That Clear and Certain Sound

By Pamela Haines Book review by Mary Ann Petersen What rings true? Something with “that clear and certain sound.” This book by Pamela Haines is short and dense with content. It is part of the series Quaker Quicks. As Haines describes it, she assembled the book from a series of essays and meditations she had composed over… Continue reading That Clear and Certain Sound

Lower the temp; raise the vibe

I think one reason mask wearing became controversial is because it was an act of respect and half of Americans didn’t want to. It was inconvenient. To be asked to put a mask over your blowhole to resist spraying others nearby was viewed as so totally unreasonable it actually got people killed. I’ve come up… Continue reading Lower the temp; raise the vibe

Office Hours

I’m holding office hours Saturdays 11:00-1:00. Drop-in, in-person or zoom option.  Stop by if you need to check-in. No need to sign up in advance.  Keeping office hours creates a window for inquiry. A structured framework for interaction.  I have friends who host office hours. They said often no one comes. I am prepared to… Continue reading Office Hours

Give an hour

The universal switchboard is lighting up and I’m taking a lot of calls. The message came through quickly, as they do, you just have to pay attention. I happened to hear it. It said, give an hour of help toward someone. Don’t hesitate. Act on this. Need help? I’ll give you an hour. Sign up… Continue reading Give an hour

Comfort within

A man made bird sounds on an early morning bird walk. He tweeted, squeaked, squawked, whistled, buzzed and whooshed with his mouth making him my favorite bird that morning. A couple weeks ago, two people I’ve never met stood at my front fence and voiced observations: “I love your squash forest!”“I love your amaranth! It… Continue reading Comfort within

Common sense

Nominate yourself to do something. Create a positive position of action, no matter how small, for someone outside of you/yours. One day I nominated myself to be the birdbath tender at the Quaker meetinghouse. I mean, what a great title, for starters. I cannot wait to list this on my resume. To get more involved… Continue reading Common sense

What’s your call? What’s your song?

I had a next-step salon before I knew what it was. There were five of us, approximately 40-80 years old, talking about how to make change or react to change. We took turns sharing about something we were thinking about doing, trying, or re-doing. It was an in-between space; a temple for open discussion for… Continue reading What’s your call? What’s your song?

A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest

It’s like the place where Winnie the Pooh lives. It’s not the grounds to prove physical accomplishments, victories, or achievements. About 11 miles south of Corvallis, off Peoria road, Snag Boat Bend is a simple walk in a quiet place. It offers grass, blackberries, willows, water, leaves and trees. There is a bog. Beavers live… Continue reading A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest

Random thoughts about amazing things

From my desk, I can see the corn grow. It’s tall, and a deep happy green. It is the tallest thing in my yard, second to the banana tree. This morning, I followed a nature/science link on New York Times’ website, which talked about the scent powers of elephants. Followed by a feature of the… Continue reading Random thoughts about amazing things