The Heartbeat of Home

Sometimes I don't fully appreciate the place that I call "home".

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to go on a bit of a nature walk so I set aside the fact that it was 96 degrees outside and grabbed my camera. I already had the perfect spot in mind, it was a place that I drove past at least twice a week, and while it wasn't the most obscure location it was still ripe with photo opportunities.
I parked my van at this abandoned one room church that sat along a country road that was traveled only by people who knew where they were going. My destination wasn't far from where I parked, but the only way to get there was by walking along the road.
I was familiar enough with the area to know that the locals drive the road well above the posted 40 MPH speed limit sign so when I heard the first car approach I stepped off into the high grass at the edge of the road.
The car slowed to a stop and the automatic window came down.

"Do you need a ride?"
It was a young woman with two young children strapped in car seats in the back of her car.
"No thanks," I said as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. "I'm parked right up the road."

That was the first of ten cars that passed me during the time that I was on the roadside, and each of them stopped to make sure I was okay. Even the old farmer who was hauling a load of hay on his tractor slowed to make sure that I wasn't in distress.

"If you need a phone I got one uptahouse."
"No sir, I'm okay."
"Well then," he reached into a cooler that was strapped to the side of his Massey Ferguson with a bungee cord and pulled out a bottle of water that had stopped being cold sometime around lunch, "take this so you don't get yourself a heat stroke."

I smiled.

This was the place that I called home.
A place where strangers didn't mind stopping to help a woman walking alongside the road.
A place where strangers offered you something to drink on a hot summer day.


Sometimes I forget to appreciate this place that I see every day, and the people I pass as I drive down the road. Today I felt the heartbeat of my small mid-western town.

The heartbeat of home.

Laundry room chaos...

I got this great deal on a used washer and dryer a couple of years ago.
It was the bargain basement price of FREE, and - well - this sister doesn't turn down free.
There were a couple minor issues with the washer and dryer, but nothing I wasn't willing to live with - especially considering my old washer had decided to spew oil all over my laundry and my old dryer had decided it would rather eat my clothes than dry them....
Ahh..life's rough.

Based on these core facts, it came as no surprise when the appliances were in need of repair.

What did come as a surprise was the fact that it would happen all at once.

Week One:
I get a text message from my brother that says, simply, "dryer is broke."
That brother of mine, he's so detailed in his informative skills....
After a quick inspection, and a visit to repairclinic.com, I had a new heating element on the way.

Week Two: (Part 1)
Just days after having placed the order for the heating element for my dryer I was met with a second laundry catastrophe. My washing machine had for some reason decided that the water was better placed on the floor than in the drainage pipe clearly labeled "WASHER OUT".
Who knew?
A quick inspection alerted me to the fact that the drainage hose had sprung one hell of a leak, and further inspection alerted me to a severely worn place on the agitator belt.
Wanting to preempt any future repairs or shipping expense, I hopped on repairclinic.com and ordered both the replacement belt and the new drainage hose.

Week Two: (Part 2)
After the arrival of my first order for the heating element for my dryer, I hunkered down with my socket wrench to make the repairs. 30 minutes later my dryer was running like a dream...and even getting hot enough to dry the clothes completely.

Week Three: (Part 1)
Upon the arrival of my washing machine replacement parts...I again hunkered down with my socket wrench to begin to disassemble my washer. An hour later, covered in the stench of water that had likely been sitting in the washing machine pump for the last decade, the washer was again running smoothly.

Week Three: (Tonight)
My brother tosses something into the dryer and turns it on. From my desk in the family room I hear this incredible squeal....
Never a good thing.
Looks like I'm making another visit to repairclinic.com

Do over...again....

I go through these phases....
Sometimes I'm writing hard core, balls to the wall, without any hesitation or reservation.
Other times I come to a full and complete stop.

I suppose you can guess that most recently I've been at a stop.

It was the unexpected message from an internet friend which prompted me to start reevaluating the things I'd been doing with my time.
Essentially, her message was "where the hell have you been?"

I had to stop and ask myself the same question.

I didn't have a good answer.

Wherever the hell I've been doesn't really matter as much as the fact that I'm back. At least for the moment.

Time to get you caught up on the life that is Heather....

You better fasten your seat belt.