Meri's Musings

I miss. . . . my Dad. Parts of him carry on in my sons.  his blue eyes his wicked wit his progressive politics his prodigious intellect his curiosity but not his love for baseball or primitive camping (though they backpacked with him in Olympic National Forest). A fitting motto for him was "Do justice. Love mercy.  Walk humbly on the earth." We should all set an example like his.

Twelve Days of Mary Love I'm closing out my Twelve Days of Mary Love with another tribute to Fran Pullara. This is her collage called "Our Lady of Christmas." Fran was a deeply spiritual person. While I never met her in person, others who knew her have commented on her spirituality  and her kindness. She had an affinity for images and metaphor and the power of language, making her a perfect SoulCollage ® facilitator. She loved making collages on Polyvore.com -- her screen name was Redondowriter, if you're curious -- and images of the Divine Feminine regularly anchored her work. She loved Twelve Days of Mary Love and her absence is felt  here in this online community. Thank you, Fran for being you.

Twelve Days of Mary Another tribute to Fran Pullara. I know she would have been here had she not been called away. "Our Lady of November Sorrows" - Fran Pullara creation (Redondowriter) on Polyvore.com sadness emanates her tears wash the universe yet her love sparkles

Today is the national day of tribute to those military members who gave their lives in the service of the United States of America. The day of remembrance, now celebrated the fourth Monday in May, was begun a few years after the end of the American Civil War and was initially identified strongly with the cause of the Union. Because of this, former Confederate states for many years had their own Memorial Day coincident with the birthday of Jefferson Davis. (For more history of Memorial Day, click here .) Now a national holiday, its origins and meaning are largely overlooked. The day is most often associated with barbeques, picnics, and the unofficial start of summer. The day's sacrificial meaning, however, is still observed with solemnity at Arlington National Cemetery and military burial grounds around the country with the placing of American flags at graves of the fallen. Whatever your views on war in general, remember that many have given their lives in wars that were considered ...