Freedom

Mouse trapped in bucket for awhile can't figure freedom out

(click blue link to watch video)

A few days ago when we returned from town, I went into the greenhouse to water some plants. In the attached shed, I picked up some gloves to get rid of thistles and I heard a noise coming from the bucket that I use for weeding, - a trapped mouse. We have found them before when they fell in and couldn't get out, but usually they were already dead. Finishing my tasks, I came back to put away the gloves. I knew I could not let it be, even though I set lots of traps in the house. Somehow the shed was fair game. So I carried the bucket to the end of the field and tipped it on its side. The mouse tried to climb up the rim like it had been used to doing in the bucket, going around in circles even though now freedom was less than an inch away.

The autumn of the year reminds me it is time for a change. Most years northwest autumns come gradually until one day you discover the leaves turning color, the crisper night air and lower sun of the days. Autumn seems to me to be the time to reorganize my life, make living more manageable and meaningful.

I get in a rut making it harder to change the way I do things and manage my life. Yet the ruts, the normal way of doing things in my daily life, even though ineffective, feels like the only way. Some of the ways I do things have outlived their usefulness. I go around in circles a lot, not accomplishing as much as I could. I'm stuck lately too. Instead of trying to avoid change, I want to face this change head on with a meaningful solution. Maybe I, too, need to be taken to a different place (in my mind) and put in a place where a different perspective is visible. So I ask, "Lord open my eyes to see your way to my internal freedom and give me the courage to follow."

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

Visiting Boston

Where we stayed

where we visited

The British invasion of Boston Common

George Washington in Boston Gardens

From New Hampshire we drove to Boston, turned in the car and took a cab to the guest house. Rainy afternoons set a slower pace to walk to old haunts with umbrella in tow. We spent a few afternoons at the New England Historic Geneological Society where we discovered new links to the past; and taverns, restaurants, landmarks, old links to the past. More to come

Tourist in NH

Petey's for fried clams in Rye NH

Room with a view in Porstmouth NH

Capitol building Concord NH

Pembrook NH mills in Suncook (from Strawberry Bank museum)

Forgetting to turn video camera off captures my skirt "is good"

August 11-18

I've decided to post a few pictures of the remainder of our trip to New Hampshire. (Boston in a day or so) Will also put some on youtube this week. Because of the rain most of our time was spent relaxing, going to museums and galleries, getting together with cousins, and eating our fill of fried clams and lobster. Life is good.

Catching up with family and friends

August 9-10

Took bus back to Logan Airport and rented a car to New Hampshire for Neil's reunion. His class of 43 people had 22 show up for the dinner at a restaurant in Concord. A great brunch at Common Man the next morning before we departed for the coast. To be continued next week.

Nobska Lighthouse Woods Hole MA

Dottie, my friend since before I was 2

August 6-9 Cape Cod

We arrived in Boston at about 7:45 am and took a bus to Plymouth on the Cape where we got a hotel, slept and explored the area for a day, eating the fried clams and lobster and haddock that we miss. I gathered some information on Pilgrims as we are of Mayflower descent. Dottie picked us up and took us to her home the next day. Her husband Bob baked fluke and scallops that he caught and we got to meet Dottie's sister Susan (and her husband)whom we had not seen since our wedding. We had a wonderful time with them.

Meeting Lu and Maggie at SF Airport

Maggie Grace napping at SF airport

pictures by Neil

August 5 Serendipity

Our plane to Dulles and then to Boston was cancelled because of thunderstorms so we were rerouted to San Francisco with a 5 hour wait. Excited, we called Lu who lives in Sacramento and said we would be near and so she took the 1 1/2 hour ride and met us at the food court of the international terminal. We hadn't seen them both since April when Marguerite Grace was born. What a wonderful surprise as a start to our trip. I had been wishing we could see them soon.

pictures by Neil
Blue Angels over our townhouse

August 2-3 Seattle

When the pictures on the wall move and the windows shake, it's not an earthquake but the return once a year of the Seafair hydroplane races and the Blue Angels. They practised over our town house for several days so we called Chris and Tomoko to come to our deck to watch them fly over us. So Dylan and family came for lunch and to view. But it was way too loud for Dylan even plugging his little ears. Sorry we didn't get a picture of him.

End of July

A fun week with son and grandson visiting from Alaska.
A change for the blog is slowly brewing.

A two week break

When my computer slows down so much wait 15 minutes for it to shut down and when I try to get onto the blogger site it says my cache is full. I get the message. It is just mirroring me. It's time for me to slow down, take a two week break and just enjoy the friends and family that come to see us in July. I'll post a video or two or a picture or some thoughts on the way when it works, but time schedules are out the window this month.

Happy Independence Day

Dylan at parade

A wonderful full day with Chris, Tomoko and Dylan watching the community parade and picnic at the park, walk on the beach and watching fireworks from our deck. Too busy having fun to write this week.