Life in the Slow Lane

Contemplating life, faith, words, and memories

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver — September 14, 2023

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

This has been one of those weeks. You know what I mean, don’t you? Whatever you had planned somehow did not get done. I dislike weeks or even days like this, but now and then something grasps your time and snatches it from your keeping and you lose control.

During weeks like this one and the one just before, I often lose my timing for my Wednesday blog post. If something comes to mind that I can share with you, I’ll post it on another day and hope that you derive something from it. Continue reading

Acceptance — December 10, 2020

Acceptance

Monday afternoon I called a dear friend. Just a simple check-in to see how she and her husband are doing during these strange times. We haven’t seen each other since March, and we’ve had one other phone call since then.

After our first phone call, she began shopping at the same grocery store I do. I had shared how easy it was to do an online order, set a date for FREE pickup, and have your groceries brought out and loaded in your trunk. Monday she shared she had been copying my shopping routine.

We talked about the surprises you get sometimes. Those shopping for you may think they’re picking the perfect substitute for an out-of-stock Continue reading

Outside My Window — November 18, 2020

Outside My Window

Our mini-forest is one of the best features of our home place. Over the years, it has provided a sense of being outside the city with extra privacy. While we were still working, our location provided ease of access to the church, shopping, and medical care.

One of the drawbacks of living in a mini-forest is the inability to grow certain plants and trees. For example, we don’t get the bright colors of leaves changing on deciduous trees or shrubs. In the summer, sun-loving flowers and plants laugh at us as we place them in our nursery cart. They only last a short time before fading away.

Thanks to our next-door neighbors I can glance out my office window and see a glorious sight. A red weeping Japanese maple. On these chilly, gray days of Pacific Northwest winter weather, Continue reading

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