There's No Place Like Home...

Well, Xena and I just arrived home from a 1400 mile round trip fact-finding mission into the deepest, darkest jungles of North Carolina, with a stopover at the super-secure Tugboatcapn version of Camp David, located in the suburbs of Atlanta GA.

It was good to see the Family, and to scout out various possibilities for the future, but it is also good to be home.

The dog, Sydney, spent most of the trip in the back seat for a change. (He usually rides in Xena's lap.) This was not his idea, but he adjusted quite well, and that left Xena free to read most of Ann Coulter's new book to me while I fulfilled the driving duties.

We spent conservatively $180.00 on Gasoline, $175.00 on food, and another $200.00 between us on incedentals for a grand total of about $555.00 for a week of travel, fun, and frivolity.

We stayed with relatives, (Thank you Miriam, Wilton, and Mr. Dan!) and they fed us some of the time. (Thanks again!)

On Saturday, I went to the North Carolina Old Threshers Reunion in Denton NC with my Dad, my Brother and his son, and my Brother-in-Law. (All VERY cool people.)

Basically this is a Tractor Show featuring every type of old tractor, farm implement, power unit, hit-and-miss engine, lawn mower, car, truck, horse drawn buggy or plow or piece of machinery that you can imagine. I loved every minute of it. I am especially fascinated with the hit-and-miss engines which were used in the late 19th and early 20th Century to power water pumps, hay bailers, grain threshers and cotton gins.

One guy there had built, from scratch, a hit-and-miss engine which was about four inches long. We asked him if it would run, and he said "Oh, yeah."

He put his thumb over the air intake, spun the flywheel with his other hand and quickly let go of the intake, and it fired right up.

I saw the American spirit of ingenuity displayed in no uncertain terms there, over and over.

It is no wonder to me that this Nation is as great as it is. Americans do whatever we want to do, for no other reason than "because we can."

I also saw how close men in America came to being saddled with doing the laundry forever. (The first Washing Machines were gasoline powered.)

Xena spent the day playing with Daffy's kids, and hanging out with the rest of the girls. (I don't know if she had a good time or not.)

(Just kidding. She had a great time.)

Yesterday, we celebrated Independence Day by sleeping late, going to see the new Superman Movie (It's great! Go see it immediately if not sooner!) and grilling Steaks outside on the Deck at Xena's Dad's place. We watched TV late into the night, and talked about what we want to do as a couple over the course of the rest of our lives.

It was a wonderful day, and it made me realize again how God has blessed me in every way.

We made it home today at about 5:30 pm. The house was warm, and smelled like an old Trailer House. (I can't imagine why.)

But I loved it.

This is where we live.

There are nicer houses, better houses, newer houses. And someday, we will own one.

But for now, this is home.

And I am happy to be here.

It is the greatest place on Earth for me, right now.

And I thank God for seeing me and my little family safely back to it.

There's no place like home.