The Bag of Holding

(Original Post started on Feb 9th, 2008)

I'm not sure if this weekend counts as a spiritual journey or not.

Before I get into that, though, I feel that I need to back up. For all intents and purposes, the funny pictures with the witty quips from the thrift store are done. Due to increased priggishness by the management at the Ohio Thrift store, I feel that it's time to set that to the side at the moment and take this blog in a different direction.

That is to say that every attempt at humor in my posts will for the most part, still be made (success of said attempts, however, elude predicative analysis).  I think that the posts this year (this week, this month?) will step more along the trimmings of the 'Random Meanderings' path that I originally blazed when I first birthed this blog.

And now back to the story of my journey to Damascus and the blinding light on said jaunt.

As I write this, I'm sitting in a cottage at Carter Caves. My wife is asleep in our room. In the next room are my parents. In the neighboring cabin are my happy aunt, her good and also happy friend, and my uncle (my mom's sibling). And it's 1:30 in the morning.

There is a certain surrealness about the weekend that I'm sure will reveal itself (moreso than it already has). One such revelation revolved around a 2 hour discussion with my dad and my uncle about first religion and then politics. If you're keeping track, those are the two things I'd swore I'd never broach in any conversation with my dad.

Must be the rum. Seems to make everything seem like a good idea. Or maybe its the fact that as a man of 36, it's much easier to engage my father in these conversations as a person of equal merit and opine. (As opposed to a 13 yr. old  (or even a college lad)so unsure of himself that it's far easier to just nod my head in mock agreement than it is to actually put forth an opposing view point or any view point at that matter).

The difference is, now I feel like he wants to have the open discourse, instead of forcing his views on the fruit of his loins.

And as the clock approaches1:45 AM, we now  cut to sleepytime.for me.

(Fast Forward to Feb. 16, 2008)

So it's been a week since the 'Caves. The missus and I have already discussed coming down with the young'uns for a family weekend getaway.

I wasn't sure exactly what I would find or learn when I first said yes to my Dad when he invited us down. In truth, all of the 'next generation' were invited down. It was to be a kid-free, grown-ups only weekend.   Out of the 6 sets of kids, Nancy and I were the only ones to make it down.

Too bad for the others. It's a strange and interesting time when your parents become friends and stop being that overbearing parental figure in your life. When you know what's best for you (and sometimes what's best for them).

It was an interesting weekend indeed. And now some pix from the trip before I head off to bed (tomorrow's Sunday and I'm playing gweetar at the church again. Somehow I've fooled them into thinking I actually know what I'm doing, tee hee).

I've whittled the pix down a bit (the full set's on Flickr and really probably wouldn't interest you unless you were there-and if you were, I've already sent you the link)

Don't ask me what the Santa hats were all about, we were just told to put one on when we got there.

 

Some of the services provided by the little grocery stores in the country.   

 

There's a joke here about rotating tires and re-treading your soul or something, but I think I'm just too tired to make it.    

I was going to ask them how much they wanted for the sign (since the store was closed and abandoned). They never answered the door. A mission for another time.  

Clouds and nature.

 

If Nancy's foot wasn't all bunged up, we would have definitely been down there checking out the Git'Er Done Band. Rumor has it the place was PACKED.   

C & N

 

And more.

Again...

  

Trees.

 

Cool fallen trees.

Wood in the woods. I wonder if anyone heard it?

 

Clouds, trees.

Again.

 

The cottage we stayed in.

 

The next in a series of cloud, tree and nature shots.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Nancy with her white elephant gift.

 

Will you bee my Baluntime?

 

It's like girl scouts for women...with guns!

(no lie-read the sign) 

The walkway to the cottage.

 

Between cottages (also makes a tasty desktop background)

 

Side view of the cottage.

 

Nature's pecker in action.

And that's about all I got.

Peace out.