A lovely day yesterday of driving slowly along the coastline looking at inlets and beachfront communities and eventually finding open water. At the end of the day we had covered just a little more than 60 miles, but it was the pleasant sort of leisurely driving that is more about looking to see what's there than it is about distance. There were lots of people, but mostly they were trying to enjoy their last few hours of weekend and were tolerant of my Arkansas license plate.
And of course there was talking. Lots of talking. Trying to make sense of family relationships in a family where few of us followed "normal" patterns. Just keeping track of the marriages was complicated, without trying to sort out the other relationships, some of which resulted in children. At one point Kassie just said "I'm confused," so we did our best to draw her a family tree. I'm just glad I didn't have to do a formal genogram and get in front of a group and talk about it.
We scouted out possible sites for a scattering ceremony. We have several possibilities, and I will leave it to Andrea and Kassie to sort that out. It is their mother/grandmother who will be laid to rest after all. We found a couple of cemeteries that overlook water, and it seems that one of those will be the choice. We'll work on that more today or tomorrow.
Today we are going to take the ferry out to Block Island and enjoy the sea. I hope there will be lobster.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Family!
Yesterday was mostly spent on the road, with another 450 miles covered. It involved crossing a lot of state lines and the George Washington Bridge. It involved crawling along I-95 mile after mile for no apparent reason. It involved learning to trust my GPS, which has now been named Garfield. But at the end of the road there were two smiling people. And all the rest of it was just a minor nuisance.
Andrea is my cousin. She moved to Australia when she was 12, and this is her first time back in the States. Her daughter is Kassie, and this is her first time to see the places that made her mother the person she is. Kassie is technically my first cousin once removed, but who cares about technicalities. I'll just claim her as cousin and let it go at that.
We had a lovely dinner together and made plans to spend most of this next week together. Today we are going to cruise the coastline and see if we can find a beach area that looks like a good place to have an ashes scattering ceremony. It's threatening to be rainy most of the day, but we can manage.
Andrea is my cousin. She moved to Australia when she was 12, and this is her first time back in the States. Her daughter is Kassie, and this is her first time to see the places that made her mother the person she is. Kassie is technically my first cousin once removed, but who cares about technicalities. I'll just claim her as cousin and let it go at that.
We had a lovely dinner together and made plans to spend most of this next week together. Today we are going to cruise the coastline and see if we can find a beach area that looks like a good place to have an ashes scattering ceremony. It's threatening to be rainy most of the day, but we can manage.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Getting From Here to There
The end of Day 2 finds me 900 miles from home in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I was here many, many years ago when my former sister-in-law was in college at Bridgewater. But of course, I'm not here to enjoy the local scenery, but to rest up for the last leg of the journey to Connecticut tomorrow.
It's too bad in a way that I can't take more time here. I found out today that the Virginia Quilt Museum is here, and it seems a shame not to visit. But I didn't get here until well after it had closed, and tomorrow I will be headed north well before it opens. I'm not completely certain of the route home, except that I want to stop in Paducah, KY and visit the American Quilt Museum there, and I'm not sure this road will get me there. I'll study on this more later.
The day started rainy and foggy and I was afraid it would be that way all day long. But by the time I stopped for lunch I was under clear skies, and breathing air so fresh and clear I felt like I was on another planet. This afternoon I got slowed up by construction for a bit and I rolled down the car windows and let the breeze in. By then the sun was hot, but it still felt good after the humidity of the Delta.
The first surprise of the day was stopped for what I thought was a second breakfast around Knoxville and discovering that I was now on Eastern Daylight Time and it was nearly lunch time. Where I crossed the time zone I have no idea. It was amazingly disconcerting to lose an hour without even being aware of it. But I've now got clocks reset and I'm acclimated.
The second surprise came at supper. There was a Shoney's I could walk to from my hotel, so I went there for supper, knowing that the food would be mediocre. But I wasn't prepared for a salmon filet that was so dried out it was almost inedible. The surprise was that when I said something to my server, she deducted the charge from my bill. I rarely bother to complain when food disappoints me, and I'm not about to change into a chronic complainer now. But it was nice to have someone listen and do what she could to make my experience better.
So now I'm knitting a bit more on my current shawl project and watching the Olympics. Early tomorrow I will be on the road again. This time there will be people waiting at the end of the day's journey, people I am anxious to meet and get to know.
It's too bad in a way that I can't take more time here. I found out today that the Virginia Quilt Museum is here, and it seems a shame not to visit. But I didn't get here until well after it had closed, and tomorrow I will be headed north well before it opens. I'm not completely certain of the route home, except that I want to stop in Paducah, KY and visit the American Quilt Museum there, and I'm not sure this road will get me there. I'll study on this more later.
The day started rainy and foggy and I was afraid it would be that way all day long. But by the time I stopped for lunch I was under clear skies, and breathing air so fresh and clear I felt like I was on another planet. This afternoon I got slowed up by construction for a bit and I rolled down the car windows and let the breeze in. By then the sun was hot, but it still felt good after the humidity of the Delta.
The first surprise of the day was stopped for what I thought was a second breakfast around Knoxville and discovering that I was now on Eastern Daylight Time and it was nearly lunch time. Where I crossed the time zone I have no idea. It was amazingly disconcerting to lose an hour without even being aware of it. But I've now got clocks reset and I'm acclimated.
The second surprise came at supper. There was a Shoney's I could walk to from my hotel, so I went there for supper, knowing that the food would be mediocre. But I wasn't prepared for a salmon filet that was so dried out it was almost inedible. The surprise was that when I said something to my server, she deducted the charge from my bill. I rarely bother to complain when food disappoints me, and I'm not about to change into a chronic complainer now. But it was nice to have someone listen and do what she could to make my experience better.
So now I'm knitting a bit more on my current shawl project and watching the Olympics. Early tomorrow I will be on the road again. This time there will be people waiting at the end of the day's journey, people I am anxious to meet and get to know.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Out of the Delta
The task for today was to get away from home. I accomplished that. I left the Delta behind around noon when I traveled up the bluff at Walls, Mississippi on my way to pick up the interstate at Memphis. Tonight I am in Cookeville, Tennessee, about a third of the way between Nashville and Knoxville.
I had optimistically thought I might make it all the way to Knoxville tonight. That was when I thought I would leave home at 8:00. I know it takes me three hours to pack and get ready to leave, no matter how much I have done ahead of time. I knew that when I got up at 5:30 and spent an hour playing computer games. I started packing about 6:30, and it was 9:35 when I backed out of the driveway. By the time I bought gas and breakfast, it was quarter to ten before I could truely say I was underway.
But the day went well. There was road work along the way but no major snarls. I hit rush hour traffic in Nashville, but it rolled along and eventually it got itself sorted out. Gas was expensive where I stopped, but that's the way it works sometimes. Supper was a birthday treat of shrimp fettucini at Applebees, along with a glass of sangria that saved the need to order a fruit salad; it came in the glass.
Now for some knitting and Olympics and then bed. Tomorrow will mostly be over new roads for me, and that will be a treat. I hope the weather stays fair.
I had optimistically thought I might make it all the way to Knoxville tonight. That was when I thought I would leave home at 8:00. I know it takes me three hours to pack and get ready to leave, no matter how much I have done ahead of time. I knew that when I got up at 5:30 and spent an hour playing computer games. I started packing about 6:30, and it was 9:35 when I backed out of the driveway. By the time I bought gas and breakfast, it was quarter to ten before I could truely say I was underway.
But the day went well. There was road work along the way but no major snarls. I hit rush hour traffic in Nashville, but it rolled along and eventually it got itself sorted out. Gas was expensive where I stopped, but that's the way it works sometimes. Supper was a birthday treat of shrimp fettucini at Applebees, along with a glass of sangria that saved the need to order a fruit salad; it came in the glass.
Now for some knitting and Olympics and then bed. Tomorrow will mostly be over new roads for me, and that will be a treat. I hope the weather stays fair.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Night Before
Tomorrow I pack the car and head north. Whether the trip will be an odyssey or an idiocy will be known in two weeks time, when I'm back home with the bags unpacked and Molly retrieved from "camp." Either way, it will be an experience, and that's the part that I'm looking forward to.
The reason for the trip is to meet my cousin Andrea. She lives in Brunswick Hills, Australia. She and her daughter Kassie have been touring the US for about six weeks now. She made the effort to find me and asked if there was any way we could meet. She also said she was bringing her mother's ashes to scatter them in the Atlantic Ocean, and asked me to participate in that ceremony. Her mother, my aunt Madeline, was incredibly kind to me at several junctures in my life, so, of course, I will be there.
There's something about the very idea of traveling 1200 miles in order to meet someone for the first time that's a bit idiotic. It would have been much simpler, and cheaper, to send her a plane ticket to come here. But then I wouldn't be in Connecticut to perform the one act of kindness I've ever been able to give Aunt Madeline. And these strangers are among the only blood kin I have in the world. And that makes the whole thing necessary.
The laundry and the dishes are done. The cats are cared for. Nothing is packed yet, but I have lists. I've gathered photos and things for them to take home that tell what Lake Village is like. I have knitting projects worked out. I've looked at maps and have tentative overnight stops planned. There's nothing more to do for now but relax and be ready for the morning. I hope I sleep.
The reason for the trip is to meet my cousin Andrea. She lives in Brunswick Hills, Australia. She and her daughter Kassie have been touring the US for about six weeks now. She made the effort to find me and asked if there was any way we could meet. She also said she was bringing her mother's ashes to scatter them in the Atlantic Ocean, and asked me to participate in that ceremony. Her mother, my aunt Madeline, was incredibly kind to me at several junctures in my life, so, of course, I will be there.
There's something about the very idea of traveling 1200 miles in order to meet someone for the first time that's a bit idiotic. It would have been much simpler, and cheaper, to send her a plane ticket to come here. But then I wouldn't be in Connecticut to perform the one act of kindness I've ever been able to give Aunt Madeline. And these strangers are among the only blood kin I have in the world. And that makes the whole thing necessary.
The laundry and the dishes are done. The cats are cared for. Nothing is packed yet, but I have lists. I've gathered photos and things for them to take home that tell what Lake Village is like. I have knitting projects worked out. I've looked at maps and have tentative overnight stops planned. There's nothing more to do for now but relax and be ready for the morning. I hope I sleep.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday. The day to use up all the stuff temptations are made of and get ready for 40 days of sackcloth and ashes, bread and water. Or at least figuratively.
The farm is shut down already. I've got a couple of projects to work out in a couple other games, but they'll be on hiatus by bedtime. I'm preparing my "reading corner" with the stack of books, a laprobe for my feet, a coaster for my beverage, and a CD player for some quiet music in the background.
I'm also looking for some handwork that is simple and meditative, and perhaps charity-bound. Right now I'm thinking about a pile of fleece destined to become baby blankets that I had originally planned to put serged edges on. I may do hand blanket stitch or hand crochet around them instead. I will prepare one and put it in my "corner" and give it a try.
I'm also considering starting a new quilt, with the goal of having it finished by Easter. Something different from what I usually do. Something that involves choosing a pattern and fabric and cutting pieces according to the pattern. Something fun. I'll think about that more today.
Meanwhile I'm looking forward to my vegan pancakes tonight.
The farm is shut down already. I've got a couple of projects to work out in a couple other games, but they'll be on hiatus by bedtime. I'm preparing my "reading corner" with the stack of books, a laprobe for my feet, a coaster for my beverage, and a CD player for some quiet music in the background.
I'm also looking for some handwork that is simple and meditative, and perhaps charity-bound. Right now I'm thinking about a pile of fleece destined to become baby blankets that I had originally planned to put serged edges on. I may do hand blanket stitch or hand crochet around them instead. I will prepare one and put it in my "corner" and give it a try.
I'm also considering starting a new quilt, with the goal of having it finished by Easter. Something different from what I usually do. Something that involves choosing a pattern and fabric and cutting pieces according to the pattern. Something fun. I'll think about that more today.
Meanwhile I'm looking forward to my vegan pancakes tonight.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Another Year, Another Lent
Lent begins in a few days. This is the weekend of Mardi Gras frenzy; the madness will go on in spite of a wet forecast. I suspect many of those who take part will be oblivious to rain and a great many other things for most of the weekend. I am glad to not live in an area where parades and such happen. Eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is enough revelry for me.
The approach of Lent does mean it is time to consider what sort of fasting might be an appropriate spiritual discipline for this year. I've done various things related to food in past years, but I want to try something different this year. Especially having adopted a vegan diet since the beginning of the year, food has its own issues for the time being. This is a year to fast from some other habit or activity so as to free up time and energy to pay attention to God's presence in the world.
Fortunately, finding such a habit was not hard. All I had to do was pay attention to how much time I spent yesterday playing games on Facebook and Pogo to see something that I waste a great deal of time doing and which would be somewhat difficult, if not downright hard, to give up. Even on a day when I was relatively busy I think I spent several hours over the course of the day harvesting crops, searching for hidden items, rescuing lost fairies, and trying to beat my opponents in Tetris. Nothing accomplished other than bragging rights, and other things left unattended as a result.
So I'm giving them up for Lent. Over the course of the next few days I will shut down the farm and put other games into hibernation. The only game I will continue to play is Literati with Amy in the morning, because that's more about spending time with Amy than it is the game; the game just gives us a place where we can chat for free. All the rest will go on hiatus until after Easter. I don't even dare play them on either Sunday or my Sabbath, which would ordinarily be respites from the Lenten discipline, because I'm afraid that doing so will make taking up the discipline again all the harder.
The question, of course, is what will I do with the time I'm not spending clicking on mahjong tiles. There are plenty of other ways to distract myself and waste time. Walking and exercise would certainly be good substitutes, but then the focus is on me and my own self-improvement. I could knit or sew for charity, but I do that anyway. I decided that reading would probably be the best way to keep the focus of the discipline on God. As for what to read, I had to look no further than the pile of books on the trunk at the end of my bed. A whole stack of books of all types waiting for me to get to them. A quick sort of the pile yielded a dozen titles worthy to be considered "spiritual reading." Another sort narrowed the list to six. Here they are:
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons by Frederick Buechner
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler
The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet
Preachers and Misfits, Prophets and Thieves by G. Lee Ramsey, Jr.
I doubt I will actually make it through all six books. That's not the point of the discipline. The point is to spend my time doing something that will enrich my soul in place of giving myself carpal tunnel disease.
The hardest time is going to be first thing in the morning. I'm habituated to making the coffee then coming to the computer and getting the day going and my brain in gear through the mental stimulation offered by the games. No book is going to replace that. That may be the time to head to the studio and run the sewing machine on something simple and repetitive while I catch up with the news of the day. I may take up journaling again. I may walk. I'll figure it out day by day, I suspect.
I don't know who will join me on my Lenten journey by reading this blog. If anyone does, please comment. I'd like to know that I have company in the wilderness.
The approach of Lent does mean it is time to consider what sort of fasting might be an appropriate spiritual discipline for this year. I've done various things related to food in past years, but I want to try something different this year. Especially having adopted a vegan diet since the beginning of the year, food has its own issues for the time being. This is a year to fast from some other habit or activity so as to free up time and energy to pay attention to God's presence in the world.
Fortunately, finding such a habit was not hard. All I had to do was pay attention to how much time I spent yesterday playing games on Facebook and Pogo to see something that I waste a great deal of time doing and which would be somewhat difficult, if not downright hard, to give up. Even on a day when I was relatively busy I think I spent several hours over the course of the day harvesting crops, searching for hidden items, rescuing lost fairies, and trying to beat my opponents in Tetris. Nothing accomplished other than bragging rights, and other things left unattended as a result.
So I'm giving them up for Lent. Over the course of the next few days I will shut down the farm and put other games into hibernation. The only game I will continue to play is Literati with Amy in the morning, because that's more about spending time with Amy than it is the game; the game just gives us a place where we can chat for free. All the rest will go on hiatus until after Easter. I don't even dare play them on either Sunday or my Sabbath, which would ordinarily be respites from the Lenten discipline, because I'm afraid that doing so will make taking up the discipline again all the harder.
The question, of course, is what will I do with the time I'm not spending clicking on mahjong tiles. There are plenty of other ways to distract myself and waste time. Walking and exercise would certainly be good substitutes, but then the focus is on me and my own self-improvement. I could knit or sew for charity, but I do that anyway. I decided that reading would probably be the best way to keep the focus of the discipline on God. As for what to read, I had to look no further than the pile of books on the trunk at the end of my bed. A whole stack of books of all types waiting for me to get to them. A quick sort of the pile yielded a dozen titles worthy to be considered "spiritual reading." Another sort narrowed the list to six. Here they are:
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons by Frederick Buechner
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler
The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet
Preachers and Misfits, Prophets and Thieves by G. Lee Ramsey, Jr.
I doubt I will actually make it through all six books. That's not the point of the discipline. The point is to spend my time doing something that will enrich my soul in place of giving myself carpal tunnel disease.
The hardest time is going to be first thing in the morning. I'm habituated to making the coffee then coming to the computer and getting the day going and my brain in gear through the mental stimulation offered by the games. No book is going to replace that. That may be the time to head to the studio and run the sewing machine on something simple and repetitive while I catch up with the news of the day. I may take up journaling again. I may walk. I'll figure it out day by day, I suspect.
I don't know who will join me on my Lenten journey by reading this blog. If anyone does, please comment. I'd like to know that I have company in the wilderness.
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