HOCKING HILLS: TREES! TREES! (& MANIFOLD MAJESTY)

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Virginia

As faithful readers know Virginia (the person) loves trees of all shapes and sizes. Visiting our older brother Dean in Lancaster, Ohio (@ 20 minutes from Columbus) he took Dwight and me to Hocking Hills, a series of state parks and forests that totally wowed this tree groupie.

Our hike to Old Man’s Cave off to a colorful start..

On a damp, chilly day (gloomy clouds abounding) the colors popped as we made our way down to the massive edifice of Old Man’s Cave.

Massive = understatement (note people for perspective)

The view looking out from inside Old Man’s Cave impressed us with some serious beauty.

Old Man’s Cave ravine, Hocking Hills (OH)

It didn’t take too long to reach Old Man’s Cave, but the circuitous path continued downward (and upward) along slippery steps and pathways. With her rickety knees (one dislocated out dancing years ago, the other a surgery survivor) Virginia wasn’t sure she could make it much further, but then Dean said: “There’s a waterfall at the bottom!”

Instant motivation, rickety knees or no!

Steep, slippery stairs vs. WATERFALL motivator!

Virginia loves trees, but she is also serious waterfall groupie. On she plodded (a bit more energetically) with big brother Dean lending a helping hand along the way.

After reaching the bottom of (many) steep steps we encountered this lovely bridge that reminded me of Rivendell in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Old Man’s Cave, Bridge to Lower Falls

Old Man’s Cave, Lower Falls

Sigh, this place is SERIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL! It took us over two hours for the round trip (with Virginia stopping every few minutes to take pics) but what grandeur…

…and what glorious TREES!

Trees of every shape and size growing out of rocks sideways, crisscrossed, and straight up.

Crisscrossed roots, Hocking Hills

Such amazing tree roots, finding a way to grow in and around rocks.

“Learn character from trees, values from roots, and change from leaves.” Tasneem Hameed

All in all a gloomy day turned upside down with an unforgettable hike in the woods of Hocking Hills. If you find yourself passing through eastern Ohio, a place not to be missed (thank you, big brother Dean!)

My favorite pic of the day…

grace, peace & manifold majesty

Virginia : )

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” T.S. Eliot

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LIFE IS A GIFT!

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Virginia

Last week my brother Dwight and I had a grand time visiting our older brother and his wife in Ohio (more on that later this week.) On the return drive as fall foliage bedazzled us through the mountains of West Virginia, our lovely road trip took a scary turn.

Morning view in Ravenswood, West Virginia

Driving my brother’s spiffy car up a hill on busy Interstate 64E with an 18-wheeler truck barreling down in the right lane beside us, and another truck barreling behind us (I was trying to get around them) suddenly the car engine cut out – there was no power in the gas pedal, at all.

Did I mention we were going up a hill in the mountains of WV?

After coasting behind the big truck on our right (without getting creamed) we miraculously managed to pull over onto an off ramp with enough room for other cars to pass.

Whew! Still alive!! Life is a Gift!!

view of 64E Milepost 123.4 (waiting for tow)

It just so happens…

The off-ramp was for the city of Beckley, WV.  (Keep in mind there are vast stretches of nothing but mountains between towns in this region of WV.)

Within a half hour Triple A came and towed us 5 or so miles to Bailey’s Auto Shop in Beckley.

The folks at Bailey’s could not have been nicer. We were a bit rattled (profuse prayers of thanksgiving offered while waiting for tow truck.) Their warm welcome calmed us down. Within 20 minutes they diagnosed the problem: the engine was totally kaput.

Evidently an engine replacement requires a great deal of attention vs. a quick fix.

Checking in with Stephanie at our Williamsburg car dealership (thankfully my brother’s original warranty still works, plus he fortuitously purchased an extended version, too) it turned out a local car dealership in Beckley (located 1 mile up the road from Bailey’s) was available to facilitate warranty repairs.

Bailey’s Auto Repair (Beckley, WV)

Arranging another tow (thank you Joe @ Triple A!) we made it to the car dealership just before closing on a Friday evening where Pam in the Service Department received us with gracious assistance. She offered us cold bottled waters, started the ball rolling so we could rent a car the next day, and, since it was getting late, she called around (it took several tries) to find hotel rooms – not an easy thing on a weekend when 80,000 folks from around the world descend upon this West Virginia city of 18,000 for an annual Bridge Jumping event.

When Billy, one of Pam’s colleagues, dropped us off at the hotel, my brother and I laughed – there stood one of our parents’ favorite chain restaurants, literally in the parking lot. We had not eaten lunch, so didn’t waste much time settling in (and settling down) before heading over for a celebratory supper. We toasted life and the memories of how tasty morsels from this chain made our Papa so happy.

Life is a Gift!

@ the Virginia Welcome Center (Alleghany Highlands)

As Virginia (the person) has posted here before (Crash Smash Bamboozled) each day as we go along our ways we never know when our lives may be whisked away. Looking back on what happened (especially as we drove by 64E Milepost 123.4 on our way home in the rental car) it seems rather miraculous we weren’t crushed to bits.

It’s all a matter of perspective. Sure, lots of headache-inducing details still to be sorted (Dwight’s car is in a repair shop 5 hours from our home), but life is a gift and we are thankful to be alive.

We are also grateful for the many ‘just so happenings’ of God’s grace and all the people who helped us. The folks at Bailey’s didn’t charge us a dime for their diagnostics (in Williamsburg it costs $90 for a mechanic to just open the car hood!) That kind gesture touched our hearts tremendously along with friendly help we experienced from Pam, Stephanie, Billy, Joe, Hannah (our v. nice waitress Friday night @ Outback who gave us a discount when we told her what happened), the rental car folks @ Enterprise and other friendly folks we encountered at our hotel…

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why we call it the present.” Joan Rivers

grace, peace & gifts

Virginia : )

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

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Inspirational Tattoos of the Heart

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Virginia

Sharing a previous post from 2012 while traveling this week, be blessed!

Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in L.A., writes of compassion, redemption and the ‘slow work of God’ in his book, Tattoos on the Heart. Providing powerful snapshots of his 20+ year ministry among gang members in Los Angeles, Father Boyle takes us where our fears may never allow us to go and shows us what hope amidst despair (seasoned with lots of perseverance) can do.

Father Boyle is Love in action to a community most people would rather just transplant straight to prison — but he sees their value as beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Creator. Young men and women experience redemption and new opportunities at Homeboy Industries (‘Jobs not Jails’) where tough love is available 24/7.

Although after a particularly major screw-up, Fr. Boyle writes: “Normally, I’d want to throttle this kid and give him the ‘what for.’ I manage something I rarely can. I morph into Mother Teresa AND Gandhi.”

Fr. Greg’s raw honesty will move your heart.

There are many success stories in the book. I especially liked the hilarious description of three former gang members visiting First Lady Laura Bush at the White House when one of them forgets his brand new suit pants, but what has stuck with me for more than a year is how Father Boyle’s chapter entitled “Success” is about everything but what we would define as successful outcomes.

Success in the gang-wars of L.A. requires a paradigm shift in thinking, as Fr. Boyle shares challenging stories: after losing two sons to violent deaths, one mother encounters the shooter of her son in the ICU ward where she works, then prays for him to live because ‘I don’t want his mom to go through what I have.’

No bullet can pierce Father Greg’s vision for restored and renewed youths in L.A, even though there’s so much pain and so much death, because his is the vision of God’s love for ALL PEOPLE (even gang members who point guns at us and each other.)

“Our best selves tell us that ‘there but for the grace of God…’ and that, in the end, there is no distance, really, between us and them. It is just us. Our best and noble hope is to imitate God we believe in. The God who has abundant room in God’s heart for us all.”  Father Gregory Boyle, S.J.

grace, peace, inspirational books (& people!)

Virginia : )

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Snapshots & Whatnot: Standing Tall (in the Fall!)

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Virginia

Today here are a few pics from a memorable sojourn in the Italian Veneto countryside…

“A wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand.” e. e. cummings

“A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” Saint Basil

“The desire of God’s heart is immeasurably larger than our imaginations can conjure.” Father Gregory Boyle, S.J.

grace, peace & (tall) fall inspiration

Virginia : )

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Thanksgiving (- Eh?)

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Virginia

HaPpY Thanksgiving to Canadian friends Up North (and wherever you may be around the globe today.) This magnet on our frig is a memento of several grand visits to Canada.

A little Canadian Take-Out humor…

Whether we’re celebrating Thanksgiving in October (or in November as we do here) with turkey and all the trimmings (or take-out) 🙂 every day is a good time to be grateful.

Yesterday our priest challenged us with this quote:

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” G. K. Chesterton

A blessed Canadian Thanksgiving to friends Up North, and a challenge for the rest of us to carve a little thankful time in our daily routines.

“It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.” Anonymous

grace, peace & thankfulness

Virginia : )

Photo: Banff National Park, Alberta (Canada)

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Soaring (with a little faith!)

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Virginia

Sometimes we get so mired in making sure we’re sure about whatever we’re doing that we forget to engage our eyes of faith to look up for soaring opportunities.

We may get a little (too) comfortable hanging out where we are, maybe even sleepy in our sureness (like this snoozing bear sighted in in Yellowstone National Park years ago.)

“If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable… we must be content to creep along the ground, and never soar.” John Henry Newman (soon-to-be Saint on Sunday!)

“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth God is pleased when we’re pleased. God wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our Maker’s praise without anxiety.” A.W. Tozer

A.W. Tozer was one of my Mama’s favorite spiritual writers (along with Amy Carmichael.) This quote of his seems like a challenge, to let God help us soar as we face whatever comes each day – the good things and the challenging things. If we let God help carry our concerns (worries, burdens, the stuff that keeps us awake at night) then we can be free to flutter about unencumbered. And, hopefully (with lots of faith) soar a bit without freaking out when we leave our piles of certainties on the ground.

grace, peace & soaring (with a little Faith!)

Virginia : )

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Autumn Grooves

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Virginia

After summer-like sweltering temps the past few weeks in the 80s & 90s F (30-35 Celsius), fall has finally arrived with a chilly day here in Virginia (the state.) Virginia (the person) is grateful for cooler Autumn grooves!

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus

“Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord; it puts down deep roots into our whole being.”  Victor Hugo

grace, peace & autumn grooves

Virginia : )

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…on not panicking…

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Virginia

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”  Douglas Adams, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

With so many things in our whacked-out world wackier than normal wacky, here’s advice from a pillow prominently positioned on my sofa as a calming presence.

“DON’T PANIC!” Douglas Adams, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

It’s hard not to panic watching the news these days and/or trying to cope with shenanigans in our lives. Here’s a bit more from Douglas Adams on that topic…

“A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”  Douglas Adams, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

But, here’s a little hope and ways to cope (hitchhiking across the galaxies of our lives.)

“There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”  Douglas Adams, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

“There is a moment in every dawn when light floats, there is the possibility of magic. Creation holds its breath.”  Douglas Adams, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’

Holding our breaths for new dawns, remember (once again)…

DON’T PANIC!!!

grace, peace & HOPE

Virginia : )

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04 October: Saint Francis of Assisi

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Virginia

On this feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved saints in all of history, here are a few of his words about God and faith (+ pics from a day visit to Assisi this redhead will never forget!)

“You (God) are love,

You are wisdom,

You are humility,

You are endurance.

You are rest,

You are peace.

You are joy and gladness.

You are justice and moderation.

You are all our riches,

And You suffice for us.

You (God) are beauty,

You are gentleness.

You are our protector,

You are our Guardian and Defender.

You are courage.

You are our haven and our hope.

You are our faith,

Our great consolation.

You are our eternal life,

Great and wonderful Lord,

God Almighty,

Merciful Savior.”

Saint Francis of Assisi (from “Praises of God”)

San Damiano Chapel, Assisi

grace, peace & Hope (with a capital “H”)

Virginia : )

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Quickie Quotes: Living in the Here & Now

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Virginia

“Life is a gift to be grateful for & not a property to cling to.” Henri Nouwen

“The real enemies of our lives are the ‘oughts’ and the ‘ifs.’ They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and now.” Henri Nouwen

grace, peace & now-wow-moments

Virginia : )

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