6 Weeks!

I admit that even I had begun to wonder if I was ever going to post on my blog again. Fall came and went with such a flurry and rush that I'm still a little whoozy from the spin of it all.

Good weather lingered, blurring the lines between summer and autumn. Tastes of cold and light frosts intermingled with warmth, sunshine and green pastures. During the hectic spring of moving and getting a garden in, I dreamt of long summer days and times of just being. Breathing in the warm evening air and listening to crickets. But those summer days were full of activity. Good things, gardening, church happenings, animal raising and tending. Dinner at 8 or 9 pm and falling into bed happy but exhausted. And so I dreamt of fall and a time when things go dormant and we find rest. But those autumn days were filled with rich harvests from the gardening. Fall days were filled with canning, drying, apple picking, animal raising, tending and butchering. Thanksgiving and family became beacons of coming joys. And with the holiday, more activity and preparations.

First snow came and went.

 

I continued to "go" to school. Learning that the more I learn the less I know. Finding even more to study and learn. Illness knocks on our door from time to time and we take pause but it is not refreshing. I put my schooling to work treating with homeopathic and herbal techniques. With success which fuels my desire to learn more.

And time continues to rush by, as swift as our swollen creek. A beaver dam appears on it... overnight? No, I've just been too busy to visit the corners of our little world here at The Sanctuary.

 

Old friends come to call, bringing us gratitude for friendships that endure. New friends move into our lives, bringing gratitude for the kindling of new relationships. And faithful companions keep pace with us as we wake each day to a new adventure. Sometimes waking far sooner than I would choose. 5 am. 3 am. 1 am. I am glad to have their company when sleep refuses to spend time with me.

 

So days and weeks have passed in the blink of an eye. Their beauty falling on us with suddenness and their departure just as fleet. A friend gave me the gift of henna art during my blogging absence. She so quickly created lovely images on my hands. And the change was startling. At first I couldn't help but be aware of them nearly continuously. And then, just as I became accustomed to seeing the images stained on my skin, they faded away. Like days do.

 

They come on, each with their new challenges, tasks, and joys. Just as I begin to get a feel for it and find a rythym, the day fades away and another, different day takes its place. I remain hopeful that I will someday find my steps in this dance of life. That I won't always feel like I'm counting in my head to keep up with the tempo. Since Thanksgiving, school has been overshadowed by preparations for Christmas and last minute wrap ups in the garden as winter seems to be coming to stay awhile. My morning workouts have been a little spotty. My blogging non-existent for some time. I would like the dependability of my routine to reflect the value I place on the discipline. I fall short. Dependably.

So for now I'll head into winter, hanging on like a kid on a sled. I'm sure the days will rush by like wind through my hair and I hope I make it to the bottom of the hill without tumbling head over heels. But if I do, I'll just be glad I'm on this wild ride and be grateful for the snow in my face that tells me I'm alive.

And during this season of Advent I'm reminded that God came to the messy and undesirable places to redeem us. That makes me a perfect location for His intervention.