A Visit from Me!

Hello, lovely readers. Over the months since I stopped writing here, I have occasionally checked in and discovered that this blog is still being read daily, even without any new posts. I do miss it here. Perhaps the reasons that I felt I had to abandon this beloved project have been sufficiently resolved. Maybe I can rediscover organic mothering and continue to share what inspires me. Most likely I will not be able to re-open the comments function, but there it is. As much as I would like to converse with you all, for personal reasons I still do not feel safe in opening that line of communication.

I continue to be a homeschooling mother. My only girl will be 10 on Sunday--double digits! We are officially finished with this school year, but of course learning never ends, and we have all sorts of plans for summer. Our beloved dog Daisy passed away last month as a result of congenital heart failure. She survived for almost two years on medications after being diagnosed, and she died in her sleep, still a happy dog. For those things we are grateful. We have adopted a new dog, a one-year-old beagle named Milo, from the Humane Society. He is a rascal! Beezy will begin dog training at a local facility with him soon.

Today we're going out to see Farmer Jo Ann for some container flowers to plant, and hanging baskets. It's an annual tradition we enjoy. Beezy especially loves meeting the new kittens that always arrive in spring. Spring. It has come slowly but surely this year, following a long, hard, cold Ohio winter. I am only beginning to unwind and release...

So we'll see how it goes. I'll reach out my branches here and sing to the sun, the moon, and the stars. St. Francis and St. Clare, pray for us, for our beautiful Earth and all of God's creatures living in it. Help us to live and grow in peace and harmony. Teach us to live fully and with awe and wonder. Show us how to be.

In the Right Place

How do you know you are in the right place at the right time? This morning I woke up earlier than usual. Because of that, I found a wonderfully inspiring blog to read to begin my day. Also, I was sitting here when the phone rang, so my aunt was able to ask me to babysit my 6-year-old cousin today. My aunt said that my being here is such a blessing! I know I am in the right place because I am able to serve others when they need me. God put me here, in this house, in this town, in this time in history, with my particular family. I could have moved somewhere else, but I was called here, to my hometown village, and I answered the call.

Three years ago we adopted a dog that the Humane Society rescued from being chained up in a field, starving to death, pregnant, and full of heart worms. Three of her five puppies lived, and Daisy survived the heart worm treatment. She also survived mammary cancer. Now she has survived another close call, as her heart has become enlarged and a chain reaction of problems resulted in her breathing almost being completely cut off. While she was at the vet, I noticed all the dog hair that is always covering my hard wood floors, and I knew I would rather have the dog than cleaner floors. The extra work is worth it for the privilege of caring for this loving creature who has been through so much.

We are called in so many ways to mother. Neglected neighbor children have sat at my table for dinner. I took over a club task for my grandmother who is so relieved to no longer carry the responsibility. I have the space to hold many joyous family gatherings at my home. If I had never become a mother, I wonder if I would ever have realized that it's not all about me, my needs, my wants, my convenience. Mothers are put out of their way every single day. That's why we are here, in this place, in this time, and today I choose to be grateful.