The UUA condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis, a case that will erode the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in this country. Continue reading "The Unitarian Universalist Association Condemns U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on the 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis Case"

Earlier this week, Carol and I walked on a beach in Maine where we saw two endangered bird species, Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) and Least Terns (Sternula antillarum). Both these species nest on the beach above the high water mark. Nesting in the sand was a useful evolutionary adaptation for most of these birds’ existence. … Continue reading "Endangered"

It was a Saturday morning in May. In the middle of a conversation in rainy Trafalgar Square I raised my finger to try to politely indicate to the person I was talking to that I was going to join the Lord's Prayer that I just realised was starting through the loud speakers. My conversation partner paused for a moment, and I closed my eyes and joined in with the congregation in Westminster Abbey in

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

Henry II of France. On June 30, 1559 King Henry II of France met an unfortunate accident while pursuing a popular hobby.   More on that in a bit. If your French history is not up to snuff here is a thumbnail of Henry’s biographical highlights. Was born in 1509 as a younger son of Francis I . After his pop was captured by the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor in a disastrous battle in 1524 young Henry and his older brother , the heir apparent , were shipped off as hostages to be held by the Hapsburg King of Spain in their father ’ s stead. Catherine de Medici,  Henry's Queen and connection to Papal power and privilege. After being sprung Henry was married to Catherine de Medici.   Both were 14 years old at the time.   But Catherine had ...

My father grew roses in our yard when I was growing up. He had a magical way with them, tending them carefully, treating them when there was blight, removing Japanese Beetles when they descended on them every summer, and gently … Continue reading →

A Prayer to Co-Create Time - Prayer for Week of July 3, 2023 From our first breath to our last, Beloved, we are time incarnate, co-creating time and our sense of it, of wasted time and tasted time and blessed time and cursed time and slow time and metered time...

How much stuff does one need for two months’ travel? Well, you can’t pack 65 changes of clothes, so the question is really: how often will you be able to do laundry? With a washing machine in most of our lodgings, and a little bottle of laundry soap for hand washing as needed, all we […]

Two Evangelical writers claim that Paganism is somehow inauthentic because it doesn’t exactly match the Paganism of our ancient ancestors, and that the appealing parts of modern Paganism were cribbed from Christianity. Neither claim is true.

A tiny stream, meeting with the edge of a rock, becomes a magnificent waterfall. What are you on the edge of becoming today?

JB, a friend from high school, just had a piece published in The Concord Bridge titled “The Watergate Nerds: Fondly recalling a high school reenactment.” Here’s his lede: “On June 17, 1976, on the fourth anniversary of the Watergate break-in, seven students at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School re-enacted the operation by bungling a break-in at … Continue reading "A history of “history nerds”"

Officials near Wuhan inspect bookstores to prevent the selling of unauthorized religious material. Continue reading Chinese authorities search for illegal religious literature at The Wild Hunt.

A PDF of the whole text which follows can be downloaded at this link  I A BEGINNING   A recorded version of Part 1 is available at this link The theme of the conference for which this piece was originally written in 2016 was, “Religion—Where Next?” It seems to be an important question to ask because, at least in Europe and North America, the state of our formal religious traditions appears ever more parlous and, at least in denominational terms, perhaps terminal. But was this, in fact, precisely the right question to pose? I asked this because over the twenty-two years of my ministry with a small liberal religious community in Cambridge it has struck me more and more that a better question to ask might be “Religion—Where ...

When people suggest that real friendships might not be possible in online space, I tell them about Harry Potter for Grown-ups (HPfGU). I joined that Yahoo group in late 2000, and during the three years that I was active, made several friends there with whom I’ve remained connected and even close. Most notably, I met […]

                                      Thomas Henry Huxley died this day, the 29th of June, in 1895. I kind of think of it as a feast for a new universalist kind of saint. Huxley was a biologist and anthropologist, today best […]

By Christian Coleman | We took the crushing news pretty hard. The TV adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s “Kindred” didn’t get a fair chance when it was cancelled nearly a month and half after all eight episodes were uploaded in December 2022 to stream on Hulu. With the blessing of Butler’s estate, playwright and showrunner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins made bold choices—some of which might make Butler purists gasp—to modernize and expand upon Butler’s classic while staying true to her message.

When I think about my days, I see how it’s full of small delights. Little things that I accomplish. I have mobility issues and I have long term effects of chemotherapy. All of these things limit me in many ways. … Continue reading →

  A young Emma Goldman  in her mug shot after her arrest for conspiring with her lover Alexander Berkman  in an assassination attempt on steel baron Henry Clay Frick. Note— I have posted this poem before, but the two women are particular favorites of mine and I immodestly think that the poem is one of my better efforts.   I also think that they would be astute commentators on the attempted re-subjugation of women by the Supreme Court and Red State governors and legislators.   Emma, of course, a champion of free love and sexual liberation, would never have had faith in the courts to protect women.   An advocate of militant direct action, she would be loudly calling for a real revolution.   Helen, the Wobbly and Socialist, might b...

LGBTQIA+ Pride is an act of resistance, and has been since before the first brick was thrown at Stonewall. Claiming all of who we are as beautiful and worthy in a society that devalues us daily is worth being proud of. -Michael Tino (CLF) What are the negative messages you need to resist today?

The Valley of the roses in Kazanlak hosts an annual rose festival with Pagan origins. Continue reading The Pagan Roots of Bulgaria’s Famous Roses at The Wild Hunt.

The UUA is celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Moore v Harper case that rejected the “independent state legislature” theory, which will have a significant impact on voting rights across the country. Continue reading "The Unitarian Universalist Association Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision to Protect Voting Rights in Moore v Harper Case"

Delegates Vote to Advance Changes to Article II & Elect First Out Queer Individual & First Woman of Colour to be President June 28, 2023 On June 22, 2023, the outgoing President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Susan Frederick-Gray, delivered her final report to members at General Assembly, the  annual gathering  where the UUA […] The post UUA Embraces Change at General Assembly 2023 first appeared on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada. The post UUA Embraces Change at General Assembly 2023 appeared first on Canadian Unitarian Council Conseil unitarien du Canada.

By Eva Saulitis | Morning. Late June. Daytime breeze already ruffling the passage. While doing calisthenics on the beach, Olga spotted three blows threading upward in rapid succession against Gage Island, across the passage. Humpbacks. Some days, a particular quality of light, wind, and humidity made spouts stand out. Ralph, Mary, and I loaded up Whale 1. Since Elli was still sleeping, Olga stayed behind at camp. A few moments after departing, I spotted smaller, fuller blows off Squire Point. “Stop!” I yelled. The three of us stared through binoculars until the whales surfaced again—three orcas slinking close to shore, heading toward camp.

                                          John Wesley, the Anglican priest and founder of the Methodist movement, was born today, the 28th of June, in 1703. His father Samuel was also a priest. He was also a poet, and probably […]

Erika Hewitt Every relationship is an ongoing story that unfolds between people. Continue reading "Where Healing Begins"

If it’s not obvious this week, my final reflections on “delight” have me out in nature.  A couple of weeks ago, I took my morning coffee out into our back yard which faces into the woods. The sun was just … Continue reading →

                                          A prop cannon firing under the  Globes thatched roof set the straw on fire.  Folks who have been involved in theater, amateur or professional, love to swap yarns about various disasters in front of live audiences.   Ask me sometime about when the set fell on my head in the middle of Jules Feiffer ’ s Little Murders at Shimer College.   But even the most grizzled theatrical veteran would have a hard time topping what happened to the cast of Henry VIII on June 29, 1613.   During a performance a cannon sparked a fire in the Globe Theater ’ s thatched roof, burning the theater structure to the ground.   Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, although one actor w...

Sometimes, in the rush and hurry of our lives, things fall between the cracks. Sometimes, they bloom there, in that transitional, stuck space. What in your life has fallen between the cracks? How might it bloom?

From the news story “Coast Guard opens Titan implosion probe,” in USA Today, June 27, 2023: “OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who was piloting the Titan when it imploded, had complained that regulations can stifle progress.”

Elaine McArdle From inspiring speakers to impassioned voices, here are the highlights of this year’s multiplatform UUA General Assembly.

Taken with a Fuji X100V using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Kodak Ektar 100 Recipe   Just click on the photo to enlarge it.  

At its annual meeting, TrothMoot, the Troth announced some changes to its policies and activities., including the addition of interfaith work. Continue reading The Troth updates policies and creates Interfaith Committee at The Wild Hunt.

We’re Taking Summer Worship on the Road! We are delighted to announce that we are collaborating with several of our UU neighbors this summer for shared worship services. Below is a brief outline — stay tuned for more details! 7/2 4th of July – No Sunday service. 7/9  “Sharing Circle” @ UCMH – led by our   [ … ] The post 2023 Summer Worship Info appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The eleventh episode contains reflections on the pandemic experiences of work, redundancy, unemployment, furlough, working from home, adaptation, work, rest, and balance. You

This little guy showed up at our back door recently the day after our daughter had been visiting from North Carolina. The synchronicity of his appearance (first rabbit I’d seen all spring or summer) immediately became a joke for us. … Continue reading →

The Stonewall was a dive bar operated by the Mob in New York's Greenwich Village.  It's patrons were outcasts and the most flamboyant of a rough streets scene--young hustlers, drag queens, butch lesbians.  It was also an inter-racial scene that attracted police attention.  Wealthier and more respectable Gays gathered and partied more discretely in posh clubs that authorities usually ignored. Fifty four years ago on the night of June 27, 1969 something snapped when New York City Police made one of their regular raids on a Gay bar.  Instead of meekly submitting to arrest, the denizens of the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar operated by the Mafia and patronized by the most marginalized of folks—homeless street kid hustlers, drag...

“In this great turning we shall learn to lead in love.” -Karisha Longaker, MaMuse, “We Shall Be Known” The Great Turning describes the necessary shift of human society from one that exploits and colonizes to one that is sustainable for all life on Earth, from a way of life based in violence to one based … Continue reading Great Turning

In this week’s Pagan Community Notes: Red Album released, ECER hosted by Latvijas Dievturu Sadraudze, The Troth elects officers, Author Amy Blackthorn donation, stunning find in Nemi, the Black Hills demonic portal (yeah, you read that right) and events and more. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of June 26, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.

It was a reprise of the 2007 ice-storm when we were without power for nine days. This time we had no power for four and half days. Difference between the two major events is that the first was in December with freezing rain, saturated ground, and a declining interior temperature when I was able to get enough power to run the sump-pump (hand bailing the sump every few hours is annoying), the refrigerator, the gas furnace, a few lights, and the Internet; this time it is summer, so not enough power to run the AC—only fans, the refrigerator, a few […] The post Weathering the Storm appeared first on BeyondBelief.

There is a phrase I’ve seen online that applies to Margy and I–we are “still COVIDing.” It means that we know the COVID virus is still circulating, still dangerous especially to elders and those with other health issues, and we are still taking all precautions. This despite the end of the declared public emergency and […]

At General Assembly, the annual gathering of UUs where the UUA conducts business and explores the theological underpinnings of the UU faith, the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt was elected to serve as President of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Continue reading "Unitarian Universalists Elect Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt to Serve as President of the Unitarian Universalist Association at General Assembly: Multiplatform annual business meeting brought more than 4,000 Unitarian Universalists together online and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Delegates also voted to advance changes to association bylaws on core religious values."

  In 2015, Ethan Song was only 15 years old when he was unintentionally shot and killed with an unsecured gun in his best friend’s house. Tragically, Ethan is not alone. Every day, eight children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to family fire, which refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it. This includes children as well as those who display behavior that indicates they read more... The post June Action Alert: Promote Safe Gun Storage appeared first on Promise the Children.

  William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy on his white stallion Topper. Summer days more than 60 years ago in Cheyenne , Wyoming we spent our days recreating in detail elaborate cowboy sagas that lasted all day—or even all week.   The we were my twin brother, Tim, a rotating cast of neighborhood kids—principally Joe Miranda and his assorted younger siblings—and when she was in town our cousin from Des Moines, Linda Strom .   For authenticity real prairie started abruptly at the end of our block complete with sagebrush, tumbleweeds, and low button cactus.   But the back yards the neighborhood with their lilac caves, wild rose hedges, palisade fences , brick walls, window wells , and the low flat roofs of car ports provided plenty of lo...

Aside from the Rembrandt etchings that particularly drew me to the National Gallery of Slovenia, two things I saw there said “Draw me.” One was “Drama,” a life-size bronze sculpture by a Slovenian artist named Franc Berneker (1905). It appears to be of a family: a man sprawled on the ground on his front, a […]

These beautiful, almost fluorescent orange and purple, Echinaceas (aka Coneflowers) began blooming in our yard recently. One day, it was just a bed of green, mostly mint, with these flowers hiding in the camouflage, and the next these outrageous and … Continue reading →

Our children literally march in the streets begging us for Abolition, in the form of gun control. Our scientists beg for Abolition, in the form of climate justice. Our Black and Indigenous peoples demand Abolition, in the form of reparations. And our Incarcerated siblings demand the Abolition of Slavery, in the form of Prison and … Continue reading Abolition

Metelkova was a military installation of the Yugoslav army until shortly after Slovenia left Yugoslavia. The complex left behind has an interesting status in the city–have a look at the website. The munchkin had read about it and asked if I wanted to see it. What public art lover could resist? Munchkin came ready to […]

Join us for a mix of live music and recorded sermon, as we view portions of Sunday morning worship at General Assembly, featuring a sermon from the Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, senior minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor.

  Dear PUUF friends, As I get closer to my moving date, I want to express my gratitude to you for your love, your cooperation, your energy, your smiles and encouragement, your interest in my life and future, and also to make it clear(er) what our relationship will be from now on. As of July 1, I will not be your minister; Rev. Mira will be your minister and I will be part of your history.  This is the way ministers and congregations have parted for a long time.  I have a professional duty to my colleague Rev. Mira to stand aside and let her create her own relationships within PUUF. In a small community like ours, it's hard to let a close relationship change, but change it must.  I need to let go and so do you, to make it the best pos...

I was busy with church stuff this week so we only got in one 12 mile hike. That long of a hike wore me out some, but then I was sitting most of the rest of the week in front of my computer attending the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly as an online delegate. It […]

Today all the robin babies fledged from the nest. When I woke, there was just this one left. Its parent came by to check on it, not bringing food, but flying up to the nest and then back down, as if to say, here is what you do now. Shortly after, I saw it take […]

“‘You should dream more, Mr. Wormold. Reality in our century is not something to be faced.'” — Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana, 1958

Probably  the most oft repeated gag in comix history--Ignatz mouse bouncing a brick off love-sick Krazy Kat's noggin. Yet it never grew old . On Sunday, June 25, 1944 the full page color comic Krazy Kat made its last appearance in American Newspapers ending a thirty-one year run as a stand-alone strip.   That was exactly two months since the death of the odd, surrealistic strip’s creator, George Herriman on April 24 at the age of only 63.   Krazy Kat had amused and mystified the public for generations.   Many simply did not know what to make of it, or Herman’s regular defiance of conventions of both comic form and substance.   In fact, it regularly polled among the least popular Sunday strips with the public and more than one lo...

Many transitions are necessary for us to build a better world together. Our economy must transition away from exploitation of people as capital. Our industry must transition away from reliance on fossil fuels and carbon dioxide production. Our society must transition away from rugged individualism and toward community care. What are the transitions your community … Continue reading A Better World

Please join us on Sunday (25 June 2023) at 9:30 AM for brunch and at 10:00 AM for a group viewing of the Sunday morning worship at this Sunday’s Unitarian Universalist General Assembly. You can use this link to watch this worship service at home. Join us to be part of the largest annual gathering … Continue reading "All Ages Worship and Sunday Brunch (25 June 2023)"

2023 Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly Livestream Videos (21-25 June 2023 — Pittsburg PA — External Link) 2023 Pledge Drive — We Need Your Pledge Now

There will be no adult religious education class this Sunday (25 June 2023). Please join us next Sunday (2 July 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. Our adult religious education class is now a dual-platform class — meeting in person in the church social hall and also on Zoom. For that … Continue reading "No Online and In-Person Adult Religious Education This Sunday — 25 June 2023"

Please join us next Tuesday (27 June 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is going dual-platform — join us from home using Zoom or in person in the social hall. Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

As in the Ziggy Stardust song from more than a half-century ago, we’re simultaneously surrounded by evidence of catastrophic climate change and absolutely unwilling to make the necessary changes to mitigate it. Continue reading Opinion: Greta Thunberg, Misrepresentation, and Ásatrú Climate Change Ethics at The Wild Hunt.

Sprocket Wagner reviews "Vikings: Warriors of the North Sea," on exhibit at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Museum until September 4th. Continue reading Review: “Vikings: Warriors of the North Sea” at The Wild Hunt.

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The tenth episode contains reflections on hobbies, creativity, cooking, walking, and watching television - the things we did in lockdown to keep us going. You can listen to

A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation.   (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece)   —o0o— Without context, the rounded — or, we may say, the fullest possible meaning — of any text, other artefact, or an action is, at best, highly allusive and, at worst, simply not accessible to us. So, what I want to offer you here is something of the historical context which forms the background to the kind of radical changes in the way we do church and religion that we are beginning to explore here in Cambridge, in our attempt to create a relevant, contemporary, liberal, inquiring, free religious community. After I’...

This Sunday, in lieu of regular Sunday Worship, we invite one and all to virtually attend UUA’s General Assembly Sunday Service, streaming live on Sunday, June 25 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean   [ … ] The post Sunday, June 25 ~ UUA General Assembly appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

Those who read of these travels might reasonably wonder what the difference is between sabbatical and vacation, especially if (as is very likely) sabbatical is not a phenomenon in their profession. Like other ministers of Unitarian Universalist congregations, I get three kinds of leave. Vacation, of course (four weeks/year), is to be spent however I […]

Lake Bled! A gem set in the Julian Alps, with a smaller gem of an island within it (Slovenia’s only island) topped by a small church. Munchkin dreamed of swimming to the island. Maybe we would also take a boat and rent bikes to circle the lake, and we would certainly swim at the beach, […]

                                     Ambrose Bierce in 1892. Ambrose Bierce was born on June 24, 1842 in Meigs County, Ohio, the tenth of fourteen children of a poor, but literary minded couple.  The family relocated to Indiana where Bierce briefly attended high school before dropping out at age 15 to help support his family as a printer’s devil at a local newspaper.  When the Civil War erupted he joined the first rush of volunteers.  As a private in the 9th Indiana Infantry and soon saw action in the Western Virginia Campaign, the first major land action of the war.  He was singled out and mentioned in newspaper dispatches for bravery in the Battle of Rich Mountain in July 1861 for a daring rescue of a wounde...

Please join us on Saturday (24 June 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. Please note that this group is still meeting via Zoom.  You will need … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (24 June 2023)"

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.”-Isaac Asimov How have you faced the transition of death in ways that make it less troublesome?

Seen in the blogosphere: “…internet search is broken these days….” I’m so glad others have noticed this. Internet search is broken in many ways. For example: Sometimes I don’t want searches that only apply to the U.S., or another smaller geographical region. I don’t want any search to point me to websites obviously pirated from … Continue reading "It’s not just me"

That little wet and bedraggled baby shone his light onto a deep, haunted wound and showed me that my part of that haunted space could heal now because the rest is healing, too. It is a big release to let a ghost go. To let that much darkness go. To cleanse a haunting. Continue reading How an Opossum Healed a Haunt at The Wild Hunt.

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

When I stared at the blank drawing paper on this particular day, I suddenly felt these waves of water washing across the page.  Over the next half hour, this drawing is what emerged–a sort of semi-abstract, semi-symbolic portrayal of waves.  … Continue reading →

President Franklin Roosevelt passes a pen used in signing the GI Bill in 1944.    On June 22, 1944 President Franklin D . Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the G . I . Bill of Rights .   Barring Social Security , it was the most successful social program in American history .   It set the stage for the long economic boom of the ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s and the rapid ascendancy of the middle class by forestalling an immediate post-War crisis, fueling an unprecedented housing boom, and by providing American industry and government with a highly educated workforce .   Getting that result was not easy . In 1944 the end of World War II was in sight even if more than a year of bloody conflict still l...

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The ninth episode contains reflections on mental health and mental illness. The pandemic was a crisis of mental health as much as physical health, and I think we're all still

A Prayer for Loving Well - Prayer for Week of June 26, 2023 Beloved, may we lean against your sun warmed legs by those trees and breathe deeply together, resting our hearts and whole beings. When we are weary of a world of people that criminalizes same-gender loving, when we...

The whole nonbinary gender thing is new and different, right? I mean, that’s why old people are so worked up about transgender and nonbinary, because it’s so new. Right? Well, no. Now that I’m officially past the age of sixty, I qualify as old people (you can’t call me middle-aged, that’s for sure). And to … Continue reading "This has been going on for a while"

Sometimes, we are called–from within or without–to venture forth into something new. We sense an insistent voice telling us that we must do something. To what are you being called today?

One of the reasons some people give for leaving organized religion is that they’re disgusted by the hypocrisy of organized religions in allowing sexual abuse to go on. But from what I can see, all of our human institutions are open to abuse. Schools, politics, the for-profit world, entertainment, sports — all of these human … Continue reading "Abuse in school sports"

And the answer is: Ljubljana, Slovenia, a city I had never heard of until we started planning this trip. The sum total of what I knew about Slovenia, in fact, was that it was in central Europe, was not Slovakia, and was the home country of Melania Trump. A friend of Joy’s has recently moved […]

Two new paranormal shows that are very likely to appeal to Pagan paranormal fans are set to be released if they can reach their crowdfunding goal. Continue reading “Magic is queer:” New Blood and Inhuman Beings team creates inclusive and Pagan paranormal series at The Wild Hunt.

Jeff Milchen Unitarian Universalists must work to defend voting rights for all.

A series on UUSC’s partners in Eastern Europe.

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical.The eighth episode contains stories of death and grief. This to me is the most powerful episode, as residents talk about tender stories of losing loved ones. This was a time

The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland burns in 1969. Fifty-four years ago on June 22, 1969 sparks from a passing freight train ignited a thick scum of oil and gunk that built up around the pilings of a railroad trestle across the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland , Ohio.   The results were impressive .   Within minutes the fire spread from bank to bank and downriver.   Roaring red flames licked up into the air five stories high and thick black smoke enveloped the city and rose high into the air.   The fire burned intensely for about half an hour and died down only when the oil slick was consumed.   The fire made national headlines, was covered by all of the TV evening news broadcasts , and became a cover story exposé on industrial pollution in...

In yesterday’s post, I shared how drawings have become, at least for the time being, my way of journaling. In this sort of journaling, we invite an image to present itself to us. My way is to sit in front … Continue reading →

Solstice is associated with stillness–when the sun reaches the extreme point of its cycle and seems to pause in the sky. But that pause is not real–it is just an indication that we have reached a place where it needs to begin going the other way. That pause is a transition–to shorter days at the … Continue reading Solstice Stillness

A couple of sights recently made me want to try to create something like their luminosity. One was a circular reflection of light on a painted white wall, and the other was a painting I saw when Joy and I visited the museum Ca’ Pesaro yesterday. I thought I would remember the artist’s name, but […]

A brief look into what it means to cross one of the most dangerous migrant passages in the world.

Bev loaned me the book Search: A Novel (Penguin, 2022), by Michelle Huneven. Search is the story of a ministerial search committee in a Unitarian Universalist congregation in southern California during their year-long process to find someone to replace their retiring minister. Michelle Huneven actually served on a ministerial search committee, and the book is … Continue reading "Reading list: Search"

Hear from nine mayoral candidates at NOAH’s mayoral town hall on Sunday, July 9, at 3:00 pm, at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church, 1203 9th Ave N, 37208.

Compassionate understanding of those fleeing danger is key to advancing justice for this vulnerable population.

I was talking with someone about how we were both feeling a bit out of sorts — little things like getting appointments slightly wrong, nothing really serious but constantly annoying. We both had good reasons for feeling a bit out of sorts (for my part, I moved, started a new job, my partner’s father died). … Continue reading "Is that what’s going on?"

The photo shows the lift tabs for a variety of boxes after being fitted and shaped. I sketch the shape I want on the oversized lift tab that I've already fitted in the groove routed in the lid. Then I cut it using a scroll saw and sand its edges smooth. Compare this picture with one I posted yesterday and you'll see progress. Make, fix and create.

For most of my life, I have kept a journal. It’s not been every day for 64 years, but it’s been for stretches of time, writing daily in a notebook about whatever was going on in the internal and external … Continue reading →

Shaya French May we be active participants in the liberatory potential of democracy. Continue reading "Practicing Democracy"