From Where I Sit

 As I write this post, it is earlier in the morning and the water is perfectly calm.  But I know the morning breeze will come up shortly as it always does and there will be noises from both construction and mowers.  I'm smoking my morning pipe while sipping a cup of hot coffee, and like the waters, my spirits are calm.  We might stay here through the first week of December, but my wife has contacted a few places that interest us.  We'll be working on that later in the day today.

We have our son's place as an alternative until we find something.  So, we have a month to work on it.  I'm smoking my very first pioe this morning.  This Joby isn't my best pipe, but a first pipe is always special to every pipe smoker.  I'm on my second bowl of Estate Blend for the day and just now the morning breeze is rippling the water below.  Such it is with every day, we wake up and begin to ponder the day.  

My wife is in a meeting as I am writing this and thus our day begins.  There will be ripples in the water, so to speak, as we both begin our work for the day.  She'll come out here later in the morning and we'll discuss her morning and what she is working on for the day.  I'll listen and maybe offer advice if she needs it, then she'll go back in and continue her work until lunch.  I mostly sit, smoke my pipe and ponder what we've discussed.

But it never fails that she has something to share with me.  She might have time to read my post for the day and often she'll comment on it.  I'll write and post for the day then I'll catch up with the news of the day.   And that is when the calm waters begin to ripple from the breeze.  Some days the breeze from the news is stronger than it is on other days.  Lately that breeze has turned into a pretty strong gale.  And when it's too strong, it's time to put my phone down and just listen to some music.

Some days she'll come out and say I need to listen to some music, which I often do.  These days there is a lot going on to disrupt the calm of my spirit.  And she's often right when she tells me to put my phone down and listen to some music.  Today's news can be highly absorbing and I need a break from reading.  But I enjoy reading while smoking my pipe.  It might be the only thing I do to get away from it all if just for a moment as I empty a bowl and let the pipe cool as I wait to refill the next bowl as I am now doing.  

Attention to my pipe is the distraction I need on most days lately.  I'll sit with a quiet calmness as my pipe cools before I refill it.  There is often no music and sometimes I'll suck on an empty pipe and just sit as it cools.  I need a pipe as I read.  It keeps me calm in the turbulence of the world.  And if only for a moment I need to just step away from it all with my pipe.  This is when my pipe becomes a best friend.  It's there as the distraction I often need.  

A pipe requires attention.  As does an ashtray.  I have a fifty year old glass pipe ashtray that broke the other evening.  I put some glue on it, but this morning I finished it off by dropping a glass tobacco canister on it and now it is broken beyond repair.  The cork base I'll keep and put a new glass ashtray inside it.  But things happen.  The glass tobacco canister didn't break, thank goodness.  But it's distractions like this that take my mind off the world.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave