Day 62
The thought plopped in my head, "Your mother in law would love a Sunday drive." A phone call to her and Elva is game. If that woman is feeling good, she is good to go. We headed off to her old stomping grounds, Intercourse, PA. The sun was bright, the snow white and the mood was light! We smelled spring.
I never tire of drives, especially backroads. We went off-roading outside of New Holland and made our way to enchanted Rt. 340. Daylight Savings might have sprung ahead, but we were driving back in time. The buggies were prolific, the black capped couples walking through the white fields were more than one, and this was photo heaven. However, out of respect for the Amish, oh, ok it was mainly bad angles, I was unable to get many photos.
The homestead always intrigues me, I see little Elva walking down the long lane, I hear her Aunt Annie giving bible stories while doling out the candy in the cleaned out chicken shed. Aunt Annie is legendary and I never grow old hearing about this woman who served the Lord leading children to Jesus. This is Elva's heroine. And no, this Aunt Annie did not sell pretzels.
We were in pursuit of an illusive covered bridge. We will have to find it another time, it moved. We were winding our way around the country side and Elva decided we would drive down this particular lane. Needless to say, trespassing with her, warning signs and all, was plain fun. It is an orchard, she knows the owners, they are her relatives, the fines should not be that high. I guess.
We stopped at a double wide trailer. "Roll down the window and ask were Ray and Minerva are," she directs me. The young man with his little toddler responds, no, they live just down the road and to your right. She yells past me, "Are you, there son?" He responds no, he is their grandson. Elva and I look at each other and smirk. Time just doesn't stop.
She directs me to a home on a corner. "Pull in," she commands. "I am going to run in and see if they are home." She has lost twenty years on this trip. I look at her with a wide smile and ask, "Run in, aye? I gotta see this." She laughs her hearty Elva laugh, the woman's sense of humor is keen even if she can not find that covered bridge. I watch her go to the door and hope she finds someone home. Soon enough I find myself inside. There is nothing better than to be in a peaceful Mennonite home on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Elsie Kauffman gives Elva a hard time for coming in without a cane. She backs off when she realized Elva is only eighty-two, numbers are getting wonky here. We visit, we laugh and she is ready to go, in all of twenty minutes. She will never wear out her welcome. She is not a gossiper and when she has mined the facts she is out the door. She is an honest woman and sometimes does not mince words but a gossiper she is not. They give us directions to Ray and Minerva's home and as we walk out the door they tell us to come back.
Ray and Minerva welcome us in also. This day was planned, I just knew it. Coincidence does not exist. Ray is Elva's cousin and he tells me of how close he was to her brother, Art. I never had the privilege of meeting Art, a wonderful man who loved Jesus till death. However, since Art's family speaks of him often I feel as if I know him. Elva's family reunions do well at keeping alive the memories of their loved ones gone before them. To be part of the Kauffmans has been joyful for me and today just drives the joy in deeper still.
I love to visit. I love connecting and today has satisfied me to the bone while satisfying a spry woman who defied her aches and pains and acted like this was per usual. This is just another Elva and Lynne story, we have a few and today we add to the list. We ushered in Daylight Savings with a good Sunday drive and spring can now begin. "What do you think Elva, would you say so as well?"
lovely, thank you for the glimpse.
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