Line and Verse

So I napped for a few hours in the afternoon and now it's midnight and I can't sleep.  Along with a cup of chamomile, I thought that maybe putting some thoughts down might help me relax.

There are moments which reach out and grab us - whether it's a song, movie, or something more. Something that stops you in your tracks and you simply must know what it is that's reached out and touched your inner core.

My most recent inspiration was the I-pad commercial. It's been with me - inspiring and motivating me every day since.  The audio is of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, introducing the importance of poetry in human life. In the movie, he quotes the following section from Whitman's Leaves of Grass:

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (For who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, all of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O Me! so sad, recurring - What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here-that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

For just a moment, savor that line. Close your eyes and see it, feel it . . . .

That the powerful play goes on and you will contribute a verse.

That single line reminds me of the importance of understanding who I am  To not only appreciate my uniqueness, but to also never stop learning and growing; and that by doing so, I'm fulfilling my God-given purpose in life . . .

To be myself.  

Such a simple concept, complicated by so many . . .

Salt and Light have no mouth, yet they speak volumes.  They utter no sounds but effect change wherever they are present.

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?

The House that Love Built, well . . . - ya know

(Author's Note:  This piece is a little, well, cheeky.  A cold house is not the worst of anyone's problems, so I trust you know that while it's definitely frustrating , it's not the worse thing in the world :) )

I love this house.  And I hate this house.  Funny, how 2 emotions can run so deep that are so conflicting. Sometimes we are never content are we, reader?  The human race can be so fickle sometimes.

It seemed like yesterday we were so happy to be moving.  The seven of us packed into a two bedroom, two bath luxury apartment.  On top of that , there lived a neighbor below us who had no children and who did not understand the futility of attempting to keep a 3 year old from running in the house - well, an apartment. On the day of the showing, we stared with anticipation at the fireplace, imagining nights by the fire, sipping our hot drinks, talking until the wee hours in the morning.  Slightly over from there, a small room which I'd convert into an office.  Could it be we may actually purchase this place?

Within 24 hours of starting the move, we had finished unloading the truck.  Such was the anticipation and joy of finally having more open space that we could ever dream of.  Acres of yards for the children to play, pieces of land that were quietly plotted out for future gardening.  The kitchen and dining area hummed with activity as the summer came to a close.  Fall days came and went the lawn littered with leaves and the holidays filled with joy.  Expectations ran high and we talked and laughed as we finally could do so without repercussion.

It is important to know that the house itself was built in 1918 as an inlaw house to the a farm which traces its history back to revolutionary days.  I would have linked the picture to the site, but there's none on the web, and I'm sure the owner would think I'm stalking her . . . .

And then the winter came with a force so strong, so bitterly cold, it's as if it opened our door and made a space in our living room.  We burned wood in the fireplace, but over time wood because an expensive commodity and to make matters worse, didn't even heat the house.  Oil heat was even more expensive.  With the winter so cold, it made the small cramped apartment look like heaven - who would of thought?

There's nothing that could have prepares us for this kind of cold.  Even during the hottest days of August, the house seemed to be well insulated.  Electric bills were manageable and we lived together in happiness. However during these winter months, it all changed so quickly.  Dinners at home togethere were very few and far between.  Tempers were shortened and it seemed we got along less and less.

The cold came and stayed unlike anything we'd ever seen I can't tell you the desperate feeling of waking up to a house that is at 44 degrees.  Too cold to cook, too cold to take a shower, too cold to do anything.  No one wanted to get out out bed, because there were mornings when the cold literally shocked you. For a family who loves to cook, eat and just hang out and talk, this of course was our worst nightmare.  We went from being packed like sardines in an apartment to every one stuck in their respective bedrooms.  Seems like in one way or another we are still striving to fin the happy medium . . . .

Today is another snow day - with it coming this late in March, I'm hoping it's the last.  The kids just got new scooters yesterday from Uncle Fernando and are dying to take them outside.  With 8" of snow though, that's not going to happen today.  And although it's cold (25 outside and 53 inside) we are grateful once again to be together.  Mommy and Daddy work alot, so it's always nice when we can be together at home with Stephanie.  The joy she shows on her face is priceless.  And we understand that many are in a worse spot than we are.  So for us it's more of a source of pride, almost a badge if you will,  that we have endured such a harsh winter.

Which is why it's been so long since I've written.  That and another reason, which will come up in the next blog.  Since it's a little warmer today, it might even come out today . . . . . :)

Au revoir mis amis!