Yearly Archives: 2012

This morning I was glancing at the one outdoor flower pot I’ve watched over this year.  We used to have upwards of a half dozen pots or more.  Graced with petunias and willowy strands of other plants I couldn’t name (I usually left that to Jill or the plastic label that came with the plant).

This year, Marilyn, bought me a hanging pot.  No muss, no fuss, just place water in the pot when dryness set in.  Not a gregarious set of plants – pink petunias and another small white flowered vine type of plant.  I think she may have known that I wasn’t about to put together and care for a lot more plants.

Back to this morning.  I ride my stationary bike each morning looking out onto the front porch and the planter.  I blinked a bit.  There was now a pinkish type of flower on a crawling vine.  Where did that come from?  It wasn’t there to begin with.

I guess in life there are seeds planted that don’t blossom until later in life.  And we’re not even sure what to call “the happening.”  Other than good!!

Sunday mid-afternoon I headed to my daughter’s house.  Sounds a bit like a fairy tale – looking for wolves and taking baking.

Well, actually, there was no baking (she provided supper), and wolves don’t tend to populate the prairies.

But, I did head to my daughter’s and arrived in time for supper and a bit of play with the grandkids. 

Today, I’ll help clean out a room that is stuffed with stuff.  The kids have been playing well with a few toys.  The idea will be to put into like piles like toys and like things.  I like doing that!

And then I’ll head back home and move into a busy week as the fall season arises to meet us at the church.

But for the moment – what a great way to enjoy Family Day!

What fun!

I have a trombone sitting in the house right now.  Friends of mine had a son who no longer was playing the instrument.  I mentioned I would be  interested in trying my hand at blowing a horn!

Well, actually, I had played trombone a decade or so ago.  That was back when I was doing a lot of music, and the opportunity to play trombone was a side light.

Yesterday I pulled out the horn and began to play.  Not for long.  My lips are not in shape at all.  The sound was less than stellar.  But there was a sound.

I’ll carry the mouthpiece with me and see if I can’t get the embouchure back in shape.  Sooner the better.

So, just slip sliding away!  Oh what fun!!!

In the Old Testament, people were locked and located in a place.   The great discussion is always about the promised land.

We may think that is archaic, even primitive.  I’m beginning to wonder. 

Our transitoriness means that we lose connection.  I talked with a 22 year old recently who said he had moved 60 times in his life.  Maybe that was an exaggeration, but his actions belied his lack of roots.

He was verbose and self-confident, at least to himself.  He boasted of being able to leave conflict behind by just moving.  He knew the drug traffickers and “stress” relievers in the area.  I’m not sure I would call him a peace maker – he tended to leave the work of peace behind.

I am a peacemaker at heart.  That has its disadvantages when wrongly understood.  Over the years I have rather suppressed conflict rather than addressing conflict, rather sought peace accords made up of one string possibilities rather than compromise (all together finding promise together).

I have this feeling that peace requires people to sit long enough to talk.  That requires place.  For some that means affordable housing so that they don’t have to move.  For others that means finding employment that is comfortable – and rejecting other offers.  For others that means deciding to believe in people despite a more favourable atmosphere in another place.

A town (or a comparable community) is best served by those who are willing to live in the place.  Yes, there becomes an “old boys” club – which must be vigorously protested.  Yes, your horizons have to be expanded through connections and travel, but not moving.  Yes, you have to commit to your community.  But, perhaps, that’s what we need!!