And we're off!

Each year, we try to get away for a long weekend (usually starting Saturday night or Sunday morning...such is the life of farming with a farm market!) after the extreme busyness of summer is done but before the rush of pumpkin parties start. Sometimes we are successful (like when we went to Duluth...twice! and a cabin at some friends' resort), other times, we aren't (like last year).

This year, we started planning a trip down to the Cities to visit some apple orchards -- pick up some Minnesota orchards, check out some other "pumpkin festival" activities, and do some Greenstar business (me). We leave in just over an hour! And up until we woke up this morning, our trip was questionable...

After feeling quite wonderfully healthy for almost a month, I had a horrible spell on Friday evening. Don't even know what triggered it, just know I had all the problems of my first bad attack back at the end of June. I was in bed by 6:00, shaking, feeling miserable, wondering what is happening and why (and praying the same thing!). Saturday, I had to work at the market all day, but thankfully we had great help, so I was able to really take it easy and even leave early. As much as we've been looking forward to this trip, I kept wondering if I was going to be up to it.

To top off that, we've been watching the weather forecast. Sunday night's forecast has been going back and forth between 40s and mid to low 30s -- frost danger! That would mean Tony would be up watering crops, making sure things don't freeze...and we wouldn't be able to go.

As of last night (Saturday), after a lovely evening at Paul and Lori's (where I spent pretty much the entire time in their spare room sleeping and didn't feel in the least like partaking in the wonderful roast pork supper finished with homemade apple pie all cooked by Lori, one of the most wonderful cooks in the world!), the forecast was still mid-to-low 30s, and I was still feeling shaky (although, thankfully I finally wasn't shaking!). Tony and I were in bed shortly after 10 and definitely praying about whether we were really to get away this weekend or not. We'd not be able to get away again probably until at least Thanksgiving since I have the Taste of Home cooking show next weekend then pumpkin parties start then hunting season starts...

Well, we woke up this morning -- I feel GREAT! Refreshed, energized, amazed and thankful that I'm feeling better. The weather forecast for tonight is now lower 40s -- thank You, God!

So...I'm gonna finish this blog, hop in the shower, finish the last minute packing, wake and dress the kids (all while Tony is checking the van, getting it packed, and reviewing last-minute farm stuff) -- and we're off! Three fun-filled orchards today (Aamodts, Afton Apple, and McDougals -- with a 35 foot wooden train...someone in this house is REALLY excited about that!), staying at a hotel with a great water park (including a kiddie-slide into a toddler pool!), then three more fun-filled orchards tomorrow (MN Harvest, Emma Krumbee's, and Apple Jack's) before heading home with a van full of apples and hopefully several more clients for Greenstar!

For those of you who have been praying for my health and knew especially about this last bout, thank you. For those who have been faithfully praying even without knowing, thank you!

And...we're off!