Contentment on the Mountain



Tonight I sit in the place of which dreams are made.  I’m curled up on a couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket, inside a cabin sitting high on the bluffs of Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas.  I went out on the porch a few minutes ago and was enchanted with the view, even in the dark.  The towns, farms and houses down below look like stars on the ground.  The Arkansas River flows by and the light of a tugboat pushing a barge moves slowly through the night.  Unfortunately, it’s too chilly to stay out on the screened porch too long.  The wind is blowing and making the wonderful sound of fall as the dry leaves brush against each other.  There are soft chimes blowing in the wind…perfect for the mood of the evening.  There’s a wonderful porch swing where I intend to plant myself for a while tomorrow and just enjoy the incredible view.  There’s another mountain range about 20 miles from here that can be seen, and in between here and there is farmland, broken up only by the river.  We’re staying in the Allen Cabin…but it should be renamed Peace and Tranquility.  It’s exactly what I was hoping to find when I booked the cabin through VRBO.com.  We got to meet Ray and Kathy Allen when we arrived and really appreciated their letting us come in on such short notice. 

I should tell the funny part of this excursion.  We have a Garmin GPS and it always looks for the shortest route to the destination.  So we ended up on a dirt road and then turning up what looked more like a hiking trail before I put my foot down and said, “No way!”  Going back down the trail was a little tricky, and the van – loaded to the hilt – wanted to slide.  We made the lady on the GPS recalculate and found a much safer route to the cabin…actually a beautiful route as we traveled up the twisting and winding and curving road to the top of the mountain.  It was a drive worth taking!

Dan has gone down the mountain to WalMart to find sustenance for us.  We tried the “camp store” earlier in the day and spent way too much money for way too little food to get us through this evening.  Then we ate it early and Dan was hungry again (smile).  I told him I wasn’t going down the mountain till we left…the ride up was scary enough.

So I have beautiful SiriusXM music playing on the TV as I sit in the TV room and try to pen how I feel here.  It’s a place to let your heart slow down…it’s a place to let your mind clear.  There are images of this summer that I hope to forget…and so many that I look forward to remembering.  But for the next two days I want to turn back into “normal” and stop being someone who felt the weight of the world on her shoulders for a time. 

I am in the best of care here with a man who loves me like no other.  I have his closeness, his companionship, his strength, his heart…all the things that make my life blessed.  We will regroup here and then go home to face the troops…another thing I’m looking forward to.  This Gee-Gee has been missing her little boy sugar and is looking forward to blending in some sweet baby girl sugar finally.  Hard to believe Shannon’s three months old tomorrow and I’ve only spent about 18 days with her…I’ve got some making up to do.

Summer is ending…this chapter of my life is ending…it’s time to move on to the next adventure.  I did what needed to be done.  I’m proud that I helped my mother and thrilled that we had the time to love each other and create the memories that I can hang on to.  I will miss her dearly.  I have to confess one of the first things I said to Dan when we got here… "I wish I could call Mom and tell her about this."  But I think she knows…she maybe even arranged all of this by gifting me with the funds for a get-away.  Dad gave me Niagara Falls when I went home from his funeral…Mom is giving me my escape to the mountaintop.  Even when they’re gone they continue to bless me.

I am content tonight!