Living after the disaster

 Friday was the last day the town meetings were held in the Town Square to share info. Here's the Town of Black Mountain Facebook link.

I keep scrolling through Facebook where some updates are continuing. As of Sunday nobody could say they had water in Black Mountain, except a couple of people near the golf course apparently (where they had a spring for several homes.)

I know the head of Public WorksServices told his crew to take today off, after steadily working for 14 days, as he tearfully thanked them for staying on the job rather than being with their families during this disaster. That last town meeting in the square had words of appreciation with many tears by the leaders of Black Mountain. I'm so proud to be part of this small community.

These bucket trucks are lucky to have a solid ground to work from

Many animals have been rescued.

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Which reminds me, I went to the UU Congregation of Columbia SC yesterday. I enjoyed the music which was familiar, and allowed me to cry. I felt welcomed, having been a Unitarian for around 50 years, off and on. Then they were supporting a farm which rescues animals as half of the collection. The man from the farm brought 2 tiny piglets and held them so we could all be wowed by the little guys, out of the 50 he rescued from a Georgia blighted farm where they weren't really rescuing pigs. Now you don't expect to see piglets in church every Sunday now, do you?

After the service hey had a lovely taco-serve-yourself, so I had lunch with them. I was impressed by their dozen of children who came to the "story time" early in the service. I hadn't seen so many children in a UU church in a while.

The music was outstanding, though where I sat the piano overwhelmed the choir, even though they were miked. There was even a drummer and an electric bass guitar player. 

Now I'm gratefully sitting in my personal retreat-nest...where I've contributed some groceries for the next couple of days...which John will probably prepare. I can breathe at least (which was the primary reason for leaving Black Mountain.)

I hope all the bloggers out there are doing ok, dealing with whatever comes along in your lives. Sometimes it's a little butterfly blessing, just a sweet thing that's unexpected. And once in a lifetime it's a mudbath and houses washed away in waters. But I'm a survivor, as are many of us. And I also believe love and kindness are the fundamentals of how people can interact together.

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Oh I forgot! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving y'all!

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Today's quote:

There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery. 

-Enrico Fermi, physicist and Nobel laureate (1901-1954)

Just saying...

Just something to wonder about.

English adjectives order:

opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, Noun.

We all know what sounds right when giving modifiers, but this is why!

 I often find many adjectives which seem similar, and don't exactly follow these rules. For example, my minister said the other day, "We have a free independent liberal church." 

So what exact meaning category do these words come in?

Free: maybe opinion?

independent: again, perhaps opinion?

liberal: maybe purpose?

I'm so grateful that I was born and learned English as a child, hearing my family speak it. I have tried learning a couple of other languages, and English still seems the hardest grammar, and spelling!

Today's quote:

Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

MELODY BEATTIE

The Easter Sunday service on line

 Milk and Girl Scout cookies...I'm ready...

 Evan introduces from his home (he's on the Board.) I remember how fun it is to see art in people's home when they are recording from there now.

 Rev. Michael J.S. Carter introduced the morning, gave opening words.

 Linda Metzner played music from her home. Several hymns which were familiar.

 I lit my chalice on my altar. It really give me a sense of this is a separate time from my mundane existence.  Here's the link to the service, "Easter & The Universal Need For Hope," on Facebook.

 There were pauses between things on the video...and I really enjoyed more music that was brass playing.

 Susan Enwright Hicks (Director of Religious Education) read a couple of stories for the children, which were also available separately.

 Easter brought rain this year, and Black Mountain received more than 2 inches. I'm glad the storms that night didn't include any tornadoes near us.

 Michael had recorded earlier (different attire, different background)...the joys and concerns that had been emailed in.

 Some video time included a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The sign out front of the church, but those cars were from a Sunday before the Covid-19 shelter in place orders.

Our UUCSV Sunday services have now been on Facebook 3 times.  The message was positive, and several of us like the closing words especially.  They were also posted on Facebook last week by someone else.

Our quoted closing words:

Many thanks to those who helped make this religious moment possible on Facebook. My photos are taken from the mini-iPad where I played it...and it's still available. UUCSV Facebook. (Be sure it's for the Swannanoa Valley, there's another one for the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia!)

doing my share for the spiritual seekers

Our administrator at church is on vacation this week.  So I'm filling in for her in the office, at least doing some of the things that need to be done... like putting some new rechargeable batteries in the phone that wasn't charging and was dead!

This is the tiny office. I can work in there for a couple of hours before it begins to close in on me.  When I did this part-time job for almost a year, the door used to have clear glass so I could see the trees and sky, and the room was about twice as large. Another office has now been built for the minister.  I still edit a monthly newsletter, and so I keep up with things, mostly. Now I just fill in when needed, a little at a time!

UUCSV welcomed the goddesses

 Maggie Moon interpreted the music by dancing

 Kim Hughes sang for us

 Recorder music by...(ask someone his name, I don't remember)

 Annelinda Metzner was author of all the music and poetry, and also the M.C.

 Rebecca Williams shared readings

Unfortunately I had coughing, so had to leave...nothing like missing hearing something because someone coughs at the wrong moment.  But I watched from the lobby!

Thanks so much Linda!

Imbolc ritual fun

My friends met this afternoon (Sun Feb 3) to celebrate Imbolc, Brigit, and the return of light.

Maggie led us in a dance, and I asked everyone if I could take photos.  I don't usually during a ritual, because it's kind of a sacred thing.  But I waited till after the dance was done, and asked the participants if they'd show me some of the fun movements.

Yes, we were singing a bit of Irish poetry, "May the road rise up to greet you..." though I messed up the words many different ways.

 Dolls that we brought lay around the little table for our altar in honor of Brigit.

 Our altar was central in a circle of women, including a bowl of pure water and lots of stones.

My little figure of Brigit stood on the altar also.

We all got to help make the whipped cream for the bannock cake.  Oh it was so delicious!

Then the women made their own Brigit dolls.  What a great afternoon. Did I mention singing? Eating? sharing good wishes? blessing the mantle of Brigit?  I did leave a bit early, since my cough was kind of making me tired.

Thanks to the Unitarian Universaist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley for hostessing this ritual afternoon for Inanna's Daughters.  Thanks to the leadership of all the women who came, and especially Linda Metzner!