Life...as we know it, it is a wild, changing beast with attitude issues. In a good way. And so,
The Erratic Muse spends months out there, all by its lonesome.
The first Friday in May, I had my last day of teaching duties for the semester and then we all galavanted to the beach. It was glorious. No rain, no internet, no alarm clocks. And all for a whole week. I got to see my family for seven days in a row! :-)
Anyone who says they are too busy for vacation, is very mistaken. Sleep, recharging, and a heap of reading are just what you need when you've been too busy too long. Salt water, gritty sand, and breezy sunshine are additional blessings to the fortunate.
So...that's my life.
Teaching is over (at least until I decide whether I'm going to commit to more or not).
I've been able to begin books that have been sitting for months. And I have been able to study simply for fun/my own education. Latin at the beach. I think yes.
I sold my last livestock and rabbits. All that I have to my name is Freddy, the goose. And then of course, there are the dogs and cats. Henry, whom I have missed.
Oregon went from spring to winter to summer in an odd progression of moods. Heat, red clover, and frappuccinos are everywhere.
Looming ahead are these events-
-Book deadline of doom for my nonfiction project. 5/29 Rough draft!
-Church camp.
-Rachel visiting from Alaska (much happiness).
-Trip to PA and NYC with Aisha (also much happiness).
-Wordsmithy Conference (speaks for itself).
-Decisions about fall work.
-Summer awesomeness--Swinging sessions with good books. Walking up Saddleback with sister and friends. Running wild on the beach. Downtown Portland. Work. Camping. Family. More family (nephew(s) and or niece on the way). Music. Sunburns. Late nights around the fire. The list is magnificently endless!
-And, to include all the above plus the unexpected and the unmentioned--tough and beautiful life.
Here are a few things I want to remember-
-Breathe.
-Enjoy.
-Work hard.
-Don't give up. On the mini and the massive.
-The whys of it all. The point.
-Just where exactly I'm going.
-And just Who exactly it's all about.
It's not all pretty, but it is all beautiful...sometimes I just have to back up to see it a bit better. Maybe take my grabby hands off it so I can see the actual masterpiece Someone else is creating.
I am so thankful to God and His many blessings this past year. He is persistently faithful. And He paints the big and the little pictures. The shadows and the sunny spots.
May this be true of us all-
To live is Christ. To live in every minute of every day. It's all for Christ and about Christ.
And to die is gain. To die daily. To die to our own needs. To live for Christ. And eventually to die on earth. To live with Christ. To live with Christ on earth.
Sounds wonderfully strange? It is.
The end.
Happy summer.
However premature it may seem to those who live in Alaska. ;-)
