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Beth Patterson

October 17, 2010
13:09
Champions of a different caduceus
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Sometimes the champion Wields nothing but a steady stethoscope Vast experience in the Garden of the Human Condition And her own radiant heart. Iceland volcano erupting, Winter 2010 Dedicated to my dear friend and former colleague, Deanna St. Germain,...(read more)
11:59
Guest post by Bonnie Lamont Rose: To LOVE, Manifest
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is the second guest post poem by Bonnie Lamont. The first was the unbearable lightness of being. This is a guest post from Bonnie Lamont Rose. Bonnie lives in Bend Oregon. Her life has been about seeking what’s true and real in a world that insists...(read more)
October 04, 2010
12:48
Sounds True: Insights at the Edge
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Many of the VTH readers know about Sounds True CDs—but did you know you can download zillions of talks via their site onto your ipod? Enough for a month of Sundays. Sounds True: Insights at the Edge...(read more)
1:39
Work shouldn’t be this much fun.
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Note: In May of this year my position at KIDS Center here in Bend, Oregon, was reorganized for budgetary and organizational efficiency. Possibly good for the organization—difficult for me personally, but immensely rewarding as a time to refocus, reframe...(read more)
October 03, 2010
18:04
What thinking does for us
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Without a thought What I’ve tried for years to accomplish Was already done. Submission for One Single Impression prompt ‘try’. Check it out—lots of good stuff, not too trying! Technorati Tags: one single impression...(read more)
September 29, 2010
9:11
Guest post by Bonnie Lamont Rose: ‘the unbearable lightness of being’
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is a guest post from Bonnie Lamont Rose. Bonnie lives in Bend Oregon. Her life has been about seeking what’s true and real in a world that insists on remaining a mystery. This search for her is a continual process of pealing away layers from the...(read more)
September 26, 2010
23:16
gnarly monuments to patience
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The most profound monuments are always the same and a tiny bit different. The following photos were taken at Great Basin National Park in Nevada, at about 11,000 ft on Mt. Wheeler in a magnificent bristlecone pine...(read more)
September 19, 2010
17:18
If we could do better than this, we would
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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No surface contentment, this. Instead, life lived on the edge of its own inscrutable terms. Resistance is thankfully futile. The juice, the sweetness will have its final say Nothing better can be corporately imagined or by golly, we’d have already created...(read more)
September 12, 2010
9:47
The passing
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Somewhere along year two of graduate school single parent working full time I realized that the pass/fail option was a helpful one. Who cares once the diploma is yours if you get a B or an A? The passing option became a lifeline and a new way of being....(read more)
September 08, 2010
10:05
What we resist not only persists but will eventually become our landlord
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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‘The parts of us that remain unloved will eventually turn against us.’ --Carl Jung This is a submission for a synchroblog on Christian perspectives on immigration reform. Check out this link (Facebook) for some great thinking about this topic. Here are...(read more)
August 24, 2010
10:32
Just don’t go thinking there’s a cure
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The photo taken by Christine Valters Paintner is the reflection of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC in the shimmering glass of an adjacent office building. I am a big fan of Christine over at Abbey of the Arts, the abbey without walls—a virtual one if you...(read more)
August 23, 2010
9:07
minding my mind (not), part 3
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I have not been minding my mind very well since I started writing this little series 10 days or so ago. I got mad at the guy at the mortgage company who isn’t really a person, but talks like one. And when I told him that the money he’s playing...(read more)
August 17, 2010
21:58
minding my mind, part 2
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The judgment of my judgments is enough for my habituated mind to climb aboard the hamster wheel of regrets, misdeeds and failings. There is no way of getting off this carousel this prototypical Hotel California except for re-directing, with humor, loving-kindness...(read more)
20:55
Couldn’t they have made another stone or something?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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...(read more)
August 16, 2010
8:56
minding my mind
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Begin yet again sweetest words spoken by mother piano teacher biology professor watercolor instructor writing coach spiritual mentors. Always available The next fresh moment. Lotus Ann—10 month old and a true master of beginning yet again. Here pictured...(read more)
July 12, 2010
22:11
Lux Aurumque
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Combining 185 voices with 243 tracks from 12 countries into a choir unlike any other. What started as a simple social media experiment, has become a poetic metaphor of our shared humanity and the power of connection. Acclaimed composer and conductor Eric...(read more)
July 11, 2010
18:54
hope looks like this
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Meet Your Farmer - Tide Mill Farm from Pull-Start Pictures on Vimeo . (Click on the links to view the videos). Love the way these 9th generation Maine family dairy farmers are showing a way of hope—how to nurture and respect all life, run a solid business...(read more)
July 10, 2010
21:33
formal attire for congruency fluency
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The things I sometimes omit from difficult dialogues could choke a fair-to-middlin’ sized bulldozer. These omissions are rarely overt. But still they plague me: Could I have been more clear? More direct? More…? I once lived in an artistic rural community...(read more)
July 02, 2010
19:16
No fixed center: its all fringe
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Encourage borders, outskirts, and temporary isolation where the voltage of difference can spark the new….By definition a network is one huge edge. It has no fixed center. As the network grows it holds increasing opportunities for protected backwaters...(read more)
June 27, 2010
8:32
nothing short of a miracle
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Ochres, those naturally occurring pigments from oxidized iron are building blocks of the gods. The variant reds and yellows of the mountain and desert canyons rests our eyes and makes our hearts sing. Meanwhile, back at the ranch The shine on the oil...(read more)
June 25, 2010
9:15
A prayer for our waters
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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For those of you who pray or meditate on how to help the planet, specifically the Gulf Coast, The Council of Indigenous Grandmothers* has sent the following request (emphases mine): We ask you to cast, anchor, and hold the Net of Light steady for the...(read more)
June 24, 2010
14:54
It doesn’t get much more fun than this
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Last summer I had the front steps fixed in my cottage, built in 1944; a new front door installed (donated from a friend’s home that was being torn down), demolished the old grass in the front yard and planted wildflowers. This year I’ve just been planting...(read more)
June 22, 2010
13:28
Stunted being and Prometheus unbound
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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From: The Freedom to Do Nothing — on Dave Pollard’s blog ‘how to save the world’ When you begin to get free, you will get depressed. It works like this: When you were three years old, if your parents weren’t too bad, you knew how to play spontaneously....(read more)
June 21, 2010
10:17
Fear and permission
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The small man Builds cages for everyone He Knows. While the sage, Who has to duck his head When the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long For the Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners. ----Hafiz This TED talk by Chris Guillebeau is well worth...(read more)
June 20, 2010
16:01
Use it all: the carrots may thank you
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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So today I went to make carrot ginger soup for a summer solstice gathering this evening…and I found a huge bag of organic carrots in the back of the refrigerator vegetable drawer. They were hairy, if you know what I mean. I was horrified at my lack of...(read more)
10:24
What else could it be?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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As I walk the streets of my chosen village early, early: Very few humans are awake. A few smoker-hacks in the back yard: I smell their cigarettes and coffee. Greet a few gardeners out enjoying the flowers: They’ve got their Dew On. Smell the ponderosa...(read more)
June 19, 2010
6:15
Graywacke in love
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Doe Bay, Orcas Island, June 2010, looking south by southwest. Early morning, low tide. Graywacke (pronounced ‘gray-wacky’): An aggregate type of very hard sandstone that originates in environments where erosion, transportation and depositing happen...(read more)
June 06, 2010
16:03
one’s too many and a hundred's not enough
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The hubris of assuming that with wings of mortality I could reach immortality. Or satisfaction. Or peace. Icarus’ folly is my lineage. The Descent is alive and well and lives ever present as I hit the ground after a swan dive through a plate glass window...(read more)
June 04, 2010
6:34
It was an 18 earthworm morning
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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click on photo for source " ...it may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures." --Charles Darwin I recently read an article in Ode, called 'The joy...(read more)
May 31, 2010
7:40
it’s got everything to do with it
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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...what’s love got to do, got to do with it? what’s love but a second hand emotion?* Been thinking lately About how love is both universal and probably the most misunderstood human state of being. What’s love got to do with it? It’s easier to say what...(read more)
May 23, 2010
9:19
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche"
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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In my Tempur-Pedic knock-off bed 400 count soft as down baby blue sheets warm comforter made from geese I’ll never personally know snuggled with my shedding wolf-dog room darkened with richly colored curtains I rest. Floating on dreams of alternate identities....(read more)
May 17, 2010
12:52
at the feet of the masters
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Lots of blogs have a ‘books I’m reading’ section. They always make me feel a little guilty. I’m always and forever reading piles of paper books, but these days don’t finish too many of them. The real books I’m reading are The quality of soil that little...(read more)
6:46
contagion
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Lying little tremors Who knows their damned source? And yet Maybe they are the extending ripples of the Heart at play with itself. “Our hearts are a storm she trembles at.“ Kuan Yin It is unfortunate that Buddhism's most enduring contribution to the world...(read more)
May 08, 2010
9:33
here’s to completed blinking
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Last week I had an eye examination, first one in over two years. Good news: my eyesight is almost the same as it was the last time I checked. The bad news: I’m ‘an incomplete blinker’. Now you might think that that malady sounds a little inconsequential,...(read more)
May 02, 2010
22:28
the beauty is the beast
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The impersonal violence of a volcano in eruption is contrapuntal to its stunning beauty. We can only assume this enigma exists within each atom of the extant universe . In 2005 I had a dream in which I traveled through time as if in time lapse; “I” was...(read more)
April 26, 2010
22:27
What’s the common denominator?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Could the unifying factor be that I’m in crazy in love with each of these magnificent souls? And since it's easy to love people we don't know, such as artists, entertainers and such...this poem is the call to awareness of the unloved parts of ourselves...and...(read more)
April 25, 2010
8:51
fissure, cut bait
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Fissure , cut bait Already. Edan Kai, 3-almost-4, and Jason, his Buddy, get Edan his first fishing pole, April 2009 in Denver. Grandma Beth just thinks everything that little guy does is remarkable. That’s my job. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ok, ok, if you want a little...(read more)
April 18, 2010
14:36
Undone
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Masks of brokenness Masks having it together Time heals both wounds the same. Good thing it's not a race. “Last one to the island is a rotten egg” Collage and watercolor 2/2010 Submission for One Single Impression prompt: mask Thanks to Dreams are my...(read more)
April 15, 2010
8:39
7 out of 8 ain’t bad
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” - James M. Barrie I’ve been pondering this quote for some time. ...(read more)
April 11, 2010
10:53
How can it be anyone else’s?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Where I spend my work days We talk and talk about trauma looking for a new home lodging in our souls as we work with children Hurt like the evil spirits cast out by Christ lodging in the pigs and making them run into the lake. I’m not sure That it isn’t...(read more)
April 05, 2010
7:48
Guest post by Gabrielle Townsend: Aging into Resurrection
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Gabrielle has been a dear friend of mine since I moved to Central Oregon in 2003. She is a a bit older—and wiser--than I, so I watch her process of ‘aging and saging’ closely and with great tenderness. She recently turned 65 and is struggling...(read more)
April 04, 2010
13:03
the earth as prayer shawl
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is the final of the Lenten Reflections for 2010. Our study group has ranged far and wide, and discovered some important facets of ourselves and scripture. Tomorrow night is our Women's Seder, led by Krayna Castelbaum . The Lenten group will meet...(read more)
7:01
cognizance becomes us
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Instead of I think therefore I am I feel therefore I know. Emotional logic Rolls away the stone of our collective tomb. And yet, anything done to excess becomes its own grief. I feel therefore I know becomes the better part of cosmic birth control. Left...(read more)
April 01, 2010
7:08
2 poems for this Maundy Thursday
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal - Naomi Shihab Nye After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, Please come to the gate immediately. Well-one pauses...(read more)
March 27, 2010
19:18
Avatar: it’s one big theme party
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I remember the first time I heard the word. It was in 1980 and it was my then computer-geeky Jewish boyfriend’s cat’s name. I once asked him what the word meant and he first talked about it being some computer/engineer concept. When my eyes glazed, he...(read more)
March 22, 2010
7:42
The 60 minute mile, explained
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Blessed be the little moments of opening the knowing that the dead sparrow found at the side of the road or broken-necked by my plate glass window is being missed by its mate, its children. On a good day, its image of both brokenness and connection will...(read more)
March 21, 2010
14:05
Aura you coming?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Aura you coming? You move so blinkin’ slowly. If you will but hurry up We can catch the Slow Boat to China. My patron saint, Jimmy, says it like no one else can! Ok, ok and here’s Pencil Thin Mustache for you closet romantic Parrotheads… An offering for...(read more)
March 17, 2010
8:44
more beautiful rowdy prisoners of love
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Some additional mug shots of rowdy riotous righteous rebels to add to yesterday’s post: has anyone seen the keys to my cell? ...(read more)
March 16, 2010
8:18
Has anyone seen the key to my cell?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Dropping Keys The small man builds cages for everyone he knows. While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long for the Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners. ----Hafiz, that beautiful rowdy prisoner of Love Some...(read more)
March 13, 2010
22:39
the water never lies
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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What you hear from the water Remember. --David Whyte, All the True Vows listening to your muffled breath through that place in your back smelling the distinct aroma of sleep on you finding sweet solace in your unfurrowed brow mumbling to you from deep...(read more)
March 12, 2010
10:09
putting on the mantle of our mutual longings
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Not hammer strokes, but dance of the water , sings the pebbles into perfection. --Rabindranath Tagore Today I voiced croaked, if you will, for the first time that I want to step out of the role of supporting cast and take on the role of teacher. I have...(read more)
March 08, 2010
22:26
I’m probably way off base
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That are Transforming the Faith by Brian McLaren A Christian synchroblog that I have written with sometimes in the last few years has sort of gone extinct. Every now and again a theme for a synchronized blog raises...(read more)
March 06, 2010
21:18
no worries, it’s just my heart hesitating
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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If the car stutters just a fragment immediately I go into diagnostic mode: how long has it been since the oil was changed? how’s about that timing belt? wonder what’s in the gas line? wonder what I should do for better carburetion? And then my heart does...(read more)
March 04, 2010
7:07
Guest post by David Santangelo: We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I recently met a new friend, who is a friend of several ‘old’ friends (most of them in the 20’s and 30’s!). David has the gravitas of an elder, even though he is young in years. I am sitting with his new book, ‘The Way Home’, soon to be released, and...(read more)
March 02, 2010
8:20
Lenten reflection 4: Four Words
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The God Who Only knows Four Words Every child has known God. Not the God of names. Not the God of don’ts. Not the God who ever does anything weird. But the God who only knows four words And keeps repeating them, saying: “Come dance with me.” Come dance....(read more)
February 28, 2010
19:22
falling through the ceiling
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Working with dreams is a little like creating a stained glass window blindfolded. While in Mexico recently I had dream of which I remember only a fragment. In the dream I am falling through layers of glass ceilings. In each of the four layers there are...(read more)
7:20
the big slide
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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what if instead of running we slid gracefully …out of time …out of space …out of patience? Sliding gracefully out of patience. Doesn’t that have a different tonal quality than ‘running out of patience’? 1910 Guy Zinn, New York AL, sliding back into first...(read more)
February 26, 2010
9:54
Lenten reflection 3: Hell is breaking out in the kingdom of God
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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“The kingdom of God is like a feast where everyone is welcomed with a jubilant divine indiscriminacy, like the prodigal son whose return brings tears to his father’s eyes or the lost sheep that counts more than the ninety-nine that never strayed. “The...(read more)
February 25, 2010
7:26
tree love: out of the closet
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is a submission for the 45th Festival of the Trees hosted this edition at the very cool The Voltage Gate . Here’s also the link to the Festival of the Trees homepage. I have a few trees in my slightly larger than a breadbox yard here in Bend, Oregon....(read more)
February 22, 2010
7:31
Lenten reflection 2: Having it my way
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Ok. So there’s all these words and characters (some noble, some not so much) in the Bible, but for those of us born as buttoned-down Christians, or even as cultural ones, the primary relationship is with Jesus. So I’m going out on a limb here in this...(read more)
February 21, 2010
18:36
somnambudance
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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somnambudance: a condition of sleep-dancing with such grace, creativity and precision that one appears to be awake; condition may in rare cases imitate insomina. Making up words to describe what I dreamed after watching ‘This is It’, realizing that the...(read more)
February 19, 2010
8:17
God in 100 words or less
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Someone wise said something like: ‘I wouldn’t walk across the street to talk to a God I could understand.’ Not this. Not that. The process of elimination the via negativa these are the most meaningful personal pilgrimages to God. Meanwhile The apricot...(read more)
February 18, 2010
8:09
Lenten reflection 1: Ashes on my third eye
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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click on picture to visit the story ‘With Mardi Gras over, Lent Begins’ Last night as I lowered my eyes ashes on my forehead marking the spot where heaven meets earth the crucible of the thing heart breaking open teshuvah returning to an earlier state...(read more)
February 06, 2010
21:22
No longer suspecting
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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One of my teachers, Jonathan, says: There are three things that we need to know, deeper than our own breath: 1. We are Love: nothing more, nothing less. Calcified, reified, rarified, embodied...(read more)
February 01, 2010
16:56
Something to do on a Sunday (or any other day)
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A couple of Sundays ago I spent a few hours in the kitchen/dining room of the local Bend's Community Center (BCC), where every Sunday, 52 weeks a year, full nutritious meals, along with sack lunches to go, are served for those who are homeless or underemployed....(read more)
January 31, 2010
18:38
head over heels
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Left. Right. It doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t even matter if you turn. But if you’re going to take the curve on two wheels you better be ready. Consequences abound. Kansas State Parks-Wilson Lake (Hell Creek Area) Submission for the One Single Impression...(read more)
January 23, 2010
21:29
what if he’s right?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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At age three and a half to four and a half Regardless of what the weather appears like to me Everyday he wakes up Patters into my room if he’s not already sleeping with me and says, ‘Grandma Beth! Grandma Beth! It’s a sunny day outside! Let’s go play!’...(read more)
9:33
Trust women? Blog for Choice Day 2010
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Trust Women Blog for Choice Day 2010. I’m a day late (January 22nd is THE day…) but I wanted to join my voice to this important dialogue, birthed by the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling. I started my career in Planned Parenthood in the early...(read more)
January 22, 2010
15:44
A few things I’ve learned in the past 2 weeks—January 22, 2010
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I’ve learned that karma comes around more quickly the more open I am to learning life lessons. I’ve learned that sleeping outside around my firepit can push my reset button from just about any disturbance in my peace of mind. I’m learning that...(read more)
January 16, 2010
23:07
chinking away at chaos
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Like molecules in a heating beaker Like stars moving centripetally A glimpse of the patterns of their journeys Might chink into the solidified fluid mystery of our own. Nothing is random Only poorly comprehended. Reflection at the Japanese Gardens, Portland,...(read more)
8:03
doing what is ours to do
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This past week, many of us have had sleepless nights over the horrors in Haiti. This poem by Gary Snyder has arisen in my mind as I've considered personal and communal responses. For the past 15 years, I have lived my life to the rhythm of this poem;...(read more)
January 14, 2010
6:53
Ten things I almost forgot this week January 14, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I’m two weeks out from writing my list. Oh man, I need some self-compassion for my lack of consistency. This mid-week list --we’ll just say it’s for the last two. Anyone for an absolution? Do I hear an amen? 1. I almost forgot to make my list of things...(read more)
January 12, 2010
8:01
when you’re walking on thin ice anyway
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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untitled poem by Eunice Tietjens The stone grows old. Eternity is not for stones. But I shall go down from This airy space, this swift white peace, this stinging exultation And time will close about Me, and my soul stir to the Rhythm of the daily round....(read more)
January 05, 2010
7:52
Anyone for a non-resolution?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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From a new great blogger I just ‘met’, Hannah Miet. Her site is called ‘My Soul is a Butterfly’ . She’s one of a growing cadre of young 20 something writers who mix soulfulness, erotica, rage and beauty all together in a delectable soup. Check out her...(read more)
January 02, 2010
18:23
wings of understanding
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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“In a boat down a fast-running creek, it feels like trees on the bank are rushing by. What seems to be changing around us is rather the speed of our craft leaving this world.” --Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī Photo taken at springs flowing directly out of...(read more)
December 30, 2009
8:19
Ten things I observed this past week—December 27, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is in the continuing vein of trying to crystallize, maybe for future writing, maybe just to say the words, a few things each week that are in the flow around and through me. If you want to see the other weekly posts, put ‘ten things’ in the search...(read more)
December 27, 2009
9:18
wanderlove or is it just lust?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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It might be true that all things come to those who wait. that all sights are visible in one’s heart. that any experience is everyone’s experience. That being said… I still want to slide into deeper waters, the secret aqueducts, the chambers of the heart...(read more)
December 26, 2009
8:49
Enchantment of the after birth
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I’ve been asked to post the powerpoint slides from a talk I gave at the Spiritual Awareness Center here in Bend a few weeks ago early in the Advent cycle, December 6th. These are my talking points, so the info may not flow as well as an essay-type post....(read more)
December 23, 2009
8:18
God is always needing to be born
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road pregnant with the holy and say… “I need shelter for the night, please take me inside your heart, My time is so close.” Then under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime intimacy, the...(read more)
December 20, 2009
9:47
Ten things I’ve been paying attention to this week—December 20, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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1. Water pipes that freeze every year eventually will break. Duh. 2. Sometimes saying hard things to people you love—well, you’d rather have your fingernails pulled out. 3. Everything is connected. If I can’t see it, it’s because my eyesight is too damn...(read more)
9:25
Sobonfu Some talks about Women’s Wisdom and Grief
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Many of you are familiar with Malidoma Some’s work with men and initiation, flowing from his tribal connections to the African Dagara. His now ex wife Sobonfu Some has some equally powerful things to say about women’s processes. This video is especially...(read more)
9:02
Me and my hip wait for the solstice*
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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At the juncture where the iliacus and the psoas muscles entwine On the corner of my right hip and my future self All manner of constrictions are brought to the surface So they can be have their say. Last week, December 12, I fell down six stairs onto...(read more)
December 17, 2009
7:27
Uncle Francis and the Gift of Enough
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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When I was about three or maybe four, my Uncle Francis on some sort of leave from the state mental hospital, visited our farm in upstate Pennsylvania and brought me a book that weighed almost as much as I did. It was a large, coffee-table book, dusky...(read more)
December 13, 2009
15:17
joy, unearthed
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This poem is a response to a Poetry Party that is hosted regularly at Abbey of the Arts. This particular 'party' as part of Advent is about true joy…that essence deeper than happiness. It is the bedrock from which we grow as children, then learn to dampen...(read more)
8:30
Ten things I sort of learned this week—December 13, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Been one of those weeks. 1. Advice: don’t run down stairs to pick up a phone call if your pants are long. Falling 5 steps coulda got really hurt, instead of just a little hurt. 2. No more birthday parties of a formal kind until I hit 65, even though...(read more)
December 12, 2009
18:42
don’t pretend you don’t get it
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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that moment when you realize that someone you just met as if casually at a party in say, Winnipeg knows a friend of yours--the only person you know who lives in Mauritania you get it and that moment when you realize that you are made of the same stuff...(read more)
December 08, 2009
7:12
some kind of love
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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We are defined as much by what we refuse to destroy as by what we create. I was telling a life-story to a friend the other day. It was a story about part of the process of my separation from my now ex-husband. We’d been together for 13 years at that point....(read more)
December 07, 2009
8:06
and some are not
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Ordinary houses reflect What is inside them. Some are light. One Single Impression: Thanks to my friend Geraldine of My Poetic Path brings us this week's prompt, lighthouse. Visit there for many other takes on this one singular...(read more)
7:56
Ten Things I Learned This Week—December 6, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Four weeks...it's now 'in the groove'. Here we go-- 1. There's a crack, a crack in everything. Leonard Cohen has so much heart. I've spent time this week listening to his music and watched "I'm Your Man" for the third time. 2. Returning to my Buddhist...(read more)
November 30, 2009
6:17
Ten things I learned this week—November 30, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Getting there—to the habit part! I didn’t write this list yesterday, but kept thinking as I went to sleep that there was something undone…so, the practice is working on me! I’m being ‘done’. Here's a smattering of some few things learned this past week:...(read more)
November 29, 2009
20:17
migratory madness
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Three little stories on one prompt: migration John Day Fossil Beds , John Day, Oregon 1. diagonal pilgrimage across the chenille throw pillow dust mites on tour wonder what they pack in their overnight bags? 2. baby elk down in the canyon bed moving with...(read more)
November 26, 2009
11:46
Sweet shared aperture
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This post is written today, November 26, on my 55th birthday, and is is honor of the other 3 beings that I know who share this birthday. Zoya and I dreamed this blog connection up, but Gusti and Leslie don’t get off without a little public exposure. To...(read more)
November 24, 2009
22:04
Guest post: The choice for compassion- a very personal view by Tom Leach
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Some of you may remember a post I made in May of this past year called Douglas firs were our Sanctuary. It was about a remarkable conversation with a friend who was terminally ill and choosing to hasten her death in accordance with the Oregon Death with...(read more)
November 22, 2009
9:43
Ten things I learned this week: November 22, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Third week running. But is it a habit yet—there’s the question! Here are the ten things, in no particular order: using my heart as a barometer and mediator of a tense situation is a much better thing having tea and a long chat, with blankets over our...(read more)
8:30
Where Michelangelo may have gotten his inspiration
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Wait. Hold the phone. Did Michelangelo take one of those Inland Passage tours? Had a hard time getting to Vancouver from Rome in the 1500’s? Maybe he just dreamed the scene above and here came the hands of man and god, voila. The creative process is like...(read more)
November 15, 2009
17:46
Guest post by Geraldine: Tangy and Terrific Turtle Bean Soup and the Black and White of Autumn
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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One of the best things about blogging to a prompt site is that you begin to know the other people who also post to the site and a relationship is formed. So it is with Geraldine. She is an avid writer, vegetarian cook and photographer. I'm delighted that...(read more)
8:49
Ten things I learned this week--November 15, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Second in this series --I am beginning to feel the practice of it. When I'm walking the dog, cooking a meal, washing my hair, I'm wondering 'what in this experience may be one of those precious ten things I'm learning this week'? Not that of course I...(read more)
0:24
found art goes metaphysical
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Struggling to become incarnated embodied really live in this body and not my always-editing mind, on what grounds do I engage what re-incarnation might entail? The closest I can get to understanding reincarnation is making art of of found pieces of what...(read more)
November 14, 2009
14:00
Booked, busted and banned
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Here are some responses to a silly email game. You send this question out to your so-called friends and see what they come up with. I sent it out this week and got the following responses. Some of them only close friends would recognize as...satire? If...(read more)
13:32
Guest post by Kathy Powell: 'Salmon Becomes Them'
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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One of the best parts of the Virtual Tea House is that it is becoming an incubator for new voices. Out of the recent Nature of Words workshops here in Bend, I met a new-to-be friend, Kathy Powell who lives here in Central Oregon. This is her first post...(read more)
November 09, 2009
6:18
Ten things I learned this week: November 8, 2009
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Bend, OR: This past weekend I had the privilege to sit in writing workshops ( The Nature of Words ) with several wonderful writers--and I suspect, amazing human beings. Among them was Seth Kantner , Charles Goodrich and Kim Stafford. There were many great...(read more)
November 07, 2009
9:15
the belfry, revisited
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I've had this primal need to hide my neck from you. As a child I had nightmares of you flying into my tangled long red hair and not being able to get out. The picture of your face in the Encyclopedia Britannica chilled me what with your fangs and upturned...(read more)
November 01, 2009
15:25
forgiveness in the thin places
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Samhain Day of the Dead All Soul’s Day Our prayer: Bring us to the edge of the known Allow us access to what we swim in but don’t usually breathe. These thin days shift us like turned pages like the enter key like sleep. We enter the darkness of the year...(read more)
11:05
Invitation: Stories of healing are requested for a documentary
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A friend, Willow Durant, is seeking stories of healing for a documentary project. I am honored to support Willow in the project. She is a loving, deep soul with a healing heart. --Beth Seeking Individuals interested in sharing their healing stories I...(read more)
October 31, 2009
8:47
The Nature of Words: A Romp among the Letters
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The annual event in Bend for bookies and writers is happening this coming week, and some of us are pretty excited! The Nature of Words , November 4-8: a weekend that brings Literature to Life Click here for a complete print-ready schedule of this literary...(read more)
October 29, 2009
9:07
What we’re probably not learning from the recession
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I’ve re-posted stuff from Joe Bageant’s blog “Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War” before. He is the essence of brilliant curmudgeon-liness. I particularly like the post that came out today. It strikes home because of its truth:...(read more)
October 18, 2009
20:35
‘cogito ergo sum’ : Burning Brain Bloat
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Read this as a poorly executed rap/slam. TAKE 1 Descartes' famous and cheeky declaration become the reason The rationalization The substantiation that it’s permissible even the calling card of the freakishly intelligent the class with the upper hand Subjugating...(read more)
October 15, 2009
22:53
Flying bulldozers and dancing particles
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The cure for boredom (or as my mother used to say 'what ails ya') or what is perceived as routine, mundane and numbing seems to be opening to experiencing our everyday lives on extraordinary levels. I bought a telescope at a yard sale last weekend. I’ve...(read more)
October 10, 2009
8:46
Sentenced: Skinned to life
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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As we near one of the 'thin places' in the calendar year-- All Soul's Day, All Hallow's E'en, and yes, even the Day of the Dead, those who have gone before are working with me even harder than usual to make contact and to teach me through my thick skin....(read more)
October 04, 2009
15:00
Soul-making in the belly of the whale
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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In the big scheme nothing good ever happens without descent. What fecundity would there be What mischief would ensue without the cyclical journeys of Persphone or Erishkegal descents marking the Shabbos of the surface of the earth? In human development...(read more)
14:05
Guest post by Tania Crawford: "Prayers for the last of the summer love"
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is the second guest post by Tania Crawford, a friend of mine who also lives in Central Oregon. She has such an authentic voice. She'd be honored if you gave her feedback. Selfishly, I'd love her to see that other people besides me think she is wonderful...(read more)
September 27, 2009
9:05
ruddy marks the spot
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Colorado means “ruddy” or “red” in Spanish, a reference to the color of the waters of the Colorado River--often a rich muddy brown from silt run off and mountain decay. Just another coincidence that the prompt for this week is color as I visit a state...(read more)
September 25, 2009
14:46
looking for love in my backyard
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Been thinking about frogs lately. There's one, yet unseen, that has been somewhere in the vicinity of the northwest corner of the yard all summer long. He's still there, singing a lonely song as the cool creeps in. No one joined him, or at least if they...(read more)
September 12, 2009
10:02
thirsty for light
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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My heart is thirsty for the aroma of fontanelle Sweetness that takes up residence and is never dislodged. How do these tiny seemingly helpless beings Bring such light and air to a world grown stuffy? Maybe in through our own soft spots in the most protected...(read more)
September 06, 2009
18:58
on not getting the romantical gene
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Watching romantic movies Half-heartedly wishing I had that gene in my lineup. Was I behind the door, as they say? Or just occupied with fixing the door, painting the door? Appreciating the sentiment But wondering: 'What about when all that romance goes...(read more)
August 30, 2009
18:54
blue on blue
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Sensing a shadow in the bright light of day Escaping an accident with sliver edged timing All these are blue through my heart's eyes. Once during hunting season high in the Rockies in my vehicle speeding along a dirt road I saw a doe elk running for her...(read more)
18:03
Baby steps towards more humane humanity
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This post is for a synchroblog on Christianity and Health Care. I urge you to visit the other blog posts listed at the end of this one for some great reading with a large diversity of thoughts on this topic. Begging your pardon for this post's rambling...(read more)
August 25, 2009
7:54
Dell-iberately saying au revoir
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Just when I was beginning to think about rejuvenating my relationship with my laptop after a summer of neglect, it became clear that it was time to buy a new one. I'd had my second Dell, the Dell Inspiron for almost 6 years and she had served me well--she...(read more)
August 09, 2009
18:06
oceans as aperitif
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Oregon Coast, March 2008 Northwest coast medicine wheel, Gusti Granzella, July 2009 No sunny, hot, sweaty shore this foggy, rainy liminal space. My soul longs for the taste of it as appetizer as palate cleanser But it is not my main course, my true home....(read more)
August 06, 2009
19:14
No blogging = summer fun
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I have been so dang absent from my blog, and I have to say that while feeling guilty, I don't really feel all THAT guilty! Come cool weather, I'll be back in the bloggerama saddle. Meanwhile, here's a couple of the things that have made me step back from...(read more)
August 02, 2009
18:12
waiting at the window
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Freak hail/snow storm June 9th, 2009 here in Bend, Oregon. Did severe damage to my little patio garden, although it has recovered beautifully! More pictures about that later. If you look carefully you'll see a sweet face looking out the living room window,...(read more)
July 26, 2009
10:28
the best wake up calls grow on stalks
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Trekking with my buddy early am no one is up but the flowers and sleepy, early-rising bees. Already as the sun just barely heads over the eastern ridge the pungence of Russian sage and sweet spiciness of newly sprinkled lavender drift as a hint of brewing...(read more)
July 24, 2009
8:11
Needed: hand-cranked lavender/vanilla ice cream
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Like most of you all, I've been busy outside, romping and working, and not paying much attention to my blog...miss you all, but summer calls. I'll be back in the saddle come coolness ! However, for the Central Oregon readers, wanted...(read more)
July 12, 2009
0:32
being thunk is better than sliced bread
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Don't wanna think. Wanna be thunk From the great mind of Creation. From the heart of the World. Being thunk is a natural state. Receptive, open, flexible, humorous. At ease, because there's nothing to prove or judge. Connected to all life because we're...(read more)
July 05, 2009
6:58
forgetting the name but remembering the face
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is a guest post from Elizabeth Stauder. Liz is a senior at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Thanks to Liz for sharing one of her most recent poems with us as an entry for this week's One Single Impression prompt:...(read more)
6:37
behind the lilacs
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Collage done in March 2009 from a dream, titled 'The Eye of the Heart' On any graced day The stranger shuffles, glides, stalks, trails over a horizon Pushing aside the lilacs obscuring my heart's door Asking only an audience. If no one answered the knock...(read more)
June 21, 2009
12:03
Douglas Firs were our sanctuary: a conversation between A. and B.
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Last year on solstice I posted about the life and death in 2003 of my dear friend Katrina . Her death somehow allowed me to move from my 20 year stint in hospice work. This year on summer solstice, I am again posting about the death of a dear friend,...(read more)
June 20, 2009
23:08
assimilate this
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Don't live that way. ...dress like me ...talk like me ...think like me ...learn like me ...worship like me. In short, see the world as I do. Assimilation photo from wikipedia The study of evolution has opened our eyes to the astounding diversity of ways...(read more)
June 18, 2009
11:51
How long does it take to grow a feather?
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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They hatched, those chickadee babies, last Saturday, or at least that was the first time I could hear them as I sit on my back porch. By Monday, their requests for ' I need that bug much more than my brother does, Mother' were clearer and more insistent....(read more)
June 13, 2009
22:59
the *dialectic of ever-bigger circles
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Outwitted He drew a circle that shut me out - Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout But love and I had the will to win We drew a circle and drew him in. -- Edwin Markham The walls of human understanding have various purposes, textures, designs. But their intent...(read more)
June 11, 2009
21:08
that graffiti is my heart song
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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"I do not see this heart thing as abstract or esoteric. Getting to, living in, healing from, being guided through the heart is an actual state that can be achieved. But it is not a state of mind. It is not an attitude, or an affirmation. Rather it is...(read more)
June 10, 2009
6:33
blueberries and grief
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Here's my collage for today. It comes from a space of feeling the wind of the spirit of change and new directions moving through my life. Would love to know any reactions, responses you might have. Technorati Tags: grief , collage...(read more)
June 08, 2009
7:06
something to do, someplace to go, mid-summer
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Just when you were worried about running out of stuff to do this summer... my friend Buffy from Seattle asked me to post this! It looks like a wonderful event. Anyone who has enjoyed R. Carlos Nakai through recordings, or better yet, live, will enjoy...(read more)
June 06, 2009
21:04
inter-dependent intersections
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Collage I made in mid May. It is one of a series of 7 that has to do with my friend A's life and death. This is about the crossing of the River Styx, Charon the ferryman, and also, on this side of the river, about her love of canoeing. A masthead of a...(read more)
June 04, 2009
7:14
sojourn: taking only what we need
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This poem was just published in qarrtsiluni ,on online literary journal. It is an experiment in online literary and artistic collaboration. The title comes from an Iñupiaq word that means "sitting together in the darkness, waiting for something to burst."...(read more)
June 03, 2009
22:46
Longing for light
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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We want to go out and play. Why does the crabapple get to have all the fun? Here in the spring, the half-light, the half-heat, We know we could adjust Even though sheltered pets for now. Invitation to the Poetry Party on Ab bey of the Arts. Prompt is...(read more)
22:12
Wabi-Sabi: weathering with the storm
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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My heartfelt desire is to be a wabibito. Thank you to Mo for sending this excellent piece our way. --Beth Wabi-sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. WHAT IS WABI-SABI? -by architect...(read more)
May 31, 2009
17:07
denouement denounced as dastardly
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Is there ever any? Do we need it like rain on seeds? Circles of sparring, rapprochement, tension, resolution. Deja vu all over again. Much like dirty dishes. Don't know where this wonderful photo came from, except from a friend on email. ...(read more)
May 24, 2009
7:48
dirty feet as prayer
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I can get meta-physical with the best of them. This week's poem could be called 'let's get un-meta-physical and roll around in the dirt'. Big bow of thanks to Gautami Tripathy of Rooted for this week's One Single Impression prompt, dropped. I bought a...(read more)
May 21, 2009
21:36
Bet their hair smelled a bit ripe...
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The year is 1909. What a difference one 'short' century makes! These statistics have not been fact-checked, at least by me! The average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone....(read more)
May 19, 2009
9:00
What it's like...rather than what it is
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Anthropomorphizing God and God's kingdom is the best most of us, maybe any of us, can do. Similes, metaphors and other analogies are thus the honest homily. This post is part of a synchroblog of other bloggers writing on 'the kingdom of God'. Check out...(read more)
May 17, 2009
9:22
in and out of tolerance
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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My friend offered up her life on Friday. It was legal, assisted. She was in horrific pain. Her spirit ready and lovely beyond compare. Today little tolerance is in me for those who would say she is hell-bound or at risk of bad karma. Said all her goodbyes...(read more)
May 15, 2009
7:50
One award for nobility of spirit, three recipients
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This week the Virtual Tea House has been graced by receiving an award called 'Noblesse Oblige'. From the Oxford English Dictionary: the term noblesse oblige "suggests noble ancestry constrains to honorable behavior; privilege entails to responsibility."...(read more)
May 13, 2009
7:31
Just a little course correction is all most of us need
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Patti Digh, over at 37 Days, seeks to live her life with her heart on the edge of it. She inspires and challenges us all to do the same. Her post from yesterday is 37days: Guide your tweenbot to safety and starts with a story of an...(read more)
May 12, 2009
6:53
guardians of the threshold
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Watching my husband cooly encircle my/not his 15 year old Valkyrie girl-child out of control out of the boundaries enraged, lashing humbles and steps me back from my own edge. Later He and she are instep to instep ready for engagement the rules are pointed...(read more)
May 10, 2009
8:35
re-cognition
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Each milli-second is new cells and breath mutate. Each brilliant sparkling particle of a unit of time is a world unto itself. Our penchant for categorizing and likening to keeps us from the absolute potential of this moment. And then... there's the gulps...(read more)
8:11
The BBC's take on what it takes
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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...to be well-read. They predict that the average person in the native English speaking world has only read 6 of these books. Now that is a statement of some sort of crumbling of world order, wouldn't you agree? I'm wondering in the US if it's even 6....(read more)
May 08, 2009
11:56
Where's home? On Native Ground
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A year ago this time, Virtual Tea House was running a contest on 'Where's Home?' * For everyone who enjoyed that contest, I hope you'll enjoy this different-but-same kind of exploration. Joe Bageant's blog, Deer Hunting with Jesus (he's written a book...(read more)
May 04, 2009
7:46
tactical tactile tales
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Tale # 1 sigh of restless heart snow embraces plum petals spring slush touches sodden soul Tale # 2 As above, so below thus pronounce fine Hermeticists. However, my experience teaches as below, so above. God can only be in our image. [NOTE: the earlier...(read more)
May 02, 2009
8:35
Repost: I'd rather be in a waller than be an Oscar Mayer wiener
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is a repost from August 2007, with some minor edits. Thought it was quirkily appropriate. Real Time Flu News from Cool Tools. Not exactly beyond all the hype, but definitely finding its way there. The advertising guru who developed the most recognized...(read more)
April 28, 2009
10:32
It's elemental, Watson
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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It's rudimentary, my dear Watson. Why do you struggle to experience yourself as separate from the basic building blocks of the universe? W hy do you discriminate between Sky God and Earth Goddess? How can you have one without the other? Fire's in our...(read more)
April 27, 2009
19:31
Festival of the Trees: Flowering
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Well, against my best judgment, I'm joining another meme, because...resistance is futile. It's the Orchards Forever Festival of the Trees NOTE: Even though this post didn't make the line up for this Festival, I'm figuring out what the deal is so that...(read more)
April 26, 2009
8:31
words gone amuck
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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two letters universes of difference how did we get here? has this happened in other worlds or only ours? what kind of quirky, convoluted Mind designed us to think we're so separate we can make stuff like this up? legal or illegal words gone amuck designing...(read more)
April 23, 2009
22:03
SkyWatch Friday: Verdant, she is
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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SkyWatch Friday, April 24, 2009 This is the 'grandmother' weeping birch in my backyard here in Bend, Oregon, USA. She's greening out! Thanks to her annual spring injection of insecticide to kill the bronze borer beetle that is decimating the birch trees...(read more)
April 22, 2009
7:57
waking from the dream
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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From the NY Times As Colombia’s war for control of the drug trade intensifies...with new combatants vying for smuggling routes and coca-growing areas where Indians eke out a meager existence, it is adding to the already grave toll on the nation’s indigenous...(read more)
April 21, 2009
6:50
no words for the deepest stuff
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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when someone says 'may I have a word with you?' you know they don't mean it what can we possibly say in one word? and for that matter what might have been the word that the grieving parent implored the Christ to say: 'just one word from you and my daughter...(read more)
April 13, 2009
21:24
not counting on another chance
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Practicing As denial is the veiled echo of bone-marrow-knowing, So it is with resurrection. If we practice dying with the smug knowledge that we'll be resurrected, reincarnated, recycled or renewed it resembles child's play. It seems we get to a place...(read more)
April 12, 2009
10:36
hope and other non-sequiturs
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A couple weeks ago I posted on hope and posited some ideas about both some things that I don't hope for during these times, mostly that our lives return to what they were...and some things that I do hope for: a return to knowing that we don't want...(read more)
April 11, 2009
20:25
1997 Pinot Noir in our veins
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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"Half of the earth is water; our body is three-quarters water. Water represents the interface between the 4th dimension in which we live and the 5th dimensional sphere of our soul. Many studies have shown subtle effects of healers upon hydrogen bonding...(read more)
10:55
And when it was finished...
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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An on-line poet friend and cohort of mine, Richard Wells, from Bundle of HIS(S ) has written yet another stunning poem. He wrote me and a few other friends this note about his process leading up to the writing of the poem: Chaim Potok, in his Asher Lev...(read more)
April 07, 2009
8:27
Survey: Poetry
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Trying something new here on the Virtual Tea House. There's a free survey service (for basic functions) called Zoomerang. I developed a survey about how you relate to poetry for t he first month's survey. So...how do you interact with poetry? Would you...(read more)
April 05, 2009
13:29
the give-away, already
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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29 gifts in 29 days... give them away and find some peace, already. And we're not just talking about material stuff. Not only do we have too much stuff, we are way too protective of it. There's indigenous wisdom in the 'give away'. ...(read more)
4:45
Listening at the edge
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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One of my favorite poems by Sophia de mello Breyner is about listening. I'm Listening I'm listening yet I don't know if what I hear is silence or God. I'm listening but I can't tell if I hear the plane of emptiness echoing or a keen consciousness that...(read more)
March 30, 2009
20:55
YouTube - "The Hebrew Mamita" Vanessa Hidary (Def Poetry)
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A stunning stand up by Vanessa Hidary of what self-negation does to the soul... ";" mce_src="http://www.virtualteahouse.com/blogs/beth/WindowsLiveWriter/YouTubeTheHebrewMamitaVanessaHidaryDefPo_15103/video7e1a7546f198.jpg" galleryimg="no"> 'The Hebrew...(read more)
March 29, 2009
7:38
come out of hiding for tea, please
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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'He who watches', 2008 One of the outlets for my creativity right now is doing Soul Collage cards. My dream circle has been using this venue lately to help us open our dreams ever-further. I just did this card in January 09, but it came out of a dream...(read more)
March 28, 2009
22:17
holy smoke
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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No idea who to attribute this stunning photo to, but it was sent by Rozy A. Thanks, Rozy! Prayer to the gods and goddesses of change Haiku form of the prayer: prayers of smoke carry requests for non-resistance heart veil open wide Longer form of the prayer:...(read more)
16:43
hope built on new sensibilities
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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As I recently hurriedly posted about a speech made by Warren Buffett concerning hope for the U.S, I found myself struggling with the concept of hope in these difficult days. As I've been reflecting since then, nothing profound has hit me, but below are...(read more)
March 25, 2009
14:36
Nine things I remember about Earth
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Nine things I remember about Earth: Wisps of mists stuck in the grass The purple colour inside irises The smell of hot boulders Fields undulating in the wind like a summer dress The clashing of clouds in a storm Determined trees clawing at the sky Rain...(read more)
March 22, 2009
1:28
dis-equal-ified
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Submission to One Single Impression prompt: equals. Click on this link to visit a bunch of other poets' sites from around the world, all writing about this single prompt! T hanks to KiteHorse for suggesting this week's prompt and especially for her keen...(read more)
March 21, 2009
9:05
Music: a map home
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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A Contemplation on Music, Part I Thanks to Jodi Y., pediatric nurse practitioner, who sent this amazing piece to the Virtual Tea House. It was shared by Lisa L. physician and fire keeper in Asheville, NC. Jodi used to live in Bend, Oregon and now lives...(read more)
March 19, 2009
17:51
Skywatch Friday: It's all about the crocus
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Here in mountainous high desert Central Oregon it is early spring, sure enough. Sunshine, sleet, snow all in one day. But, it's all about the crocus, don't you know? Lovely thing that can't make up its mind. Spring comes sneaking in. Skywatch Friday....(read more)
14:00
Must be spring
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Spring here in the high desert...when you need the heater on full-blast in the morning and the air conditioner in the afternoon. What the yard looked like on Monday morning... What it's looking like Thursday morning! Crocus, protected by partially burnt...(read more)
March 18, 2009
8:36
Buffet on hope
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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No, this is not about Jimmy, but rather about Warren. Jimmy B. the patron saint of all children coming of age in south Florida in the 70's is my hero as well, but that's another story! Thanks to Dances with Loons for sending this article our way. Considered...(read more)
March 16, 2009
21:12
The pen is mightier than...the pigs
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Supposedly true...thanks to Mariya K. for sending it our way! A 1 st grade school teacher presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Don't change horses ...until...(read more)
20:50
Blog Tag--You're It: 52 faces puts on her game one on
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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S. over at 52 Faces found the Virtual Tea House through Christine's site Abbey of the Arts , and then found the Blog Tag business and asked to be interviewed. I sent her 7 questions instead of the usual 5 because I couldn't help myself after wandering...(read more)
March 15, 2009
9:18
Afterwhile, Crocodile
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The coming two weeks honor the death of my paternal grandmother, Mildred (Millie) on March 18, 1989. She was 96. It also honors the death of my mother, Agnes (Aggie Ginny Shinny) on March 23, 1978 at the age of 58 and my father Richard (Pat) on March...(read more)
March 14, 2009
12:48
Going the distance
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Since Mother Teresa's death in 1997 she continues to inspire us to grow spiritually. With the publication of Come Be my Light in 2007 her life of faith has taken on new layers of depth and meaning. She was revered throughout the world during her lifetime...(read more)
March 12, 2009
0:16
Don't forget your map...or at least ask for directions if you're lost
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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THE GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN... Sketch done by Maria Hodkins 'Lotus' Maria is in the 'Israel' phase. Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe ; well developed and open to trade, especially for someone with cash. Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain ;...(read more)
March 10, 2009
10:23
The whole Megillah, revisited
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This post is part of a synchroblog that is more or less monthly. This month's blogfest celebrates International Women's Day. And by the way, this is the 2nd anniversary month of the Virtual Tea House. Happy birthday to us! What I did this month is a little...(read more)
9:15
Mush on!
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Pretty remarkable photographs here of world-class dog sledding. Thanks to Andy for sending this photo journal our way. Open this link for the photo journal: Dog sledding - The Big Picture - Boston.com Our husky/shepherd/wolf mix Geronimo--without...(read more)
March 08, 2009
8:24
Repose
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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"...and I I took the road more traveled by and that has made all the difference." ---A bold-faced re-frame of the last phrase of Robert Frost's profound poem, 'The Road Not Taken' Many crave respect, admiration, love. Few care less. I prefer the road...(read more)
March 07, 2009
17:13
Blue through the Bare Beautiful Birch
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Besides the One Single Impression prompts, the only other meme that has called strongly to me out of the hundreds on the web is Sky Watch Friday . People from all over the world post pictures of what's happening outside on Friday and link to a common...(read more)
March 01, 2009
17:25
Central Oregon: Dream and Art Workshop, May 15-16
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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The Central Oregon Dream Divas are at it again! 'I had the Craziest Dream Last Night' is going to be a great workshop with Victoria Rabinowe. The class is being held at and registered through C.O.C.C. (Central Oregon Community College) May 15-16, 2009....(read more)
9:47
Artfull Bras Project
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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These works of art and obvious love will amaze you. The page loads oddly on my laptop--you have to scroll left/right to see the whole page, but it's worth the effort. Thanks to Michelle Meech , a blogger on the Virtual Tea House, for sending the link...(read more)
February 28, 2009
23:04
universe on wire
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Alternate title: Why , Beloved, do you always wear that ribbon on your little finger? Submission for this week's One Single Impression prompt: circles. This week marks the first anniversary of One Single Impression. Happy Birthday, OSI! Friend's dog,...(read more)
7:59
Sponsor an Executive
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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For just about the cost of 1,000 lattes a day, you could help Wayne. Click here for a youtube video about how you can help sponsor an executive that is out of work. Now...you may ask about the spirituality of this satire...and then I'll say, hypothetically...(read more)
7:47
Sponsor an Executive: without your help the lifestyle you save may soon be in a museum
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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For just about the cost of 1,000 lattes a day, you could help Wayne. YouTube - Sponsor an Executive Technorati Tags: youtube , sponsor an executive , satire...(read more)
February 27, 2009
8:21
Pretty Sky Alert for Friday evening, February 27
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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This is where I'll be this evening...letting this beauty in. Thanks for reminding us, Maria W! Pretty Sky Alert 02.26.2009 + Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list February 26, 2009: Be careful, this sort of thing can...(read more)
7:20
Soft on the bottom, but not the bottom line
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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"Everybody’s going to have to give. Everybody’s going to have to have some skin in the game," --President elect Obama, early January 2009 Scott Tissue is the brand that 50 years ago my mother taught me was the most economical and used less trees. 3 sheets,...(read more)
February 26, 2009
8:47
ashes of a common comet
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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'What is to give light must endure burning.' --Viktor Frankl This post is a response to Christine over at Abbey of the Arts, who hosts Poetry Party twice a month. Since this is the week of Ash Wednesday, the topic for the week is 'ashes to ashes'. She...(read more)
February 25, 2009
7:39
Rays on vacation
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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I'd give half of my kingdom, as they say, to see this sight... Thanks to Canadian friend Nadia B. for sending this our way. Mass Migration of Stingrays Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off...(read more)
February 23, 2009
8:16
The Lost Generation...or not
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Make sure to watch this youtube video on 'The (so-called) Lost Generation' all the way to the end--it is profoundly hopeful. Those born totally of post-modernity face special risks and bring potential gifts we can't fathom. Thanks to my friend Carl McColman...(read more)
February 22, 2009
13:07
food shortages may be around the corner
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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'Stay awake, friends. Don't scatter and sleep. Our friendship is made of staying awake.' --Rumi Most North Americans think food shortages or famine are something that only happen in Africa and Asia. How could such catastrophe happen to us? Easy. What...(read more)
February 21, 2009
23:01
twilight
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Submission for this week's One Single Impression prompt: twilight . Twilight. Just hours before the final sleep We love. He visits, still, in my dreams to remind me . Josh, beloved black German Shepherd, 11.5 years old Labor Day, 2005. We put him down...(read more)
5:27
Today's first humbling experience: an interactive map
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Thanks to Adele for always sending challenging things to think about. This week's humbling submission is an interactive map of the middle-east and northern Africa. You 'just' have to click and drag the names of the countries to their rightful place, and...(read more)
February 19, 2009
22:00
Tribute to an Australian Art and Sculpture Garden
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Sadu in the Garden On Saturday February 7, 2009 a massive bushfire swept through the picturesque town of Marysville in Victoria, Australia. The bushfires, annual by nature, have spread over a huge region and although now are considered contained have...(read more)
February 17, 2009
22:20
A commodity called misery and a remedy under our noses
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Joe Bageant is a prophet, anarchist, flame-eating die-hard Vietnam era veteran--angry, hard-bitten almost-curmudgeon, with a lot of hard-won wisdom, just like I like 'em. According to his website, Joe died in 2000 when W. was elected but hopes to rise...(read more)
February 16, 2009
15:36
A genie with 3 questions
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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";" galleryimg="no" mce_src="http://www.virtualteahouse.com/blogs/beth/WindowsLiveWriter/GeorgeKinderThreeQuestionsaboutLifePlann_D3FE/videob11b32be8ca2.jpg"> Well worth the 3 minutes and 24 seconds! Get Rich Slowly recently did a post about George...(read more)
February 15, 2009
9:03
ROYGBIV, deconstructed
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Submission for this week's One Single Impression prompt: spectral . Thanks to Gautami Tripathy of the blog Rooted for the prompt. Here is a haiku harvested from the meandering thoughts on 'spectral' below. Cheated a little in the 3rd line--1 too many...(read more)
February 12, 2009
8:30
Reb Zalman prays for a universal wakening
» ‎ Beth Patterson

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Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi is now 85 and going strong. He is considered one of the major founders of the Jewish Renewal movement. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, and I've had the privilege of sitting under some of his teachings while living in Colorado....(read more)

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Beth Patterson

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