Category: word of the week

Solitude: The Quality or State of Being Alone

[Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6:31b-32)

The Intuition Diaries

Solitude has become something I highly value. As a very active person, and one who isn’t very comfortable with being alone, it is hard for me to believe that I crave solitude. I am not talking about loneliness; I have never liked being lonely. I was lonely at times as a child, so I escaped to my imagination. I was lonely as a single woman in the Air Force, and so surrounded myself with people. I have been lonely as a wife and mother, which may be surprising, but it is a very real ache. In these lonely times, ultimately God draws me close and whispers, “I will never leave nor forsake you.” Solitude tunes me in to the Spirit and refreshes my soul.

While we were in Sister Bay, I was graced with some extended time to pursue solitude. Les was off on a bike ride in search of the famed Door Country dried cherries, so I walked over to the beach to write and sketch in my journal.

 

When the shops opened, I decided to browse. In the past, I might have been reluctant to go by myself or I would have been towing around two children. I have to admit, I didn’t mind being alone.

I embarked on a treasure hunt for unusual souvenirs. First, I went to the Ace Hardware store to see if I could find some insulated mugs for cold drinks. They didn’t have those, but they did have an ice pick. I bought it for Les. (The ice gets stuck together after awhile in the cooler, and I wanted him to be able to get some ice cubes apart to put in the mugs I had hoped to find.) I giggled to myself when I left the hardware store, what would people think of me carrying around a single ice pick? (I recently read a murder mystery, and my mind tucked this away as a kernel of an idea for a murder mystery. Murder by ice pick…hmmm.) I continued on down the block in search of the town library.

At the library, I picked up the free “Door County” tourist guides. On my way there I noticed a sign for a rummage sale, so I walked over to it. Bonus! This was turning out to be a wonderful morning. I found a couple things (a vintage hardcover novel to make into a journal cover). It was a great sale, but I knew better than to bring back too much; space is limited on a boat.

Next I found a collage art gallery/shop, where I bought some ephemera for my own collage attempts. I had to stop in the used bookstore next door. I bought The Big Year, a fictionalized story about birding on CD for us to listen to while we bounced across the lake. I quickly ran into Al Johnson’s (the restaurant with the goats on the grass roof) to get some postcards. My last stop was Secondhand Sue’s, a resale shop. And you are not going to believe it…the first thing I saw was two oversized insulated cups ($2 each) in the window…for our iced drinks! My morning was complete.
 
 

We left Sister Bay for a totally different setting that afternoon. We headed over to Rock Island, which has Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse on it. We went from the bustle of small town to the solitude of nature. We were able to rent a spot at the State Park dock. It is a first come, first serve operation, so we were fortunate to be the first boat to arrive.

After arriving on the island, we hiked the path to see the lighthouse. From the streets of Sister Bay to the tree shaded path of Rock Island. Both settings lent themselves to different kinds of solitude. In the morning, I had the adventure of finding treasures. In the afternoon, I treasured the adventure of climbing to the top of my first lighthouse.

Pottawatomie Lighthouse

 
 

 

On the way back down the path, Les and I walked in silence, which is very unusual for me. I just wanted to see what it was like to walk silently. Our silence was broken by Les asking a question, and then passing a young family on the path. They were looking for a pileated woodpecker. The woman and I fell into pace together and struck up a conversation. Les walked with the husband and the kids.

The family had been at the lighthouse, and the one son wanted a souvenir pin from the shop. It had a lighthouse on it that lights up. I had bought four to bring home. I decided when we saw the family to give them a pin. The mom was delighted. We ended up visiting with them and showing them our boat, while they waited for the ferry to take them back to Washington Island.

Solitude isn’t always about being alone; it’s sharing your aloneness with one another. I had been concerned about being away from “sisters” on this trip.  My husband and I are great companions, and he graciously listens to me chatter, but it was nice to have a “sister” to visit with that afternoon. (I’m sure it amazes some men how easily women connect. Frankly, it’s a gift that I cherish.) The night before in Sister Bay, this couple pulled up into the slip next to us. Immediately, the wife and I were laughing and poking jokes at our husbands. Each husband had been held hostage by our “self-analysis” talk during the day. Her husband got a kick out of that comment; he knew exactly what I was talking about. The guys were glad to let us chat, while they shared boat stories.

There’s a time for society, and there’s a time for solitude.
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Wonder: Rapt Attention

 
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.

Psalm 65:8

 
The Intuition Diaries 

Another morning has dawned, and soon the evening will fade. We have enjoyed another spectacular day out on Lake Michigan. Once out of the harbor of Port Washington, we knew we had a choppy ride ahead. I remembered that I could move our dinette seat and make a forward facing seat, much better way to observe the wonders of the lake. I knew we would see more lighthouses, but I wasn’t expecting all the silos. On the coast of Wisconsin, the farms sit above the lake on the bluffs overlooking the water.

We went past Sheboygan making our way to Manitowoc, one port of S. S. Badger, a steam driven car ferry from the 1950s that goes between Michigan and Wisconsin, across the lake each day. We weren’t sure if we would see the famous boat. Wonder of wonders, it was arriving at the harbor at the same time we were approaching. It was pretty daunting to work our way into the harbor without getting in its way. Courteous as we are, we pulled back the throttle and gave way for the legend.

S. S. Badger
 

 

As we were bouncing our way over the lake to Manitowoc, I was thinking.

Yep, I really can’t stop. But this time I was wondering. (My sister’s Facebook status has “wonder” as her occupation.) Oh, to be occupied with wonder! As I was recalling her clever status, one thought led to another.

I thought of all the things that cause wonder, like the clouds in the sky. How do they hang there and why do they come in so many shapes? I know there are scientific reasons, but I was wondering if God delights in making them so varied or if some days He decides to have a cloud art class with the angels and they hang them in the sky for us to observe. Silly– sure, but fun to think about.

God has given us so many ways to be occupied with wonder. We can marvel at the feats of history, like the fact that during WWII, a small community in Manitowoc, WI, made submarines. Les was able to tour one today, while I was surprised by another one of God’s wonders. (Have you ever noticed how God times things in such a way that we know He is thinking of us?)

One of my desires while on this trip was to buy fresh produce from a farm stand, rather than the grocery store. Wonder of wonders, the Farmer’s Market was open right across the bridge from where Les was touring the submarine. I walked over. I browsed each booth, and then bought some fresh peaches, cherries and raspberries, as well as corn on the cob, a bunch of carrots and string beans. God knew where we would be on our itinerary, which by the way was one day behind. So here we were in Manitowoc on a Tuesday instead of a Monday, and the market is only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

That evening, we grilled chicken, zucchini, summer squash and peaches on the grill with a wonderful view of the lake and the Manitowoc lighthouse. Another wonder-filled day with the God of the universe directing our way!

 
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Rest: Peace of Mind or Spirit

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.”

Isaiah 30:15 NIV
 
North Point Marina

The Intuition Diaries

The first day of our trip a small craft advisory kept us at rest. We weren’t able to leave the marina as the waves were too high for safe travel. The next day we embarked on the first day of boating, we were well rested after a day of eating, napping and exploring the North Point Marina grounds. On our day of rest, we celebrated Les’ birthday. I made Les dinner and I told him that I had a surprise…I was going to take him on a trip around Lake Michigan. He laughed.

For his birthday dessert, I made brownie waffles with strawberries on top.

We left the marina early Monday morning to cruise the 67 miles to our next port. While we puttered along the Wisconsin coast of the lake, I was thinking.

 I often ask Les what he is thinking and he will reply, “Nothing.”

I find this difficult to believe because my mind never seems to rest. I noticed while I was busy thinking that I either recall the past or project into the future. One minute I am thinking about all the fun times we had on previous vacations, and then the next thing I know,  I am wondering what’s for lunch or where will be headed the next day.

I asked Les about his ability to think about nothing. He admitted that he enjoys the present. He explores the scenery around him. He pays attention to the charts and the direction the boat is headed. He lives in the moment. I admire him. I can do this occasionally, but it truly takes discipline for me to rest and remain in the moment.

The trip today started out calm, and about halfway through our trip the waves started getting choppy. This caused the boat to bounce, which caused me to get a bit uneasy and queasy. I tried everything to enjoy the moment, including taking a nap.

 After my nap, Les asked if I wanted to drive and I declined. About an hour away from our destination, I decided I did want to drive and Les gave the helm over to me.

I was amazed at how I went from restlessness to restful once I had something to concentrate on. Rest takes many forms. It can be sleep, which actually renews our bodies. It may be just letting your mind enjoy the scenery around you. For me I need something to help me rest, so I rested my mind on the task at hand.

Once we got to Port Washington, Wisconsin, I was feeling relaxed. I was at rest, free from anxiety. We continued our rest by wandering around the town, eating a late lunch at Beanies(best fajitas ever!). We ended our day by riding our bikes on a local trail and eating ice cream for dinner.



 

 

Posted on by kelrohlf 0

Routine: The Travelled Way

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
the Lord’s name is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3 KJV

The Intuition Diaries

Routines were to be left behind, while we vacationed on Lake Michigan. Or so we thought.  We found out at the beginning of our trip that routines are important whether we were on vacation or not. Just like the rising and setting of the sun, routines have their purposes. Every time we take the boat out, we follow a checklist. Read more if you want to hear how we neglected a crucial routine, but were graced with GRACE!

 

At the beginning of July, we drove away from St. Louis, towing our boat, the Intuition. We arrived late afternoon to our destination just north of Chicago on the western shore of the lake. We checked in with the marina and proceeded to get the boat ready for our adventure of following a clockwise circuit around the shores of Lake Michigan.

We were out of our normal routine. Les was thinking about getting the extra kicker motor on the back of the boat. (This motor is our backup if the main engine fails.) I was thinking about how to arrange the extra food and other items inside the boat, so we wouldn’t be tripping over stuff for the next few weeks. It took about an hour to get everything transferred to the boat, so we were pleased with our efficiency.

Next stop—back the boat down the ramp and find our boat slip. We have a checklist for this procedure, but for some reason neither one of us pulled it out. Familiarity and past successes at this mundane part of boating became an embarrassing oversight.

Before heading out to sea, it is prudent to make sure the engine fires up and everything is working properly. So we took our usual steps (sort of) and tried the engine. NOTHING! Was the battery dead? Why is the bilge pump running? Did the fridge drain the battery on the road trip here? We were baffled.

We went back to the bilge pump question. Why was it running? Its purpose is to bail water from the cockpit of the boat or any water that is in the bottom of the boat. Under my breath, I was praying for wisdom. We opened the floor hatch and noted  water in the bottom of the boat, which the pump was dutifully offloading. All of a sudden, we remembered…the plug…did anyone put the plug in before we entered the water!? Nope, we totally skipped that part of the checklist. We scrambled and pulled the boat back on the trailer, let the water drain. Then promptly put the plug in.

The grace part: In our rush to get to our destination (the slip at the marina); I had knocked the throttle out of neutral. The engine only starts in neutral. The checklist states: “Check to make sure the throttle is in neutral position before starting the engine.” If the engine had started, we would have had a more serious problem on our hands, like how to get a sinking boat out of the harbor.

After figuring out the plug problem, we consulted the checklist, which solved the engine failure. I put the boat back into neutral, and the engine fired up immediately. What did we learn? We learned to trust the routine and always look at the checklist. After our humiliation subsided, we laughed at ourselves and thanked God for watching out for us in our foolishness.

Sunday Morning Sunrise

North Point Marina, Winthrop Harbor, IL 8.10.2012

 

 
Posted on by kelrohlf 1