A creation, no matter how alive and vibrant and "present", is but a reflection of intentional movement and design. Can one become so immersed and awe-inspired in the creation that one "worships" the creation, instead of the Creator? Today I robed up and sang with the choir, and after today's service I asked Mim, who has a healing ministry, to pray for a physical healing. When she placed her hands on me and prayed I felt a charge of spiritual currency and tears rolled down my face. There was a deep movement, and this movement, along with all of my other encounters in Sitka, is part of a healing that I have felt here from the moment I arrived.
(Dee, Carol, Patti - everybody else has gone for coffee already)
Last night we had a lot of fun. Connie, Carrie and I went to Ludvig's Bistro. We ate fresh halibut and scallops, drank wine, and each had a fabulous dessert. Interspersed with the eating and drinking was a lot of laughter and happiness as Carrie and I shared memories from the Camino and our time in France last year.
And I was SO happy that Carrie reacted positively to my plans for another adventure. Some time ago Marcel had told me of his and Connie's adventures on the Via Ferrata and for some time I toyed with doing that route. (The Via Ferrata means the "Iron Way" and is comprised of iron cable routes that the Italians built in the Dolomites for military purposes in the early 20th century. They are now used for hiking and climbing purposes.) Since arriving in Sitka two weeks ago I have decided that the Via Ferrata will be my next adventure, and last night, when I proposed the trip to Carrie she said she was interested. Hooray - I was seriously wondering if she would ever want to make a trip with me again, what with my comparatively limited physical capacities (in comparison to hers, she being 20+ years younger than me). So, I'm going to check it out. Marcel is going to give me contact information for a guide that he has used and I'll start training and saving money to go, either a year from now or a year and a half from now, depending on finances. (Speaking of finances, I think I may be charging groceries on my credit card when I get home.)
And yes, we went on to the Pioneer Bar and had a whiskey sour and listened to the band and departed fairly early (11 pm). Carrie had to get up to depart for Homer today (where she will be inputting all the data she collected from her birding job this summer) and Ellen also had other responsibilities, so neither one seemed too disappointed to leave the smoke-filled, noisy place.
Today after church I went to the Larkspur Cafe and enjoyed the musicians making music on mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass, violin and flute. Just plain wonderful folks makin' just plain wonderful folk music. One person I had yet to see was Ernie, and there he was on bass. He reached over to give me a big hug, Hank gave me a pinch on the arm, and when he learned I was leaving town in a couple of days guitar-playing (Medvidje hatchery managing) Ritch gave me a warm hug of goodbye. I ate a plate full of asparagus omelet, delicious home fries and a home-made biscuit and downed it with a latte.
So that's all the news from beautiful Sitka. It will be good for me to leave paradise and return to the real world. I think. It will be so hard to tear myself away, but it's time to go. I must begin to make my good-byes to the ravens, mountains, ocean and clouds, and to take my mental picture of this place so that it will be indelibly printed on my heart.
