<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Beautiful John - we celebrate this milestone with you.<div><br></div><div>Yesterday we went to a Cosmology focussed gathering </div><div>at a small house retreat centre in Wentworth Falls in the beautiful Blue Mountains.</div><div>These gatherings are at the invitation of Sr Jacinta sgs who loves to photograph </div><div>nature in all its beauty. The theme of yesterday's gathering was 'Autumn' </div><div>and she began by reading this poem:</div><div>" Blessed are you autumn,</div><div>Season of surrender,</div><div>You teach us the wisdom of letting go</div><div>as you draw us into new ways of living.</div><div>Blessed are you, autumn,</div><div>Season of unpredictability,</div><div>you inspire us to be flexible</div><div>to learn from our shifting moods.</div><div>Blessed are you, autumn,</div><div>Season of bounty,</div><div>you change our hearts into fountains of gratitude</div><div>as we receive your gracious gifts." <i>Joyce Rupp</i></div><div><br></div><div>After the liturgy, we have a quiet time when we can wander out into her garden</div><div>which yesterday was adorned with a variety of small to larger trees each </div><div>with their unique covering of autumn leaves in reds, yellows, & orange.</div><div>I was also noticing the trunks of the eucalyptus trees - </div><div>and as you say, each with their unique markings.</div><div><br></div><div>Blessings to you</div><div>John & Elaine</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, May 18, 2019 at 1:13 AM John Epps via OE <<a href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%">Earthrise at 80</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">At previous decade markers, I
have posted a series of humorous quotes that have marked my journey (Like<i> </i><i>“</i><i><span style="color:black">Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while
driving.”</span></i><span style="color:black">)</span>
This time, the quote is a bit longer and one we used in the LENS culture
lecture taken from a Zen myth:<br><span style="font-size:12pt"><i>There was once a
man who was being chased by a ferocious tiger across a field. At the edge of
the field there was a cliff. In order to escape the jaws of the tiger, the man
caught hold of a vine and swung himself over the edge of the cliff. Dangling
down, he saw, to his dismay, there were more tigers on the ground below him!
And, furthermore, two little mice were gnawing on the vine to which he clung. He
knew that at any moment he would fall to certain death. That's when he noticed
a wild strawberry growing on the cliff wall. Clutching the vine with one hand,
he plucked the strawberry with the other and put it in his mouth. How sweet it
tasted</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:22.5pt">At 80, the tigers seem to be
growling more vigorously and the mice gnawing with renewed energy. But the
strawberries are sweeter than ever. Here’s an example:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Aspen trees are abundantly
scattered through the higher elevations of Colorado, and they provide visible markings
of the season. In summertime, their tiny leaves vibrate with a shimmering
effect that celebrates the slightest zephyr of a breeze. In the autumn, those
same leaves provide a yellow and gold contrast to the glum and foreboding
forest. In the spring, their green buds provide an aroma of freshness heralding
wonder to come.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">But winter is their season of
artistry. Barren of leaves with naked limbs protruding in all directions, they
stand tall with trunks displaying a visual language of indecipherable script.
Each trunk is unique as though possessing its own hieroglyphics. Were the
language audible it would be cacophonous, but in silence it is art, with each
trunk determined to display its own message. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </p><div><img src="cid:ii_jvs7utp81" alt="image.png" width="117" height="209"> <img src="cid:ii_jvs7ttv40" alt="image.png" width="117" height="208"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">There are no smooth white barks
among the aspens. They all seem to have stories to tell, and their language is
graphic art.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Wonder seems to be present
wherever I look; it just takes paying attention. The strawberries are sweeter
than ever.</p></div>
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