[Oe List ...] MOVING ON

Wed Sep 1 20:50:53 CDT 2010

George, [I debated whether to send this to you alone, or send it to  
the whole list serve. I decided to send to the whole list serve.]

After we were here for 2 years I said to Lin, "We moved a lot, but we  
were always meeting new colleagues and friends. Now we're 'planted'.  
Let's have a B&B and have our friends and colleagues come to us." At  
the time she was in charge of the County Public Health Department.  
She said, "Alright, you do the cooking."

We discovered that we had a steady trickle of people interested in a  
Century old house, and the Loess Hills <http://pubs.usgs.gov/info/ 
loess/>. Because it was a steady trickle it didn't become work. And  
because those interested in our B&B or the Loess Hills, or both, we  
found ourselves meeting a new set of colleagues and long-term friends.

We were the first B&B in our county: Monona County with a population  
just under 10,000. Shortly after we opened the B&B I was asked to be  
the speaker at the local women's group called "Christian Women after  
5". It was a dinner meeting and I was the guest speaker. Once I  
finished the presentation I entertained questions. The first question  
was, "How can you stand to have strangers in your house?"

Quietly. inside myself, I asked "If these are Christian women after  
5, what are they before 5?"

Of course I had my own set of short courses for our guests.
o	I insisted that we live on the 'West Coast' of Iowa. If you looked  
at the URL above, you can see the hills are a thin strip of windblown  
soil just east of the present Missouri River. Looking west out our  
picture window we see 15 miles across the Missouri flood plain to  
Nebraska. Within 2 football fields east of our back door the Loess  
(Deutch for windblown) Hills rise 250 feet.
o	I insisted that Cole Porter's song, DON'T FENCE ME IN was written  
about the hills because in the Chorus he says..."I want to ride to  
the ridge where the west commences..."
	--The Yucca grows naturally on the west edge of the Loess Hills and  
it grows naturally in Arizona/New Mexico. There's botanical evidence  
that this is "the ridge where the West commences."
	--Audubon Society tracks the migration of raptors in the Alleghenies  
and they get 15. They come out here and get 18-20.
o	My last point was that Cole Porter is dead and he can't contradict me!

We have a player piano so after I did my short course I would take  
them into the Living Room and play/sing Don't Fence Me In. Some would  
join in, some would simply listen.

I think I've already shared the short course I gave at the breakfast  
table. Having read David Steindl-Rast, GRATEFULNESS, the HEART of  
PRAYER. Steindl-Rast writes that he sees people going through life  
looking for a way to be happy so they can be grateful for their  
lives. But, he says, it isn't happiness that makes you grateful, its  
gratefulness that makes you happy. When I read that I looked into my  
own life to discover where gratefulness comes spontaneously. I  
realized that the meal time is one of those times because I'm on the  
receiving end of things, and with family or friends. Then I ask to  
share the things for which we're grateful, and conclude by saying,  
"Let's eat and be grateful."

We've had some EI/ICA visitors. When I shared that table grace with  
Dick & Amelia Kroeger they immediately sent us the book, A GRATEFUL  
HEART: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the  
Beatles, edited by M.J. Ryan.

I'm not certain what a Witness is any more. Maybe I've just shared one.

David

PS.
We'll be co-habiting with my sister, Christy, and her husband. Chris  
started a Sangha more than 20 years ago in the Carson City area. I  
thought I would email Larry Ward to see if he is in synch with  
Vipassina, and if we could talk with him about doing a retreat in  
Carson City. The email address I had bounced. Do you have Larry's  
current email address?

On Sep 1, 2010, at 7:23 AM, M. George Walters wrote:

> Lin and David
>
> For many years on my “bucket list” was breakfast with you guys at  
> your B&B. Guess I will have to go a little further West.
>
> Carol and I wish you all the best.
>
>
>
> With kindest regards.
>
>
>
> M. George Walters
>
> Resurgence Publishing Corporation
>
> 4240 Sandy Shores Dr
>
> Lutz, FL 33558
>
> USA
>
> Tel: +1 (813) 948-7267
>
> Fax: +1 (813) 333-1787
>
> Mob: +1 (813) 505-9041
>
>
>
> URL: www.ResurgencePublishing.com
>
> Professional Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mgwalters
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net]  
> On Behalf Of Isobel and Jim Bishop
> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 22:56
> To: Order Ecumenical Community
> Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] MOVING ON
>
>
>
> Dear Lin and David,
>
> We wish you good health, and good travelling as you " Journey on,  
> Journey on..." the Aboriginal song we often sang... " Future is  
> waiting for you...."
>
> We remember your visit here a few years ago now with such  
> pleasure.  Our Peter was such good mates with your dear Jay, and  
> Pete was so pleased to meet you both again at that time.
>
> Take good care,
>
>
>
> Our love to you both,
>
> Isobel Bishop for our family.
>
> On 28/08/2010, at 10:53 PM, David & Lin Zahrt wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
>
>
> One of our major considerations in returning to the family  
> Homestead was care for Mother and Dad. Shortly after we returned to  
> the Homestead we opened the Homestead House as a B&B and engaged in  
> prairie restoration/protection.
>
> Mother and Dad are gone, we are that age, and no one in the family  
> is returning. So my sisters and I have sold the Homestead. The INHF  
> has purchased it and will lease it to Monona County Conservation  
> (MCCB) and DNR while they are raising funds to finalize the purchase.
>
> We think there’s a strong chance that there will be a Nature Center  
> established in the Barn complex. If you have the opportunity please  
> encourage Doug Kuhlmann, MCCB Director, to do so.
>
> We will have an on-site Auction on Sep 18 to dispose of antiques,  
> collectables, and 150 years of miscellaneous accumulation. Y'all  
> come! We've found that you can't get enough of what you don't  
> really need! Here are the URLs.
>
> http://www.mccallauctions.com/auctions/1113/
>
> http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionlist.cgi
>
> Lin and David will be moving to Carson City, NV to be closer to  
> family.
>
> New email addresses as of Sep 30
>
> David—4deezee at gmail.com
>
> Lin—4linderz at gmail.com
>
>
>
> David & Lin Zahrt
>
> -- Doorway to the Loess Hills -
>
> Where a change of pace is as good as a vacation, and a sense of  
> place is soothing to the soul.
>
> <chbnb at netins.net>
>
> Skype <loesshills>
>

David Zahrt
-- Doorway to the Loess Hills -
Where a change of pace is as good as a vacation, and a sense of place  
is soothing to the soul.
<chbnb at netins.net>
Skype <loesshills>

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