Iowa....or Bust.

What do you think of when you see this picture?
It's called American Gothic, and it was painted by Grant Wood. I'm sure most of you have seen it before. I used to call it "A Farmer and His Wife," but I guess it's really a picture of a farmer and his daughter. I don't think the daughter looks very happy. As a matter of fact, she looks ready to grab that pitchfork and do something she might regret. You know, it could be that she was just told the family would be moving from Minnesota to Iowa. After all, Iowa is flat and boring--covered with a bunch of cornfields and a few more cornfields thrown in for good measure (oooh, that was harsh!)

Well, shocking of shockers, did you know that Iowa has a mountain? I'm serious! Northeast Iowa is home to Mt. Hosmer. Actually, it's a river bluff, but it's amazing. I've been there...and I mean really there--RECENTLY! I promise you that I'm not making this up! When you're up there, you forget you're in Iowa...which is probably a good thing! (Oh, come on---I'm from MN, so I can say things like that!)

A couple of weeks ago (this was the event that led to the bus trip chronicled in the prior blog entry), my BFF and I headed down south to see my friends Jill, Grady, and their little boy, Cody, in Waterville, Iowa (population: 10--or something like that). Jill and I have been friends since working at Trout Lake Camp, and I met Grady there too! Jill and Grady's story is a fun one, but let's just say that in this case, persistence, patience, and a strong dose of the Lord's direction helped to get the "horse lady" and the "motorcycle guy" together.

Anyway, Jill and Grady moved to Iowa a bit ago, and I hadn't seen their new house OR met their little boy (since he was born last December)! A visit was definitely a must do on the schedule. So, Shanny and I took off early Saturday morning and drove through MN and into the most gorgeous little area of Iowa. We passed several Amish communities and farms, several horse and buggy units, picturesque farms, and lots and lots and lots of fields lush with soybeans and towering corn stalks. The further we went, the hillier it got. It was lovely! The turn-off to Jill and Grady's was a dirt road. My suburban-living BFF wasn't quite used to the countrified roads, but she was a trooper! We meandered through the countryside and farmland, and we finally found ourselves at our destination.

What a blast! Sweet little Cody was a darling. What fun to see your friends get married and have families. It makes me feel that we've all finally grown up! (of course, I'm still waiting for God to write my little story, but that's completely off the topic and fodder for an entirely different blog entry:) Anyway, besides seeing Cody and his parents, we got to visit the dog, Roxie, the cats, That Orange One, The Other Orange One, Tux, and ____ (I forgot the others!), and of course, the horses. We also got to try out the new John Deere tractor--a highlight for sure!

You know, sitting on top of that tractor and looking out to the surrounding fields, I felt as far away from the city as I could possibly be...it was so refreshing! I enjoy--or at least cheerfully tolerate--living in a thriving metropolis, but there is just something restful and rejuvenating about spending time in a place that has air so fresh that you can catch whiffs of clover, night so dark that you can see fireflies and the stars, and a place so quiet you can hear a lone cricket or the chatter of a chipmunk... Ummm...what an absolutely delicious memory...

Anyway, many thanks to Jill and Grady for delicious meals, enlightening driving tour (including the mountain trek), wonderful conversation, and an amazing day! See you next summer, for sure! Love you bunches....