Just a few days before, we'd run out of firewood--left with only a bunch of spindly stuff that burns way too hot. I wasn't looking forward to our next heating bill . . .
Sissy called wondering if I would be home in the next hour or so. She said she'd be calling about a project they'd been working on. She wouldn't tell me what it was. I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang.
It was my sweet Sissy. As we were talking, a red car pulled into the alley.
Said I, "Someone just pulled into the alley." I groaned. "I wonder if its the census people wanting answers for that American Community Survey . . ."
Clytie remarked, "Look out your window."
I did. And Clytie jumped out of the car! I screamed, she screamed I went running out through the kitchen door into the muddy alley in my bare feet. Dad and Mom popped out! I was hugging them all. I've missed them so much.
And then Clytie opened the back of the vehicle--somehow my brother had stuffed at least a half a cord of wood inside . . .
Last night, sitting in front of a lovely warm fire as the dew froze on the grass and windshields--I thanked God for my family. For the wood and that blessedly hot fire.
