Four years ago we went sledding at Ashland Nature Center. On their last run, Isaac’s face went into the brambles at the bottom of the hill. We went directly to training at Elevated Studios. This kid is tough.
Tough Guy
Back to Service
God blesses us every day.
I have been sorely missing the service opportunities provided by our church community. I’m a poorly educated Christian, but my experience with the Gospels places love and service over fear of the human frailty of disease. Slowly, we are finding ways to help our neighbors in the spirit of Christ.
For a few hours this MLK, Jr. Day, we felt love and shared it as we were given the chance to help beautify One Village Alliance’s Freedom Center in Wilmington.
When we arrived, someone was already outlining a mural and the grounds looked like this.
We removed a massive amount of ivy and I was allowed to build a makeshift fire pit.
I got lost in the ivy. My late wife, Mary, and I lived in two homes that existed under the constant threat of being overrun. I indulged in a touch of anger at the creeping vines as I smiled at the cleared fence and grounds. The firepit gave more catharsis. My knees hurt from grappling with the ivy embedded in two inches of driveway gravel and dirt, but permission to put the cinder blocks to use was more than enough to overcome the discomfort. Mary loved fires. We never had a pit this big and I envisioned her working alongside me to prep the fire.
My sons faded from the yard work and I couldn’t blame them, there was painting to do. They started inside, helping with the stairs, and ended up contributing to the love-infused mural outside.
Finally, they were rewarded with a videogame paradise provided by Mobile Entertainment Theater.
We were all rewarded with this day of service. I made new connections and saw friends who I’ve missed for nearly a year. We walked away with jobs still to be done, but also real improvement in a necessary community center.
LOVE
During a visit to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, we spent time creating art and music at their children’s garden.
I found instant tranquility in the watercolors placed on the pint-sized work table. Similarly, my sons dove into their projects.
Another child, maybe three or four years old, sat with me to create shapes no more complex than my own.
After his mom coaxed him back to his group, I noticed what he had painted. It was a padlock that had a heart in the space between the shank and the body (learning lifestyle bonus point: I had to look up the names of those parts). Children are clued into a deeper level of existence. Heart imagery has been trailing me for days and I know this is God’s way of refocusing me on love.
Meanwhile, the Zerbey creations were a bit more wild.
1 Adult, 2 Children
“Okay, two children, then two adults?”
“No, just one adult.”
I book a lot of campsites and RV sites. Often, the best places are the least technological and require a phone or in-person reservation.
It’s a little gut punch when the (almost always) female voice stops for a moment to ponder this odd family with a lone dad.
Sometimes I laugh to myself at the scenarios that could be cooking behind those confused pauses. Sometimes I think about how much it sucks to do this on my own.
On this trip, I’ve thought about how much nicer it would be to have an adventurous companion. My sons are increasingly independent and that leaves me with more time alone. I miss having a partner in the passenger seat, even though I’ve spent most of the last three years as a solo parent.
I love my own independence in choosing adventures, I love my quiet time reading or writing, and I love the precious time I am blessed to spend with my sons. Those passions demand a special kind of partner, the type who values her independence as much as a shared relationship.
That’s the balance in all relationships, how much to give oneself and how much to give of oneself. I am plentiful on both ends of that scale, but the balance takes constant care and intention.
I relish these days as I learn more about myself and practice balance in parenting.
Night Time Fun in Sarasota
A real life, living, live and alive, amplified bluegrass band? I don’t care if the setlist was uninspired (and more country than bluegrass), the female lead singer had an old school somewhere-between-Patsy-Cline-and-June-Carter vibe and the bass player was super cool with my son. Live music is in my DNA. It seemed like such a simple pleasure 10 months ago and now, now it’s the kind of thing I would drive a thousand miles to see.
After dinner, we strolled the streets of Sarasota enjoying the art and the quiet.
After a full day of adventuring through botanical gardens, it’s hard to imagine a better close to the day.
More Firsts
We’ve arrived in Florida and adventures abound.
Today, an old friend took us out onto the waters of Turtle Beach and I tried a stand up paddleboard for the first time.
It was intimidating at first and frustratingly slow, but I loved the workout and the freer feeling of standing in the wind.
Wake from boats and jet skis was a challenge, but I never toppled. I look forward to my next opportunity to SUP.
My sons each had a kayak and we were shown a great little spot that lead us to the Gulf of Mexico. It was our first time in this body of water and the sand and water were beautiful.
We finished the day with a fantastic sunset in Sarasota and serious goofiness with my friend’s growing family.
Lake Juliette Calls
God takes good care of me.
As of this morning, I was seriously undecided about our next roadtrip destination. I searched for campgrounds between our starting point at my sister’s house near Knoxville, Tennessee, and an old friend’s place in Sarasota Springs, Florida. Almost exactly halfway was a town called Juliette and Dames Ferry, a state-run campground in Georgia.
Only a few minutes from the highway, it’s surprisingly secluded.
In my haste to secure a place to sleep, I hadn’t researched the campground map and picked the first available pad.
To my delight, our site is right next to Lake Juliette and the stars are beautiful over the water. As soon as we got here, we explored our quiet peninsula jutting into the lake. There is where I found the reason God brought me here.
At the end of the peninsula is a short, stone staircase down into the lake.
I’ve been practicing Wim Hof Method breathing and warm to cold showers daily since April. I joined a WHM singles group on Facebook recently and have been inspired and intimidated by the many people in cold climates who are daily plunging into icy water.
I’m writing this so I don’t chicken out of my first plunge. I have no idea how cold the water will be in the morning, but air temps will be in the 40s (F) tonight. Colder than a shower in Delaware and colder than I’ve ever submerged.
I can see my breath as I write and feel the shiver entering my body. My mind is working against my intention. I come back to my breath and find gratitude in being given this opportunity.
All is well with my soul.
Z3 Adventures: The Museum of Appalachia
More than two years ago, we set out on our first roadtrip as a family of three and visited The Museum of Appalachia near Knoxville, Tennessee.
There you can find many local artifacts from the early 20th century. The collection is huge and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to return.
A Good Time to Go and Let Go
A full tank of gas and adventure ahead.
Winter is a time to watch things die and fall away. That can be painful, but it is necessary to fuel the Earth for Spring.
We’re going to leave a lot behind for a couple weeks and explore our world. The ghosts that showed up this year will have a chance to move on.
Local Unschool Adventures
Labyrinth walking is my favorite way to mark the changing of the seasons. Delaware Art Museum‘s Labyrinth is a special place for me to reflect on the previous season and open myself to a new season of possibility.
We also explored Hagley Museum and Library to see the Delaware Discoveries mural there. While exploring the wooded areas of the property, we came across a beautiful fox that was very curious about our presence.
We also had the nice surprise of seeing a friend of ours who volunteers at many of the local attractions. He gave us a quick tour of the powder mills and quizzed us as he knew it wasn’t our first visit.
God bless, I appreciate and thank you,
Jason