Homeward

And silence descends upon the grove

Oh, it feels good to be home.

By sheer luck, we switched airlines to come home on Thursday so we could be back a few hours earlier, and as we were bemoaning the delays on the new flight, the old one was cancelled. So we were home in time to sit in the evening sun on the terrace with our dogs, who, despite the excellent care they received, had clearly been stressed by our absence. They are pampered creatures.

I love watching the clouds from a plane.

We said goodbye to the Frenchies at the airport in DC, and sent them off in an Uber to Dulles for their flight home. I surprised myself by the intensity of grief I felt at their leaving, My husband went to the car to help with the crazy luggage collection, and I was left standing in the airport corridor with our two bags, grateful to be wearing sunglasses.

There was a surfeit of luggage.

This morning I am in my usual chair in the library, listening to the sounds of the woods coming in through the open windows. Enormous turkeys are parading in the grass down the hill, the sun shining through their thin skin. The two broods of robins and two of housefinches have fledged while we were away, and although the nests are empty, we can hear the chattering of both species nearby. We had plans to go away together for a long weekend at the end of the month, but we are, neither of us, in the mood to go anywhere for quite some time, particularly not without our dogs.

As I am sitting here, relishing the pleasure of home, I am reminded of a favorite song I used to perform, Heimkehr, by Richard Strauss. You can listen here. The lyrics¹ and translation are below.

Thank you for your patience with me as I attended to all things family this past week.

Wishing you a peaceful Saturday.

JFR

***

”And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”~Julian of Norwich

These posts are about finding the beauty in daily life, even amid the craziness, uncertainty, and anxiety. Reality is not going away, but these are the only days we get, so we have to relish their small beauties while we have them. If you are a paid subscriber, please know how deeply grateful I am for your support. The kindness and enthusiasm of your comments buoy me and keep me writing, but the paid subscriptions are an extra vote of confidence I truly appreciate. These posts will always be free, however, so if all you can do is share, that is helpful, too. Whatever you decide, I’m glad you’re here.

And now for your gratuitous dog photos:

The dogs are happy we’re home, too.

He is relentless. Photo by Scary Lisa.

Peace.

1. Heimkehr
German source: Adolf Friedrich von Schack

Leiser schwanken die Äste,
Der Kahn fliegt uferwärts,
Heim kehrt die Taube zum Neste,
Zu dir kehrt heim mein Herz.
Genug am schimmernden Tage,
Wenn rings das Leben lärmt,
Mit irrem Flügelschlage
Ist es ins Weite geschwärmt.

Doch nun die Sonne geschieden
Und Stille sich senkt auf den Hain,
Fühlt es: bei dir ist der Frieden,
Die Ruh’ bei dir allein.

Homecoming
English translation © Richard Stokes

The boughs are swaying more gently,
The small boat races ashore,
The dove’s coming home to its nest,
My heart’s coming home to you.
Often enough by shimmering day,
Amidst the clamour of life,
It has winged its roving way
Far into the distance.

But now the sun’s departed
And silence descends on the grove,
It feels: peace is where you are,
Repose is with you alone.