I wrote a piece for the Fremont Art Council (FAC), and I’ll be damned if they didn’t up it smack dab on the front page of their annual newspaper, the SOL. The kids are totally excited because their picture is right on the front page! There isn’t a weblink, but I’ve posted the text below.

Speaking of press, Monkfish Abbey got another nod last week when we were mentioned in a front-page story for the Seattle Times. There’s a bunch of other intriguing groups mentioned in the article, which you can link to here.

In other exciting news, the FAC folks also invited me to bless the workshop space for the Solstice Parade. I am unbelievably excited! … {read more…}

It’s Holy Week.

I have a love-hate relationship with Holy Week. One the one hand it’s the most Jesus-y of all Jesus-y seasons. In the words of Donald Miller, “I believe in Jesus, I believe he is the Son of God, I believe he died and rose again….but every time I sit down to explain this to someone I feel like a palm reader.” I know it’s not rational, and I readily admit I have no idea how or why the Cross works, but still, I love the guy. So Holy Week is a time I cherish — a retreat time with Jesus when we soak in his stories, his life, his handwork. During this … {read more…}

Okay, thought I’d shoot you a little something to let you know what’s been up.

Last Week at the Abbey
Norooz was a blast last week. Helene brings art wherever she goes, and usually creates a sing-a-long or dance-a-long as well. We had an amazing feast of Persian delights, learned the symbolism of the Haftsin table, and enjoyed an impromptu concert by Heather, who played a Persian flute and violin songs from the middle east. Heather also sang Iranian folks tunes, and Helene sang one from Bulgaria. There were also funny songs for the kids, lessons in being coquetteish (the lion and the lemon!) and even a waltz in the middle of the very crowded living room. A dreamy … {read more…}

It feels womanly, the spring equinox, all nyads and dryads and fertility rites. Maybe the girl’s very girlie request for a pedicure party last year at this time wasn’t so far off after all. (from my journal)

Yesterday was the spring equinox. It was gorgeous here – all sunshine and shirtsleeves and yellow daffodils– picture postcard perfect!

Spring cleaning is a part of Norooz, which we are celebrating this week with our friends-who-love-all-things-Persian, so the girls and I decided to do our preistessy duty and spring-clean the anger altar. First we gathered up all the shards – a whole bucketful! I loved how some of them seemed to break just right – the … {read more…}

So I’ve been pondering Lent for a bit. I have a love hate relationship with Lent — which is the 40 days before Easter. On the one hand I resist the tendency of the religious culture I was raised in to see Lent as a nice long period of self-flaggelation and general bad feelings. On the other, I adore the idea of spending 40 days with Jesus — in the desert or otherwise. Added to this is my general love of all things self-improvement oriented and 40 days of any sort of noble goal is very motivating to me.

This year, I’ m trying to think through a couple of things about how we at Monkfish Abbey should celebrate Lent. … {read more…}

Stealing Honey from a Swarm of Bees…

It’s been sunny three days in a row now.

The scary thing is, I’m starting to believe it.

In Seattle, where it rains upwards of 40 days in row, you really can’t get your hopes up about one sunny day. It could just be a 24 hours sanity break. But three days in a row? Now that’s temptingly Spring-like. Not to mention the crocuses are randomly blooming in my front lawn. (Remember that part in Generation X, where they throw playing cards on the front lawn and plant a daffodil bulb wherever one lands? I liked that.) Oh, and my neighbor’s ornamental cherry is all rosy…and this morning, at 7:30, it was vaguely … {read more…}

seeing fall birds
eating pumpkin pie
snow (sometimes)
jumping into leaf piles

eating pumpkin pie
new clothes
jumping into leaf piles
going to school

new clothes
snow (sometimes)
going to school
seeing fall birds

A week or so ago I wrote an off-the-top-of-my-head post about the organized church, and my current relationship to it. As is usual with the case of my shitty first drafts (SFD) it wasn’t worded especially careful. And as is usual of my most propheticish moments, it raised some hackles. I don’t intentionally raise hackles, at least not most of the time, but I really don’t mind when they get raised, and I mostly stay out of the fray. There was quite a bit of back-and-forth on the blog…15 or 16 comments, if I remember rightly. Folks do do do love to theologize. I don’t really enjoy that much myself, the theologizing. I like orthodoxy as much as the … {read more…}

New Year’s Reflection
Spend 10-20 minutes on some or all of these questions. A journal, calendar, or photo album of the last year may help trigger your memories.

Looking back over the past year what do I find to……
….be thankful about…to celebrate….

….to mourn….to feel loss around….

Looking over the past year where do I find….
…places of clarity….

….places of confusion or uncertainty….

Looking over the past year what…
….memory do you want to hold on to?

…event do you want to let go of?…

For the Group…If you have one hope or dream that you are hoping to see grow in the coming year, please share it with the group and hang in on the shrine. 

One your own….
What do I want to do with one (or … {read more…}

Woke up with a migraine and slept three hours today, after I took the girls to school. That’s the wonder of demoral. Two of them knock me out. I’ve never understood how people can take fistfuls of them and remain upright. The relief from the pain is very tempting though, so I do see how folks get addicted to them. I resisted narcotics as a migraine “treatment” for two years, and then let the doctor prescribe me some. She doles them out in small batches and I tell Paul every time I have to take one, which is about twice a month. I have such and addictive personality so I feel like I really need the accountability. If only … {read more…}