AWOL

Hi Maggie,

Sorry to have been AWOL.  I just checked and the last time I wrote was Thursday.  I guess we have been  busy, because time has just slipped by. I would have sworn I only missed a day or two.

I talked to S#3 and she told me you had a date for surgery. That hit me hard.  Having a date made everything take another step into reality.

I hope you are resting.  I know school is over, for you and for the boys.  How much other time do you need to be out of the house, doing things?  Do you have enough down time?

This weekend was a birthday party, followed by an attack of a GI bug, followed by my daughter's first plugged duct - almost mastitis.  And I got a lot more of the garden in.

I have read and reread the quote by Ajahn Chah, asking about the learning acquired during bad times versus good.  I suddenly wondered if we allow ourselves good times.  I wondered what we would learn if we did allow ourselves good times.  In families like ours, we mostly learn from bad times, because that is where we linger, that is what we understand.

Also thinking about the green wood. That is the wood that is not ready to burn.  It burns too hot and leaves a chimney full of creosote.  It needs to age, to ripen - maybe, to mature.  It is better to wait for the older wood, the drier wood, the wood that has had some time.  Then we get a steady light that doesn't burn out so fast. Maybe there's nothing wrong with waiting foe wisdom.

Being transparent, giving people a place to talk about cancer and other scary things is a gift.  It teaches the rest of us to be gracious.  It makes cancer less scary, gives it a face.

I am feeling a strong urge to plant and preserve food this year.  I must go out and plant green beans. Then I will go and buy some tomato plants, and broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and maybe even cabbage.  But right now, I am just tired.

I will check back soon and be back tomorrow.

Let me know all the latest, please.

Love from Clare