My Lovely Dwelling Place

Impossible Situations Oh, the challenges of physical fitness!  Attempting to get in shape can feel like an impossible situation - finding time to exercise, finding an exercise that doesn’t hurt me, and following through with whatever that is – yikes!  It is not easy.  I was accompanied on my walk this morning by the village street cleaner.  I left my house and there he was with his big noisy truck.  We turned up the same street.  He even backed up when he got ahead of me.  Now he was after fallen leaves, not my companionship, but it was disturbing all the same.  Anticipating his choice of street to turn off on, I exited a different one, but there he was again when I rounded the corner.  Now I am thankful that I live in a nice area that takes street cleaning seriously, but his presence reminded me of the unexpectedness of life.  We try our best to avoid problems and unforeseen circumstances only to round a corner and be faced wit...

Elections and Thyroidectomy In the last two weeks we’ve gained a surprising, controversial president-elect and I’ve lost a thyroid.  What could these two things have to do with each other?  Well, the whole process has been a real pain in the neck!  But convalescing leads to reading or watching various news items between old movies that bring comfort.  Funny, the phrase that has caught my attention is “Love Trumps Hate.”  This is an ironic saying coming from folks who are beating those that disagree with them.  It is even more bizarre that these same folks are longing for safe places as they block traffic, vandalize personal property, and burn things – like our flag. In the words of the immortal Indigo Montoya of Princess Bride fame, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” I thought to myself – I must not know what this phrase means.  It must be code or something for throwing a tantrum when one doesn’t get one’s way. S...

Reflections on a Rainy Day It’s a cold, rainy day in Wisconsin.  Nothing like a camping trip during October, beautiful fall colors just beginning to pop, Devil’s Lake is absolutely beautiful.  Unfortunately, weather while camping is hard to control -  I’m here so it must be raining!  My husband is such a trooper.  He works hard to ensure our sons exert themselves and experience the great outdoors, but it’s not easy when he has to drag around their mother. Yesterday we scaled the eastern bluff, but I think I might have slowed them down a smidge.  My terrier mix, Charlie, literally pulled me up the bluff.  She’s small but mighty!  I am pretty proud I made it – not bad for a middle-aged, fat lady – besides there’s not much a nap and ibuprofen can’t fix! Today my husband wants to tackle the western bluff.  It’s pouring rain as I write looking out the window of the Devil’s Lake Chateau – a combination gift shop, concession area,...

Ahab Admonitions Part IV:  A Vineyard and A Legacy             I’ve been thinking about legacies lately.  It’s a term we hear when watching documentaries about our favorite heroes from history.  It’s also a term we hear during election years, especially in regards to the outgoing president.  The definition of legacy is basically an inheritance – something left to others, presumably of value.  Unfortunately, as in history and the presidency, what gets left behind might not be worth having.  In fact, it might be downright dangerous.              In the case of Ahab and Jezebel, their kids turned out just like them and embraced their parent’s legacy with their whole hearts.  One could only hope that those of us with something truly valuable to pass on would have recipients as zealous to receive it!  But alas, that is not alway...

Ahab Admonitions Part III:  Ahab and Jezebel, a Match Made in Hell Mawage, that bwessed awwangement, a dweam wifin a dweam*             Well, maybe not for everyone.  As stated in a previous blog, Ahab was the worst king Israel had – and that is saying something, since Israel never had a good king.  He gets this dubious designation with the help and encouragement of his darling bride.  There is truly someone for everyone. We meet this lovely pair in 1 Kings 16:31-33. It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.  Ahab also made the Asherah.  Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who w...