Violet Peace in the Flower Moon

I’m not a cook. I assemble things once in a while. But that daily food to table thing? bad at that.

So it’s ridiculous that I should be making violet simple syrup. And of course I don’t follow directions well. so mine won’t be as violety as it should be… nor as purple.

But it was such a delightful notion. And even the failed first batch was sweetly subtly tasty… I know this because i poured it with the melted leftovers of morello cherry jam all over my french toast.

The Flower Moon. Enjoy what’s here. Be present. Nature is so outrageously beautiful. Today our walk was punctuated with strong lovely spikes of iris demanding attention. “Hello! We’re here!” Well, yes you are…

Time to pull together what we’ve learned from the Flower Moon, synthesize it for next year when the spiral changes and we learn something new.

But in the meantime? Sweet, sweet Violet Peace to us all…

Right. Trust the Peace of the Flower Moon.

We’ve had gorgeous nights outside in this Flower Moon. Warm and relaxed and beautiful. Windows are open… or at least occasionally, because of course the trees are also enjoying the Flower Moon which means I’m still doing that hunker down inside thing.

We’re looking for rain today, so maybe it will wash all the pollen away. We can live in hope, right?

But the open window thing? It let’s in noises. So there I was on Saturday night and i started hearing this annoying beeping, sounding like a car unlocking. but it continued. I looked outside, didn’t see anything and went to bed, only to be awakened in the middle of the night crying.

All I could imagine is that my sweet neighborhood had been invaded by Not. In. My. Back. Yarders… devastating. How has it come to this? Seem unlikely? My friend Sarajane just informed me that a Catholic church in SF, in an effort to deter people with no homes from sleeping on the relative safety of their porch have installed an intermittent sprinkler system.

Why welcome people when you can let them know what your church really thinks. And what the heck, why not waste water in a state where people don’t have enough to drink and the people you’re watering have no access to public showers. What a nice thing, eh?

But when I woke up yesterday, I realized: Smoke detectors and batteries gone bad. I changed a couple and now I realize. oh, right, they all go bad at this time of year. And when I say I realize, I mean I stumbled to the basement to pull the battery out in the middle of the night last night. I changed that battery this morning! And I’ve run out of 9 volts. Drug store, here I come. (and thank goodness for the local socialist book store that recycles those batteries.)

It’s the little things, but it would be nice if my first thought wasn’t about people who can’t seem to care about humanity. Mistrust is not particularly Peace-building. Being present to your life is a good thing.

I’d better work on those things AND change the batteries. Peaceful morning, everyone. and check your smoke detectors and your battery supply. And if a church in your neighborhood is not being church, write to them and say “Fie, for shame.”

Mothering, Sabbath, & Flower Moon Peace

My friend Peg Streep writes painfully and movingly about Mean Mothers — Those who couldn’t do, or didn’t do, what was needed for their children. There’s a lot of work to be done to heal those children’s wounds.

A sad truth is that when we recognize what’s missing in a child’s life, too few of us step in to make that difference. And those of us lucky to have had what we needed keep finding mothers everywhere to nurture and guide us and we’re more adept, perhaps, at letting that Love in. And some, but not all of us, gather ourselves and take ourselves off to the psychologists and do the work to realize we’re well worth the efforts of mothering and mother ourselves. And I’m grateful for all of those who break the pattern…

But most Mothers struggle along and get it as right as they can. Most learn how to Mother their own and the neighbor children or their students as they cross their field of vision. They do the best they can…

And so, for all the presents and the halloween costumes and moments learning what they had to teach us, thanks Moms.

I wish that more of us subscribed to Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation. Would that more of us would “Arise then women of this day…” and grab back the responsibilities for Peace.

In the meantime I wish you Peace with your memories and your realities and joy when it’s appropriate. Missing my own blood relatives who mothered me, Being grateful for my other Mothers. Beyond grateful for the young women and men who have allowed me a glimpse of what’s expected of me and allowed me to love them. My Husband introduced me to his two beautiful daughters who were so well mothered by Shirley and who are such great mothers in turn. I am incredibly inconsistent and still full of wonder that there’s a place for me in that circle.

I’m a lucky woman, and that’s plenty to keep me going on this beautiful warm and sunny Sabbath as the Flower Moon rides into it’s last week of beauty. (I’m watching those lilies of the valley every day.)

Kids are OK in Flower Moon!

Oh, it was such a sweet morning and the kids were amazing.

I’ve never spent a lot of time with kids. Don’t have my own, lived across the country from too many of the kids in the family when they were growing up. Always had friends around who had kids they’d share and there was always the neighborhood… But direct kid interface, not so much.

And now, boom, i’m the minister at a small town church and we got kids! 100 members: 50 kids. My colleague Sara who does the education piece is fabulous. No other word. Fabulous. The people who teach with her? Fabulous. So I get all the bennies of watching these kids grow and folding them into my arms now and again. And they’re pretty puppy like, so they love being enfolded. How sweet is that?

So they’re off to learn more about who they are and what their tradition is and how they might grow into it. (I reminded them when they left that in our country, our tradition started here, so they come from the source! or maybe they come from the roots and are off to visit the place where the tree grew… also grew! They’ll make a whole bunch of memories. They’ll create family and community for themselves when they’re stuffed into that big ol’ van. Laughing all the way and learning whatever comes. Oh, may they see the possibility. The Flower Moon is compressing, time to make sense of things!

But the kids. The bright, funny, interested, loving kids and the two great parents who are hauling them along. Those kids. They’re more than okay. And I am at Peace with that and more than a little in Love.

Peace, Good Deeds, & a Flower Moon

It’s good to do things for one another. It’s good to gather together as a group and do things for one another. It gathers us into community and makes us feel good that we’re doing important things.

It’s also good when what we’re doing isn’t necessary because there is no healthcare. That makes me so sad. I believe so strongly in healthcare for everyone. Yes. I know it’s expensive. And everyone needs health care.

I don’t mind paying taxes so that our children aren’t the most endangered and the hungriest. In fact, I want that. I want our corporations stepping up and paying their fair share. I want rich people to do the same.

And in the meantime, I want people kicking in the money they have to send people to Key West before they die. It makes us feel good about ourselves. And the person that’s dying gets to have a little slice of life and make one last set of memories with her friends.

That means everything, doesn’t it…

There’s Peacemaking in this… And so we gather under the Flower Moon and watch Love and Friendship blossom between strangers helping one another down the road. It’s a good thing. Creating community is good work. Sometimes it’s hard work. Sometimes it just feels good to do what’s right.

Dashing Flower Moon Peace

It’s no wonder people think we’re the center of the Universe. The other night, driving home along the river, it seemed so clear that the Moon was chasing me until she caught me and showed me the good road home.

In moments like that, it seems so easy to think we’re communing (ok, maybe it’s just me) with the Moon.

Because her soft light is reflected, she’s so much more approachable than the sun, at whom you can’t glance directly.

I love the notion of that intimacy, and I’m sure the Moon doesn’t mind the secrets I share. Maybe the Moon Goddess cares, maybe not, but she’s never disabused me of the sweet silliness of it.

And I love how she finds me and spills that golden path across the water. Swimming the Moon path may be one of my favorite things in the whole world… I love how she softens the landscape so that we can see possibility and move slowly toward our work of maintenance and restoration.

It’s such a private and quiet moment of Peace. The utter stillness and sweet contentment reminds me in those moments, that we are on this Earth to notice these moments and to help one another find the space for Peace, with ourselves, with the Earth, with one another. Let us Peace by the light of the Moon.

Going Home Peace

Families. They need tending. And the rewards are phenomenal. And at the end of it I find myself delighted, exhausted and confused.

Delighted because it is good to be together.

Exhausted because it’s all on all the time. “I haven’t seen you, how are you?” “Oh, we have to go here? let’s go!” So rich. and tiring.

And Confused… how can all this love not be connected to all the other love?

Where are our kids? Where’s my sweet village? Where’s beloved Sweden? I find it fascinating that I, who never had kids, gets the most excitement over watching my niece Sarrah’s littles find their place in the greater family. When Naim (that face) walked over to see his Aunt Grancy, lay his head on her belly and wander away… heaven! And yet, hunger at the same time.

Love on the borderlines, it’s a lovely thing. and for far flung family, maybe it’s always this intense.

But I confess, I’m glad to be traveling home today… quiet time writing in an airport, a familiar drive home, and tomorrow, a walk along the (my!) river to ease me back into the day and life!

The Flower Moon rose full and beautiful as we sat around the fire. Wayne reminded me that it used to be the hot tub. shhhhhhhh.

And Peace was right there in all the chaos. And when the chaos is simply Love and Joy and a lot of activities, I give thanks! And Sally laughed!

Peace, Community, Sabbath, and a Full Moon

Gathered community. Gathered community knitted together — or more correctly, gathered community knitting itself together around relationship and commitment and family.

What is intimacy? What is family? what is celebration?

These are not daily conversational tidbits in our life… and yet what prepares us?

This wedding was presided over by two judges and a priestess. (sounds like a movie, no?)

Lots of stuff was swirling around the gathering… and we rode the waves. As I told you, I found myself in the catching position… and another new nephew, and another new nephew and another new niece… and zoom…

and on the Sabbath, we all rested. family tradition mimosas for brekkie. (over hotel waffes and birthday cake, goodness gracious, pleeze, may there be protein soon.) civilized coffee in a foo foo hotel. a little writing. a nap coming up.

And more family. wonderful kids who have wonderful kids.

Peace as a jigsaw with lots of little pieces… being slowly fitted together. leisure. no need to hurry. we’ve got most of this day.

Peace be with you. and catch tonight’s Full Flower Moon. I’ve got a date with my pillow.

Families, Flowers and Peace

I’m a very lucky woman. I have a very interesting family and I like them.

Yesterday, at one event after another, I walked into the arms of family members. Children scoring soccer goals, children reading all 41 books on the Maine reads, children loving bubbles. Cousins delighted to see one another.

My nieces and nephews.

My cousins and my brother.

We didn’t know one another well, growing up. Now we’re sharing stories and lives and food and laughter. And swimming. well of course swimming. Even though the pool is outside and even the Maine kids are whiny because it’s so cold.

And then all the others at the wedding. Interesting people with interesting stories.

And the Flower Moon on the river? and the hopping town? just lovely.

It’s important to weave yourself into your tapestry every once in a while, make sure the threads are still attached. It’s a whole different kind of Peace than I work on most of the time. But I’ll take it.

So Peace to you, my friends. and go fall in Love with Love. and Joy. and Family.

And if we’re going to talk about Peace, remember, if you will that the local synagogue was defaced this week. Hold them in your hearts and let’s figure out how to step up and step in in these moments. Because it’s so not ok. More on that later this week.

Family Peace in the Flower Moon

It’s been a long haul of sad commemorations in my family.

So, it was with great joy I hauled out my marrying dress and headed out to my nephew’s wedding. I’m not really doing the marrying, just a little part, so this marrying dress is red rather than my oh-so-stylish-and-clerical black.

I’d packed it down in my suitcase and was driving down the road when my cousin Kate called to say that Wayne’s, now her, daughter had eloped. Boom. another nephew, complete with a boychild. (Oh great, another child to be a mediocre auntie too. Ah well, luckily I’m the crazy auntie when they see me! After all, who’s bringing the pez and the bubbles to the wedding? Okay, okay, dear friends gave them to me for Easter, but still, I know how to use them. After all, being Evanses/Bennetts/and all the other things that come after, we’ll be logging a lot of pool time! Gotta have fun options!)

Twenty six of us will gather. There will be a lot of holes, and as I write this I’m missing Deb like crazy. Tomorrow by the pool and Saturday, I’ll miss the elders. But I’m grateful for what I’ve got — because what I’ve got is Love and some very sweet Peace.

and whoohoo… a celebratory cocktail will be enjoyed in the Clinton Library. That’s worth the price of admission (which is grown up shoes) right there.

Peace, Love and Happiness, World. Here’s to wild, riotous and passionate Happiness.

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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