#5 Knitting (of course) I just finished a prayer shawl for our church'a 2014 Medical Mission Trip. Buoyed by making a blanket from working through a bag of scrap worsted wool yarn, I conceived knitting a prayer shawl by doing the same with my scrap cotton worsted. Two skeins of a DK striping yarn sustained a relative consistency and added even more color.
#4 Strawberries! Tuesday, the first pint of strawberries appeared in our CSA box. Yesterday, I made a breakfast fruit smoothie with those delectable orbs of red sweetnesses. Today I embark on a farmer's market quest to buy a whole flat of strawberry goodness. The season of preserving begins!
#3 The state of public education. This week a group of us toasted a fellow teacher, retiring after decades of service. The bulk of the conversation was school talk, focused on the changes and challenges of life in our high school; however, in reality, we considered the mercurial flux of public education. It grieves to me see cuts in instructional programs and the exacting impact of more and more tests, assessment tools for both teachers and students. It saddens me to observe a relative dearth of innovation in education. Ironically, this tenacious Democrat rues the oppressive hand of government regulation. Less could mean so much more....
#2 Upcoming new experiences. Tomorrow I travel to Altoona to serve as a lay delegate in the ELCA Synod General Annual Assembly. After printing and reading 100 pages of pertinent text, I think I am ready. And in now less than two weeks, Jim, Alex, and I will be making memories in Orlando, Disney World, and a nifty little cabin at Fort Wilderness. My Birnbaum guidebook is filled with post-it flags and lined with creases. So much to see and do!
#1 Sylvia Boorstein, mindfulness, and wise effort. My daughter first introduced me to Krista Tippett and her radio show On Being from American Public Media, and I have been a follower ever since. A few weeks ago, I listened to Tippett interview Boorstein, a writer, teacher, psychotherapist, and Jewish Buddhist (what a great amalgamation). Inspired by hearing her speak, I secured a Boorstein book to read: Happiness is an Inside Job. There is much this Jewish Buddhist has to say to this ever seeking Christian. I close with one of her blessings:
May you feel safe
May you feel content
May you feel strong
May you live with ease
(http://www.onbeing.org/program/what-we-nurture-with-sylvia-boorstein/242)
(http://www.onbeing.org/program/what-we-nurture-with-sylvia-boorstein/242)
And may her words cover and bless you as the gently rest on me....
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