DeborahTisch.org

October 2, 2017

Scene and Story – The Radio

We were at the Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site near Sedalia, Missouri. Our tour guide lead us through the rooms of the mansion that has been very well-preserved and kept as nearly like it would have been when the owner lived there.

One of the first items I was fascinated with, left there where Mr. Bothwell would have placed it, was this radio. An RCA Radiola, Super-Heterodyne. This was a radio like I had never seen before, so I used my cell phone and took this photo.

Took the photo with my cell phone…this device that I think I can not live without, but did for many, many years. This expensive gadget that I use for phone calls and texts, and to listen to a podcast once in a while or my favorite music…streaming online.

What would Mr. Bothwell and his family and friends have listened to on this RCA Radiola? We learned that he died in 1929, just a couple of months before the stock market crash. What would the news have been like then? How would the stock market crash have been presented? And how often did they (the Bothwell’s) even turn this thing on? Electricity was not what we take for granted now.

I would love to know if this radio still works.

There are many deeper questions that come to mind as I look at this image and think of our modern-day communications. I could add some here and go on and on. This is not the day for me to do that. I’m guilty of partaking too much of that news culture…something I continue to work on.

But what draws me in is the scene and the story. The scene: this beautiful, well-preserved, well-built mansion in the heart of Missouri. The story, shown simply by the placement of this RCA Radiola Super-Heterodyne in what looked to be the center of that home. A place of prominence, of importance. Not so portable, not able to fit in a purse or pocket. And yet, an all important connection to the world beyond their doorstep.

We are not so different.

Linking up with Sarah and Leon for Scene and Story.

September 24, 2017

The Light Along the Path

When I look through the files on my computer and see the photos I have taken in the last five months, I’m reminded of how fast life goes by and just how much I have experienced. Our grandson visited for several days, ending with a trip to the St. Louis Zoo. My garden yielded the most beautiful sunflowers and zinnias I have ever seen. I participated in two retreats, one in June and one in July, each of them filled with so much good fellowship and rich, soulful time. We went to see family and family came to us. I explored old cemeteries with dear friends. We helped a group of friends say goodbye to their place of worship.

My husband and I stood in our yard on August 21st and through the rain clouds overhead we could see the shadow of the moon as it blocked the light of the sun, and then moved on along it’s path. To be in that darkness and then welcome the light as it returned was profound, even with the clouds over us. There is a sense of hope I hold inside, knowing that the light is always there.

So many places and people and experiences over these last several weeks. Life has been full, in a good way.

This image of my friend, a fellow Souljourner, seems to sum up the last few months for me.

Sometimes the path we are on seems clear as we look ahead, as we think of our plans for the coming days, months, years. And then there may be surprises just over the hill, just over there where you can’t be sure of what lies ahead. You just never know.

It is a walk of faith. One foot in front of the other. Trusting in this mystery we call God to guide us along the path. How can we know if we are in the right place? How can we know if our choice was the right one? Should we just turn around and go back or go for it, forge ahead?

I don’t have the answers. But I can tell you that the journey along this path is so much better when you share it with friends. Just like three of us did on a warm summer day at a retreat…when we were supposed to be silent…and mostly we were. Mostly.

This part of the journey for me includes being a spiritual companion, or spiritual director, soul friend…there are many names for this. To explain it a bit more I have created a page here.

Where am I along this path? Still putting one foot in front of the other. Still wondering what lies ahead. Still working on that Trust thing, but with each step becoming more convinced that the light is always there.

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017

Eagles and Sunshine on a Sunday Afternoon

We took some time to ourselves Sunday afternoon and explored a familiar place, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, near Columbia, Missouri.

How often do you get to see an eagle, on her nest, with young ones? And then how often do you get to see two occupied nests in one day? Here are a few images that I just have to share.

The adult eagle is in the upper left corner, and the nest in the lower right. Notice the heads of the two young ones!

This is as close as my lens would allow, but it is still so amazing to see these beautiful birds.

This is the second nest we were able to see, with the adult keeping a watchful eye.

This area is simply beautiful. We saw so much more than my pictures can tell.

And through the trees we could see turtles sunning on logs, but they escaped quickly into the water if we moved closer.

This is a place I am certain we will return to many times.

April 2, 2017

Scene and Story – Homegrown Fun

Here is the scene…just a few miles from my hometown in East Central Illinois, riding along with my daughter, grandson, and best friend, we were looking at a few farms within a two mile radius. The whole purpose of our drive out there was to see baby goats, and we saw so much more than we bargained for…thanks to my friend who knew where to take us.

This photo stays in my mind because I was so surprised to see a herd of elk, with a couple of bison thrown in. Initially this herd was way off in the distance, but that breeze carried our scent and got the attention off all these animals, and they came running.

Though the elk and bison were impressive they were not quite as entertaining as the goats.

The babies were adorable, especially as they tried to climb on a haystack that had just been placed in their pen.

Mama and her babies were just as curious about us as we were about them.

It was a perfect day for our little farm tour, for lunch with my daughter and grandson, for time spent with my dear friend. So much of that you just can’t capture in a photograph. Sometimes you just have to simply be present and soak it all in.

I am sharing this post with Scene and Story, a once a month link up where creatives can share a favorite story or photo on their blogs or on Flickr.