Making Peace with the Clothes You Wear

Clothing can be hard. What is everyone wearing and how do I look in it?

But at some point, we have to decide what we like, what are we comfortable in, and what becomes us. And then whittle the rest of our stuff away.

I’ll admit, i love clothes. My Mom started her art career in fashion. She spent a life time looking at clothes and the way they fell on bodies. She taught me to look. I love to look.

As I gained weight my sense of who I was and what I wore was rocked. It wasn’t as simple as it always was. So I retreated a bit, retooled. I still get confused, but color is back.

I noticed as I was loosing my family my sense of color changed as well. I didn’t describe it as such, but I wore mourning. Sure there were always pops of color, but I rarely pushed the black aside.

Today, I sit here in red shorts and red and white shirt happily writing about color.

For me, liking my look helps me like who I am. Liking who I am helps me gain balance and self-confidence. Feeling balanced, I’m a better Peacemaker. I didn’t know it, but all my life that’s who I’ve wanted to be. Clothing… shallow or armor… it depends who we are, doesn’t it? How do you make Peace, and what do you wear to do it? Some will stop and think. Some will just get up get dressed and get going. That’s the beauty of this world, isn’t it? But as I said in the message I put out last night with this, the way you wear your hat should please you most of all! Get snazzy with your Peacemaking!

The Peace of Fields of Grain

Many people these days are growing gardens. So they watch their lettuce, beans and peas grow. And it’s marvelous and miraculous.

But fields of wheat and huge agricultural fields of a variety of commercial crops are exponentially different than small gardens.

We’re learning a lot more about both labor and fields as we get to know one migrant family in particular and other migrant families in general through work our congregation is doing with our local education Intermediate Unit.

Those large fields of grain and vegetables feed a nation. The fields and those who care for them should be well tended. We probably should pay more for our bread so that people who work the fields earn more at this back breaking work.

We should also pause (at least mentally!) as we drive by these majestic fields and give them their due. Fields full of amber waves of grain are something to behold. And they nurture us. Oh, we give thanks!

There is Peace in a well filled belly that those of us who have never gone hungry do not understand. Perhaps we should try… we might be more generous toward those who have no daily bread…

Rock, Ocean, Lighthouse, Peace

Sounds like a childhood game, doesn’t it?

Gorgeous granite, warning lighthouse, unfathomable ocean, Peace.

All of these words could have many modifiers. Peace doesn’t really seem to need one does it?

We’re a long way from the sea where I live, but it is good to travel to see it — hmmm… or maybe visit it. “Hello, Ocean, It’s me again, Ann. You are so beautiful! I’ve missed you. May I float in you?” As you know, if you’ve been following me at all, I’m more about being in bodies of water than on them, but whether you’re traveling or bobbing, the health of our oceans are crucially important to us.

We can participate in their health in small ways and big. If we begin to insist that the streams around us are clean (or cleaned up) then the water flowing from them into the oceans will be clean.

It’s only natural then to begin to expect — oh expectations can be wonderful things, if we have demands to accompany them — that the Oceans be cleaned of debris.

We can participate in non-littering campaigns. We can participate in clean-up campaigns. We can participate in campaigns to stop stupid packaging and plastic bags. Me, I could stop with the plastic bags already. Wouldn’t that be swell?

The granite? I think we just have to be in awe of its strength and beauty. To lean against it and feel the way it retains the Sun’s heat or the Earth’s chill. (note to Ann, it’s hard, try not to fall down on it and skin your knee.) And we need to remind our fellow humans that rocks are beautiful and eternal — writing on them is sacrilege. They are timeless, we are temporal. It’s a hard fact. If we want to make a mark in life, we must do it in life not on rock.

And the lighthouse and the people who climbed the steps and tended the fires and lived out on the rugged islands in the midst of the sea… And now those who find the technology that keeps our lights burning whether or not there are lighthouse keepers.

There are so many ways we can make Peace with the land, the seas and the elements. Let us bless them. Let us take them.

That’s Some Spicy Peace!

Summer! Hot Weather! Hot food to take your mind off it!

Cool Shades and Cool Cafes to hang out in.

Friendship, troubles and laughter and love.

It all adds up to Summer Peace.

I just had a visit with an old friend. What a delight. 30 years of friendship — the last 15 sustained by occasional phone calls. No matter. How is it possible the babies I held are now grown ups? Whom I don’t know. And they know only as Annie the Witch.

such fun. The sweet Peace of friends you think with. Shout Hallelujah!

The Moving Sun, A Summer Sabbath, The Moving Peace

It took me halfway through the year to remember how much the sun travels not simply across the sky, but North and South. Now it’s true, I don’t have a window on the Bay the way I used to.

But I’ve listed the times of the Sun’s rising and setting every day for half a year, being fascinated by the times, and yet, have not watched the sun rise. So, how interested am I really?

But as always Deb Slade helps me to see. That’s what we do, isn’t it, help one another to see and understand?

It’s a lovely day in my little valley. There will be church and swimming and gathering with folk from the Synagogue for Israeli dancing. And then, a surprise visit from an old, old friend. What could be sweeter!

I hope you find Peace in your day. Peace in the rhythm of your life. Peace in the rhythm of this world…

Enjoy the time of the light… Enjoy the Peace you can make in the time of the light!

Finishing the Work, Reaping the Peace

We have to find a way to bless the work we do. To accept that we’re here, we’re doing what we can, and to give ourselves a break. To bless this day and the work we have done.

If we can’t justify the rest at the end of the day, we can’t keep up. If we don’t stop and celebrate the small victories and mark the occasions, both those wildly important and those silly and wonderful, we’re wasting our lives.

Having a sense of accomplishment is important. And enjoying the moments of Peace and Beauty that the day offers is also important.

Let us do our work. Let us treasure our time. Work and Peace are very connected. But they’re connected by Rest and Enjoyment.

Let us pay attention. It’s a lovely life we’ve been given. We must enjoy it to it’s fullest even as we struggle to make sure that everyone can find space to enjoy…

Peace, my friends. At the end of each beautiful day. Peace.

The Peace of a Pack of Poets

Such fun last night. Poet Brian Teare was quite wonderful. And the kids were grand: Baby poets, doing wonderful grown up interesting work.

And taking comfort in one another. And courage.

That’s the purpose of a pack.

We should all know who’s in our pack!

Read together, write together, hang out together… and dare together. it’s a good model.

It’s a good model if your Pack is actually working for Peace — and not working from Fear.

The poets were working for Peace.

And we give thanks!

A Screech of Gulls — A Sound of Summer Peace

I couldn’t remember the collective noun for gulls the other day, so I looked it up, (don’t we love Mr. Google). A screech of gulls. What was ever more appropriate?

They’re a pesky sort, these gulls, and yet entirely amusing — well, as long as it’s not your food they’re threatening. Mine! is another word they seem to screech.

But they are wholly themselves, know their niche in the world and inhabit it with flair.

It’s a grand thing.

Peace be with you, my friends, on this rainy summer morning… Enjoy the gulls, they’re part of Nature and they’re part of Summer. Accept the inconvenience, laugh at their antics and enjoy the way they gather and stare into the future… What do they see when they do that you wonder? What do they look for.

Be good if humans would stop and stare into the future for Peace, wouldn’t it. But we can!

Peace Lilies!

They show up. They bless the world, they are done. Tomorrow their brothers and sisters do the same. Nothing to offer but beauty… and well food for foraging animals who love bulbs… but let’s get clear. the lilies win this.

Let us be as generous with Peace!

Sustaining Peace

Peace needs support.

We have to know the infrastructure of it to maintain it… The food we eat sustains us as we are Peacemakers. What sustains the food we eat? It’s important we know that. It’s a system. The more we know about the system, the more we care about it, the better Peace we can build!

It behooves us to take a close look at life.

Scott’s new camera lens helps us do that with the rain and the lettuce leaf. We should consider looking that closely with other things.

Peace is worth it. And it’s so beautiful! Hurrah! Take a closer look at Life and Peace. Figure out the smallest pieces of what makes them work… and cherish them. Celebrate!

Summer, when the sun is bright and the light is good, is a good time to notice the details. (especially for those of us who can use the boost in light to see better!)

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

The Priestess Is In