#59.13, Thursday, August 29, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.           The blade was put to Ana’s breast and nothing good came of it. But at least we know the shape of our desperate prayers. She’s been resting and is easily healing from that little wound by the blade now. None of us who loves herContinue reading “#59.13, Thursday, August 29, 2024”

#59.12, Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          I want to grieve. Ana wants to talk about Hannah’s new love, Vizsla.     “He is nearly as talented as Hannah with surgery. Together they did the best that could be done”          Ana knows my grief for her in this illness and that griefContinue reading “#59.12, Wednesday, August 28, 2024”

#59.11, Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.           These things that Ana keeps on her shelf of precious things speak of our family at different ages. The value in them is in the ‘once was,’ and not the ‘someday, maybe’ of it. Simon’s ashroot harp that Brandell also learned his music with sitsContinue reading “#59.11, Tuesday, August 27, 2024”

#59.7, Thursday, August 15, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          Ana asked me to hold her hand.          “Laz, I know you are worried and hurting and I only thought if you were asked to pray for someone else who was in grief, you would just get beyond yourself. I didn’t know he was justContinue reading “#59.7, Thursday, August 15, 2024”

#59.6, Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          Vizsla came into our house in the middle of my prayer just in time to hear my spoken prayer asking God to be with Vizsla in his time of grief in the passing of his mother. So, he holds onto me now, as his brotherContinue reading “#59.6, Wednesday, August 14, 2024”

#59.5, Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          Regardless of the humanly derived and practiced separations of religions, in the universal nature of God’s love, we both share in grief and we are both a part of the same love of God.          Really, I would much rather argue theology, or bible, orContinue reading “#59.5, Tuesday, August 13, 2024”

#59.4, Thursday, August 8, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          Ana asked for a prayer aloud for this stranger, Vizsla, who is grieving his mother’s passing even though my mind and my heart are all only on Ana at this time. She wants me to speak the prayer words aloud, so together she and IContinue reading “#59.4, Thursday, August 8, 2024”

#59.3, Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Historical Setting, 629 C.E. farm in the Vosges Mts.          Here at Ana’s bedside, I just want to know she will be strong and well soon.  I want to hear Hannah say her mother is fine and the surgery was minor revealing nothing more than a miss-placed pebble. But that isn’t what they’re saying.  AllContinue reading “#59.3, Wednesday, August 7, 2024”

#47.14, Weds., Aug. 30, 2023

Historical setting: 602 C.E. A cottage in the Vosges          In an earlier time, when Greg and Gabe were still toddlers and Simon and Hannah were babies, I was often as much a close parent to these children as was Ana.  But we let this pass from us as the farm chores were doled outContinue reading “#47.14, Weds., Aug. 30, 2023”

#47.12, Thurs., Aug. 24, 2023

Historical setting: 602 C.E. Luxeuil          Jack, the donkey, seems to know the way to Luxeuil because we go this way so often. And maybe he remembers he belongs to Sister Colleen.          This time I’m going alone to deliver the portion due the monastery this month as the tithe we give for the useContinue reading “#47.12, Thurs., Aug. 24, 2023”