Kirtan

 Thursday evening last, I attended part of this program. 

"
Where: UUFD Sanctuary


Who: All are welcome!
Join us for a heartfelt evening of chanting and meditating, not only for inner peace but also for a world where everyone is safe and has enough. No experience needed. We’d love to welcome you! Text questions to Anna: For a taste of UU Kirtan, check out This Video..."

From the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango's newsletter (with links removed). Here's the YouTube version of the video.

I have enjoyed group chanting some time ago, so this wasn't new to me. 

Unfortunately my oxygen generating machine would sometimes make little beeping noises when there were moments of meditative silence. So I left early after the third chanting began. 

Anna, the leader, said she'd spent 20 years in an Ashram (didn't say which one.) I have friends who have studied many years with the Kripalu Yoga techniques, as well as my having been to several of the weekend workshops they gave in Florida. My chair yoga teacher at the Senior Center in Black Mountain has Kripalu training, but that didn't include any chanting of course!

Sanskrit words, with English meanings were printed on song sheets, but I preferred just the song and response method which was used throughout. It is definitely energizing. And I am so glad I went. I'd say I moved my energy from the low red zone up a few notches!

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Another spiritual tradition offers this...

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“And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”

Maya Angelou

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, Sept. 7-11, 1857

Not only were the elements of survival there for settlers to deal with as they traveled by wagon trains across the vast western spaces, there were political and religious and cultural conflicts between the different peoples.

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 On September 7, 1857 the Mountain Meadows Massacre began when Mormon settlers slaughtered most members of a peaceful, emigrant wagon train. The massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train in southern Utah. The massacre culminated September 11, 1857 resulting in the mass slaughter of the emigrant party by members of the Utah Territorial Militia from the Iron County district and purportedly aided by Native American allies, though this is widely disputed.

The militia was composed of southern Utah’s Mormon settlers who intended to leave no witnesses and thus prevent reprisals – thus they killed all the adults and older children – some 120 men, women and children in total sparing but 17 children – all younger than seven. The wagon train was mostly families from Arkansas bound for California. (In 2007 the 150th anniversary of the massacre was commemorated at the meadows with some 400 people, including many descendants of the slain, in attendance. In 2011 the site of the slaughter was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Posted by Erika Quesenbery Sturgill on FaceBook Sept. 7, 2026

 

Commentor Jon Tanner said:

 "There were hard feelings for the way people of Missouri-Arkansas had treated the Mormons when they lived in Missouri. Gov Bogs of Missouri had issued an Extermination Order. Mobs had killed members; homes and Farms were taken. The Mormons had been chased out of the area."
Slaughter by members of the Utah Territorial Militia from the Iron County district.

Commenter Ken Russell said:

 sA

"That is John Lee on the left, the only attacker held responsible for the massacre, sitting on his coffin waiting to be executed by firing squad."

Commenter Skip Myers said:

 
"John D. Lee's execution and the only one caught and brought to court. The other 8 were never caught and they changed their names and were gone into oblivion."

The monument to the victims in southwest Utah.

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A lot more information can be found on Wikipedia. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre

Survivor Nancy Saphrona Huff (4) was taken away along with her family's possessions by John Willis to reside at his house until she was returned to relatives in Arkansas two years later.

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday. 

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I'll be back tomorrow with more stories that are a bit less gruesome!

On aging

 I've been enjoying Lloyd Kahn's substack writing for about a year now.

And he's definitely a character! A builder, archietct, publisher, adventurer, and good voice for many of the things I value...aging well for one. He's 91.

On his substack he said:

Holy cow!

I get a lot of requests to do videos, podcasts, interviews, etc. these days, And I turn most of them down. But I decided to do this one because Sierra Clarke, who does videos on older people, said she’d skateboard with me and also take a mud bath.

So I spent the day with Sierra, a film crew who flew in from Denver, and her assistant.

But I wasn’t prepared for this. Over 2 million views, 3000 comments, 40,000 ”likes…”

I hope you enjoy watching them...and fast forward through any parts that are boring to you...I did.

Incidentally his substack is called: 

Live From California with Lloyd Kahn

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At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.

JEAN HOUSTON

Precariousness of our lives

 This week has moved toward the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the USA by terrorists.

Of course it can happen again, even with all the safeguards Homeland Security has put in place.

Of course with a mad man in the White House, he is asking for something extreme to happen.

But each day I wake up and am grateful for the life I have. Clean air.

Oh you don't know how important that is...just take a deep breath and think about how hard it might be if you coughed with each intake.

And clean water. 

From the internet

Gratitude list continues...

And homes. And food. And neighbors who look out for each other.

And friendships across the miles.

And the internet which connects us to each other quickly, effortlessly.

Phones. Cars. Planes.

OK, so much I am grateful for.

Boom, 9/11 happened.

Here's short documentary about the people who escaped Manhattan Island on 9/11 by water, narrated by Tom Hanks.

More people were transported by water that day than in the evacuation of Dunkirk.

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And if it’s true we are alone, we are alone together, the way blades of grass are alone, but exist as a field.

ROSEMERRY WAHTOLA TROMMER

Get your cape and imagination going!

 

Today's art

Hope Memorial Bridge guardians of traffic by Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker , Cleveland OH

by Michael Ryno in Hanksville, UT, using a puddle

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Positive thinking dramatically increases your chances of success in any endeavor.

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Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat running for governor of Ohio, was attacked on Sept 6 by Patrick Havas (who was later found to be armed) at a state fair on Sunday. She wasn't hurt, but several elders were pushed to the ground as he was apprehended.

The Incident: An individual armed with multiple weapons lunged toward Dr. Acton while she was speaking, knocking volunteers to the ground before being subdued and taken into custody on-site.

Police say Havas was carrying two handguns, a Taser and brass knuckles, although he never drew the weapons.

Havas, who is a registered Republican, was arrested on two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct. He was released with $5000 bond.

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Acton was not harmed. She wasn't even touched and it would seem that Havas didn't even come close to her.

Acton was a consummate professional as she remained at the Canfield Fair to treat one of the injured after 38-year-old Patrick Havas forced his way through the Democratic Party tent toward her on Sunday.

Havas is a resident of Canfield (where the fair was being held.) He's also the brother of Andrew Havas, someone who Acton publicly named as donating $10,000 to the Ramaswamy campaign, Acton's political rival.

(also...Elon Musk has also chipped in $5 million for Ramaswamy. Don’t think for a moment these people give a hoot about lowering your gasoline prices and grocery bills.)

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The attack on Dr. Amy Acton was perpetrated by the brother of Andrew Havas, a former Franklin County chairman for GOP Senator Jon Husted, who resigned for pedophilia earlier this year.

According to court records reviewed by NBC News, Andrew Havas pleaded guilty in 2009 in a case involving a 15-year-old in Ohio’s Mahoning County. He was originally charged with sexual misconduct with a minor, and the charge was later reduced to a single misdemeanor assault count, NBC reported. A 2008 criminal complaint accused him of “being reckless” as to the minor’s age. NBC reported that Havas, who was 22 at the time, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and served his sentence in the Mahoning County jail from May to August 2009.

And who is Senator John Husted? Husted is Ohio’s former lieutenant governor, appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine in early 2025 to fill the Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance. 

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One of my sons and his wife are campaigning for Democrats running for various seats in Ohio politics.

This and that Tuesday

 

Today's art:

"My intuitive brodery"

Slow Stitching embroidery by Catherine Herremans

Robert Hubble asks us to remember that:

Our job is to remain on task, ensuring that the midterms are a wave election for Democrats.

The Republican Party will hold a “mid-term convention” in Texas that will feature keynote speeches by JD Vance and Trump. The speeches will be filled with lies that will attempt to pit Americans against each other and conceal Trump’s failing agenda. They will seek to generate Democratic infighting over the fact that a handful of Democratic nominees are members of the Democratic Socialists of America who want to provide healthcare for all Americans by taxing the billionaires. The press will dutifully repeat Trump’s accusations without bothering to note that the man claiming that DSA members are a threat to democracy is the only president in American history who sought to stage a coup.

and:

Memorials marking the terrorist attack on September 11 will take place on Friday, which will give right-wing agitators an opportunity to spread Islamophobic lies by attacking Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed. 

 ...Rather than wince and cringe as Trump and Vance spew their lies, we should trust that most voters can see through the lies, and many voters will be offended and disgusted. We don’t need every MAGA voter to win; only enough of them to help flip a handful of “stretch” races for Democrats that will ensure the blue wave reaches historic proportions. 

Please search for Robert Hubble's newsletter.

We are the Lady Liberties in Saranac Lake, New York. We are a pop-up art happening that take to the streets in our homemade outfits when the spirit moves us

Robert posted lots of other's photos of the various demonstrators all over the country, which have been submitted to him.

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There is a difference

between happiness and wisdom:

one who thinks himself the happiest

is really so; but he that thinks

himself the wisest is

generally the greatest fool.

Sir Francis Bacon

Cortez has great murals

 

The far right of this mural, through the open car window

The middle and far left of the mural through the windshield...sorry.

Sorry, glare from the windshield kept the last one from being clear. I bet AC could figure out how to save it.

Thinking of AC, here's one with some scary folks in it...but not a coffee shop!

The next one is from FaceBook...not in Cortez!

Either staged or AI...but still funny!

Yes, the wealth of the Southwest has been in its minerals!

Sharing with Monday Murals!

Pueblo Seed and Feed

 

Visiting my son and his wife in Cortez CO, I was interested in finding a bakery. I'd seen some nice looking clips on FB about the Pueblo Seed and Feed...family owned, etc. And Kendra (daughter-in-law) also said it was a great place.

The messy job was roasting chili peppers out front. (That's my trusty 2008 Toyota across the street!)

No pastries, by the fluffy French persuasion! I would have loved the cuts of cinnamon bread...but there were 5 people in front of me in line, and a very slow clerk. So I just went on my way. The coffee was just in carafes on the far wall.

The displays were excellent. And there were a lot of seeds also on one whole aisle to grow your own grains.

But I'm stuck on love of butter, croissants, chocolate and almonds. Nope. Not there. If they'd had a loaf of sourdough I might have purchased it, but all that was available were specialty rye or other rough grain types. Not what my mornings want. When I go home I'll have to make something simple for myself!

Still looking for a coffee shop to replace the ones I love in North Carolina! That may not happen.

But oh the beauty of the scenery! It's hard to concentrate on writing a blog...I look up and just am enthralled!

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On a more personal note: my son and wife went camping...taking everything but the kitchen sink! 

I'm glad they weren't feeling like hiking in to do back country camping. They'll be back this evening. I'm headed for Durango before it gets dark, so may not see them. I've had a delightful time staying with their cat (who didn't really need care).

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But I came for the birthday dinner Friday, then the art opening.

I meant to go back Saturday and purchase some cards, all hand made by artists. But I got distracted by the murals all over town in Cortez.

Tai talking to one of the artists.

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This is my cart, which carries everything I need when moving around. It has 2 wheels, and you tilt it and it's like a suitcase...and of course the handle retracts so it fits in the back seat of the car.

Rituals

Update to the blogger note which I wrote last night...fortunately it has been fixed!

"Dear blogger...it's really sad to have a whole program that lets us down, nobody is able to post comments anywhere suddenly on Friday morning, Sept. 4, 2026. I wonder how long before that will be fixed...or will it? Please, blog people, if there are any people still running any of it. Please make this work again!"

I'm sharing all of the following newsletter because I woke up this morning thinking of time as a spiral. And so was this author. There's really nothing new under the sun.

by Alan Ostmann

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From the Earthaven Ecovillage newsletter published Sept. 1, 2026

Their beautiful photos didn't download as they were PNG files. 

Juncture: A Fall Equinox Ritual

The essence of autumn’s approach lives in the arch of elderberry branches as they hang heavy with fruits. We can feel it coming as the quality of early-morning light becomes richer and deeper. The lushness here shifts to a dankness, and the momentary mission of the plant world begins to move from growth toward decay.

 Sometimes the seasonal cycles are presented as a wheel that turns. It's a beautiful image, but without including the path upon which that wheel travels, or the space through which it spins, the metaphor is incomplete.

Natural cycles include an exquisite synergy of returning and revival, repetition and novelty.

The wheel turns: summer follows spring, autumn after that. And at the same time, each moment is new territory, a returning to something familiar but with new eyes and more mature comprehension.

 [The author likes] to think of time not as a bullet-train speeding ever forward (as modern life might suggest), or a perpetually spinning circle, but rather as a spiral. Each revolution brings us back to touchpoints that are familiar, giving us a chance to notice what about us and the world around us has changed and grown.  

The solstices and equinoxes are moments in time that align with the repeating rhythm of relationship between Earth and Sun.

These ecological points of contact have been honored and celebrated by nearly every human culture from every corner of the earth, for thousands of years. Some say, and I agree, that they reflect key moments in the cycles of each breath, each day, and our whole lives.

We can all honor these touchpoints in the spiral of time with rituals, even if we didn’t grow up doing that, or don’t think we know how.

In the words of beloved Earthaven ancestor, Kaitlin, Priestess of Cycles, “Ritual is a human need. The more conscious we are with ritual and ceremony in our lives, the more grounded our lives become. Ritual is part of everyday life. Consciously ritualizing transitions and cycles can support us to be fully present and embodied in this world.”

How do you feel moved to ritualize the upcoming equinox and the changing of the season? Maybe something as simple as lighting a candle when the sun sets and greeting the coming darkness. Perhaps something more collective, like gathering friends around a fire to sing and share words of gratitude for what has grown and come to fruition in these past few months.

As the fruits ripen, the creatures build warm nests, and the fertile dreaming night grows to envelope more of our days, may you know peace and wellbeing.

of summer,

Rachel Fee, Member of Earthaven Ecovillage & Marketing Manager for SOIL

Chloe Leiberman, Co-facilitator of The Re-membering Retreat

Re-membering Retreat co-facilitator Chloe Lieberman will be leading an online ritual to mark the coming autumn on September 17 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. 

If you feel called, join us for Juncture: A Fall Equinox Ritual. She will guide a simple process of grounding and reflection, and invite your heart and voice into the circle to honor where you’re at on the spiraling path.

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Earthaven Ecovillage is located near Black Mountain NC. I have visited several times, and some good friends live in this intentional community in their Earth Ship style home.