It was an eventful day.
We began with my emotional post regarding Samwise (Love in the Redwoods). No apologies, but I had to turn off the comments. I broke my own rule of never allowing folks to comment on pieces written with ink straight from the heart.
While walking this morning, I remembered that Thomas Merton visited a monastery in the Redwoods in the last year of his life. It still exists and is about an hour from where we were walking—and I was praying.
Recently, I’ve been celebrating my break from the big three of social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. At least those were the big three for me. They’ve become too polluted by conspiracies, cheapened by how Facebook has trained us to respond in the most shallow terms.
In Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Merton wrote: “I have come to think that care of the soul requires a high degree of resistance to the culture around us, simply because that culture is dedicated to values that have no concern for the soul.”
For me, that meant a break from the big three because whatever soul remained was no longer appreciated. It’s become a version of fast food that is just as empty in nutrients. Instead of having gravitas, it always “Thanks for sharing” to death.
I crave the deeper aspects of the soul—the gritty, coarse, wondrous, and gleaming guts that cannot be captured in words. The images and scenes don’t always need to be commented on because our limited words don’t do them justice.
It was clear that, for me, everything portrayed on those sites had become tired and cheapened—even the miraculous.
Today, we threw ourselves to the tall trees, the rocky shoreline, and the deep aqua water rolling into foamy crests.
Late today, I recorded a third video. It contains our latest rental. It is undoubtedly the most unique we’ve ever stayed in, and I’m already in love with it. It is clear that the act of decorating the unit has been an act of love by the host, and we are already soaking it in.
A video will soon be made available. For now, here’s a glimpse of Emily getting cozy in our home for the next four nights.
Tolkien on the Ancient Trees
“Tom’s words laid bare the hearts of the trees and their thoughts, which were often dark and strange, filled with a hatred of things that go free upon the earth, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning: destroyers and usurpers. It was not called the Old Forest without reason, for it was indeed ancient, a survivor of vast forgotten woods; and in it there lived yet, ageing no quicker than the hills, the fathers of the fathers of trees, remembering times when they were lords.
~ J.R.R. Tolkien, Fellowship of the Ring
How Fitting: Best Friends is in the House
I love that there are copies of Best Friends magazines here at the rental. We love donating to that superb organization and helping other unwanted animals find their way home, just as Max, Will, Samwise, and Emily found their way to me.
This is one of the reasons we use our trips to give back and show gratitude for our blessings. As you know, we choose an animal rescue non-profit to raise money for with our monthly fundraising sales during our travels. This is our last of this trip. The 20% off sale allows folks to subscribe at a cheaper rate but also ensures that half the money will go to animals in need. Our sale runs until Sunday, which benefits The Gentle Barn.
All annual subscriptions, even those gifted, are discounted through Sunday night.
