Angels in Disguise

Julie, sitting two chairs down and waiting at the busy nail salon this pre-Christmas day, asked me what I was reading.

I flashed her my book, Joy to the World and said, "It's a book of Christmas reflections, something good at this busy time of year!   In fact that's why I'm here today, to slow things down and enjoy a little respite!"

The book was an early gift from the women who organized the Adoration ministry at my church.   In fact, I had just come in from a morning spent at Mass, Adoration, and bringing the Eucharistic to a man who is homebound.

“Are you an Angel?” she suddenly asked me.

Stunned, I looked at her and smiled slowly, “No... What makes you ask me THAT?”

 “Oh, it is just that people wouldn’t ordinarily talk with me while waiting to get their nails done here.”

Then she asked me if I would read an excerpt from the book she was reading on her IPhone which spoke to her and her feelings about the "middle aged slump."  I read the paragraphs she offered and returned her phone saying that it didn't really speak to me. 

"It doesn't???" and she suddenly opened up more about how she was feeling lost with her kids being out of the house and far too many family members having died.  She declared that she had recently come up with a list of "NON-NEGOTIABLES!"  And getting a gel manicure on a regular basis was one of those.  Afterward she planned to go "THRIFTING!"

"Thrifting?  Do you mean thrift store shopping?"

"Yes, thrifting!!"  There I can discover the joy of childhood memories as I look at all of the things that people have to sell.  And I can talk with others and visit in a way that is difficult in other places, like this nail salon for instance.    And the deals!  You never know just what you'll find on the hunt!"  The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable as she talked of it.

“I liked the title of the book you're reading:  To Pitch a Tent.  It reminds me of the trip I am planning this February...to go camping with my dog at the beach."

"Are you going alone??  Have you done it before?  What are you planning to do while you're there?"

And our conversation took off until my name was called.

As we parted Julie said,”Here I am getting a manicure as a sign of my independence.  But you!  You are an Angel.  An Angel with spunk!"

And we both broke into laughter.

Camping's Calm At Last

My mother says it always takes a few days to settle in when you are camping, and then all of the work of it pays off.

And that is how I feel on this third morning on the lake, my last day here.

And so after breakfast I pulled my lounge chair up to the edge of the water, and felt the cool windy air sweep across the lake and into my lap.




And I opened my book, the Liturgy of the Hours, to read the most amazing words, words that spoke to me literally right where I was, relaxed and drinking in the waters of the lake that surrounded me.

From an instruction by St. Columban, abbot:

My dear brethren, listen to my words. You are going to hear something that must be said. You quench your soul's thirst with drafts of the divine fountain. I now wish to speak of this. Revive yourself, but do not extinguish your thirst. Drink, I say, but do not entirely quench your thirst, for the fountain of life, the fountain of love calls us to him and says: Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Understand well what you drink. Jeremiah would tell us; the fountain of life would himself tell us: For they abandoned me, the fountain of living water, says the Lord.

The Lord himself, our God Jesus Christ, is the fountain of life, and accordingly he invites us to himself as to a fountain, that we may drink. Whoever loves him, drinks him; he drinks who is filled with the Word of God, he drinks who loves him fully and really desires him. He drinks who is on fire with the love of wisdom.




In Awe Once Again,
Ronda

Location:Jordan Lake

Camping's Little Culprits

When I woke up this morning, I saw a squirrel clawing his way across the skylight situated right over the top of my bed.




The sloped roof on my A-frame meant that he could scramble up the side of my camper, poised for only a moment at the top of his ascent before he slipped and fell back to the ground from where he started.

I didn't think too much of his antics until I sat down to breakfast to enjoy both the view and the toasty warm omelet I had prepared with fresh red peppers, yellow onions, and mozarella cheese, all fried up in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.




Suddenly there appeared a gray furry head at the skylight above my dining table..accompanied by the sound of claws climbing and slipping back down the camper's side.




It began to sound like popcorn in here as squirrel after squirrel began dive bombing my little oasis by the lake, doggedly coming after the food promised by the wonderful breakfast aromas wafting out from inside.

Feeling like I was trapped in a giant bird feeder, I thought, "Oh, what can I do?"

I repeatedly lept to my feet from my place at the table to shout, to clap, and to wave my broom at the brazen and besieging rodents who wouldn't retreat no matter what I tried.




...And then suddenly I had an idea, and you'll NEVER GUESS what it was!

I turned on my camper's radio and began playing classical music on both the inside and outside speakers, yes, I did.

And you know what happened next? Those squirrels scrammed and I sat back down to finally enjoy my meal in peace.


Ronda

Location:Pittsboro,United States

Camping's Little Victories

I wonder if you can guess what that little black panel is, hanging on my camper door.

Because of it, I am filled with joy, realizing that I no longer have to conserve my 12volt battery at my nonelectric site, but can splurge on electricity to run my fan, my lights, and even my cellphone recharger...because I know I will be able to continuously recharge my camper battery...with this solar panel...as long as I am here.

Thank you, Ron & Larry, for sharing your wealth: your technical know how, your years of camping experience, your extra resources like a solar panel! and your found string.

Because of your interest in me and your kindness, you have given me even more of the "good life", something we all enjoy to greater or lesser extent out here!





Amazed,
Ronda

Location:Apex,United States

Camping's Little Luxuries

Now don't get me wrong, in my little 12' long A-frame camper by the lake I have plenty of luxuries myself. Indeed, I have a tremendous amount of comforts that our family did not have when we camped for two and three weeks at a time in the family 4-man tent for vacation each year.

Then, we slept in sleeping bags on the hard ground, lined up like sardines, mom and dad on an air mattress for added padding.

Then we stored all of our dry goods in trunks and our cold goods in coolers which we refilled with ice everyday, sorting through things that got waterlogged and tossing them out.

Now I have a refrigerator that runs on electricity or on battery/propane and keeps food not only cold for endless days, but has a freezer compartment too.


Then we cooked dinner outside in the fire or on a propane stove perched on the picnic table, now I prepare meals INSIDE my camper, though still on a gas stove.






Then we washed dishes in a tub of hot water sitting on the edge of the picnic table, tossing the water into the woods after we were done.

Now I wash dishes inside, in my sink with either carried or running water and let the water drain down the sink's drain and onto the ground.





Then we lit a lantern when the sun went down and used it to light the way to the bathhouse for brushing teeth and using the facilities before going to bed.

Now I use the bathhouse for most things, but have a port-a-potty in my little camper, and halogen lights too, to make using the facilities a little more comfortable after dark.

And then we gathered sticks and built campfires to see who could roast their marshmallow into the perfect crisp, light brown color that meant gooey goodness inside. (When my siblings burned theirs, they actually claimed they preferred the burned, charred flavor, though I highly doubt that!)

Yes, those were the days, yet even now, the good times are here too. They are ours for the asking, ours for the taking, ours if we'll venture out of our comfort zones to see what is out there, what is calling out to us, what is only waiting for us to do.





In Joy,
Ronda

Location:Apex,United States

Camping: The Great Equalizer

Okay, so I am set up in my "happy place" once again, and I am, first of all ASTOUNDED at the beauty of my lakeside setting.


















Secondly, I am a little bit surprised that having been out "in solitude" for only 23 hours and 45 minutes, I am brimming over with things to say.

Thirdly, I discovered that in the act of camping, where we leave our daily lives behind to become closer to nature, to spend time with loved ones, and to settle into a more tranquil frame of mind, the playing field between camping neighbors is leveled, we come more closely into contact with others, we spend time with people from different walks of life.







Take my friends Larry and Ron Getz, for example, whom I met three or four years ago out here at the lake. They were born and raised in West Virginia, one chose maintaining aircraft in the U.S. Air Force for a living and the other one raising cattle and hay on their 80 acre family farm. After a lifetime of living apart, these brothers get together almost monthly to camp and fish at Jordan Lake, maintaining a strong family bond and inviting others into conversation, into fishing, and into their veritable camping feasts.







When I heard they would be at the lake this week, I packed up and got a campsite of my own on another part of the lake from where they were situated.

They arrived by boat at my camp last evening and took me out for a little fishing. The price of my admission? Being brave enough to bait my own hook. When a storm chased us in at dusk, they invited me to join them for dinner, which I accepted.

While Ron cooked chicken outside on the grill, Larry was in his camper kitchen, mixing up a salad, slicing homegrown tomatoes, and inviting me to look around as he showed off all of the features of his home-away-from home.

Well, they have lights, they have refrigeration, they have TV. They have air conditioning, they have real furniture, they have several rooms, and a full bath. They have hot and cold running water, a double kitchen sink, and when I remarked that I could hear the lady in the camper next door actually using a vacuum, they replied, "We have one too!"

And that, my friends, is when I realized that while camping just might be the "great equalizer," among men, it turns out that SOME of us are definitely MORE EQUAL than others!!!

<3 Joy!

Ronda

Location:Apex,United States

From Action to Contemplation to Action Again.

It is good to get away for a while ...

On a bike,


By the water,


With a good book,


Watching boats go by,


Enjoying the solitude of a fisherman going about his task,


And then returning home again after an hour, after a morning, after a day, after a few days of really unwinding and gaining perspective,

To embrace those we love, those we work with, those we meet, those we reach out to with open hearts and open lives.

❤️ Ronda

Location:Carolina Beach,United States

Pulling Up Stakes

It is my last morning on retreat here at Carolina Beach State Park and I've wound down so much that I don't see how I can get going again enough to leave.












Ah, but in a few more minutes, I will try.


❤️Ronda

Location:Campground Rd,Carolina Beach,United States

That's How I Roll...

When you get up early and break camp by 8:30 to attend morning Mass while on your retreat only to get there and find people waving you away to say that it is cancelled today....

When you decide to drive a few miles more down the highway to swing by Glass Doctor and ask them to look at the nick in your windshield that seems to be slowly expanding each day...

When you stop by the drug store to buy a new girlie-pink nail polish and a slick gel topcoat (in a trendy black bottle) and hurry back to your campsite to put them on, only to discover after the first stroke that the clear topcoat was actually a colored polish called "Blackie"...

These are things of everyday life, and they are opportunities to do the next best thing while letting it all go...

And so that, my friends, is why instead of going to the beach I will be at the campsite today, possibly riding my bike around until I can get my car repaired later this afternoon, and well, sporting some very snazzy fingernails with racing stripes.








😝 Ronda

Location:Carolina Beach,United States

Solitude

Yesterday


Today


Right Now


Just. Soaking. It. In.

❤️Ronda

Location:L Ave,Kure Beach,United States

Maintaining the Zone

Despite what has gone on all around me today, I believe in the peace that Christ has for me and will do all in my power to claim it.




❤️ Ronda

Location:Federal Point,United States

On the Road Again

After a whirlwind of joy last weekend where we welcomed our son home from college and celebrated birthdays and Mother's Day at my mom's, I have hit the road again with my little poustinia/hermitage/desert place to spend a few days by the sea.

I am staying at a state park in NC that has campsites in a dense forest about a 4 mile drive to the beach. They have electric sites here, which seem absolutely necessary as the late afternoon heat and mosquitoes set in.

On this first morning I am beginning my day with two cups of coffee, some leftover and yummy zuccini quiche, and the Gospel of John from the Mass readings of the day.

At the Last Supper, as Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples, He said, "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid" ( John 14:27-31a).

Wasn't I experiencing those very things as I tried to wrap up things at home to make a space for this time away? Wasn't I anxious as I moved doctors' appointments, had my bike repaired, watered the new redbud tree we just planted in the front yard, put a few meals within sight in the fridge, washed my clothes, packed up, hooked up, and drove off down the road?

Wasn't I thinking, "I wonder if I'll make it all the way down to the beach without my bike flying off the back of the car?"

Truly, I DO "let" my heart be troubled and afraid.

But Jesus promises that He is with his disciples, with all of those who love Him and follow His way. And it is my work to believe in Him and live in the freedom (and the peace) of His risen life.















In (Ever Growing) Faith!

Ronda

Location:Campground Rd,Carolina Beach

Morning Has Broken

As darkness blanketed my little camper perched by the water's edge, I battened down the hatches to prepare for the coming storms.

You know, camping is not just flat tires and snakes, flashing lightening, and windy rain.

It is also the chance to leave all that I know and that comforts me behind.

Camping for me is time spent away from my daily concerns, time to savor the beauty of our natural world, and the chance to ponder the things of God.

It is bald eagles 🦅 flying overhead, gray herons fishing for meals, fluffy white clouds blowing across an ever changing sky, and a time to relax and savor it all.

I suppose if I didn't recount my brushes with adversity and fear then I might have more companions to join me here.

However, doing the things that scare me a bit can be the impetus to help me grow in trust.

Trust that everything will work out okay. And most of all faith that God is really with me and I am not alone.




(Morning comes after the driving rain.)

❤️ Ronda

A Day in the Life at the Lake

When I made my reservation to camp at Jordan Lake, I had no idea that the weather forecast would be a very hot 86 degrees on the first of May, followed by a night of gusty wind and thunderstorms. And so I almost bailed out of my trip, but could not reach anyone at the reservation office at 5:30 pm the night before to cancel.

And so I made a few concessions. I decided to leave my furry golden retriever pup at home for fear she would get too hot at my non electric campsite. And I also decided to pump up the tires on my bike and bring it along for a nice ride.





The site I chose is surrounded by water, and perched just above it so that with the wind blowing across the lake, I feel like I am on a boat. It is glorious!

I arrived on a Sunday and the lake was still buzzing with boats all afternoon until dusk began to filter the sky.

I decided to hop on my bike and ride through the emptying park, seeing the traces of a busy camping weekend left behind. Heaps of garbage filled the trash cans along the way, and registration tags still hung from campsite posts, though almost no one was around.

A few huge turkey vultures were congregating at a site filled with debris from the rising lake, now nine feet higher due to recent flooding rain.

I pedaled past pools of water collected at lower level places throughout the park and confirmed my suspicions of snakes being disturbed when I saw a 3 foot long black one recently hit and partially squashed in the road. I wasn't sure if it was dead, but hoped it wasn't suffering as I veered around it and continued on my way.

Soon I was passing a camp Host site, and I waved to the man there as I flew down the hill toward the waterfront. Suddenly I saw a line of construction cones and hit my brakes as I realized the road was flooded and closed. I turned around and shifted my gears to begin to climb the hill when the chain fell off and became so wedged that I could not remove it.

What to do now? I thought as the darkness was collecting around me. I was about two miles from "home", I had that squashed snake to renavigate around, and after flipping my bike upside down to try to release the chain, was certain that my bike would not even roll.

So I lifted the rear tire off the ground and began to walk back, wondering how I would ever make it. After a while, I passed the camp Host who came out to ask what was the matter.

"I raised nine boys and so I know a thing or two about bikes," the friendly man said as he helped me to get the bike, if not riding, then at least rolling.

Gratefully, I said my goodbyes, protesting that I couldn't chat, but needed to get back before dark. And so I walked in the heavy evening air, through the darkening woods, past empty campsites, around the squashed snake, down the long road to my little campsite perched at the edge of the lake. And having missed the sunset, was more than grateful to be home in the gathering dark.

Location:Parkers Creek Recreation Rd,Chapel Hill,United States

The News Today...

Easter Headlines, two weeks early!



In Joy!
Ronda

And the Winner is...

Rooting for my team, in style!




Oh yeah!





Gee, glad I'm not on Franklin Street tonight!




'Night, All!




❤ My Tar Heels!
Evie

Location:Lylebourne Ct,Apex,United States