LIFE EVENTS

It is a beautiful Winter Morning on Laughing Water Farm. I am sitting here with a cup of coffee at my elbow. I was outside to give the sheep water and let the chickens out. The chickens don't mind the cold but they don't like the snow. Later in the Winter they will be used to it and they will go out; for now they are cowering in the coop.

Jamie and Noah have been loudly discussing art, artist, narcissism, and the creative process, in the living room. They are just far enough away that I can't hear every word, but close enough that it is hard for me to pay attention to what I am trying to do.

I don't know what I am going to write anyway. It seems like I say, the same things, over and over. I thought of taking a vacation from blogging; but then, I like to do it even if I some times struggle to have something to say.

I had a shocking event happen yesterday. Last Tuesday, I took my car into the garage [that is when they found the problem that caused me to bring it in on Wednesday]. Anyway, they related a terrible event that happened the day before. A car stopped on the highway, to turn into their place of business, was rear ended and the occupant killed. I asked who it was and I didn't recognize the name.

Yesterday, when I was reading the obituaries in our local paper, I recognized a picture. It was the person killed in the accident, and I have known him for at least fifteen years. He managed the feed store I patronized, and so I knew him quite well. I enjoyed my visits with him. He was great fun to joke with. We liked each other very much. We were on the opposite sides of many political issues, but still, had essential agreement on the craziness of the world. I knew a great deal about him, his wife, his family, his relationships, yet his last name, was not etched enough in my consciousness, for me to recognize it when I was at the garage.

I need to go to the feed store this week to get some chicken feed. I was looking forward to it. There is always a group of men, sitting around a table, drinking coffee, and solving the world's problems. I always enjoyed a bit of repartee with them. It won't be the same.

I am eighty years old and have experienced unexpected death before. Yet, this disturbed me more than I would have expected. All of a sudden, something is taken from my life. A touch stone. An important part of my routine. That kind of change is not something we like.

It didn't disturb me because of my own inevitable death. I long since made peace with that. Perhaps, I would have, not been as disturbed, if I had made the connection right away.

Well, life comes to us one moment, one day, at a time. It unfolds and gives us what it gives us. Everything is a teaching moment. Death is not the end of being. I think everybody chooses their moment. I don't know why he chose his moment. I don't need to understand. I thank him for the moments he had with us. He enriched us and our existence on this planet.

The forecast is for temps to be well above freezings for the next few days. Most of the snow should melt. I underestimated how much snow we received. I thought we got about 8 inches. It must have been more than that. We still have more than four inches on the ground, after three days of high temps well above freezing. The chickens will enjoy patches of open ground. The snow has shrunk enough that there are patches of brown grass sticking out. I noticed the sheep were taking advantage of that. It is interesting that they would choose tufts of dry grass over hay.

Have a great Friday and don't let the main stream media beat you down. Things are not as bad as they make it seem. The dark is lashing its tail for the last time. They are no longer in control of the world. Folks of good heart are rising to ascendency. We will experience breakthroughs, of light, soon.

Love and Peace, Gregg