Clearing out the cobwebs

It's official. Spring is here. I know this because next week I am taking a week's vacation to do my spring cleaning. Window protection against the winter winds will disappear. The windows themselves will soon sparkle with spring light and sweaters, wool pants and snow boots will be packed carefully away, awaiting my annual fall vacation, when I reverse the whole process.

For working women everywhere, this is the best of all possible vacations. Women are nesters. And every once in a while, we need to freshen the nest. Working full time doesn't allow for much opportunity to keep up with spring and fall cleaning chores, so for the last several years, this has been my vacation of choice.

I did take a little time last week to do some spring cleaning of my desk as well. After all, since I'll be gone all week, my co-workers will be filling in for me and the need to go rooting around in my desk for a business card or photograph is inevitable. I cleaned this desk to a T last week, not wanting to suffer extreme embarrassment -- even in absentia -- over the sunflower seeds and cookie crumbs that had accumulated.

Time to do a little spring cleaning here as well. And so we have little of this and a little of that.

We attended a conference in Kearney last weekend for Nebraska Press. Just a quick one day turnaround trip. My daughter, Lisa, agreed to serve as my chauffeur. Ordinarily, I turn left at Arapahoe and head for the interstate. Lisa continued east on 6&34 and I discovered new Nebraska vistas to please the eye. Baby calves cavorted with their mamas in pastures as green as any I've seen. Such a peaceful ride.

When Lisa was 13 or 14, she accompanied me on a jaunt though Central and Southeast Colorado as I conducted audits of summer feeding programs for the Colorado Department of Education. Saturday showed me that it had been far too long in between mother and daughter journeys. I hope we can take another one soon.

On Wednesday last, it was my extreme delight to meet nearly 50 women associated with the area United Methodist Women. Invited to the Guest Day Salad Luncheon in Cambridge, I can't remember a more enjoyable time or a meeting with so many gracious women at one time. Women were there from McCook, Indianola, Bartley, Wilsonville and Cambridge. I came home with a church cookbook from Trinity United Methodist Church and a butterfly as mementos of our time together. I love butterflies -- probably because I think I am one. I think all of us who are in Christ Jesus are butterflies of a sort, daily being changed, renewed and remade by his Spirit.

I also love church cookbooks. These are the real deal recipes, tried and true. I only wish I had thought to have everyone sign the book. In my opinion, a book given as a gift is deserving also of an inscription from the giver, or in this case, givers. In any case, I'm going to enjoy this gift for a good long while.

Ignoring the maxim to never discuss religion or politics carries with it certain risks. Such is often the case with this, or any, opinion column. As it happens, I have heard from more readers over last week's column than any other in the more than four years that I have been writing it. I always appreciate feedback and make it a point to respond to each letter writer individually. Perhaps a bit of my spring vacation will be spent on that task as well.

With some columns the words flow like a mountain stream, cascading with such abandon that my only problem is corralling them into coherent sentences.

With other columns I fight through every word. Not for -- through. Because I know that my words will wound, offend and alienate brothers and sisters in the Lord. Last week's column was like that. I spent the better part of my writing time arguing with God. Nevertheless, I deferred to him and most of you have read the result. I never win my arguments with God. Ultimately, none of us do.

I'll be back, as the Lord wills, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, leaving cobweb-free corners behind, on Monday, May 7. Spring vacation. What a concept.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:26 (NIV)