Noise Polution

Today promises to be gorgeous, here in the valley, and upon opening the door this morning, I began to see little colorful leaves, which fell during the night. The foliage outdoors was wet, but not from rain, indicative of the frost which will be coming. Soon there will be a time change and it will be dark before John comes home from work. Every year when the kids go out for Halloween, safety is a concern. Today, because it is only a few weeks away, I must remove the yellow forsythia from my door and find something more in tune with the season.

Lots going on this weekend, if your looking for excitement. And, more and more people flock through here because Ashland Avenue is listed as one of the best areas to view the foliage. So, I get to see it at the bottom of the street. For those of us who are counting, its four days for the dead skunk. Maybe the wind will blow the poor, shriveled carcass into the woods. Or, because no one cares, it will have to dissipate all by itself.

No trains around here, nor busy city sounds, but what da heck is that? Don't tell me, my neighbor is blowing the leaves already? We don't even have enough yet. He just wants to make more noise. Doesn't he work? If your eyes are red, and your hair sticks up, that might be it. Your pulling it out again. We live in a noise pollution generation. If its not screaming kids, power saws, electric and gas trimmers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, racing bikes, there are a millions of other gadgets to drive you crazy. Worse, after a while y0u don't even hear them anymore. They become an "adaptation" of your environment. Then you become frazzled, or as our wonderful priest says, the cheese falls from the cracker, and you begin to feel??? Don't worry, its just noise pollution. Here's a kiss the boo-boo tip for the day. Oh gosh, there goes that damn phone again. Turn it all off, mute it, wear an ear set, go somewhere quiet. That is, if you can find a place that's quiet. Is there such a place? (When we first move on this residential street, there were no businesses around, now we have one across the street, and one directly below him.) Lots of banging going on around here!
There are few places where you can find peace.

There was such a place last evening, our church, where Fr. Peter held a vesper service to pray for all of us tired people. I'm sure you can think of something your tired of? Anyway, following the service he began a course called, "Forming Consciences For Faithful Citizenship." The invitation to come and learn what the Orthodox Faith has to offer, was attended by our usual adult group. So, here is your invitation: Anyone desiring to participate in this adventure, can find more information on this page, by visiting his blog spot. I for one, am getting pretty tired of all the political rhetoric and the pinheads out there. Thankfully, during this course, while somewhat political, we did not mention, parties or candidates.


Fr. Peter gave a wonderful presentation, as he always does, being a skilled professor. But the fun actually began when he turned off his recorder and people were invited to express themselves, (not physically), during a lively exchange. This was the first of a 4-week course, and I'm looking forward to the other three.

I dare say, I am one who was not fond of school. When I'm interested, there is no stopping me. That being said, there is something about the teaching style of Fr. Peter. I could listen to him all day. He has a great sense of humor and voice quality. In fact, he was a guest speaker on WESO Radio today for a couple of hours.

If you are interested in hearing his program on Sunday, tune in at 8:30 a.m., locally. He is also branching out and will be syndicated. Get ready world! His 30-minute radio broadcast includes his podcast, a mixed bag, and on occasion, has actually featured bagpipes in the background.

For those of you who are reading this post, Orthodox Christianity is not a religion, institution, or organization. It is to the contrary, the way of life initiated by Jesus Christ and a living organism composed of those who believe in Him.

Through this faith I have come to know a great state of peacefulness. So, shut the world out! Come join me...