This week has flown by! I've had several large assignments due and a test today, so it was a bit stressful and I can't say I'm sorry to see the weekend approaching.
Last weekend, however, was pretty fun and I certainly can't let this weekend happen before I can even write about it! It was Mizzou Homecoming, the 100th anniversary of the first homecoming ever I might add, but that's not what I'm going to write about. See, my interpretation of "homecoming"is coming home. That's exactly what I did, and I brought my roommate, Kathryn, and a friend, Julia, home with me to get a taste of Trenton's biggest weekend of the year- Missouri Days and then the Conservation Department's "Poosey Fall Drive Through" at the conservation area that originally was an old settlement where my dad's side of the family came from.
It was dark by the time we reached my house, but Kathryn and Julia did a great job of keeping me awake (and watching out for deer). I think my dog, Buffy, is finally beginning to realize that even though I leave him, I'll be back. He greeted us at the car with a big smile and wagging tail and to his surprise I brought two extra people to rub his belly! Needless to say, he was a happy camper.
After falling asleep with the thoughts of creepy-crawlies in the basement, we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (or maybe not...) for the Missouri Days parade. We managed to slide into town and find a spot in front of the bank right as the police were headed down the street signaling the beginning of the parade. It's an interesting experience watching a parade of competing bands with kids from other areas. My roommate from north east Missouri recognized several of the smaller bands because she had competed against them in high school.
Then we were off to Missouri Days for the best part of this festival- the food. So much for warding off the Mizzou 22, we ate a funnel cake, bloomin' onion, kettle corn, and homemade rootbeer. I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't regret that a bit! It was also fun to introduce my college friends to friends from my hometown as well as my ag advisor. They probably appreciate the faces to the names I talk about all the time, too! We met up with Julia's boyfriend's family who live in the next town over so that she could spend some time with them.
That afternoon my dad took Kathryn and I out for a tour of the farm. One of the best parts I've found at college is kids who have had a very similar upbringing on the farm, however it's also neat to talk about how different our farms are. Kathryn's family is a big producer of Angus cattle, while our farm's main income comes from corn and bean production. Dad explained the history of our farm, what it began as and how it got to where it is today, and drove us around the property. We also got out and climbed the hill that my sister and I have named "Mount Mushroom" because of it's height and slope, and because we used to go mushroom hunting up along the creek that runs beside it.
I've always had a strong sense of pride for my heritage, but walking around the place and hearing from my dad a more personal story of some of the challenges he and my grandma have faced (rather than simply knowing that this, this, and this happened...) renewed that sense of pride, and sense of responsibility, in me. There are growing challenges in the agricultural industry, and probably even more in keeping a small family going and productive. I'm not so naive to think it'll be easy, but I can tell you that it is my hope to see the farm in the future so that my kids can have the same sort of upbringing as I've had.
That night, we ate my mom's homemade pizza and watched "Red Riding Hood" with my family. Good movie, though I must admit it made me very nervous. It kept me guessing about who was the wolf, and while I had many accusations none of them were right. Afterwards, my mom, sister, Kathryn, and I sat around and talked. It'd been a good day, and I was sad to see it end but I was also excited for church in the morning and the Poosey Drive Through.
I can't say enough about being able to worship with your church family after a week at school in a big place like Columbia. It's always nice to see familiar faces and people you know care about you. I was also interested in seeing what Kathryn thought of it because from our discussions our churches seemed very similar. She also got to meet my Papa Ed, who was going to escort us through Poosey later that afternoon.
After church, we loaded up Papa Ed's new SUV with our lunches and headed out to Poosey for a picnic lunch before setting off on the trail. I've been working on a multi-genre project on Poosey, so I got the video camera out and was able to get some footage for that. My dad's mom grew up in Poosey, so it's always been a special place for our family (again with the heritage thing...). We went through the hills and looked at what the conservation department was doing, climbed up to see the infamous Panther's Den, and went past the location of an old still. Dad filled in some of the family stories, and Papa Ed was able to tell stories about some of his family and acquaintances.
I think we were both sad to have to head back to school, but it was a very good weekend with a lot of memory making. It was a good reminder that the past is the past, and you can't change it. You simply learn from it and take what you want of it to the future. The future is where we're headed, and I'm sure there are some great things waiting for us there.
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