Pool Party

We can't take the patio heat any longer. It is draining the life right out of us. Something has to be done. We look at each other and we know. We have no other choice. We share a brief kiss (An embrace is simply out of the question. It is just too hot for full body contact). We turn and, standing side-by-side, we face the mural on the patio wall. I place my left hand in Charlie's right hand. We don't speak. We don't look at one another. We just stare straight ahead at that mural. Charlie squeezes my hand and together we jump. We jump right into that mural. Splash!!! Oh had we only known, we would have done it three days ago. Cool refreshing mountain spring water. Relief! Zoe and her family are running down the mountain. They left Dallas as soon as they heard we were in the mural. Matt hands Zoe to Grandpa so he can help Ike and Angie. I hear laughter and I see all the children running down the mountain. Christy, Scott and Ava drove to the mural from Colorado with Wendy, Troy and Cale. Zach came from Norman with Christen, Glen and Blake. Joe, Lisa and Isabella rode with Scott, Aimee and Cydney Grace and Tara, James, Jeremy, Corey and Nathan followed in their van. They all jumped and now the hills are alive with the sound of our beloved family. This is our respite, our time to rejuvenate. It is long overdue. We know there is a time for everything and we know that we will all return to our own places in the real world. We don't know how and we don't know when. We've never entered a mural before. Sometimes, dear friends, we just have to jump.

Night Prayers & Ponderings

Today the temperatures soared even higher - the outdoor thermostat in my car read 117 degrees! The night darkness offers some relief and I sit on my patio in quiet meditation. This after-dark view of my cherished Art Garden evokes the silent utterings of soul searching prayers and ponderings. The following quotes from Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore comfort me.

I stand
And suddenly understand
That you, Deep Night,
Surround me and play with me,
And I am stunned...

Your breath comes over me.
And from a vast, distant solemnity
Your smile enters me.
-Rainer Maria Rilke, "The Vast Night"

And,

"The seeds of spiritual faith, perhaps your only recourse but certainly a valuable power, are found in your darkness. The other half of who you are comes into view, and through the dark night you are completed.
You become the wounded healer, someone who has made the descent and knows the territory."
-Thomas Moore

I invite you to reflect on the gifts to be found in your "dark nights."

Blessings & Night Smiles....

Weekend Reflections

The heat wave continues. Today the recorded telephone voice informed me that the local temperature was 112 degrees. This must be nature’s way of forcing me to slow down and reflect. As I lie on the hammock, I find myself thinking of the people we were honored to host this past weekend. Our guest list included bikers from Texas, a Belgium couple temporarily working and living in Dallas, a family reunion from Texas and Oklahoma, a couple driving a Mini-Cooper and celebrating their thirtieth anniversary and a member of ballet Oklahoma who, at thirty years of age, is contemplating the short life span of a dancer. The bikers enjoyed the scenic rides through the Arbuckle Mountains, the cold mineral springs, the winery in Slaughterville and Italian cuisine in Ada. Our Belgium guests hiked through the Park and soaked in the cold springs. The reunion family spent the weekend passing on to the children the rituals and traditions of their childhood reunions when Chickasaw National Recreation Area was known as Platt National Park. This reunion would not be complete without a breakfast of sweet rolls and bananas eaten on the picnic tables outside the Bromide Pavilion and an after-breakfast hike up Bromide Mountain. The anniversary couple have become treasured friends from previous visits. We were delighted to join them for their anniversary dinner at Papa Gjorjios.

Garden of Art

Welcome to the first edition of The Patio Post. This publication comes to you from the patio of the Sulphur Springs Inn. Today the sun is beating down and the temperatures are in the triple digits. There is minimal activity on the patio. The bicycles are leaning on their kickstands with little hope of being ridden. The resident cats are lounging on the tables and chairs and the kittens are playing near the leaky water hose. I'm sitting in a lounge chair with feet up and shoes off. I have a glass of minted ice water in my hand and my laptop unopened on my lap. The bamboo gracefully sways in the gentle breeze and the wind chimes play a summer lullabye. My eyes are heavy and my thoughts are drifting. This is not a time to fill with words and deep thought. Come, join me this afternoon. Gaze with me into the Garden of Art and let your mind peacefully wander.