Best things

     Some of the very best things about my father, Robert L. Schmidt Sr. have come through in me in the last half of my life when he was not here.
     His love for gardening; flowers, trees, and feeding birds. These are among the small things. His personality was complex and subtle, but easy to enjoy. His concern for his children and his spouse manifested in hard work, plenty of play time, and a beautiful sense of humor.
     He had no dad to learn from, no one to guide him through his transition from boy to man, but he did have the boy scouts, and they taught him many things he wanted me to learn. To scouting we took, like a fish to water, and in it we found camaraderie of others, challenges to our physical and mental strengths, and a place to grow in our love of the outdoors and our love for each other.
     We climbed the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States together, we spent a week at a time living in the sierras from just what we carried on our backs. we built, and planted, and planned and celebrated the creativity and silliness that we both possessed. I hope that I was as good for him as he was for me. He urged me to finish strong, by getting my eagle scout rank, and I did, perhaps mostly for him ( he had missed his by a few merit badges). I look at that medal now, and know that I made him proud, and that I did something worth doing, and that it changed me for the better.
Thank you, father, for the path you led us on, and for letting us go on beyond where you could not accompany us, knowing that we were well trained and well equipped.  It has been an amazing journey and when I look down at my hands doing, or my feet hiking a dusty trail, when my mind churns through a dozen design options, know that he is with me.

I have not talked much

when I was alone, i needed this pace more as a 'listening friend',
now it seems that since I am part of an amazing 'power couple', I do most of my conversing with one special person and do not have so many unexpressed inner thoughts, longings and dreams. My recent work is also great medicine, bring out the child/creative me, at the same time as it exhausts 85% of my human energy. the challenges are good ones, physical, emotional, and a good bit of self therapy in there as well. my eyes are working at the same time as my imagination; is what i just did right? and what goes next to or on top of that? will it all fit, look good and last a long time?

I love my writing and will come back here now and again to add to this space, or to tune or edit some postings. Know that if I am not here, I am out there enjoying a great summer, and making things that improve my corner of this world.

My children ( 2/3 of them) are here for the summer, and I look forward to all that potential. There is so very much to do on all fronts, pray that I will be inspired, motivated and have great energy for the work, and the play.

I want ( and need ) to travel to see some of my mom's relatives ( that I have never met) before it is too late. i want to see Seattle, and am dreaming of a trip to Germany, in the fall. I need lots of possibilities to keep me happy. if they all don't happen this year, that will be alright. It is in God's hands.

tropical sunset

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beginninga and endings of days seem to hold more meaning for me than the times in between.
I guess I need markers, to say, 'Here it comes', or  'There was a very good day!'.
I just love the sun, and the way God uses it to color my world. the spring trip to Florida was a delight, and I need to recall those dreamy days and cool breezy nights when I am in the midst of a long stretch of work and home tasks.  God has been so good to me.  He paints when I am too busy to do so.

something for Monday