A healing

I participated with my friend, Marsha, in the Sacred Singers group in Cincinnati, OH. The intention of the group is to bring emotional and spiritual soothing and healing to those in suffering. While the group was in session, a homeless mother of three children briefly participated. As the facilitator welcomed each singer by standing in front of each and keeping the lovely musical tones of a singing bowl floating on the air, the mother seemed wary. But I then observed her closing her eyes, willing to receive the gift of music. Her children were in the church nursery downstairs, and she was summoned to leave group to attend to them. While she was gone, her nine-year-old daughter entered our group. She asked if she could play the hand-drum while we sang; which was granted. When our facilitator asked if anyone present had a birthday this month for us to recognize with song, the girl called out each month of the year, hoping someone would stand in circle to be sung to. She said that her birthday had been in March, so we asked if she wanted to have happy birthday sung to her. She stood in the center of our cirlce and we sang the group's version of happy birthday, different than the usual. We then asked her permission to sing the ending which goes like this: (person's name) you are beautiful, (name) you are fine; you're a unique and special woman; you've been perfect all along, (name) hear our loving song. The child rubbed her eyes,trying to contain her tears of newly found self-respect. We told her that the song moves everyone to tears. She wept quietly. A group member held the child close while she cried. After she gained composure, her face appeared relaxed and radiant. Her reaction was deeply profound. We supposed that, like most of us growing up, the girl never knew what a beautiful creation she is; or perhaps she had been told, or it was implied by society, as it has for many of us, that she was ugly and unintelligent. And due to the circumstances of her family, she may have felt spiritually homeless as well. It seems that through our song she rediscovered the true, beautiful self she was in her mother's womb and at birth.

The girl's mother came back into the group with her two other children. She joined us in more of our songs and chants and then she and the girl taught us, through call and response, their beloved songs about Jesus. Yet without verbal language, her infant son rocked his body and arms in time to the music, her youngest daughter danced.

Through sharing love without judgment, in song, we all, the Sacred Singers, the nine-year-old girl, her mother and siblings found a new home.

Beauty along the way

Some friends & family

Karen, Dan, & Jake

My Yellow Springers

My Yellow Springers (right)

Talented brother, Linton, building their deck.

My sister-in-law, the domestic Goddess, formerly known as Nance. She provided a fun lunch with friend, Elaine Knode Sipes visiting us.

Pat & Rocky, Athens, OH

I had a very fun breakfast w/school chums, Georgine Ervin Newman & hubbie Bob; Sue McDonald Weikel, and Gerry Borowski; unfortunately, I didn't have my camera handy to photo their sweet faces. We laughed till our sides hurt over school memories and our foibles. We chased other dinners out of the building with our laughter, just like in the old days at the R & S when we ate french fries w/gravy.

I also attended a lovely lunch w/family members Donna (Morgan) Pickands, her husband, Jim, her lovely mother, Louise, and Donna's granddaughter, Mary, as well as my younger brother, and the most devious of all, Dennis. Bonita/Bernd, Linton/Nancy also shared the fun. Didn't take my camera w/me this day also, hence no group photo.

Here's my long time friend and classmate, Jacque, who grows more beautiful each year, inside and out.




My matriarch sister, Bonita Frank Waitl and her husband Bernd.

My Darling Home Town

Welcome to Perkasie, PA

A Poem From Maine

The setting sun casts yellow and pink light onto the bellies of Gulls as
they roll on the wind with their wings cupped, holding the gusts down
against the beach, as though it will blow away.

Like a giant goddess stretched flat on her back on the forest floor, Mt.
Desert Island bids me goodnight. Her pregnant belly glows orange-gold
as night shades are drawn around her.

Straight ahead, the wind ripples across the sea as lightly, and silently,
as a ballet dancer gliding across a stage on toes.

A hen duck returns home at dusk, her wings stroking the sky, fast and hard,
to plan her spring nest with one of the cocks flying beside her.

As they fade into the sunset, I am left with the wind whispering in my ears;
A firm voice telling me night is nigh, then cooing as she folds me in her arms,
holding me, the ducks, gulls, sea and land tightly on her sacred breast.

My hand wraps around the stone scraper I found at dusk on this beach.
My fingers stroke the chipped grooves made to fit the hand of an Indian
child or maiden as they watched the same day's end.

Road trip West May-July 2010

Oh, dear ones! One week left until I mount my Conestoga (2001 Toyota Sienna) and head westward for fun and adventure. After much fusing and fuming over bedding, I placed a twin bed in the van - feels so cozy, and I hope for many wonderful dreams during my campouts. After several trips to Cadillac Mtn. Sports, and very nice (and beautifully young) salesfolk helping me, I finally figured a way to strap on the older rooftop carrier friend, Cynthia, gave to me. Will install it this week if I'm not discouraged by all the work it takes to strap it on and open and close it. Hope it works! I have visions of the darned thing flying off when crossing the strong-winded plains of Kansas and eastern Colorado, etc.

So stay tuned! I'll journal, paint, write songs, and post photos as I go.