"Mom, when can we go to East Fork Lake to go fishing? If we'd have Daddy, he'd take us."
"Life is not the same for everyone, we are not cheated..." Sometimes a mom doesn't say all she feels. Going to the lake 30 minutes from here would be nice. "Maybe we can go sometime."
A couple of days later Cousin Josh and his family offered to take us for the day, not knowing the conversation that had taken place at our house.
Everyone was sold on the idea. I tried to brush away the emptiness I felt within. I would not be going alone, yet I was. Pushing it aside doesn't seem to really work for me, or at least not long term. "I give You my 'yes,' Lord. I'll do this Your way..."
And so we planned and prepped. Life jackets, fishing poles, food, water, and the likes were packed.
The boys would ride on the boat on a trailer, pulled by a tractor, while us ladies would come with a driver.
Memories of Apple Valley Lake, back in Knox County, Ohio, flooded back as we got our first sight of the large body of water. Apple Valley is where Daniel helped his older brother with landscaping jobs, rebuilding sea walls and building boat docks before we got married, as well as several months after. On several occasions I got to watch him at work or take a meal out to him. On a smaller scale, East Fork also hosted boats of sorts, had homes scattered around it, and folks out fishing. Now I was eager to spend time on a lake once more.
The girls and I had a driver take us there. Our first stop was at Walmart for a fishing license for myself. The last time I had a fishing license was when Daniel got one for me, when the two of us went camping with baby Julia 14 years ago. Josh and the others met us at the boat dock and towed us across the lake to the park area, where we spent most of the afternoon kicking back with our fishing lines. I loved the quiet, the swish of the water, and knowing my boys were well taken care of, fishing away. The sun shone perfectly with a slight breeze. I drank in the moment, yet in my mind lurked the reality of going back home. I wanted to go back home again, but could I? Common sense told me I could not do it when there were more needs to be met than could possibly be reached by one little mama.
Toward evening the rest of Josh's family arrived, bringing with them Daniel's parents. As I kept fishing from the bank, I briefly mentioned to my mother-in-law what I had been thinking about. She reminded me how Marvin had shared at Daniel's funeral that before we even come up against those hard things, God is already there. There was no good option but to simply accept that He would be there for me, even when I had no grand feeling about it whatsoever.
I anticipated what came next. The children and a few of us adults piled onto the homemade pontoon/boat combo and made our way for a cove across the lake. This time it wasn't swimming I had in mind. There were stories I had heard of some outstanding fishing on this lake, and I was ready to try it myself.
Life jackets secured, there was splash after splash as the children jumped off the boat, one by one. Soon there were 11 youngsters splashing and swimming, laughing and trying new ideas. Josh told me where to throw in my line. It wasn't long until there was a nibble, a bite, then a catch. "That was neat," I said, tossing it into the basket, putting another worm on the hook, and casting again. It wasn't long until there was another bluegill, then another, and another. "This is fun," I thought to myself, feeling the tension from the last few days of responsibility melting away. Little Joshua stood next to me on the pontoon, merrily fishing away and catching fish as Josh re-baited his hook time and again.
Someone remarked how nice it would be if I could get a catfish on the line, and about that time I realized there was something with decent size on the hook. Surely not?! I cheered and kept working with it. As it got closer, Josh grabbed the net and made the scoop. It was a nice catfish, or at least it looked like one to me! The children cheered, then went back to swimming while I went back to fishing. I was enthralled; more stress slid from my shoulders.
It was about time to go back to the park area with the others because the hot dogs were on the grill, I thought of what it's like for the children when I tell them it's about time to go home. Aw... go back already?!
There would only be a few more casts; I was eager to make the most of them. I threw the line into that back corner and waited. There was a nibble, a tug, a fight. Would I really end up with another one? I cheered while staying focused on that fish and its determination to take my line. I recalled the first cat I caught as a little girl, when I couldn't reel him in and ran up the side of the bank trying to land him instead. This time, though I'm not that seasoned a fisherman, I took the challenge and enjoyed watching him tire out until he was ready to be scooped out of the water. Yay! Little did I think we'd end up with another nice catfish to take home!
Okay, by then it really was time to head back. We got the children on the boat and we were off.
A welcome sight greeted us. Under the shelter, on the picnic tables, was an amazing meal waiting for us: sandwiches, pinwheels, salad, energy balls, watermelon, fruit slush, and salty snacks. When everyone had eaten their fill, several of us got into a speedboat and headed for the butcher shack on the other side of the lake, nestled in behind the rows of campers. Now I was impressed. This little screened-in "shack," as they call it, has a long table running through the center with a cutting-board top and holes throughout for fish scraps. A water hose, brushes, and soap are available for everyone to clean up after themselves.
It may have been the first time, but hopefully not the last. And yes, we are back home again, and Someone greater than I is looking out for us; yes, we are okay.
GLORIA'S FRESH FISH
- cooking oil or butter
- fish
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup crushed snack crackers
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1½ tablespoon seasoned salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pour a few inches cooking oil into your frying pan and heat to 365 degrees or if you prefer, melt a few tablespoons butter in a pan. Beat the eggs add milk. Stir together dry ingredients. Dip fish into egg mixture then into flour mixture, coating both sides. Deep fry in oil until golden brown or brown in a skillet with butter until done. Enjoy on a piece of bread and a fresh slice of tomato and plenty of homemade pickle relish.
Leave a Reply