I've spent 28 years making a home all over the four corners of the United States as a military wife. Wherever I found myself I've taken my southern roots along with me. When you came into my house I fed you southern, talked southern and gave good old southern hospitality. While living in California we had a Japanese exchange student. I tried to teach my student and his friends my southern ways. They would always say that they were taught one kind of English by their school and host families and another English from me.
They loved my fried chicken but said my grits reminded them of food Japanese feed to the seriously ill. I tried to teach them clogging which was a hoot. (Clogging: form of mountain dancing). I define that because when I moved to California and asked if they had clogging someone thought I was looking for shoes from Holland. By the way those students won a talent show dressed up in cowboy duds, hee-hawing’ and clogging to bluegrass. That was 14 years ago and three of those students now visit me in the South bringing friends and family with them.
I no longer move around as I once did, but I carry with me some great memories. Other than the South I loved Washington State and
its raw beauty. My favorite place was in California. In the 1990’s we moved to a small island in northern California. The island was filled with an arousing scent of the countless eucalyptus trees covering the island and unique vegetation brought from around the world over the years by sea captains making ports of call. It was a community of its own separate and yet filled with people from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds. We all endured the last Desert Storm War together.
As a child I had many adventures and fortunately I've continued to have them. Most occurred while camping. Along with my children I have some grand memories. Occasionally I'd allow adults to tag along, but most adults were too busy or too weak to rough it. Once my children and I camped from Washington State to the Golden Gate Park making every scenic stop along the way. We stopped so many times I was a couple days late getting home and my husband had the state highway patrol looking for us. When I am outdoors, surrounded by the awesome beauty of God's creation I tend to loose all track of time.
I had mostly good camping adventures, one bad experience and one where God was
in the midst. I even took a family whose wife had told me her husband could never totally get away from his stressful job. I told her I could get them where no one could interrupt. That husband today is one of our countries top brass in Washington, but "I" taught him how to camp.
Taking the Japanese students camping was loads of laughs. They could not get the hang of the outdoor shower I invented or walking long distance for primitive restrooms. My worse camping trip was an effort for a mothers getaway. Camping involves work and dirt along with rest and fun. For three days and two nights I endured constant whining and complaining. After that I took only kids who enjoy the great outdoors.
There was one trip I’ll never forget where God spared my life and the children with me. The kids were in year round school and the first week of every break we went camping usually taking along a friend or two, or three. I had reservations for the Santa Cruz Mountains, but when I went to bed the night before I could not sleep because of some strange
uneasiness (God's silent whispering). The next morning we were to leave so I called first thing in the morning to see if I could change the reservations and go north instead. That Monday I loaded up the car with camping gear, food with five kids, and off I went to camp somewhere between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.
We set up camp on a very hot day and the place was not as nice or cool as Santa Cruz would have been so the kids were not too happy I had changed our plans. I had a rule on my trips. If you want
to eat, you pitch in with all the work. We had finished setting up camp and were eating by the campfire as the boys were trying to find a radio station carrying the World Series game between Oakland and San Francisco.
You may recall that World Series. The 1998 World Series LOMA Pretia Earthquake. The earthquake that’s epicenter was located in the Santa Cruz Mountains where we would have been had God not given me that strange feeling that caused me
to change our reservations at the last minute. That is one adventure I am glad God did not allow me to have.
I’ve written about the storms God has carried me through and how He never leaves my side. This is the story how He also saved me from the mouth of earthquake. It also reminded me to be still and listen to God's leading. Don't ignore not having peace about something.
(Psalm 124:1a)
“If the lord had not been on our side…”
(Psalm 125:1)
“Those who trust the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”