Tag Archives: the river

Sunrise, Sabbath, Summer Peace… ah…

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Before I start, I have to acknowledge the passing of the extraordinary Elie Wiesel. I am so grateful for what he taught us, his insistence on truth and his grace in the face of human frailty. We were so lucky for his presence among us.

This is one of those posts where I’ll have a hard time keeping the day straight. There was Peace on Saturday and there will be Peace on Sunday. It was Saturday that I was knee deep in the Susquehanna sending 30 paddlers off for a day on the river: The inaugural paddle of our riverkeeper, 22 miles of the Susquehanna on a perfect day in July.

We have one! This is a thing!! She’s in there fighting for our River who cannot fight for herself. The paddlers are all passionate about her mission.

So they had a lovely day, saw some things to be corrected, remembered just how beautiful this river is AND how vital to our lives. I could burble on a long time.

However, today is also going to be a great day. We start off with a hymn sing in an 1800 chapel. It’s got wonderful accoustics and my community loves to sing. Harmony! hurrah. It’s good for the soul.

There is no yard sale today! hurrah, hurrah… Which sounds like I’m not grateful for it, the good it does, the community it builds, and the money it raises, I am, but I’m tired.

So I’ll spend a little time turfing out my house and prepping salad for tomorrow’s yard sale and then… i’ll open the books for my summer sabbatical. and smile! I’ll sit on the porch and read. Maybe I’ll swim.

I’ll remember this Sabbath and keep it holy, that’s for sure. I hope you find something wonderful to do. If your weather is like our weather, it’s going to be a great day! Peace of the summer, Peace of the river, be with you, be with the whole world.

EverydayPeaceSunday27Jul3

 

 

Honking for Peace and Memories

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The returning geese carry such memories for me. There’s a road I drive along the river that gets me to most places I travel. In the late Winter and early Spring, there is a field that helps you keep a fairly close tab on what’s happening in the bird world.

The field is mostly corn stubble and it seems there’s plenty for migrating flocks to dine on. Hundreds and hundreds of birds hang out. It’s just a short flight to the river where you also find them.

The river is the expressway the birds travel.

This road is the last road my father rode. I asked the driver to stop and let him see the geese who were migrating then. It had been a colder winter, they were a bit later. But I now measure my grieving for my dad by the migrating of the geese. Ah, I remember…

March is living up to its myths. Today it will be warmish — 15˚ above normal and then a new front blows in and it will be chilly again. Wind and bluster coming up.

This is one of those periods when I find it hard to understand why people long to dash on to the next season. So much happens now. There is so much to see! Change happens now! Slow down, be amazed.

Let’s make Peace with the changes. And let’s allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the extraordinary things that happen. We live on an amazing World. The more we appreciate that, the better care we’ll take of it. And the Earth needs our care. The geese are arriving, honking of Peace. I used to think of harbingers as quiet peaceful things. Not the geese! The weather roars and soothes by turns. Let us Peace. Every beautiful day.

EverydayPeaceTuesday9Mar1