Thursday, January 31, 2008

Favorite January Moments

1. Dan's birthday where people stayed for nearly six hours as the party evolved into spontaneous jazz sing-a-long to Dave's guitar playing, then reading John Donne & Galway Kinnell aloud
2. Rousing conversation over Swedish pancakes on Jan. 1st at the McClellands with the Clelands
3. Wrapped up in blankets in my living room for a late night talk of faith with Manka and Anna; two other nights with Manka talking of family or watching favorite HBO shows
4. A rainy night's dinner with Amanda at Sozai, sharing of love found
5. Homemade, 3 hour Trinidadian/Jamaican dinner in Berkeley at Penny's Caribbean Cafe with Manka, Anna, Natashia and Amanda
6. Making friends with the Irish bartender at La Trappe with Dave and Dan over a meal of mussels & frites and Belgian beers
7. Sharing Blue Bottle & an egg, bacon, arugula sandwich with Dan on an early Saturday morning at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market
8. German beers and hearty food at Schnitzelhaus with Scott & Louise
9. Revealing, challenging talk with my Spiritual Director, Mary Ann
10. Crista visits from LA for a late night dinner (& brilliant wine) at our favorite Incanto
11. Breakfast and costume shopping in Marin with Anna and Manka
12. Staring out the giant picture windows of Aqua on a rainy day for a decadent lunch with Dan
13. Driving around the city singing along to George Jones with Amanda
14. Making burritos with Jason at our place
15. A romantic, warm birthday dinner for Dannee at Range
16. Getting lost in U2's music (still) during "U2 3D" at Imax Metreon
17. Driving along the coast with Dan on a Sunday afternoon
18. Profound talk with Edward who came to the Homeless Dinner at Old First Pres.
19. "Coal Miner's Daughter" over fried chicken and biscuits with Amanda & Anna!
20. After 2 months in Asia, seeing my sister's face again

Currently reading : Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go - Richard Rohr

Monday, January 14, 2008

Words staying with me this week...

"Toward evening, the natural light becomes
intelligent and answers, without demur:
'Be assured! You are not alone...' "
- "Descartes' Loneliness", Allen Grossman

"The wicked witch of secrecy had been vanquished... I had liberated my mother, unlocked her from the prison of the dank secret... I had spoken for her. I had been hard for both us. But this was the whole point of literature... this voicing of the unspoken, the forbidden... doesn't the truth, as John, the beloved apostle promised, set you free?" - Patricia Hampl, "I Could Tell You Stories"

"
Many belong to the Church who do not belong to God. And many belong to God who do not belong to the Church." - St. Augustine

Currently listening : Hits I Missed...And One I Didn’t By George Jones