October 27 – “We were together, right?”

They finished chopping down the tree this morning.  We counted the rings and best we can tell the tree was at least forty years old.  That puts it being planted sometime in the 70's.  I was a teenager.  I don't remember what the neighbors were doing in the 70's.  I could barely remember to get up in the morning.    The only thing they had let to cut down was the huge center of the tree up to about fifteen feet or so.  They had to do some tugging and pushing even after it was chain sawed all the way through.  Those hunks were heavy.  We couldn't believe how strong those guys were, though.  They slung big branches over their shoulder and carried them out to their trailer.  They used our hand truck for some of them, and they finally had to bring in their heavy-duty one to get the last few pieces.    Chris was excited to get to watch the stump grinder.  In fact we made a date of it.  We went up on the deck and she took pictures while he worked.  She wasn't here when he did the magnolia tree stump this summer.  She said he didn't do it like she expected, but I don't know what it was she expected.  I was surprised that they hauled off the bulk of the mulch this time.  Last time I had enough to mulch everywhere.  I asked the guy who owns the company about it.  He said he would bring it back if wee wanted it.  No thanks.    I'm not sure if she's going to count that ten minutes or so on the deck as a date, though.  We didn't eat anything, but we watched a show.  We got out of the house and enjoyed the outdoors, that's a plus.  But we never sat down.  But, hey, we were together, right?  It's gotta be a date.   Chris finished those doors that she made for her cabinet.  Hung them today.  She also rearranged some quilts and things so that corner looks really good now.    Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  Father, I thought about how hard they worked to get that tree down and how easy it was for you to put up.  All it took was 40 years or so.  Your time.  Perspective is eye-opening.  You are Awesome.  Amen.