Quaker Women's Retreat
Feb. 3rd, 2013 02:26 pmRetreat last weekend was about 95 percent wonderful (my DW friends have commented enough; suffice it to say I now have words/action loaded for the next time someone insults one of my friends)
Bits of wonderfulness:
I carpooled with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
twistedchick, who, true to her northern NY state upbringing and overall talents, is someone you want at the wheel in a snowstorm. We thought we'd long since passed our turn and stopped at a large house with the sign "site of a Civl War hospital," hoping it was a museum, or at least the home of a kind and trusting person. It was the latter, and we had lovely hospitality from a woman who gave us directions, offered us her bathroom, and let us warm up while we chatted in her living room. Many blessings to her!
twistedchick led a wonderful labyrinth workshop, in which we learned tons about the history of labyrinths, uses (dancing and ball-throwing-games--by French monks!) and speculations on uses, labyrinth drawing (a meditative and addictive exercise in itself) and of course walking the cloth labyrinth twistedchick brought. I also helped lay out the labyrinth, which had excellent energy that improved after some good meditative walking by mindful women.
The singing, oh the singing! Mostly rounds and chants, with women putting in harmonies that came to them. Up to 130 women all singing with their souls in it = a bit of heaven in a window-filled worship room in the low mountains of Maryland.
A lunchtime "topic table" on science fiction that started with a discussion of--what else?--fabric crafts and included numerous recommendations of good science fiction and fantasy, as well as this compliment to steampunk-supernatural-humorous-romance author Gail Carriger's writing: "Her makeout scenes are hotter than many authors' sex scenes." And of course there was Lois McMaster Bujold worship at the table.
The debut of the first song I've written and performed in public, "Russian Cat Blues," was met with laughter and (to me) thunderous applause, as well as three compliments the next day.
Worship sharing was not as profound as in previous years, but still good--and one of our group is also a customer of mine! She loves the library branch I adore working at, and we're going to keep an eye out for each other. M. is also delightful crone and a graceful and just-the-right-amount-of sexy hula dancer.
The food was good and varied enough for just about anyone with dietary restrictions to get a decent meal (I was able to have chicken fajitas!) and I had a good conversation with one of the cooks, a cheery and helpful Vietnam and 1st Gulf War vet.
Next year, my Quaker meeting will be co-hosting the retreat. I've already volunteered to restore the retreat's art room tradition, which many of us missed this year.
Bits of wonderfulness:
I carpooled with
twistedchick, who, true to her northern NY state upbringing and overall talents, is someone you want at the wheel in a snowstorm. We thought we'd long since passed our turn and stopped at a large house with the sign "site of a Civl War hospital," hoping it was a museum, or at least the home of a kind and trusting person. It was the latter, and we had lovely hospitality from a woman who gave us directions, offered us her bathroom, and let us warm up while we chatted in her living room. Many blessings to her!twistedchick led a wonderful labyrinth workshop, in which we learned tons about the history of labyrinths, uses (dancing and ball-throwing-games--by French monks!) and speculations on uses, labyrinth drawing (a meditative and addictive exercise in itself) and of course walking the cloth labyrinth twistedchick brought. I also helped lay out the labyrinth, which had excellent energy that improved after some good meditative walking by mindful women. The singing, oh the singing! Mostly rounds and chants, with women putting in harmonies that came to them. Up to 130 women all singing with their souls in it = a bit of heaven in a window-filled worship room in the low mountains of Maryland.
A lunchtime "topic table" on science fiction that started with a discussion of--what else?--fabric crafts and included numerous recommendations of good science fiction and fantasy, as well as this compliment to steampunk-supernatural-humorous-romance author Gail Carriger's writing: "Her makeout scenes are hotter than many authors' sex scenes." And of course there was Lois McMaster Bujold worship at the table.
The debut of the first song I've written and performed in public, "Russian Cat Blues," was met with laughter and (to me) thunderous applause, as well as three compliments the next day.
Worship sharing was not as profound as in previous years, but still good--and one of our group is also a customer of mine! She loves the library branch I adore working at, and we're going to keep an eye out for each other. M. is also delightful crone and a graceful and just-the-right-amount-of sexy hula dancer.
The food was good and varied enough for just about anyone with dietary restrictions to get a decent meal (I was able to have chicken fajitas!) and I had a good conversation with one of the cooks, a cheery and helpful Vietnam and 1st Gulf War vet.
Next year, my Quaker meeting will be co-hosting the retreat. I've already volunteered to restore the retreat's art room tradition, which many of us missed this year.
