Celebrating 2009 - Part 1

As a special ending to the 365-09 blog challenge where I had to write something everyday, (more or less), I am celebrating completing the challenge by a picture review over several posts of the highlights of the year. Of course, not everything precious to me has a photo but these definitely cover some of the best moments I’ve shared; thank you to all those who have been a part of it. Quite honestly, I must tell you it is the best year I’ve ever had. There was fun times, new growth, big surprises, seeing new places, bonding with new friends, laughing with old ones, and special memories. There was difficulty and struggle as well but the love I experienced was greater than whatever hard places I encountered. It was an amazing year.

The year began with "Death of a Salesman". For a long-time, it was a dream of mine to be in a play with a set, costumes, and lines so I took the opportunity to audition for this show through the local theatre and was given the part of Ms. Forsythe, one of the high-class prostitutes in the restaraunt. I learned a lot by playing her and I really enjoyed it. During the time I was involved with the show, various aspects of my life fell apart and being in that show gave me the consistency I needed and a community with whom to share the road.

Februaray came with a special joy - hamentashen cookie making. It is one of my favorite traditions and I love participating in it every year. Through our Jewish temple (I'm Jewish AND Christian if you didn't know), my friend, Stacey, leads the baking of hundreds of dozens of cookies for a fundraiser during Purim. It is a huge undertaking and is only completed with an army of volunteers. Our times in the kitchen have been my greatest lessons in Jewish community.


Through doing some of the photography for "Death of a Salesman", I was warmly invited in to join the Pentacle Theatre family as the official photographer for the rest of the season. It is a job I love. I have made so many friends through my work in the theatre and I love capturing the actor's and crew's memories of the shows. Seussical was the first show I did all the photography for. The cast was so welcoming to me, I am still friends with many of the cast and crew.

In March I flew to Savanah, Georgia, and South Carolina for a conference on "Weaving Sacred Wholeness". History came alive before my eyes there, Putting my hands on the bricks of a church built by slaves, seeing the air holes in the floor for the underground railroad, and seeing the Atlantic for the first time from the US side (Ireland in 2001), was a transforming experience for me. It was also very enlightening to get to meet many new Quakers from differnt branches and explore what diversity really means.

April found me working furiously for the arrival of the editorial board for the Quaker Youth Book Project. Our meeting was held at Twin Rocks on the Oregon Coast and my job was to plan hosts and excursions for the four members who were staying before and/or after. I also read all the submissions we had been recieving in preparation to decide together which ones to publish in the book. Our time together was full of joy, challenge, learning a lot about each other and our cultures (we're from five different countries), and creating a wonderful book which by the way, will be published in April 2010. Before our meeting, I hosted our friend, Emma, from Bolivia, and afterward, I showed Emma, John, Angelina, and Harriet the Tulip Festival, Silver Creek Falls, George Fox University, the Hoover House, Newburg Friends Church, and Multnomah Friends Meeting. I am really looking forward to seeing them all again when we meet this coming April to release the book in Richmond, Indianna.

To be continued...

P.S. I will still be writing a lot on here even with the challenge over, don't worry. :)

365-09 #364