Beth Patterson

Learners inheriting the earth: the politics of God

2008-07-22T05:14:00Z

In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. --- attributed to either Al Rogers or Eric Hoffer [quoted from How to Save the World ] This post is a SynchroBlog on The Politics of God hosted through the site Square No More. See the end of this post for other blogs that are posting today on this topic. Politics seem to require a good/bad or right/wrong or even better/best duality of thinking....(read more)

Who do you aggregate? Beginnings of a blogroll...

2008-07-20T16:26:00Z

This is not to be confused with 'who's yo' mama?' although there may be similarities. As we develop a blogroll for the Virtual Tea House, wanted to start with who I currently aggregate and move outward in concentric circles. oops that's an eggroll not a blogroll. I'll get this right yet. I realized this week that many faithful users of the internet don't use an aggregator to keep them in touch with the sites that they are connecting to. I'm no pro at this, but right now I'm using Netvibes as a web-based...(read more)

Rosemerry and Eric decorate another room in their hearts

2008-07-19T22:13:08Z

This is a guest post by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, a regular blogger on the Virtual Tea House . She's a little busy right now, so I'm posting this for her, to my blog. Four hours of labor...and a lifetime of preparation. Congratulations to Rosemerry, Eric, Shawnee, Finn...and that lucky Orchard Girl Vivian! Eric and Rosemerry with the 'let's get this thing done' expert, Vivian Here she's a few moments old. July 15, 2008 From Rosemerry: Dear Friends, Meet our new orchard girl, Vivian...(read more)

Bill W. was right

2008-07-15T15:53:00Z

Not that any of us thought he was wrong... I woke up this morning after a week of frustrating events, feeling like I was the main source of problems in my (read: 'the') world. I felt like I'd alienated important relationships, had a disturbing set of dreams, failed at work, failed at parenthood, failed at being able to move steadily towards the lighthouse of my life of living in harmony, at peace with my surroundings and whatever-comes-to-me-as-teacher. And even failing at becoming a crone. The only...(read more)

VTH hits the Alltop

2008-07-12T13:43:00Z

What d'ya know! Virtual Tea House is, as of this morning, on a very cool new aggregator...'Alltop'. They're a tad picky about who they aggregate, so VTH is honored to be playing with these 'cool kids'! According to their site, they "help you explore your passions by collecting stories from 'all the top' sites on the web." Check their site out--and if you're looking for VTH, go to 'tea' (an astonishing list of tea-related topics and sites by the way) and you'll find us! I thought about getting one...(read more)

Who's yo' mama?

2008-07-11T15:12:00Z

This is the 5th and almost last of the series in the 'where's home' exercise. My personal post about 'where's home?' is still being born, and will take its first breath after I hear from y'all. This post is the compilation of finalists' entries. You are invited...no, urged... to comment letting us know which entry is your favorite, and if you please, a little about why it touched you. The purpose of this exercise is to engage us in a dialogue about 'home'--not necessarily an intellectual debate but...(read more)

Where's Home? Category 4: We carry it with us like a turtle

2008-07-09T14:51:00Z

In this, the final offering of submissions for the 'Where's Home' exercise, we explore carrying home with us as if we were a turtle or snail. We hope you enjoy submissions from Terri Good, Ella Moss, Karen Cox, Rita Clagett and Mo Scott. Thanks to each of you for these nutrient-rich entries! Winners for this category: 'we carry home with us like a turtle'...are Terri Good and Rita Clagett. They will receive heirloom wildflower seeds for the area they call home. A big bow the bloggers and sites that...(read more)

Where's Home? Category 3: Home is searching for us!

2008-07-08T01:24:00Z

Technorati Tags: where's home? sense of place In this, the 3rd of 4 posts unveiling the delicious entries for the 'Where's Home?' contest/exercise, the submissions of Tania Crawford, Jodi Yaver, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Candace Brey and Michelle Meech are about how home is searching for us! There are some remarkable expressions here...big bows to each of you for submitting. The winners for this category are: Tania Crawford and Michelle Meech. They will receive heirloom wildflower seeds for the...(read more)

Where's Home?: Category 2: Home is a place

2008-07-07T05:23:00Z

Wisdom sits in places. - Keith Basso In this, the 2nd of 4 post of entries for the 'Where's Home?' exercise, we explore the feeling of home as a place. These amazing entries by Adele Schmalenberger, Bill Ellis, Jane Belford, Mary Ann Kaufman, Judy Rapp, Maria Hodkins, Gayle Roberts and Krayna Castelbaum are delightful explorations of place and the longing for that space called home. Thank you all for participating! The winners for this category of 'Home as a place' are: Adele Schmalenberger (CA),...(read more)

Where's Home? Category 1: The question is fundamentally unanswerable

2008-07-06T18:10:00Z

The point is to make intimate contact with the real world, the real self. Sacred refers to that which takes us out of our little selves into the whole mountains-and-rivers mandala universe...nature is not a place to visit, it is home."---Gary Snyder Here's the first category of entries for the Where's Home? exercise. In this, the first of 4 posts, please take your time (you'll need a big mug of your favorite tea!) and find submissions from Roxanne Foxx, Holly Holbrooks-Kuratek, Dave Pollard, Karen...(read more)

A July Morning Iditerod

2008-07-05T15:25:00Z

While I'm working on unveiling the 'Where's Home?' loveliness --here's some pics taken with my trusty T-Mobile Dash phone on an early morning walk with Geronimo . He continues to get us up at ridiculously early hours (like 4am), and I've decided, NOT true to form, to not resist and to make the best of this irritation. Actually think he might be my new guru--trying to really 'wake me up'. This is a series of photos from a July 1 walk around northeast Bend, Oregon--the Orchard District neighborhood....(read more)

Where's Home? What a way to run a contest!

2008-06-29T18:44:00Z

The 'Where's Home?' writing contest/exercise has been so much fun. I've gotten entries from people all over the continent--and one from across the waters. Some have been pithy, some complex. Some have illustrations or photos and many didn't and our imaginations can fill in the blanks. It's really hard to say who THE winner is--as everyone who read the invitation to participate, all those who actually did participate, and then all those who will read the entries as they come out into the world--all...(read more)

Nothing left to lose

2008-06-29T17:52:00Z

About 13 years ago I had a dream that I will live-into for the rest of my life. In the dream, I'm part of the life of a retreat center or monastery of some sort. The center is on an island and on top of a large plateau or mountain with ocean surrounding. I can remember walking to the edge and looking downward and outward and feeling an unbounded spaciousness. I also remember looking intently at a prayer rug--maybe Tibetan in origin--in a cool and shaded walkway inside the center and actually seeing...(read more)

Plant Spirit Medicine Classes to be held in Oregon 2009-2010

2008-06-25T05:02:00Z

For those of you who are yearning to experience and learn about deeper healing, a six week class spread out over 18 months is being held in the Pacific Northwest for the first time in a long time. The class site will be Still Meadow Retreat Center in the Clackamas River Valley about 20 miles from Portland. It is an exquisite setting to explore connection...especially to the healing spirits of plants. Plant Spirit Medicine Training Course Humans and plants have lived together for countless generations....(read more)

A smoothie of secrets and surprises and a little chocolate extract

2008-06-22T15:42:00Z

A few years ago I heard a NPR story about an 800 number for people to call and anonymously apologize for things they've done but cannot, for any reason, do restitution for or make amends. These messages are archived. It left a powerful image on my psyche as I reflected on the gestalt of the confessional-- anonymous pieces of the long, convoluted path of self-forgiveness. Somebody wise once said that to help foster clarity and transparency in our kids we need to teach them the difference between secrets...(read more)