For those of you who do not live south of the Mason Dixon, we have this vile creature called a "fire ant" or probably Solenopsis invicta. A simple walk to the car causes these Olympic caliber athletes to leap up to your waist and inject you with venom resulting in "unvanquished" fire on your crotch. I have written about this before but not as a blessing. I am talking about the totally awesome blessing of a disastrous family camping trip where it rains sideways for two days and then the temperature goes up to ninety eight degrees in the shade. This can only rival the blessing of four children with chicken pox at the same time you are on a road trip to Wisconsin with a dog that gets car sick every few miles in a 58 Ford wagon with bad tires. What do these three events have in common. The expectation of death, maybe. The desire to do something criminal, probably but I was referring to the planting the seed of contentment and love.
So, blessings. I know family trials usually and eventually make the family bond stronger and wiser. We found out that on road trips, do not leave the rear window down. My dad thought we were just quiet and sleeping for most of the trip. Actually we were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and hypoxia (some kind of poxia anyway). Kids sleep better the closer they are to death. The rains cleaned the entire tent inside and out and the 98 degrees dried the tent and the blankets awsomely fast. Scorpions and rattle snakes moved in for shelter but pets are good. The only good thing about fire ants are the welts they leave on your ankles. Not the ones between your toes, those are not a blessing. They make an incredible popping sound when scratched and cause such a relief of endorphins that all is forgotten and forgiven.
Ok, so I was wrong.
So, blessings. I know family trials usually and eventually make the family bond stronger and wiser. We found out that on road trips, do not leave the rear window down. My dad thought we were just quiet and sleeping for most of the trip. Actually we were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and hypoxia (some kind of poxia anyway). Kids sleep better the closer they are to death. The rains cleaned the entire tent inside and out and the 98 degrees dried the tent and the blankets awsomely fast. Scorpions and rattle snakes moved in for shelter but pets are good. The only good thing about fire ants are the welts they leave on your ankles. Not the ones between your toes, those are not a blessing. They make an incredible popping sound when scratched and cause such a relief of endorphins that all is forgotten and forgiven.
Ok, so I was wrong.
