Sometimes the Best Finds Aren’t Things

The Ozark Soul Journal

September – Week Four

Sometimes the Best Finds Aren’t Things

Welcome.

Pull up a chair for a little while. The coffee’s warm, the porch is quiet, and there’s always room for one more neighbor.

This has been one of those weeks that leaves me feeling grateful when I stop long enough to think about it.

Country Bathworks is officially underway for a wonderful fall vendor season, and the soap room has been busy getting everything ready.

There are boxes to pack, products to organize, displays to prepare, and more than a few last-minute things that always seem to find their way onto my list.

But somewhere in the middle of all that preparation, I was reminded that life isn’t just about what we’re building.

It’s also about who we’re building it alongside.

But I have learned to appreciate those ordinary moments.

Everyone is busy.

Work schedules, school, chores, appointments, and everything else that fills up our days can make it surprisingly difficult to simply sit down together.

So when the opportunity is presented, I try to enjoy it.

Before leaving on my route. I was able to spend a day with my sister-in-law.

We had a wonderful day of thrift shopping with a short break in between for lunch at a popular Chinese buffet.

It was our first time ever just the two of us spending the day together. After losing her husband over the summer, she needed a change in her daily routine.

We are planning to do it again next month. 🥰

When I returned from my transport route.

My oldest daughter was at a local yard sale and gave me a call because she was curious about some things she found and thought I could use.

Now, if you’ve ever wondered whether a soap maker can find useful things at a yard sale, let me save you the trouble of wondering.

Apparently, the answer is yes. 😁

I drove to meet her and found quite a few things I could use, including some ingredients and supplies for making soap.

The next day, I had lunch with my other daughter and grandson, then my son-in-law was able to pop in and join us during his lunch break.

It wasn’t anything fancy.

Just lunch at the local cafe.

After lunch, my daughter, grandson, and I headed off to the same yard sale.

Of course, I did.

I’m pretty sure my family has stopped being surprised by the things I consider a good yard-sale find.

One person’s “I don’t know what I’m going to do with this” is apparently another soap maker’s treasure.

And then came the best day of the week.

My husband and I went on a morning date.

Not to a restaurant.

Not to a movie.

Not anywhere particularly fancy.

We went down to a creek to look for arrowheads.

We didn’t find any.

Not one.

And you know what?

I didn’t mind a bit.

My husband has been ill for much of the summer, and being cooped up at home had really started to get to him.

He needed to get outside.

He wanted to be somewhere quiet.

Somewhere surrounded by trees and water, where there wasn’t anything that needed to be done for a little while.

So we went.

We walked along the creek.

We looked through the rocks.

And we enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Sometimes we get so focused on finding something that we forget to enjoy the looking.

I think that’s what I’ll remember most about this particular morning.

Not whether we found an arrowhead.

But the fact that we were together.

There’s something special about spending time with someone you love without an agenda.

No errands.

No work.

No phones ringing.

Just the two of us, enjoying a little piece of the Ozarks.

And maybe that’s what this season of my life is teaching me.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the road this year with pet transport.

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places, met wonderful people, and had plenty of adventures along the way.

But I believe I’m finished with pet transport for the remainder of the year.

And honestly?

I’m ready.

Not because I didn’t enjoy it.

But because I’m looking forward to being home.

I’m looking forward to more lunches with family.

More visits with friends.

More time in town.

More mornings when I don’t have to think about how many miles are between me and home.

And maybe even a few more creek walks.

I also have plans to start walking at our local park, where there’s a half-mile track.

Nothing complicated.

Just walking.

Getting outside in the cooler weather.

Taking a little time for myself.

Sometimes taking care of a business means constantly thinking about what’s next.

The next batch.

The next order.

The next festival.

The next product.

The next goal.

But taking care of yourself and the people you love means remembering that there is a “right now” too.

And right now, I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that Country Bathworks is heading into a busy fall season.

I’m grateful for a lunch with my family.

I’m grateful for a good yard sale find.

I’m grateful for a quiet creek.

I’m grateful for a husband who wanted to get out of the house and breathe a little fresh air.

And I’m grateful that I get to spend more time with the people and places that make this little corner of the Ozarks feel like home.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Pioneer Days in Mountain View, and I’m ready.

The tables are packed.

The products are ready.

The new things I’ve been working on are ready to make their appearance.

Now it’s time to enjoy the season.

And whatever happens at the festival, I’m going to try to remember something I’ve learned this week:

Sometimes the best things we find aren’t things at all.

Sometimes they’re an afternoon with your family.

A quiet walk beside a creek.

A conversation over lunch.

Or simply having the time to be where you are.

Until next Friday…

I hope you find something this week that you weren’t looking for.

Maybe it will be an arrowhead.

Maybe it will be a good yard-sale treasure.

Or maybe, like me, you’ll discover that the real treasure was simply having someone beside you to enjoy the search.

— Your neighbor in the Ozarks,

Granny Sherry

Country Bathworks