per·i·pa·tet·ic
ˌperēpəˈtedik/
adjective
  1. 1.
    traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant,migratory, unsettled
    "I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle"
  2. 2.
    Aristotelian.
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who travels from place to place.
  2. 2.
    an Aristotelian philosopher.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Yule Haul



Waiting
Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind nor tide nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.
I stay my haste, I make delays--
For what avails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways
And what is mine shall know my face.
You never know what waits for you at the end of a long journey from a far-away, frozen land. It could be a hammock on the patio in the sun and a friendly, familiar face...


...or two, or more.

Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me,
No wind can drive my bark astray
Nor change the tide of destiny.
What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years,
My heart shall reap where it has sown,
And garner up in fruit of tears.


You may find the annual rye you had sown a few weeks ago finally making an appearance on a drab winter lawn in Northwest Florida. You wonder if that guy at the agricultural check station could really believe someone claiming to be hauling home a few pots of his wife's herbs all the way from Illinois. You have discovered that honesty is still the best policy. And it never hurts to have a long line of trucks waiting behind you to dispel any doubt. The Loropetalum, among other things, lets you know that winter here is a lot more colorful now that you are home.

The waters know their own, and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;
So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.
The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;
Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me.


--"Waiting" by John Burroughs (1837-1921)--

18 comments:

  1. Hi W2W, I had to laugh out loud at the vision of a trailer filled with pots of herbs being questioned with a line of impatient drivers behind! HA Good for you getting to bring plants when you move. I have done it twice with minivan one time and suv the other literally packed to the roof with pots of plants. They are like our children, we cannot leave them behind! Love the winter rye green too! Have a Merry Christmas!
    Frances

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  2. Your spider is back! And so too are you it looks like-herbs and all! Have a very Merry Christmas!!

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  3. Frances, I smile every time I think about Hubby explaining that his wife just could not do without her herbs. If he had had the time, he probably would have described in detail the various dishes he was able to enjoy because of them. Really, I told Hubby he was free to dump the dirt, herbs and all, from the pots and just bring them home empty. He tried, but the soil was frozen and wouldn't budge. I'm glad he was able to fit them in the truck. Pots like those are not cheap! I hope you have a joyful holiday with your family!

    Tina, I could not believe that spidey is still around this time of year. She must really like it here. I hope she laid lots of eggs. Hubby and I send our wishes that you and Mr. Fix-It and the Jimster have a Merry Christmas!

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  4. I'm glad to hear you and yours (herbs included) are home for the holidays. Enjoy the relative warmth, and Merry Christmas. C

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  5. Like the old superstition of bringing last year's fire into the new year. You bring last year's herbs into the new year at your new place.
    Merry Christmas
    Marnie

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  6. And what a haul! Syopped by to wish you and all your family a wonderful Christmas! Micah must be very excited with all the decorations and the activity!

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  7. "My heart shall reap where it has sown, / and garner up in fruit of tears."

    These two lines seem paradoxical from the rest of his poem. Perhaps not; I couldn't measure the amount of tears within my own heart. But your post isn't about tears is it dear friend?

    It looks like you've a nice size yard to be mown. And did I tell you that my wife is known as the herb maven around here? I bet you and she could swap a few herbal anecdotes.

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  8. Cosmo, thank you, and Merry Christmas to you also. The relatives do provide all the warmth we need!

    Marnie, I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. The herbs will face a challenge in the hot summer months here, though, especially the lavender. It doesn't like that high humidity at all. We'll give it a chance and see how it does this next year. Anybody out there have any tricks for keeping herbs happy in NW FL?

    Kanak, hello, and I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday too. Micah seems to be in awe right now of all the goings-on around him. I babysat yesterday while his mom finished up her shopping, and when he woke up from his nap he kept pointing and grinning at the tree and wrapped gifts. At 18 months, he has his own secret language for things and chatters about all kinds of things. He looks surprised and a little upset when we don't understand and respond appropriately.

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  9. TC, how can we appreciate the brightness of joy without the contrast of sorrow? Tears should be the fruit of a life lived to the fullest, the salt preserving the seeds of love in the heart/soul.

    The yard, grass or lack of it, is my nemesis. There is an acre of it, and I am working on shrinking it, gradually filling it with trees, shrubs, wildflowers, veggie and flower beds, etc. It served its purpose when we had our drilling company, providing lots of parking for trucks and drilling equipment. We drilled monitoring wells for environmental consulting companies, by the way. Oil and its derivatives played a big part in what we did for a living then too, but property owners were not at all happy if it was discovered.

    I would love to meet your wife sometime and swap herb stories and plants as well.

    Hope you are feeling better and have a Merry Christmas!

    You too, Marnie! I forgot to wish you one!

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  10. How nice to lie in the hammock contemplating a good poem. Happy Holidays!

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  11. W2W: I suppose there is some merit to what you say. But I think joy must outweigh sorrow, otherwise an imbalance in inner peace creates much turmoil.

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  12. Sarah, Hubby deserved a good rest after working for days packing up and moving everything back to FL. I hope you and your family rest well and enjoy every good thing this holiday!

    TC, I agree. If joy did not outweigh my sorrow, I would surely be a sad sack and not worth two cents to my family and friends. I try to find some measure of joy even in sorrow, so I guess I'm doing okay. Now go enjoy your time with your family!

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  13. W2W I just wanted to wish you & your family the Merriest Christmases ever.
    Enjoy this warmer weather. I think your herbs will do fine if not put in direct sun. It is a bit too hot here. Maybe a little afternoon shade. Hope this helps.
    Do enjoy this time of wonderment with Micah. It will pass much too fast.

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  14. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year dear friend!

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  15. Thank you, Lola. You're right about the direct sun. The herbs that usually require it up north would perish here in the summer. I think the mistake I made here before was planting certain ones like lavender in the ground. I will leave it in its insulated pot and give it some afternoon shade like you suggest. We had a great time with Micah and his parents. It's funny, but he found one particular toy that he really liked (a big Tonka dump truck) and wasn't all that interested in opening any of the other ones. Kids can teach us all a lot about contentment.

    TC, I hope you had a peaceful Christmas with your family and will have a prosperous New Year. Thanks for all of your encouragement and the gift of your friendship.

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  16. Oh man...no snow and a hammock..As I would say as a kid. 'You lucky ducks' and 'No fair'...LOL...

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  17. Thanks for leaving your link at my SOOC post! And thanks for sharing your Florida home and yes, you're a lucky stiff - no snow and probably 80 degrees! :)

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  18. Michelle, I will probably be thinking the same thing next hurricane season. I'll be wishing for a nice calm spot like yours next to a pond. But I will enjoy this great weather while I can. Thanks for stopping by! I will send you warm thoughts.

    Hi, Mary! I hate to tell you this, but it was quite beautiful today, sunny, warm, and you're right--a high of about 80 on the beach. It's supposed to cool down, though. There is a cold front moving through soon. It will probably only get into the mid 60s for the next several days. Sorry! ;>}

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