Home Again! Home Again!

~ rabbitpatchdiary.com

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It was late in the evening when I drove up to the rabbit patch, yesterday.  The sun  looked like a  tangerine as it sunk behind the trees, blackened by its’ light. Everyone showed up for my homecoming.  Kyle and Christian helped unload the car while my boxer, Cash danced about playfully.  Christopher Robin, my cat trotted up with a cheerful greeting and I felt sorry I had expected far less from him.  Christopher Robin can be quite uppity, if I am gone too long to suit him.  I had missed everybody and “made no bones about it”.

I found the rabbit patch tidy, mostly. There was some questionable dishes in the refrigerator to sort out and some laundry, but I wasn’t about to tackle one task this day.  The grass needed mowing, but it had been two weeks, after all.  A big branch  from the pecan tree, fell shortly  before my arrival , blocking the driveway.  A sycamore tree followed suit  and  dropped another branch.  Mind you these are not the size of branches that make delightful little garden fires. But, I was home, safe and sound . . and  that  was what mattered  .

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I only caught the “tail end” of the morning service, the next  day.  I am afraid I woke late, with a lot of thoughts, as well, which only hinder morning devotions.  Thankfully, the mimosa is still blooming and the  beautiful fragrance  snuffed out a portion of my complicated notions.  The song of the mockingbird didn’t hurt, either.  The pines whispered tenderly and slowly but surely, a sense of peace did abide.

By nature, I am quite level headed.  If there is a calamity, I usually have immediate clarity, though I may faint when it is all over.  I do not tend to worry –  now that I am older, as I did in my youth. . .but this is an odd season for me, for I am older.  I am selling the rabbit patch.  There is a sweet young buyer, who appreciates this beautiful country life and so I can rest assured the rabbit patch will be in good hands.  I am not concerned about down sizing, but instead welcome the chance. . .and truthfully I need this change.  I do not yet know where the next rabbit patch will be.  The new school year lurks just around the corner and Jenny is having a baby in September.  This is a lot of business.

Now any one of these things mentioned,  demands some thought.  I do not believe for one minute, that the path before me is not lovingly prepared, nor that I will walk it alone.  This brings me great comfort, . . . but I am convinced, that like “Thomas”  I too am blurting out, “Show me the scars!”  At least that is how I have felt recently.  I must sound quite trifling now.  I keep reminding myself of that verse . . .”We walk by faith and not by sight.” But goodness, I am more curious than any cat ever dared to be.  I must “practice what I preach” for I always say, things do not have to make sense.  God does not work as humans, with paper and pencil,  calculating the odds – and thankfully so.  The “odds” change dramatically, when God is present. 

As I have said before, I have never really planned anything, with much success.  I have been horribly shocked with things I did not see coming and immeasurably blessed by beauty I could not have seen in my wildest dreams.  

The truth is,  I never intended on becoming a violin teacher. . .yet that is what fed my children.  I bought a house, once, because I needed a car title notarized and happened to be in the right place at the right time.  I never even meant to buy the rabbit patch, in the first place, but one door after another opened for me, without any effort on my part.  Choosing “the road of least resistance”  has never been my strong point.  I thought about all of this in the shade of a sycamore tree, for a good while and then decided to go in and clean the stove.  Things will work out as they ought to, I told myself.

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The peaches are ripening at the rabbit patch.  I have several things that I want to make – like tarts and cobblers.  I have two varieties of peach trees. One is a white peach.  The fruit never gets very large or soft, but they make the best cobblers.  It takes at least a peck of them to make a cobbler.  I have only seen the white peach trees on old homesteads, like the rabbit patch.   The first homestead , I lived  on had two of them and that is when I discovered a “white peach cobbler” was worth the time and trouble.

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I did do a bit more cleaning out.  I am really down to the “short rows” now.  I used to hear this phrase a lot as a child.  When you re working in a field, there are the long rows in the middle and short rows along the edges.  When we were down to the “short rows” our spirits  were lifted, at the prospect of finishing .  Someone would always shout “we are down to the “short rows!”  I love remembering how my people talked.   

There are a few minor repairs left before the appraiser comes.  Will, my “son in heart” is a banker and does not expect the process to go so quickly.  Time will tell, as it always does.  

I have a dear friend, that was in the midst of a crisis, a few years ago.  She explained to me her quandary.  It was an awful mess and something she had no control over.  I asked her what she was going to do and she said, “I am going to make pickles.”  I was shocked and she explained that since pickles take a few days to process,  she would be quite busy.  By then, she hoped “things would be better.”  She had to make pickles on more than one occasion, but things did get better.  We still laugh about her reasoning, but I declare, there is some wisdom in her method.

In light of this, I plan to busy myself with peaches -and then apples .  . and Sunday Dinners. . . for I have never been able to make good pickles.

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30 thoughts on “Home Again! Home Again!”

  1. LOL…I may send you a recipe for pickles. Welcome home and get your boots on.Things are going into fast time now and even though I know you will be ready just thought I better remind you. Surely you have something in mind as to where you and all are headed. Of course I have been known to packup and depart almost over night.( I don’t recomend that way of doing things but you do what has to be done.) Have a peaceful Sunday. xpxp

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  3. My, you do have a lot to process right now. I also believe things work out the way they are supposed to…and it is amazing to look back and see that over and over again. I pray all the right decisions for you and peace in your new journey. I’m sure it is easier knowing your home will be going to good people, that is so helpful I know. Take care, and enjoy your peach cobbler!!

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  4. Your life is moving at quite a pace right now and through it all time will move at it’s own pace as you say worry will change nothing so trust your own judgement and Gods plan for you xx

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  5. Dearest Rabbit, how wonderful this post is. It’s filled with love, joy and just a tiny sprinkling of anxiety because the near (and far) future is a bit fuzzy – or perhaps in ‘soft focus’. You know in one way, what’s to come – for it’s the sale of the Rabbit Patch and handing over to its new Guardian, and it’s the finding of a new forever home for you, which will match as many as possible of the things you have on your list of ‘requirements for a new home’.

    I can relate to these feelings, for Mr.C and I had lived in the same cottage for over 30 years, with no intention of ever leaving. However …. daughter No.2 married a lovely chap who lived 200 miles away and then … she found out she was expecting their first baby, and she needed her parents to live close. So we put our forever home up for sale and once it sold, we had to find somewhere for us to live – near to where our daughter and Son-in-law, and by this time, their new baby (Little Cobs) lived.

    My heart still mourns the cottage we no longer have. And I’m trying to fall in love with this new cottage, for it has many of the things we had on our list of requirements. But …. how does one fall in love with a new place (man/woman/baby/ or even car, etc) when one hasn’t fallen out of love with the previous one? I’m working on this, with Gods help, and I think I’m getting there. Slowly. One step at a time.

    Things are gently moving forwards. They may begin to feel like it’s going too fast – so prepare yourself for that feeling. God is on your side. He can see where His plan is taking you. But, His plans only work if we do, so you have to play a kind of hide and seek game. Your new home is there … waiting. You just have to find it. Trust in Him.

    Life is changing, and that’s what life does. It can feel like the ground beneath you is suffering an earthquake. Don’t fret. You’ve been through worse … and survived. 😉

    Love you, oodles, Rabbit.
    I’m holding your hand and sitting with you, each time you feel the earthquake. I’ll always be there. Whether you like it or not. lol

    Sending love, smiles, friendship, and if love could lift you up and carry you along, I would be doing that too.
    Praying, and chatting with God about you, all the time. He knows. He knows more than I am able to tell Him. He’s got your back, Rabbit.
    Much love ~ Cobs. xxx ❤

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  9. Oh Michele….I love this post. So full of hope, dreams, fears and LIFE!!
    I really had to laugh about the lady who would make pickles. I love the logic of that because it is really very good logic.
    I hope things go smoothly for you in the transition to a new Rabbit Patch. I am very sure that God has some location just waiting for you that will be perfect and feel “just right”.
    Prayers your way Michele through all of this. My brother would tell you that the joy is in the journey…and he is right. Enjoy the journey of the next while….no matter how chaotic it may seem at the time.

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  10. Your writing is so full of heart, Michele. Yes, go make pickles. Things are unsettled and you’re readying for a transition. The rabbit patch has been and will be a constant. That’s a good thing. That young buyer will lovingly keep that going. ❤️

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