Glad of some quiet. I'm listening to Fabrizio Paterlini's CD called Autumn Stories---it's restful, and I need that. The music is drowning out the sounds of the noisy people I live with. The day was busy what with fitting in schoolwork with the kids, Hawthorne Berry tincture making/Elderberry syrup simmering and then leaving to tend to my mom's needs at 2pm. We got back home at around 5, after picking up fourth son at work. Too much away time. And tomorrow afternoon I take middle daughter downtown to the dental school to have her dental appliance looked at. She needs more rubber bands and an evaluation. Her student doctor has changed, so that'll be interesting. Maybe. Thursday will find me at home making stew for dinner. And that's all. Staying put.
I ordered and am in-the-midst-of receiving the 3-volumes of Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours prayer books. The Springtime one and the Summertime ones have arrived, and maybe tomorrow I'll get the Autumn/Wintertime volume in the mail. Here's a tiny sample from the Springtime volume.
The Call to Prayer (from the Vespers Office of March 31)
But I will call upon God, and the Lord will deliver me.
In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday, I will complain and lament, and he will hear my voice.
He will bring me safely back...
God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me. ~Psalm 55:17ff
Isn't that beautiful?
Isn't that beautiful?
The last real silence I experienced (I kid you not) was when our oldest daughter and I went to William Faulkner's house down in Oxford. The lack of noise on his property was incredible. I looked up and saw a red-tailed hawk flying overhead, and the trees were the only noise. Just leaves. No traffic, or voices. No household sounds. Silence. The earth's silence.
Interesting, but of my family here (including the boys who've moved away) there are only 3 of us who actually physically crave alone-time. Me, oldest son and youngest son. We're all, pretty much, introverts, but some of them need one another's company on a consistent basis. Gary's one. He's much happier when he comes home when he's had people about, or if youngest son (an introvert's introvert) goes to work with him. And can my husband talk.....don't get me started on that one.
~ ~ ~
Moving on...
The best news, though, of the whole week is a letter I received from Robert Benson, who's one of my favorite authors. In fact, his books are the reason I fell for the Anglicans. I reviewed his book, In Constant Prayer, and that's all it took. So special to receive a letter from a favorite, and that he took the time.
Will go now. Need to get two book reviews settled in my head. And accept the fact that winter is on its way. Supposed to be in the twenties tomorrow night. So sad. Doesn't seem a year since we went through this before. Unfortunately one of the chickens, Nora, is molting. She looks pitiful and when she fluffs up her feathers, a cloud of them come off of her. Maybe the cold will encourage her new feathers to hurry up.
Take care. And stay cozy.
