A few, fun haikus as we take off for London today…
Anticipation....
What a wonderful feeling,
To London we go.
Sit around and wait…
When does vacation begin?
Not at the airport!
Traveling provides
new perspectives and new growth;
opportunities.
Author: Valerie
Wounds, Healing and Scars
I’ve been thinking about wounds, healing, scars…
First we get a wound: stabbed, cut, or an incision, and it hurts.
The wound will get better…it will heal…but not instantly. It takes time – and it depends on the severity of the wound. But, most often, it will heal. Our bodies are amazing that way…truly amazing when you stop to think about it.
The saying goes “time heals all wounds”…this I believe, but the question is…will it leave a scar? Some do, others do not. You never know, you just have to wait and see.
Not only does this apply to our physical beings but our emotional beings as well.
I have always liked this quote by Isak Dinesen, “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
Although those three elements are not a cure for everything physically, I think it may be true for emotional healing.
This idea is goes along with a haiku my friend and writing partner, Sharon Ginter Eichhorn, wrote on healing and nature:
Healing is aqua
Corralling the sky and sea
Into gentle hope.
St. Olaf’s Ice Arena
St. Olaf College built a spectacular ice arena on campus. It opened in January. Many hockey games have been played on the rink already. I believe it’s the end of hockey season but hopefully next year we can attend a game.
The ice arena is used for several other events too…there is a Figure Skating Club that meets weekly and I know it offers Open Skate on Sundays.
It’s a great place for families with little ones learning to skate. It’s an indoor rink so it’s much warmer than skating outside. Our son and his family gave it a try. My son retrieved his skates from our basement and he rented skates for the rest of his family at the rink. Rental skates were available in all sizes.
It was the first time my daughter-in-love tried ice skating. She moved to Minnesota last December and is embracing winter, although it’s been a tough one, even for Minnesotans. Of course, their children tried skating for the first time too.
When we stopped by to see them skate, the 4 year old and 3 year old were resting on the sidelines, enjoying watching the skaters go by, after their initial attempts at skating. They got back on the ice and when they arrived home they were so excited for this new adventure.
Ice skating on my neighborhood rink was an activity I enjoyed a lot when I was much younger. I still have the only pair of skates I’ve owned, from high school. I have used them many times over the years. They are very thin leather, and unlined. I believe my toes may have been near frostbitten back when I was young, because now when I go outside in wintertime my toes get cold quickly. I love the invention of toe warmers!
Maybe I should try skating again….my rational self wonders if I’m too old. I don’t want to fall. But I am tempted. I don’t want my physical age to get in the way of my youthful memories of skating.
Off to Class
The topic for this week’s 1960’s class we are attending was “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll”, the counter culture of the 60’s.
So we dressed the part. I’m not sure turtleneck sweaters were part of the dress scene but I did put a flower in my hair…not a daisy like my original debut in 1967. Gary wore a bandana around his longish, gray hair. That’s about as ‘hippy’ as we get!
It is a very interesting class and we are really enjoying the discussions.
***On a different note: The previous week our 1960’s class fell on Valentine’s Day. Before class three high school students from the Alternative Learning Center, which meets in the same building, came into the classroom and handed out hand-made Valentines to “the seniors.” It was sweet, however, for some reason it made me feel old. But, I guess I am considering I was alive in the 60’s! HA
The Super Moon
When I learned the full, “snow moon” this month was a super moon I thought it might be fun to take the grandkids to see the moon from the top of Regent’s Hall at St. Olaf College. Not only would the four flights of stairs give them an outlet for some of their energy, it would be fun to see the view from the top atrium with three walls of windows. We piled in our cars and drove to St. Olaf at the scheduled moonrise time, walked along the winding sidewalk up to the building, and then inside climbed stairs up to the top floor.
When we reached to 4th floor we looked East but we couldn’t see the moon. What I hadn’t thought of was other buildings being in the way of the moonrise. Argh… However, we went to a different area and were able to see the beautiful moon after it rose.
Although we didn’t see what I thought we would see, it was still a fun adventure. There were other displays to look at: several Owls and a large pileated woodpecker in glass cabinets, and a turtle in an aquarium.
In one display case there were a couple pieces of artwork. I particularly liked the one with a lone bird sitting in a tree with peach colored blossoms.
After we walked down the hall to draw on an old-fashion chalkboard for a bit, I came back and noticed a second image in the picture… a woman’s face. It was an optical illusion. Very clever!
The piece on display is credited to a St. Olaf student, Corinne Kieras. She’s a Psychology and Computer Science Major. Her piece is called Nature vs. Nurture. I have included a photo of her artist’s statement.
Cross-Country Skiing
We were able to get out cross-country skiing at the Carleton Arboretum a couple of times this past week. It is one positive for all the snow that has fallen this winter.
The white, pristine snow blankets the ground and frosts the brown tree trunks. Water flows through open spaces in the river, the trail recently groomed for skiing, and the temperatures reasonable, even nice, to be able to be outside and enjoy this tough Minnesota winter.
Yesterday gentle snowflakes fell during our time on the trail. Quiet beauty surrounded us. It was peaceful. It is always peaceful at the arb. It is sometimes hard to remember downtown is within a mile or two. We are fortunate to have this beautiful, wooded arboretum so near and accessible.
Several years ago I wrote a poem while skiing at the arb and I thought of it again this week.
Cross-Country Skiing
Arms swinging
Poles digging
Jacket swishing
Legs trekking
Skis gliding
River Flowing
Snow falling
Birds singing
Peace ringing
Prayer bringing
The contrast of dark and light, white snow…brown tree trunks…gray water, is striking, but there can be color in winter. We saw this sunset the night before our last snow fall.
Valentine’s Day Tradition
I have written about our Valentine’s Day dinner tradition before. It began years ago when our boys were young. I wanted to make the day special and start a tradition, hopefully one that would last. I decided to make heart- shape French toast…which over the years morphed into waffles because I found an electric waffle maker that made heart-shape waffles!
I have made this dinner for many Valentine’s Days over the years. Even after the boys left home, I would make it for Gary and me. The tradition has lasted and it continues…
This year we have our grandchildren living with us so I will be getting out the red tablecloth, using fun Valentine’s Day napkins, and making heart-shape waffles for them. I think they will love it – just as my boys did when they were little.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The Love of God
The hymn entitled, The Love of God, was new to me as we sang it in church on Sunday. It was written in 1917 by Frederick M. Lehman. I really like the metaphors in the third stanza.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were every stalk (tree) on earth a quill,
and everyone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky. (Refrain)
Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure;
how measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure,
the saints' and angels' song.
Click here for a link to the entire lyrics.
Winter
Winter…snow, wind, cold, freezing rain. We had it all this week. And the week before – the polar vortex with temperatures 20-30 degrees below zero.
Monday morning we woke up to a layer of ice everywhere from the freezing drizzle/snow the night before…I wasn’t sure if I should venture out in it, but I did, and I thought up this poem while driving home from my outing.
Morning Conundrum...
Scheduled appointment,
But icy road conditions.
Should I go or
Should I stay?
Listen to TV reports,
Shower and dress.
Check again.
Driveway a sheet of ice,
Decide to venture out anyway,
Wet hair and all,
Drive slowly and carefully.
Some events I just don’t want to miss.
Tuesday brought an old-fashioned Minnesota snowstorm…almost 10 inches of snow fell. We arrived at the library to find out story time was cancelled. After that we were advised to stay home.
Wednesday, after plowing out, we took advantage of the fresh snow and went snowshoeing and the grandkids went sledding, and then Thursday brought another round of continuous snow so our weekly class was canceled…
It’s been years since the weather has determined what I can and cannot do…Winter is fine when you can get out in it, but cabin fever is hard.
It’s wonderful to see the grandkids having fun in the snow!
A Winter Morning
After the deep freeze last week, the temperatures climbed on Saturday and we were able to get outside to play.
The temperatures were just right for cross-country skiing in the morning at Riverbend Nature Center in Faribault, until late morning when the temperatures started rising and the snow was becoming sticky.
When we got home from skiing we thought would be a good time to build a snowman with the grandchildren. We were already in our winter gear, so we bundled up the grandkids and brought them outside to play in the snow, and to build a snowman…finally. They have been waiting and waiting for the “right” kind of snow to build one.
We brought out the scarf we had bought in anticipation of building a snowman, and used a carrot for his nose, rocks for his eyes, and branches for his arms and his smile.
The kids were very excited to play in the snow, and we were very excited to play with them, and also cross-country ski.
It was a wonderful, winter morning.