Inspiration

Drove to Franklin, TN this weekend for a Writer's conference. A surprisingly, charming and bustling population center a hop and a skip south of Nashville. My very close friend, Debra, came with me and we, as always, seem to have an amazing sense of synchronicity. That is when not surrounded by all fifteen of our children (the total sum of our progeny.) Very few people in one's life are those in which hours of non-stop lively chatter can be comfortably punctuated by an hour of complete silence. If rest of body and soul is the aim and one is fortunate to find a companion of this measure beg, borrow or steal them away with you, it is most profitable. Perhaps it is the intrinsic understanding of large family mothering, hence the need for silence and mind frittering or that it is the familiarity that allows such a comforting relationship. It doesn't matter, it is the rather organic changes that occur within that reflect the value of such. The fruit born of this weekend in which time spent with two vastly different types of kindred spirits combined with metal stimulation and rest will undoubtedly ripen over time. However, before even arriving home a creative energy inspires the fulfillng of a long neglected task. God through nature has provided the most fantasaical fort on our land. It is the product of many decades, I can well imagine, of foliage overgrowth. The bushes and trees have melded and twisted into a large abode of rooms and a canopy roof with a fallen trunk serving as a lookout, there is, as unimaginable as it seems, even a thickly, gnarled vine the diameter of a small child's writst creating a perfectly formed arch as an entryway. By what means this amazing structure constructed itself is beyond me. The gift for my children is the stuff of dreams and fairies, it belongs in long forgotten bog in Northern Ireland where pixies territorially battle the faeiries and employ Shadowtail's cronies (our resident squirrel postman) to keep watch for predators... and yet it finds itself at the back of my property. So today I endeavor to clean it up and plant a flowery vine to wrap itself around the entryway arch and make it safe for the children's endless enjoyment. Why this particular impetus out of a writer's conference? Perhaps the restoration of the value of wonder!

Exercise

The obvious thing about exercise is that, much like money you must invest yourself to get the dividends. And dragging my children with me to Shelby Farms to traipse as quickly around the various trails as possible, I find two things: It is exhilarting and indeed pays off in energy payback. However, the additional energy thing... this applies to the children as well... didn't think of that...