Subj: Tonche
Date: Mon Oct 30 08:32:43 EST 2000
Almost a month without a posting from me. All is well. In fact, all is beyond the beyond. I think that the reason I haven’t written is because words are inadequate to describe what I have experienced this month.
Miracles do happen.
Earlier this month, I attended the Women’s Weekend at Tonche (outside of Woodstock, NY). I wanted to go last year, had planned on going, but could not make it because I was still recuperating from my “episode.”
This year, I got there.
It is awful, the way that words fail me when I am most deeply, deeply moved. My vocabulary does not include the words to describe what I saw and felt over that remarkable weekend. I felt totally wrapped up in love.
It was a weekend filled with old and new friends, renewed energies, and an unexpected chance to get in a good visit with my older daughter, Mim. I do not know who was more surprised to see the other person there – Mim or me! My age made it almost unthinkable that I would actually get there and keep going under my own steam for the whole time; Mim’s lack of transportation and own physical challenges make it equally challenging for her. What a blessing that we both overcame any obstacles to be there, in the heart of caring women.
Elsa was informed right off the bat by Deanna Nelson Odhner that she and the others would take care of me over the weekend. I felt like a mountain woman version of the Queen of Sheba, with my every wish and want taken care of. So much love, wonderful homemade food AND a view of the Catskills that would knock your socks off.
The one thing that I am going to share is a realization that came during ”sharing” time with the small circle of women I met with in the morning and evening. I had, over the two days, discussed bits and pieces of my life. I think it was on the second evening – or maybe it was on the last morning – that I mentioned that life had been easy on me. One of the young woman looked at me in disbelief and blurted out, “Mrs. Lockhart, from what you’ve described, your life has been anything but easy!” That got me thinking – it feels like the right word to describe my life is “easy,” but I can see what she meant. Perhaps “fortunate” is better.
One of the key blessings to come out of the weekend has been the gift of seeing things in a new light, with a richer awareness and a deeper appreciation. For 2 ½ days, I basked in the happiness of being there with both of my daughters. I developed new friendships, especially with Julie Conaron, and increased the depth of old ones, particularly with Deanna.
I was up every morning bright and early and down to Danna’s house in plenty of time for breakfast, and I stayed up until the end of each program/discussion group. I felt strong mentally, spiritually and physically.
I said I was going to go and I went!
If only I could share all that was in my heart, all the images in my mind – what a glorious posting this would be!
Love to one and all, especially to my fellow mountain women – The Queen of Sheba (aka Grammie)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
WHAT A WEDNESDAY 07/27/00
since Mom took an inexplicable hiatus from writing Mindwalker1910 e-mails throughout most of October, am taking the liberty of posting some earlier,out-of-order musings of Mom's:
Subj: What a Wednesday
Date: Thu Jul 27 23:33:08 EDT 2000
It has taken me 24 hours to write about what a wonderful day I had yesterday. Two major visits on the same day and I still felt up for going to the hairdresser today. That is progress.
Jeremy Simons stopped by yesterday afternoon to talk with me about the role of New Church women in the ministry. It was so stimulating. He brought several pamphlets by for me to look over and we shared how we see the current discussion going on around this issue. I remember a couple years ago when Gay Pendleton had dropped by and the two of us were discussing women seeking a recognized role within the General Church ministry. Gay asked Elsa what she thought and Elsa replied, "Nature hates a vacuum." I did not understand what she meant at first, but Gay got it right off the bat.
I think there is nothing so beautiful as men taking a strong masculine role and women taking a strong feminine role, the two beautifully fulfilling each other in different ways but on the same plane. I think of Pete and how much delight he took in building a secure foundation for his family. We did not have a lot - for many years we were comparatively poor (and poor within a wealthy town) - but we never went hungry and always had a roof over our heads. I took the greatest delight in being a wife and mother. It was heaven on earth. Unfortunately, these are not ideal days when it comes to the concept of conjugial - or true marriage - love. Men and women TOGETHER are to safeguard that priceless pearl, conjugial love. Women cannot be held responsible for the confusion about gender roles or the breakdown of marriage. That is a 2-way street.
My goodness, this has nothing to do with what Jeremy and I discussed; just shows to go you that his visit got my little grey cells sitting up and taking notice. What we said was private to us, although I am delighted to say how uplifted I was by the clearness of his thought and opinions. Jeremy, please drop by again!
Jeremy stopped by in the afternoon. In the evening, Elsa getting together with a young friend to discuss the young lady's upcoming wedding. The original plan was for the two of them to head off to Barnes & Noble to discuss wedding plans. Then, a couple days ago, Elsa got the great idea of having Jessica come to our house for supper, so I could get in a visit. That snowballed into Darryl coming too, when his baseball game was rained out and he was left high and dry with nothing to do. It still amazes me that I was not too bushed from the stimulating afternoon to do justice to their visit.
Jessica and Darryl are getting married next June and Jessica asked Elsa to help out, since her Mom is far away, in (western?) Canada. There are few things that Elsa loves more than helping out with a wedding. She becomes a sort of "Adopt-an-Aunt." I remember the fun she had helping Stella Rose with her wedding and helping Rebekah Darkwah with hers and Aline Cooper with hers and the incredible time she had last year helping out with Shada Rabone's wedding.
There were so many things that I loved about Darryl and Jessica's visit. They have such an ease with each other, like good friends. It was lovely to see how they batted ideas about the wedding back and forth ideas.
I liked hearing them talk about their circle of friends, which includes some young people who dear to my heart - Mike and Stella, Aline and Jeff, Doug and Carla, among others. It makes me smile thinking that if Scott and Kimberly were here, they might be part of that same circle of friends. Scott was Mike's best man, Mike would have been Scott's if he could have gotten down to Australia, and Mike is Darryl's. A lovely connection of sorts to a couple who are too far away.
We talked about so many things - Jessica's teaching position in Toronto, Darryl working on his degree in architecture, their families, discussions taking place within the church, friends and friendship, and glimmerings of what they might be considering considering for their wedding, and lots of other things that I am too tired to recall. I enjoyed their visit very much. I would like to keep track of them. I hope I am up to going to their wedding. If I am not there in presence, I surely will be in spirit.
It was a wonderful Wednesday. I am so pleased that I had the get up and go to fully enjoy both visits. I feel like I am getting stronger every day. Who'd a thunk it?
Love to you all, a tired - but well-coiffed - Grammie
Subj: What a Wednesday
Date: Thu Jul 27 23:33:08 EDT 2000
It has taken me 24 hours to write about what a wonderful day I had yesterday. Two major visits on the same day and I still felt up for going to the hairdresser today. That is progress.
Jeremy Simons stopped by yesterday afternoon to talk with me about the role of New Church women in the ministry. It was so stimulating. He brought several pamphlets by for me to look over and we shared how we see the current discussion going on around this issue. I remember a couple years ago when Gay Pendleton had dropped by and the two of us were discussing women seeking a recognized role within the General Church ministry. Gay asked Elsa what she thought and Elsa replied, "Nature hates a vacuum." I did not understand what she meant at first, but Gay got it right off the bat.
I think there is nothing so beautiful as men taking a strong masculine role and women taking a strong feminine role, the two beautifully fulfilling each other in different ways but on the same plane. I think of Pete and how much delight he took in building a secure foundation for his family. We did not have a lot - for many years we were comparatively poor (and poor within a wealthy town) - but we never went hungry and always had a roof over our heads. I took the greatest delight in being a wife and mother. It was heaven on earth. Unfortunately, these are not ideal days when it comes to the concept of conjugial - or true marriage - love. Men and women TOGETHER are to safeguard that priceless pearl, conjugial love. Women cannot be held responsible for the confusion about gender roles or the breakdown of marriage. That is a 2-way street.
My goodness, this has nothing to do with what Jeremy and I discussed; just shows to go you that his visit got my little grey cells sitting up and taking notice. What we said was private to us, although I am delighted to say how uplifted I was by the clearness of his thought and opinions. Jeremy, please drop by again!
Jeremy stopped by in the afternoon. In the evening, Elsa getting together with a young friend to discuss the young lady's upcoming wedding. The original plan was for the two of them to head off to Barnes & Noble to discuss wedding plans. Then, a couple days ago, Elsa got the great idea of having Jessica come to our house for supper, so I could get in a visit. That snowballed into Darryl coming too, when his baseball game was rained out and he was left high and dry with nothing to do. It still amazes me that I was not too bushed from the stimulating afternoon to do justice to their visit.
Jessica and Darryl are getting married next June and Jessica asked Elsa to help out, since her Mom is far away, in (western?) Canada. There are few things that Elsa loves more than helping out with a wedding. She becomes a sort of "Adopt-an-Aunt." I remember the fun she had helping Stella Rose with her wedding and helping Rebekah Darkwah with hers and Aline Cooper with hers and the incredible time she had last year helping out with Shada Rabone's wedding.
There were so many things that I loved about Darryl and Jessica's visit. They have such an ease with each other, like good friends. It was lovely to see how they batted ideas about the wedding back and forth ideas.
I liked hearing them talk about their circle of friends, which includes some young people who dear to my heart - Mike and Stella, Aline and Jeff, Doug and Carla, among others. It makes me smile thinking that if Scott and Kimberly were here, they might be part of that same circle of friends. Scott was Mike's best man, Mike would have been Scott's if he could have gotten down to Australia, and Mike is Darryl's. A lovely connection of sorts to a couple who are too far away.
We talked about so many things - Jessica's teaching position in Toronto, Darryl working on his degree in architecture, their families, discussions taking place within the church, friends and friendship, and glimmerings of what they might be considering considering for their wedding, and lots of other things that I am too tired to recall. I enjoyed their visit very much. I would like to keep track of them. I hope I am up to going to their wedding. If I am not there in presence, I surely will be in spirit.
It was a wonderful Wednesday. I am so pleased that I had the get up and go to fully enjoy both visits. I feel like I am getting stronger every day. Who'd a thunk it?
Love to you all, a tired - but well-coiffed - Grammie
Sunday, October 10, 2010
PADDINGTON ABROAD 07/20/00
Subj: Paddington Abroad
Date: Thu Jul 20 21:28:32 EDT 2000
A little book popped up in my top bureau "treasure" drawer, a very short story handwritten and bound by Mim to honor a special day and time. It took me back to July 4th week, 1976, when the three of us Lockhart ladies hot footed it down to Philadelphia eight (8!) times over seven days.
It was not planned.
The first time we headed down was an evening. The three of us sitting around the living room at 2501 Woodland Road, having a wonderful time with Ian Cole, who was just a toddler, and watching Channel 6's coverage of the special Mummer's Parade, which was just starting its way up the Parkway. "This is a GLORIOUS sight. If you can, come on down." That was all we needed to hear. We piled into the van and were downtown in no time. I would not have missed that for the world (remember, I was just a kid of 66). Ian, enjoying a front row seat in his stroller, thought it was all for him and him alone. That is what I remember most - the look of complete delight on that little boy’s face.
We went down every day that week; once, twice in one day. On the actual 4th, which fell on a Sunday (postponing Bryn Athyn’s celebration to the next day), we went to the Du Pont Hotel for brunch, then to Philadelphia for the rest of the day. They set off fireworks from the tops of building on three sides of Independence Mall. I have never seen anything to come close to touching it. Just as wonderful as the fireworks and more genuinely awesome was the short shower we had that afternoon that ended up in a double rainbow over the Delaware. God's very own light show!
We were surprised on how painless the drive home was - people who had gone to Willow Grove for fireworks and who told us we were nuts to battle the Philadelphia traffic, got home long after we did!! As for the BA celebration, we still had that to look forward to the next day. Double blessings due to our nation's 200th birthday falling on a Sunday!
Just the two girls got down for the event on which Mim based the story - the
visit of the Queen of England and Prince Philip to Philadelphia. I remember Mim describing the shock she felt when she looked at the yacht Britannia and realized the royal standard was flying over the Delaware River instead of over Buckingham Palace. That made it real.
Anyhow, this is the story Mim wrote about it. It is dear to my heart and, I am sure, will be to Paddington lovers everywhere (she really caught Michael Bond's style).
PADDINGTON ABROAD
Paddington scurried along behind the crowd. He was trying desperately to keep up although he had nary a clue where they were going or what they would see. All he knew was that if he was lost in this big city it would be quite nasty. And he was grumpy about having to leave his vegetable garden. It did need weeding so!
Everyone was hurrying, hurrying. Their legs could take it in stride, but Paddington's were growing tender. He was beginning to wish they would stop.
It was bad enough to run along the bumpy sidewalks; now they were in a construction area. Up and over, around and under ~ WHEW!
By the time they had reached Front Street, the dust and heat were choking and burning him. "Bother," puffed Paddington.
All of a sudden, they came to a dead halt, smack up against a large wall. "Hmmm," mused Paddington, "They do have odd ideas of sights in America."
However, he was aware of a great excitement all around him, and snatches of strange phrases - "There she is!" "She's lovely!" "I'll take him any day."
Slowly, it dawned on Paddington that perhaps there was something on the other side of the wall. But no one was paying any attention to him, which was distressing.
Accidentally-on-purpose, he trod on Elsa's toes.
"Ouch," exclaimed Elsa, glancing down at Paddington. "Oh dear, excuse me, you can't see way down there."
Elsa lifted him up onto the wall. He stood stock still with his mouth wide open. Mercy me! Mercy me! He could only stare.
Way out, across a huge road, riding at anchor at Penn's Landing, was the Britannia. Snapping in the wind, high about the deck on the main mast, flew the royal standard.
Paddington stared. Suddenly, Elsa picked him off the wall and ran to a low barricade. She put him down and shoved a small Union Jack into his hand.
They were just in time! Along the road roared a brace of motorcycles. Following close behind the motorcycles came a big black car full of somber men.
"How delightful," thought Paddington. "A parade!"
Further down the way, another big car, with flags on it, was slowly progressing. As it slunk past Paddington, he suddenly raised his flag and saluted.
The Queen smiled a warm smile. It wasn't every day that she was greet to a big city by a small English bear with tears in his eyes, his hat over his heart, and the British flag held solidly aloft.
******* Mim concluded with the postscript "To commemorate the visit of her
royal majesty Elizabeth II July 6, 1976, in honor of the 200th anniversary
of the birth of a new nation, the free and United States of America, on July
4th 1776."
The book was unillustrated, but I can see it all in my heart. All these years later, that little story and all that went with it brings happy tears to my eyes.
Lots of love to all & sundry - Mim's Mom
Date: Thu Jul 20 21:28:32 EDT 2000
A little book popped up in my top bureau "treasure" drawer, a very short story handwritten and bound by Mim to honor a special day and time. It took me back to July 4th week, 1976, when the three of us Lockhart ladies hot footed it down to Philadelphia eight (8!) times over seven days.
It was not planned.
The first time we headed down was an evening. The three of us sitting around the living room at 2501 Woodland Road, having a wonderful time with Ian Cole, who was just a toddler, and watching Channel 6's coverage of the special Mummer's Parade, which was just starting its way up the Parkway. "This is a GLORIOUS sight. If you can, come on down." That was all we needed to hear. We piled into the van and were downtown in no time. I would not have missed that for the world (remember, I was just a kid of 66). Ian, enjoying a front row seat in his stroller, thought it was all for him and him alone. That is what I remember most - the look of complete delight on that little boy’s face.
We went down every day that week; once, twice in one day. On the actual 4th, which fell on a Sunday (postponing Bryn Athyn’s celebration to the next day), we went to the Du Pont Hotel for brunch, then to Philadelphia for the rest of the day. They set off fireworks from the tops of building on three sides of Independence Mall. I have never seen anything to come close to touching it. Just as wonderful as the fireworks and more genuinely awesome was the short shower we had that afternoon that ended up in a double rainbow over the Delaware. God's very own light show!
We were surprised on how painless the drive home was - people who had gone to Willow Grove for fireworks and who told us we were nuts to battle the Philadelphia traffic, got home long after we did!! As for the BA celebration, we still had that to look forward to the next day. Double blessings due to our nation's 200th birthday falling on a Sunday!
Just the two girls got down for the event on which Mim based the story - the
visit of the Queen of England and Prince Philip to Philadelphia. I remember Mim describing the shock she felt when she looked at the yacht Britannia and realized the royal standard was flying over the Delaware River instead of over Buckingham Palace. That made it real.
Anyhow, this is the story Mim wrote about it. It is dear to my heart and, I am sure, will be to Paddington lovers everywhere (she really caught Michael Bond's style).
PADDINGTON ABROAD
Paddington scurried along behind the crowd. He was trying desperately to keep up although he had nary a clue where they were going or what they would see. All he knew was that if he was lost in this big city it would be quite nasty. And he was grumpy about having to leave his vegetable garden. It did need weeding so!
Everyone was hurrying, hurrying. Their legs could take it in stride, but Paddington's were growing tender. He was beginning to wish they would stop.
It was bad enough to run along the bumpy sidewalks; now they were in a construction area. Up and over, around and under ~ WHEW!
By the time they had reached Front Street, the dust and heat were choking and burning him. "Bother," puffed Paddington.
All of a sudden, they came to a dead halt, smack up against a large wall. "Hmmm," mused Paddington, "They do have odd ideas of sights in America."
However, he was aware of a great excitement all around him, and snatches of strange phrases - "There she is!" "She's lovely!" "I'll take him any day."
Slowly, it dawned on Paddington that perhaps there was something on the other side of the wall. But no one was paying any attention to him, which was distressing.
Accidentally-on-purpose, he trod on Elsa's toes.
"Ouch," exclaimed Elsa, glancing down at Paddington. "Oh dear, excuse me, you can't see way down there."
Elsa lifted him up onto the wall. He stood stock still with his mouth wide open. Mercy me! Mercy me! He could only stare.
Way out, across a huge road, riding at anchor at Penn's Landing, was the Britannia. Snapping in the wind, high about the deck on the main mast, flew the royal standard.
Paddington stared. Suddenly, Elsa picked him off the wall and ran to a low barricade. She put him down and shoved a small Union Jack into his hand.
They were just in time! Along the road roared a brace of motorcycles. Following close behind the motorcycles came a big black car full of somber men.
"How delightful," thought Paddington. "A parade!"
Further down the way, another big car, with flags on it, was slowly progressing. As it slunk past Paddington, he suddenly raised his flag and saluted.
The Queen smiled a warm smile. It wasn't every day that she was greet to a big city by a small English bear with tears in his eyes, his hat over his heart, and the British flag held solidly aloft.
******* Mim concluded with the postscript "To commemorate the visit of her
royal majesty Elizabeth II July 6, 1976, in honor of the 200th anniversary
of the birth of a new nation, the free and United States of America, on July
4th 1776."
The book was unillustrated, but I can see it all in my heart. All these years later, that little story and all that went with it brings happy tears to my eyes.
Lots of love to all & sundry - Mim's Mom
Sunday, October 3, 2010
MOM DIDN'T WRITE POSTS IN OCT 2000
We had no idea how the entire month practically slipped by without so much as a peep from the Gramster, but she didn't post until 10/30/00. Maybe I'll post some from Feb-June 2000. Or just wait until 10/30/10. We'll see.
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