Silos and Haystacks....

Thelma and Louise we aren't but there was a road trip.

My sister and I drove the five hours from my home to my brother's home in Iowa. We've made this trip before a couple of times. The last time was a couple of years ago for another confirmation. My brother has three wonderful children, a senior, a freshman and a fifth grader. Smart kids. I've missed the fact that I haven't been able to be a bigger part of their lives, but that happens when you live 5 hours apart. We will be making this trip again in May for graduation. It seems that those are the occasions that we make the drive either north or south. Confirmations, graduations and funerals.

I think that when you only get together a couple of times a year, the differences in adult siblings are much more apparent. You see, blogworld, I have two siblings. An older brother and a very much younger sister. My brother was a senior in high school when my sister was born and I was thirteen. My sister was 9 when our mother died and our dad remarried not long afterwards. She was basically raised in a completely different household then my brother and I. My sister and I are very close. We actually speak to each other every day. We are developing the same interests and hobbies, although she is much better at them then me. Our brother seems to have much different interests then we do. Love is not questioned ever, similarities are. I would have to imagine that every family is like that. I would also have to imagine that if you got one of those books that studies the child ranking and personalities crap, we would probably be right on target. All that being said, sometimes I wonder how we can be so different and yet be family.

What I did come to realize on this trip was just exactly how beautiful Iowa is. Since I was the driver I had to pay attention to what was going on and couldn't knit, nap or read. (Although my co-pilot did very well keeping me company). From southern Minnesota to West Des Moines all I saw was rolling hills, beautiful fall foliage, farms with white houses and red barns. Cornfields broken up by pastures peppered with cows and horses. It was very picturesque. I don't know if it's something that happens when as you get older but I've never really appreciated these views until this trip.

There are several blogs I follow that are about farm life. Maybe it was from reading about their farm life, their trials and tribulations, their pictures of baby pigs that made me look at the landscape of Iowa in a different light. I am green with envy that this is not a life that I live or have a part in. Although, I can't say that I'd survive farm life, but I would give it my best effort.

So, Iowa, I want to go on record by saying that you are not a state to be taken for granted. More like a state of mind, a state of peacefulness, a state of beauty and a state that I want to see more of. Thank you for sharing part of your beauty with me.

Look around, blogworld, is there something or someplace of beauty that you haven't truly seen before even though you seen it before?

May tomorrow be a good day.