I was away for the weekend attending a workshop and returned last night to find my website down. After some long holds and frustrations with my hosting company and then the intervention of my web guy things are back on track now. Apparently my site got hacked which a pretty unsettling idea. There may be a few bumps still to smooth out, but look for the Poetry Party here shortly. Thanks for your patience!
I have had a few emails inquiring about how Kathleen Norris’ talk was last Saturday. I will write more as we get closer to Advent since she focused primarily on her contribution to the book God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas (which may become my new favorite resource for Advent with its gorgeous art and contributions by such wonderful writers as Luci Shaw, Scott Cairns, and Emilie Griffin). As my dear friend lucy said at her blog (and with whom I had the pleasure of sharing the evening), Kathleen Norris “is a regular person. She sometimes doesn’t journal for weeks and has been known
I made it onto this list of 100 Blogs That Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person under the “Being Happy” category. There are some interesting links there, so check it out. Tomorrow night (Saturday, November 8th) Kathleen Norris will be speaking at the Seattle Art Museum on the theme of “Remembering, Waiting, Hoping: Reclaiming the Countercultural Pursuits of Christmas.” I’ve never heard her speak in person, so I am excited for the chance, maybe I will see some of you there? I admit it’s a bit early to start thinking about Christmas, but I also admit that this
Wage peace with your breath. Breathe in firemen and rubble, breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds. Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields. Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees. Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact. Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud. Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers. Make soup. Play music, memorize the words for thank you in three languages. Learn to knit, and make a hat. Think of chaos as dancing raspberries, imagine grief as the outbreath of
On Saturday a wonderful package arrived in the mail. It was a commission I ordered from artist Marcy Hall (see her Sacred Artist Interview) of my two beloved animal companions — Duke who died over two years ago and Tune who is of course alive and well. When I discovered Marcy’s delightful art, I knew she would be the right person to create an icon to honor the role that canine wisdom plays in my life. I also adore the tree of life in the center with crows and the full moon. In front of the altar are various seasonal symbols I have gathered
Time for another lap around the Sacred Arts Ring to see what new treasures are scattered there. Read on for a few selections. First, welcome to the newest member — Tom Delmore at Crow’s Perch. Tom is a poet and fellow Seattleite. Carrot Top Studio shares some Lenten book recommendations. Tandaina at Snow on Roses shares a moving Lenten poem. Sally at Eternal Echoes reflects on reclaiming Mary as the feminine face of God. Jacq’s Fibers shares some funky fiber postcards. Kate at Thru My Lens Lightly offers some lovely images from her travels. Kazi Dolezal at Circle the Divine writes about
Abbess Petunia is featured over at Riley’s place today, a place to go only if you really love dogs. :-)