A Gathering of Spirits

Photo by John Jennings on Unsplash I’ve gotten several requests for an informal chat session here on Substack. So….I’ll be online October 19th 6pm-7pm for an informal chat conversation If you have a question about particular song, the topics that show up here at A Gathering of Spirits, music, life in the arts or favorite knitting patterns. Ok, remember I have never written a song because I have an answer.

In Praise of What Has No Useful Purpose Its that time of year — the egg gourds have ripened into their full and audacious glory. They are spilling out of the raised beds and vining up and over the garage roof. They make me laugh just to look at them. They are utterly impractical, just a pleasing oval shape that fits nicely in the palm of the hand.

“…beauty is in the eye of anyone who sees what’s missing but can’t stop pointing to what’s still there. If there’s no definition for love yet— I think that’s a good one.” -Andrea Gibson Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash I’ve made a rule for myself—I cannot buy sunglasses that cost more than $12.99. This is because for the life of me I cannot hold on to sunglasses. I’ve left a little trail of sunglasses, one sock, one earring, one mitten across this country and abroad. Really I try ya’all.

Things I Loved This Week Photo by Edward Eyer on Unsplash Hey folks, Just a reminder that October 4-10th is Banned Books Week. October 10th is the Freedom to Read Action Day! Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 by the American Library Association in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Today I’m posting lots of great links to the United Against Book Bans website and a couple of great PDFs they offer.

Photo by Hedi Alija on Unsplash “The trees drip yellow-red and the grasses display tawny golden beauty. Unlike blatant summer with its outspokenness, autumn hides in the wood smoke at the edge of a field that borders a forest. Slowly, slowly she disappears into the trees, giving us time to precieve another beauty.

Several years ago, on an East Coast tour, I had a day off in Washington DC. I decided to travel into the city and spend the afternoon at the National Gallery. I was delighted to discover the museum was featuring a retrospective of the works of the sculptor Henry Moore. I love Moore’s work and spent most of the day wandering through rooms of his paintings, drawings and of course his beautiful sculptures. One of the exhibits that stayed with me was a room set up with items from Moore’s studio.

There are so many things I love about being on the Meadowlark Farm crew. Once or twice a week, when I’m off the road, I join a group of dear friends who help out with gardening tasks. We’ve been doing this for many years and it has enriched my life in more ways than I can count.

The ‘all too short lease of summer’ ends. The planet comes into balance, equinox….We have lived another round of days following the rhythm of the skies, lands, seas, and listening to the ever-accompanying voice within.

Hi Everyone - I’ve moved my regular Wednesday post to Tuesday because…… TODAY is National Voter Registration Day! Here’s a link to check your status or to register! LINK First If you’re looking to register to vote or check/update your voter registration, the link above is a quick easy resource! Not sure if you need to update your registration?

For awhile my morning practice was to read a poem by Hafiz and then write a poem in response. It was like having a conversation with Hafiz poems. So I’m reposting the poem today. Its about being a person who can get impatient with my own journey. Sometimes I have to remind myself that my life doesn’t happen after I meet some elusive goal. Life is happening now —pay attention. How the journey changes with a bit self compassion and kindness.