The Magical Garden The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us. It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation. So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger. After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”. These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before. Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer. Yes, a Magical Garden…. you just have to get out there with your finger out. Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS. Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game. Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton@gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth
Thanks, Dick. for sharing your witness re Life's Garden. Yay for the younger generation with their creation consciousness. We saw three monarchs yesterday on our neighbor's butterfly bush. Haven't seen any yet on ours. Good to hear about your congregation's Sunday School experience. Yes, some congregations are really connecting with congregations and are "greening" via Green Faith, Green Chalice, IPL, Presbyterians for Earth Care Congregations and other faith/denominational programs. Would be interested to hear about how other faith communities are connecting to creation in new ways through worship, education, building, food, outreach and what difference it has made. We try to walk in our "garden" neighborhood (Dellwood/Ferguson) almost every morning: exercising the body, seeing the tapestry, hearing the symphony, feeling the elements, smelling the fragrance, and reconnecting with nature and neighbor. Elllie elliestock@aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Richard via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> To: dialogue Lists <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Thu, Oct 6, 2016 10:39 am Subject: [Dialogue] Witness The Magical Garden The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us. It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation. So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger. After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”. These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before. Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer. Yes, a Magical Garden…. you just have to get out there with your finger out. Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS. Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game. Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton@gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net
Hello Dick, Thanks for the walk in your Magical Garden.. A delight! In our Church community we recently dedicated a beautiful Banner - made in patchwork - to the Planet. It has a special Earth corner- with a small living green plant and a table of all the resources for sustainable living. Our Church is a city Church so outside,we have green plants in planter boxes to greet the folks as they prepare to enter the building. There is a group we belong to called The Australian Response To Climate Change- Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and all the varieties of Christians.. Meatless recipes are shared and Vigils are held at coal mines etc.. Lots happening I walk every day in our neighbourhoodand am swept away by the beauty in what may appear to some to be the very mundane. Peace is yours and love, Isobel Sent from my iPhone
On 7 Oct 2016, at 3:05 am, Ellie Stock via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
Thanks, Dick. for sharing your witness re Life's Garden. Yay for the younger generation with their creation consciousness. We saw three monarchs yesterday on our neighbor's butterfly bush. Haven't seen any yet on ours. Good to hear about your congregation's Sunday School experience. Yes, some congregations are really connecting with congregations and are "greening" via Green Faith, Green Chalice, IPL, Presbyterians for Earth Care Congregations and other faith/denominational programs. Would be interested to hear about how other faith communities are connecting to creation in new ways through worship, education, building, food, outreach and what difference it has made.
We try to walk in our "garden" neighborhood (Dellwood/Ferguson) almost every morning: exercising the body, seeing the tapestry, hearing the symphony, feeling the elements, smelling the fragrance, and reconnecting with nature and neighbor.
Elllie elliestock@aol.com
-----Original Message----- From: Richard via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> To: dialogue Lists <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Thu, Oct 6, 2016 10:39 am Subject: [Dialogue] Witness
The Magical Garden
The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us. It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation.
So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger.
After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”.
These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before. Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer.
Yes, a Magical Garden…. you just have to get out there with your finger out.
Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS. Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game.
Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton@gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net
_______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net
Hi Isobel, Thanks for sharing what your congregation is doing. What is your Response to Climate Change Group doing? <div>Just wondering if your church participated in the Season of Creation, beginning Sep 1 with World Day of Prayer for Creation and ending October 4 with St. Francis Day. seasonsofcreation.com has free downloadable materials, with themes for each Sunday of the three-year liturgical cycle. Ellie elliestock@aol.com Sent from AOL Mobile Mail -----Original Message----- From: Isobel Bishop <isobeljimbish@optusnet.com.au> To: Ellie Stock <elliestock@aol.com>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> Cc: dick_alton <dick_alton@hotmail.com>; dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Thu, Oct 6, 2016 03:57 PM Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] [Dialogue] Witness <div id="AOLMsgPart_2_9fe5f9c0-c14a-4287-ae6e-51b010545486"> <div dir="auto" class="aolReplacedBody"><div><span></span> <div>Hello Dick, Thanks for the walk in your Magical Garden.. A delight! In our Church community we recently dedicated a beautiful Banner - made in patchwork - to the Planet. It has a special Earth corner- with a small living green plant and a table of all the resources for sustainable living. Our Church is a city Church so outside,we have green plants in planter boxes to greet the folks as they prepare to enter the building. There is a group we belong to called The Australian Response To Climate Change- Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and all the varieties of Christians.. Meatless recipes are shared and Vigils are held at coal mines etc.. Lots happening I walk every day in our neighbourhoodand am swept away by the beauty in what may appear to some to be the very mundane. Peace is yours and love, Isobel Sent from my iPhone On 7 Oct 2016, at 3:05 am, Ellie Stock via OE <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote: <blockquote> <font color="black" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <div>Thanks, Dick. for sharing your witness re Life's Garden. Yay for the younger generation with their creation consciousness. We saw three monarchs yesterday on our neighbor's butterfly bush. Haven't seen any yet on ours. Good to hear about your congregation's Sunday School experience. Yes, some congregations are really connecting with congregations and are "greening" via Green Faith, Green Chalice, IPL, Presbyterians for Earth Care Congregations and other faith/denominational programs. Would be interested to hear about how other faith communities are connecting to creation in new ways through worship, education, building, food, outreach and what difference it has made. We try to walk in our "garden" neighborhood (Dellwood/Ferguson) almost every morning: exercising the body, seeing the tapestry, hearing the symphony, feeling the elements, smelling the fragrance, and reconnecting with nature and neighbor. Elllie <a target="_blank" href="mailto:elliestock@aol.com">elliestock@aol.com</a> <div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message----- From: Richard via Dialogue <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> To: dialogue Lists <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>>; Order Ecumenical Community <<a target="_blank" href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> Sent: Thu, Oct 6, 2016 10:39 am Subject: [Dialogue] Witness <div id="aolmail_AOLMsgPart_1.2_c8c1145d-fdd9-457b-9c26-dbf814353fb1"> <div class="aolmail_aolReplacedBody" dir="ltr"> <div id="aolmail_divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size:12pt;color:#000000;font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <div align="center" class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Magical Garden</b></div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"> </div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation.</div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger. </div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”.</div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before.</div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer.</div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"> </div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">Yes, a Magical Garden…. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>you just have to get out there with your finger out.</div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"> </div> <div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game.</div> <div id="aolmail_Signature">Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 <a target="_blank" href="mailto:richard.alton@gmail.com">richard.alton@gmail.com</a> Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth </div> </div> </div> </div> _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list <a target="_blank" href="mailto:Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net</a> </div> </font></div></blockquote><blockquote> <span>_______________________________________________</span> <span>OE mailing list</span> <span><a target="_blank" href="mailto:OE@lists.wedgeblade.net">OE@lists.wedgeblade.net</a></span> <span><a target="_blank" href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net</a></span> </blockquote></div></div> </div> </div></div>
Dear Dick, There you go again and again, inviting all around you to enjoy and witness to the hope that is everywhere!! Now you are to be enchanted by grandparenting as well, ah.... life and life abounds. Love to you and Sally as you both continue to share the abundance of your own gifts. Come see us when you can, and be part of our village life with woods everywhere we look from our front porch. We both are also involved in volunteering here, there and everywhere, Ellen On Oct 6, 2016, at 11:38 AM, Richard via Dialogue wrote:
The Magical Garden
The last few months have been full and want to share some of these experiences. Is this not what a witness is about? So first, one of my neighbors was reading the book titled: ‘ The Secret Garden’. She said it was an amazing book about a garden that healed the sick around us. It talked about how the garden turned people from being spoiled and mean spirited, even cripples to walkers. The garden, working in the garden, hanging out with people and birds and animals nurtured the spirit, makes one healthy and invigorated. This was almost a Jesus story ‘ get up and walk’… the amazing power of being part of creation.
So I am noticing how nature cares for the soul. Secondly, We went to visit my daughter, Kay, and her partner Scott to see their new location in the state of Washington, near the town of White Salmon on the Columbia River. They live in a commune called Atlan (remember CS Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- He believed that every square inch of the uni-verse, every millisecond of time, is a battleground over which the forces of light and the forces of darkness contend). . First, Kay and Scott live in a teepee and have an out door kitchen and a compostable toilet that has a sign on it, ’if you need to pee, find a bush”. Actually, the most amazing thing about the visit was that Kay announced that she was 8 weeks pregnant. They are planning to upscale to a tiny house that Scott is to build. Kay is currently the bread winner in the family as she teaches Yoga in a prison and works as a counselor with families in trouble while Scott stays home working with the community on property development and trades his handy man skills for help from others. Just wanted you to see an example of what the next generation is looking like and how nature is getting bigger.
After visiting Scott and Kay, Sally Stovall (my partners) and I headed off to Breitenbush, a very isolated retreat center (no internet or phone service) that is run by another commune. We were there for three days for ‘a re-connecting with nature’ workshop. We climbed trees, star gazed and walked in the woods and used all of our senses to experience the out of doors. It’s amazing the stars you can see when you have no outside lights- I saw two shooting starts. Can’t get closer to nature. Even had hot springs that were, “clothing optional”.
These two examples illustrate what we are trying to grasp in our lives. But even more remarkable was the experience with our local Methodist congregation’s elementary age Sunday school. In our September lessons, inspired by our summer nature adventure we decided to move the kids outside. We started by taking walks around the block looking for animals, smelling the flowers, listening to the insects, hugging trees, etc. This past Sunday we brought a blanket and put it in front off our Butterfly Garden. While we were getting settled we noticed a Monarch caterpillar on our milkweed. The amazing thing about the caterpillar was that it was just eating away like mad on the milkweed. It did not seem to matter that there were a bunch of kids watching her eat. It was awesome to have our garden provide us with a magic moment for our kids, but it has happened before.
Two years ago when we started the native garden which our kids helped plant. We asked them to bring their parents to observe the workings of the garden. Lilly brought her father (a lawyer) after worship and just as they arrived at the garden a Monarch butterfly appeared and started flying around the garden, landing here and there. Brian was pointing his finger at the butterfly for Lilly to help her follow it when the butterfly landed on Brian’s outstretched finger. We were all stunned! First, that it landed on his finger and second that it just sat there on Brian’s finger. We joked that the Butterfly would never haved landed there if it had know Brian was a lawyer.
Yes, a Magical Garden…. you just have to get out there with your finger out.
Dick Alton, ICA colleague, 1968-2016. Still volunteer with ICA USA, ICA International, help with Africa ICA’s work with HIV/AIDS. Now Chair local Methodist Green Action Team, Co-chair Interfaith Green Network, core team One Earth Film Fest and work on Green Community Connections. Just accepted co-chairing the Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC’s Episcopal Task Force on Sustainability. Oh, yes, coach our local church softball team that made it to the championship game.
Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 richard.alton@gmail.com Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth <Monarch Caterpillar at EAUMC.jpg><butterfly at Euclid 2014Aug08.jpg> _______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net
participants (4)
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Ellie Stock via Dialogue -
Isobel Bishop via Dialogue
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RICHARD HOWIE via Dialogue
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Richard via Dialogue