A Time to Think, Sleep and Shovel Snow

Winter.  The word itself brings up feelings, memories, emotions.  My friend, Dave, is probably getting excited.  I wouldn't be surprised if he has already dug into the closet or hidden recesses of the garage to find his cross country skis and associated gear.  He's more than likely given some thought, while nestled in a big comfy chair, the trips he'll take.  The images have been dancing around in his head, as he nestles in a big comfy chair.  He probably even has some magazines featuring some cross country skiing adventures that he could take, which he has tried to read while fighting the doziness of the oncoming winter in his big comfy chair.  Are you catching my drift here?

Winter is a time of rest, of recharging our batteries, of laying out plans for next year's activities, unless you are Dave.  When I look at winter pictures I get quiet.  I don't get the anxious feelings that autumn brings; there are no leaves demanding to be raked, no sightseeing trips for fall color to be taken, no putting away the trappings of summer like hoses and other tools.

My dogs know the value of rest.  Look at the pictures down the side and you'll see some examples of their expertise.  Tasha has become so proficient she is going to start giving classes in the art........as soon as she wakes up.  But, here's the thing about Tasha and her naps.  If nothing is demanding of her time and attention (squirrels in the yard especially) she naps.  She can appear to be deep in sleep, but at the slightest hint of a walk, going for a ride, or the exclamation of "SQUIRREL", she will be up on her feet in the blink of an eye.

Our brains organize thoughts and memories by association.  How often have we heard a song and, instantly, we were transported through time and space to a special place with a special someone far away and long ago.  Every now and then things will be just so outside and I am once again 14 years old at my Grandmother's house in Adams County.  It is a quiet summer morning, as most were then and there, and I could hear the horses clomping down the street and smell the fragrance of the world.  That was peace as I've never know since.  I was in a protected place, surrounded by people who loved me (and made cherry pies for me), and the world was mine to do with as I pleased.

If it was Saturday, I'd probably go next door and sit on the porch with Shirley.  We'd spend the morning listening to Kasy Kasum play the top 40 tunes of the day.  Music can do so much for us, but it has a special gift of tapping directly into our emotional centers.  What would Christmas be without music?  The 4th of July?  A ball game?  A funeral?  When the dogs and I go walking in the morning we are surrounded by music.  Often it is a very quiet music.  The world is still waking up and not much is going on.  We might hear faint breezes as they ruffle leaves overhead.  The crunchy sound of snow in the winter.  Sometimes I try to walk in a way that is musical (I probably look a little strange to anyone watching).  We are surrounded by music, but all too often we don't hear it.  I think that smelling the roses gets way too much credit.  Listen to the music of the world and it will speak to your heart.

My wife, of 30 years, has a book.  It contains poems that I have written for her over the years.  Here is one of them, I think it ties in here nicely.

Footsteps of time

Echo through the years,

Listening to life’s music

Wondering what we hear.

Measuring each chord,

Timing every beat.

Life moves ever forward,

As the sand beneath our feet.

Move! Move your feet at once,

The sand is all around!

Dance your way to safety,

Up, on higher ground.

The rhythm of time

Is a lover’s  dance,

With echoes faint

And you are mine.

I think this is a good place to stop today.  Take a walk and listen to the world as it speaks and sings to you.  Try not to think of anything, but be open to the thoughts you receive.