Kierkegaard

 

It is one thing to let ideas compete with ideas, 
and it is one thing to argue and win in a dispute; 
it is something else to be victorious over one's mind
when one battles in the actuality of life. 

Soren Kierkegaard from Words of Love 

(HT: Gutenberg College graduation, 2013)

For Madelaine during finals week

 

 

We are all eager to see you soon!

Road trip

Autumn's beauty is displaying itself boldly outside Madelaine's window in Eugene.  It was perfect Oregon weather for our trip north:  blue sky, a little rain, then plenty of fresh, cool air.  We were in town for a debate tournament, but I was able to sneak away on Thursday and spend the day with my marvelous daughter.  She came down with a nasty bug on Friday, so I was all the more grateful that we took the time away on Thursday.

A gorgeous drive to Harrisburg led to apple picking, difficult pumpkin decisions, and the chance for me to enjoy watching last year's roommates and their rich friendship.

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.  ~ Aristotle

Apple picking in the autumn, watching friends quietly chatting, being with my daughter...it was a beautiful day. I am grateful.

Morning musings

The view from where I sit is sparkling with sunshine and clear skies.  The bare tree branches outside are a stark silhouette, and the moss of the lower branches glimmers like Hobbiton in the morning light.  I can feel the chill of the day seeping through the old window frames in this lumbering house my daughter calls her home during the school year. It is good to be here.








She is packing, and soon she and I will join all those who have left town for Christmas holidays.  Driving alone yesterday, with only Jan Karon's new novel to keep me company (and a welcome phone call...thank you, Carol), I was eager to just get here, for time to move faster than possible.  Now I am ready for time to slow, stop if it cared to.  I am so glad to be together.

The dirt on the windows makes for lousy pictures, the age of the glass causes the clarity to wobble, too. But I love being on this bed, looking out at these trees, seeing the sunshine sparkling in the Eugene sky, and having Madelaine bustling away around me.











Yes, if time could stop. Just for a bit.

And then he started playing the harmonica...

We have hit the vacation trail.

All seven of us. And a guitar. And an IPod. And a harmonica.
We do not do quiet when we're road trippin'.





We've seen the same sights we see every year.
(Yes, that is a cow sculpture. Yes, in the middle of nowhere. And, yes, I took a picture of it.)




We found this sign and photographed it just for Juliet.




We spent the night at Gutenberg, our daughter's home-away-from-home during the school year.




It gave us a chance to stretch our legs, meet great people, and play some music.




And now we are at the coast, our favorite place for summer memories.

And the perfect spot to think complete, uninterrupted thoughts.

I have a lot of thinking and praying and planning and wondering to do. Fortunately, I have the sea air coming in my window and a little coffee pot on the counter, just waiting to brew French roast for me should I need it.

And I have time. Blessed time.

It promises to be a good week.

Gratitude for a trip north

314. Two nine-hour drives with my husband. Time for:
315. Much needed sleep. And
316. Eric Bibb. And



317. Till We Have Faces from Blackstone Audio. What a fantastic story! The only problem is we got home in the midst of disc six. I suppose we could have driven around the neighborhood until it was over, but we chose to turn up our road instead. Sometime this weekend we'll have to finish the tale.

318. Beautiful fall weather for driving.

Including:
319. Snow on the passes,
320. Long autumn shadows across golden hills,
321. Rice fields under water,
322. Rain splashing down.

More reasons to love the drive:
323. Cows, cows and more cows. I love cows,
324. Hot, steaming espresso just when we needed it,
325. Silence when we wanted it,
326. Talking as long as we wanted to.

327. The ability to leave for three days without fear. This included:
328. A responsible son who is willing to organize and transport those we left behind.
329. A friend who cheerfully offered, without being asked, to take all my children.
330. My mother's stable health that allowed us to leave.

The greatest thanks is for our visit with our girl at Gutenberg College, including:

331. One-and-a-half days of attending classes, a favorite being a
332. Lively discussion about Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening.
333. Making cranberry salsa in the school kitchen, enjoying conversation with residents as they came in and out.
334. Making espresso in the same kitchen, sharing stories and laughing with the house manager.

335. Visits at cafes with our girl. Hearing her stories, hearing her golden bells of laughter, just being together.
336. Oh, I love that girl.
336. The Best Dessert Ever: Guinness Bread Pudding. Yumola.


337. At last, gratitude for the safe arrival home.
338. A clean house with candles aglow when we arrived.
339. Happy children showing no signs of trauma from our absence.
340-342. Hot bath, warm bed, deep sleep. Aaah.

And now we are busy cleaning, cooking and generally preparing for Thanksgiving. A favorite day to gather family and eat great food. Cannot wait.


Maybe I should rename this Multitude Wednesday?

An invitation to anyone within striking distance of Eugene, Oregon

Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven:
A Walking Tour

A Dramatic Retelling of Dante’s Divine Comedy

On October 30 & 31, Gutenberg College will perform a dramatic retelling of Dante’s classic Divine Comedy. Audience members will descend into hell, climb mount purgatory, and celebrate in heaven with a cast and crew of 40+.
The Comedy will be performed three times on Friday, October 30, and three times on Halloween, Saturday, October 31.
Show times are: 6:00 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.





Tickets
The show is age-appropriate for high-schoolers and up.
Because of limited space and high demand, we expect all performances to sell out. Thus we strongly recommend that you pre-order your tickets with a credit card over the phone.
To order tickets ($7 each, $5 for students), please call the Gutenberg office at 541-683-5141 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
After you place your order and your credit card is processed, you will receive a receipt via e-mail. Please bring this receipt; it will serve as your ticket to the performance.
All purchases are non-refundable.
Gutenberg College is located at 1883 University Street in Eugene.

And away they go

One girl with college searching on her mind.

Two guys for body guards/peanut gallery/chauffeuring.

One trusty commuter car to take them from here to there and back again.

Their destination?

Gutenberg College, Eugene, OR

They'll visit Greek class, a discussion on Plato's Phaedrus, Euclid class, a lecture on Plato and maybe more. They want to walk the city of Eugene to see how far it is to significant places (church, health food store, tea), and they would love to get to the ocean. But the real goal is to seek a plan for the future for one promising young woman. Is this the place? Is it right? Is it best? Is it do-able? It is my job, here at home, to pray. Starting now.

One thing is certain: my husband is going to come home convinced that a Gutenberg education is what he needs. I know I would.