Experiencing Change and Constancy Together

Have you noticed?  Change is happening.  I can smell it, see it, hear it, feel it, with all my senses.  First, change in nature.  Autumn just smells different than other seasons -- the smell of that first fall rain, the last blossoms of summer flowers, the hint of burning leaves, new aromas float from the kitchen as we cook more soups and stews and less of summer fare.  I often close my eyes in autumn so that when I open them I'm startled at the cacophony of colors surrounding me -- greens still hanging on, slightly turning into golds, oranges, browns, and the crisp blue of the sky overhead and the sun blazing its golden rays.  Such beauty, such an artful palette of colors only He can create and bring together in such boldness.

And then come my ears saying, "Hear that?"  Can you hear it?  Sounds are different as the seasons change.  In autumn, the train that runs nearby has seems a little farther away as its whistle blows.  There are the sounds of children walking or running on fallen leaves to their bus stops in the morning.  The of yard cleanup readying hearth and home for winter also filter through the crisp, fall air.  And the squirrels and birds begin their chatter of winter preparation -- packing away foods and building nests to protect their young.  Such a story is hidden in the sounds of autumn and every other season that only God could have written it so that all the pieces fall into such elegant place to turn, turn, turn when it’s time.

Experiencing the change of autumn -- whatever do you mean you may ask.  For me, experiential is a feeling that grows from within me as the elements of my world move around me.  So, experiencing autumn is the culmination of everything God has put in place to allow me to worship during another season in this wonderful chapel we call earth and our home.  It's the feeling of a grand plan created by and executed by our Heavenly Father for each of us to enjoy from the smallest to the largest, the youngest to the oldest, the poorest to the richest. 

Other changes I perceive in autumn are the ones that I'm going through.  I'm almost at the end of my 64th year, and I know that life is changing.  My joints aren't as supple as they once were.  Gray hair near my temples reminds me of my father's hairline as he aged.  I'm told by others I have hardly any wrinkles at all; they must need glasses for I can see them.  Most displeasing of all is the fact that I cannot accomplish in one day what I could when I was 30!  In God's plan, yes, I'm changing too.

During all this change, I move to the comfort of words that remind me God is not changing, but constant in everything and for everyone. In Romans 15:3, we are told that "'[He] took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us . . . '."  (The Message).

So, won’t you open your eyes and ears not only to the changes going on around you in nature, in your life, in our world, but also to the constancy and dependability of our God?

Catching Up, Reunions and Remembrances

It's been awhile since my last post here so I'm going to play some catch up and post some news. 

First things first -- the knee surgery from back in July appears to have been very successful. My surgeon prescribed 12 physical therapy visits, but my PT says it usually doesn't take that many and I've been for 6, so maybe one or two more. And dreams do come true!  Went in for my appointment this past Monday, and at the end my PT announced me "graduated."  I left there almost  leaping for joy! 

Now, for the exciting times -- my husband's 55th high school reunion was last a couple of weekends ago. Disclaimer: I did not graduate in 1955; Bob is 9 years older than me. His reunions give me the best feeling by being the youngest one there!  This year's committee outdid the last few. Although they graduated from Sunnyside High in Sunnyside, WA, the group rented a B&B on the banks of the Yakima River in Prosser, WA, a nearby town. The setting was absolutely lovely, and by having the grounds of the B&B all weekend, it was most relaxing and allowed us lots of time to visit and get reacquainted with old friends.

 

This is looking down river from the back of the B&B. The next photo is a look through the trees to the hills  off to the west near sunset.

The Sycamore Tree

I can see it as if it were yesterday -- the big old sycamore tree in our front yard.  I was only 5 or 6 years old and this tree seemed enormous.  It was a favorite place of mine in the center of the front yard.  I loved to lie on the ground on summer days and look up through its branches at the glimpses of blue sky and white, fluffy clouds.  And that's where I dreamed imagining the clouds were moving along with me to places of fantasy, strange places and transporting me to another time and place. 

That's what dreams are about at any age, aren't they?  Another place, another time, another country, another whatever.  Dreams can take us away from the every day drudgery that becomes so common place that it bores us to tears.  And then dreams can fall apart and disappoint us.  Sometimes they become so real to us that their inability to come to fruition is sensed as failure.

Un-birthday Celebrations and Simple Joys

Life goes on and the beat just gets better every day. And this past weekend was like the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae.

Our grandddaughter Alyssa and her husband Aaron were in town from Camp Pendleton as Aaron had almost 3 weeks leave from the Marines. With them was the ever-popular almost 2-year old Kylie, our great-granddaughter. Son Craig and his wife Gigi decided that since Kylie's first birthday happened in CA as will her second.
And since none of us can get down there to celebrate with her in October, an "un-birthday" party was held at our son's home nearby. It didn't matter to Kylie that we called it an "un-birthday" affair -- presents, ice cream and cupcakes work any day of the year when you're not yet 2!

Being the proud mom, grandma, and great-grandma, I can't resist sharing pictures with you:

Downsizing -- Exactly What Does It Mean?

The word "downsizing" kept popping into my mind today.  I couldn't get it to stay away.  While it was popping in and out, I was sorting through the mountain of books that we have collected over the years.  Not quite the height of Mt. Everest but seemingly close when you compare the relative space we have for storing them and the number of books we have. 

Downsizing over the last decades has meant quietly removing employees from top spots in an effort to cut overhead.  Downsizing could relate to weight loss in some circles.  Downsizing has definitely come to mean to the baby boomers what we want to do before somebody has to help us do it because we've already helped someone else do it and it isn't any fun.  Maybe we've helped grandparents, parents, siblings tote out years of accumulation of household goods and memories as life requires a move to a smaller space.

Memories in Transition

Some 27 years ago our family moved from Tennessee to Oregon.  I'd never lived anywhere other than Nashville, and moving over 2,000 miles away from all I'd ever know was somewhat daunting yet exciting.  We had everything packed into a Ryder truck which towed our pickup, and I followed behind with a 12-year old son, two dogs, houseplants and food.  Oh, yes, the cat was in the Ryder truck with dad.  It was an adventure in the making.

We made the decision to drive so our son could experience our country from Tennessee to Oregon.  It was also a first for me because I'd never traveled farther west than parts of Texas.  A book I'm reading, Time Is a River by Mary Alice Monroe, reminded me today of my first feelings as we drew nearer to Portland where we'd put down our roots.