Friday, August 31, 2007

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.

7 comments:

DogBlogger said...

Nice play! And cake goes well with so many things...

Sally said...

Cake for transition- sounds good to me... and I love wearing chunky jumpers- but also love switching to T-shits in spring...

QuakerPastor said...

My husband's birthday is in the fall; 3 days before our anniversary---I agree with you about fall celebrations.

RevDrKate said...

Sedona and how you did the rituals sounds wonderful(including the "it's soo hot let's hug the tree!") and loved the picture. and being pulled "through the liminal space." Lovely. Enjoyed your play.

Anonymous said...

Nice play! As much as I love Florida, one of the things I really miss is fresh-pressed apple cider and the taste of a crisp, cold apple just been picked off the tree. Enjoy that for me :-)

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday and Happy anniversary of your ordination.

I love the redrocks and that country too, but it can get quite hot. I like what you did at the 4 Vortexes.

What a positive play.

Hope it is a great fall at your church.

Peceli and Wendy's Blog said...

Nice to live life with seasons. For us in Australia it's the beginning of spring today. There's a great song - came out of New Zealand - by Colin Gibson and Shirley Murray - starts off with
Our life has its seasons, and God has the reasons why spring follows winter, and new leafs grow, for there's a connection with our resurrection, that flowers will bud after frost and snow...etc.
w.