On the Road Again

We've got the wide open road underneath our feet once more.  In the past, this represented adventure-seeking self-fulfillment...but this time, there is a world of newness surrounding us.  Every step of this journey comes with demands for more patience, flexibility, and creativity in order to continue momentum.  I could have never supposed that such a small being, would bring such a wide new world.


On the one week "anniversary" of Danforth's birth, our home was purchased.  For what "the house" lacked in cost, it has made up for in the hours of time Corey has spent with his sleeves rolled up "meddling" (as I jokingly refer to it as) with such things as a carburetor, engine tubing, fuel pumps, holding tank repairs, and such things as a woman has little clue about.  In the maiden voyage returning from the Sault, Corey experienced our first, of many, debacles with the thing. 


How can a ridiculously complicated story be told briefly?  Here's my attempt:

Three hours from home, C purchases motorhome.  His ride returns to Marquette while he does paper title transfers and such things. C sets out for home late in the evening.  Breaks down while still 2 hours from home.  Phone has almost no battery, auto shops are now closed.  Calls wife to have someone pick him up.  C's dad heads out immediately.  Meanwhile, C realizes he happens to have broken down in front of an American Legion.  Comes upon two slightly drunk men who know all about GM engines from the 70s.  The two slightly drunk men roll up sleeves, and with soda capfulls of gasoline in the carburetor, are able to magically get it running again! C is on the move and heading home! Upon informing his wife of the good news, she discovers, C never received message that his father was coming to pick him up. Wife, mother, and mother-in-law of C frantically call, and re-call, C's dad who left an hour ago.  Unfortunately, C's dad's phone had almost no battery and was turned off to save battery to call C when he got closer.  Straight to voice mail over and over.  C's dad driving East, C driving West....inevitably....they pass one another. C's dad unknowingly oblivious to the changes of the tide. C is powerless to getting his dad's attention and knows a car chase wouldn't end well.  C continues homeward and eventually pulls in safely.  Meanwhile, after a painful hour or two of failed attempts to contact C's dad, he is finally reached and turns back home.  Late that night, C's dad pulls in, whistling in surprisingly good spirits having had a "needless" 4 hour drive.  Ahh well, he says. "I got through the book of James 6 times".   Laughs are shared as the family gathers in M & C's new home on wheels in the middle of the night...what an adventure on so many fronts.

A day or two later, upon taking it for a test drive...breaks down mid-parking lot. 


Needless to say, Corey spent quite a number of hours and days with his sleeves rolled up and hands roughed up with rust and grease learning the mechanics of this old engine.  There was nothing quite so satisfying, as watching him come home each evening after a day under the hood, smelling like grease, washing his hands in "goop" and tenderly holding his newborn son.

Once the lumbering, bouncing, vehicle finally made it to our backyard, the weeks that followed were a ridiculous flurry of things.  Piles and piles and piles and piles of things.  My sanity balanced on a shoestring over the canyon of emotional collapse. Okay, I hate disorder and lack of control.  And that's what our life sort of became while trying to figure out what stuff to store, what to throw away, what to give away, what to sell away, what to pack into our new home, what to pack into the roof of our new home, what to return back to it's owner.......leaving me starring at tiny meaningless objects for way too much time, in the sheer mental exhaustion of the task at hand.


Just when I would get consumed in some kind of "woe is me" state of mind, I'd be forced to stop and feed Danforth. Then, I'd be sitting there in my flurry...and re-realize that the important things in life, are actually, not things at all.  Just when I'd be about to burst out in an angry cry, I'd look and Danforth would be obliviously innocent, smiling up at me with his toothless grin.  His cuteness level is overwhelming, and it causes me to question how and why I can get so serious about things that don't really matter all that much.  Man, I'm really starting to love this dude..




And just like my revelation of pain, within allotted time and hard effort, the tasks and piles of things were eventually accomplished, and we said our goodbyes to Marquette.  This included pulling up onto the university campus in our rig and a tearful goodbye with Corey's precious momma (well, and dad, friends, etc...but there's nothing quite like watching a grandma have her first grandson taken away for a time). 





As we puttered out of Marquette city, and then, out of Marquette county, we laughed, we felt free, we felt like us again.  July had been full of my post-partum recovery pains and learning parenting and family and moving, August had so far been full of piles of things, goodbyes to friends and family.....and finally, we were the 3 of us rolling down the road in our big house...and ohh it feels good.  

It feels as if we've stepped into a life of luxury.  To access anything we need while cruising down the highway, no more stops necessary to feed or change the babe, to pull up anywhere on the road we want to settle in...and...yes, we can even have hot showers. Waking up to dawn with moored sailboats in the bay was even well worth the nerves falling asleep wondering if we'd get woken up in the night with a knock on our door telling us to move...which did end up happening, only after our hot showers and breakfast had been completed.  Nice and timely.


Then we were off again.  The following two weeks were also filled with visits to friends and family in absolute abundance.  Mr. Danforth has been held and loved on by masses and masses of wonderful people. Marquette, Grand Marais, Sault St Marie, Goetzville, Harrisville, Mio, Lapeer, Ann Arbor and Detroit have each been locations of friends/family we've visited and spent nights with.  Each of these could be blogs in themselves of memories and thoughts, however, some memories are left shared between those that keep them.  We are finally feeling settled into our home and now, as I type, Danforth is stirring (which means my time here is quickly coming to an end), the sun is rising, and we leave for Columbus, Ohio in a few hours.

My friends, we are heading South.  We are leaving Michigan.  While it has been absolutely wonderful to have had such wonderful times of sharing our son with people we love, we're ready to be a family on our own leaving our safety net of community and stability, and head into the wide world in our "covered wagon" as we go forward like pioneers into the unknown paths ahead.

I introduce to you, home sweet home:





 We're heading South, y'all.

M&C


Comments

Well, our family has been living vicariously through you two since that summer of 2011, and we are totally doing the happy dance for you! What an adventure!!! And there is something very cozy about raising a child in a small space like that. (We moved into a 35 foot sailboat full time about a month ago). Where are you heading, in the South? You're moving at the perfect time--the autumns here are perfect. Kind of like a Michigan summer, only with more sunshine. Send me an e-mail if you ever find yourselves in Houston. We'd love to have you visit at the marina. ;-)
Anonymous said…
When you left here, you took both our prayers and love with you. Can't beat that, eh? So much ahead, so little of it known yet....I don't know how our parents survived life before cell phones and internet. It sure helps to keep us connected!! Stay bold. Stay tender. Always tell Danforth how much his extended family loves
him. Cling to the Lord in the midst of all the adventure and tedious times, the joys and the frustrations, knowing that there is no better place to be than where He is leading you. I am secure in that and rejoicing in your journey...MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH and smiling at unmapped territory ahead. KEEP US POSTED!!! xoxoxo Mommagrammaberta
mommagrammaberta said…
ooops that above comment was from Mommagrammaberta!!!!!
Afan said…
I love this:
How can a ridiculously complicated story be told briefly?
The retelling of this story had me literally laughing out loud! Oh my gosh!
C's dad driving East, C driving West....inevitably....they pass one another.
I soo well remember trying so very hard to reach him so that this inevitably did NOT happen!
Also, laughing recalling Rob pulling in much later:
Late that night, C's dad pulls in, whistling in surprisingly good spirits having had a "needless" 4 hour drive. Ahh well, he says. "I got through the book of James 6 times".
What a wonderful family my grandson has!
Love you all so very much,
MomD
Unknown said…
I love reading your blog, Meg. You are such a good writer! Blessings to you, Cory and Danforth as you travel south. Joyce Berdie