A Day with Dad

I remember years ago, attending a ministry-as-vocation exploration event, and listening to the speaker frankly discuss ministry's impact on her family. Something she said struck me -- something about how since she often worked 60-70 hour workweeks and was more-or-less on-call 24/7 to beloved congregants, she made no apology for taking time away to be with family who sacrifice so much for her vocation. As in, time away while technically on-the-clock -- as in, a brief respite not on a (rare) day off. As in, a Monday morning after a long week of VBS that consumed any down-time the previous week -- a Monday morning set aside to be with Josie.

We set out with multiple plans. We'd call from the road when the U-pick apple orchard was to open to find out what was in season (we had an hour-long drive, so we wanted to be sure not to be on a wild goose chase). And if that didn't work out, a last-run of some silly animated something-or-other and a bucket of popcorn so big she'd have to eat her way out of suited Josie just fine.

Fortunately, a morning of apple-picking was in our future. The fine folks at the mid-state apples & alpacas farm were open and ready to welcome us. A nasty ice storm a couple winters ago killed any hope of apples last fall, and it seems orchards all around are coming back to life this fall with bated breath, wondering which varieties would endure. The Galas (a Moore family fave) didn't fare well, though it seemed an unknown (to us) variety -- William's Pride -- were having a banner year. Getting to U-pick courtesy of a golf cart provided us by the orchard folks was pretty cool to Josie (and her dad)! Thirty pounds of apples and a brief tour through the alpaca pasture later, we met Mom for lunch and headed off to the park.






It was a fine day with the first-grader-to-be. She talked non-stop -- if it seems like her tongue is against her teeth in every picture, it's only because she chatted through her smiles. Like her mother who has been known to plan one vacation while she was on another, as Josie was getting in the car to head home, she began planning that trip to the movies. That will just have to wait for another day...