AM I DONE? I say in my title above.  Done with what?  Done with my journey, done with writing my blog, done with staying up too late?  And if I am not done will I ever be done?  I know the one thing I am not done with yet is finishing those two weddings I photographed last year.  And I will be so glad when I am done.  I don’t really feel retired since I’m back home, knowing that my leftover commitments still must be accomplished.  But back to my journey.  When do I quit writing DAY so and so…?  I had 119 days on the road.  I’m not on the road anymore but I still don’t feel done.  Stayed up too late writing my blog last night (I think because I love doing it) and had to get  up too early to take my car in for cleaning and detailing.  Perhaps bad planning on my part, but it was intentionally scheduled early so I would have to get up and get going and not get bogged down.  After having a Kia scuttle back to my house I spent the entire day working around the house, unpacking, washing every item of clothing I took with me, hanging up, drying some flat in the sunshine outside, and cleaning a bits of dust pockets EVERYWHERE that had accumulated in the last four months.  There were no dirty dishes in the sink  but the dust just settled everywhere.  I cleaned out window areas between screen and windows with vacuum and then vinegar water. And I washed some more clothes.  I am out of hangers now because I hung the clothes I took with me two to three items on one hanger.  Not only am I out of hangers but I do not think they will all fit in my closet. I bought several items while I was on my trip at favorite second hand stores and my friend gifted me with a couple of bags of nice clothing that had been her mother’s before she died.  So I actually have much more than when I started out.  And I just remembered that I have two boxes I shipped home from Sacramento that has some clothing in them.  Uh Oh.  I guess I’ll have to buy more hangers.

So, am I done?  You tell me.  I would love to continue writing my blog but I don’t know if I’ll have anything fun and exciting to tell.  Do I tell about “regular” life?  Do I talk about others?  Shall I make it a spiritual blog, sharing about my talks with the Lord?  Or perhaps make it a poetry and photo blog?  Or…I could just open my other blog that I already have the domain to and get busy writing my opinions.  When I asked my son what I should name my blog, without hesitation he said “THE OPINION YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR”.  Hmmph!  ( I told this story a few weeks back but I know there are others who are now reading my blog that didn’t read it back then.)  Should I have been offended when He said that.  Maybe, but then again maybe it is indicative of who I am.  Especially as a mother.  I guess he has heard enough of my opinions over the years as I instructed him and taught him all I could in those important growing up year.  OR…perhaps I still do give him my opinion even when he doesn’t ask for it.  Oh well, I checked the domain out and it was gone.  So I checked out THE OPINION YOU DID NOT ASK FOR” and it was available so I scarfed it up.  I think it would be fun blog to do.  Opened to public forum would make it really interesting.  Oh well, back to today’s life…

What I have figured out is that I am not done doing things that still pertain to my trip.  Even though I spent most of the day unpacking and putting things away I realize that this is all part of the journey.  I still haven’t unpacked my night bag or even opened the only suitcase I brought.  I could have done without that suitcase.  I think I opened it twice during my trip.  Right now I can’t even remember what I packed in it.  Hopefully when this weekend is over I will have gone through everything I brought back home and have it put away.  But there is still a lot I want to do with the memorabilia I brought home.  I wonder when I will feel “done” with my journey?

I think never!  Never will I be finished with my journey as long as I am alive.  Snippits of memories creep in when I lease expect it.  I find myself with a big smile plastered across my face thinking about something I saw or words I heard, or people I’v met.  I don’t think my journey will ever be through with me either.  The memories of what I learned will change the course of where I am going.  Though I may not be in my car going to a different destination everyday, what I have learned will be continuing to progress within me, making me stronger, hopefully wiser, kinder, more compassionate, more understanding and give me wisdom.  No, my journey is not complete, nor do I want it to be.  I will continue to write, I will continue to pray, continue to walk with the Lord and listen for His voice because it is through Christ that my journey is accomplished.  Come to think of it, it is because of Jesus Christ that I am on this journey, the journey called life.  There is a path set before me and it is the one that I want to follow.  I am to look neither to the right or left but keep my eye on the prize and that prize is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who loved me enough to die that I might live and live abundantly.  And that is exactly what I am doing.  I am living abundantly everyday because I am so full of the joy and peace that comes from God.

So I say that to say this, I will continue to follow my Lord and walk the journey he has for me to walk.  To go where He wants me to go and to do what He wants me to do.  You are welcome to come along with me if you like.

I’ll clue you in to what is in that suitcase when I open it.  It will probably be a list of things you won’t need to pack when you leave for your trip. Remember, there are usually stores along the way and you can always buy something you lose or forgot to take with you.  TRAVE LIGHT is going to be my next travel mantra.

Hey, I just thought of something.  I didn’t ask anyone for their wisdom today.  I have several recorded that I didn’t have a place for yet but I am too tired to go get my phone.  Sorry Guys.

I’ll say goodnight.

 

MY FAVORITE PLACE

by Kathleen Martens

July 2, 2015

 

The mountains the valleys

Sweet meadows of grace

Which exactly

Is my favorite place?

 

The ocean at sunset

The breeze in the desert

What exactly

Is the most pleasant?

 

A flower at dawn

Turned toward the light

Knows not this days end

Will be its plight.

 

Glaciers of Ice

Reaching toward heaven

Makes the heart rise

Like a pinch of leaven.

 

The ambers that sway

Admidst the greens

On Montana fields

Create beautiful scenes.

 

The roar of the ocean

That calls out my name

Is like a wonderful friend

One of such fame.

 

What is my favorite

Place that I’ve seen?

It’s not where I’m going

Or where I have been

 

Rather my favorite

Is the here and the now

What I see

Is where my heart bows.

 

For wherever I am

Is my favorite place to be

And that way my heart

Will always be free. 

 

My daughter and her husband called a few minutes ago.  Her husband asked me where was my favorite place.  The above poem was inspired by Neil’s question.  Thanks Neil

P.S.  Remember the photo I logged on yesterday’s blog of the tree in the back ground and flowers in the foreground?  Well, Dave and I went out to celebrate his retirement at a nice restaurant and passed by the tree.  All those flowers were mowed down today.  It looks totally different.  It made me a little saddened for the beauty that is lost.  I guess the flowers were too close to the road.  We have the most beautiful wild flowers that grow all up and down our country highways and they get mowed down about two or three times during the summer.  They always come back but it still makes me sad.