It Doesn't Get Much Better Than "Great"

Yes, we had a lovely time on Lake Michigan. I got to experience Grand Rapids for a day before we headed a bit more west toward the lake. We also made a quick stop in Grand Haven, equally lovely.

I think every tree should be wrapped in a blanket like this...and every person...and all creation. Needless to say, I fell in love with many trees in Michigan! This one was around the corner in Grand Rapids.

I try to find the best tacos each time I travel, and I think I found them in Grand Rapids, too...

And then, onward to Lake Michigan. Yes, it was that blue and perfectly sunny, too.

More trees to love. I felt kinship with this willow because of our fallen Grandmother Willow. And I loved the way these two trees love one another...

We enjoyed time on multiple bodies of water, including some kayaking time.

And we ended our trip with boat ride at sunset. Gorgeous and glorious.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Today

Mary Oliver

Today I’m flying low and I’m

not saying a word

I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.

The world goes on as it must,

the bees in the garden rumbling a little,

the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.

And so forth.

But I’m taking the day off.

Quiet as a feather.

I hardly move though really I’m traveling

a terrific distance.

Stillness. One of the doors

into the temple.

The Great Lakes Region

What is better than this little part of the world in summertime? This week I will head off to experience another area of the region that I am growing to love more and more as I travel to Lake Michigan, specifically the west coast of the state. I've never explored Michigan before, and with so many glowingly positive reports from people I trust, I surely look forward to all it has to offer.

Will the perch sandwich taste different?!

As for now, a few sights from Lake Erie during the season I adore...

Seems appropriate that the acronym we learned in school to memorize the names of these lakes spells "HOMES."

And, as always, a Mary Oliver for the road.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Forgive Me

Mary Oliver

Angels are wonderful but they are so, well, aloof.

It’s what I sense in the mud and the roots of the

trees, or the well, or the barn, or the rock with

its citron map of lichen that halts my feet and

makes my eyes flare, feeling the presence of some

spirit, some small god, who abides there.

If I were a perfect person, I would be bowing

continuously.

I’m not, though I pause wherever I feel this

holiness, which is why I’m so often late coming

back from wherever I went.

Forgive me.

My current joy is this hummingbird. I know it's him because he seems to have lost some of the feathers on his head, making him a distinct sight compared to the others who stop by. He visits each morning, and we greet each other. He returns many times throughout the day, always a welcome visitor.

Summer fruit becomes summer pies!

Inner-city beauty. Purple and yellow next to each other across the street from the Art House, and a passion flower which climbs the fence at the soup kitchen.

A visit to Wintergreen Gorge with my sisters...always fascinated by the roots and the stories they tell. And I just loved this mushroom, clearly soaking up the sun's rays, just like me!

A Visit Home with Mom and Dad

Well, I actually traveled home to help celebrate the first birthday of my nephew, but you know how when you travel home as an adult you see things that are central to your parents' lives in new ways.

It was no different this time.

When my mom and dad purchased their first and only home in 1983, the biggest criterion (for Dad, at least) was the size of the basement. You see, to put it lightly, my dad is a train/model railroad aficionado. From the time he was just a kid he has been in love with railroads, trains, chasing them to take photos and videos, and all that jazz. This means that our entire basement is one big model railroad. You cannot really appreciate the scope until you see it for yourself, and indeed, he has done open houses, but I saw it in a new way on this visit home.

I spent hours upon hours playing downstairs with my sister when we were kids and my dad was only on his first attempt at the layout. (He has since taken it down and started over twice.) We crawled under all the wood pretending it was Jurassic Park; we set up school classrooms with imaginary teachers and students, we scribbled all over the wooden stairs. (Our youthful cursive still lingers.) With my father playing docent, I got a tour this time as he ran trains for my nephew for the first time.

Turns out that Dad himself built a computer to run the system, all designed in his head and on graph paper, a rather intricate wiring/sensor/switchboard system that signals to a dispatcher in another room (the garage) where the trains are passing on the track. The dispatcher then uses a two-way radio to talk to the people running the trains in the basement. Yes, indeed, you do need to see it for yourself, but here are some sneak peaks until you find yourself in Emmaus.

A view down one of the aisles...

One of the switchboard systems and its wiring...all the wiring connects to the major switchboard in the garage, being run through a hole he drilled in the wall.

The inside of one of two helices that move the trains from level to level...

Another view and the control tower that he built and designed based on the real tower in West Virginia (the entire layout is modeled on the railroad system in the state)...

A video of the trains running...

As for my mom? Well, she has been handcrafting as long as I've been alive (and longer). Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cross-stitch...so many fiber crafts. We took a trip to the local yarn shop because she is working on a sweater (or two) for me. I delighted in the colors.

Grateful for their creativity and the gifts that they share with others.

Let us walk in the holy presence.

Summer, Summer, Summer

I cannot think of a better season. Really. Really.

Delighting to see the tomatoes on their way. New ones blossoming each day...especially with all this recent rain!

Watching the trees we planted at the monastery as part of the Re-Leaf program growing, while also helping a friend remove Japanese beetles to keep them safe!

Spending time cooking especially extravagant meals with the best company...a really wonderful friend and homemade guacamole.

Getting some perspective watching the sunset.

Hosting an outdoor giveaway at the food pantry with items donated by the Benedictine community.

Finding joy in the plants soaking up the sunshine.

Learning about the fun patches of wildflowers called "fairy rings" because the whimsical creatures dance and play there.

Having fresh, simple flowers from our yard to create beautiful and elegant chapel environments.

Being with community for perfect summer sunsets... plus...SPARKLERS!

Really, does it get any better?

Let us walk in the holy presence.

A Time To Be

Well, what can I say? It's summer. I am just the one admiring the beauty, savoring the opportunity to relax/be, and basking in the gratitude of being able to be with friends again. I am going to keep soaking it up!

Let us walk in the holy presence.

There is a Place Beyond Ambition

Mary Oliver

When the flute players

couldn’t think of what to say next

they laid down their pipes,

then they lay down themselves

beside the river

and just listened.

Some of them, after a while,

jumped up

and disappeared back inside the busy town.

But the rest—

so quiet, not even thoughtful—

are still there,

still listening.