A Wintry Mix

Its a wintry mix outside this afternoon.  

A chilly day ... with warnings about driving on slick roads ... 

I mixed up some potato leek soup ... the beginning of soup exchange at work!

Close your eyes ... 

Listen to the frozen rain hit the window 

Pattering crackling 

Feel the warmth of the fire

Time for hot chocolate and marshmallows

Wrapped in a blanket

Reading

Writing

And observing the season

Waiting ... 

Yearning ... 

Oh come 

Oh come 

Emmanuel 

Simplicity

Our first snow has come and gone .... as has Halloween and Thanksgiving .... 

The big sales started early yesterday ... and seem to continue today and into tomorrow.

In the rush you might miss the simple beauty that is right outside .... 

A single apple still hanging in the tree! 

Surrounded by snow and branches

It calls you to 

stop 

Soak in the beauty.

What have you seen today?

Community Prayer

Prayer around the cross emerges from an ecumenical community of monks in Taizé, France. Brother Roger, Taizé’s founder, arrived in the village of Taizé, France in 1940. In the midst of World War II, he dreamed of creating a community where reconciliation was a daily reality.  

At this place one offers prayer in silence either alone or connecting through touch. In this picture you will note the round bowls on the corners .. this is where one kneels and others come to share in your prayer and the community grows and the connection through spirit is powerful.  Often times a young child in the village would go straight to the bowls .... seeking connection through others.  He saw the power of the community ... and wanted to partake.  

Friday evening at 7PM ... a community gathers in quiet, with scripture, with simple song ... with one another. Creating this experience at home is challenging.  As winter approaches and window lights are more prevalent I imagine people bringing their joys, concerns, confessions, and yearnings to God.  

Tonight I pray for peace and reconciliation.  I pray for patience.  I pray for understanding.  I give thanks for the many blessings .... and I pray for direction.  

What are your prayers this evening?

 

National Day of Gratitude!

Think how different the day would be if you (I) started each day giving THANKS!

I bet there has even been a research study that can inform us how living with GRATITUDE improves our mental, neurological, physical, emotional and spiritual lives.    

I woke from a wonderful LONG sleep under warm covers and a heated home!  How great is that?  The dog has been walked ... the coffee is finished brewing ... the chair by the window awaits.

Quiet in the house ... blueberry pancakes, some reading, the creamed onions have been made (only boiled over once ... so stove had to be cleaned ... then broke the lid on my favorite garage sale pot!)  Soon I will leave for the feast!  We will be 28 folks ... all ages ... way too much food and wine I am sure.   

More to come.

What are you thankful for?

Time to Reflect

Iceland

It's Thanksgiving Eve.  A bit chilly in Rochester ... snow falling ... a wet snow so it feels unusually cold.  This is an evening to reflect ... a precursor to the official giving of thanks.

My list could go on and on ... there is so much to reflect on ... family, friends, faith, and freedom.  

Tonight ... light the candles ... sit and reflect ... 

Ups and Downs

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever make it.  

This past spring I took a hike to Domke Lake.  To get there I took the morning bus from Holden Village down to Lake Chelan.  We were dropped off and away we went.  Naomi (pictured here), Nathan and Patti.  To Domke and back was the plan.  If you can tell from the picture ... it was 3.7 miles to the Lake.  We needed to be back down in time for the afternoon bus back up the village.  You may be able to tell from the picture that I am not a hard core hiker ... wearing LL Bean shoes and having hiking poles was the closest I get ... I am probably one of only a few "hikers" in Talbot's pants, a bike Vermont t-shirt and a Peet's coffee cap!  Oh yea, the backpack was a Dell computer bag!!!

We started off ... Nathan and Patti casually make the hike ... Naomi hung out with me ... and when I was getting tired I said it was time to take a picture.  She was wonderful ... she headed forward ... and left me to my devises.  

Hiking for me is very humbling ... it is facing my weakness ... it is climbing the mountain and not knowing if I'll make it ... it is stopping ... starting ... resting ... crying ... moving forward.  

One foot in front of the other ... and suddenly I discovered that the trees weren't above me ... no ... the trunks were in front of me ... the ground was level ... I had made it to the "top" ... I walked ahead ... and there was the lake ... Domke Lake.

I made it ... I wanted to stay ...  I wanted to capture the moment .... 

Next time ... I think I will take the sleeping bag ... and enjoy the summit a bit longer.

An accomplishment

One foot in front of the other ... 

It was glorious ... 

Then on the way back ... coming down the hill ... I looked north ... Lake Chelan

What mountains have you climbed lately?
And the view? Was it worth it? What did you learn?

Serving Love

Laramie Wyoming

One never knows where one might find a heart.

This summer I travelled to Wyoming with my brother (Doug) his wife (Jere) and daughter (Dana) for a fast pitch softball tournament. One morning we headed to Laramie to scope things out (including the University) and stopped for coffee.

This was my cup of coffee ... a reminder that love sometimes come unexpectantly, that love needs tending, that love is present around us, and that we need to serve love to one another.

As you move forward today serve love to a stranger.

Take time today for silence

Fougeres, France

It's Awful Waffle Day

It’s awful waffle day … in other words … Saturday in the village (Holden Village, that is) is usually a quiet morning for the cooks and folks in general.

Two things really mark a Saturday: no school for kids and waffle bar! Now a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) goes crazy on these days claiming that the waffle irons just don’t work. One morning there was even a heated debate between about whether or not to “spray" the waffle iron first. Ahh … the village conversations around waffles.   

The Process
Step One: The iron


Step Two: The waffle


Step Three: The joy


So all in all … after the messiness ... it is the taste … it is the nourishment …
Nourishment for the soul … food for the body …

On the particular Saturday that these were taken … We managed to stack about eight cords of wood in Lodge 6.

I get it ... the awful waffles worked after all!!  

Just like waffles relationships can be messy sometimes ... not always as neat and tidy as one would want ... they take work ... they take time. This week work at those messy relationships ... give them nourishment ... and enjoy the nourishment they give you in return. 

This is a great week to make waffles ... take their nourishment.

Let me know how they taste … as they give you much needed nourishment!

A Perfectly Magical Night

Sodus Point, New York

I just came back from walking the Tedster (Teddy, the dog) .. it really is a perfectly magical night here in Rochester.  There is a light snow falling, the sidewalks are clear, no ice for slipping, and the lights from the houses bounce off the yards.  I think I could have walked for hours enjoying the fresh air, the gentle brush of snow on my face.  

I was bundled in my down coat from Beans, my Iceland hat, and Lands end shoes.  This was complimented by my most comfortable black corduroy jeans  and turtle neck (Eddie Bauer).  Sounds like a fashion show! (It is about 22 degrees!)

So what made it perfectly magical?

The quiet

The warmth

The chill

The softness

Being alone

The bouncing light

Waiting

Pondering

Absorbing 

It was better than a snow globe ... 

There was no shaking

It was soft and gentle

It was just so very real ... 

I bet that is why snow globes were made ... someone wanted to capture that perfectly magical night ... 

I found it ... it was right outside my front door 

psst ... what's outside your front door?

Sabbath Journey

Its sundown and sabbath has begun for those of the Jewish faith.

I found the following on line:

"The Jewish Sabbath day of rest, called Shabbat in Hebrew, begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.

"One of the most moving Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) traditions is the blessing over the children given on Friday night. There are many variations on how the blessing is made. The most common custom is for the father to put his hands on the child's head and recite the blessing. In some homes the blessing is followed by a kiss, and in other homes it is followed by personal words of praise. In some homes the mother gives the blessing together with the father, in other homes the mother gives the blessing in addition to the father, and still in other homes the mother gives the blessing instead of the father. In some homes each child gets up at the table and stands before the parent to get the blessing, and in other homes the parent walks around the table and blesses each seated child.Whatever procedure followed, the blessing is sure to make the child feel special and loved, boost the child's self-esteem, and give the child fond memories of Shabbat-family-together time."

I think this is pretty cool.

How have you blessed your children today?

Cup of Wisdom

It's that taking time thing ... 

Sharing a cup of coffee with someone ... 

Sharing a cup of wisdom.

I miss the morning break at Holden Village.

At 10:30 every morning folks take a break ... 

Gather in the dining hall

We sit and share a cup of wisdom.

How civilized is that?

No question ... just a suggestion

Enjoy a cup of wisdom with a colleague tomorrow.

Asparagus

One never knows what will spark a memory.  My aunt died two weeks ago and I was asked to write a few words which could be shared at her service this week.  

Asparagus.  

Remember back to the days when you could only purchase vegetables during "our" growing season?  The first asparagus of the season was always at Easter.  With a world much smaller ... fruits and vegetables can be purchased year round ... coming from Chili, New Zealand, Brazil etc.  

So I remember Easter Dinner ... with Ham and Asparagus.  It's a good memory ... one that speaks to the role families, meals and holidays play in relationships and memories.  

Its almost as if I were sitting at their dining table ... 

These are the memories to hold onto ... 

Other memories need to acknowledged ... then let go ... 

So I think I will pick up some asparagus on Friday ... and maybe a ham ... and have a dinner in honor of my aunt.

What memory does this trigger for you?

Ode to Mary Anne

Somedays I am so impatient. Today I think I will blame it on the computer.
I want to instantaneously send something, but it won't upload. Where is it? I get so frustrated.
It won't do what I want it to do ... so in the middle of the little green dots letting me know they are working, I just hit cancel and have to start over.

Maybe I need to really start over.
Start my day ...
Without my computer ...
With a cup of coffee
A nice pen
and my journal.

Stop ... smell the flowers.

What did you do today to slow down?

Door Knobs

I came across this door knob in the old city of Rennes France.  

I like door knobs ... in fact I am pretty fussy about them (you wouldn't know it by the doorr knobs at my house!).  They hold so much history ... all those who have entered into a building reach, grab, and turn.  Were they excited to enter?  Did they enter in anger? in hope? in fear? in joy?   

I wonder what the front door knob is like at the White House?  My guess it is strong and solid ... speaks to the house and all it holds.  Do you think Barack or Michelle will ever actually touch it and walk in?  Or will someone do that for them?  

What does the front door knob at your house say about you?

Walking in silence

The walking opens the space in the mind to listen to one's heart, one's inner voice, one's God. 

Following the path to the center really isn't that complicated ... 

it just takes time ... something we are given a gift of each second. 

In fact every 24 hours we are given the gift of 86,400 moments 

Eighty six thousand four hundred moments in every day.

While today I didn't take that walk ... I did 

watch the morning sun come from the east, 

noticed the blue sky emerge from the clouds

and felt some of the first snowflakes of the season on my face

Now the moon has risen ...

I pray that tomorrow I will be given another opportunity to experience 86,400 moments ....

How did you spend your moments today?

From Exile

I was asked today to share my faith journey with a group of young adolescents ... and to talk about time time I was in exile and about my journey from exile.  I think it is important to think to about my journey into exile.    Hopefully this new way of writing will be one way to do explore that ... and to share a little bit of me ... and my journey through time ... 

Each stop will be a moment in time ... 

Pay attention to the present ... it will too soon be the past ...  just like this array of colors ... it floated in Lake Chelan next to the dock on a rainy morning.  Within 5 minutes it was gone .... 

The moment was there ... 

it was full of glory 

An array of color 

Reflection of the season

Reflection of life ... 

And then it was gone ... 

What moment stuck with you today?