Postponing The Final Answer

I've been working on Robin's third question, What do you consider to be the big question or conundrum of your life? for several days now.  I'm off on a three week trip for several family events on the east coast, and this question has done what perhaps it was meant to do - made me start deeply thinking about a lot of things in my life up to this point - where I've been, where I am now, where I can possibly go from here.  I am saving what I've written so far in a separate post which I may eventually publish, or it may turn out to be too personal to want to put it out there in public.  In any case, I don't have time right now.  I will be thinking on this as I visit my nephew in jail, attend my niece's wedding, camp with another niece and her two little girls in North Truro, see my remaining siblings, all my nieces and nephews as well as great nieces and nephews, and in general have family immersion therapy.  The answer I am working on to this question has everything to do with family and home, so it will be most interesting to see what comes up over the next three weeks.

I think, Robin, you may be as good a pastoral counselor as I imagined you might be - to get me thinking like this by your virtual questioning - what would you be able to do in person?

Okay, I'm Game

Over at Robin's blog Metanoia, something interesting is going on.  In a post titled "Try This" she offers five lists to make - no explanation, no context, just do it.  So, okay, I will.

1.  Five Colors:

Leaf-green, Sky-blue, Brown, Smoky grey, Bright orange

2,  Five Cities:

Boston, San Antonio, Paris, Santa Fe, San Fransisco

3. Five Landscapes:

Cape Cod dunes, Ponds at Bosque del Apache at sunset when the cranes fly in, Sandia mountains when the setting sun colors them red,  Chincoteague beaches, with ponies and waves,Texas Hill Country in the spring, with bluebonnets.

4. Five Interiors:

 My sister's beautiful redone basement (I could describe it, but you have to take my word for it), a friend's herb shed/workshop on her farm, our own living room in the winter with a fire in the kiva fireplace, any darkened bedroom with the sound of sleeping children breathing, my mother's kitchen (this one is just a memory now, long gone) with the long table where we all used to eat, the big stone fireplace, the wonderful smells.

5. Five Things You Might Wear:

Big linen shirts, sandals, jeans, gardening gloves, straw hats.

Okay, there's my lists.  It's past my bedtime, but I may have to go see what happens next.  There's a second question coming up, and I have to at least go see it.


So - Second Question:  Within each of your groups, do you see commonalities?  


1.  I think the commonalities here are that these are all colors I love in nature - the first two are obvious, smoky grey is the color of winter skies, and right now my backyard is riot of oranges, in the flowers that are blooming.

2, Yes, absolutely commonalities - these are all cities that are sui generis, each one unique,  with histories, representing a culture, brimming with culture in fact - great walking cities, cities with great food.

3. All of these are places I love, places that have spoken to my heart, places I'd gladly have my ashes deposited so I could be part of them forever.

4.  This one is a little harder - but I think they are all interiors that connect to my family or friends, that say something about life to me, life as we humans live it, especially together.

5. All comfortable, practical things.  It's all I can stand to wear.  I've just been through a week of shopping for something to wear to my niece's wedding later this month - and in the end it's going to be:  big white linen shirt, a pair a of black linen trousers, black strappy sandals, with turquoise necklace and bracelets. That's as good as it gets, for me.