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Greetings everyone!
Please mark your calendars for the weekend of January 4, 2009 (known in some circles as Epiphany)--when Jorge and Le Anne will celebrate our wedding in Mason City, IA.
If all goes well in the planning, it will be during the regular Sunday service--something that used to be quite common, but is not often seen these days. It is our joy to be surrounded by the congregation and local community as well as our family and friends from places further afield.
We are still figuring out how to do a low-key, non-materialist wedding, but know that no one will have to rent a tux or buy a polyester bridesmaid dress :) We are looking forward to a potluck reception, so that we may include everyone as honored guests and turn no one away.
For those of our friends who are unable to travel to Le Anne's hometown, we will also hold a potluck celebration in Hyde Park, Chicago, over Valentine's Day weekend.
Plenty of preparation remains to be done, but we do hope that you will be able to join us in the celebrations!
peace,
Le Anne and Jorge
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Monday, September 01, 2008
September Update
It's been a while since I've written, which always means I've been busy. This time, it's been welcoming in the next batch of new folks to our GlobalServe Interfaith Volunteer Community, which is about to expand to five buildings and fifty people if all goes as it is currently. Thirty are moved in, with another twenty to arrive in the coming month. There will be challenges--there always are--but it's also very exciting.
We're getting an office for the Peace Center, which will be in a little-used downstairs living room in our 'Motherhouse,' the preferred name among the community as a whole for our original building on Harper Avenue in Hyde Park. I'm relieved, since it's not been the easiest for me to have my office in my bedroom; I neither sleep nor work well under that arrangement. And now there's a little space in order to have interns and volunteers.
We've welcomed a cat, and may have more soon. She's adept at hiding, and we only really know she's still here by her litterbox and food plate. But on the day we sat in the back stairwell for twenty minutes, I speaking softly and scratching behind her ears, I did even finally get a purr from her. So gratifying it was!
I've become a foundress, and I'm having trouble with the term, just like I chafe at the term 'Executive Director' or even 'boss.' I don't like to be in charge; I prefer to support people in being the good that they hope to be. And, for example, in a cooperative community you simply can't have one founder; there's only co-founders. But sometimes the terms are passed around. Perhaps I should accept them as compliments, which I understand is their intent. Neither would I want to get too smug.
But, 'foundress.' The Order of St. Elizabeth, for which I sent out an invitation letter about eight weeks ago, has found a recruiter among the Catholic religious orders. I have nearly twenty applications in my box to be answered. I did not know that you had to be under a certain age, out of debt, in very good health, and with healthy parents in order to join many religious orders. Although, I suppose the Peace Corps has most of the same requirements. I think I would be happy with nearly everyone I've been sent. And if their parents are not healthy, why not send them home to care for them a while? We will see. If people want to give their lives in service to others, I think no one should stand in their way.
peace,
Le Anne
We're getting an office for the Peace Center, which will be in a little-used downstairs living room in our 'Motherhouse,' the preferred name among the community as a whole for our original building on Harper Avenue in Hyde Park. I'm relieved, since it's not been the easiest for me to have my office in my bedroom; I neither sleep nor work well under that arrangement. And now there's a little space in order to have interns and volunteers.
We've welcomed a cat, and may have more soon. She's adept at hiding, and we only really know she's still here by her litterbox and food plate. But on the day we sat in the back stairwell for twenty minutes, I speaking softly and scratching behind her ears, I did even finally get a purr from her. So gratifying it was!
I've become a foundress, and I'm having trouble with the term, just like I chafe at the term 'Executive Director' or even 'boss.' I don't like to be in charge; I prefer to support people in being the good that they hope to be. And, for example, in a cooperative community you simply can't have one founder; there's only co-founders. But sometimes the terms are passed around. Perhaps I should accept them as compliments, which I understand is their intent. Neither would I want to get too smug.
But, 'foundress.' The Order of St. Elizabeth, for which I sent out an invitation letter about eight weeks ago, has found a recruiter among the Catholic religious orders. I have nearly twenty applications in my box to be answered. I did not know that you had to be under a certain age, out of debt, in very good health, and with healthy parents in order to join many religious orders. Although, I suppose the Peace Corps has most of the same requirements. I think I would be happy with nearly everyone I've been sent. And if their parents are not healthy, why not send them home to care for them a while? We will see. If people want to give their lives in service to others, I think no one should stand in their way.
peace,
Le Anne
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