Eclipse fever has started, particularly on the West Coast and the Southwest of the U.S. where the path of the Solar Eclipse will pass this Sunday late afternoon.  Parties and viewing gatherings are planned, and dire predictions are being made (typical), but what is the astrological sig… Read full post »

 

The Aries New Moon cycle has ended, and  the Taurus New Moon cycle begins.  Tonight just past midnight (PDT) the Taurus New Moon peaks. Now is the time to commit to personal goals and express energy and ideas positively. Connect with the natural world, and enjoy and appreciat…

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After an infusion of Spring weather, lengthening days, and light energy that kick starts all our systems, today's storm throws us back under the covers of wintery weather.  Spring in the Pacific Northwest is full of surprises, not the least of which are the rapid shifts in… Read full post »

( This is a letter I sent out today to all the women members of my family, and to most of my women friends.)

Dear Family and Friends and Both Together,

I'm writing to wish you each a happy International Women's Day.  Though we may not all remember what… Read full post »

Anyone who has heard the haunting sounds of the bugle's call at the end of the day, knows what memories this tune stirs.  May we work together with the same kind of courage, sacrifice, and sense of duty  to  heal, unite, and transform the world as a way to honor all… Read full post »

On the first weekend in June,  the 2nd Annual Guitar Gathering, inducted Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio, into the the Tenor Guitar Hall of Fame. According to Mark Josephs, musician and Tenor Guitar Gathering founder and organizer, this year's gathering was a great success.

Featurin… Read full post »

In the early days of January, 2010, the morning air is cutting and cold and the fog blocks out the tops of buildings and all glimpses of the sky.  The heater is on, and a cup of scalding tea sits cooling on the kitchen counter.  The baby has been awake… Read full post »

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As Neil Young’s lyrics encourage us, “There’s a full moon risin’...let's go dancin’ in the night.”  The largest full moon of the year, the Full Snow Moon, is also kn… Read full post »

  

Robert Louis Stevenson: A writer’s stay in Monterey

 

The Monterey Bay area is a favorite place for artists, photographers, writers, musicians, and other creative people.  Living an artist’s life is not necessarily the easiest choice, as Robert Louis Stevenso… Read full post »

“Love makes the world go round” so it is sung and believed by many.  The one holiday that celebrates love is Valentine’s Day, and though many have come to think this is a contemporary invention, the roots of Valentine’s Day go back to the ancient Roman Empire.&nbs… Read full post »

Sister Michelle Loisel, a Sister of Charity whom I met while working in Connecticut in 2006, recently wrote me that she was living and working in Chicago at the Mother house of her order.  Michelle is French, and for over 20 years, she lived and worked in Lebanon.  When we met,… Read full post »

For nearly four years, I have been grandparenting  nearly full-time.  My days and some evenings are spent caring for my granddaughter while her parents both work.  This period of time coincides with my reaching my 60s, and I sometimes wonder about my health and energy levels.  Wou… Read full post »

From ancient times indigenous peoples have lived throughout the Monterey Peninsula and region.  Up and down the Pacific Coast, large extended families or clans have considered the rivers, streams, seashore, hills, mountains, and valleys their home.  When we read local history, very little i… Read full post »

 

Whenever I ask a class of students or a group sitting in a retreat what they know of their ancestors, the answers are often surprising.  Most people initially say they know only about their immediate family.  Sometimes that includes grandparents, though often even their contact with… Read full post »

Brazilian, Dr. Zilda Arns Neumann, pediatrician and founder of Children’s Pastoral and Pastoral Care of the Elderly, was among those killed in the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Founder and director of one of Brazils most important NGOs, Zilda Arns' work focused on the monitoring of infants,… Read full post »

Living on the Northern California coast, I often miss living life in four seasons.  I miss the snow and the storms, the long beautiful springs and autumns, and the relatively brief summers of Oregon and Washington. I miss the way we change our lifestyle to fit the seasons.  We have our… Read full post »

 

 

                                 There are Frogs in Your Shoes!

by Catherine Al-Meten

 

“Oh, by the way, there are frogs in your shoes!”  I love those words---words I had ne/… Read full post »