a little late...

it's way past vietnamese new year but i finally got around to uploading a video of the dragon dance in my neighborhood. the vietnamese community in camden dance for us and light fire crackers to celebrate their new year. it's one of my favorite days of the year. 2 of my students were in the dance, one as a buddha an another as the tail of the smaller dragon. chuc mung nam moi!

snow!

we finally had a good snow fall here - a whopping 4 inches!! but it was lovely. i went out in the morning in my slippers and took some pictures. enjoy our little city winter wonderland!





also, as a side note, our dog, victor, just had a little surgery and had to wear to cutest purple cast! so sad for him but funny for us. pictures are below. oh and i'll include some of our newly rehabbed (still in the process of finishing the rehab actually) living room.

women's midwinter retreat

i was fortunate enough to be a part of a wonderful women's gathering last weekend in new hampshire! it was hosted by a kindred spirit in her little country cottage. we gathered around the wood stove and talked and laughed and cried a bit. we shared about our struggles of being christians in a Church that historically overlooks the contributions and presence of women and we went deeper into those places where we have been welcomed. by st. julian of norwich, the catholic worker movement, some of our small communities, poets and writers, the scriptures, our mother god etc. we talked about becoming women more fully instead of what i sometimes see in parts of the feminist movement - suppressing gender and denying our differences as men and women.

some books we read and/or shared:
the dance of the dissident daughter by sue monk kid
caretakers of our common house by carol lakey hess
she who is by elizabeth johnson
is it ok to call god mother? by paul smith

and here are some photos: (what an idyllic place to live and work and raise children!)

hm.

i am due for another update because a lot of fun and great things have happened in the last couple of weeks. until then though... my friend forwarded me this video and i wanted to share it. be careful, it'll pull you in with some thoughtful lyrics, good musicians and singers, diversity and clergy but if you're a christian the phrase "a born again american" should make you very uncomfortable.