Quiet Zones

 I watched one You Tube video on singing alto 2 notes for Shepherds Pipe Carol. Just a fun memory of singing the most ahhhhssss in a Christmas song. John Rutter must not think too much of altos. Anyway, I try to keep that alto knowledge because one never knows when a Shepherds Pipe Carol emergency will happen. You know listening to an in person concert when one of the altos falls sick. From the stage, does anyone know the alto part? I would be able to run to the stage...well, walk briskly and save the song. 

Because I watched this video now my Reels feed is filled with how to develop the voice, most tonality and what to do in Christmas concerts etc...  Too much for me. Fortunately, in my non-musical life set in choir music I have sat in choirs with fabulous directors. So, I know how to look, how to form my mouth for notes, lifting the eyebrows and making eye contact with the congregation. I can do all of that, but the voice never changes. It's the same from year to year. 

While going through books and getting them ready to leave our house I stumbled upon a Christmas book, A Gentle and Lowly Christmas by Daphne Simpkins. It's a Mildred Budge book I think I have read just about all of them and at first, well, wasn't a fan but I loved how she would bring such deep spiritual thoughts in some of the simplest and creative ways in the ordinary of life. This book is one that I have enjoyed the most. Some of the petty issues that face so many churches, changing the time of Christmas Eve service or using battery candles for the singing of Silent Night. What? We're changing to the carol, Joy to the World are covered in such a kind but funny way. Even if you have been or are guilty of these kinds of things she presents them in a way to bring attention not trigger anyone to bitterness. Mildred is not the main emphasis since we have journeyed with her story in the past books but she has come to a place where she doesn't need to be in the center of the church prep for the Christmas Eve service or the reception afterwards. Level headed Mildred is in a quiet zone leaving details to those who are more than capable to take care of things and at a place where she can enjoy dare I say ponder these things in her heart. A couple of days ago I read a devo/article about Zechariah and the after effect of his questioning Gabriel while serving in the Temple. Almost every time I read it or read about it, the emphasis is on the questioning when he should have known better. This time the article is about what God did in Zechariah when he was in the forced quiet, in the quiet zone until naming their baby, John. Think about it, the neighbors and relatives were meddling in family business, Elizabeth says John, but they go running over to Zechariah and in my mind, my comedic mind I see this in a modern day way. The relatives and people probably would say, well, Elizabeth has that Jezebel spirit, she's trying to run the family. The rejoicing for Elizabeth stops so that the fringe can run over to Zechariah asking him about this news. The case is made that John has never been a name used in their family which could be written today as, we've never done it this way before! I don't know if there were family by-laws that said you can use any name you want except John. But Zechariah praised God when he could finally speak and then the family and friends were amazed and they rejoiced. They wondered what plans the Lord had for John, "what then is the plans for this child?' Insert background music of Que Sera Sera, Whatever will be will be. The future's not ours to see. Que Sera Sera. Naming a child should always be left to the man or is it. Case in point, my father. I am named after his 5th grade girlfriend and my brother is named after a news anchor because my father thought his name sounded so distinguished. We don't want women taking over that...well, guess what, Elizabeth didn't name him, the Lord did. 

That Jezebel spirit stuff gets thrown about a lot today. If you really think about what you're saying, it can be hyperbole for just being a bossy woman. Jezzy was evil, really evil and you equate that evilness to a woman who buys the Christmas tree without her husband's help? Please! No one is singing, "I want to be a Jezzy girl" Ah, the Rick Springfield song. I read he is 80 years old now. Wow! It could be said that these manly retreats held during hunting season are really not to get men in a closer walk with God but to align themselves with Jacob's brother, Esau. You know he was a hunter and didn't make wise choices in wives and spent time trying to get a blessing that had already been given. He relied on, well he relied on Esau. Said in my best old timey voice, "he just has that spirit of Esau on him." You can add Cain, Nimrod, King Saul, Solomon and his son, I think Jeroboam Rehoboam to the OT spirit on them. Also as a reminder, Esau could have never been a deacon cause of the one wife clause but he could be a pastor. Hmmm....

What a stream of ADHD thoughts. My brain is rolling on the river this morning. Oh to take these ADHD thoughts and guide them to some more useful endeavor...vacuuming or dusting or starting a new book, even finish up the old one, The View From Lake Como. Must be the quiet zone of this morning that lit the flame. 

In conclusion, The Gospel of Luke shows in the beginning and in the ending, women seemed to be a little more spiritual than the men. Like I said, I am thinking of this in a humorous way but sometimes the humor shows the truth. Of course, if one gets really upset over this, well, you just got that spirit of the 10 brothers of Joseph on you. 

When It is Cold, Very Cold, Very, Very Cold

 I'd sing In the Bleak Mid-Winter only that officially, we haven't even reached mid-winter much less winter. December has been a cold one. All the weather reports state that once it is close to Christmas our area will have a warm up. Well, ding dong merrily on high... This next system arriving this weekend is bringing really, really cold temps. Some are saying the feel like temp will be -2. 

Just my observation from new catalogues coming to the house, if one wants to look officially Scottish, it is a very expensive look. Guess it is all that wool and plaid. Last Sunday I had a gray plaid dress I wanted to wear but I felt it was too hot to wear in the choir loft cause the choir loft can be rather warm. This Sunday is supposed to be so very, very cold I just might wear it. 

I've been looking for a particular picture of mine on FB but as I have searched I have found some pics of wonderful memories. I still have a lot of fun but those memories of fun times in Houston remain close to my heart. 

Yesterday, Roy and I ventured out to Pensacola, NC and Burnsville (it's excellent, said in my best Mr. Burns voice.) The past few weeks we have gone places that were devastated by hurricane Helene. Marshall, a couple of weeks ago and Pensacola yesterday. The river along 197 took away lots of earth making the drive a bit scary. One wrong move...you are on the rocks. Much less water than there used to be. Landmarks that I have used over the years are no where to be found. A little old grocery store that attracts men to a wooden stove surrounded by the retired, semi retired and maybe should be working and not goofing off men, made it. Don't know if many groceries are bought but I am sure there are always good stories. Both new but it would seem be mostly old stories that are still entertaining. I was shocked but the old wooden house right behind it looked to be a bit rearranged. There is still a house that slid with a landslide facing face down near the river. Private bridges are still out but a little bitty road has been hewn to reach those far reaching places. We went to Pensacola to see my friend Christy at her father's gallery and workshop. He makes woodcarvings and they are fabulous. We were able to bring a small piece back for our Christmas decor in the dinning room. No trees except quilt ones and we got another one to add to the collection. We have several of Christy's trees. Afterwards as we made our way into Burnsville, we punted our lunch idea and just did a little bit of shopping. Went to The Find and we did "find" a few things that needed to come home with us. We were welcomed home by Chubola and The Boys, not that they missed us but they must have been worried about their next meal. 

This afternoon we put on KHCB radio from Houston. Saturday afternoon is by request and so it has been a joy to have Christmas Carols on for background music. First song was from long ago Christmas Pageant days. Just trying to duck out of Happy Birthday Jesus. SOS-song over sung. Roy had Christmas music on this morning and I promise you in forty five minutes time we heard Away in the Manger and Mary Did You Know about four times a piece by different artists, but still...

I found by accident my childhood best friend who recently died, well her mom passed away with her service in Houston being last Monday. I read her obituary and her father's as well but not one for my long ago friend. She had it all, academically brilliant, beautiful and personable but something tells me it didn't end well for her. I also forgot her birthday is the day after mine. 

This morning, Sunday, with really cold temps and a little bit of snow falling, we are erring on the side of caution and not going over to church today. It's like Roy and I have traded places, he is really leaning toward not going and I thought maybe it might be worth the risk, but alas, he won me over with his reasons. We probably could have gone but he has listened to me when I've expressed concerns and won him over against the odds. 

We opened The Inn on the Catmore Estate last night mainly to get those who are reluctant a bit of a chance to go into the garage without fear. Tonight is the tester of temperaments with the temps going way down and a feels like temp of -2. We put out another large bed filled with blankets and soft fabrics to let them burrow into for comfort and warmth. 

Dave Ward, longtime Houston anchor and newsman has passed away. He was with ABC Houston for fifty years. He was on at our house during growing up years as well as high school, college and young married years. Many times I saw him at Rice Epicurean grocery store, which I called The Play Grocery Store. I just kind of played when I went there, it was too expensive to buy weekly groceries. Took a lot of chicken pot pie from there to pot lucks and tennis luncheons. But I digress. It's another footnote of passing and he was/is still held in beloved memories.  

Oh, the temps are dropping. We will set the dishwasher to run around 2:00 am as well as drip a few faucets. At least it gets above freezing tomorrow but we will stick close by. 

Season-ing

 Our wintery overcast day is flirting with the sun. Kind of late in the afternoon but hey...the gray has never bothered me nor the clouds. Sunday the early sky was covered by freezing fog and our drive to church came with frosted fields and icy boughs on trees. This morning rain accompanies the morning skies. The rich color of golden grasses and some trees still diffuses that soothing sense of the vastitudes of fall exiting the stage it has held since September now to winter's not so subtle entrance this year. Even after ten years I am in awe of experiencing the seasons in seasons timing, not like Houston many a year, three seasons could be experienced in one day. 

Saturday, we met with our pastor and an elder in our church...cause officially we are members of First Presbyterian Church. We gave our testimonies, talked about spiritual growth and all those important tangibles. Roy said to me that Saturday afternoon, "I'm thrilled to see you so happy and joyful." I think he said that because it has been a season or two or maybe six since I've (we've) been excited about attending big church services and being involved. Sunday morning we were presented to the church. 

The Mustang is in the shop and what we thought was noise from the convertible top in reality is a broken shock. Bummer. The mechanics are waiting for the part from Ford and soon enough Mustang Sam will be back in business. I had stopped driving  it and glad I followed that instinct cause we were told it is a safety factor and hazard. 

We are getting used to our low tech washing machine and dryer. And after a less than ideal installation of the dryer and the need for a quicker response than what we got, we took matters in our own hands and got the dryer hooked up with all the correct fittings and such. Really, it was more than an immediate need but the delivery guys kind of scared us. This is the first time I can recall being very cautious and a bit fearful of these guys. Even Roy felt it and we thought what if.... what if they send these guys back out to finish the job? I am so proud of Roy being nimble enough and I summoned muscle memory to be strong enough to help. 

During this Christmas season I have been thinking about our lives and the changes that have come about all because eleven years ago we stepped out in faith, bought a home with plans to retire here and all through the unknowns and knowns God is with us, Emmanuel. It might have been in 2023 that Roy came out on the back porch and we just visited and in that conversation he said to me, I really didn't realize how much I worked, how much I got wrapped up in projects, how much I traveled and how much I left on you to take care of, mostly by yourself. I was shocked, I hadn't really thought about it. It was life and you just do those things that need to be done with a little bit of fun in-between. Then he apologized. What a wonderful man and hubby. He didn't have to do that but it meant so much for me. We always joke that I know how to amuse and entertain myself. I am never bored. That gift helped me as I played softball, volleyball, took calligraphy lessons, tennis, book clubs, collecting first edition southern fiction, lunch and dinner with friends, and all things church including choir and Bible study. Oh, and sometimes those periods included a job or two. I think that now, after Roy has retired I enjoy our mornings. He is a consistent quiet time, early riser. I wish I was but I am not...evening quiet time for me. So as we drink coffee he will often say, I read something interesting this morning in....John or Matthew or wherever his reading plan takes him. And he will include football observations some mornings. It is one of my favorite things in this particular season of life, drinking coffee and talking about the meaningful and the absurd with Roy. 

The Mustang was ready to come home Monday and happy to have Mustang Sam home and road worthy.

Giving Thanks, Being Grateful

 Over the course of the last few years on X I have discovered several pastors that are not only enjoyable to follow, not just interesting, but their words and observations have been seeds planted in good soil. One particular pastor is Steve Bezner. Insightful with a good sense of humor. The physical church he pastored was almost destroyed or maybe that is was destroyed in Hurricane Harvey. Last year he announced that he was resigning from the church to be a professor at Truett Seminary, a part of the Baylor family. He wrote some on that journey of the old and the new, but he seemed to fall off the radar or maybe that should be algorithm on my feed. That is until yesterday. He had written on his substack and I just happened to catch it. Or was it a just happened occasion? https://bezner.substack.com/p/gratitude-is-transformative

As most of my fourteen readers know, I resigned teaching Sunday School at the end of summer. First, it was a leave of absence and after a few crucial heart related appointments by summers end, I knew it was a reality. I had a choice to make. Like Steve B, cause you know we are now internet pals, wrote of his heart being attacked by a virus when he was 24. Me too! Except I was 54 and got strep two times one winter and the virus went to the weakest muscle, my heart. He writes about cardiologist appointments through the years until the one in 2024. He had to make a choice of his family or his job. Doing what he loved ended abruptly. There is the process and each one of us process life differently but it comes to this point he makes, gratitude is transformative. No matter the individual processing.  "But I am not sad because I am thankful."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      So, here is where I find myself but only my experience is a little different from his. Once I quit I have never looked back. I was shocked not to miss teaching but began to experience such a sense of well being and freedom. Roy and I did very few daytrips because of various factors, but mainly because of the precautions I had to take until the flutter was corrected as well as BP. But the time...it has been full of wonder as well as hard work. 

I loved teaching Sunday School and I love my friends in The Joy Class. I am so thankful for that experience and to follow such a beloved teacher like Gale Murray. Over those years my study style evolved and in turn I gained more love for the scripture. Almost like back to those early days in college and early marriage when you gots to love the Word to make it through difficult times. This summer and fall gave me time and less stress to take advantage of that window of opportunity. The wisdom of Dr. Seger is not forgotten, you do well when you stay in the parameters. Oh, the other thing he said was, after asking what stressed me out and I said my hair. He patted my back and said hair isn't worth dying for. He's right and I've made the necessary adjustments. Through these years several have said, well now that you are doing better you can do______. Nope, I'll just have to re-work everything if I go back living, eating, well, just stuff that needs to be reworked and redesigned. I'll continue the straight and narrow. 

The years at Newfound for the most part were good and it was just the landing spot I needed when I first got to WNC. Making friends and participating in things was a balm to my soul. It was a good place to learn small, rural church life after coming from a large city church. Our former pastor gave the church a lot to overcome with yet more work to be done. I think everyone involved in those years from both sides might agree, it wasn't a good fit. Then Covid gave the opening for some to leave. Then a trickle process of losing members here and there. A big heart of kindness and joy at the church either moved or died. Those six and a half years were tiresome and made one weary. We stopped attending Christmas Eve services cause frankly, he was just too depressing. The music he picked was the slow paced, not that I don't love a slow Christmas song, but none of those happy and joyous Christmas songs for us. If we sang The Bleak Mid-Winter, I would have had to call CourtneyS. Not a Christmas sermon but just a regular one, he said don't approach the Bible with wonder because you might get disappointed if nothing doesn't jump out for you. What??? The wonder of God's Word, the wonder that God would send His Son for our sins, the wonder of living life to all it can be, the wonder of happy marriages and treasured friendships. I will takes my chances with the wonder approach and the reverence for God's Word verses any of the other approaches. But it looks like their new church they went to is a good fit for them and that makes me happy. It also looks like Newfound has called a pastor is a good fit for them. As for us, we have found a church that is a good fit for us as well.  

A life of gratitude makes us WHOLE, overwhelms us with LOVE, and moves us to LIVE generous lives. Erwin McManus, Stand Against the Wind.