Aging and Change

Our society has a real aversion to aging. More and more products are geared to fight the effects of aging and to mask its telltale signs. Plastic surgeons and pharmacuetical companies are enriched by clients hungry for the latest procedure or elixir.

I've always kind of taken the road less traveled or not quite gone with the flow in life and so it is in my attitude toward aging. I like it a lot. I found this quote in the "O" magazine from a woman named Peggy Cooper Cafritz. She says," people will say, oh pull the plug, this aging is terrible. But one of the pleasures of aging is the ability to witness change. And change happens everywhere. It happens in the country, in community, in the family and it happens individually. So I'm not afraid of the future. I'm very excited."

The quote set me to thinking about how right she is. Wouldn't it be cool if, after we die, we find out that God is a real film freak and he has a DVD of each of our lives. Not only our actions, but somehow our thoughts and emotions are recorded and we can review them whenever we want. We would witness the amazing changes that have taken place while we grow and hopefully evolve.

Instead of rambling on and on like my manic little brain right now is doing, I think I'll continue this subject over the next several blog entries. I'll speak of the many changes already witnessed by this particular being now in physicality.

Padding the Path

I love the outdoors. Nature supplys such energy - radiating from the earth, the sun, the sky and all the living vegetation. With all our gardens and paths, the lake and the nearby field, there's always something to do outside and lately I've been raking pine needles. Don't let anybody tell you that evergreens are ever green. We have about forty huge red pines and white pines ringing one side of our yard and they annually shed half of their needles. That makes for quite a stash of pine straw. It's beautiful but the carpet of gold would smother the grass in the yard so each fall I rake them and transport them to other uses. This year, with the aid of our trusty oxcart, otherwise known as our ATV and wagon, I've taken them down the hill and strewn them on the swamp path to the lake. It's soft and pretty and I think the neighborhood deer will be bedding down when they discover it. We thought we were in for an extra long winter when the cold and blustery weather hit us in September and October but now we've had an unseasonally nice start to November so winter's going to be a breeze!

Just Some Happy Fall Pictures

Friends are Like Flowers

Somewhere in the musical part of my brain, there runs a song from long ago, It sings, "Friends are like flowers, beautiful flowers. Friends are like flowers in the garden of life." It's so true. Flowers are not a necessity but they add such color and beauty wherever they grow. Friends are not a necessity but they too add a punch of love and laughter to life. Our friends, Paul and John are here for the week. It's fun to talk and laugh and share chores and meals. They're both just a little younger than Bing and me so we do a lot of talk of yesteryear and families and the wisdom of the ages. Thanks God, for such good friends.

Walking in the Snow and Fallen Leaves

A few inches of snow greeted us yesterday. It was unusually beautiful with the fluffy lumps of snow adding a punch of white to the already riotous color of God's Fall artistry. I remember wondering a while ago, when will summer come and when did it go and now I wonder, will we see much more autumn or will it suddenly be winter? There is a season for everything under heaven but these are going by just a little too fast. We're still putting away the summer goods and soon the snow plow will be needed. Oh well, whatever happens with the weather - it's so good to be alive and able to experience it.

Busy Days

Wintry air swept in fast and we've been hustling these days - it seems like Fall is the busiest time of the year. We had a ten day visit from Grandma Milli and it was fun and went by fast. I dug up the Impatiens, Begonias and Geraniums and brought them in for the winter - they'll go out again in the spring. We're picking the garden vegetables and the only ones left out there are the cabbages, beets, broccoli and carrots. Bing picked all the apples and it was a banner year. I'm canning tomatoes and will can some salsa because we have good tomatoes and peppers to spare. The camper is winterized and sitting near the A-frame instead of down the hill. We figure Bing can sit in it when he boils sap next spring and maybe we'll take it south somewhere during the winter - it'll be easier to dig it out of the snow and we won't have to bring it up our new hill road - that should be quite a slippery sliding hill and probably not navigable.

Joyful News

The word is out and we are rejoicing. Son, Dan's wife. Cori, is pregnant with their first child. The baby is due in May and we're so happy for them and for us and for Cori's family - another grandchild with which to fall in love! The picture attached is an image from Google but it looks just like our three sons at birth.