It's a long ways back to the Rocky Mountains and the life that we once lived there. Nearly 3 weeks have passed now since we arrived here in the northern part of the state of Texas and little by little, Mike and I have been able to make the adjustments necessary to begin a new way of living on the other side of the big mountain. We knew going into it that there was a chance for us to hit a few potholes along the road while getting to where we are in time today. True to form, we have experienced those little bumps, especially in the past few days, but rather than deterring us from being "ok", they have only served to make us more determined to get along just fine here.
Life is good and we are still happy to be here.
One of the lessons that I have learned here is the importance of supporting the local "small shops" in our town. There is a general store in town that we frequent on a daily basis, sometimes even two or three times a day, as we realize things that we had to leave behind in Colorado and desperately need here. It's a great place and only if you are from my hometown of Haven, Kansas will you understand this but it's like a "Hempstid's Variety Store" on steroids. They have it all and then some. If they don't have it, well you really didn't need it anyways. We like the people who own it and those who work behind the counter. We have purchased several things already from them, like a new box springs and lawn mower plus a thousand other small necessities. We only wish we would have purchased our new couch and washer/dryer from them instead of going into the city and dealing with huge store chains. They still believe in the value of customer service at that general store and for that we are really grateful. So when y'all (lol, I don't really talk like that) see a sign that says remember to shop "small", that you really ought to try and do that.
The internet is still not hooked up at our house. The recent floods slowed the entire world here down to a slow crawl so we are most thankful to at least have the chance to frequent the city library in order to "log on" once in a while. You just don't realized how spoiled you are until you have to schedule your daily life around when you can find wi-fi access in town. Hopefully we shall see some sign of it tomorrow. Time will tell but until then, I keep my library card handy.
It's been a rough week with a lot of "hurry up and continue to wait" going on but in spite of it all, we have survived. I have maintained since the beginning of this journey that as long as Mike and I stick together, that we can do anything. I stand firm behind that this evening. We have tried to find creative ways to make do until things finally get taken care of. This morning we found a thrift store that supports a local cause and so because both of us love finding a great bargain, we decided to check it out. We picked up an overstuffed chair and ottoman for $25 and found the way to get it home in the back of Mike's car. For over two weeks now we have been waiting for our brand new couch to arrive and after several glitches, it still hasn't been delivered. It hadn't been in our plans to buy a piece of used furniture but you know, what the heck? $25 was a price that was hard to beat and it will definitely feel a lot better than sitting in lawn chairs for another two weeks. One lesson that I have always known is this.
You do what you have to do in order to survive.
Neither of us are too good to sit on a piece of used furniture.
I thought about "the 20" today and wondered how they were doing as they settle into summer and enjoy their lives as kids. I looked at their picture and my heart kind of felt sad for a moment. A month ago today, we were still in school together and enjoying being a part of our classroom community. The days flew by so quickly as I knew they would. I hope they are doing ok and pray that they will always remember how much their teacher loved them and by the way, does still.
Lots of things lie ahead here but we are prepared to meet whatever should come our way. We love this community and have already met several of the great people who live there. The future is still kind of uncertain but each day things become easier.
For as much as the week has been a sometimes difficult one, many blessings have come our way. My teaching license was granted, Mike got the new clothesline made for me, the mosquito population is "giving up the ghost", we have visited Mike's aunt and my sister and brother-in-law many times, and we are down to one final box to be emptied. And in the least of things, we remember to do this.
We give thanks.
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