Monday, November 19, 2012

Being Mindful on Monday: The Peace of Wild Things


The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendall Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound, 
in fear of what my life
and my children's lives may be, 
I go and lie down where the wood drake rests
in his beauty on the water, 
and the great heron feeds. 
I come into the presence of still water. 
And I feel above me, 
the day-blind stars waiting with their light.
For a time I rest in the grace of the world, 
and I am free.  

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Our Couch...

...is celebrating its 20th birthday.  Which, no matter how you look at it, is pretty old for a couch.  It's particularly old for our specific couch which my parents bought in 1992 when we moved into our new house (I was in 8th grade).  It spent several good years as the center piece to the family room, enjoying many Christmas celebrations, Trivial Pursuit gatherings, and evenings just watching television.  Then (and this is why the couch is particularly old) it was relegated to the "rec room".  I would rather not know exactly what went on on that couch in those years.  I'm sure some of my readers have more information about that but please, don't share. 

It was fortuitous that my parents were downsizing the same summer my darling husband and I got married and moved into our farmhouse.  We were grateful to receive the couch (and many other pieces of furniture) and it has been a central component to our living room for six years now. 

The couch continues to be the favorite spot for all three members of the family and there comes a sense of private, guilty satisfaction when one spreads out to watch a movie, read a book, or simply to nap while the rest of the family looks on from less cozy spots in the room.   During family movie night we all curl up on it with Bud in the middle, where he alternates between leaning against his father and myself.  During the day, particularly on cold winter weekends, the couch seems to transform into a sort of jungle gym for Bud.  It has tolerated many somersaults and headstands and much bouncing over the years.  The cushions have served as useful fort components as well.

But, in reality, the couch is not that comfortable anymore.  It sags.  A lot.  I wouldn't dare have a person over 65 sit down on it for fear that the person would be unable to get up. The fabric's fraying in various places as well.  We were going to purchase a new couch this summer but then the dog got sick and the "couch fund" went to the "dog surgery fund".  And now the priority list continues to shift and "new couch" is no longer on top.   I will have to apologize to my dearest mother as she was so excited to hear back in the summer that we were going to get rid of the couch.   Sorry to disappoint you Mom!  But life gets in the way, and in the end, this couch can still serve its purpose.   Expect to see it gracing our living room for a little longer!