Weekend Adventure

I started taking pipe organ lessons earlier this year and just had opportunity arise to buy a used practice organ for my home.  After much deliberation (especially about where we could make room for it), the decision was made to get it.  This weekend's first "adventure" was tackling our bonus room upstairs - taking everything off the shelves and moving them and other things - lots of dusting and reorganizing ensued.

 Finally a big enough space in the corner was cleared out:

ASIDE - We REALLY like games!  So that's what our shelves are full of!

 The organ arrived around 4:30pm Saturday from Patterson in a sweet ride.

Dear friends and family members arrived, ready to haul quite a large instrument upstairs.

 Banisters were protected against any untoward events.

Time to start unloading  .  .  .

 Here comes the pedal board.  Thank goodness the organ could be taken up in pieces!

Slowly the organ makes its way to the house  .  .  .  

   .  .  .  bit by bit  .  .  .  carefully all the way  .  .  .

Now to figure out how to get it up the stairs  .  .  .

  .  .  .  all 400 or so pounds of it  .  .  .

Up we go!

A little concern at the landing.

 Got it!

Settling into it's spot  .  .  .

Time for much-needed refreshments!

 Then back up for some repairs  .  .  .

   .  .  .  including the use of open flame!

  .  .  .  and then the professional showed me how it's done.

 Caleb, enjoying the concert  .  .  .

 And then it was my turn!

 And here it is in all it's glory.  The biggest game in the game room! :-)

Cross Country Awesomeness

David shared the coolest thing today.  At the end of Caleb's cross country meet, when the varsity were running the last race, it looked like it was all over - teams were gathering for the awards.  The crowd at the finish line had dispersed.  This one guy was walking on the course, and David figured it was someone who had finished and was cooling off.  It turns out he was the last runner - hadn't made it in yet - had kinda given up.  A group of guys from a different high school saw this kid and started cheering him on.  Then they headed his way, surrounded him and began to jog, and he began to jog too.  He finished with a sprint.  There were no longer any bystanders at the finish line, just one official.  It's like no one even knew this kid was still in the race, but his competitors surrounded him with support and brought him in.  I was moved to tears at hearing this and feel my faith in humanity restored!

Time o' Year for Hay

I'm sorry for the Dead—Today—
It's such congenial times
Old Neighbors have at fences—
It's time o' year for Hay.

And Broad—Sunburned Acquaintance
Discourse between the Toil—
And laugh, a homely species
That makes the Fences smile—

It seems so straight to lie away
From all of the noise of Fields—
The Busy Carts—the fragrant Cocks—
The Mower's Metre—Steals—

A Trouble lest they're homesick—
Those Farmers—and their Wives—
Set separate from the Farming—
And all the Neighbors' lives—

A Wonder if the Sepulchre
Don't feel a lonesome way—
When Men—and Boys—and Carts—and June,
Go down the Fields to "Hay"— 

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)