Rose Cottage

 ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ  ᎢᏤ  ᎠᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬᎢ   U-li-he-lis-di  i-tse  a-de-ti-yi-s-gv-i / happy new year! What's on your creative table in 2025? For 2024, our pastor Erika Marksbury got a grant to use  Bonnie Smith Whitehouse 's lovely book, Seasons of Wonder, for inspiration and focus. The grant covered copies of the book for the congregation, plus supplies for our monthly Makers Meetings and funds for field trips; and we met in small groups for monthly discussion.  I really enjoy Bonnie's approach of interweaving gathering as a circle (!!), sharing creativity, connecting with nature, each other and the Divine.  I've ordered her  Kickstart Creativity   cards for more inspiration. In her introduction to Seasons ofWonder, Bonnie quotes  Steven Charleston ,  ' It is all a circle, the ancestors said -- an endless circle within a circle. The drum is a circle.  The dance ground is a circle. The earth is a circle.  There is no us or them...

 This week, I invited you to pose a few questions - thank you for entering the conversation!  Most of your inquiries were about some of my interests - spirituality, crafts, and studying Cherokee - where did they begin? All are rooted in growing up wi th my parents - nurtured and inspired by their love, and inspired by their interests. We each had our own take on these - and i was encouraged to deepen with my own.   Lois • Nadya • Byrle - 1962 I'm an only child, and my parents were 37 and 40 when I was born!  My mum had polio during the epidemic in 1921, and was on crutches from her teens until she was 85, and went into a wheelchair for the next 7. Her mama encouraged her to do what she could for herself, and she did! Lois was plucky and self sufficient, training as a secretary, and working around the state for the Farm agency. My folks met at Grange (a Fraternal farm organization) in the 30s, when AB came to Central Oregon to farm with his brother. I was impres...

 For the last several years , church members and friends have been invited to spend a fall weekend at Camp Arrah Wanna, on the beautiful Salmon River in the Cascades, near Y'East (Mount Hood). Some congregants grew up coming to camp when young, as have my grandkids.  Salmon - in the Salmon River  This year, all our group's camp fees were covered by a Calvin Grant, which pastor Erika wrote for the 52 week Seasons of Wonder devotional, by (Bonnie Smith Whitehouse). In adition to the books, the grant has funded supplies for recommended creative projects, and field trips, which Bonnie recommends to add depth.  This spring, I led a session on making rose beads as part of a session on making rosaries, and my daughter, grandkids and I have joined field trips.  John, Shelly and pastor Erika Our camp time includes ample free periods in addition to meals, workshops and group activities. My daughter, her 13 year olds and I came this year.   Saturday morning, Lar...