First Sunday Evening on the Nomadic - Our last one for a while

This post got lost in the DRAFTS box from 6 April 2014.

We said our farewell on the SS Nomadic. Ward recited the Call To Worship from the beginning of his book, Plain Drink Tea.  Marda thanked Chris and Susan, and said our goodbyes to all those who welcomed us and provided a Spirit filled prayer walking venue for Sunday afternoons.

This "fresh expression of church" needs support from the traditional denominations as well as from those who seek true spirituality without the trappings of institutional religion.  Patronize the Dock Cafe and pay forward.  Support Chris Bennett as a chaplain to the Titanic Quarter and give generously.  This is Christ's body and the church in action.

April is here

This Friday, Ward Stothers, with author Bill McKnight to moderate, Rev Jack lamb to bless us and the librarian Mark Knowles to host us; Ward will officially launch his book.   

Plain Drink Tea  is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.  The book can also be downloaded from Kindle.

With three sections, peace, prayers, and a cuppa, there is diversity you can use to warm your soul and encourage your actions.  An introduction and a postscript completes the story.  We do make a difference each one of us. 

Our Irish journey is taking a turn and we return home to California in two weeks for at least six months.  At this point it seems our base will return to Berkeley. Forays back to Northern Ireland will happen as projects warrant.  We are already talking about next year's Passion Walk in Belfast.  Ward and Bill have a concept for another book and some friends never made the pilgrimage to Ireland.

Blame it on the ipad

I had resolved to post monthly but since buying an ipad the use of my computer has diminished and posting a blog requires photos to keep it interesting and I don't often take photos with the ipad.

However this is a season of change and I want to post the observations.  This photo is of the snowdrops on Lime Tree Walk at The Argory.  Ethel called for us on a Saturday and we rode down to this National Trust property to observe the first flowers of Spring, much like crocuses I suppose but what do I know about flowers?

It was a typical Northern Ireland winter into spring day with storm showers making you wonder what you were doing trying to take a walk in a park?  The property is built on a river and the water was quite high.  The house itself was closed so the visitors are there only to walk and enjoy the grounds of this old estate now maintained and managed by the National Trust.

The difference between days with temperatures between 0 and 5 C and 5  to 9 C is tremendous.  We have smiles again as the weather is warming up.  It looks like we have escaped a winter of snow and ice.  This winter was cold for a long time but no snow nor ice to worry about and we also escaped the flooding that England suffered.

On another topic we have marveled at the quality and increase of art in many places from the cartoonist at the networking gathering that the Mayor hosted for the 4CornersFestival to the Peace Paper making event this week.

This is the finished art of our friend Helen Sanlon commissioned for the Drumalis Retreat Centre.  It's inspiration is an aerial view of the property and it is very beautiful.

Next month I will be able to share my delight at discovering this completed work (I saw it in Helen's studio in bits) with my other artist friend, McCall Gilfillan, as we participate in a Tres Dias weekend cloistered at Drumalis Retreat Centre.  McCall will bring her sketchbook.  Me I want to bring my Bible, listen and hear God.

Last of 2013

After the party tonight I will cook and I will eat only healthy, fresh, green, locally grown food.
I promise.  We have been eating a lot of kale, really we have.

This is the last day of 2013.  I hope everything that was suppose to get done got done, because the hours are going.  It doesn't help that it gets dark just after 4 pm and it is very cold, down around freezing.

We have had a great year with many visitors.  Jerem and Conor came in January along with Jennifer and Vicki.  Jon Kennedy moved into The Loom in March.  We went home and renewed visas in April.  We've been to Northumbria in June with Lane, and deepened the relationships with the local Belfast based Northumbria Community by regular meetings and going on retreat to Kilbrony Centre Rostrevor.  Then six sets of visitors came in September and October.  We've deepened the relationships with the North Belfast clergy through the 174 Trust clergy forum.  I learned a few words of Irish.  We sang in the Together Stronger community choir.  We lost Jeff and Kenny.  We met challenges with grace and we prayed together most every day.  Praise God at all times.

More About April

Our trip home to Berkeley to renew our Visas coincided with Marda's nephew Daniel and Julie's wedding.  The wedding was planned to take place at the Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus.  Coincidentally the 40th Anniversary Celebration Symposium was also being held at the UC Berkeley campus at Wurster Hall, the School for Environmental Design. 

This is a photo of the book table hosted by the OWA Book Club.  My good friend Wendy Bertrand, on the left, published her memoir Enamored With Place to add to the growing collection of books about women architects. 

The Symposium was planned by another good friend, retired lecturer Mui Ho, and featured several women academics discussing topics around the theme, "Gender Matters."  Gender certainly matters in regards the practice of architecture where perspective is everything.

April Came and Went

Suffice to say the weather was terrific in California and we were very busy.  I'll post a photo soon to keep this Blog going.  We are back in Belfast and have overcome our jet lag.
Take a look at Jon Kennedy's Blog which he has faithfully updated some of which is our news too.
Jon Kennedy, C.S. Lewis Writer-in-Residence, The Loom

OMG May already!

Rhodies are out.  Trees are full.  Everything is green.  This week is warm.  Days are long and I'm wanting to go to a garden. 
Ward is a homebody and I have to pry him out.  He will come along mostly willingly but he would NEVER initiate a trip anywhere to anyplace.
That's how we know that this "call" to Ireland was not his own idea but inspired by divine means.
We are basking in the optimism of a new era

here and we are hopeful that the tipping point of
people will get behind a revival of soul, heart, and mind.
I did get to two gardens this week.  We went to Greenmount walled garden which is on the grounds of the Agricultural College.  I also went to Rowallane where we went with the Eastons to view the handkerchief tree.  In bloom here to the right. The tree is from 1904 and was brought from China.  Amazing!
You all must look at the write up of the first vertical garden in Northern Ireland.  Hint it is on the Skainos Building.  I am finally excited about what I'm seeing building and environment wise in Belfast.  Come and visit.

Long days out and about

missed a posting in June. With the long days we were out a lot and tired when we got in. With long days and regular watering plants flourish. These Chinese lanterns are twice the size of the ones in my Berkeley garden!

What a glorious month of feeding we have had too. We were reminded of Mount Stewart and Portaferry, by the Presbyterian Women bus run. Mount Stewart was the place where we were hosted by an English couple who were Buddhist back in 2005. Now we learn the Rollinsons have moved to the Zen Garden that is part of the National Trust. That is good karma for them. In hindsight they were people placed along the way to point us to where we would go. Claire said we are lonely here but you will have an easier time moving to Northern Ireland because you will be a part of a church community. She was also one who welcomed us to stay with them when a devout Christian turned us away with a Bible quote. Because we stayed at Mt Stewart we were able to meet Maureen and Doug Edmundson who also encouraged us by many kindnesses. So bringing us to this week's outing we went back to Portaferry to visit Hugh and Anne, friends of the Edmondsons,. God washed us with blessings as we shared time and stories with this precious couple. Hugh has lived with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) for 10 years and is still enjoying a full life.

EASTER SUNDAY

College Avenue Presbyterian Church has combined the new with the old creating a wonderful worship service of celebration and praise. The old is our suspended cross brought in from the garden and raised in the sanctuary worship space and then the invitation to those bereaved to come to the cross and be comforted by the gathered and by Christ. The new is Monte McClain our new pastor, his guitar, and the children. He leads a time of learning with the children via the secret box to "stump the pastor." Today the Beatty grandchildren joined to make a big group of little ones.

As we head back to Belfast we are encouraged to know our home church is strong and uplifted as they send us back to represent them to the people of Belfast.

MOMA Project at Ulster Museum

My brain!! I know I posted the info on our debut at the Ulster Museum. www.wea-ni.com. I don't see it, so here it is again and here is more. Click the link: http://weabelfast.weebly.com and enjoy. Links to the two videos the WEA made of our work for the MOMA project at the Ulster Museum. This was a fantastic project and we felt like celebrities.

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef

On Easter Tuesday I was invited to go down to Dublin to go to the Chester Beatty Library to see an exhibit of "Telling Images of China 15th - 20th Century" Chinese paintings from Shanghai.

This library houses historic religious books including a papyrus fragment with a part of the Bible from John's gospel in Greek from 150 AD. Remarkable.

Then we went to the Science Gallery to see the subject show. The crochet show needs some explanation. Two Australian women Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles, started this work to bring attention to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. The project has grown with now 3000 contributors from around the world.

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.

I felt like a kid again when Bob, (Marian) and Tilly handed us two Easter eggs and a sweet card. Just like the Italian children in Boston who get Perugia eggs, the Irish children, us included, get Cadbury eggs.

We get Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday as holidays. The banks and many stores are closed. Today we are going to a gospel meeting at a wee Pentecostal church, and tomorrow Marda is going to Dublin to see a Chinese art exhibit.

Spring? A different meaning here.

I was told yesterday that the odds are greater that we would get snow on Easter than on Christmas in Northern Ireland. If last night is any indication I think this must be right. It blew and stormed and snowed all night.

When we returned from California in mid March, we saw crocuses in the parks and my California sensibilities said ah Spring has sprung. Longer days, flowers true. I forgot the "March winds, April showers.."

This is one of two window boxes planted with bulbs. Yes that is snow on the soil. They get no direct sunlight thus the plants are rather scrawny but since we have to move I'm hoping for a home with a sunny window ledge.