I Rode on a Caruta!!

Today was a really cool day for me. I went out to Tsigmandru at lunch time on the maxi taxi. It just so happens that Maurice was on his way to Marius and Anina's house in the village so I went long with them. Anina made beef snitzel which was delicious and mashed potatoes. Afterwards we went back to church for a while so Maurice and Marius could finish a section of flooring. When we were done we asked if Marius wanted a ride home. He said no- he had to go to his sister's barn.

Note- at this point in America I would have looked at the clock, thought about all I needed to do, and say "Okay, See you later". But- if there is one thing I have learned since being here is that wonderful blessings come when you take time for relationships. So- instead I said " Can we go to?".

We walked back to the barn through a whole lot of mud. It was a nice little Romanian barn with some very loud geese in the barnyard, a haystack with puppies on top, and a haymow full of loose hay- and it smelled like a barn. I tried to explain the smell to Maurice on the way home. It is not a good smell by any means but for me it is a very comfortable smell and reminded me of my dad's farm when I was little. When we had thoroughly explored the barn I asked if I could milk a cow. Sure- but not today. Cows get milked at 5:00, but another day I am more than welcome to. All the cows in the barn get milked by hand- about 20. There is a small milk tank to hold the milk cold but everyday the milk is put in cans, loaded on a horse and caruta (pronounced carutza) and taken another rode over to the milk truck.

When we were ready to leave we thought we would have to walk back through the mud but instead there was a horse and caruta waiting for us. I have always wondered what it was like to ride one. It looks so easy but without hay in the wagon it is a little more difficult. It was still great.

Lesson is: Take time to live life rather than rushing through it.