Out In The Country

Sorry for the delay in posting, Little A and I have been on a bit of a vacation for the past 6 days. We (and by we I mean my parents and I) took her on her first airplane ride/vacation back here to Southern Illinois. She did excellent on the airplane and the 3 hour drive to my Aunt Linda's. She is quite the jetsetter and I would not hesitate to take her on another trip. Last night she slept from 7:30 pm until 8:30am this morning, with a 6:00am snack. Incredible!

This is Little A with her Great Grandma, whom she was named for.

We have been busy seeing family and taking a final look at my late Grandpa's farm before it is sold at auction at the end of October. Growing up, I came back here just about every summer for vacation to this farm country where my parents were raised, bouncing from Great Grandma's to Grandpa Tommy's and all the different Aunts and Uncles' homes. It was truly idealic. I don't think I really realized that until this trip. Life is certainly slower paced here and being back here now that I am a little older has certainly made me appreciate my roots a little more. Everything is very different. It has been ten years since I have spent any real time back here, and I regret that.

My Grandpa Tommy passed away exactly one week before Little A was born. It never sunk in that he was gone until yesterday. We drove unto his property and his truck was parked in the drive. I walked into the house and was immediately struck with the nostalgia of it all. His coats were hanging in the entry and his boots were sitting there. As I walked into the kitchen, I half expected him to come walking in to greet me. When he didn't, it finally hit me. He is really gone. I felt the sadness all around me. A lot of that was a feeling of regret that Little A would never get to experience the same memories I did as a little girl, and that Peter did not get to see it before it is sold.

It is amazing to drive around and see the combines harvesting the corn in all the fields and to smell the dust from the corn husks on the air. There are crickets all around your feet and rows of corns and beans for miles upon miles. I took this picture just past my Aunt Linda's. I was able to stand in the middle of the road for as long as I needed without worry of a car passing.