The Peace of Away and Home

I’ve been working hard getting ready for my trip. I’m so excited. Going with a good friend, meeting more good friends, going to listen to good friends play incredible music in England… and then going to the place i call home when i speak Swedish and the dearest friends in the world. What could be better? Home and home away from home. (what makes it home you ask? Well, the friends. and the fact that you know where all their dishes are and what in the fridge is being saved for dinner, and what’s up for grabs.) The fact that you have a turn in the rotation for dinner!

But better isn’t the question, really. Different is. Going is exciting. But home is exciting too… I love my life here, and my house, and my friends… and oh, right, my husband and family live here.

For the first time, I’m going to disconnect between places. I’m going to be (or try to be fully where I am. No phones no emails. Maybe a postcard… maybe not. Maybe just there, and then, all too soon, and never soon enough, back home.

There is Peace in both places. There is Peace everywhere if you look and you set about making it. Peace, my friends, I love you. I’ll be back in my home pastures soon enough.

Migrating Peace

It’s interesting. For those of us who have lived many places, we know the differences, however slight between who we are/were and how we lived in all those places.

I’ve always been a person of the in-between places. I love to travel and I have dear friends all over the world. I am the luckiest!

I wonder if the geese remember, either all the time, or when they arrive, the sweet delicacies of being here or there. Or are they simply present, delighting in being. Both could be very sweet…

What is Peace for those of us who migrate? Where are we most truly ourselves? Something lovely to ponder as I fly — from one place I call home to another.

Homes of Comfort and Peace

I’ve been thinking a lot about what the home of a spiritual community looks like since mine is about to (finally, at long last!) buy their building.

It’s never seemed important until now, but not only are we growing, but it feels as if we’ll need a place that can serve as refuge in the time ahead. Refuge to us; refuge to others. We don’t have a kitchen, our bathrooms aren’t as accessible as they should be. Spiritual Homes should offer all the amenities.

And in these tumultuous times, I’m aware (you’d think I’d think about this more, given I’m the preacher lady) how essential the role of the religious community is, to the community itself, to the wider community, and to the individual.

So, a building, with a good path… free of ice and snow in the winter… seems like a lovely luxury on the Peace journey… because there we can find comfort and Peace ourselves and offer it to our neighbors…

Home Is Where the Peace Gets Made

This faith community seems very much like my forever shell, and this Valley seems like my forever beach.

Some of it is familiarity, some of it is skill, some of it perseverance and dedication, and some of it is just luck.

I am lucky to have found the tribe who makes Peace in ways that are familiar and complementary to mine.

Peace. Make it at home. It’s where you best know how to go about it. It’s where you’ll most easily recognize it.

Sunrise, Sabbath, Summer Peace… ah…

Before I start, I have to acknowledge the passing of the extraordinary Elie Wiesel. I am so grateful for what he taught us, his insistence on truth and his grace in the face of human frailty. We were so lucky for his presence among us.

This is one of those posts where I’ll have a hard time keeping the day straight. There was Peace on Saturday and there will be Peace on Sunday. It was Saturday that I was knee deep in the Susquehanna sending 30 paddlers off for a day on the river: The inaugural paddle of our riverkeeper, 22 miles of the Susquehanna on a perfect day in July.

We have one! This is a thing!! She’s in there fighting for our River who cannot fight for herself. The paddlers are all passionate about her mission.

So they had a lovely day, saw some things to be corrected, remembered just how beautiful this river is AND how vital to our lives. I could burble on a long time.

However, today is also going to be a great day. We start off with a hymn sing in an 1800 chapel. It’s got wonderful accoustics and my community loves to sing. Harmony! hurrah. It’s good for the soul.

There is no yard sale today! hurrah, hurrah… Which sounds like I’m not grateful for it, the good it does, the community it builds, and the money it raises, I am, but I’m tired.

So I’ll spend a little time turfing out my house and prepping salad for tomorrow’s yard sale and then… i’ll open the books for my summer sabbatical. and smile! I’ll sit on the porch and read. Maybe I’ll swim.

I’ll remember this Sabbath and keep it holy, that’s for sure. I hope you find something wonderful to do. If your weather is like our weather, it’s going to be a great day! Peace of the summer, Peace of the river, be with you, be with the whole world.

EverydayPeaceSunday27Jul3

 

 

Cutting through to the Heart of Peace

I love these roads that slice through broad swaths of fields on their way to somewhere. Roads with trees that act both as windbreak and tunnel. You’re going where they lead you and that’s that.

What if we were to set our minds and hearts on Peace and simply go?

Straight ahead toward Beauty. I find myself dithering between the word Home and the Word Unknown, because Peace is surely both, isn’t it?

What an odd and wonderful concept. But one way or the other, Going where Life is headed! Peace. May the Unknown become Home to all who travel.

EverydayPeaceWednesday19May11

Sweet Little Home Peace

I’m back spending the night in a little house in Oakland that I lived in for quite a few years. It’s a wonderful house, with wonderful friends, and great memories.

When I woke up this morning, I rolled over and stared at the ceiling and remembered. Ah that ceiling. I remember when I moved in. Jenn was out of town on business for another week and Erik was here helping me move.

We sat on my sofa and looked at the room and thought. Wow, what a beautifully proportioned room. I still think that. It’s a pleasing house, with great lines and wonderful tucked in glass cabinets in the dining room… It has an interesting history… and holds interesting history for me!

I’m so lucky to be able to come back and visit my past and feel at home here. The house is cozy and so are my friendships. Nice. Peace…

GardenMoonLunacyAug8

House-holding Peace.

I confess (which is hardly a confession if you know me!) that I am not a great homemaker. While I love a lovely home, and have one, I am too easily distracted to constantly be working at upkeep. So it comes in binges from me. (and should probably come from a cleaning person on a regular basis… maybe i SHOULD start playing lotto!)

But when summer break hits, I seem to snap into motion. Calm and beauty must be restored at home! So I can leave and come back to a place of beauty and be encouraged to put away all the travel stuff really quickly so that it can be beautiful again!

The Peace of your Home supports you as you work for the Peace of your World. Everyone needs a little corner of sanity!

ThunderMoonLunacyJul8

 

Diamenté Peace Lunacy

Out we go, into the cold and starry night! There, to be overwhelmed with the frigid beauty.

When the temperatures drop and the moisture disappears from the air, we have a much better view of the sky.

Wrap up and go out and look at the beauty.

I can’t imagine you won’t find it stirring. And consider, this black heaven filled with dancing light blankets the world (ok half of it at this point). People who think far different thoughts than you, people who live far different lives are looking at these heavens in awe and wonder.

May they look at Beauty in safety and Peace. All of them. Every last one. And then wait, here comes the Moon…

And in this frigid weather, may everyone have a place to go to be warm and cozy…

WolfMoonLunacyJan10

 

Homebody Peace, llvl

I always say I love to travel. And I do… after a fashion. I’m more adventurous with someone I love… but otherwise, I’ve realized that I travel to places I feel at home.

There are some places I’d love to see, but I keep thinking… oh, I could use that time and money to see people I love.

I think I like traveling to places where I know where the teacups are kept and I don’t have to say “Mother, may I?” to put the kettle on…

Sometimes it’s hard to settle all these lovely pictures of home into their puzzle but for me it’s worth the struggle. These places add to who I am, they inform me and my world view and they let me loll about in Love, sweet Love…

I’ve needed Sweden and my sense of home here in Kristinehamn after Deb’s death. In particular, Lorraine is home to me… she’s known me so long, so consistently. I hadn’t cried with her since my mom died, since Deb died. In her presence it was safe to look at how big the loss has been because in her presence my heart is filled.

Home, where who I am makes a difference… because Home is the easiest place to make a difference.

Thanks, my Swedish Friends, for the cups of tea and chats about things that matter and things that amuse. Hello, my Central PA friends, I’m coming home. Home to where we care about what happens to kids with no weekend foods. Home where we can imagine being the Valley with No Hungry Children. Home to where the blues and Jazz run Susquehanna cool and refreshing. Home where my love lives. Home where my friendships are also deep and true… Home where I know where lots of you keep your teacups…

LLVL33Aug18