Home Once Again

Well, if you're reading this post, then I have successfully returned from my trip of a lifetime. In a three day period, I went from Paris, France to Paris, Kentucky, and trust me, they look nothing alike. Mom and I were up for nearly 48 hours. That's not something that I want to make a habit of doing, either. I like my sleep too much. Mom really hung in there, too, but by the end of a ten hour transcontinental flight she had begun to see little green men out of the corner of one of her eyes. (Actually, she had picked up some kind of bug somewhere along the way and had green ooze coming out of her eye. The doctor saw her right away the next day after we landed and gave her some antibiotics.) After resting for two days we travelled back home to southern Ohio to visit with our family. Sadly, we lost my mother's brother while we were away. Albert Keiber lived in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, spent several years in the Air Force, worked at Western Electric, was a valued member of his church and could fix anything. He leaves behind his wife, Carol, and daughter, Alicia. We spent a week in Ohio and returned to Georgia a week before Christmas. I had intended to have my Christmas tree up before I left but time got away from me so there I was out at Jack's tree farm late one afternoon hoping that there might be a tree left for me. When I pulled up, the owner, Jack, hopped out of his truck and greeted me with a big wave. "Well, there you are. I thought you might have moved or something." "Nope. Just been doing some travelling. Went across the pond to check out the Christmas markets on the Danube River." "You don't say," he said. "Yes, we had a really good time. We were gone for about 11 days and then travelled back home because of a death in the family." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. It's sad to lose somebody, anytime, especially this time of year." "I know. You never get used to it." Looking around the field, I took note of the many empty spaces where Christmas trees once stood. "Looks like you've been picked over," I said. "Yeah, we have. I don't get many coming for trees this close to the actual day. In fact, I hadn't planned on opening today because I didn't feel that well. I think I got a bug or something. I know you like a white pine as your tree of choice--look at that tree on the other side of my truck." I glanced in that direction, "Looks kinda big," I said. "It's pretty good size. I need to get rid of it; next year it'll be too big to be used as a Christmas tree. It's the last tree in this area, I'm going to replant the whole field. What do you think? I'll let you have it for half price." "Sold! I'll make it fit," I said with a chuckle. Leaving him standing beside the tree, I started walking back through the field. 'Where ya going?" he asked. "I thought you wanted this tree." "I do," I said. "Now, I have to go get my mom a tree." "Oh," he said. "Where does she live?" "Just up the road," I said, "in the next town." "Well, that's nice of you. I'll tell you what--what ever tree you pick out I'll let you have it half price, too." "Wow! Thank you, Jack. I really appreciate that." I picked out a tree for mom and got it loaded in the trailer with the other one. I definitely had a full load. Even after cutting off several of the limbs and trimming the trunk, I was worried that the half priced white pine wouldn't go into my house. "Good luck with that," he said. "I hope you get it inside." "Me too." "Let me ask you a question," he said. "What's that?" I answered. "That trip you took with your mom--was it the trip of a lifetime?" "Indeed, it was," I said. "You should go if you get the chance." "Oh, I don't know," he said. "Who's gonna run my Christmas tree farm?" I just smiled and said, "I know. I'll see you next year." "See you next year." Sometimes, things don't always go as planned. But sometimes, they go even better!