Weekend

My guest room is getting a work out - and I love it!

~~~~~~~~
I decided if I was going to be flying more often 

to see a son who insists on living half a continent away, 

then I'd better get with the program - 

and register with the TSA for expedited check in.

No more standing in long lines for me!

And it only took 10 minutes - and $85.00.

Such a bargain.

~~~~~~~~

I've been very busy this weekend

giving thanks for "everything in between" ...

a dear friend is retiring

and leaving town (leaving the country actually)
 after being an integral part of our church for 7 years.

 

 I don't know about any of you
but, for me,
saying Goodbye never gets any easier;
practice does NOT make perfect;
if anything, it gets harder ...
because the more "goodbyes" you rack up,
the more you realize the finality of them.

It hurts
and, at the risk of getting
maudlin and whiny
like I'm the only one who's experienced it,
I'm sick of losing people who are important to me.

The potential for tears comes with every beautiful experience ...
I always fool myself otherwise.

Knew I should have bought stock in this company 

when I had the chance!

I'm back ...

well, my body is.

A part of my heart is always left back on the prairie.

While my thoughts percolate a bit more

and the words either simmer down 

or bubble up,

I'll give you more glimpses of where I've been 

for the past week,

for the past 20 + years.

 

 

 There's mystery there ...

and ancient silent beauty

 that seems to go on forever.

 It calls to some of us 

to go exploring -

both inside and out -

and that's hard to come back from.

Quick scenes from South Dakota

From sunrise to capturing lightening at night ...

having a wonderful time!

Is it time yet?

 

 Let me know when it does.

Seems like it's taking for ever!

Words escape me

for everything that bothers me

on any particular day! 

Yet, some cartoons sum it up.

~~~~~~~~

But I refuse to give the irritants 

anymore real estate in my head

so

I'm focusing on enjoying 

all summer has to offer -

 

 

 'cause you can never have too many 

cherries,

tie dyed socks

or origami peace cranes.

There were also glimpses of life in Northern CA

 

 which inspired the scheduling of another visit there

while supporting artists here 

at another art fair...

 with the purchase of images from a photographer in South Dakota

 that spoke directly to my heart.

 

 and a painting that reminds me of countless road trips.

Sorry about the glare.

It will look better on my wall, I promise!

Speaking of road trips,

I hope to get it hung - 

as soon as I get home from Mission trip;

it's back to Rosebud later this week,

 and I can't wait.

Maybe I'll have a different perspective when I get back...

at least, I'll have different pictures.

Take care 'til then!

If you're interested, you can follow along

here for the week -

or wait for me to come back!

Long weekend of R&R

I can't remember the last time I had a long weekend 

of doing nothing ...

Well, OK,

there was gardening,

daydreaming about baby things,

and wandering about an Alternative Art Fair.

There might have been a purchase 

for the 'dress up box'

and for myself.

 

There definitely were meals shared with friends, 

reminders,

 

smiles

 

 

 and more reminders.

And right in the middle of it all

was an introduction to a new (for me) writer,

Brian Doyle,

and the perfect prayer

that gave voice to where I am.

Desperate Prayer for Patience with Politicians with Excellent Suits and Shoes and Meticulous Hair and Gobs of Television Makeup Who Have Utterly Forgotten That Their Jobs Are Finally About Feeding and Clothing and Protecting and Schooling Children. 

They are driving me stark muttering bubbling insane. They are nattering and preening. They are dissembling and speechifying. They are evading the questions and mouthing empty slogans. They are attacking straw men of their own devising and calculating market share. Their words are wind and dust and meanwhile children starve and are raped and have no beds and teachers and doctors. They say they will do things and they do not do those things. They appeal to the worst in us so as to be able to make money. They send children to war though they have never been to war and do not know the savagery of what they are sending children to do. They abuse their power and sneer at the poor and condescend to the elderly and lie about their motivations and their biographies. They would happily soil every lake and river and pond and creek and rivulet with every imaginable searing death-dealing chemical there is if there was money in it for them. They would foul every square meter of air with choking smoke and ash if there was enough money in it for them. They do not care about our children and our children's children. They pose for photo opportunities on the way to church but they do not feed the hungry and clothe the naked and house the homeless and slake the thirst of those who are desperate. Dear sweet Lord, give me the patience to be reasonable and call them calmly to account. Give them the startle of guilt and the ripple of shame. Make sore their consciences and shiver their arrogance so that they may puncture it themselves and so begin to achieve humility and be of actual honest genuine service to the least among us. 

This we pray trying not to snarl overmuch.

And so, amen.

This author discovery,

and the delight of it,

led to hours of reading

and then a nap.

It was lovely.