Peach tea and banana bread

Peach tea and banana bread.  I remember well those days, quite a while ago now, when that was how I began many of my older blogs.  It's one of those sayings that remind a person of days past and of journeys taken.  Of friends and family who "were there" when they were most needed.  I am still thankful.

The two of us have caught ourselves over the last days and weeks talking about days gone by.  Reminiscing and sometimes even feeling lonely.  We talk about what surprises life may have for us.  And we remind ourselves that we've certainly learned that "the best laid plans..." are not made by us ... but we do it anyway.

I think about having such a small community right now... on needing to rely more on the two of us for company, when before... well, sometimes life made us feel like two ships passing in the night.

It's just started raining.  The rain that had been promised to start at noon decided to start at 2:30 instead. We had just finished a coffee after church.  The sun was still in the room, the fireplace was going, a new book was ready to be read.  And things were good because it was a long weekend, we had tomorrow off, yesterday we had a great back-yard visit, and we just knew that this was all good.

I chewed on the idea of loneliness.  Perhaps because there are some who feel it more, like Dad and others I know dearly.  And I wondered how it was that loneliness carries with it a "missing-ness".  And I wondered why a person - like me too - doesn't so easily feel... I mean really feel... the presence of God at that moment.  I mean... palpably.  Like you could touch him. So much so that it feels like someone is right there in the room.  Enough to take away the loneliness.

And the chewing didn't go much further than that.  Other than to perhaps realize that God gets it.  He's been there... more than we can ever imagine.

And that he is right here.