Days 13 & 14: On to PA and Family Play Day

This is a downloaded image from the Internet of the Delaware Water Gap during the Autumn season. 

It is Friday September 26th now and time to head to PA.  So I do laundry, have another  NJ diner lunch; one more fill up of gas at a Full-Service Station(all they allow in NJ) and then I am on off crossing the Delaware Water Gap and driving through the Poconos on I-81.  I get to my mother-in-law's in time for a lasagna dinner and conversation before bed.  Saturday is a full day with my niece's soccer game, lunch in downtown Dun more and a trip to Ritter's Cider Mill.  From Ritter's cider mill, we head to a church bazaar where they are having a raffle and have many Christmas items for sale.  I buy several crocheted towels and then its on to one local ice cream shops for ice cream cones.  Believe it or not; it is warm enough outside for the ice cream to melt quickly; I have the mint chocolate chip.   Back to my mother-in-law's for  rest and dinner before heading to my brother-in-law's and playtime with my one year old niece.  It was a packed but fun day in North Central PA.

Find out more about Ritter's Cider Mill at:  http://www.ritterscidermill.com/

Day 12: Diner Day in NJ - Fun with friends and family

Missional, Relational & Incarnational - This sums up what this day and all of my pilgrimage has been about. 

Present from Kelly;  So Beautiful:Divine Design for Life and the Church by Leonard Sweet 

Had fun staying up late talking; so the day got a late start with a diner breakfast that included getting to visit with 89 year old Aunt Catherine which was a blessing.  Filled up on pancakes; all I had room was hot tea when I went to meet my Twitter friend, Kelly for the first time.  It was so fun; we talked for 2 hours practically non-stop.  Kelly's and mine meeting is a testimony that God is alive and well on social media and that you can meet up with a total stranger who is not a strangler.  It is also a witness to the United Methodist Church connection and its presence on social media.  We connected through a UM conversation on twitter.  Then it was time for a quick nap and a drive to visit a friend from Jackson who had recently moved back to NJ.  We enjoyed great diner food, wonderful conversation and got to tour the beautiful campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey.   Then back to the cousin's house and another night of fun watching Derek Jeter's win his last home game for the Yankees and more great conversation.  Great day with family and friends.  

Links to visit: http://www.ramapo.edu/ - Ramapo College of New Jersey 
http://www.plaza46dinernj.com/  - Plaza 46 Diner 
http://www.statelinediner.com/  - State Line Diner 
http://mlb.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/ - Derek Jeter 
http://www.drew.edu/theological/ - Drew Theological School at Drew University 
http://www.leonardsweet.com/ - author and professor, Leonard Sweet 

My awesome Twitter friend  and I meeting for the first time.

Day 11: Saying Good-Bye; Time to journey onward

It is Wednesday morning; the last day of being with my sister dancing monks in Cape May, NJ. We eat, do yoga, affirm, dance, celebrate and say good-bye.  We take photos and some of us linger to walk just a longer on the beach. I have laid aside my judgment and expectations of myself and others. I take with me the sacredness of simply being and embed in my memory: waves crashing, feet pattering, wind blowing,  eggs cracking, and the rocking of the rocking chairs.  I think about the birds, the butterflies, the sand between my toes, hot tea, the warmth of the mush and the beauty of the dance. I remember licking ice cream, feeling the grass between my toes, drinking hot coffee and playing like a little girl in the sunshine with 19 other women.  As I imprint in my mind the holiness of this place, the voices of reassurance, affirmation and calmness remain with me also.

http://www.empmamas.com/about.html

The perfect place in Cape May for dancing monks to eat!!

 One of the gals from the group needs a ride to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry so some of us go to lunch together and then go to the ferry to say good-bye. At the ferry, I buy some post cards and salt water taffy. I remember riding on the ferry once and getting seasick.  Such a long time ago; riding the ferry and visiting Cape Henlopen State Park.

http://www.kohrbros.com/

On the boardwalk in Wildwood,  I always loved the Orange Cream Twist Soft Serve when I went to the shore. 

 http://www.destateparks.com/park/cape-henlopen/
http://www.capemaylewesferry.com/

 I linger longer and have some fun with a sister monk who wants a little more adventure; we go and walk the boardwalk in Wildwood interchanging laughter with deep thought.  Finally one last good-bye and then northward on the Garden State Parkway then to the NJ Turnpike and onto I-95; all new territory to me as I pay tolls and leave behind the familiar Jersey shore area.  I exit just before the George Washington Bridge and head to one of the Trently cousin's home.  Somehow I make it without getting lost and they are even impressed with how quick I got there; I said well I just went with the traffic.  I speak with two friends I am looking forward to seeing the next day one for the first time and the other whom I have not seen in months.  We laugh, catch up and enjoy bantering the way two women do so  I go to bed way late.  Yet it is nice to be free of structure and schedule for a few days.

I leave the beach to the seagulls taking with me only a few shells but lots of memories of this Sacred Retreat.

Links for you to explore:

Movement and Dance

http://www.5rhythms.com/

http://www.mwoodmanfoundation.org/body-soul/intro

http://consciousfemininity.com/

http://www.interplay.org/

http://www.contactimprov.net/

http://dance-alchemy.org/

http://soulmotion.com/

http://www.dancingmindfulness.com/

https://nianow.com/

http://www.authenticmovement-bodysoul.com/authentic-movement-body-soul-center/authentic-movement/

http://www.girlonfiredance.com/

As someone who has been disconnected from her body for many years - the movement, yoga and dance components healed and created much space for God to move in a new way in my life. 

I go from St. Mary's by the Sea as an artist who is free to: 

 Create and enjoy the process

 To turn off the phone 

Say no 

Allocate space and resources for my creative play 

 Utilize technology to continue to deepen and find connections

Explore new possibilities

Move through in courage 

Remain fallow

Accept my body and embrace my sexuality 

Tend to my soul and allow the light of Christ to embody me 

Maintain an enlightened structure 

Live Life in a productive, supportive nurturing rhythm 

Stay with and trust the process 

Most awesome part of last day was getting Christine to autograph two of her books I have purchased ; I invite you to read - 

Desert Fathers and Mothers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings-Annotated & Explained and Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice

Christine also is one of the writers in the Homilists for the Homeless series I mentioned in an earlier post so she signed that one too.  Visit http://clearfaithpublishing.com/homilies/ to learn more. 

Also check out the writings of Anne Lamott: http://barclayagency.com/lamott.html

Natalie Goldberg: http://nataliegoldberg.com/

John Fox: http://poeticmedicine.org/bio.johnfox.html

Pat Schneider: http://patschneider.com/pat/

Mason Currey: http://masoncurrey.com/Daily-Rituals