http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi

is a well written article about a concept I admire.

Here is another which includes information about Japanese tea ceremony: http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/asian/wabisabi.html

I felt like walking the labyrinth when we came back from dinner on July 14. I put tea lights in canning jars at each turn. I didn't want to wait to get enough actual votive holders to walk in the dark and I had a basket of jelly/pickle jars in the shed.

I was one jar short. I dug around in the recycling bin on the deck and found a pad thai sauce jar that was a good size and used it.

The jars have been in the labyrinth since, waiting to be used another night.

The pad thai jar tickles me when I pass it.

Church of the Reconciliation

Today went beautifully.

Dianne brought 4 friends from her Jewish Meditation group and Jeannie met Chuck and me at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro to catch a ride to the church. So, there were 8 of us walking a little, bitty Cretan labyrinth in woods behind the church.

The way to the labyrinth wasn't marked, but Val and Rachel got there a little early, so they wandered around a bit and found it for us.

The stones are fairly large and the paths are very narrow. The center is taken up entirely by a HUGE rock. People had left little bits and pieces on it. There were 4 ceramic spirals, a couple of painted rocks and one pebble when I led the parade in. When I went a second time, making me the last one out, there were a couple more stones, 2 leaves and a birds feather added to the collection.

EVERYone had touched that center stone.

Most had never walked a labyrinth before. The meditation group LOVED that addition to their day and asked to be informed when we do that, again. We agreed that the first Sunday of the month works well for all of us for a regular gathering. So, we have set an official date.

Six of us went to a nearby Cuban restaurant afterward and continued visiting. Before we left, we decided that the October walk will be at my house. I offered, mostly so that the people who have never walked it could do that very thing and they seemed to be delighted at the prospect.

Meditation in the Santa Rosa

Before we went to the Church of the Reconciliation in Chapel Hill to walk their labyrinth, Chuck and I walked mine, this morning. I took a little book I have and put it in the center. then I walked in and opened the book, randomly.

The book is A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles. I have had it for some time.

In the center of my labyrinth, I opened to page 157 and read

'Tis this one hour that God has given;
His Now we must obey;
And it will make our earth a heaven
To live today - today.
~ Lydia Avery Coonley Ward

I was tickled to read "Be here. Be now." in the language of a 19th century poet.