The fleas are back!!! OMGosh! Seriously? I went downstairs to look for a container of some sort to hold birdseed to keep from attracting mice and, sort of as an afterthought, looked down at my ankles. There they were. Nasty little buggers! Not many, but more than one so it wasn't a hitch hiker. I'm still within the 30 day warranty so they need to come out and spray again.
I have absolutely no sense of direction. I used to. Seriously, I could drive into a town, get my bearings, and navigate anywhere. I lost that ability sometime in 1983 in the Hertz lot in the Boston airport. My ex and I were on a huge trip up and down the east coast interviewing for internships as he was about to graduate from medical school. This WV girl was trying to get her Jewish city boy to help her fulfill her lifelong dream of having a farm. We traveled to 10 major cities in 14 days. I came out of the bathroom at the car rental office and had no idea which city I was in or which way to turn to get back to the lobby. I never regained the ability to find my butt with both hands and a flashlight, let alone find my way through a big city. Thank God for GPS or I couldn't get out of the parking lot at the mall!
One of the most difficult situations I face in this life is conflict. Whether the roots lie in my upbringing in the chaotic presence of an alcoholic father or based on my personality, I've spent years living with an elephant, putting a doily on it and calling it a table rather than, God forbid, DISCUSS said behemoth. I imagine this is true, to some degree or another, for most of us. There must be some people who thrive on conflict or we wouldn't have lawyers and politicians. Some people just seem better at navigating it than others.
Ok, I'm preaching a little today, so if this isn't your thing, come back tomorrow. This one just had to get air time. Every other Sunday, I attend Pub Church...a come as you are gathering in the back room of a local micro brewery. After ordering food and libations, we are led by a pastor in prayer. Then he presents a topic for discussion and opens to the room. This past Sunday we discussed Luke 14: 25-35 where Jesus tells his fellow dinner guests that if they do not hate their parents, their families, themselves...they can't be disciples. This is a confusing parable, to say the least. Especially since one of God's own commandments is to honor your parents. Since God doesn't contradict himself, we are forced to look further into the message Jesus is trying to convey. Does He really want you to hate your parents? Of course not. He's using hyperbole to get the guests' attention and make a point. In order to follow Him...TRULY follow Him...you can't put any love higher than the love you have for Him.
I have many friends I have never met in person. I have met them through speaking and writing and they are as dear to me as those I have coffee with on a regular basis. One such friend is Susan. Susan is a photographer, a real estate agent, and a really cool NYC diva. She shoots these great, well planned photo series and shows in galleries all over. She has an idea for a series and wants me to come to NY for a photo shoot which I'm really excited about. Susan also happens to be a widow.
There is something special about sunsets. For me, they are a gift from God. A reward after a good day. A gift of comfort after a bad one, with the reassurance there is still beauty in the world. I've been getting a lot of gifts from God lately. A beautiful bouquet of white flowers, dinner with a friend, Old Mama Kitty rubbing on my legs and purring her heart out when I feed her, quiet mornings on the farm sipping my coffee and watching wild turkeys running up the road. Yesterday morning, I looked up in time to catch a bald eagle flying overhead. It was a fleeting glimpse, but I'm sure that's what it was. Such beauty in the world.
After doing my morning chores yesterday, I decided to go exploring back on the farm. We referred to this part of the property as "back on the hill". There was an old road that we took up there for years but it's hardly even passable in an ATV. Pop-Pop had converted an old Model A into a farm truck and he'd take us back on the hill in it. That road was so steep we had to lay down in the bed of the truck with our feet on the tailgate to keep from getting tossed out. Amazing that we didn't get killed!
I'm getting into a routine here at the farm. I wake up, make my coffee, and take my reading to the front porch. This is my view. It is sometimes foggy early and it lends a dampening stillness. I sit and drink my coffee, read my devotional, say my prayers, and read a few pages of a couple of books. By then the newspaper has been delivered. I walk down to the road there and get it, read the news and check the classifieds and obits, read Dear Abby and my horoscope, then settle in to do the puzzles. Once I finish that, I get some chores done around the house or out on the grounds. At lunchtime, I drive up to the cemetery to write my post and read my messages. When I return to the farm, I write on my book. It is so peaceful and serene here.
I was thrilled to have the gas turned on again. Now there's hot water...and plenty of scrubbing being done!
I was amazed how easy it was to navigate in and out of Washington, DC. It took me longer to get my truck from the hotel garage Sunday than it did to drive deep into the Shenandoah Valley. I was inside for three days in meetings in the air conditioning so I didn't get out till Sunday morning. I walked around and saw the White House, the Washington Monument, and the American History Museum. I've visited DC many times and I'm always thrilled each time I return. Now that I realize how easy it is to get there from WV, I may go back and spend more time exploring.