On my first morning at Flathead I had a moving experience. I felt a deep connection to all my loved ones who have gone on before me; Mother, James, Lonnie, Little Lonnie, Mr and Mrs Carrillo, all people I loved but who had no connection what so ever to Flathead Lake. Jerry looked out over the lake and said, "When you are in a peaceful beautiful spot, you can't help but be spiritual." Among all the other things it was, it was profoundly spiritual.
Like Greenleaf, as Jerry said, there were the trees, the lake, and the human beings enjoying themselves. Flathead and Greenleaf a common experience to diverse families.
Jerry and Jane drove me to Flathead Lake and spent the night on their 50th wedding anniversary before continuing their travels the following day, leaving the Gimpy Gang without them. As the book club retreat unfolded we kept going back to wondering where Jerry and Jane had got to. Did they make in into Glacier National Park? Were they home yet? We are a curious lot.
Claire, Mary, Lynn and myself, the gimpy gang, were the original charter members of book club. We barely made a whole healthy person among us. Lynn and Mary limped with bad hips and knees, Claire and I wheezed with bad lungs, but it didn't stop us. Talking or not, eating or not, reading or not, traveling or not, picnicking or not, boating or not, settled in or not, we scattered and came together like fall leaves whirling in the breeze. We always had time for a nap. A perfect book club retreat.
How terribly strange to be seventy (or nearing), book club members for 16 years, charter members, quietly sharing space, time, memories in such a stunningly beautiful location. We cooked in the kitchen with a view of the lake, smoked on the deck with a view of the lake, rocked in the living room with a view of the lake, slept in the bedroom with a view of the lake, read in the easy chairs with a view of the lake, did laundry in the laundry room with a view of the lake. Did I mention there was a view of the lake? The biggest purest lake west of the Mississippi, twenty-six miles long, fifteen miles wide, a big, big lake. Mary and Jerry are the only ones who ventured down the steep hill for a private lakeside moment.
Rain? There was an abundance. One morning it wasn't actually rain at the morning smoke bench, it was water sprinklers that had me fooled, when I went around back to the deck, the deck was dry as a bone. There were Tamarack trees, Mission Mountains, Swan Mountains, yaks, sunshine, a missed boat ride and a successful boat ride, drives into town to Walmart, and to the end of the lake for dinner. Lynn found a vest she wanted to purchase at a local gift shop that was marked free with twenty dollar purchase. Yes she found something to buy, then Mary went back in and got one for herself.
Claire said we could have ten book club meetings and not have as varied conversations as we did on this trip. Lynn cooked creatively. Mary and I reminisced thoroughly our childhoods, and our different lake experiences. Claire asked the questions like a good Claire would. She has always been our question asker.
Claire said she knew Julia and Jean were good conversationalists, and now knows Jerry to be one also. As silly as it may seem one of the things Lynn and I loved about the lake house was the abundance of plates. An endless streaming supply spilling out of the cupboards. Plates and chairs. Chairs across the back deck, around the picnic table, at the dock, around the dining room table. There was room at the table for everyone, no one would have to sit balanced on a ledge somewhere.
Sandy missed the lake experience, she missed the Dragon Boat races, we missed her, but Mary found her some Dragon Boat news in the local paper. I don't want to relive my tumble off the picnic table, nuff said about that.
Family photographs filled the house top to bottom from one end to the other. You could feel the years of family fun and activities that imbued the house with spirit and love. Children growing up, old ones passing away. The life that ebbs and flows like the shoreline of the lake, sometimes crashing like an tsunami other times peaceful as a dove.
Susan Carstensen provided us with so much more when she gifted us a week at the lake house. It all added up to more than food, fellowship, laughter, and a few tears. It added up to an experience of profound depth; as elusive as love, as grandly magnificent as the stars. An experience that cannot be weighed or measured by human standards. I think I got to know Susan a little bit on this trip. Her house is organized enough for Julia, pots and pans enough for Jean, historical enough for Jerry, I know Susan loves heart shaped rocks, cuddly throws, clean sheets, and sharing with her family. I know she loves her family.
She had a quote displayed by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce that I found meaningful: "Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself -- and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty."
Thank you Susan and family who provided the rocking chairs, bear locked trash cans, books, beds, smoking sections, and plates. I'll never forget the plates, somehow metaphorical for abundance, sharing, family, food and fellowship. Somehow metaphorical for love. You made Mary all warm fuzzy and teary.
Asides to the trip:
I fell in love with the Columbia Plateau.
I saw more camouflage clothing in those five days than I think I have seen in my lifetime; Jackets, shoes, sweaters, purses, and sundry other articles. Not to mention boats, trucks and motorcycles.
It has been a long time since I did a three state road trip. I remember Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas on one food fest drive.
I still haven't looked at a map to see how the Missouri River flows.
I remember camping at Greenleaf when Ian was a baby and cranky and asleep. James and Linda were making campfire cherry turnovers, everyone was laughing too loud. I kept telling everyone "hush, don't wake up Ian." But Jeff told a joke that made everyone laugh loud enough to wake up our side of the lake, yes, he remembers the joke. Ask him.
I love those memories, that laughter, that fellowship.
That was the year Jean made all the apple pies, the year the older newly wed gentleman kept digging bottles out of the trash, washing them then filling them with wildflower arrangements. One for every table, camp, group. I love those memories.
And now Susan's book club retreat, lake house memory, is mine. I love those memories.
Blessings be with Jane and her family as they continue to watch over Joe.
Love to all.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Thursday, September 10, 2015
On the Road, On the Move
On the road with -- EVERYBODY!
Tal, Julia, Chris and Nora went to Osage Hills. I saw one picture on Facebook but never heard another word. Anybody know how that excursion went? They never tell me anything.
Jeff rolls with his mighty grandsons. Always. Along with smiling boys; bikes and parks are usually included. Jeff always posts pictures on FB, bless you Jeff, you are everybody's favorite.
Connor rolled into first grade after rolling home from his legendary trip to Legoland.
Roger and Connor did the Southern California loop with lots of family and food. I think Connor was a wee bit spoiled. They stopped over for a visit with Art and Janice, but didn't make it to the beach.
Janice said her and Art's about-town travels have been hampered by the miserable heat. Tropical winds, drifts, somethings, have rolled in that bring far to much humidity. The kind of humidity that means you can breathe eight glasses of water a day. Too hot even for dog walks. I know, I know, I can't believe it either.
Ian rolled down to Arizona for a buying trip. I asked him if he had checked how hot it would be in Tucson. He had; 100 plus degrees. So don't whine Janice. Never mind, you can whine all you want. This is a case of air conditioning versus no air conditioning. Before the advent of my air conditioner I was a master whiner.
Jean gets released to roll independently today, a driver will no longer be needed or required. She also said she is rolling around her home sans cane, and she walked the entire grocery store sans cane just depending on the shopping cart. I told her don't get cocky.
I assume Marc is still rolling around in his science lab.
All the kiddo's big and small went back to school.
Christian didn't go anywhere because he was curled up with a bad back. The bane of the Taylor men. He said it only hurt when he moved.
And all you others? Brittany, Summer, Claire? Where have you been rolling?
Jerry and Jane are rolling up the highway, next stop Mukilteo, soon, today, after lunch. Actually they have been rolling EVERYWHERE. What I know of for sure is New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and now Washington. I will get the complete scoop - soon.
Monday Jan will be on the road to Flathead Lake in Montana. With friends and family. This is for a trip that has been a long time coming. Mary has invited me to the lake house for years, Years, and I could never go, usually due to not enough accrued vacation time to go to Montana and then Oklahoma for reunion.
The one year I said Mary, I have enough time to go to Flathead with you, she said, Oh, you can't this year we are having a big reunion. Like I said, this trip has been a long time coming. I can not express how excited I am. I'm barely squeaking by with the vacation time, but I'm not missing out again, and I'm not saving any time to go to Costa Rica like some folks I know.
In a perfect world we are all different. On the road with rainbows and smiles to many destinations and experiences. Look for my toes, on the deck, at the lake, watching a sunset, smiling.
My old toes. I can't believe how old I have become. Old fart that I am I listen to old music with old ears. Climb old hills with old knees. Old habits, old sleep patterns, old books, old dust, old complaints, and old dreams coming true. Ain't life grand.
In a perfect world we are all different. Our differences amaze and entertain me. Besides the obvious of short/tall, fat/thin, it is the amazing diversity of everything else. Jobs, loves, pets, Judy and her martial arts, Ian and Brittany Spears, Hannah and her, well, her everything. Her smile, her boyfriend, her job/jobs, her puppy, her spunk, her enthusiasm, her hair. I used to tell Christian he had hair that could eat Chicago, I think Hannah's hair could eat Illinois with out a burp.
Rolling down the road of life I have lived many places; from San Diego CA, to Rochester NY. I've lived in the mountains, the dessert, at the ocean, and all of them have been beautiful, special, spectacular, and the people so very diverse. One of the biggest blessings of my life is learning to live with, appreciate, and accept human diversity. I never had the opportunity to travel world wide, but I imagine it would have exponentially been even more breathtaking to observe other cultures.
In a perfect world we are all different and all belong to the family of man -- Mexican or Syrian.
The world is so wide and I am so small.
Tal, Julia, Chris and Nora went to Osage Hills. I saw one picture on Facebook but never heard another word. Anybody know how that excursion went? They never tell me anything.
Jeff rolls with his mighty grandsons. Always. Along with smiling boys; bikes and parks are usually included. Jeff always posts pictures on FB, bless you Jeff, you are everybody's favorite.
Connor rolled into first grade after rolling home from his legendary trip to Legoland.
Roger and Connor did the Southern California loop with lots of family and food. I think Connor was a wee bit spoiled. They stopped over for a visit with Art and Janice, but didn't make it to the beach.
Janice said her and Art's about-town travels have been hampered by the miserable heat. Tropical winds, drifts, somethings, have rolled in that bring far to much humidity. The kind of humidity that means you can breathe eight glasses of water a day. Too hot even for dog walks. I know, I know, I can't believe it either.
Ian rolled down to Arizona for a buying trip. I asked him if he had checked how hot it would be in Tucson. He had; 100 plus degrees. So don't whine Janice. Never mind, you can whine all you want. This is a case of air conditioning versus no air conditioning. Before the advent of my air conditioner I was a master whiner.
Jean gets released to roll independently today, a driver will no longer be needed or required. She also said she is rolling around her home sans cane, and she walked the entire grocery store sans cane just depending on the shopping cart. I told her don't get cocky.
I assume Marc is still rolling around in his science lab.
All the kiddo's big and small went back to school.
Christian didn't go anywhere because he was curled up with a bad back. The bane of the Taylor men. He said it only hurt when he moved.
And all you others? Brittany, Summer, Claire? Where have you been rolling?
Jerry and Jane are rolling up the highway, next stop Mukilteo, soon, today, after lunch. Actually they have been rolling EVERYWHERE. What I know of for sure is New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and now Washington. I will get the complete scoop - soon.
Monday Jan will be on the road to Flathead Lake in Montana. With friends and family. This is for a trip that has been a long time coming. Mary has invited me to the lake house for years, Years, and I could never go, usually due to not enough accrued vacation time to go to Montana and then Oklahoma for reunion.
The one year I said Mary, I have enough time to go to Flathead with you, she said, Oh, you can't this year we are having a big reunion. Like I said, this trip has been a long time coming. I can not express how excited I am. I'm barely squeaking by with the vacation time, but I'm not missing out again, and I'm not saving any time to go to Costa Rica like some folks I know.
In a perfect world we are all different. On the road with rainbows and smiles to many destinations and experiences. Look for my toes, on the deck, at the lake, watching a sunset, smiling.
My old toes. I can't believe how old I have become. Old fart that I am I listen to old music with old ears. Climb old hills with old knees. Old habits, old sleep patterns, old books, old dust, old complaints, and old dreams coming true. Ain't life grand.
In a perfect world we are all different. Our differences amaze and entertain me. Besides the obvious of short/tall, fat/thin, it is the amazing diversity of everything else. Jobs, loves, pets, Judy and her martial arts, Ian and Brittany Spears, Hannah and her, well, her everything. Her smile, her boyfriend, her job/jobs, her puppy, her spunk, her enthusiasm, her hair. I used to tell Christian he had hair that could eat Chicago, I think Hannah's hair could eat Illinois with out a burp.
Rolling down the road of life I have lived many places; from San Diego CA, to Rochester NY. I've lived in the mountains, the dessert, at the ocean, and all of them have been beautiful, special, spectacular, and the people so very diverse. One of the biggest blessings of my life is learning to live with, appreciate, and accept human diversity. I never had the opportunity to travel world wide, but I imagine it would have exponentially been even more breathtaking to observe other cultures.
In a perfect world we are all different and all belong to the family of man -- Mexican or Syrian.
The world is so wide and I am so small.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Heart to Heart
"When you are down and troubled and need a helping hand...."
"An early morning disease of fatigue,"
"Cement of the soul."
"I am an agnostic respecter of religions."
Quotes from Americanah that rested heavy on me by, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I'm feeling the dissent among fellow human beings -- powerfully. The laws of fear that engulf our better selves. The disdain or disregard of the out-of-the-box, not usual, or not common persons who live here or nearby.
I see the disconnect via every news feed. The hatred despairs me. From simple disconnects to the deeply divisive.
My heart aches. I try to offer no judgement, no exclusions, no hatred. No baggy pants wars, no town clerk wars, no abortion wars, no race wars, no police wars, no religion wars, no immigration wars, no oil wars, no war wars. It aches for people without roosts to rest upon to live a life without fear. It aches for people without a common bond of humanity. I want people to disagree without feeding hate. Dreamer?
In the tribe of my dreams the aged would be taken care of, the stranger welcomed and fed. There would be wise leaders, gifted healers, gardeners, builders, thinkers, dreamers. There would be the ones who travel outside themselves, the ones who peer deep into mysteries, seeing more, feeling more. There would be scribes, artists, the one who can husband resources, the one who entertains and makes us laugh.
Soft rains, warm sun, enough food to feed upon, sons to love, sheltering home, books to read, eyes to roam, time to play, friends to share, and family members always there.
Bands, tribes, clans coming together as one. I'm ready for reunion.
Family in all its discordant color, in all its unity. Breathing the beauty of children at play, sunsets over the water, bacon cooking in cast iron, the old folks getting older. Taylor reciting something from a play, Michael going faster than everyone, Jean sitting quietly, Jeff lending a hand, Janice leaning on Art, Jan's three sons.
Chatting heart to heart; what has everyone been up to, how is Jane's brother, is anyone going to Hawaii this year, road trips, home stays, cruises and healing. Familiar faces and new -- all of us belonging to this family and the family of man. One big happy clan.
Take the long road home, or to quote Nike, "There is no finish line."
"An early morning disease of fatigue,"
"Cement of the soul."
"I am an agnostic respecter of religions."
Quotes from Americanah that rested heavy on me by, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I'm feeling the dissent among fellow human beings -- powerfully. The laws of fear that engulf our better selves. The disdain or disregard of the out-of-the-box, not usual, or not common persons who live here or nearby.
I see the disconnect via every news feed. The hatred despairs me. From simple disconnects to the deeply divisive.
My heart aches. I try to offer no judgement, no exclusions, no hatred. No baggy pants wars, no town clerk wars, no abortion wars, no race wars, no police wars, no religion wars, no immigration wars, no oil wars, no war wars. It aches for people without roosts to rest upon to live a life without fear. It aches for people without a common bond of humanity. I want people to disagree without feeding hate. Dreamer?
In the tribe of my dreams the aged would be taken care of, the stranger welcomed and fed. There would be wise leaders, gifted healers, gardeners, builders, thinkers, dreamers. There would be the ones who travel outside themselves, the ones who peer deep into mysteries, seeing more, feeling more. There would be scribes, artists, the one who can husband resources, the one who entertains and makes us laugh.
Soft rains, warm sun, enough food to feed upon, sons to love, sheltering home, books to read, eyes to roam, time to play, friends to share, and family members always there.
Bands, tribes, clans coming together as one. I'm ready for reunion.
Family in all its discordant color, in all its unity. Breathing the beauty of children at play, sunsets over the water, bacon cooking in cast iron, the old folks getting older. Taylor reciting something from a play, Michael going faster than everyone, Jean sitting quietly, Jeff lending a hand, Janice leaning on Art, Jan's three sons.
Chatting heart to heart; what has everyone been up to, how is Jane's brother, is anyone going to Hawaii this year, road trips, home stays, cruises and healing. Familiar faces and new -- all of us belonging to this family and the family of man. One big happy clan.
Take the long road home, or to quote Nike, "There is no finish line."
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