love

Hello February. A Reminder of What Matters Most.

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_1972 1200Hello, and welcome February!  I, for one, was happy to flip my rooster and dog calendars this morning, saying farewell to January.  As I flipped my rooster calendar, I said, “Rabbit! Rabbit!” This is supposed to bring good luck for the month.  Don’t worry, it’s not too late, you can still say it too.

This month is a reminder to us what love is all about.  What we all want— to love and be loved. John and I don’t exchange gifts or cards for Valentine’s Day. It is something we have mutually agreed upon.

It’s the time spent together with Kylie and Gidget nearby, the talks about life that John and I have, the laughing we do often, and the experiences we create, that matter most to me.

How great it feels to be at a point in my life where I completely understand John loves me. I no longer question it as I did for so many years.

John has stood by me as I blossomed into who I am today. Not always easy as I tried to find my way to the heart of who I am.

The gift of love is within these four walls of our little green cottage with two dogs who complete our circle of joy. Here is where I want to be, spending this, the calendar month of love, with the man who loves me just as I am.

Missing the Blue Ridge Mountains. Carrying them in My Heart.

Posted by Barbara Techel

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Wisconsin mountain?

The last 12 days of my sabbatical were spent on vacation in Asheville, NC.  I’m not missing the hustle and bustle of Asheville, but I am missing the Blue Ridge Mountains. I did take a couple of pictures of the mountains, but they just don’t do them justice.  One has to see them in person to truly experience how magnificent they truly are.

I saw the mountains in Tennessee and Vermont during our last two vacations. Each time I see them, they speak to my soul. I feel home. Maybe that sounds odd. But they make me feel safe, strong and protected all at the same time.

I actually had to prepare my heart for the departure from North Carolina as we got in the car last Wednesday knowing I would only see the mountains for a few more hours as we began our journey northeast again.

Late yesterday afternoon sitting at the kitchen table, I glanced out the front door and caught this view above of the clouds.  I said, “Look, John, a mountain!”  The cloud had the prettiest blue tint to it and the shape seemed to me a mountain of sorts. I was reminded that even though I couldn’t bring the mountains home to Wisconsin, I can always carry them in my heart.

I can call upon the feeling of what they did for my soul anytime I want. It also reminds me of loss too.  That even though I may not have my beloved Frankie and Joie with me any longer, I can recall the love and light they brought to my life.  That lives forever in my heart.  As will the mountains.