Biking, How Do I Love Thee?

I have a great bike, her name is Samantha. Yes, I named my bike. She is a Trek 1.5 road bike and my first true love that makes me want to ride and ride. I got this bike about 6 years ago, I think, so she's got all the bells and whistles. I believe the following year the models did not have the same high-end bits and whatnot.

Since adding my odometer, I have ridden about 460 miles, minus this past year, when I did not ride her once *sad face*. Now that we are in town, I fully expect to add a ton more miles, since that will be my main mode of transport, aside from walking. Today was the first day in over a year since hopping on that bike and riding to town. I had forgotten all the reasons I own that bike. I feel free, effortless, and content. No other bike has been so comfortable and fit me like a glove--ever.

We, as a family, are moving toward being as car-free as possible for a number of reasons, so we will all be on foot and bike in the coming weeks, months, and hopefully, years! All our bikes still fit us well, and we even got a tow behind kid trailer for Miss Mini Mae to ride in on all of our adventures!

I know some of this seems silly, but precious little in this world fits me and offers so much. I am neither petite or regular, so everything is either too big or too small, except this bike... All for now, I just enjoy my bike on so many levels and wanted to share.

Lord, Have Mercy

Dave is gone, not from our thoughts, but from our lives. How can they be so very different? Our hearts contain him, our words and daily interactions reflect him, but he isn't here to weigh in on the obvious.

I sit here listening to his Counting Crows CD, August and Everything After; I borrowed it, what seems like, so many lifetimes ago as a kid, but Andrea gave it to me after his passing recently. The thread that is drawn from each moment that glides through years becomes ingrained like a piece of ourselves we don't see until it slips away. Gone. A whisper in the wind.

Everything and nothing is lost. Dave's person is gone, but he is with each of us in all that we do. Where did the time go, why was it so fleeting? God alone knows the answer and I am still learning Truth.

O have come to understand, through this bit of life that hangs so close to my own, that whatever we do effects those around us, regardless of how minute it may seem. The ripple is in effect, from the embrace of a simple hug, to the glance carrying contempt. Things may seem to progress into a non-sequential rhythm of life, but all is connected, there is no escape from it.

Be aware, be awake, to the ways that touch or harm one another, no matter where on this globe we stand, we effect the others' lives. I will never believe differently. May Dave rest in peace, being kept in God's mercy, love, and compassion. I weep for the earthly loss, but trust in His omnipotence.

Spiced Pumpkin Custard

I just made something similar to this recipe, but the one below is how I would modify what I made. YUM!

2 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin, pureed
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
6 large eggs
Combine all in food processor, empty into a bowl.
Add:
2 T Pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp salt
4 tsp vanilla
1 cup pure maple syrup

Whisk all together and measure equally into 2 pie plates. Zest fresh orange peel onto the tops. I put a dish in the oven with water to keep humidity up. 350 degrees, 40-50 mins.

Darkness Lingers

It is the quiet of the night that keeps me
Awake longer than I should be
I sit and think
Or simply linger
Inviting darkness and silence
Sing of lovely things
Settling passions deep within
Stark reverence and compunction
Bring solemn and sober thoughts
In a restless and thrashing
Being of undisciplined habit
The calm and the storm
Washing all things ashore
The beauty of the night

Town

Well, we have gotten the majority of our worldly belongings from the farm to our new house in town after two trips with a trailer. We then welcomed four houseguests from AZ for 9 days, and today is the first 'normal' day in awhile. That being said, we still have unpacking, sorting, and donations to be done, but all in all, we are getting there.

I am grateful to be in town for many reasons, though we will miss aspects of our country life. We can walk and bicycle nearly everywhere, including church, because as it always is after a move, funds are exhausted, and this makes more things possible. Plus, we have fun being pedestrian and riding about. I hope that when our finances recover, we will continue this trend, which is my plan!

We had a lovely time with our houseguests, one of whom is my Goddaughter. The kids got along as though they are siblings and we grown people chatted and laughed a lot. We were one seat short in our SUV, so we had to be creative for church with some shuttling, but we walked plenty and chatted along the way, including to the grower's market! We hope to be seeing much more of them in the near future.

We have been making it to church, glory to God! We have been to many services since we have made this move and I have noticed a difference in the girls' attitudes. There is always a fluctuation with changes, but it is nice to see that the regularity and predictability of the services, as well as, prayers, seem to be settling them well.

Time will tell how all goes, but we are looking forward to being close to our town and church communities as we enter into the cooler, darker days ahead.