A Brotherhood of Fire and Light

As I left the RV park last Thursday, I glanced up and saw a bald eagle circling overhead.  The black and white was stark against the dark blue sky and I pulled over just to watch for a minute.  I tried to get a picture, but he was soaring too high for that.  I took it as a sign of good things to come, and it surely was!

The next day I went to a native American festival at the fair grounds and had a wonderful time!  The sights (feathers, dancers, tepees, flutes, smiles), the sounds (laughter, drums, high pitched singers, flutes) and smells (fry bread!, sage, cedar, sweet grass) all combined to bring me a very deep peace.  I purchased a beautiful turtle shell rattle to take to a men's retreat, and a kokopelli pendant to wear for protection.  These things, plus a laminated book mark with "7 Things to Remember" all came from Inner Mountain Stones & Woods.  They make the most beautiful things I've ever seen.  One of the 7 things: When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.  God wants us to be still so he can untangle the knot. 

Friday afternoon I scooted up to Ellenton, about 20 miles north of here, to an Episcopal retreat center to attend a men's retreat lead by a Unity minister, Jim Rosemergy.  Jim was pastor at Unity Church of Raleigh on Glenwood Avenue the first time I ever went to a Unity church in the mid 80's.  My mom had passed away and I was looking for answers to the big questions.  This was the start of my spiritual journey.   He was an amazing speaker and although I don't remember what he said that day, I remember how I felt.  I was truly inspired, awakened and uplifted by this new kind of Christian message.  It was positive, guilt free and affirming.  So it was amazing to see Jim's name on a flyer for the retreat at Unity of Sarasota a few weeks ago.  I signed up right away, knowing that it would be a unique and uplifting experience.  And it was!

Thirty of us gathered on Friday afternoon to share this space and time together.  The experience was entitled "The Brotherhood of Fire and Light" appropriately so.  There was singing, laughter, tears, and many excellent exercises to affirm us as good men and help us have a closer connection to God.  The rituals we practiced were all positive and affirming without being trite.  We had fine weather and did a "God Walk" on Saturday morning.  It was a guided, walking meditation to bring us into a closer relationship with God, and it worked!  For me and most of the others, it was a highlight of the retreat.  At the point in the walk where I was to sit still and listen for the still, small voice of the Holy One, I was suddenly surrounded by a big swarm of tiny gnats that caused me to itch and scratch!  I said, "God, if you're in these little bugs you sure are pissing me off!"  And the little voice chuckled and said, "Then move!"  Which I did.  There were other things I heard on that walk, but I'll save those for another time. 

We agreed to pick a song to sing together at the Sunday service in Ft. Myers, as that's where most of the guys attended church.  It sounded like a fun thing to do,  and it would give me another chance to hear Jim speak and see some of my new friends again.  Mapquest said it was about an hour and 20 minutes, I wanted to arrive at 10:45 so I left here at 9:15.  About 30 minutes into the ride on the Burg, all interstate traffic was detoured to a small road to a small town at a snails pace.  It took about 30 minutes before we returned to the big road and it was obvious I was going to miss the song.  So I sang it to myself for the rest of the ride. 

Jim spoke so simply and powerfully about the sermon on the mount and the messages there for us today.  You can visit the church's website for the lesson if you wish.  [Note: This is an error and I apologize!  The lesson is not on the website.] It was a good one.  I was glad to see Jim again and meet his wife, Nancy.  I also saw my retreat roommate, Tom Clark, and met his wife as well.  After the service I walked the labyrinth in the warm sunshine, then strolled around the pond and the bell tower.  It is a very lovely and peaceful setting and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there. 

I decided to take the slow road home and discovered an Italian street festival in Punta Gorda.  There was lots of food, music, displays and happy people enjoying the day.  From there I went to a little tiki bar at Casey Key Fish Camp to rest my buns and have a beer before going to the Marzella's for dinner with Barbara, Luis and the family.

For the past 2 years, I have lived alone.  It has been very hard at times because I have felt so lonely.  The retreat taught me how to connect with God in a new way and know that I am never alone.  Seek, and you shall find.  Ask, and it will be given.  Knock, and it will be opened to you.

Jim Rosemergy and Richard Medkeci

What a world!  What a life!  Thank you Holy One and my new brothers!  Life is GOOD!

Big Bird

At the end of a long scooter ride up Long Boat key the other day, I walked the beach and the inlet and spotted this big, fearless bird.  He was hanging out near fisherman, snatching up bait when it fell from their hooks.  He just had a lot of character.

I just finished reading "The Plot Against America", a novel by Philip Roth, and it was downright spooky.  It read like an autobiography and seemed so real that it gave me chills more than once.  The premise was Charles Lindbergh defeating Roosevelt for the presidency then persecuting the Jews, in America.  As the New York Times Book Review put it, "A terrific political novel...Sinister, vivid, dreamlike...creepily plausible...You turn the pages astonished and frightened."  That sums it up pretty well.

I continue to download the Sunday services from Jubilee! and get great comfort from them.  The other day I received an electronic newsletter from them that contained some of the funniest stuff I've seen in quite a while, all quotes from famous people.  Here are my favorites for you to enjoy.

"I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered.  But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue - 'No good in a bed, but fine against the wall.' "  Eleanor Roosevelt

""Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.' "
Lillian Carter (mother of former president Jimmy Carter and Billy Carter)

"Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint."  Mark Twain 
I love Mark Twain and always have.  We sure could use the likes of him today.

Last night I went to a favorite watering hole, the Packinghouse Cafe, where the music is good, the beer is cold and the people are fun to watch.  Three ladies came in and sat at the bar near me, and the one closest was from.....Chapel Hill!  It was fun to talk to her in between songs and before they went to their table for dinner.  It made me a little homesick, but not enough to head that way before April.

Debbie and Ginger at Sun n Fun bar

Melancholy has been with me lately for no apparent reason.  A band at the Sun n Fun bar Saturday night helped to lift my mood, as did these two ladies who love to dance. 

Reservations have now been made at good ole Rutledge RV park in Fletcher for April, May, part of June, and September through November 23 when I'll return to Florida for the winter once again.  Of course we all know that the way to make God laugh is to tell her our plans, so we'll see.  I consider all plans tentative, knowing how fast and far a plan can change.

This n That

Before my recent trip to Asheville, the Budweiser Clydesdale's came to Sun n Fun to strut their stuff and they were magnificent!  I had never seen them in person (or in horse) before and I was very impressed.  They performed all their preparations across the street from the park and I went over and watched for a while.  The care and grooming was meticulous.  The routine had obviously been done many times and everyone played their part to perfection. 

Last Saturday was homecoming here in the park and it was celebrated in part by a nice parade.  There were "floats" around the theme of TV shows from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  The Mickey Mouse Club, Gilligan's Island, Sesame Street, The Adams Family, The Flintstones and others were colorfully displayed.  It was a good time!

Also on Saturday Barbara and I attended a stage play entitled "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!"  It was a hilarious musical comedy and was very well done.  The house was packed and we had great seats, 3 rows from the stage. 

Grand nephew Jason turned 16 on Sunday, so chef Luis roasted a pork shoulder, marinated in his own special seasonings, and it was so good!  J had a few of his friends over for dinner, with more coming later.  It was another fine time at Luis' Cafe!

Barbara and I made plans for her to come visit me in Asheville in the fall to do some site seeing and touring of the parkway with the leaves at their peak.  And, I now have a reservation for Yellowstone!  I'll put it in the itinerary window with the dates.  That's the center piece of my summer travels and I'm very glad to have it booked.  Now I can fill in around it.  I may also go to Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming near the end of July, since I'll already be in the neighborhood.  Plus the USAF Thunderbirds Aerial Demonstration Team will be there and I always love to see them.

This afternoon I saw "The King's Speech" and it is excellent.  The acting is splendid and so is the story.  I could easily see it again.

Thanks for stopping by!

Connections-Reeves Cove

Maternal  great, great grandparents, the Shipley's

On Wednesday, January 5, my cousin and closest Reeves Cove neighbor, Henrietta Case, passed away.  So I left here on Friday and drove 12 hours to Asheville so I could be at her memorial service on Saturday at New Morgan Hill Baptist, my home church.  While there, I stayed with her brother, William (aka Bill) and his wife, Joyce.  It was a wonderful visit in many ways, either in spite of or maybe because of the loss of our loved one.  At any rate, "connections" was much on my mind throughout this time.

There were about a hundred people at the service, including Henrietta's children, grand children and great grandchildren.  I wish I had counted them all, but they took the first 2 pews in the church, and they were long ones.  Reverend Gerald Sprinkle, also a neighbor, and Reverend Roy Houston, pastor of New Morgan Hill co-conducted the service.  I knew Gerald and his brother, Keith, when I was growing up.  Keith and I ran around together some, chasing girls, gigging frogs and getting into trouble sometimes (not serious trouble).  Also at the service was another cousin, Gary Propest, whose mother Elsie suddenly passed away that morning.  It was a very sad day for him. 

Gerald is a country preacher, just as his father, Charles, was.  Charles was there,too, and gave the benediction.  He's in his upper 80's now and still has a strong voice filled with the spirit.  As Gerald spoke, my mind drifted off to my days in Reeves Cove, living in that little trailer with momma and grandma.  William and his parents, Henry and Edith, also lived close by, as did my Uncle Melvin, Aunt Neley and their son, Junior and his wife, Hester.  I lived there from 1960, when we came for a visit from Florida and never went back, until I married Diane Blake and moved to Chapel Hill in the fall of 1968.  During those 8 years, I made connections that have lasted my whole life and still continue to remind me of those roots. 

My great grand parents, Abel and Ollie Propest, were among the first inhabitants of Reeves Cove and owned a large tract of land there.  They had a big house on the hill with a nice view of the valley.  When Abel died at 47 or so, the land was divided among the 5 children and much of it is still owned by their descendants.  The picture above is of my maternal great, great grandparents, the Shipley's. 

While visiting with William and Joyce, I discovered another connection.  During high school I had a crush on Brenda Kay Jones, now O'Kelly.  Come to find out, William and Joyce knew her and her husband and kids when they all went to the same church at one time.  That was about 30 years ago and we just found out!  It was a very nice surprise, to say the least.  I saw Brenda at the high school reunion last August and was glad to see her and learn that she is happily married to a high school classmate. 

On Sunday I attended the service at Jubilee! and the topic for the lesson was "The Color of Connection", with the theme for the season being "The Colors of the Wind".   Air connects us all, just as spirit does.  We all breath the same air, and it gets moved around our earth by jet streams and gentle breezes; by hurricanes and baby's breath.  Wind comes to each of us differently, just as spirit does.  Howard invited us to join hands with the people seated next to us, and to my right was a lady with this cutest of puppies in her lap.  As I held her hand, the puppy nibbled and licked my thumb and I was filled with joy!  It was as if I had connected with spirit through a puppy!  As always, I left Jubilee! feeling content and with a full heart. 

It snowed on Friday night and again on Sunday, so I delayed my planned Monday departure.  Tuesday morning saw about 8" on the ground and the sand/salt trucks had been very busy during the night.  Luckily, William showed me a better route back to Florida which avoided Atlanta altogether.  That was a very good thing, as Atlanta was iced in and had accidents everywhere blocking the roads.  And yes, the Vespa returned to Florida with me, as I think it will be easier to sell it here.

It was sad to leave William and Joyce, as we had shared some wonderful time together.  It was also sad to lose Henrietta and we will miss her.  Yet her leaving is what brought us together for a while, reminding us of our connections.  Thanks, Henrietta.  We'll see you again some day. 

Joyce and William Propest

Missed It!

Me and grand daughters Lauren & Leah, 12-26-09

Darn, the first anniversary of starting this blog came and went and I never even noticed!  My first entry was on December 21, 2009.  This is entry number 151.  My daughter, Barbara, prints them out and keeps them in a notebook for posterity I suppose.  Or a family history.  Or whatever.  Anyhow, when I think about stopping, I remember that she wants to keep them and I do one more. 

Grand kids Houston, Lauren, Leah & Patrick 12-28-09

Got a call from a high school classmate today; and yes, it was a woman.  A very special woman.  So I'm feeling very nostalgic, just a tad blue, and am very determined not to play "poor me", or "what if", or any of those other games I used to play so well.  Instead, I'm smiling at the sound of her smile, and her voice, and grateful for the time we talked.  It was nice.   (She's the one who thinks my blog is boring!  So there!)

The Clydesdale's are coming here to Sun n Fun tomorrow and I'm psyched!  I've never seen them in person, or in horse, whichever is correct.  Hope to get a good pic or 2. 

A favorite cousin of mine, Henrietta, is back in the hospital, on a ventilator and it isn't looking very good.  I'm so glad I went to visit her one more time before leaving Asheville.  I had thought about not doing so and realized, once again, that time is precious and some things should not be put off.   

Off to play bingo at the bar.  My how things have changed in a year!

A New Year, A New Decade

Yesterday Barbara and I attended a matinee performance of these wonderful Chinese acrobats.  They were awesome!  I've never seen such flexibility, strength and balance.  The woman standing on one toe on the man's shoulder, above, was one highlight of the performance.  Another was a man doing hand stands on top of ten stacked chairs, his toes just barely missing the ceiling of the theater.  When it was over, our arms were tired from applauding so much!  Barbara had never seen anything like this before and she was awestruck, for sure. 

We then went down to the bay front for a walk, followed by a drink at Marina Jack's, a popular bar and restaurant right on the water.  We got to watch this large dinner boat, LaBarge, depart the harbor for an evening cruise.  That might be fun to do some time.  We were treated to a very nice sunset over the water, and I remembered taking a profile picture of Derick as a little boy with the setting sun behind him.  What a nice memory that is.

We left Jack's and went back to the Sierra home, where Luis fixed another wonderful meal of steaks on the grill, asparagus and baked potatoes.  What a feast!  Then we downloaded the first set of pictures from Barbara's new camera, which is just like mine, and that was fun.  I finished off the evening at the pool bar here in the park, which was packed.  A very nice British couple befriended me and I danced with the lady several times.  I promised myself to dance more this year and this decade! 

My life is so different now than it was 10 years ago that I feel like someone else.  As the decade began, I was living in Boone at the old farm house on Briarpatch Lane.  Zoe and I were in the process of separating and Pancho, my blue heeler/border collie, was my best and closest friend. He passed away about 3 years ago.  LaVerne and I had not yet met (we did so in 2002), and I was still doing some consulting work, though my business had started its' decline.  Golf and the New River were very large parts of my life then and took a lot of my free time, as did Pancho.   I only had one of my three grandchildren then, and didn't know, of course, that 3 more would arrive in the years to come.  Cigarettes were also a big part of my life then.  If I don't smoke before February 28, I will have been nicotine free for 5 years thanks to the Nicotine Anonymous program.  I was about 30 pounds lighter, had more pepper than salt in my hair, and my hearing was still good back then.  Now my left ear is at about 10% and declining, but the right one works pretty good with the help of an aid.  My hair is now the longest it has ever been, and it was last cut on April 27.  Still working on a pony tail!

Since I don't have my old calendar books with me, I may be a little off, date wise, on some of the above.  But it's pretty close.  Fact is, I could never have imagined then the life that I'm leading now.  So, it would be more than foolish to forecast the next decade, if I'm lucky enough to live that long.  I intend to keep saying the Serenity Prayer, often, and do my best to "live one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time."   With each passing day, time and my family become more precious to me.  And I hope this continues to be true.

Namaste...