Day 26 | A Conversation with the Sheriff

April 4, 2017

My laundry time got cut short by the unpredictable weather yesterday and there were still a lot of clothes left to wash today. I decided I would do the washing again so that Brett could run out to send a work related email.

Unfortunately, we are no longer getting good cell phone service at our campsite. We’re not sure why but are wondering if maybe the cell tower got damaged in the wind storm last week.

I got to work and said goodbye to Brett. After several minutes of plugging away at the laundry, I noticed a white truck approaching with the word “sheriff” written on the side.

“Uh oh!” I thought. “I hope I’m not in trouble for something!” The truck passed our campsite. “Phew!”

Unfortunately, my relief dissipated when I noticed the sheriff was turning around and coming back to me. I got up and started walking towards him as he parked the truck.

“Hello sir!”

“Hello, are you by yourself out here?”

I told him I wasn’t alone and that my husband was here too. I clarified that Brett had just gone out to run an errand. He asked if we were camping and I told him we were.

“We are allowed to camp here, right?”

“As far as I know!” The sheriff replied. He asked where I was from and if I had an ID.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have my ID on me…” I said, embarrassed. He told me that he just wanted to make sure I was alright and said goodbye.

Relieved, I returned to my washing. The water was looking pretty murky however. I didn’t think clothes were going to get very clean in that water! We keep the fresh water in 7 gallon jugs and Brett normally carries them for me because they’re so heavy. It’s about 100 feet from where we park the car to my laundry spot. Carrying the jug was out of the question for me. But maybe there was some other way?

I put my problem solving skills to work as I dumped out the dirty water. Then I carried the empty rinse bucket to where the water jug was. I was able to barely lift the 7 gallons! Hooray! I poured just enough water to cover the clothing and tried to carry the bucket back. Bummer! Still too heavy!

I decided to wring out the clothes right there and take them back to the drying rack. After the clothes were removed I was able to carry the bucket just fine. Well… Mostly just fine.

The bucket is so large that I couldn’t see my feet and almost tripped when I accidentally stepped into a small hole in the ground. Thankfully, I didn’t get hurt besides getting a splash of water in my face. Success!

It might not sound like a big accomplishment, but it was to me. Another victory, proving that I now have something to offer. It means a lot to me that there are things that I can do by myself without the help of others. 😊

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12 Comments

  • Julie

    YAY for laundry! Victory where ever it can be found!

    April 6, 2017 at 5:32 pm Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Exactly! 😊

      April 7, 2017 at 4:54 pm Reply
  • Savannah

    Whoo! Great job, Ana! We are all rooting and praying for ya!

    April 6, 2017 at 8:32 pm Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Aww… Thank you so much! This is such a sweet comment. It means a lot to me to know people are rooting for me to succeed. It keeps me going in the hard moments.

      April 7, 2017 at 4:54 pm Reply
  • Carolyn Young

    Hooray!

    April 7, 2017 at 8:59 am Reply
  • Chris Barratt

    These accomplishments are so awesome!! I’m sure all the “normal” things that you do more and more, give hope for the future!! So happy for you, Ana!! Still praying for you!!!

    April 7, 2017 at 11:09 am Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Yes! Thank you for the continued prayers! 💚

      April 7, 2017 at 4:55 pm Reply
  • Moriah Simonowich

    Yay! Rejoicing with you in this victory. 😀 So glad you are doing better, Ana. Thank you for opening your heart. How encouraging to glimpse the joys while you heal and recover. It is a privilege to glean from the rich lessons God is teaching as you come forth as gold (Job 23:10). <3

    April 8, 2017 at 5:36 pm Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Aww… Thank you so much!

      April 8, 2017 at 9:22 pm Reply
  • Moriah Simonowich

    Much love in Christ, ♡ Moriah
    P.S. I really admire your photography skills. The pictures throughout your blog are gorgeous.

    April 8, 2017 at 6:11 pm Reply
    • AnaHarris

      Ahh… What you are looking at are mostly Brett’s photography skills and the power of a good iPhone camera. I have taken a few of the photos but not many. 😊

      April 8, 2017 at 9:24 pm Reply
  • Rebecca Lee

    You go girl!!! That’s amazing.

    BTW… you don’t know me but I knew Alex and Brett briefly in highschool. I heard about you from Alex’s recent FB post and have been following your journey ever since. Your perseverance through all this is truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing!

    April 12, 2017 at 9:02 pm Reply
  • Leave a Reply to Carolyn Young