Total Pageviews

Thursday, April 28, 2011

It's Kind of Like.........

Our church started a new class entitled "Your Whole Life". It is about living well. I joined it in hopes of loosing some weight. (So far I'm down 10 pounds.) Part of the program is exercise, and I've been walking. I have 3 routes from 1.5 to 4.5 miles depending on the weather & my mood.

I have found that my mind tends to wander during these walks. I'll talk with God at times, then Irene, then blank. Today I reflected on the fact that my mind would wander from God to Irene to nothing or other things. I came to the conclusion that I was in a place that was kind of like the Catholic belief in Purgatory.

By Purgatory, I mean that I am in between. Emotionally, there are days that I do not grieve. Then, there are days that bring back memories, and I weep. And, I am geographically in between places. I am trying to sell the house and relocate to simplify my life. Also, there are other issues that I will not discuss here that are unresolved. So, in many ways I am in between places which is Purgatory - not in Heaven or Hell.

Yet, I know that somehow all these things will be resolved in time and that my walks will help to bring about those resolutions. As Irene said a thousand times or more, "It's in God's hands."

Monday, April 25, 2011

Haiku #10

Your clothes are gone now,
gifts to family and the poor.
Your spirit clothes me.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Haiku #9

Easter brings faith in
Christ's resurrection and of
seeing you again.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Haiku #8

Good Friday - Christ died
and you died three months ago.
Good Friday - I cried.

Haiku #7

Church - Maundy Thursday,
Prayers for healing. God please heal
the hole in my heart.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Haiku #6

Green Asparagus;
your favorite Spring flavor.
I taste loneliness.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Trees

Trees have always carried significance for Irene and I. Our wedding vows (page 1 of this blog) refer to trees, Irene's favorite poster in her office was about trees and children.

The backyard of our house in Ohio was shaded by an elm that was over 150 years old. We babied that tree, but in the end Dutch elm got it, and we had to have it cut down. When the tree died, Irene said it was alright to sell the house and move. Thus, we came to Oregon (but Irene brought two slices of the tree's trunk with us).

Irene was my tree and I hers. Now that she is gone, I have decided that on many levels and for many reasons it is time to sell our home. That said, our roots remain intertwined as I wrote in a previous post thus Irene will be with me when I move.

Good memories last forever.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Haiku 5

Days passed without tears.
A random act of kindness
brought them back again.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Warm Day

It has not rained in a few days; so, the ground has dried out. The temperature is in the 60's; so, it is time to begin the garden work. I can't say "yard work" since we have no grass!

My first task was to rake the orchard. That was a several hour chore. And the dead plants in the hanging baskets around the house weren't that esthetically pleasing; so, I cleaned them out and rehung them. The dirt went into the compost bin and the woody plant material into the woods.

There is much more to do, but that's enough for today.

I think I'll sit in the orchard, have a beer and enjoy my handiwork.