Dry Bones Dance

Bearing witness and getting out of the way

Ruth wins the “What should I write about?” suggestion contest. I recently finished the spiritual director program I was in – got a certificate and everything. Our final requirement was to direct a weekend private retreat, which I was looking forward to in theory, but dreading in practice. When the weekend in question rolled around, I was depressed as hell and feeling more than a little uncertain about directing someone who was significantly older and more professionally successful than me.

But the weekend turned out to be a gift, and who knows? Maybe coming in tired and empty is not a bad way to do it. It forced me to depend on Spirit, since I for damn sure didn’t have anything to give. I can’t give any details, what with confidentiality and all, but it was a privilege to bear witness to a very sacred moment in someone else’s life. I kept getting surprised by how much I resonated with my retreatant – despite the disparities in our experience and spiritual practice – and equally surprised that my retreatant didn’t seem to think I sucked.

Still here

I'm still here - just not in a blogging sort of mood these days. I'll be back when I have something to say - which might be tomorrow or next month or whenever.

Leave ideas for blog posts in the comments section if you want. Maybe it will inspire me.

Weapons of Mass Creation

My friend Jen and I went to Ten Thousand Villages yesterday to hear from Jules DeVraes, and how he and his kids manage to grow 6,000 pounds of food a year on 1/5 of an acre in Pasadena. Jen and I live on the same property and we have been talking about starting a garden since I moved in here.

Last year, we never quite managed to get past the talking phase, but we MEAN it this year. Really. At any rate, it is pretty amazing what the DeVraes have managed to do on their property. They even support themselves through farming by selling produce to high-end restaurants. This year, they are shooting for 10,000 pounds of food. They wash clothes by hand, have hand-cranked appliances, and use solar ovens in the summer. Their property is next door to a Muslim school, which uses their property as a science lab of sorts.

We don't have a lot of room on the property, since the entire front yard is covered by a big, beautiful oak tree. We've asked around about what might grow in 100% shade, and the answer so far is "Dirt." Most of the rest is driveway and parking, but we do have this spot on the south side of the house where we could do a couple of box gardens. The key is to start small.