Thursday, October 22, 2009

Closing my sister's house for the winter is always slightly depressing for me. It marks the end of another year that I haven't spent nearly as much time up there as I should have. Typically it's very quiet, pretty secluded, a small community where neighbors watch out for each other...a lot to like about the place. No one has stolen the lawn mower parked under the deck (two actually). The patio furniture remains intact and undisturbed. Even the grill that's on the deck is still there, now covered by a big blue tarp for winter along with the furniture. Soon to be covered by oak leaves and twigs, and later by snow and ice until spring thaw.

The big round thermometer hanging near the front door keeps the neighbors informed of the temperatures no matter what the season. Maybe it's the picture of the puppies on it that prevents people from messing with it. It seems like the mailbox keeps getting knocked off the post and onto the ground. That's the only thing that has happened so far, and it happens repeatedly. I take it as a statement against the post office. It could be just kids though getting drunk, joy riding and playing mailbox baseball. Not that THAT is a good thing or something I would condone. They have consistently scored off her mailbox. Home run every time. Of course it's pretty easy to do when people are only there on weekends and not all that often at that. Now if someone were there to play catch it would be another story. I haven't bothered to nail it back onto the post knowing full well it's going to get knocked down again and there's nothing we can do about it. So it sits atop the post in balance awaiting the fateful blow. If that's the worst of it that's alright by me.

The ride there and back was nice, giving me time to think and listen to music. It's about 100 miles from where I live to get to the house now that the bridge for the direct route is out. I've seen places going this alternate route a couple of times that I would not have seen otherwise. Lake City is a nice little town. I could work there and live there without having an issue with it. Having pumpkin ice cream in soft serve OR hand dipped at the local grill makes the area even more inviting.

Distractions abound when I'm isolated and I find that I drift into things that I should probably be guarding against better. Change is difficult and no one can remain an island without a certain amount of (spiritual) injury. For some I suppose injury manifests itself in physical surface forms. That kind of damage, though harmful, heals as it can. It's the personal struggles that remain largely hidden and unchanged without some sort of support. Eventually, whatever form they manifest, the distractions surface in some form because all injury has to be dealt with and healed in some way. Pumpkin spice ice cream, though delicious and good for the moment, is not the elixir of sub-surface injury. It may take away the sting or offer a numbing effect, but it does not heal. Healing comes from without (the Body) and Within (the Spirit). Often the Within counts on the without to help with the healing process but the without has to know what it is healing and be willing to participate.

Huh, now that I've muddied those waters and been as nondescript as I personally deem possible I'll leave on an up note referring back to the beginning.

Q: What's Irish and stays out all night?

A: Paddy O'Furniture

Okay, so I know it's a terrible joke, really lousy, but it makes me chuckle every time I think of it. I can't take credit for it either, I just wish I could remember where I heard it originally. Perhaps the person who originated this joke is not looking for credit?

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

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