Magical Moment 297, "A Beautiful Picture"

I've written this blog 297 days consecutively. It has become a part of my daily routine and a source of thoughtfulness, reflection, and pride when I craft a thought into words and relay it in a way that is meaningful to myself and others. I feel uplifted and fulfilled when it hits me suddenly and spontaneously, a joyful moment in my day when I think, "That's going to be my blog today."

The holidays are exciting and happy as well as stressful. Eddie and I drove 10 1/2 hours to our nearest family in the mountains of North Carolina for Thanksgiving. I knew we would be busy with the trip and festivities so I pre-planned some of my blogs. However, on our trip back home (that turned into 12 hours with holiday traffic), I grew restless in the car as the sun dipped below the hills of the country side. I needed to post my blog by midnight, and I hadn't pre-planned this one.

In the beautiful, vast landscape of Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania (our route), one of the most beautiful pictures of scenery is that of grazing cattle on a steep, green hill surrounded by trees and painted with the endless colors of a setting sun. It reminds me of the old hymn, "He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills." And that's when I dubbed that my "magical moment of the day." I only needed to get home in time to post it. And of course, I needed a picture.

As I drove, I frantically threw the camera at Eddie who was sound asleep in the passenger seat and demanded, "Get a shot of those cows for my blog!" Although dazed, he sensed my urgency and did his best to capture the fleeting shot. It was a struggle from a moving car going 65 miles per hour. Okay, 70. Okay Okay! 80.

But we passed hill after hill, one just as beautiful as the last and Eddie diligently tended to his assigned task with his whole heart. He rolled down the window so the photo would be clear, suffering through the  bitter cold and powerful wind in his face. With a less than superior camera, exhausted from the trip, and dealing with ridiculous conditions, he made it his priority to satisfy my urgent request without question or complaint.

Again I'm reminded how blessed I am to have such a husband. And as he stuck his head out the window of a moving vehicle on I-81 among 18-wheelers and crazy drivers, shivering cold, and zooming in on a cow a half mile away, I thought, "That's my blog for today."