Thin Houses

Last December we made some changes to the Gathering Room which included knocking out two spaces in an exterior wall and putting in a double door and a big picture window. Dubs and Beaner did the work and  with amazing efficiency they took out the wall, removed the rubble, and framed in the door and window and replaced the door. Drywall, concrete block covered by stucco. That is what stands between us and the storms, hurricanes and flooding rains that sometimes come to central Florida. It does not seem like enough.

A few years ago a hurricane named Frances came through central Florida and it did enough damage to the roof that we had to have it replaced. After the work was completed I had occasion to climb up to the attic and get down some storage boxes. The roof was made of beams, a layer of plywood covered with shingles. That's all. No great layers of material to keep out the wind and storms, just plywood and shingles. It does not seem to be enough. Has it always been so? Woven straw that tops houses in England comes to mind--those roofs that make the house look like it sits under a haystack. Palm leaves supported by a bamboo frame might be used where palm trees are abundant. How thin are these houses!

Perhaps people sense their vulnerability so they erect seven foot tall, white PVC fences around their houses. The children hide in the houses, staring at screens so they won't have to think about how little protection from danger they possess in their thin houses. Do they find comfort in the games they play? They might if they play well and win. The screens broadcast into the house ideas and forces that may cause cracks in those thin walls. Discontent. Avarice. Seven deadly sins. Watch. Take them all in. No time to talk and build relationships, just face to face with screens.

I want to spread a blanket of protection over my house. I want to protect my family. I want to keep my books and photos safe from damage. We need  thicker walls and roofs. I know the construction company to build it for me: no less than the builder of the universe, God.  Let me pray to God for shelter from danger, physical or spiritual. Let my walls be thick as castle walls, my roof able to withstand any attack from forces that would crack and divide my house. Make my house impervious to danger.

Putting names upon

Allen's end-of-the year shopping included buying me a new car. He replaced my white Navigator with a fancy new wine/red Navigator with all sorts of bells & whistles. Tuesday when he drove the old car away from the house for the last time I was sad. My friend, Jan called it my Land Yacht; I named it Harriet's Chariot. She was a part of the family for more than five years, the main vehicle for carrying all our camping stuff to North Carolina or the cold springs state parks in Florida. She carried heaps of school children on field trips; she was my mode of transportation on occasional "just me" road trips. I felt like I was losing a best friend when Allen drove her away for the last time. Harriet's Chariot.

Perhaps affection for pets rises from the same source, placing names upon them. Allen has always loved cats, but I never wanted one because I did not want cats in the house. I knew it was too easy for an outside cat to move into the house and find welcome in the lap of my husband. We had cats when we lived in Lori Lane, but they stayed outside. After moving here Neuencat was allowed in permanently because the noise from the big road frightened her. Neuencat was named for our friend, Wayne Neuenschwander as sort of a joke because he is not particularly fond of cats and thinks they are good cats as long as they are doing some sort of work such as killing rats in the barn or some other primitive activity. Since it was a female cat could not call her Wayne so we took part of his last name and made a new name for the lovely calico cat, Neuencat. All of our cats have had the name "cat" in them: Mama-cat, Fat-cat, etc. When Neuencat sickened and died we had a funeral in the back yard. Jacqueline cried. We were sad. Perhaps our affection arose from placing a name upon her. She became a member of our family.

Far more important name-placing comes with the arrival of a new baby. Many couples now-a-days do not reveal the name of their baby till after the birth. Cammie & Chris did not do that, but early on they decided to name the baby after their grandmothers and so she is called Maggie Iris. I love her name! Before she was born we would talk to her through the wall of her mama's belly and rub her feet as she pushed against the wall of her cozy growing pouch. "Maggie, come out and play!" I would call to her. After she was born we called her Maggie, not Baby Copen or some anonymous name. She was ours, immediately part of the family.  We loved her from the first time we laid eyes on her. We had placed our name upon her.