Friday, November 24, 2006

Over the river & through the woods; to Grandmother's house we go....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great gathering of the clan at Dawn's. I think there were a zillion little girls running all over the place. Terrific fun.

When I think of Thanksgiving; I think of Grandmas, like the song above suggests. Thanksgivings and Grandmas seem to go together. While we were in Lithuania, I met an aunt of Pete's. I felt as if I knew her my entire life. Then as we were walking through the garden she was so proud of,I knew I HAD known her my whole life...she was just like my Grandma Foster! Although they had never met and they lived half the world apart and in different times, they are alike in so many ways. They both radiate(d) lively gentleness from their eyes, they have wonderful hearts, they are both short(and from me that is saying something), they both love(d) their gardens, have AMAZING granddaughters (Hi Daiva!), and they walk(ed) around the garden using sticks.

I use sticks when I walk around Hummingbird Hill. As a matter of fact Pete has fancied one up for me so it is my stick. Is it that wise women understand the power of trees reflected in their sticks? I have been to a crone ceremony where a crone stick was given to the new crone to symbolize her wisdom. Perhaps I should make crone canes for all interested future crones...anyone interested??????

Saturday, November 18, 2006

No shock; real awe...

I know that it has been a very long time since I last wrote. It seems the very books I told you I love are pretty much drowning me. Not a complaint...just a fact. At any rate I am, for this post at least, leaving the subject of our wonderful trip to Lithuania. Instead I want to share our trip to Washington D.C.with you. I am currently here; leaving tomorrow. This has been a business trip with a very full agenda. We did,however, manage a few hours of sightseeing the night we arrived.

I don't care how many times I visit DC. It awes me. I believe that it is no accident this place became one of the most powerful places in the world. You can just feel that power surging under the ground.


Pete & I, when we see an unusually beautiful place, ask each other if we think the people who get to see it every day continue to appreciate it and remain awed by it... or do they get so used to it they become immune to the beauty? Worse, do our leaders we send here forget the glory of this place? When they come to represent us do they honor the trust they were sent with?

Do they sense the sacred?


I hope so...but Pete says the reason they built the Washington monument was to prevent "Abe" from seeing what they're up to at the other end of the mall...


I HOPE NOT