Our weekly 9:00 AM Sunday adult religious education classes will be taking a break for the next three Sundays — no class on 17, 24, and 31 December 2023. We will have some special programming on 7 and 14 January 2024 — watch our website and social media announcements for updates.
Today is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. There’s a big re-enactment going on in Boston today, but who wants to fight the crowds who will show up to watch (not me). As a replacement for fighting the crowds, here’s a little history about our town’s connection to the Tea Party. This is … Continue reading "Happy Tea Party Day"
As a child, I imagined myself in these stories with the funny, out-of-place man. I identified with him because I also felt out of place, and his not-typically masculine demeanor felt safe and somehow familiar to me. As a queer adult, I can now see myself represented in these stories even more clearly, a validation that I didn’t know was needed. Continue reading The Diary of A Queer Timelord at The Wild Hunt.
Does anyone else remember the SRA reading program? Every class in my elementary school had a box of multi-leveled reading materials produced by Science Research Associates. You would independently read a “card” of fiction or non-fiction and after answering a few questions, you could move yourself to the next level. I only pretended to read … Continue reading Bedtime Stories
Pedir Posadas, a traditional Mexican Posadas song with Spanish lyrics. Today is the first day of the traditional Mexican celebration of Las Posadas, a novenario or novena—an extended nine day devotional prayer observed between December 16 and Christmas Eve December 24. The more than 400 year-old custom has spread to other Latin American nations and to the Mexican diaspora in the United States. A neighborhood Posada procession in a painting by Carmen Lomas Garza in the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. Las Posadas derives from the Spanish word posada for a lodging, or inn and during the nine-day period during Advent...
Please join us on Saturday (16 December 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (16 December 2023)"
“One breath taken completely; one poem, fully written, fully read – in such a moment, anything can happen.” Jane Hirshfield[1] In my particular corner of the Zen world when one is giving basic meditation instruction, once the body is addressed, we […]
Alan U. Dalul reviews an anthology of work from Indigenous authors, "Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices," edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. Continue reading Review – “Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices” at The Wild Hunt.
For the first Dinner Church of 2024, we’ll be gathering with our friends at First Parish in Stow. We’ll be serving make-your-own burrito bowls, including gluten free and vegan options. The cost to the church is $15 per person. We are requesting a $15 donation to cover those costs, $20 if you are able to help [ … ] The post Friday, January 26 ~ Dinner Church at First Parish of Stow/Acton ~ 6-8 p.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Thanksgiving is a time when relatives gather. We share stories with the younger members, There are usually peaceful about not reminding the older folks that they’ve heard that story before–like they enjoy hearing the tales of Nono selling fresh turkeys in his store, stacked high in wooden crates and sawdust, not grocery store plastic. They … Continue reading Storytelling as Ritual
By Christian Coleman | Some are new, some are veteran crew. These are a handful of Beacon’s bestsellers of 2023! Let’s raise a glass of bubbly to the authors and to another year of bestsellers! Which ones were your favorites?
If you have a child or grandchild in the 4 year old and up range, a hand drill and a bit of time using it under the guidance of an adult (and that adult could be you!) would make an excellent gift... one that would last at least a generation or longer. I suggest a bit of parental supervision to prevent holes showing up at unexpected locations. You can occasionally find antique hand drills on eBay, but for just in time delivery before Christmas, Amazon can deliver. This drill from Amazon has storage for bits in the handle, and unlike some antiques, has a chuck key and the chuck is locked in place with a screw, requiring just a bit of assembly before use. That assembly time gives a bit of one on one with the younger children and a ch...
Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible. ― Carl Gustav Jung Loneliness is an experience … Continue reading →
Silver Bells (City Sidewalks) sung by Bob Hope, Marilyn Maxwell, and William Frawley in The Lemon Drop Kid . The pages are flying off the calendar like in those old movies as we near Christmas. It’s time to consider the most urban of what might be called the secular advent songs from the Golden Age of American holiday music. Like It ’ s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and other songs it captures the vibrancy, bustle, color, and excitement of the season but sets it on the crowded streets of a big city. Other songs captured nostalgia for by-gone Christmases, country villages, and sleigh rides but Silver Bells , sometimes called City Sidewalks , was set squarely in the modern post-World War II era. Songwriting team R...
Mutton the Indigenous wooly dog who passed away 160 years ago reveals information about their Indigenous ancestry and also exposes the impacts of colonialism on Native Americans and First Nations. Continue reading Mutton, an Indigenous woolly dog, exposes more damage of colonialism at The Wild Hunt.
Sunday, December 17 Solstice Pageant: The Yule Faeries Join us this Sunday for our annual Solstice pageant, featuring our kids and volunteers! Our story is set in a place of magic and mystery where faeries, gnomes, and other magical creatures live and experience the wonder of the natural world. Come and experience the mystery of [ … ] The post Sunday, December 17 ~ Solstice Pageant ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
What we thought Paganism would become 10 years ago isn’t happening, and the future of Paganism is very much undetermined. It will grow out of what we do. It will be what we make it. What do you want to make it?
Every time my child complains about reading homework, I remind her that reading opens doorways to new worlds. Stories invite us to open our imaginations and teach us that something else might be possible if we can dream it. -Michael Tino (CLF) When has a story transported you through a doorway to a new world?
ESSA has announced a mentored residency program in woodworking at ESSA. I'll be the primary mentor, joined by Larry Copas, an excellent woodworker and instructor from the Springdale area and frequent participant in ESSA classes. The details and application form can be found here: https://essa-art.org/instructors/residency-program/ The program is designed to help woodworkers take their work to the next level. Both the wood turning and flat work studios will be available. With on site lodging, we expect lots of collaboration and fellowship among participants. The display cabinet shown above is some of my earlier work. Make, fix and create...
Gretchen Maune Despite the bright, twinkling lights and the chiming bells, some of us are full of grief, fear, and pain. We believe there should be a time to honor these feelings as well. Continue reading "Holiday Blues"
Peace, this short one syllable word is something people ask for all the time, especially during November and December. Peace to me is a mystery, we all ask for it, but do we really obtain it? Do we understand what … Continue reading →
Chanukah (Shake it Off) by Six13. Tonight is the eighth and final night of the Jewish Festival of Life, Hanukkah. Families gather to light the final candle on the Menorah to commemorate the miraculous lamp in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem for eight days on only enough oil for one. They recount the old tale, pray some, then celebrate with games, songs, special foods, and small gifts. Six13 in 2019. Six13 , a Jewish a cappella group gives the occasion the full boy band treatment with a song based on Shake It Off , originally recorded by Taylor Swift. Why not? She’s everywhere these days.
A cave in Finland called the Devil's Church in English has been used by shamans for healing rituals. Researchers looked at the cave's properties to understand how sound and energy come together. Continue reading Researchers find a mystical cave in Finland has acoustic properties that enhance mystical experiences at The Wild Hunt.
“What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle. Your boundaries are your quest. I could explain this, but it will break the glass cover on your heart, and there’s no fixing that. You must have shadow and light source both. Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe.” – from a poem … Continue reading Darkness is Your Candle
Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscientist based at Stanford University, has published a new book in which he upholds the doctrine of hard determinism, asserting there’s no such thing as free will. Which makes me want to say: “I knew you were going to write that book.” To which he could respond, “I knew you were going … Continue reading "I knew you were going to say that"
The UUA announces that the Article II Study Commission, charged with reviewing and updating UUA Bylaws related to the core religious values of Unitarian Universalism, has released its final revisions to the Article II Bylaws. Continue reading "Final Proposed Revisions to Unitarian Universalist Association Bylaws on Core Religious Values Released: Congregations will have until February 2024 to propose amendments"
As a child I was an avid reader. Whenever I finished my schoolwork I chose reading over any of the other out of seat options we were given. I often took a book and read during lunch break and recess. … Continue reading →
Sankta Lucia sung in Swedish at a Church observation in Gothenburg ( Göteborg) . Another day, another Saint. Today we consider how a Sicilian virgin martyr and a Neapolitan song, became central to a Scandinavian folk custom that looks suspiciously pagan . In point of fact, no one is exactly sure, but the Feast of St . Lucy—Santa Lucia—observed annually on December 13, is ancient on one hand and surprisingly recent in its Norse guise. Almost nothing is known about St. Lucy. She was reported to be the daughter of a wealthy and/or noble family from Syracuse in Sicily in the early Fourth Century . Syracuse was a sophisticated ci...
We are excited to announce Nora Rasman as the new Democracy Strategist who will support our UU the Vote 2024 program and year-round work to resist authoritarianism and build a multi-racial democracy. Nora has been a skilled leader and strategist in Unitarian Universalist justice work and a powerful coalition builder progressive organizations like Working Families Party, Showing up for Racial Justice, and Southerners on New Ground. Her reputation for building and sustaining accountable relationships and sharpening the analysis and political commitments of volunteer leaders will strengthen our national and local networks for more effective collaboration and deeper impacts. As the former Wisconsin organizer for UU the Vote in 2020, Nora...
A metaphysical store near Los Angeles reports being stalked by Christian protesters. Continue reading SoCal Metaphysical store experiences Christian protests at The Wild Hunt.
By Christian Coleman | You’ve heard of that elf on the shelf, but have you heard of word count at a discount? That’s really pushing it, but there are books we’re talking about. Now’s the time to hunt for gifty books for the loved ones in your life. Save 30% on everything at beacon.org through December 31 using code HOL30!
We sing, tell stories, sit in the growing darkness, and dream together. Bring hand drums to play/share to invite the Sun to return. The post Dec. 17 10:30am Dreaming in the Dark appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Please bring new warm hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves to donate to local kids and teens. If you won’t be here on the 24th, there will be a basket for them on the 17th to drop them off. The post Dec. 24 – 10:30am Christmas Pageant appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Evening Candlelight Christmas Eve service – all ages welcome! The choir will sing. Those gathered will sing. Followed by social time with cookies and wassail in the dining room as others sit quietly in the circle holding a candle. The post Dec. 24 – 7:00-8:30pm Passing the Light appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
Online only. We are giving all our Staff and Volunteers an unexpected gift of a Sunday off or to just attend and receive the beautiful message created and offered by UUA President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt. The buildings will be closed that day. Perhaps you ... read more . The post Dec. 31 – 10:30am Seeds for the New Year appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
We hope to see you in the Great Hall and/or in our Zoom Sanctuary in the next few weeks! The post We hope to see you! appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.
I’m one of those atheists who thinks a lot about what separates us humans from the rest of the natural world. Storytelling, our ability to pass down concepts, skills, and values through narrative, seems to be the primary gift. In my family, stories passed down an African identity through generations of slavery and colonialism. Growing … Continue reading Storytelling is Life
I finished making my wooden ties. They are made of walnut, inlaid with cherry, maple, walnut and sycamore.To wear them you simply tie the strings in a bow at the back of the neck. No, you won't find them at Dillards. Make, fix and create...
Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise. Julia Cameron I am part of an online quilting community run by Pat Sloan, an award winning quilter who writes books, posts videos and hosts of all things, a mystery … Continue reading →
Ittōen (一灯園) Main Hall On Sunday offered the Cambridge Unitarian community a short thought for the day which referenced the interesting Ittōen (一灯園) community and I thought that, perhaps, a few of you might like to see their five, daily prayers the community uses: The Five Daily Prayers of Ittōen (一灯園) 光明祈願（暫定） Prayer for Enlightenment (Provisional) (1) 不二の光明によりて新生し許されて活きん May we be reborn and live through the one, non-dual, light. (2) 諸宗の真髄を礼拝し帰一の大願に参ぜん May we revere the heart of all teachings, and participate in the great vow of unity. (3) 懺悔の為に奉仕し報恩の為に行乞せん May we serve others in the spiri...
WordPress informs me that this is my 1000th post on Sermons in Stones! Wow. Thanks for coming along for the ride! In Judaism, there’s a concept called hiddur mitzvah: the beautification of a mitzvah or commandment. It means that while we can discharge our duty to fulfill a commandment in a very plain way, adding […]
I’m always interested to read a news story on a topic that I know something about. Do the news media get it right? Do they show their bias? What do they miss? What do they show me that I’ve missed by being too close to the subject? No wonder, then, that I was interested to … Continue reading "Media portrayals"
In this week's Pagan Community Notes, Diana Paxson and her son are recovering after an assault, Yule lads visit begin tonight, good news for African Painted Dogs, events and announcements. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of December 11, 2023 at The Wild Hunt.
“The ancients spoke of three essential conditions for Zen practice: First: Great faith; second: great doubt; third: great determination. These are like the three legs of a tripod.” Koun Yamada[1] Preliminary notes for a larger meditation When I first started Zen practice in the late 1960s there weren’t a lot […]
A prayer offered for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The post A prayer for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights appeared first on Colin Bossen.
Gifts can be awkward things. To give a gift requires grace and generosity of spirit, which can be hard to come by at times. To receive a gift can mean to open oneself to vulnerability and need. The nature of … Continue reading →
During the worst of the pandemic I began using emailed woodworking with kids emails in an attempt to keep my students and parents engaged. It met with limited success. Due to the inactivity of my mail chimp account, I was informed that unless it received further attention from me, it would be disabled. I'll try to keep it going because the need for children working with wood has not diminished. If anything, it is more important than ever before as more stuff moves online and a hunger develops for meaningful engagement in the real world. Adults and children learn in the same manner, direct from the real world and by doing real things. You need not have children or grand children to find value in the newsletters. You can view old copies or...
Ever think you knew something and then when you try to explain it to someone, you realize you don’t really understand it like you thought you did? It happens to me all the time. So for things that are important to me, I work hard to tell the story to those that will listen. Being … Continue reading New Meaning
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the question of how we know what we know. How do we know what we know – what we think we know – about the many Gods? We will never know with certainty, but certainty isn’t required.
Le Canta a la Virgen de Guadalupe sung by Beatriz Adriana Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe , Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas , Patroness of the Americas , and most recently Patroness of the Unborn . An image of her preserved on cloth in a Mexico City Basilica is the object of almost universal adoration in Mexico and among the large Mexican diaspora in the United States. She has been called the “rubber band which binds this disparate nation into a whole.” Mexican literary icons have attested to her importance. Carlos Fuentes said that “you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe ...
Dear Santa Have You Had the Measles? by Lael Calloway with a little help from her dad Cab Calloway. Something about Christmas inspires novelty songs. Records in every possible genre have been recorded by surprising artists. The hope to cash in with a lifetime annuity like All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth or Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer . A few songs struggle to reach the lower reaches of the music charts and fade away after one season. Most of the would-be clever songs disappear into obscurity. Dear Santa Have You Had the Measles? is one never noticed. It came to me only because of a bit by the cheerfully chatty WGN Morning News which had a short clip from a 1950s era 45 RPM single. What intrigu...
Cover A work in progress: Murchison River Gorge from a photograph by Leonie Nulsen January Huron Avenue in January February My life journey in the style of a journey stone March Still life with a silver tin April Calla lily drawn in a pastel workshop May A still life with apples done in pen and watercolor crayons, in a class with Ann Wiseman June A day lily from our back porch July Adams House and Harvard Lampoon Building, view from Mt Auburn St. August Abel Tasman National Park, painted in online class with Mike Southern September Juniper, Cheryl Suchors' dog October Looking at Sandy Pond through trees at De Cordova Sculpture Park experimenting with a different style November Weeks Footbridge from a HSSPA photograph December Smith'...
Meg Elison invites our readers to curl up on the couch for a Christ-less Christmas Classic, the 2006 miniseries adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel "Hogfather." Continue reading Classics of Pagan Cinema: Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather at The Wild Hunt.
I. We are reflecting, this month, on the theme: transformation. Last week, I talked about having a vow to guide your life – discerning what is your calling, and pursuing it. Now, a vow is not a goal. The goal question is: where do you want to end up? The vow question is: what direction do you want to be headed – who knows where you’ll end up. A goal is either achieved, or it isn’t, at least not yet. A vow is how you want to live. It’s about the journey, while a goal is about a particular destination. Living by vow is about being oriented in a certain way every day, whether you actually accomplish anything or not. It is about what you’ve decided to dedicate yourself to trying to accomplish, not about whether or not accomplishm...
Patrick Cruz presents an indigenous perspective about growing up in Los Alamos and living two lives: one as a Los Alamos resident/kid, the other as a Pueblo person from Ohkay Owingeh. in Cruz’s mind, there are constant reminders all over the town and its surrounding landscape of Pueblo spaces: invisible to most residents, but alive and breathing Pueblo places to him. He wishes to voice and bring awareness that these places are not just about Los Alamos’s unique town history and great contributions to global geopolitics, but that there is another independent history and life to this place that has existed long into the past ... and continues to exist today. It remains in Pueblo landscape and space. Note: This forum will NOT be broadca...
My hiking gloves wore out too, but new ones are on the way. There are days I’d like to order a new body on line and have it come in the mail, with frequent email and text messages to alert me to its progress. I do have a (relatively) new knee, so maybe someday we […]
In Unitarian Universalist spaces, one of the covenantal agreements we often observe is to honor the impact of our words and behaviors over the intentions. This is a very difficult agreement to uphold, because it requires that we loosen our grip on the role we assign ourselves in our own story in order to understand … Continue reading What Role?
Our theme for December is "The Gift of Mystery." This week we explore some of the many ways in which we respond to the mysteries of life all around us.
Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming performed by the Robert Shaw Chorale. It is already the Second Sunday of Advent, and a hymn appropriate for that period of anticipatory waiting, Lo , How a Rose E’re Blooming is one of the oldest Advent carols,. Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming originated as the 17th Century German hymn Es ist ein Ros entsprungen —literally “It is a rose sprung up.” The text is a symbolic reference to the Virgin Mary and makes reference to the Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah, which in Christian interpretation foretold the Incarnation of Christ, and to the Tree of Jesse—the lineage of Jesus. The hymn was in...
Please join us on Sunday (10 December 2023) at 11:00 AM for “Mastery or Mystery?” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. We will be meeting in the sanctuary for this worship service. Please join us in person at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA 71106 if you are able to do so. Our service … Continue reading "All Ages Worship (10 December 2023)"
For this Sunday (10 December 2023), our children (Pre-K thru Grade 5) will be using a program adapted from Moral Tales (a Tapestry of Faith curriculum by Alice Anacheka Nasemann and Elisa Davy Pearmain). The lesson for this week is exploring the idea of working together.
This class is an exploration of our eight Unitarian Universalist principles through artistic expression. On this Sunday (10 December 2023), we will revisit all 8 principles. The All8 curriculum is the creation of Jil Novenski (Director of Religious Education — Community Unitarian Universalist Church of New York City) who has generously shared it with her … Continue reading "Middle and High School Youth Religious Education (10 December 2023)"
Please join us on Sunday (10 December 2023) for our adult religious education class at 9:00 AM. For this Sunday only, our adult religious education class will be meeting on Zoom and not in person (the social hall is set up for the Sunday afternoon’s rummage sale). We will continue reading the UUA Common Read … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 10 December 2023"
Please join us next Wednesday (13 December 2023) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch. Our weekly Zoom lunch is 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.
On this Sunday and next Sunday (10 and 17 December 2023), the Muslim Community of Shreveport (MCS) is conducting a clothing drive for the people of Gaza. You can help — there will be a box in the foyer from 10 to 17 December 2023 for you to bring your gently used clothing –all styles … Continue reading "Clothing Drive for Gaza (10 and 17 December 2023)"
"I have been a hard polytheist for a long time, sure that the gods are people with their own motivations and machinations. Somehow, I had never expected them to have feelings - or at least, not ones that I could hurt." Luke Babb on Marvel's Loki - and the real one. Continue reading For All Time, Always at The Wild Hunt.
I received yet another email from someone who is concerned about the proposed revisions to Article II. On the one hand, we’re merely revising the principles and purposes section of the Unitarian Universalist Association(UUA) bylaws. You have to have a section on principles and purposes in any nonprofit organization’s bylaws to help demonstrate to the … Continue reading "Article II again (sigh)"
Growing up in an Arabic speaking home in New Jersey meant that I absorbed two languages all day. At school and out in the world, I heard mostly English (some Spanish and Portuguese when I went into New York City or Newark). I loved when my mother told my sister and I stories in Arabic. … Continue reading Super Power
Orlik, Emil: Japanese mother and child , Leo Baeck Institute, 77.636. A short “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful Meditation. (A recorded version of the following piece can be heard at this link) —o0o— In last week’s thought for the day, called “Embracing climate adaptation positives in our settings in good company,” I suggested that, as a creative, free-spiritual community, we had a role to play, not on the supply-side of the equation — i.e. providing the big, technical solutions connected with things like renewables, carbon storage, and hydrogen etc. — but on the demand-side, where we can certainly find modest ways to communicate to othe...
Brenda Lee's Rockin' Abound the Christmas Tree was recorded and released in 1958 but took two years to first climb to the Charts. Earlier this Holiday season, I mentioned that Jimmy Fallon had hopes to finally oust Mariah Carey’s perennial Christmas #1 with his new duet with Meagan Trainer. He made a run but didn’t succeed and the song faded fast. But this week the ubiquitous pop diva was finally bested by a song recorded 65 years ago by a 13-year-old belter. Brenda Lee’s Rockin ’ Around the Christmas Tree had been #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts from 2019 to last year. Christmas song composer Johnny Marks. The song was written by was written by Johnny Marks, who also penned Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , A Holly...
This past summer, I spent an inordinate amount of time in Pennsylvania, a state that I had not visited for years, fond as I am of it. I visited three of its cities in three months — Pittsburgh, Gettysburg, and … Continue reading →
Please join us on Saturday (9 December 2023) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This group will be meeting via Zoom and not in person. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (9 December 2023)"
Due to rain and thunderstorms forecasts for Saturday (9 December 2023), All Souls is moving the Holiday Park-It Market and Moving Sale to Sunday (10 December 2023) from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Join us as a shopper — Shop with local artists selling their work and for all kinds of treasure at All Souls’ … Continue reading "Moving to 10 December 2023 — All Souls Holiday Park-It Market and Moving Sale"
Science fiction author Charles Stross took Google’s “Bard” for a test drive. Bard is what popular culture calls “Artifical Intelligence,” a.k.a., but which is more properly called a Large Language Model (LLM); or, to use Ted Chiang’s more general nomenclature, it’s merely Applied Statistics. In any case, Stross asked Google Bard to provide five facts … Continue reading "AI lies"
The Unitarian Church of Marlborough & Hudson invites you into a time of spiritual reflection with our Soul Matters Sharing Circle. Once a month, in lieu of a formal worship service, we will gather to create safe, sacred space together, in a sharing circle format, so we may explore topics that apply to our daily living, [ … ] The post Sunday, December 10 ~ The Gift of Mystery ~ Soul Matters Sharing Circle ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.
Lyonel Perabo interviews Joseph Hopkins and Lauren Fountain of the experimental publishing house Hyldyr, which produces new books and translations of interest to Heathens that seek to bridge the gap between the purely academic and purely popular. Continue reading Of Elder Woods and Erudite Wisdom: The Hyldyr Publishing House at The Wild Hunt.
I began using simple plastic glue spreaders while teaching kids at the Clear Spring School. One of the things you'll soon notice when kids use glue is the mess. So I would have the kids make a small puddle of glue on a plastic lid from a box of screws from which dried glue could be easily removed, and then use plastic glue sticks to spread just the amount of glue needed and in just the right place. Glue bottles offer an immediate mess. These glue spreaders work great. Just as advertised, the dried glue comes right off, and they're cheap enough that you can give them to all your woodworking friends and thereby improve the quality of their own work. These are perfect for applying just the right amount of glue in tight places or for glui...
As someone who feels more connected to celebrations of the Winter Solstice than of Christmas, I’ve often longed for an ancient story that I can call upon for Solstice celebrations, just as narratives about Jesus’ birth are told over and over again this time of year. It feels like my ancestors may have had those … Continue reading New Stories
Hanerot Halalu sung by the Maccabeats. Last night was the first evening of the Jewish Festival Hanukkah. It is supposed to be festive season that celebrates a miraculous gift, light, and hope. This year the festivities are held under the painful pall of the brutal Hamas terrorist attack and Israel’s horrific war of revenge and retribution that has destroyed much of Gaza, made trapped refugees the majority of population, and killed thousands, most of them civilians. The world is outraged but bitterly divided. Antisemitism is on the rise and reports of threats and hate crimes are up as much as 90% over last year ...
I was introduced to these excellent sanding discs from Taylor Tool Company taytools.com. They do an excellent job of dust removal and last far longer than other sanding discs. The placement of the dust extraction holes removes the concern with aligning them just right on the sanding pad. And they are hard to wear out. As an amazon affilliate This link to Amazon.com provides a small commission when you buy a set. Make, fix and create...
Elaine McArdle The Board is now receiving amendments to the version submitted by the Article II Study Commission. A proposed amendment needs fifteen certified congregations to formally endorse it. This process ends February 1, 2024.
I learned that supplies are low on my book The Guide to Woodworking with Kids but was assured by my publisher that when supplies run out it goes automatically to print on demand so orders will be filled. A larger print run will be available after the first of the year. It is currently my top selling book. And that's good as it suggests more children will become engaged in the joys of working with wood. In the meantime, I've fabricated the top knots for my wooden ties, and after further sanding they will be finished with Danish oil, bringing the colors of wood to life, and assembled with string.
Recently I had a very pleasant conversation with someone about holiday baking and golden childhood memories of baking cookies. For her it was her grandmother’s cold porch where she hid the tins of holiday bakes. This porch didn’t see much … Continue reading →
In the third installment on the growing presence of AI in publishing affecting Pagans, concern grows about AI generated text and imagery. Continue reading “We’re still at the beginning:” For Pagan writers the AI debate is ongoing at The Wild Hunt.
December 6th is the feast of Saint Nicholas. Somehow there’s a line drawn from this figure, a 4th century bishop of Myra, which is in Asia Minor, specifically, Turkey, and our Santa Claus. Precious little is known of the actual Nicholas. Well, he was a bishop. And he was a […]
As our Jewish siblings around the world begin their celebrations of Hanukkah tonight, we pause to honor the stories told at this holiday. Stories of the rededication of holy space that was defiled by violence and war, and the persistence of those who were called to uphold the highest callings of Judaism to pikuach nefesh–saving of … Continue reading Rededication
Those of you who saw Shrill or read the book may remember the main character’s experience of being at a…</p> The post An Ugly Duckling appeared first on Taking Up Space.
In this photo you can see how the wooden tie is hinged to bend at the bottom of the rib cage, allowing it to conform to the body, at least a bit. The photo was taken by John Rankine for a series of artist portraits commissioned by Marty and Elise Reonigk. The series of photos is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Eureka Springs Art, opening in the spring. Make, fix and create... Assist others in learning likewise.
Ah, the mysteries of the season, of winter and Santa! Every child’s dream this time of year is to write or visit Santa to tell him what you want for Christmas. I was no different, every year the mystery of … Continue reading →
I am working on a diptych of olive trees in Israel and Palestine. A few minutes after the image came to me, the medium followed: traditional Jewish papercuts, an art form I have loved and admired for a long time, but have never tried. I’m loving it. According to Wikipedia, papercutting was done throughout the […]
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