this little land, world, border spot

I just got back from seeing the film "Breakfast on Pluto", an amazing must see film about the life of an individual and the community that surrounds.
It was amazing to sit and watch a film with so much diversity in it. The scenes were so clean, plot intense and filled with so much love.

In this land, this little big world we live in, all I hope for is for individuals and communities to love and care for everyone no matter what pieces parts, what luggage everyone's with. I know it is a big dream, but we just dream big, if not we have no hope they will come true.

So, in this big wide little world, what do you hope and dream for?

Chicago Calling a Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer


Beautiful anarchist (beautiful dreamer)
sending messages, writing manifestoes,
believing in free love
even though it fell
out of fashion
long ago.

Passion, and freedom;
hope, and illusion;
truth, and
the way you want
the world to be.

Forget your losses,
the battles not won,
the plans unrealized,
the chores left undone.

Consider yourself lucky to be still standing
though the reasons for standing are long gone.
Witness the unfathomable
though others look away
or don’t know what they’re seeing anyway.
Meandering meanings are changing and fading away,
fading away into the nostalgic myth of yesterday.

But you’re still here,
drinking light beer,
so what are you
complaining about.

Personas shuffling and shifting
like used paperback novels in the wind,
the ambiguity queen traipses
across the calligraphied universe.

Elizabeth Harper



As part of the Chicago Calling Project. I recieved this Poem from Elizabeth and created this mandala in responce to it!

Enjoy

What are your dreams about?

Chicago Calling a Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer


Beautiful anarchist (beautiful dreamer)
sending messages, writing manifestoes,
believing in free love
even though it fell
out of fashion
long ago.

Passion, and freedom;
hope, and illusion;
truth, and
the way you want
the world to be.

Forget your losses,
the battles not won,
the plans unrealized,
the chores left undone.

Consider yourself lucky to be still standing
though the reasons for standing are long gone.
Witness the unfathomable
though others look away
or don’t know what they’re seeing anyway.
Meandering meanings are changing and fading away,
fading away into the nostalgic myth of yesterday.

But you’re still here,
drinking light beer,
so what are you
complaining about.

Personas shuffling and shifting
like used paperback novels in the wind,
the ambiguity queen traipses
across the calligraphied universe.

Elizabeth Harper



As part of the Chicago Calling Project. I recieved this Poem from Elizabeth and created this mandala in responce to it!

Enjoy

What are your dreams about?

Chicago Calling a Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer


Beautiful anarchist (beautiful dreamer)
sending messages, writing manifestoes,
believing in free love
even though it fell
out of fashion
long ago.

Passion, and freedom;
hope, and illusion;
truth, and
the way you want
the world to be.

Forget your losses,
the battles not won,
the plans unrealized,
the chores left undone.

Consider yourself lucky to be still standing
though the reasons for standing are long gone.
Witness the unfathomable
though others look away
or don’t know what they’re seeing anyway.
Meandering meanings are changing and fading away,
fading away into the nostalgic myth of yesterday.

But you’re still here,
drinking light beer,
so what are you
complaining about.

Personas shuffling and shifting
like used paperback novels in the wind,
the ambiguity queen traipses
across the calligraphied universe.

Elizabeth Harper



As part of the Chicago Calling Project. I recieved this Poem from Elizabeth and created this mandala in responce to it!

Enjoy

What are your dreams about?

Shh, dancing, clapping and it sticks

Simchat Torah
Oct 14th, 2006
Warszawa, Polska

Before this island in time vanishes from my thoughts, and havdalah is done, I share this story.
This fresh experience.
This memory.


The day was grey and I felt so grey inside.
The kind of day you leave the house and just want to come back and crawl into bed, but you don’t. You wander around your home cleaning and moving things around.

I did some laundry and the dishes, swept and check e-mail a bunch.

I redid Shabbat last night and it was super. In the Sukkah with my lady friend O.
We said the blessings, sang some pretty songs together to welcome in this special moment while below us people were boarding the bus.
As we finished with “Shabbat Shalom” and a big OM from lady O, the street was silent.
The OM finished and the cars began again.

How the universal listens at little moments is truly amazing. But I also have to know to listen for it.

So our challot was Pineapple pizza pieces with peppers on top, covered with a striped napkin and our wine was a little more like piwo, but plum flavoured. So they both count!

The moment was just right. It fixed my earlier non-shabbat make-beliveland of something not familiar to me.
But, still it was in me. I was still digesting it on this very grey day today.

Was not sure I would go to Twarda but Kasia was back in town, on the same tram root and it gave me that extra reason to go.
So, a bit after 6pm I waited in the cold night , boarded the tram, found Kasia 4 stops towards the city center and we were off.
Before we reach the synagogue a jar of juice was bought and we passed the sleeping police cars and trucks just in case.

We entered, down stairs everyone together talking and moving around, pews moved back and space.
Then, upstairs or to the back.
So up we went. I took some deep breaths in and just followed and looked around. The energy was pure, noisy and spiritual.
Separate but it didn’t seem to bother me, it was actually nice.

I looked down to see tops of colourful circles on heads and some eyes reaching mine. Shhhh.
I looked a way at the ladies next to me. Some used to take the 522 or 180 south and now they come here, in the city center for prayer and community.
Could I do this? What could I do?
Afterwards Old frozen bagel one asks me If I would be interested in a women’s service.
I would. More then ever.

So, a little bit of this and that understanding some with the echoes and then we went down stairs.
The magic began. Ladies and Men separately but in the same space.

The Torah was passed to us and was held like a baby. We stared to spin and clap and sing . The men just a few meters away doing the same. Also holding each other, the torah and spinning each other around. Jews of all kinds and traditions all together praising this book of stories that is told over and over again with new wisdom to be shared all around.

We dance and sing more and more, so many times the torah returns to us and is passed around. I kept my distance for my first. Perhaps next it will reach my hands. But for this time, I enjoyed watching, dancing singing and clapping all around. I can feel it inside me, my heart and soul and mind that I have some of this energy in my blood, this tradition.
The way the dancing happens the love that is all around. The community that is created.

She returns to our hands of life again and again that I can’t keep track, was that 4x or 5,” I ask.
We then dance over to a women who will is ready to deliver twins on Wednesday. We touch the torah to her and dance by her, sing to her and watch her glow. We dance together with an American, Canadian, Israel, Polish, Jew. We are here for this moment and I’m glad I have a keeper this mind picture in my soul.

The candy comes from the sky, from all around, the songs get louder, we eat as children run around our dancing. Some might say chaos, I would say community to the fullest. Everyone believing, loving and enjoying in their own moveable ways but together. Also creating a memory that sticks.
The American about 75 yr. old said how special it was to see this a live moment after visiting all the old death around PL.
I also said her is lucky to be here.
I was lucky.
The Universe wants this.

We headed outside and danced some more, cradling this scroll book of inspiration and danced again. Singing with all.
Inside once more with so many under the Chuppah reading and prayer, how many can you fit?
Candy flies into our hands and we begin again.
We begin again with love and a new week.

Chag Sameach and Shavua Tov
Laura, Lorka, Lauraleh, lo-lo

Autumn, New Beginnings

It's the Jewish New Year 5767 and it feels like Autumn.
The smell, the golden sunshine, the crispt morning air and warm tea in hand.

I ushered in the New Year with song, prayer and a lot of food.
I will spend time in an amazing little garden world with my cat Krowka, and say hello and send blessings to Slonczko our Rabbit who past on just a year yesterday.

I wish for this new year to bring bright peaceful blessings to all.
I wish for this new year to bring boldness in our actions for justice.
I wish for this new year to bring clarity to our ever spiraling days.

I wish love to everyone.

What's love got to do with it? ... EVERYTHING, I say!

"Let us, go boldly into the unknown"

a month, and a moon away but so close

a month a little more now back here smells like autumn feels like lato (summer) fruit tea in the morning bus riding to talk about memory, jews, a lady artist age 60 -makes art with little boxes and treatures inside bathroom stop, walking and tram riding - just one stop. computer, time, printmaking, writing letters time are changing before our eyes this is it, this is it green paint cover 10 meters of material under the trees shade and company of an art friend school space almost ready garden trip with cat on back soup, fried green tomatos and flowers to go back home, feels like a web a map that traces back to time before and faces forward. music on tv , computer in hand love all around, time for havdalah more tea, reading and perhaps some sleep. so close to all the traces but also moons away with what is next. dreams perhaps, dreams perhaps

What does the moon look like to you? if you trace it with your day?

1/2 a moon

From this side of the world, I look up and currently I see 1/2 a moon. Do I see that other 1/2 when I'm in Central Eastern Europe? ....It feels like it, But I know it is the same. The same sky and stars, but when you land on the earth it is, another whole 1/2.

1/2 of this and half of that. It's probally this summer for the first time since the over 4 years that I have been living in Poland that I (in a little whisper voice) sort of miss the smiles, the variety of food, productive arty collaboration, farm projects, family gatherings, late night movies and giggles about house alarms. I mean, I miss those things always but it has not hit me to the heart as it has this summer. Why, I'm still trying to figure that all out.
Perhaps it's about my calling for what I should be, what my soul is calling me to do with my hours, days, years. My moments. Is it about personal Love relationships? Community building? Language? Connections? Peace? Perhaps a bit of it all.

Perhaps it is about being around people who are excited about similar things that I am excited about. Don't get me wrong, I have found folks in PL that are excited about what I am excited about but more of the time we are on different 1/2's of the moon light. Probally, I know it is the way we are grown up. How society has farmed me.

Sometimes it is delightful to be gathering and sowing, fighting, creating with our hearts with people that get us where we are on this side of the 1/2 and other times it is challenging, it is a must to gather and sow like you are on the other side of the moon.

What have you sown today?

a fighter

I'm a fighter for what is equality right, what is correct, what should be.

According to many people around me, fighting doesn't always make a difference and in some situations they say it is not worth it and you should just walk away, or deal with it.
But of course my fighter self says make it work, make it correct, what is equal and another part of me says it is hurting me so much to fight this fight.
When do you know enough is enough and your not going to change everything and to just walk away?
When do you know?

This Monday morning, I am hoping for a week with answers, some respect and some understand from the place I work. From the Headmaster.

I am grateful for...

me, age 4.

Another question, reflection from my CLF UU 'balance life' class is:
"Today I am grateful for...."
I've got a little book by the side of my bed and every night I start with that sentence and then finish the rest. Some nights are easier then others.
Try it.
It's pretty interesting.

Today, I'm grateful for International Children' Day.

Today was filled with children at school running around doing magic, drawing pictures, playing games and printing their hands on fabric.

The evening then was filled with a musical concert. Music of all kids and children of all ages. I was in this moment, present and a live. Living the beauty that was being performed before me. For those moments, and then it rippled off a bit, I felt fulfilled, grateful, and joyful.
I left the b.s. beside, backstage and enjoyed. I was filled with love, compassion, commitment.

It makes me think about when I was a child in school and loving some special events like ice cream socials. Not knowing that a lot of caos was most likely going on behind the scenes.
It makes me think about how these beautiful moment keep me going when behind the scenes it feels like a war. It is these moments that make me want to fight for this joy.

What are you grateful for this very day?

Tonight, a finished painting called Shabbat UU

“An artist cannot be continually wielding a brush. An artist must stop painting at times to freshen his or her vision. Living is also an art. We dare not become so absorbed in its technical processes that we lose our consciousness of its general plan. The Sabbath represents those moments when we pause in our brushwork to renew our vision. Having done so, we take ourselves to our painting with clarified vision and renewed energy. This applies to the individual and to the community alike.”
- Mordecai Kaplan

This is the text that is on the top part of the painting I just finished tonight.

I'm in a class currently about living a balanced life and our "home play" last week was to come up with a few things that we would like to do and then pick one and Do IT! so I did, I finished this painting that has been waiting for a while. Enjoy!

Shabbat UU (Unitarian Univeralist)

Shalom.


Shabbat to me is....?

Dancing in a group

Today, was a party for Israel Independence day.
The party, festival, gathering was at Twarda and I was not sure if I was going to go or not. But I did and it was great. It was nice to run into so many good people and to dance!
I love to dance today with people in a group. When I was young I was really shy about things like this but now it doesn't bother me so much if I don't get the steps right. It is just wonderful to be together with people holding onto each others hands and moving in space together. Listening to the music and smiling such big smiles at perfect strangers!


One thing that could maybe get Poland to loosen up on a few things, perhaps some dancing together in groups! Perhaps I'll start some at the next rally or protest.

What dancing do you dig?

Free love

I'm in the paper again. For some reason the Polish papers like me and seem to get photos of me at rallies and protests. This paper is called NIE (NO). A friend of mind found my photo and so then, I found the paper.

The text on my flag reads:
-Education for Understanding and
-Homophobia is a Social disease



Summary in English Translated by: Greg Czarnecki

It's already getting hot regarding june's events. The chief of police, who wants to be the next mayor, hasn't said "no" yet but he also hasn't said "yes". So the fate of the parade and festival are going to be left to the last minute.To make gays and lesbians look bad, the nation's conservative, commercial and thoughtless media is representing the event with images from the Love Parade, which is a purely commercial event with plenty of provocative images. while the events in warsaw will be cultural. The most interesting event will probably be Teddy on Tour in warsaw, films from the Berlin film fest, showing the best films which can't be seen in PL otherwise.  There will also be a conference and a debate in the Sejm about European policy towards LGBT. There will be a concert with Kimmy Somerville.



On June 10 will be the Equality Parade. It's meant for women, gays,les, black, Vietnamese, alterglobalists, ecologists, pacifists..will it take place?

The police chief M. Kochalski is afraid. If he doesn't allow it he'll be seen as intolerant. If he does he risks his rightwing voting block in warsaw. They're looking for a pretext to ban the march. For now they're hanging on a rumor that someone will sing a rap song about how the warsaw mermaid was lesbian. The city has already prepared a reply that she wasn't a lesbian and the face was a modeled after a warsaw uprising heroin Krystyna Krahelska. Krahelska was leftist though sheÂ’s amongst KaczynskiÂ’s favorites of the uprising characters. And for defaming these people and the mermaid, the city is preparing to proactively ban the march. This is how in the defense of the Warsaw uprising and the real gender of the mermaid they might ban a film fest, seminar and parade.






What does Free love mean to you?

Hope- guides you on your way

This Mandala was made at the Retreat in my group by Jesse age:12


I just got back from an EUU (European Unitarian Universalist)
Spring retreat.

• I feel Hope.
• I feel peace.
• I feel loved, and cared for.
• I feel a singing soul, a silly smile and a huggable body.

I have Hope.

"This is it" "It's life, and it's really happening, right now"

What gives you hope?

Matzo Ball Soup for Easter

This past Wednesday was the first night of Passover, therefore the first Seder. On the 2nd night- the 2nd seder. For the 1st I attended Beit Warszawa a progressive Jewish Community Center, and for the 2nd, I attended a PUSZ (Polish Union of Jewish Students). Both were interesting and enjoyable in their own ways.

So, that filled up Wed, and Thursday night. Friday night was normal Sabbat and I attended Beit because a Rabbi from the states was talking which seemed interesting. During dinner I met a couple (Rabbis) that are traveling around Europe in a Van that will talk on Saturday, so I decided to go to Beit again on Saturday.

After all that, and I have to remind you we are in Poland here. Most everyone is getting their baskets blessed for Easter, so Saturday night I put a basket together with all the pieces that are pretty much the same as on a seder plate to get blessed. Got to Church and missed to boat on that, but something else was going on....
I remember the secretary at the UU church I worked at telling me about how special Holy Saturday is. How the whole church is dark and then slowly it becomes brighter and brighter.
That is what happened in this church around the corner from my home. We sat in the darkness, the quiet darkness that you would never find with that many Jews in one place :), and waited.
A bonfire was built outside and eventualy church clergy folk went outside in a procession, collected the fire on their little candle sticks and processed into the church. As they came in the flame was passed on, and one to everyone who brought in there own candle stick. We didn't have a candle, but a basket in hand, so just enjoy the spiritual surrounding as the light and warmth filled the church.
After a while, since we were at the back, we snuck out the back door and went home. I mean I had things to do. Like make Matzo Ball Soup for Easter.
Yup that is correct. I attend a bunch of Seders, went to "Temple" on Fri, Sat and then to church on Saturday night. On Sunday, I didn't attend church, but attended a family lunch/dinner, Easter Dinner should I say.

Oh, I'm going on and on.
It's just been really interesting growing up Unitarian Universalist with Jews on one side of my family and Catholics on the other. I think about how it in some way is beautiful, how in other ways it is challenging to go from one holiday to the next, how it is important to me to up hold the beliefs I have . And if that be making Matzo Ball soup because it rocks, and I know it from when I was a child to cooking it late at night on Saturday because the day was filled with prayer, song, rabbi lectures, church candles and more, let it be.
Let it be what it is.
And let everyone enjoy the conversation , the soup, the songs, light and most of all the new growth, new life of spring time.

What special ways to you honor spring time struggles, festival, family, faith?

The Universe Says it's Spring...So when will it arrive?

It's Spring.
The eve was on Monday at about 6.26 universal time.
The first full day on Tuesday and now today, Wednesday, it should really feel like spring right?

Well, it doesn't so much, when you look outside the window, but inside I can feel it. The air feels a bit new, the sunshine for sure and the birds know what the universe is saying. With this new season of spring, it bring thoughts to me of new beginnings, new stories to share, new clothes, new ways to save. New, new, new..

I know that this "newness" might not look so "new" to everyone but sometimes it is also something that is difficult to see but it will slowly blossom into something beautiful. Just like all the trees at this very moment, you can't see the spring in them but it is right at the tips of the branches and will arrive at the least expected moments.

'to every season there is a purpose'.... this season of spring, I know will bring new surprises and I open my soul to what they might be.
I know it might be different, colorful, perhaps big and scary but, i'm ready for it!

Spring, come surround me with your newness,
come sing to me at sunrise,
come dance with me as the moon rises in the sky and
come comfort me with changes that will appear under my feet.

How does spring feel to you?

Nana - I think about you lots

(Nana and I when I was a bitty one, I still am but not that small)

On March 3rd, 1997 - Bernice Krogal Passed on.
I can't believe it have been 9 years. Her Family was from Poland.
Where? not quite sure but she would be pretty amazed to know that I've been hanging out on this side of the world, in Warsaw,PL for about 3.5 years now. My Polish is jako-tako, I eat a bunch of fresh food and in the warm weather like to hang out and garden. I'm a busy bee just like her. Can't really just sit down for a few minutes, I need to always be doing something. Today, I'll light a candle for her and perhaps eat some sweets and clean up a bit. She always kept such a nice neat and clean home. I love you nana and miss you a bunch. Wishing you could see me now. Who do you wish could see you now?

sort of non 9-5

I basically work a 9-5ish 'job'.
I teach Art at a school. I'm not full time but when I think about it, it seems pretty full, over full to me.
I teach mon-fri but not 9-5 more like 10-3,4,5,6,7...Depending on the day.


Recently we closed a week with a big Art Opening on Friday with
Kids, Parents, friends, teachers, etc attending for the fun event.

It was then over, the high fell and it was time to pack up and go home.

Relax? Next? not quite...but I remember what this feels like,
I used to mostly just work on Big Community projects and it was tons of prep work, then the event, then a big crash, relax time.

The difference with the school setting is that the crash time is more like prep for the next event, projects, ideas.

I'm hoping to find a way to balance this all out.
I suppose it's all about the waves of water, the in and the out, the low and the high...and when to know what will happen. I suppose once you find the rythum it all just flows like the water has done for years.
I suppose this new month of Pisces is a good time to think about water, waves and ripplies.
I mean I love the work but sometimes I wish I could just take that little break from planning projects and relax.

I've done a bit of that this past week when we had off from school. I hope to do more in the future.
This week involved-
-cross country skiing
-sleeping in late
-reading
-cooking
-Taking lots of baths in Water!

It also involved working and planning a bunch.
But I like that stuff.

But, I also know there 'is time and space for everything'

On, Sunday I had dinner at Olga's Aunt and Uncles and its amazing how good it feel to be in a different space and not have my computer, paper, books, projects to tempt me to get involved.
Sometimes it feels great to send e-cards, drink tea and wine, be overfed and watch the birds go by.

Wondering what 9-5 means any way? A job? It's it more like life?

moving too fast to see, to feel

It was one of those days,
today that went so fast that it was hard to feel. But, it also stabbed me with pain. One of thoses days filled with mixing colours and sewing up pillows but, hurt with not knowing about printing photos and what my place is. One of thoses days that slush made me walk slower and it felt good. A day with shared pancakes and not enough time for tea. A day with wondering why I go to the orphanage, when it makes more sense to reflect on how many different ways you can create an object. It's been a day with pizza for dinner, a bath for dessert, and on the computer for more work. One of those days that moves so fast. Oh, storm of life, please slow down. I'd like to smell the drawn rose flowers using the "Ms. Evonne, that machine is smart!"(Overhead projector).


I suppose when I look back on this day, it wasn't that it was so fast, it was that I didn't get to feel more bits of each part.
More bits of the joy of the children sewing for their first time.
More bits of mixing colors.
More bits of realizing that she said I'm sorry.

..."How can I keep from singing"

It's real, right now.

"It's life and it's really happening, right now". -Christine in the movie Me and You and Everyone we Know

As the evening continues, I think about my love, my life, work, joys and concerns. Last Sunday, was the new moon of Shevat. I brought over a geranium plant and it brighten up the room for our gathering. At night when the lights we all off she whispered to come look at this. It was the shadow of the plant on the wall. It was a magical site. It was life at that moment.

Life is happening right now, it is true and I try to live in those moment but sometimes it's difficult to not look forward and wonder.
Wonder about Love.

What's love got to do with it? What's love got to do with it?

Designing Buildings

Adding Paper Tiles
Originally uploaded by Laura's Fotos.

Year 2 students at the British School in Warsaw have been looking at the Austrian Artist Mr. Hunderwasser.

On Friday that started to add on colorful shinny paper tiles.

If you could design your own home,
what would the outside look like?

The New Year of 2006

This new year was brought in with a bunch of "EuroJews" in Berlin.
We had a blast at a silly party dancing around, serving strong drinks, lighting sparklers and smiling a bunch.
It was nice.

About a week has past and since then the New Year in Poland has seen 3 days in a row of Sunshine! I couldn't even show my Year 6 students a computer presentation because the sun was shining so much in the room. How great is that!

Now, a few days later, the sun has hidden behind the clouds and it is gray again.
Tonight I bought myself some sweet smelling spring flowers to bring some light into my soul.

Wishing for sunshine all around.

What brings sunshine into your life when the weather is gray?