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Recycling Day; How Do You Define Soulmate?

I’m attempting to write a technical post on our wood pallets but I’m having trouble grasping foreign terms. Mountain Man is patiently trying to explain but he’s struggling with my brain so attuned to words but not precise details. But he’s sure if he takes me on a tour of the pallets today and visually shows me, I’ll be able to explain it.

Searching for pictures on our wood pallet system, I found this post I wrote in Spring of 2009 and I thought I’d share it with you. Perhaps it’s because I’m an Eharmony mentor at the moment .  So many negative posts on their Facebook page from people who pop online and when they don’t find their soul mate in a month, take their frustration out on Eharmony.  Perhaps it’s Mountain Man’s patience as he grapples with the limitations of my brain which shuts off when I hear anything mathematical but whatever the reason, I wanted to share this post again.  From 2009, here it is.

Mornings always follows a routine on Red Pine Mountain. Mountain Man awakens slowly, stumbles to the kitchen, pours a cup of coffee and returns to bed to watch the Weather Channel until he feels his blood start moving again. I’m an annoying morning person. I spring to life filled with enthusiasm and head outside with multiple dogs at my heels and say my prayer of thanks.

Afterward, I sit down at the computer to catch up on emails while Mountain Man is slowly getting ready for his busy day. I chatter away about news items and other trivialities but I know he’s not really listening. It doesn’t matter. It’s his reassuring presence I care about and the occasional grunt and “yes dear” are all the response I really require.

Not so this morning. When I turned on the computer, I discovered a major problem with my blog. I could tell I would have to devote hours to rectify the situation. I turned around to tell Mountain Man all about it and that was when the realization really hit me. He was in the Ozarks. There was no Mountain Man to say, “Everything will be okay” or “Don’t worry about it, just let it go.”

I didn’t let it go. I stayed online until I fixed the problem and with each hour the clock ticked away, my frustration rose. Done at last, I headed outside to spend time playing with the dogs.

As I sat in my chair, a cloud floated by. Not just any cloud but a cloud filled with colors of the rainbow. Green, blue, pink, it was the most amazing cloud I’ve ever seen. And, with that unique cloud, I started to think about relationships and the essence of love.

I dated some wonderful men after my husband died but it wasn’t until I met Mountain Man that I knew I’d found someone who spoke to my soul as well as my heart.

Because. . .

It’s his respect for the land. Before he cuts any tree, he thinks through his decision and prays for guidance. He never just takes.

It’s how he spent an entire day last week when he should have been doing other projects working on fences in the pasture after they had been knocked down.  Not one “hay burner” comment did I hear.

It’s the tenderness with which he greets our elderly goldens each morning. It’s the smile on his face as our newfie throws back his head and “woo woos” for his breakfast.

It’s the caring and love he has for his elderly Father.

It’s because he doesn’t really understand why I spend all this time blogging but as I follow him around every day sticking a camera in his face, he never gets annoyed.

It’s the way we spend our evenings together, no interruptions at all, no phone, no computer, just us.

It’s how his eyes light up when he talks about this farm, when he sees a deer or a beautiful sunset.   He takes nothing for granted.

It’s because he has left for the Ozarks to ensure when I arrive, I’d find a house with running water and a bathroom.

It’s the time he spent in the kitchen before he left preparing dinners for me for each night of his absence because he was worried I wouldn’t eat while he was gone.

I knew I’d found my soul mate not because my heart beat faster but because it was still.

Thanks for visiting us and have a great weekend!