R&R

Fall day trip: my heart
and being expand, like a
lovers' rendezvous...

Prayer Shawls

Our hearts are full of so many things...sometimes we just need a listening ear, another heart that will receive what we have to pour out. Often, there is nothing to be done about these things except to listen, to receive.

One thing I have appreciated being able to do for someone who is ill or grieving, or who is afraid for someone else who is sick: offer them a prayer shawl. Our Knitters and Spinners spend many prayerful hours knitting shawls for just this purpose...to give to someone who is suffering for whatever reason. And they are received with such gratitude.

I give thanks for all our Priory Knitters and Spinners who knit prayers of comfort and healing into warm shawls, pouring out their love and energy for others. Amen.

A Gathering of Writers

Last night was the weekly gathering of my writers critique group. We are the Puget Sound Writers Guild (www.pugetsoundwritersguild.org). We are feisty, committed, opinionated, caring, daring, funny and too often perplexed with our own writing process. But we are honest and supportive of each others' writing process. We hear three presentations - usually scenes, sometimes planning material - and give constructive feedback. This is where the laughter and the bantering erupts.

We offer a class - the novice class - for those interested in learning the internal structure and process for creating, writing and fine editing novel-length stories. Our newest 'graduating class' is now with us. Each new member adds a unique perspective, and it's fun to see them stretch and grow as professional writers.

I am in the early stages of writing a medieval who-dun-it involving a beguine sleuth. We're currently in 1280 Bruges and three innocent souls have died. Or were they so innocent?

Lunch with Cousin Maria

A death in the family can bring people together as it did today in my family. Cousin Rosemary was born in the same year and the same month as I - twenty days earlier than me. She died suddenly, very unexpectedly. It is hard to imagine a world without Rosemary. In our growing up years we visited often and I knew her as fun loving, full of surprises, willing to state her opinion on any topic, beautiful.

I met her sister for lunch today, along with my own sister. We reminisced and we caught up on each others' lives. We talked about Rosemary and our whole family. We promised each other to meet again - soon.

Jesus came with the promise of eternal life. In faith I know Rosemary lives. In faith, I know we will all meet again, and relatively soon. Humanly, however, I miss Rosemary, and I cherish even more, now, the times I meet face to face with the people I love. The being together comforts and bolsters me against the sadness of leave takings. The coming together and the going away... all part of this wondrous life on earth.

Details, details, details. That was my day, today. How satisfying to make a list of those little, but not unimportant, details that need to get done, and then watch as each thing is checked off the list. My day had no other appointments or meetings - rare and wonderful. So, I set about taking care of the "thises and thatses" which can weigh me down if I procrastinate too long.

What are you waiting to take care of? What little detail niggles you at the back of your consciousness? Is it a thank you note waiting to be written? Is it a phone call needing to be made? Is it organizing your email? Is it repairing a hem? Is it saying, "I'm sorry."?

Take some time today to consider what little (or big) details are weighing you down. Develop a list, and then let a little burst of energy enliven you to get them done and check them off, one by one. You'll feel better. I did!

Blessed Beauty

Since the quiet of our retreat, we have been blessed with many days of sun, whose rays have highlighted the sounds of birds chirping, flowers blooming, and even the variation of greens in the foliage. I try to let God's Cathedral support me in my writing; to soak it in so that (hopefully) what comes out on quill and paper also reflects God's ongoing creation.

What Birds Talk About

Birds in the morning
working, talking cheerily
of life in the trees.