in clover: a (not so) rare experience

A few days ago, I realized that the Facebook page that supports this blog, In clover, was at 196 "likes."   I recall the day the page reached 100 likes, which was very exciting indeed.   It has been at least one year to reach 100 more.  This blog and the In Clover page are growing....slowly, slowly growing.  On a good day, I do my best not to focus on how many or how few subscribers and "likers" there are.  Instead, as author Stephen Pressfield said in a recent interview with Oprah, I attempt to focus on simply putting my "ass in the chair."  In front of a computer.  Now, type!   It's been hard to do that lately but here I am again, typing.  The thing that allowed me to start again was author Anne Lamott's reflection that the starting place is almost always a "shitty first draft." 

Now that I have graduated and I have an opportunity to see as many directees as the Spirit sends my way, my spiritual direction practice is also growing....slowly, slowly growing.    As far as paid work, I now have four "directees"  that I meet with quite regularly.  I have also been priviledged to lead or co-lead a few retreats for other organizations for pay and I am looking forward to offering my own brand of weekend retreats soon.  As far as unpaid ministry, I continue to work weekly with the group called Cultivating Mindfulness at Central Christian Church.  We practice meditation, mindfulness exercises, contemplative group engagement and group spiritual direction.  Cultivating Mindfulness, now in it's fourth year,  has recently experienced some exciting growth, inviting us to move into a larger room at the church for our time together.

If I am honest, I will admit that I am both encouraged and discouraged at the same time.  For one thing, people are really, really busy.  Most folks have little time for this kind of work.  But that biggest barrier I notice is that many people have never heard of "spiritual direction" before.  And yet, I hear many, many people expressing themselves in ways that leaves me certain that they crave the experience of spiritual direction.  The problem is that most us  lack the language to express it.  Because we've never heard of it.  

And often, after you try to explain it, folks wonder if it's something really strange....

....or why in the world you would pay someone to listen to you.   

Or they completely misunderstand and think that a director will tell them what to think, believe or do.  That either makes them very uncomfortable or very comfortable but either way, it's a misunderstanding of what direction is. 

Recently, while perusing my newsfeed on FaceBook,  I noticed  Parker Palmer's facebook status immediately.  (I also noticed that Parker Palmer has 29, 322 likes on his FaceBook page)

"When was the last time someone asked you an honest, open question—one that invited you to reflect more deeply on your own life, asked by a person who did not want to advise you or "fix" you but "hear you into speech," deeper and deeper speech?

For most of us, that's a rare experience. In our culture, we tend to ask each other questions that are "fixes" or advice in disguise. "Have you thought about seeing a therapist?" is NOT an honest, open question!

But when we share a problem with someone who wants to listen and knows how to ask honest, open questions... Now we have a chance to learn from our own inner teacher, to tap into own inner wisdom."   

Palmer is dead on with this quote.  He has articulated eloquently the importance and the beauty of participating in spiritual direction.   This "rare experience" is what happens in a spiritual direction session.  

It doesn't have to be such a rare experience. 

It seemed important to me that I share that with you.

There you have it....my shitty first fifth draft.  

Namaste,

Lisa


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in clover: rainy day cozy

I've been a bit blue....not sure why.  It hasn't been the weather, that's for sure!  October blessed us here in Central Kentucky with glorious fall days...warmish with just the right amount of slightly crisp air and lots of sunshine...what some call chamber of commerce days...until last Saturday when it turned cold, dark and rainy.

Truth be told, I was in heaven.  I LOVED it.  I gave myself permission not to put on real clothes...turned on the lamps....lit a few fall'ish scented candles....cranked up the fireplace....put a pot of chili on....grabbed a big old furry throw and enthroned myself on the couch with a big pile of yarn and crochet hook.  My intention was to try out this cute, vintage patterned potholder I found on-line.  Easey, peasey, no stress whimsy.  The colors and vintage motif really appealed to me and I need some new pot holders.  



But after I got a few rows of the blue yarn crocheted up, I began to think this was going to be a somewhat petite potholder.  I am a bit clumsy around the kitchen and often in a hurry, so I try to use a generously sized potholder to keep me feeling safe...just in case I slip.   But I hated to give up what I had done and the colors were so much fun, I just crocheted on.

Of course, little c was wandering about, doing her own creative, rainy day things....singing, dancing, drawing and writing, it changes minute to minute....she loves a pj day as much as her mama.  She asked if I was making something for her...no, not this time.  But then I remembered a cute, stripey pattern I had seen for fingerless mitts and I wondered if my too-small pot holder might be just the right size to wrap around c's little wrist.

This is my inspiration photo from a wonderful, wonderful blog. I want to live in her world! 



So I set out to convert my ill-fated potholder into a mini version of these stripey mitts.  I kept the little scalloped border, that really adds a nice finishing touch.  The only change I made was to stitch the seam in a single crochet on the right side of the mitts...I'm TERRIBLE at sewing a seam.  I saw this as an opportunity to make the seam a feature, rather than trying to hide it poorly.

After I finished the mitts, she was so tickled with them, she asked me to make a matching hat!  Using a squarish shaped hat I purchased for her last year as inspiration and to help gauge a good size, I figured out about what the width should be and I crocheted a rectangle in a matching stripey pattern and then just folded it in half, top to bottom.  I used the same single crochet stitch to seam the sides and then I found a you tube video that showed how to make tassels to adorn the corners.

Voila....a hat and fingerless mitts....all from my ill fated pot holder attempt. 

My blue day turned a bit sunnier, despite the rain and cold, and little c couldn't have been happier....

Atticus the Cat was pretty happy with the laid back day too.  I think he was very tired here...just worn out, after hours of trying to sneak my ball of yarn away from me.

c insisted on wearing her ensemble to school on Monday, even though it had warmed up by then.  She said that she wore them in class until her teacher had to ask her to take them off and that ALL her friends want a set of their own.  Not bad, for a potholder. 

Here's to rainy, cold, grey, but still cozy sorts of fall days.  And to stripey mitts with matching tassel hats, sweet little girls and aggravating, yarn thieving cats, all who chase the blues away. 

Namaste, 

Lisa 


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