21: embrace the stillness

Dear Friend,

How have you been the past couple of weeks? So much can happen in one day, I hope that all is well with you and yours. I say ‘All’ meaning your health, your family and friends (including animals, birds, fish) … ‘All’ including your home, your garden(s), your neighborhood, your job, your school, your car, bike, walking shoes… so yes, I hope that all is well in your world and that you are feeling good - body, mind and soul - today.

I missed writing to you last week. Frank and I have had a busy month. I house/cat-sat (for three very cutie cats), then visited with family and friends, and now Frank and I are both house/dog-sitting with Miss B in the foothills of the Sierras. Miss B is doing well, we love her so much!

While we’re here, (in the heat of summer), we’re thinking ahead to the cooler months, so Frank is winterizing. This includes resealing all seams on the trailer which is no small feat.

Among other (similarly earth-shattering) things, I have been able to catch up on lots of book-work-stuff, Miss B by my side. She is very good at reminding me to take frequent breaks, to get up out of my chair and throw the ball! What a helpful Friend!

We’ll be leaving Miss B’s midweek to go to a campground north-east of here where we’ll get to see Sasha and Kevin (from 2023, Tracks by the Post no. 28 Smokey. Kevin is the camp host that invited us to participate in the Rogue River Clean Up day along with Smokey Bear).

Anyway, we’re visiting a new place this week and there won’t be cell signal at the campground so I am not sure if I’ll be able to post a Tracks letter on Sunday, but I’ll try!

And this Tracks letter is mostly just to catch up with you. Honestly, sometimes it’s weird to consider writing about anything light when so many terrible things are happening in the world… When I don’t have an interesting topic on which to expound, especially if Frank hasn’t had time to take new photos, it seems unnecessary to post anything at all. But I do. Keeping in touch with you matters to me.

But isn’t a blog supposed to be entertaining? I reckon if I was concerned about boring people, I’d be more of a sensationalist. Life does toss plenty of drama our way (thank you very much), but I’m not about to throw up on your shoes, given the distance. (Ha)!

Leslie, that’s just gross and what does it even mean? (Sorry, I hope you aren’t eating). (To ‘throw up on someone’s shoes’ is to whine, vent, or otherwise animatedly report about the curveballs of life). As always, thank you for caring to be here. You deserve to both visit Tracks by the Post and maintain clean shoes.

In these times of rapidly moving shifts and unsettling changes, it’s good to remember that the world is filled with so much wonder and beauty, sometimes it is just nice to embrace the stillness of that fact and sit with it, next to a friend like you.

Please don’t hesitate to Write to Us, (even if it is just to ask me not to use inappropriate mealtime language). We always enjoy hearing from you!

As clocks tick all around us and life continues to unfold, we keep you in our daily Thanksgivings, grateful for your thoughts and prayers for Peace on Earth.

Gently Be,

Leslie and Frank

PS: Even just one of your kind smiles can be a comfort and a gift, a healing balm for someone hurting.