Signs

Inspiration

It is a rainy day in the mountains of North Carolina where Katie and I are taking some days of rest. Yesterday was beautiful - sunny, warm and glorious colors! I guess it was my one day of "Indian Summer." But today has its own sort of beauty. Katie and I took an early morning walk in the rain. I saw a few deer which Kate did not see because her nose was to the ground...such good smells here! Most of the deer were in the fleeing mode because we are tramping on their turf, but it was lovely to see their warm brown bodies and beautiful white tails. I'm getting ready to make preparations for beef stew. It will cook most of the afternoon and fill the house with a fragrance better than Febreeze!

I've had this poem in mind for sometime now but it didn't hit paper until last night. I'm not sure it's in final form but close.

Signs

“You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky,
but you do not know how to interpret the signs of the times.”*

Squirrels run, finding
secret places for seeds and nuts.
Woolly worms act suicidal,
crossing hot asphalt,
showing off thick, dark coats.
Branches weighted with berries
drape themselves thickly over fences.
They are the fabric of winter food.

We read these signs like an almanac.
We trust the squirrel, the worm, the berry
to tell us the ways of nature.
Global warming says prepare to thaw.
Signs in nature cancel those preparations.
Careful and watchful – we are
the interpreters of nature’s ways.

How shall we interpret our times?
The newspaper and post office dwindle.
We are electronic; quick as a synapse.
Every day we speed toward
overcoming all that ails in life.
Soon we will not need to fear microbe or neutron.
We trust progress as the sign of a good life

History offers its signs as well.
We make war over and over,
with the same people.
We are curved inward and preoccupied with self.
Preparing for war, building walls
that separate each one from the next;
we trust no one.

Within history is a sign so pure
that all other signs blare false,
and all other news contributes little.
We watch as water, oil, bread and wine
become signs of love that will not cease.
This love is the true sign of the One
who made us in their image –
to be a sign of love to the world.

* Matthew 16:4
mah - 10/2009

Volunteers!

Trusses in place!

This morning I volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity house being built here in New Harmony. The house is being built by Habitat for the daughter of a parishioner. Lori is handicapped due to a brain injury. She uses a motorized wheelchair and can get around well in that. Lori is able to do a lot of things for herself and is able to live alone. She has been living in Evansville but that means she is 45 minutes to an hour away from her parents and support system here in New Harmony. This house is such a wonderful thing for Lori and her family and we are all pitching in to help get it done. And speaking of "getting it done," today was a great example of that. When I got to the site at about 7:30am there were no trusses up, and when I left at noon the trusses were in place and most of the decking for the roof! These volunteers are amazing. There were people there from New Harmony, Evansville, Illinois and lots of other places. One of the volunteers from Evansville is a man named Jack. Jack is 81 years old and he has worked on almost all of the houses Habitat has built in this area. He is the "unofficial" foreman of the crew who hops around showing others how to do things and helping with almost every aspect. I met a woman named Charlene whose house in Evansville was destroyed by a Tornado and Habitat built her present house. She has become a Habitat 'junkie." And I can see why. The atmosphere is enormously positive and everyone is helping one another. If conflicts arise they are quietly mediated and forgotten because there is a bigger issue at stake - a home for someone who needs it.

Welcome Home, Lori!

I got a piece of the action (so to speak) as I hammered nails into the seats for the trusses after they were in place and made marks to guide those who will put on the siding. There was very little "the novices" could do while the crane swung the trusses in place. It is probably the most dangerous time on the site but this one went like clockwork! When I drove away at noon I was astounded at the progress. Just what could we do if everyone gave 4 hours of volunteer service each week to work towards overcoming a pressing need in the world? And just how much better would we be able to relate to our neighbors if we spent some time working alongside of them and/or providing for their needs. I have been a supporter of Habitat for a long time and now I know first hand how crucial it is to be there! I am looking forward to going back next Saturday to help with whatever the needs are...

Fall Festival Time!

Saturday morning at Kunstfest

The saints at St. Stephen's began the Kunstfest festival early on Saturday morning as all the other booths geared up for the day. We had about 30 volunteers for the 2 days of the festival. The days were divided into shifts and everyone worked hard. Saturday was a beautiful, warm fall day and the crowds in town were having fun visiting all the variety of booths and businesses. There were so many choices of food available from the local establishments and various organizations that it would have been hard to choose. St. Stephen's sold grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches. For those of you who have never had this Hoosier favorite it is a thinly sliced piece of pork tenderloin that has been hammered with a meat mallet. It is grilled and served on a bun with dill pickles, lettuce and onions (any or all of these) and your condiment of choice. Here in Indiana it is often breaded and deep fried, but grilled is better. Our locally prepared tenderloins are huge and they sell well. We sold 500 sandwiches on Saturday! We also had 100 Kuchens (German coffee cake) made by our members which we sold out on during Saturday. It was a busy day!

The view towards the middle of town from St. Stephen's

On Sunday the festival begins at 11am - we had our coffee hour outside in front of the church as we prepared for another day raising money. Sunday's weather was not cooperative - it was off and on rainy and the crowds of Saturday did not materialize. We still did a good bit of business and by 5pm we were all ready for Kunstfest to be over. We made about $4000 for our various mission and outreach projects. For me the greatest significance of the weekend was the teamwork. Parishioners who volunteered gave so much of themselves not just to the fundraising project but to each other.

It seems that a common goal brings out the best in us. We find ways to get around the things that divide us when we are working together. Of course it takes a willingness to put our personal feelings aside and become a team of people who are together for a greater good. I continue to wonder how some people are able to let go of hurt feelings to work together and others allow those hurts to become walls. Is it that old hurts get reactivated causing an autonomic action (reaction)? This kind of reaction seems to be so powerful that forgiveness can't break in and logic fails us. I know what that reaction feels like. It is so powerful that even when my heart reveals my own self-indulgent pride to me, I still am paralyzed by the hurt. It feels physiological - like adrenaline being released when we need to flee a dangerous situation. I think this is a crucial part of being open to reconciliation - to come together with those who have hurt us and allow the Holy Spirit to make space in us. Perhaps the space is for forgiveness, or space to listen to the other person, or just to "see" the other person. All of those things, it seems, are necessary for reconciliation - space, listening, seeing the other person.

Just in time for Halloween

It was cool and moist this morning and this spider web was just begging to have its picture taken. I think the Halloween decorations have been displayed since early September. There is even a store in Evansville called "The Halloween Store" - it opened in September. Of course the Christmas decorations are not far behind and in some stores they are intermingled with the Halloween stuff! I'm sure struggling with this...

Another Week

The tops of the trees are edged with gold and red. The sunlight hitting them hints at what the world around us will soon look like as fall moves in quickly. At St. Stephen's we are preparing for New Harmony's fall festival, Kunstfest. The German origins of the town give rise to this yearly celebration which brings visitors from all over southwestern Indiana. All of the organizations, businesses, and churches in this small town put our wares out for sale. In the process we have a lot of fun and earn some money for our various projects. St. Stephen's sells German Kuchens (coffeecake), pork tenderloin sandwiches (an Indiana favorite) and jars of soup and cookie mix. In past years we have earned $4 - 5,000 for our outreach ministries. It is a lot of work for a small parish like ours but everyone really pulls together. Parishioners cook around 100 Kuchens to sell - they go like hotcakes! These folks are troopers!

Felted Pin

This is a not so clear picture of a pin I made recently. It has some beading on it which doesn't really show up in this picture. The piece of copper is a wonderful old piece of junk which I picked up walking on the mesa when I lived in Albuquerque. The background is a piece of wool felt with silk thread felted into it. It was a fun piece to make and gave me a lot of ideas for other pieces to make.

Indiana Pink

This is early morning in my backyard. It's a great place to be in the morning because the light is always different. I think God is truly an artist, and one who paints with the whole palette!

Late Summer Musings

Religious Cat?

I know I have shown Pumpkin (my cat) under the rose bushes with Jesus before, but she really does "hang out" there often. She goes out when I take Katie out in the morning and we usually find her sitting by Jesus when we come back up the hill. Maybe she feels secure with this "person" who never moves. I guess there is some good theology in that. It is often said that when we feel far away from God, it is not because God has moved away - we are the ones who move. God is steady in his presence just as my statue of Jesus is firmly fixed in the rose garden. A couple of weeks ago you would not have been able to see Pumpkin or Jesus in this garden. The wild mint and Irises, and other flowering plants had grown up around the roses and Jesus. I cleaned it out and trimmed the Iris down for winter - I found Jesus! I first looked at this house 5 years ago, thinking I would like to buy it. At that time Jesus was sitting on the stump of a tree in the back yard. The person who bought the house then put in the Iris bed and flowers around Jesus. When I bought the house 3 years ago Jesus was still on the stump. But over the first two years I lived here the stump disintegrated and I filled the garden in with more mulch and fixed Jesus in the middle. So through the disintegrating vagaries of life Jesus has really never moved. I love that reminder each day when I stroll through the back yard with my "girls."

Katie Scarlett O'Hara Honaker 2009

Speaking of my "girls" here is an updated picture of Katie. I took her out to the Nursing Home here in New Harmony yesterday. We went into the Alzheimer's Unit and visited one of her dearest friends who used to be at the Ford Home (a home for women). Virginia was moved to the Nursing Home when she could no longer take care of herself at the Ford Home. Katie used to spend one morning a week with Virginia at the Ford Home. I don't know if she recognized me or Katie yesterday but the smile on her face was worth the visit. Watching her cradle Katie's face in her two hands and lean close to kiss her brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me how much animals minister to our hearts. Each person we visited yesterday was carefully loved by Katie's sweet presence. She seems to know when she is "working", and she can work a room like nobody else. She means to get all the pats and ear rubs she can get. It is such "mutual satisfaction"!

Prairie Sky

Doesn't this just look like a Georgia O'Keefe painting? The sky here is so big. Sometimes I feel like I am living in a big bowl. The fields lately have been so green with corn and soybeans - it looks like an ocean of green stretching out as far as you can see. I don't think I could ever get entirely comfortable with this huge openness. I am too conditioned to the mountains. I like the way I feel held by the mountains - snuggled down into their presence. I get a little antsy sometimes with all this open sky and field. But most of the time I just revel in the beauty of it all. I love the way the fields change with each season. Soon the corn will turn brown and the contrast with the soybean fields will be dramatic. The soybeans turn beautiful shades of orange and gold as they ripen and dry. So much beauty... Check out my wonderful niece's blog www.brettaogburn.blogspot.com for some beautiful photograpy. She is such a gifted artist and her project of journaling through the year with photos is fabulous.

Indiana Home

North Carolina's Showy Weeds!

I got back to New Harmony on Tuesday afternoon. The drive is not difficult, just long! Fortunately, I like to drive and on this journey I listened to the last Harry Potter book on tape. The book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is long so it lasted for both portions of the trip. This is the second time I have listened to it and this time I caught more of the clever and at times brilliant associations that Rowling makes to our faith journey. Harry and his two companions, Hermione and Ron, are on the run from Lord Voldemort in the story. Dumbledore, who was the head master of Hogwort's School is dead; but he left each of them something which would help them in their quest to end Voldemort's evil. He left Ron a "deluminator" which puts out light. Ron becomes disillusioned with the journey, gets mad and leaves Harry and Hermione in the midst of the quest. As soon as he leaves however, he is sorry for his angry outburst and wishes to return. The magical powers of the "deluminator" allow him to eventually find the two just in time to save Harry's life. After the three are safely reunited Ron tells the other two how Dumbledore's "deluminator" helped him find them. Ron says, "I reckon Dumbledore knew I would leave you and he gave me the "deluminator." But Harry says, "He gave it to you because he knew you would come back." Harry sees with the eyes of faith, I think. God gives us the Holy Spirit at Baptism not because he knows we will all stray away from his love, but because he knows that we will come back to him over and over no matter how far we stray or how long we are gone. He gives us himself because he knows we will return.

Mountain Mushrooms

I think these are one of God's most clever creations! I haven't a clue what they are called but they rise up out of the leafy floor of the forest like towers. And the contrast of colors between the mushrooms and the other colors is spectacular! I love the way they grow in little "communities." They seem to have a natural knowledge that they need others to grow.

Knitted Bookmark

While I was in NC, a friend from Fayetteville, Mary Mac, shared a little book of knitting patterns with me. The little book is old and shows how to do a variety of lacy knitted stitches. This one is particularly pretty and so I made a bookmark with it. It was fun to do and when I finished I threaded some ribbon I had through the edges to give it some color. I will definintely do some more of these...

August Already!

Soybeans in My Backyard!

This week (August 10 - 18) is a week of vacation for me and I am in Sparta, NC enjoying the mountains. I am so glad for a chance to have some quiet time. Last week was quite difficult for our household. As the week progressed I began to realize that Isabelle (my lovely, young golden retreiver) was not working out. I have worked with her almost everyday seeking to "detoxify" her relationship (or lack thereof) with my cat Pumpkin. On Wednesday, she chased Pumpkin again with just as much determination in her eyes as before. Then on Thursday she wrapped the leash around my leg in a wild frenzy to get at a bunny rabbit. The leash burned my leg quite badly. Finally, on Friday, I made a decision to let her go for adoption. Everytime I looked at her I cried. A very good friend in Mt. Vernon, IN has taken Isabelle to find her a home. I hope we gave her some new skills to adjust in another home. On Friday afternoon I took Katie out in the backyard for a stroll. As we came up from the soybean field back toward the house, my neighbor's bull terrier came around the fence and attacked Katie. I pulled him off of her but then fell and he attacked her again! She sustained a bad laceration to her ear as well as being rolled over several times. My neighbor finally got him off of Kate. She required stitches at the emergency vet hospital in Evansville. Katie is 12 years old and arthritic so this attack was hard on her. By Sunday she was doing much better and back to her old irrascible self!

Decisions, like giving Isabelle, are so hard. I had been struggling with this one for several weeks. I so wish at times like this that God would send an angel with a message! I think probably God does send those angels. I also think that we are so busy that we miss most of them! Last week at the beginning of the week I began spending some time during my morning prayers on quiet meditation. I was trying as much as possible to get my psyche quiet. On Thursday afternoon after a meeting at church I sat down with a wonderful man in our congregation to talk about several things. I told him about my struggles with Isabelle and he didn't tell me to let her go but he listened and just confirmed some of the things I was feeling. It was so helpful in making the decision. I know that sometimes I am too busy and hurried to even let those conversations happen. I came close that evening because I was having dinner with friends and was running late. In the end there was time for both - the conversation and dinner! I hope I can remember this event the next time I get so busy and hurried!

Crepe Myrtle

The ever growing soybeans in the field at the edge of my backyard and this flamingly beautiful Crepe Myrtle over the eastern edge of the yard are sure signs to me that fall is closing in on us. In southwestern Indiana we are just now beginning to enjoy (?) the heat of summer. The first part of our summer was relatively cool and very rainy, but last week was steamy and hot. The picture above was taken early one morning with the sun just beginning to arrive. I love watching the seasons change. The corn fields are golden with tassels now and the corn itself is over 6 feet tall! Soon it will be turning brown and readying for harvest. Here in NC, the plants on the sides of the roads are the "give - aways" for seasons for me - along with tobacco turning yellow in the fields!

I've been sewing some lately. I love being able to sew. I know why my mother loved to sew - it is (when things go well) such satisfying work. The colors of fabrics, the technical aspect of threading a sewing machine and just watching fabric come together in a meaningful way are all so much a part of my life. I remember sitting under my mother's sewing machine as a little girl glueing pieces of leftover fabric together. Finally when I was old enough she taught me to use a needle and thread and last of all the sewing machine. Sometimes I think it is part of my DNA! I don't sew as well as my mom but it still makes me feel creative and gives me joy. Below is a picture of a tote bag that I made for a friend for her birthday.