Farewell Minnesota!

Jack asked me this evening if he thought we made a mark in our neighborhood during the past 11+ years living in Eden Prairie. My first thought was no, our neighbors are pretty guarded. There were definitely other areas where we made a difference. He proceeded to share his memories of “our mark” at home and with those who lived around us.

We moved into our home in the height of our clowning profession. First the neighbors watched the clown wedding, then parade wagons come and go; and clowns, scarecrows, ghosts and lions filed in and out our front door every weekend. The little children walking past our house would turn to their parents and stay “That’s where the clowns live!” Jack reminisced about the two youg sisters that lived down the road from us. On our wedding day, they invaded their mother’s makeup and arrived at our clown wedding wearing great big red lipstick smiles. The girls are driving now and the makeup application is much improved.

It was my turn to reminisce. Over the years, I slowly turned patches of the front yard into gardens until the entire space was filled with flowers, fences and bird houses. When the front yard was full, I moved into the back and added more gardens and a pond. Eventually we sold the riding lawn mover as there was so little grass to mow. The neighbors across the street said they loved spring because every year I changed something in the front yard, and they couldn’t wait to see what I would do next. They grieved with me this year as I tore out the peace garden, plant by plant, and brought back the grass at the request of the Realtor. And, for a variety of reasons, fences went up on both sides of our lot.

But our mark was bigger than just our neighborhood. We joined clubs, churches and prayer groups, attended classes and expos and worked at our jobs. With every adventure we made friends and left our love. More important than the mark we left was the mark our friends and family left on our hearts. We thank you and we bless you! Now we will start all over again in a new neighboorhood. We will love and the love will come back to us. That’s just how it is when you set out to make your mark. Or when you want to make a difference - and that is what we want to do!

Tomorrow we close on our house and begin our drive to Arkansas. Every thing we own will be riding behind us but we are also leaving so much behind. And in front will be the wide open world and any adventure we care to create! We are ready.