Season's Change Friday Five...

RevGalBlogPal's are celebrating Summer's Last Hurrah....Here is how I am celebrating with Friday Five...

1. Share a highlight from this summer. (If you please, don't just say "our vacation to the Canadian Rockies." Give us a little detail or image. Help us live vicariously through you!) Hiking the Red Rocks in Sedona. One day, I planned mini-hikes to the four vortexes. At each vortex, we created our own ritual. At one, I did the yoga pose of the Tree for a few minutes, at another, we built a cairn, at the third, I did meditative breathing, and by the fourth, it was so durn hot (100 plus degrees) I just hugged a twisted juniper tree.

2. Are you glad to see this summer end? Why or why not? When I was teaching and a college chaplain, I was on ten month contracts. Oh, how wonderful. I was more in touch with the transition of the seasons, then. This has been an acutely busy summer, (aside from a few days away), so I am neither glad or sad to see the summer end. It has been full, it has been rich...I would have loved to hike more, bike more, throw more bowls and mugs....but today, I just feel grateful. For the cooler breeze coming in the window, and the warmth that will spread in the afternoon.


3. Name one or two things you're looking forward to this fall.
It is my first fall with my congregation, so professionally, it is all new. We have some age old events that people gather for--a fall fair, thanksgiving dinner, spiritual life retreat...so I look forward to those experiences of community. I also very much look forward to hiking some weekends surrounded by the burst of light and color held in the trees, and of course, apple picking!

4. Do you have any special preparations or activities to mark the transition from one season to another? (Cleaning of house, putting away summer clothes, one last trip to the beach) My birthday always falls around Labor Day, and I was also ordained on my birthday, so it is a special time. Celebrating my birthday and remembering my ordination pulls me through the liminal space. It is fabulous to honor transition with celebration and cake, don't you think?

5. I'll know that fall is really here when: It's all about the clothes!!! When I can't get away with not wearing socks anymore because my feet get cold! I also love wearing chunky sweaters and tights with skirts and not getting hot.

quiet....

My inside voice has been very quiet the the last couple of weeks.
After vacation,
I haven't been led to articulate the unformed thoughts and unfinished prayers in my soul.
It is still and full and Much Within.
Perhaps, because things are so busy and articulate and communicative in my work right now that what my heartplace needs is to
be silent.
be still.
ponder quietly within.

Come, Spirit, Come...and join me here.
OR maybe I am finally joining YOU here.
Amen.

goin' on VACA-TION

At my house, tonight we are all doin' the happy vacation dance and song!!!
even though we haven't started packing, our flight leaves at 6:00 a.m.
we are going to SEDONA. I have never been to the Southwest before, in spite of growing up in the upper midwest. And, I am especially excited about Sedona because of all the spiritual energy there. I am going to soak it all up!

Last year, we didn't take vacation, because we were busy moving to New England...and then I didn't work for seven months, except for temping, and then I started in this new parish in April, and I really haven't had much time off--except for the quick trip to Cleveland to watch the Sox play the Indians, but we spent two of the three days stuck in airports. The games were fun, but not the traveling!!!

I am ready...just to be away from everything except my beloved for ten straight days. How lovely is that? I am taking books and crocheting and hiking boots and beads and hang out comfy clothes.

I am so excited!

That durn dream again....

I keep having that dream that I never dropped the class that I never went to, and missed writing all the papers and it was a required class but I couldn't possibly finish the papers if I wanted and I am going to get an F because I never tied up the loose ends and every time I go to find my advisor she is always NOT in her office but I see her on campus busy doing wonderful things and I am going to get "found out" and in spite of having my degree and graduating, I keep thinking this loose end is going to topple down the house. All in my dream. It shifts time and space and is very agitating.

Think I need a vacation?????

Finally!

Due to my minds proclivity to wandering, I find when I go to a baseball game, that my thoughts stray to watching and wondering about the other fans there, the murmurs and cheers of the crowd, and general daydreaming. So, I don't always fixate on the game, or keep track of it. Because of this, I seem to always, ALWAYS miss the great plays. Especially seeing Big Papi hit one out of the park...I have been to five games in person this season, and watched a good many on t.v., but I always seem to miss Big Papi! Last night, we were sitting in incredible seats, right at home plate. I missed Papi's first slug out of the park, because I was enjoying such nice conversation with the people who invited us to the game. I cried, "I MISSED IT!!" The next time around, everybody reminded me to focus...and yahoo! I TOTALLY FINALLY SAW BIG PAPI HIT IT STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PARK, VIA CENTER FIELD...it was beautiful!
My life is complete!