We make our way, and effort and time give us cushion and dignity. And as we age, we're riding higher in the saddle, seeing more terrain.~Darin Strauss (From Half A Life)

I wasn't sure I'd be back to the page before October. Didn't know if I'd have bandwidth to write after making it to Italy. All the trips across the ocean beforehand add up to this one.

Previous trips have found me here in the boot feeling anxious, fretting, embarrassed and ashamed regarding my poor Italian. I haven't been able to shake off the shame. Unable to relax and enjoy the beauty. This time around, I have more margin, the pace gentler. I don't have to cram everything into a two-week time period and then get back on the job. My language skills are somewhat improved. I've begun to open my mouth and try to form the syllables of this melodic language. 

And there is the succulent light of the Italian countryside, the mix of sun and shadows that creates a benediction. In the house, there is a view from every room. Plowed fields, homes painted ochre and gold. Coral.  Purple Crepe Myrtle blooms stand contrasted against lemon-colored walls. The moon is full now, and a few nights ago Giovanni and I drove on a black-topped road that wound through cornfields. The breeze like cashmere on our skin, that glowing orb of moonlight like God's face lighting up the night sky. 

I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to relax, I'm closer to seventy now than sixity or fifty. These anxieties, these fears, these worries, this shame is not mine to carry. God's kindness is like the scent of frankincense for my mind and heart. It is the mercy of God that provides cushion and dignity.  He is a good guide, helping me to make my way.

...the source of life Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us.~Col. 2:19 (The Message)

Thank you for your indulgence to begin reading these posts earlier than anticipated. I am posting some photos on Instagram and Twitter if you are interested. Find the links in my newsletter and on the contact tab of the website.