Found

Several important things have come up missing in our house over the last six months or so. Sam is missing eight or more sweatshirts, Jean is missing a vegetable peeler, and my full-finger mountain biking gloves and my compass had vanished. I wondered if one of the neighbor kids was a kleptomaniac. I had also heard a sermon around Christmas time once where a family that was struggling financially began noticing special items were coming up missing. A family friend was "taking them," and then at Christmas wrapped the items he had taken as gifts for the family. It provided the family with joy and laughter. To me, NOT FUNNY. I asked Jean if she was doing this. She promised she wasn't.

Sam's sweatshirts were probably left at school in the spring when the mornings were cold and the afternoons were warm. All of the lost and found items at school had been donated by the third week of June when I realized that Sam could have forgotten his sweatshirts on the playground. Though I do the laundry, I didn't realize that there were no sweatshirts coming through the laundry. I didn't notice them missing until we were starting to pack for our backpacking trip to Rachel Lake.

Jean's vegetable peeler is still a mystery, as are my gloves. But, losing my compass really made me sad. As an only child I take pride in never losing ANYTHING, and keeping everything perfectly and meticulously maintained. How could I lose my compass? I am a self-proclaimed cartographer for crying out loud! My friends call me "EdVenture." When it was time to pack for Rachel Lake, I noticed it wasn't in its normal place. I was frantic in searching for it. The last time I remembered using it was when the Sherpa was here and we did the orienteering course at St. Edwards State park. I looked through one of my gear boxes where I keep my several map cases. I also looked in the few other spots that I could have placed it for safe keeping. Nothing. Nothing but sadness, that is. My Suunto M-2 compass had been my guide on all of my adventure races, several backpacking trips, and for our orienteering group. It was reliable, and present for great memory making.

On vacation I packed all of our towels in what is lovingly referred to as "the big green bag." The big green bag is both green and big. You could easily fit a body in it. After vacation I was going through all of the pockets of all of the suitcases and duffle bags we took. There, in one of the side pockets of the big green bag, were four rechargeable batteries AND MY COMPASS! I had forgotten that I had taken the big green bag to the cabin over reading week in February, and had put all of my outdoor gear in it. It was now found! SWEET!