Summertime in Oregon slows us down. We linger longer on the porch with that first cup of morning coffee, we take more walks enjoying the brisk, beautiful air, and we wander through the farmer’s market picking out berries and freshly grown vegetables, visiting with neighbors, and talking to the vendors about the beautiful flowers. I think we all just are happy the rains have stopped and we feel the blessing of sun, friends, community and the beautiful bounty of Oregon.
Our driving also slows down during the summer. This has nothing to do with our attitudes of bliss. It’s because the road crews are out in force fixing up the potholes and tackling projects that weren’t possible during the rainy season. Flaggers wave cheerfully as they direct us to slow down just a little bit more. Bright orange signs warning us of upcoming road projects sprout along side the roads with the same abundance as blackberry bushes taking over the gardens. But this is a normal summertime event which we all just take in stride.
Driving also slows down because of the tractors and combines traveling from barn to field. Driving time increases as we become part of the parade of necessary farm implements some of which take up 1 ½ lanes so passing is impossible. John Deere green fills the view in front of us.
Oregon’s colors really are orange and green, but during the summer months that has nothing to do with the UofO Ducks and OSU Beavers. The ODOT road crews and John Deere machinery carry the Oregon colors for the summer.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Blessing Filter
I was thinking about how I live my life. I try to take care of the peopl
e around me, whoever that may be. I respond to clerks in the store, talk to gas station attendants, offer to get my office partner a cup of tea when I go to refresh my cup, and greet people when I pass them in the hallway. I like people! But it dawned on me recently that how I treat myself can be seen as a blessing, too. Let me explain. Not exercising and overeating inhibit my energy and wellness levels. I can’t interact as well with people, or take part in things as easily. So by taking care to exercise, and eat and drink properly I put aside a barrier that reduces my ability to participate in what’s going on around me, to invest in the people I care about.
Driving to work I have a choice to be hurried, tailgating and passing other people who are also trying to get to work, or I can bless the other drivers by giving them some space. Doing this calms me down which is a side blessing, and I’m pretty sure, even though they don’t know it is happening the other drivers appreciate not being pushed.
There are so many little things we do each day that can bless the people around us and, in turn, bless us.
* If you take the last cup of coffee at work, start a fresh pot. There’s nothing quite as nice as getting that first cup of freshly brewed coffee.
* If you like someone’s outfit, tell them. Or if you liked the presentation they gave in the meeting be gracious enough to say so.
* Don’t notice flubs. When someone does something blameworthy or even just plain stupid, chances are they already know it and don’t need constant reminders or gentle ribbing that they were a dork. Let things pass quietly.
* Let others talk. Ask them how they are, how things are at home, on the golf course, or at work. . . and then listen.
* Clean up after yourself in the little ways – like don’t leave the bathroom counter splattered with water, wipe out the microwave if your cocoa bubbles over, put the newspaper back together when you’ve finished reading it.
It’s not that every waking moment needs to be focused on being a blessing to someone, or tending to everyone’s needs, but when there are choices to be made, even those small choices, I think they should be made with this blessing filter. I know that when I purposely choose to take that one small extra step that I not only bless someone, some of the blessing will splash back onto me. And maybe, just maybe the world will be a better place even if only for that moment.
e around me, whoever that may be. I respond to clerks in the store, talk to gas station attendants, offer to get my office partner a cup of tea when I go to refresh my cup, and greet people when I pass them in the hallway. I like people! But it dawned on me recently that how I treat myself can be seen as a blessing, too. Let me explain. Not exercising and overeating inhibit my energy and wellness levels. I can’t interact as well with people, or take part in things as easily. So by taking care to exercise, and eat and drink properly I put aside a barrier that reduces my ability to participate in what’s going on around me, to invest in the people I care about.Driving to work I have a choice to be hurried, tailgating and passing other people who are also trying to get to work, or I can bless the other drivers by giving them some space. Doing this calms me down which is a side blessing, and I’m pretty sure, even though they don’t know it is happening the other drivers appreciate not being pushed.
There are so many little things we do each day that can bless the people around us and, in turn, bless us.
* If you take the last cup of coffee at work, start a fresh pot. There’s nothing quite as nice as getting that first cup of freshly brewed coffee.
* If you like someone’s outfit, tell them. Or if you liked the presentation they gave in the meeting be gracious enough to say so.
* Don’t notice flubs. When someone does something blameworthy or even just plain stupid, chances are they already know it and don’t need constant reminders or gentle ribbing that they were a dork. Let things pass quietly.
* Let others talk. Ask them how they are, how things are at home, on the golf course, or at work. . . and then listen.
* Clean up after yourself in the little ways – like don’t leave the bathroom counter splattered with water, wipe out the microwave if your cocoa bubbles over, put the newspaper back together when you’ve finished reading it.
It’s not that every waking moment needs to be focused on being a blessing to someone, or tending to everyone’s needs, but when there are choices to be made, even those small choices, I think they should be made with this blessing filter. I know that when I purposely choose to take that one small extra step that I not only bless someone, some of the blessing will splash back onto me. And maybe, just maybe the world will be a better place even if only for that moment.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I got Lucky in Zambia
Traveling to Zambia was difficult. The boarder crossing in and of itself was a time laden – expensive - dusty - baboon filled (that’s another story) - waiting - passport stampi
ng event. The roads in Zambia were atrocious. Potholes half the size of our car dotted the road and were difficult to see in the dusky conditions. Jessica had a touch of food poisoning so wasn’t feeling well. People lined the streets walking to somewhere, or maybe it was from somewhere – it’s kind of hard to tell the difference. There were more people walking along this Zambia thoroughfare than I saw at the local Mardi gras parade when we lived in Louisiana. There were animals and children running all over the place. So traveling in the dusky (and dusty) conditions, weaving through the pothole slalom while dodging people, animals and children, well, let’s just say it was a white knuckle, hold – your - breath kind of a trip.
It was a very difficult day of traveling. As we were going through ramshackled check points, dodging people, navigating through all of the red tape and pot holes, one of us would make a comment followed by “knock on wood.” The problem was we didn’t have any wood to knock on in our white VW Polo so we made make-shift wooden knocks on the closest thing we could find like my journal since it was made from wood pulp. This would make us laugh and restore the mood in the car. It’s the little things that can change a mood, isn’t it?
The first day in Zambia I had an opportunity to visit a craft market while visiting Victoria Falls. I spoke with a talented carver named James. He was so proud of the animals he could carve from the roots of tree
s, pods and branches, and he spoke to me with such respect. His grandfather was with him in his cramped tented shop and he would play music on some percussion instrument. I enjoyed the music and hearing about the details from James, so I ended up buying a carved giraffe from him for about $7 US dollars.
When we left Zambia we had to navigate back over broken roads, drive through hordes of people and animals walking on the roadway again. Then Jessica said something followed by “knock on wood.” The frantic and joyful searching began for something close to wood when I remembered I had the giraffe I bought from James the previous day. I unwrapped the giraffe, and both Jessica and Kent knocked on him. We had a wonder trip back through Zambia, and an easy time passing all of the check points and boarder crossing. We all three decided then and there that it was our lucky chunk of wood we now had in the car, so we named the giraffe Lucky.
And that’s the story of how I got Lucky in Zambia.
ng event. The roads in Zambia were atrocious. Potholes half the size of our car dotted the road and were difficult to see in the dusky conditions. Jessica had a touch of food poisoning so wasn’t feeling well. People lined the streets walking to somewhere, or maybe it was from somewhere – it’s kind of hard to tell the difference. There were more people walking along this Zambia thoroughfare than I saw at the local Mardi gras parade when we lived in Louisiana. There were animals and children running all over the place. So traveling in the dusky (and dusty) conditions, weaving through the pothole slalom while dodging people, animals and children, well, let’s just say it was a white knuckle, hold – your - breath kind of a trip.It was a very difficult day of traveling. As we were going through ramshackled check points, dodging people, navigating through all of the red tape and pot holes, one of us would make a comment followed by “knock on wood.” The problem was we didn’t have any wood to knock on in our white VW Polo so we made make-shift wooden knocks on the closest thing we could find like my journal since it was made from wood pulp. This would make us laugh and restore the mood in the car. It’s the little things that can change a mood, isn’t it?
The first day in Zambia I had an opportunity to visit a craft market while visiting Victoria Falls. I spoke with a talented carver named James. He was so proud of the animals he could carve from the roots of tree
s, pods and branches, and he spoke to me with such respect. His grandfather was with him in his cramped tented shop and he would play music on some percussion instrument. I enjoyed the music and hearing about the details from James, so I ended up buying a carved giraffe from him for about $7 US dollars.When we left Zambia we had to navigate back over broken roads, drive through hordes of people and animals walking on the roadway again. Then Jessica said something followed by “knock on wood.” The frantic and joyful searching began for something close to wood when I remembered I had the giraffe I bought from James the previous day. I unwrapped the giraffe, and both Jessica and Kent knocked on him. We had a wonder trip back through Zambia, and an easy time passing all of the check points and boarder crossing. We all three decided then and there that it was our lucky chunk of wood we now had in the car, so we named the giraffe Lucky.
And that’s the story of how I got Lucky in Zambia.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Determining depths
Why do we long for things we don’t have?
Girls with curly hair wish for straight hair
Boys crave the prowess perceived in other males
Women envy smaller bodies, smooth skin, and contentment
Men want power over that one more last indefinable thing.
Can there be a suitable reason to explain these longings,
these cravings for things we don’t have?
Some are valid and important, yet other seems to be only surface things
although nonetheless important.
Why do we feel hunger beyond our current blessings?
Is what we have not enough?
Will nothing satisfy us?
Are we just one-dimensional spoiled people?
I think not.
I'm learning that we are so deep and complex
that as we learn about ourselves, as we grow,
other elements develop,
yearnings surface – maybe nostalgia,
parts of who we are that may have been lost
are rediscovered.
We grow
We learn
We crave to know more
be more
love more
be part of something more
And, tell me friend,
how can that be shallow?
Isn’t that the definition of deep?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Things that made me smile this week
Things that made me smile this week:
1. Hearing my best friend laugh. She has the best laugh.
2. Lucy's reaction when I told her we were going for a walk. Wow! Such enthusiasm.
3. The "Welcome Back" sign on my office door.
4. My office partner, Carrie. She is sweet, brilliant and just AWESOME.
5. Finding out my nephew and his wife are going to have a baby.
6. Not having to take Maladrone anymore. That's the malaria medicine we needed in Africa.
7. Seeing the pale pink flowers on the blackberry bushes. That means blackberries are a-coming!
Love 'em.
8. Gorgeous shoes in my size on the clearance rack. Nice!
9. Hanging out with Daniel on Monday and Tuesday. I'm so comfortable with him.
10. Talking to my friends. I have great friends both new and old, and I love them all!
1. Hearing my best friend laugh. She has the best laugh.
2. Lucy's reaction when I told her we were going for a walk. Wow! Such enthusiasm.
3. The "Welcome Back" sign on my office door.
4. My office partner, Carrie. She is sweet, brilliant and just AWESOME.
5. Finding out my nephew and his wife are going to have a baby.
6. Not having to take Maladrone anymore. That's the malaria medicine we needed in Africa.
7. Seeing the pale pink flowers on the blackberry bushes. That means blackberries are a-coming!
Love 'em.
8. Gorgeous shoes in my size on the clearance rack. Nice!
9. Hanging out with Daniel on Monday and Tuesday. I'm so comfortable with him.
10. Talking to my friends. I have great friends both new and old, and I love them all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
