Month: November 2011

A Hunting We Will Go


It is five a.m.

Hunters in drive formation.

The hunters begin to rouse in my house. The alarm clocks buzz and the toilets flush. Like mice in my country cabinets there is shuffling, clunking and the ‘click’ of light switches on and off. When I smell the coffee I climb out of my warm bed and wander into the kitchen in my old housecoat where men in orange have gathered, their rifles on the dining room table and shells in their pockets to share that last cup of coffee before they head for the woods and fields. There is a familiarity in the wool pants and socks and their orange coats that takes me back forty-five years.

I used to be the first one up. I loved the preparations for the hunt and the anticipation of the day. Ron made breakfast for all of us. The kids and I packed our lunches and stuck candy bars and parafin dipped matches in our pockets for emergencies. Everyone reviewed the list of stuff you need; your extra shells, the rifle clip, gloves, hand warmers, a compass and extra truck keys. You checked the weather and temperature and by sticking your nose outside and then went back and changed again. Men, women and kids bundled up and excited, headed out to stand silently in the woods for hours, if need be, to get a quick shot and bag next winter’s dinner.

Perhaps it is the swaggering confidence of we who will provide meat for the winter that is attractive. I enjoyed how we planned our drives through the woods like generals on the battlefield. Maybe it is the sense of camaraderie as we review past hunting exploits; the trophies, our mistakes and near misses. Maybe it is the time we take to renew old friendships and think about days gone by.  I miss all of this. I am so sad. This year I will participate but not carry a rifle, again. For me the cold is agony and the difficult forest hiking equals a week of pain. Tendonitis in my shoulder  limits my ability to lift and aim my weapon. Later on, depending on the temperature, I will dress warmly and attempt to help drive the herd in the woods. I will sit here and reflect with a smile and a second cup of coffee on the good times we had and the fragrant memories of the past.

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Büyük Menderes and Why I Call My Blog Andi’s Meanderings


Büyük Menderes means Meander(Μαίανδρος) which is the longest river in western Turkey, well known -already in Antiquity- for its fluvial deposits.

So, what is a fluvial deposit and why would I name my blog after a long river on the other side of the world?

Good question.  A fluvial deposit is

Meander was a Greek river god described in Hesiod’s “Theogony”. When I was a kid I read alot about gods and goddesses from Greek, Roman and Norse mythology.  They were just stories about long dead beings in my mind.  I never considered them as real or a part of any spiritual world. My name is Andrea and my father would call me “andereea”. I signed my letters Me, Andi and that became over time Meandrea.  It made my parents smile. Besides, I meander quite a bit. So there you are: I tend to wander physically and spiritually and I leave mental deposits wherever I go. hmmmm.

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Financial Peace


This is definitely not a cozy house.

I was just wandering around at the internet and thinking about finances…mine are just a  tad strained. I have a book called “How to Gain Control of Your Finances” by  Stan Toler and it made me stop and think very hard. It is a biblical look at  how we can control our desires and let God handle our needs. I just want to say  that the God of the Universe and Father of humanity is doing a far better job  than Andi Wittwer.

Look at your real  needs: food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth. Prioritize them: that’s pretty simple. You need to figure out how to use your tools both physical and mental to acquire and maintain your basic needs.

How you try to  deal with those needs? We all have built up around us a protective mental shield about how much money we need to have ‘stuff’ around us. Will you die if you don’t have an IPad? Please don’t answer yes. As I look around me I see a cozy house. I have clothing, coats and shoes. In the cabinets I have food. All this other ‘stuff’ around me is just to keep me busy and not thinking.

The writer of Ecclesiastes 3 says “12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.”  We can busy ourselves in this life with all the stuff. Some people gather and store it like squirrels as if it had integral meaning and thinking it can satisfy them. When they die, someone cleans it out and throws it away. It doesn’t bring any comfort at the moment of death. Consider the next line, ”14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.”

So often folks brush off the eternal aspect of life, the spiritual life. Don’t do that. Life is only temporary. Eternity with the Lord is such a marvelous gift and I think we should pursue it.

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