When might compartments be necessary? Perhaps when you’re juggling two all-consuming passions?

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from midwestmasters.wordpress.com
from midwestmasters.wordpress.com

I’m in a pickle and I need your help.

I have two all-consuming passions right now and I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. It involves the writing of two books.

Dreamy summer

Since April I have been immersed in research for a book I want to write about Elizabeth Alcott, the one sister of that illustrious family who has never truly been fleshed out. I just spent one of the most meaningful summers in years, head buried in old books, Alcott letters and journals from the Houghton Library at Harvard, and biographies of the family. I’ve spent countless hours in
tetrasthe car during my long commute to work talking out my theories, struggling to assemble the puzzle and having no luck. Then one day, a line for a preface to the book came into my head out of nowhere and I scribbled the beginnings of the preface to the book. I poured over the preface for the next two weeks, watching the puzzle pieces fall neatly into place, as if I was playing Tetras. I sent the preface off to my editor and she wrote back saying she couldn’t wait to read the first chapter. I was elated.

I should have been burnt out but I wasn’t. I looked forward to many more months of the same.

Competition

And then, along came an opportunity. A professional opportunity that I could not turn down. But it’s a project that will require everything I have. I must pour myself into this project as I did with my Alcott project. This project, if accepted, could open many doors and teach me the trade in ways I could never have imagined.

Can’t bear to put it away

kayakLetting go of my first love has been difficult. The boat is full and still raring to go, but I had to push the boat away and dock it for a time. I can still see that boat off in the distance, calling to me.

Changing direction

But I must be a professional. I must attend to this present opportunity and give it the same passion as I gave to my Alcott project. Switching mindsets is like getting stuck in the mud, trying to lift the heavy foot out of the muck, cleaning it off, and setting it in a new direction. And both feet have to go.

Can I stick to my principles?

jugglingAnd then I started wondering: could I juggle both projects at once?  Would it require creating separate compartments in my mind and heart to house them? Isn’t compartmentalization the very thing I have been pushing away, trying instead to live in a single flow? Didn’t I start this public blog to hold myself accountable to that idea?

Now what?

I could really use your help on this. Please tell me if you have experienced this and how you dealt with it. If you know of a blog post, please share the link in the comments.

And I thank you!

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Three practices of the abundant life from Sr. Bridget Haase, O.S.U.

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Meeting Sr. Bridget Haase, OSU has been a watershed moment in my life for reasons I can’t reveal just now. Her book, Generous Faith, is beautifully written with compelling and heartfelt stories that lead you into a deeper appreciation of your faith. I highly recommend this book which, by the way, is very pleasing to hold and read if you’re into the tactile experience of reading. 🙂
Sr. Bridget is coming to speak at the Gather Us In Women’s Conference on November 2, 2013 at the DCU Center in Worcester. The end of the post has all the details.

The ultimate secret garden (posted on location)

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I had to add this secret garden at Wellesley College, in the same areas as the others, noted in the previous post. This one is up a small hill from the path, under small and large fir trees. They frame tiny and beautiful waterfall, spilling from the rocks.

When I saw it, I knew I had to share it while on location. Nature meets technology and it’s a peaceable kingdom for a change.

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wellesley college secret garden waterfall2

Where is your secret garden? What is it like? What do you like to do there?

Click to Tweet & Share: The ultimate secret garden (posted on location) http://wp.me/p2D9hg-vE

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Check out this little guy! Nature’s miracle in a Spring Peeper

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Leave it to my son to find this tiny Spring Peeper. Nothing escapes this guy:

spring peeper1spring peeper too

We used to love hearing them in the early spring, peeping in the local swamp. One year we had a lone peeper in the tarp of our swimming pool! I felt bad he never found his mate. We were treated to a couple of lusty tree frogs that year too. 🙂

Have you ever caught a Spring Peeper?

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How I run away from home … for lunch! The secret gardens of Wellesley College

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Sometimes you just want to run away from home. It’s not that home’s so bad. In fact, home is great! But the warm autumn weather beckons, tinged with a crisp breeze, and it carries you away to beautiful places.

In my quest to get to the local CVS during lunch to pick up a pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, the pristine day led me to nearby Wellesley College and one of my favorite places, behind the Botany Building where my mom used to work, in the secret gardens.

wellesley college secret garden1

I made a mental note that I must bring a notebook with me the next time I come here and plant myself in one of these little outdoor rooms and scribble away.

My favorite author and writing muse, Louisa May Alcott, wrote of her longing for a room of her own. Finally nearing her teens, her parents gave her one with a door leading out to the garden where she could “run away from home” whenever she liked.

Louisa May Alcott in her own room, illustration by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard
Louisa May Alcott in her own room, illustration by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

Louisa also loved writing in apple trees, crunching on crisp, juicy apples:

"I write best up in the apple tree"; illustration by Flora Smith.
“I write best up in the apple tree”; illustration by Flora Smith.

So I thought of Louisa in her apple tree when I saw this pine:

wellesley college secret garden8

I loved this little “room” created by fir bushes, complete with a little door:

wellesley college secret garden4

The view outside the room was equally lovely:

wellesley college secret garden7

A grape arbor with flat stones for a bench:

wellesley college secret gardens of the heart2

A stone bench dedicated to a loved one as a place to remember loved ones:

wellesley college secret gardens of the heart3

All this just a short walk from my office. Does “home” get any better than this?

Made me think of a song by Judy Collins:

And if I hadn’t taken that detour to the college, I wouldn’t have noticed that a new Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins store has opened in Wellesley Square. I was able to get my pound of coffee for less money, and use the savings to get my favorite iced mocha with cream and sugar. 🙂

I can’t wait for the next time when I can “run away from home.” And I’ll be sure and take a notebook next time.

Do you have any secret gardens near your office or home?

Where do you like to steal away for the loveliness of quiet and solitude?

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Seeing Linda Ronstadt at her book signing for “Simple Dreams” in Brookline, MA

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linda ronstadt1Joni Mitchell taught me to write songs and Linda Ronstadt taught me how to sing. I emulated her voice although I never had the sustained power she had. Ronstadt has now lost her voice due to Parkinson’s and has penned a musical memoir called Simple Dreams, presenting her amazing 45 year career as a singer. Although Ronstadt’s personal life was colorful (to say the least, especially in her rock star heyday), this is not a cheap tell-all. Ronstadt has immersed herself since childhood in many musical styles from folk, pop and rock to standards from the American Songbook, to Mexican, and definitely to eclectic. Her musical journey has sometimes confused her fans but all Ronstadt fans agree that this lady was one amazing singer!

512 chris lydon and linda
Christopher Lydon and Linda Ronstadt

Not “just” a singer

Ronstadt has longed to share the amazing encyclopedic knowledge that she has of music and this book finally gives her the vehicle. Last night at her book signing, she carried on a casual and engaging conversation with PBS host Christopher Lydon. Funny, blunt, quirky and highly intelligent, she demonstrated the depth of her knowledge historically, technically and aesthetically, oftentimes making remarkable connections with regards to the influences of past singers on present ones. There’s a lot to be learned about musical influences from this lady!

Rosemary Clooney and Linda Ronstadt at Symphony Hall, Boston
Rosemary Clooney and Linda Ronstadt at Symphony Hall, Boston

Colorful stories

Her delightful quirky humor would pop out with comments about how great a kisser Marvin Gaye was, or how much she adored Smokey Robinson. Her comments about Emmylou Harris (another influence of mine) and Rosemary Clooney (a true artist) were especially interesting. Bowled over by both singers, she demonstrated uncommon wisdom and humility, choosing to “submit herself” as she says, to their greatness. In essence, she chose to learn rather than to compete. And in the end she was the winner, singing with the both of them and building lasting friendships throughout her long career.

Guarded emotions

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Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris

Ronstadt is notoriously guarded about sharing raw emotion and can come off as rather matter-of-face and academic when she speaks. I had hoped she would touch on how she coped with losing her singing voice as I too have lost mine (due to acid reflux) or how she is coping with her Parkinson’s, but the issues were not brought up. Occasionally she will let her true feelings slip out as she did in her interview with Diane Sawyer where she shared her craving to sing on stage with Emmylou Harris recently rather than sit in the audience. She could not even sing along softly to herself. This is the woman who said that her recording and performing career was only one percent of the music in her life. That story hit a raw nerve and I found myself tearing up unexpectedly as grief often does. We both have accepted and made peace with our losses, but a longing, a memory will crop up suddenly and the process begins all over again, only to pass quickly like a summer shower.

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Linda signing our book

A connection …

I longed to tell her that she was not alone in her loss but the moment didn’t present itself. I was, however, able to tell her something else and it got a wonderful reaction. While having our book signed, in a brief Twitter-length sentence I said, “I hope you found the writing process to be as creatively satisfying as singing.” She looked right up at me, pleasantly surprised and chirped, “Oh yes!” Then she made a brief comment about  the fun of editing which is my favorite part of writing too.

512 book

Making connections is so much fun!

Rich and Linda fan Lauren
Rich and Linda fan Lauren

My husband Rich has been a passionate fan of Ronstadt’s for many years and ran her fan club for ten of those years. Last night he was able to meet up with other fans and reminisce about the old days when they attended concerts together and compared notes online, I didn’t understand his passion then but I do now, seeing as I am a Louisa May Alcott groupie. 🙂

I’m glad I’ve finally made that connection with him.

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“All is Well:” Peggy Patenaude’s message at the Gather Us In 2013 women’s conference in Worcester, MA

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On November 2, The Commission for Women of the Diocese of Worcester, MA (which I chair) is holding it’s biennial women’s conference, Gather Us In 2013 at the DCU Center. Registration is open and you can download the brochure and registration form at www.worcestercommissionforwomen.org.

I’ve been profiling the speakers for our conference in articles written for the Catholic Free Press. Here is a profile of one of our workshop presenters, Peggy Patenaude.

Women of New England, I hope to see you at our conference!

Another bug to identify – take a guess!

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Anyone care to identify this insect? This was submitted by a reader in Northern Wisconsin, at the entrance to her father-in-law’s garage:

bug

My son who loves insects, was able to identify it so I know what it is … do you? Take a guess!

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Experiencing oneness through sacred geometry

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I am pleased to present a guest post today by  a sacred geometry jewelry artist named David Weitzman.

Whatever faith you subscribe to, oneness is key. Connectivity to the people and world around us brings us closer to the Creator of all. This post is a wonderful example of this concept, the core theme of Be As One.

In previous posts I have commented on the persecution of people because of their beliefs. Our country is polarized as has not been seen since the 1960s, and it appears that we are heading into another war. Oneness and connectivity are not luxuries, they are necessities!

Thank you to David for this post.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In today’s world where people consider themselves different from all others and are divided on diverse grounds of sex, age, ethnicity, religion, nationality, shape, size, and a whole lot more, the idea of the entire universe having been created out of a single source seems fantastic. But, that indeed is the truth!

Everything in this world has come from the same source – energy, which gets converted into matter by following certain geometric codes. These codes or laws bring the energy molecules together to create specific structures, which are then combined to produce matter. From a tiny cell in the human body to the flower petals, to a diamond crystal, to a nautilus shell, to the planets, to music sequences, everything is based on consistent common laws of mathematics and form. From atoms to galaxies, a constant language of geometric pattern underlines all levels of the universe.

Christ-consciousness in silver
Christ-consciousness in silver

The mystics in the ancient times realized this fundamental truth of creation and started revering these geometric patterns or codes as sacred. What we know today as sacred geometry refers to the basic building blocks of the universe and can be called the blueprint of creation. It is to be found in the entire nature in form of Fibonacci spirals, golden mean proportion, platonic solids, tube torus, etc.

A wonderful example of Scared Geometry is the Platonic Solids, the 5 solids that are the core patterns behind every physical creation. They are Hexahedron (Cube), Tetrahedron, Octahedron, Dodecahedron and Icosahedron. An interesting fact about them is that they all fit perfectly in a sphere with all corners touching the sphere’s edge. The sphere/circle, which is regarded as a primal container for consciousness and energy is seen as the mother and the cube is considered the male equivalent. The cube is unique in that the other 4 solids fit perfectly within it. Thus, this works as an example of inter-connectivity of everything.

I find myself confounded by the numbers, ratios and patterns that appear repeatedly in every aspect of life. Can you, in all honesty, say that this doesn’t amaze you and attribute it all simply to coincidence? Doesn’t the perfectness in the universe that is revealed by sacred geometry point to a Supreme Force controlling everything?

Flower of life in silver
Flower of life in silver

Once you accept that all life is structured and governed by same, unseen laws, you will realize the hollowness and falsity in the perception of being distinct or separate from nature as well as from one another. You will be filled with reverence for all creation. Contemplation of these geometric codes offers a glimpse into the working of the great Universal Mind. Therefore, Sacred Geometry can become one of the ways in which God can be observed, proportioned and measured.

The Sacred Geometry is all around us, it is even within us. But, we hardly ever give it a thought. When we consciously engage with it, the harmony we experience in the shapes and patterns of sacred geometry will definitely help us get attuned to the harmony in the universal order and help us discover our full potential. It will sharpen the intuition, increase creativity and vitality, promote better understanding in relationships, improve communication, give rise to a sense of connection with the world, and make you feel at peace with yourself and with everyone around you. You will feel spiritually centered.

Undoubtedly, understanding, recognizing and accepting sacred geometry is the key to realizing the wholeness of universe and the oneness of all existence. Through it, science and spirituality become one. Its study leads us to reflect on creation of the universe and origin of life, which helps us realize the unity and oneness of everything. Everything has sprung up from a common source; everything exists together in this vast cosmos and is intricately inter-connected.

The article is written by Sacred Geometry Jewelry artist named David Weitzman.

Click to Tweet & Share: Experiencing oneness through sacred geometry – guest post by  sacred geometry jewelry artist David Weitzman http://wp.me/p2D9hg-uC

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Please pray for the Coptic Christians in Egypt and spread the word about their plight

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coptic church burningThere is a frightening series of events going on in Egypt that few know about. If you are a Christian and don’t believe there is persecution to the magnitude of the original martyrs of the Church, you must educate yourself on the plight of the Coptic Christians in Egypt.

The mainstream press is not covering this story. Our government, except for a recent tepid statement condemning the violence, has otherwise done nothing.  The Coptic Christians are being rooted out. Their businesses are being spray-painted with black crosses and X’s. Over sixty churches have been burned down. One church had to cancel their Divine Liturgy this past Sunday for the first time in 1600 years.

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This is not a far-away problem in a country thousands of miles away. This is something that should profoundly affect our lives as Christians. Our brothers and sisters are suffering and we must pray for them and spread the word as to their plight.

Yes, I know. There are many groups of people on the earth who have been persecuted and killed. Lord knows the suffering in Syria has been immense as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is starvation and disease around the world and so many forgotten people both here in our country and around the world.

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I could just allow the waves of suffering to overwhelm me and do nothing. Or, I can pick one group and do what I can for them.. I can daily offer my prayers for all people in the world, entrusting them lovingly to God through the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lord knows best how to take care of them but He wants us to get involved. To paraphrase St. Teresa of Avila, we are His hands and feet.

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What can we do? We can ask our pastors this Sunday to add intentions for the Coptic Christians to prayers offered at services. We can use social media to spread the word among our family and friends. We can stay informed on what is happening. We can contact government officials to express our concern.

abbott tryphon This blog post by Abbot Tryphon, a  monastic in the Orthodox  Church, offers his thoughts on what is going on in Egypt:

Coptic is the Pharoes’ name for “Egyptian”, a little appreciated echo of the fact that all of Egypt was once a Coptic, Christian nation. For seven centuries Egypt was a Christian nation, until the Arab Islamic invasion in the seventh century. When President Obama came to Cairo in 2009 for his first major speech on foreign affairs, he thought his charisma would be enough, as he attempted to appease the Islamists with his talk of America being their friend, all the while ignoring the plight of the Christians of the Middle East, who have been the bridge between the West and Arab cultures since the 17th century.

It was Coptic and Arab Christians who acted as translators of the greatest works of arts, literature, civilization, theater, and cinema, just as did Jews living in the Arab world. They made huge strides in bringing modern ideas, including democratic ideas, to the Islamic dominated world, but just as the Jews before them, Christians are now facing eviction from the Arab world, and this is not only a loss for the West but mostly for Arab Muslims. It is also a crime against humanity.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.”

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