Wednesday Wisdom

 

Home

It's been 11 days since I've enjoyed a morning cup of coffee on the screened in deck of our home. while the 73f (22.7c) degrees might be similar, the 80% relative humidity is quite different from the mountains of Colorado. But still, this is home.

I'll need to be out on the lawn tractor later today (or maybe tomorrow) as the yard is badly in need of mowing. For the moment, I'm just going to enjoy the peace and quiet of the morning and the beautiful, country view that the deck provides. No, it's not Pikes Peak, but it is serene and it is home.
While there is a bit of highway noise that is audible, there is no doubt that we are several miles from the nearest urban setting. The accessibility the kids have to stores, restaurants, and activities is great, but I'm not certain that I'm willing to trade this rural isolation for the urban hustle. I don't know if Chris feels the same peace from the setting as I do, but I've really become more attuned to the energy and frequency of nature over the past few years, so this is very calming to my spirit.

It is summer in the Midwest. That means hot, humid days and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. There is plenty of outdoor work to be done to get this five acre lot landscaped and cared for, but no hurry to get it finished so I work a little at a time. 
Have I mentioned -- retirement does not suck!

We'll be on the road again for the Fourth of July, but I do not expect to have near as many highway miles as I had in June.

Be well,
John

Easy Like Sunday Morning

It is an easy Sunday morning. Coffee on the deck with Hannah while looking at the cloud covered Pikes Peak. I'm sure I'll have coffee tomorrow morning before heading to the airport, but this was probably the last relaxing coffee I'll have with Hannah for some time. (Dad sigh)

I passed on a chance to go lake kayaking today. I'm sure there will be other opportunities in the future. I'm going to have to plan a motorcycle trip this way. Google maps says 770 miles, 11 hours and 11 minutes from home to here with current traffic and construction. That's a long, but doable day.
I suppose I could plan a Royals game with an overnight in Kansas City. That would make a short day and a ballgame followed by an 8 hour ride. Or maybe plan a Springfield Cardinals' game in Wichita -- a little longer first day and a little shorter second day. Maybe a three day ride and do both! There are options to consider.

I haven't been riding much this year. Many of the road miles I 've done this year have required a car. As for local riding -- somedays it's difficult to leave the peace of the back porch. Riding has its own kind of relaxing peacefulness, but it is different. 
In any case, today is an easy day. Daniel is out on the kayaking trip, Hannah is looking for a new coffee shop, Chris is still sleeping, and I am left to contemplating the Universe and appreciating the wonders of nature. Too bad I don't have a good cigar! 

I'm kind of looking forward to being back home. There are always things to be done around the place and mostly I find it rewarding if not enjoyable. But for today -- nothing. Chill, read, visit with Hannah and Daniel. 
The entire day will be easy like a Sunday Morning.

John

https://youtu.be/aCsZ3_db_Fk

More from Colorado Springs

It's been pretty cool drinking my morning coffee while looking outward towards Pike's Peak. The much drier air of Colorado is nice, but it does take some adaptation. I am noticing more dryness in my eyes and nasal passages, but imagine that I would adapt if this were my home.

We haven't spent much time sight seeing, and that's really okay with me. I truly appreciate the natural wonder of the world, but somehow feel it is diminished by much of the capitalism that often surrounds it.
We went to Manitou Springs yesterday, had lunch and walked through the shops. The area reminded me of walking through the shops in Eureka Springs, AR. Today our plan is to check out The Garden of the Gods.

The kids' place is pretty much set up now. They are waiting on some ordered furniture, but are otherwise mostly settled in. At this point, we're probably more of a nuisance than a help to them. They are already settling into a routine that includes getting up an hour earlier for morning meetings since they are now on Mountain time. They'll be looking forward to having the house to themselves for a few days before more family arrives to visit them in their new digs.

I find the energy here to be very calming and serene. The home is located along a stream and walking/cycling trail. The sound of water running over gentle falls is a constant, soothing white noise. Yesterday a pair of mule deer were grazing right up against the back fence. I feel like there is a strong kind of healthy benefit from being close to nature. I'm glad that they can live in an urban area, but still have the trees, stream, and accompanying wildlife to keep things in a peaceful perspective. 

And in spite of the asinine politics and science denying fools that populate Southwest MO, I am looking forward to my back porch and a good cigar.
Right now my daughter is whining about breakfast, so I guess I'll do the dad thing and see what I can throw together. 

Have a peaceful day,
John

Summer and Time to chill

It's going to be a chill day in the mountains -- both literally and figuratively. 
The kids are back to working remotely around the boxes and yet unpacked stuff. Getting the internet properly hooked up and running was a priority to keep working with minimal time off. There isn't much for me to do as I don't know where things will go and the kids are more OCD than I am.
So chill it is.

The high temp today is only forecast to the mid 60s (18c). I should have brought a jacket. This plains dweller didn't think about the cooler mountain temperatures when packing for summertime in higher elevations. Rookie mistake.
So chill it is.

I think the mountain environment is going to be ideal for the kids. I know that Hannah and her dog Freya will be finding dog parks and hiking trails for most of the summer. It was just a few years ago that they visited Daniel's uncle and family here in Colorado Springs. They immediately felt drawn to live here. Hannah inked her arm with a mountain tat as a reminder of their goal to live in the mountains. I took this pic yesterday morning from the deck of the duplex where they'll be living. That is Pike's Peak in the background. 

Yeah, she's a happy girl!
And Daniel (sans ink) is equally as happy to be here.

Over the next few days, Chris and I will check out the area and help them get settled before returning to the humidity of the Midwest. I'm happy that our kids are pursuing their lives and growing in their experiences, but I do wish their dreams didn't take them so far from their dad. But that is the way of things in our family. My five siblings and I live in six different states. The oldest six nieces and nephews live in six different states. We are on the west coast, the east coast, and the Midwest. For the time being, we are all in the same country. That will change when fall comes and Aaron and Jenny make their planned move to Puerto Vallarta. 

When we return to Missouri, I'll have to mow my overgrown lawn, do laundry from the trip, and pack for a weekend trip to Central Illinois for an Independence Day gettogether at my cousin Rick's place. Although it has been a big annual event, this will only be our second time to make it.
Retirement does not suck. 
Maybe there is something to that old adage -- absence makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe the geographic diversity of our family is why we get along so well and cherish the times we are able to be together.

It's summer in the Northern hemisphere!
Enjoy!

John

Mountain Time

After a couple of long days it feels good to sit and enjoy my morning coffee while looking at Pike's Peak.

This is the view from the deck of Hannah and Daniel's home in Colorado Springs.
They will be renting half of a duplex that has plenty of room and a nice, fenced backyard for Freya, their Shepherd/Husky mix. Something tells me they're not going to be moving back to Missouri anytime soon.

I think we will all be pretty chill today. There is plenty to do that won't be too strenuous. The heavy pieces were all unloaded last night by Daniel and some of his local relatives. Today we'll get the remaining boxes off of the truck and try to pit some things in place to make the home livable. I'm sure the day will include a trip to the local market to stock the kitchen with the necessities of life -- coffee, beer, and a little food, too!

I suppose I should get to work

...soon.

John

Virtually Un-social

I'm scrolling through Facebook and Blogger this morning and realizing that I've not been on much in the past week or so. There were several days of blogs that were unread, lots of missed Facebook posts, and I'm certain many more missed tweets.

No big deal. I have a feeling the coming week will be more of the same.
Apparently I'm becoming virtually un-social to go along with my normal anti-social behavior.

You should try it! 
Sure, you'll miss some hilarious memes and cat videos, but those things don't really add much to your life, -- or do they?
I still get notifications of posts, tweets, news stories, etc., on my phone, so I haven't completely abandoned social media. It's just that I'm not scrolling and trolling through posts for more than a few minutes before moving on to something else. I'm finding that to be pretty calming. 
It's like social media is the background noise of life today. When it's missing, things just feel really quiet. It is a peaceful place to rest your soul. Sit quietly without your phone or computer and see what I mean. 

I don't imagine that I'm going away from social media. I still enjoy blogging and posting on Facebook. I spend more time on Twitter than other forums, but have been there less frequently as well. The nice thing about consistent anti-social tendencies is that nobody really misses you when you ghost. 
I still have thoughts to share from time to time and feel like I need to write more often. There seems to be a little bit of a therapeutic effect from typing at the keyboard and having to put thoughts and feelings into words. We should probably be as careful with what we say as I try to be with what I write.

Speaking of being virtually un-social -- has anybody been following the Southern Baptist Annual Convention? 
I wonder if they realize how they keep distancing themselves from the people they believe need a relationship with God. They seem dead set on making themselves as irrelevant as possible.

smh

Busy day ahead. Gotta get going. 

John

Created in Our Image

Religion is supposed to connect us to a higher power -- God.
It literally means to re-connect or re-ligament. 
Although the Bible teaches that we are created in the image of God, I think the biggest problem with most of the religions of man is that we have created a god in our image.

Isn't it funny that the god we choose to worship hates the same people we hate and harshly judges the people that we believe deserve harsh judgement? 
Why are our pet sins forgivable but the sins of others are worthy of eternal condemnation?

What if what we really need is a good, solid religion of man -- reconnecting to each other?
I think that if we could manage to connect with each other, we would be far better off than we are connecting to a god that seems to hate half of the people of the world. Maybe in getting to know each other we will find the image of the true God in the hearts of all human beings, and actually re-connect to God.

Why are we always so tribal, so territorial?
What would happen if we didn't see everything as a competition? If we we didn't always strive against one another?
What kind of world would it be...
     if men advocated for women?
     if straight people wanted equal rights for the LBGTQ+ community?
     if white people demanded equality for black and brown people?

What if national borders didn't mean we were enemies with other nations?
What if the US and Russia worked together to feed poorer nations in Africa?
What if the EU worked with China to reduce greenhouse gases?
What if we started to see gains we made together as more valuable than victories we held over others?
What if love was our currency instead of capitalism?
What if our greatest gains were when others are lifted up and our greatest losses were when another human is suffering?

What if our religion became building relationships with all people and connecting to others rather than dividing into nations, races, genders, sexual orientation, economic classes, working classes, religions, etc.?

With all of our differences, I still believe that if we were to seek what we have in common -- we would actually find God!
Now that's a religion I can believe in!

John

It's Another New Beginning and Monday Motivation

Actually, it's Day2 of this, my 62nd trip around the sun.
The 61st trip was pretty non-eventful. That wasn't entirely due to restrictions from the pandemic. I'm in a position to enjoy a pretty non-eventful life.

However, I think it is time to get back to some of the volunteer service that we were participating in pre-pandemic. Chris and I are both fully vaccinated, so that leaves us with laziness and unwillingness as excuses -- neither of which are very good. The next couple of weeks are unusually busy for us, so I'll wait until to July to figure out where and when we can start serving again. I've got to admit -- there is a cold and uncaring part of me that could easily isolate in this peaceful setting and let the world fend for itself. That whole "love your neighbor" thing can be inconvenient and bothersome at times, but it is difficult to love when you stay isolated.

On the health front: I'm beginning this 62nd trip at 250 pounds. I haven't really lost nor gained weight in the past year, but this is not a good place to remain. I really need to drop 50 pounds (22.7kg for my metric friends). Experience has taught me that's not happening with a casual "I'm going to eat better and be more active" attitude. I'm going to have to log foods (damn, I hate that) and be purposeful about exercise. I'm still of the mindset that you eat to control weight and exercise for better health, but it would be a shame to lose all that weight and be unhealthy at 200 pounds!
Fortunately, I don't have any other health issues to worry about. The only meds I take regularly are for allergies, and the only chronic condition is obstructive sleep apnea which will be greatly helped by losing weight.
I do have the 60+ year old body with old, worn joints and poorly conditioned muscles, so I'll make the appropriate adjustments and start slowly. The key is to get started.

Other things for the current journey:
Continue reading. I've slowed a bit in the last month, but still continue to read more than I have in the past. I do need to find some more interesting non-fiction books that aren't about religion or philosophy. 

I'm looking forward to learning more about gardening, bee keeping and solar power. I have some books, but just haven't really gotten around to them yet. I'm thinking about a late fall project of building a small greenhouse to get an early start on next spring's garden and flowers -- just a thought.

I still need to plant some trees. I'm working on getting some fruit trees. I really wouldn't mind some nut trees, black walnuts are very plentiful around here. I'd keep the nut trees close to the existing tree line so I won't have to deal with them while mowing, plus they'll feed the critters that dwell in the trees. I'm also in search of some pine trees to help fill in the tree line for the winter months. Currently the deciduous trees lose their leaves and expose the streetlights of the street behind us. I'd prefer them to remain hidden as I really enjoy the dark country nights.

I'm sure there will be other things that pop into my head as the year rolls on. These are the things I'm thinking about today.
If you are looking for your own new beginning -- you can make this your day!
Or summer begins at 10:31pm (CDT) next Sunday night, making next Monday the first full day of summer. That gives you a week to make plans and get your attitude right.

A recent America's Got Talent contestant went viral with her performance and story. She gave us this quote for Monday Motivation: "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." --Nightbirde

John

Influencers

I'm wondering:  Whom do you follow?
What people influence your life, your decisions, your beliefs, your politics, your purchases?
Do you follow people with opposite view points?
How much influence do celebrities, social media or TV news stories have over you?
Who interprets the news, current events, religious texts, etc. for you?
How do you determine whom you can trust?

Just wondering...

John

Pray without ceasing

Like most mornings, today is beginning with quiet time and coffee on the deck. It really is such a peaceful and serene way to begin the day. This day differs from most in that my mom is also having her quiet time and coffee on our deck.
While I am blogging, she is deep in her daily practice of prayer. Her prayer time is very intentional and purpose driven. Most people would consider it to be quite lengthy, as well. She says, "God gives me 24 hours each day; surely I can give him one!"

Admittedly, my purposeful, intentional prayer time has become nearly non-existent over the past few years. And yet I have become closer to God and more aware of the presence of God in me and around me than ever before in my life. I think this is the feeling Paul was experiencing when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 15, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, ..."

In my awareness and communion with God, I don't begin and end with the Catholic salutation, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Most of the time I don't even directly address God. It's more like just being in the presence of God; each of us aware of the presence of the other, each sensing the thoughts of the other. I do petition God for the health and well being of others, but it isn't the same as the shopping list approach that I once had.
That's not meant as a criticism of anyone else's approach to prayer; it's just a recognition of how automatic and insensitive my own prayers had become. It's like the adult version of me seeing the kid version on Santa's lap. While the kid version was sincerely expressing his desires, the adult version sees it as cute, but pretty futile.

But enough about me!
How do you acknowledge or communicate with God, the Christ, the Universe, the Tao, whatever you call the greater power of the universe?
Do you have a prayer time or prayer place?
Do you use daily or a regular practice of meditation?
Do you connect through a physical practice like yoga or running?
I know some use a walking meditation or labyrinth to ground their spirit.

If you don't have a regular practice to connect to God or ground yourself to the world around you, i would strongly encourage you to find a way to do that. You can begin by simply sitting still and focusing on your breath as you slowly breath in and out. Be purposeful about each breath -- slowly and deeply in, slowly and peacefully out. Feel your feet connecting to the ground or the floor. Recognize the spirit within you. Breathe.
Seriously, a few minutes of simple breathing can slow the heart, quiet the mind, reduce stress, and bring peace to your soul.

If you are on Facebook and want to begin a simple practice of meditation, try The Mediocre Buddhist.
You can participate in morning meditations MWF at 7 central time, or watch at your convenience anytime.
I really believe that before you can find God in the Universe, you need to find God in yourself. The Bible says that we are created in the image and likeness of God. When you look in the mirror, look for God. Look into your eyes, look into your soul. Find God in you. You are connected to all things through The Christ that lives in you!
That is the Good News!

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Back Home

Oh my! It was a good few days on the road, but it is always good to be back home -- even if only for a few days.

I was only a couple hundred miles into my trip (550 miles on the first day) before experiencing a flat tire. I had left home an hour earlier than planned so that I could take my time and have a little more leisurely drive. As it was, the early departure merely allowed me to have time to repair the tire and then arrive in Chicago a little bit later than planned.

No worries -- a couple of beers at The Haymarket and my favorite sandwich (The Riot) before seeing a White Sox winner with the kids and all was well in the world once again.

Friday was a short drive (not even 150 miles) to Mom's place in Metamora.
Friday night I spent a few hours catching up with a couple of old friends. I really haven't kept in touch with many of my high school classmates and have rarely spent any time with them when I've been home for quick visits with the folks.
I had such a good time meeting with these two old friends! 

We talked, laughed, and drank to old friends and old memories until well past 3AM.
Growing up in a small town with these guys and others like them was quite an experience. They reminded me of things I had forgotten, but were still buried in the far recesses of my ancient memories. It is a wonder that we survived to adulthood.
Damn, we did some stupid stuff!

Saturday we met with some more old friends. It was more subdued (and sober) than Friday night's activities, but every bit as good of an experience. 
Sunday was a laid back, chill sort of day. We didn't get to visit with some of the relatives we were hoping to see, but it was a good day with Mom. We went to Mass at The Community of St. John, visited Dad's grave, and had a good lunch at Mom and Dad's Sunday after Mass lunch place.
Before hitting the road on Monday, we had lunch with cousins that I haven't seen in ages.

While the weekend was full and just personal visits with old friends and family, it also served as a reminder of the value of past relationships and the importance of keeping and nurturing those relationships. Perhaps it was a year+ of pandemic restrictions that makes reuniting with and hugging old friends seem more important. Or maybe there is a greater awareness of my mortality as we remembered friends and family that are no longer living and able to be a part of our reunions.

Sometimes I look at Facebook and think, "Dang, my friends are all so old!" 
I image my friends look at me and think that they have an old friend!
The reality is that we are all getting older. Many of us have lost parents and we have all lost friends and classmates. Life is uncertain and fleeting.

I think I'm going to be more aware of the simple presence of people -- the preciousness of our existence. I'm going to try to make people feel good about themselves and good about the relationship I have with them. I know that is going to take some work and some reparation on my part. Please be patient with me. It is a work in progress.

John

Reading

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty long day, and it was the first day in about two months that I didn't do any reading!
I recently finished Richard Rohr's The Universal Christ. It is a very thought provoking book and if you are open to having what you believe challenged, it is a worthwhile read. If you are pretty steeped and fixed in your orthodoxy or fundamental Christian beliefs, you're probably just wasting your time and would only get angry at his suggestions about the greatness and grace-ness of God.

I'm about 40% through a book on the ancient Chinese teaching and philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan (it's nearly 1000 pages long). It's been a few weeks since I've been in this book and really need to get back to it.
And I'm about 1/3 of the way through an easy read fiction work called This Life or the Next.
Plus I'm still slowly working my way through the gospels. 
I always have my Kindle app on my phone, so I'm never really without anything to read. I did bring my Bible and pencil so that I can continue the old school way as I read the gospels.

I'm looking for another religion/philosophy book to add to the daily read. I'm thinking maybe something by Thomas Merton. I've got a few Rohr books on my list, as well as stuff by Thich Nhat Hanh. I'd be open to a woman author along those lines if anyone has a favorite author or book they'd like to recommend.

What are you reading?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 Hmmm...

John

On the Road Again

June is here and will be a month of many road miles. I'll be back in Chicago on Thursday (about 550 miles), then on to Metamora (130 miles) on Friday. There will be some local miles as I take my mom to a few places and visit a few people. We'll be coming back to the Ozarks on Monday (400+ miles). Towards the end of next week, I'll be meeting my sister and transferring our mom to her place for a short visit there (about a 400 mile round trip for my part). Then I'll do that again to pick her up (400) and then the 800+ miles to bring her back to Metamora and return home to Highlandville.
All of that will be followed by an 800 mile drive (probably the moving truck) to Colorado Springs as I help Hannah and Daniel with their move. That's a lot of driving!

Chris will meet us in Colorado Springs and we'll spend a week there. We'll help the kids get settled and check out a few of the sights before flying home at the end of the month.

I don't mind the time on the road. Most of it will be solo; some of it will be with my mom in the vehicle.
Solo drive time is cool. Sometimes I listen to music. Sometimes I don't. I'll listen to a baseball game if the Cardinals are on, or maybe play a TED talk or two. I'm also very comfortable driving without the added input of the radio or internet. The voices in my head are generally good company.

I'm wondering what other people do to occupy their time when on long, solo drives. 
What do you do? Call someone on the phone? Listen to music or podcasts (something I haven't really done much)? Contemplate life's great mysteries and your place in the world? Listen to audio books?
What do you do?

John