Go To the Limits of Your Longing

Go To The Limits Of Your Longing

by Rainer Maria Rilke; translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

then walks with us

silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,

go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like a flame

and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you:  beauty and terror.

Just keep going.  No feeling is final.

Don't let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

Book of Hours, I 59

The Last Day of Winter

...was spent at the beach.

The weather was just perfect.
 Mid-seventies, sunshine, and incredibly blue skies.








The kids played in the sand and did some fishing,
which of course, led to actually getting into the water
even though it was still a bit too cold.













It was the best day we've had in a long time.
We came home with sand all over,
wind-blown hair,
and warm, pink skin.







And, I speak for all of us when I say that
we felt totally alive and refreshed.

Let's get this spring weather started!

February Light

I saw this rare moment of February light the other afternoon while walking the dog and had to hurry him along so I could go back inside and grab my camera before it was gone.





The sun was at a low angle late in the afternoon, perfectly illuminating these tiny patches of moss under the oak trees.





Even after fighting all week with what I'm sure was a case of the flu, I ran back outside to breathe in the sunlight from a belly-position in the leaves with my camera at my eye.





It felt awesome to see the light and capture what I could with my camera.  Then it got me to thinking about springtime and flowers and breezes and sand and waves and eventually our summer trip to the beach house.  It felt like I was coming back to life much like the earth around me.





As the end of February draws near, my anticipation for what else this year has to hold has me feeling very happy and content.

How We Began Our New Year

I realize that we're nearing the end of February ( already!), but this is how we began 2013.





Long, lazy days were spent sitting outside, sipping coffee.











Camp food was cooked on an open fire.








Many, many miles of trails were hiked.  During the course of the week we had both extremes of weather:  freezing for the first couple of days then rainy and warm enough for shorts for the remainder of our stay.

Huge, old Live Oaks and Spanish moss were everywhere.
















We even saw some gigantic tall pines!





Marsh and creeks led down to the river.











A little fishing was done.








We had steaks and baked potatoes our last night there.  My boys cooked them right on the campfire.  The girls were in charge of asparagus and salad.








Isaac took a few really awesome shots and edited them himself:











And, because Blakeley State Park is full of Civil War history, we learned tons!











But, of course, the beauty that rejuvenated me during this week was in the small details.  As always.












































This is the best way we've spent a new year yet.  I cannot even put into words how wonderful the week was.  Everything was simple.  The camper was just big enough to hold what we needed and nothing more.  We each had only the week's worth of clothing and towels, nothing excessive.  The small refrigerator held just what we needed for most of our week there and nothing more.  I had only the basic kitchen equipment and utensils to work with.  It was so refreshing to live so minimally and stripped.   All the quiet surrounding us and the trail-walking and the listening and the being together was perfect.  I really do think I could camp on a more permanent basis.