NATURE'S UPLIFTING MESSAGE!

It’s a gorgeous sunny day here in the Twin Cities, although chilly, and yet a recent disappointment was getting me “down.”  I spent the morning entertaining grandchildren on spring break from school and working on a computer project, but just didn’t feel like my usual “perky” self.  I felt a little uninspired.  And then a few moments later I looked out the large back window of the dining room and saw five beautiful deer next door in the neighbor’s large backyard, surrounded by trees. There were deer tracks all over our yard, so it was obvious that at some point they had jumped the fence. It’s a very peaceful spot and these beautiful animals seemed very contented.  They were just lying in the snow or walking around and at one point I felt like they were staring right at me.  They could see a lot of things from their lofty perch, including the county park nearby.  It seems that whenever I need a reminder of the beauty of everyday life, nature offers it.  As I was looking in amazement at the deer, I heard a cardinal singing.  Simple joys, but wonderfully uplifting.  It changed my day!

A GOOD DAY FOR TRIVIA!

On a Monday morning in March, with the winds swirling about and the snows seemingly unending, it was a good day for trivia, I discovered.  My eight-year old grandson slowly pulled me out of my trance and disgust for winter.  He came downstairs for breakfast bright and early and started reading the rather unusual trivia book I had bought him at a thrift store a week earlier.  He was sharing and enjoying all the odd questions and quizzing me on the answers. It was an obvious enjoyment for him, but not as much for me, until he came to the question about twine. Of course he pulled in the Minnesota connection as well. He asked me how much the largest ball of twine weighed, where it was made, and who made it.  Well, here’s the scoop!

THE GAZEBO THAT HOUSES THE BALL OF TWINE AND THE MAILBOX WITH THE GUESTBOOK

 

A man by the name of Francis A. Johnson from the town of Darwin, Minnesota (population of less than 300) started rolling the twine in his basement in 1950, every day for four hours over the course of 29 years. I thought about that in absolute amazement.  How could you devote that much of your life to a ball of twine?  What was it that drove him?  Well, if you’d drive to Darwin, Minnesota in August you’d probably learn a whole lot more about Francis Johnson since there’s a museum in Darwin that tells about him and that ball of twine.  Every year there’s “Twine Ball Day” and you can learn the history of the ball.  There’s even a gift shop devoted to that enormous ball of twine that’s housed in a gazebo to protect it—all 7,900 kg (17,400 pounds), which is the largest ball of twine rolled by an individual.  Francis died in 1979, but his amazing invention made his town proud.  There’s a sign on the outskirts of town that declares, “Darwin, Home of the Ball of Twine.”  There’s even a mailbox with a guestbook you can sign.  All very interesting and trusting!  Weird Al Yankovic at one time drove across America to see it and write a song about it. Maybe later this year in August I’ll make the trek to pay tribute to Francis Johnson and his ball of twine.  What’s interesting is that recently I started reading a book I picked up at a thrift store called SPIRITUAL LITERACY—READING THE SACRED IN EVERYDAY LIFE.  One chapter deals with the importance of different THINGS in our lives, regardless of what they might be.  For me they’re special antiques and keepsakes left behind by my ancestors and housed in my room.  They might not have great meaning for others, but for me they’re a special joy.  I often look at them and feel happy to just have them near me.  As strange as it may sound, I believe that Francis Johnson took special delight in creating that unusual ball of twine and presenting it to his town.  I admire that, perhaps even more so because it was my grandson who shared some of the information with me and the SPIRITUAL LITERACY book made me view the whole idea from a completely different perspective.  And as it turned out, it was indeed a good day for trivia, one I hadn’t expected.

KEY TO THE CITY . . . AND TO YOUR HEART!

 

Donald Driver

 

 

 

Recently I ordered a simple children’s book from a very special author, who’s also been an exceptional professional athlete, a founder of an amazing organization which benefits underprivileged children, homeless families, children with serious illnesses, and many more.  The organization’s motto is “STRONG HANDS, STRONG MINDS, LOVING HEARTS.”  It’s called the DONALD DRIVER FOUNDATION, which was established by Donald and his wife Betina.  For fourteen years I watched Donald excel as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and often thrilled at how gracefully he glided across the football field. His infectious smile and delight in acknowledging his children after games often left me even more uplifted. Little did I know that he had been homeless during part of his childhood years. 

I could relate to one of the books Donald wrote because it dealt with a child’s loss, whatever that might entail.  It’s called QUICKIE HANDLES A LOSS.  The book relates to Donald’s storytelling to his own children.  He said that as a child his mother had given him the name Quickie because she could never catch him. That got me laughing because I could picture what a mischievous little guy he must have been.

In the opening page of the book, Driver had written that whatever type of loss you’ve experienced, “Always keep a positive attitude and use those good memories to push yourself forward in life . . . Don’t stop.  You must remember that life goes on no matter how hard it may feel in the beginning.  It gets easier in time.  Remember!”  He signed it, “Your friend, Donald Driver, #80.”  I wish I’d had his book when I was eight or nine and my best friend moved away to another part of my home state of Wisconsin. Quickie had experienced something remarkably similar.  When my friend died of leukemia a few years later, I was devastated and felt that a part of me had been lost forever. Donald’s book has special significance in acknowledging children’s losses and helping them heal and move on.

When Donald retired from the Packers recently, a retirement party was held for him, a rarity for the Packers.  Tickets were hard to get and the building was packed.  Donald is truly beloved in all of Wisconsin and elsewhere.  He had broken the Packers all-time receiving yardage and scored 61 touchdowns overall, including a 90-yarder in the 2008 playoffs against the New York Giants.  He had also helped the Packers beat Pittsburgh in the 2011 Super Bowl, despite being injured.  In his 14 years with the Packers, he had only missed four games.  A remarkable accomplishment!  The versatile player from Alcorn State in Mississippi was a rare find for the Packers.

Donald Driver received the key to the city of Green Bay, but more importantly, he’s held the key to many of our hearts.  He’s made hundreds of charitable appearances, made the lives of countless children and families more meaningful and less of a struggle, and endeared himself to people everywhere.  I will miss his acrobatic play on the football field, but I will continue to admire and respect him; he’s an exceptional human being. 

A PLACE CALLED SOLITUDE

LAKE SUPERIOR

 

Albert Einstein once said, “I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”  Wish I could talk to him about that; I think we’d have a fascinating discussion and he could also offer me a few pointers.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve found times of solitude reinvigorating and peaceful and necessary.  I’ve also been drawn to writers who share that joy, and along with it, a love of nature and animals.

One of my favorite writers is May Sarton.  I’ll always be grateful to a friend of mine for introducing me to her writings, particularly her journals.  At times when I felt troubled about the direction of my life, I often picked up one of her books and found inspiration and hope, along with the knowledge that every day has its own special joys, no matter how small. She shared stories of many agonizing times in her own life, but through it all, she found peace and acceptance and a new found wisdom.  Of all the authors I’ve read, she speaks to me more than any other.  Some time ago she expressed that “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.”  My sentiments exactly!  Here are additional quotes about the meaning of solitude.

            “I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”  (Albert Einstein)

            “I have to be alone very often.  I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment.  That’s how I refuel.”  (Audrey Hepburn)

            “The best thinking has been done in solitude.  The worst has been done in turmoil.”  (Thomas Edison)

            “The thoughtful soul to solitude retires.”  (Omar Khayyam)

            “We live in a very tense society.  We are pulled apart . . . and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together . . . I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude.”  (Helen Hayes)

            “I love to be alone.  I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”  (Henry David Thoreau)

            “I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people; that each protects the solitude of the other.”  (Rainer Maria Rilke)

            “In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.”  (Virginia Woolf)

            “Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.  Gardening is an instrument of grace.”  (May Sarton)

photo by Heinz Richter

 

            “Who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once.”  (poet Robert Browning).

            “One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.”  (Carl Sandburg)

            “Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.”  (Edward Gibbon)

Remembering May Sarton who wrote JOURNAL OF A SOLITUDE:  “A house that does not have one warm, comfy chair in it is soulless.”

 

1890 painting by Frederick Leighton

 

            Reflecting some moments of solitude, I’ve included some photos.