floor patiently waiting their turn and also engaging into the conversation.  It usually ended by a competition of whose work was the hardest.  I usually lost because I am the baby of the family and everyone could do my work.  I value those moments that I had with my family then. 

     With my children waiting for their last few days of school I can only imagine what they are doing around the classroom, excited children can't wait for summer break and feeling older as they go on to the next grade.  As a parent the roles have changed.  I still get anxious waiting for the bus to get home and 5 little ones come running up the driveway waving their backpacks eager to show me their stuff.  And I sit there on the couch for our special time and have them show me all of their papers and happily hear all their stories.