A tale of a teapot and some best friends

A few days ago, Emma looked up in her closet and asked if she could play with a Winnie the Pooh Tea Pot and cups. I looked up and covered in plastic and years of dust, was the teapot and cups.

I had not forgotten about this Tea Pot but not found the reason to take it out of its box until now. Some of our friends, our best friends who we have known over 25 years (as we seem to have a few of those), Charley and Jodie Newsom had given the set to me years ago. Well, to be honest, I sort of just remember, Charley being the one who found it and was so pleased to give it to me. At the time I collected Winnie the Pooh (this was before it was on every corner store). Yes, I just dated myself. Anyway, I took the box and together Emma and I unwrapped it.

I started to remember the promise I just made to the Newsom's. This summer, daring as it sounds, Emma and I are going to drive ourselves to Sandpoint, Idaho where they now live. Clark might join us on some of the trip or all of the trip. We are not sure yet.

What I do know. This is the last summer before Emma starts school. So I decided this summer and every summer we can afford it, we will pile in the car and drive. This summer it will be to Idaho (and maybe Oregon, Washington, who knows). Driving in the car provides the freedom to go so many places and do so many things. Emma is at a good age I think to do this and while it has been a few years since she has been to Idaho, I think she will like it, no I think she will love it. She is a good traveler already and I am getting to be a little bit more confident traveling alone with her.

Here is the lesson I learned from last trip driving to Idaho with Clark and Emma. I will not be driving the Lexus. Really I think now what were we thinking driving in God's 4x4 country with guns and ammo in our little 4 door Lexus. We had pulled up to a Walmart not far from who knows where and this man who had not dared I say taken a shower in a week and was missing a few teeth, saw us getting Emma into the car's backseat car seat, and said, "Nice car" and smiled. Images of Deliverance came into mind, Clark said, "Get in the car now." We speed out of the parking lot quickly and then did not see another Lexus sedan for another 3 states. That was 4 years ago. I have not forgotten the image. So the SUV or the 4x4 it will be.