The Well

What mystery pervades a well!
That water lives so far –
A neighbor from another world
Residing in a jar

Whose limit none has ever seen,
But just his lid of glass –
Like looking every time you please
In an abyss’s face!

The grass does not appear afraid,
I often wonder he
Can stand so close and look so bold
At what is awe to me.

Related somehow they may be,
The sedge stands near the sea –
Where he is floorless
And does no timidity betray

But nature is a stranger yet:
The ones that cite her most
Have never passed her haunted house,
Nor simplified her ghost.

To pity those that know her not
Is helped by the regret
That those who know her, know her less
The nearer her they get.

— Emily Dickinson

Water, feared and dangerous at times, but also the source of life. Without clean water, we can die in a matter of days. And the destruction of floods, hurricanes, typhoons, torrential rain, sleet and hail can bring destruction and death in minutes and hours.

Ironically those most susceptible to its force are also those most in need of  its sustenance.

All of us need both physical and spiritual water to sustain our lives, and we are called to share both as well.

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” To quench one’s thirst here is an image of giving and receiving the water of life that flows under the city of God.

Water is a basic human right, and also a divine privilege.  Let us share both generously .

Take a little time and listen to the Rainforest!

Blanc Diamond- This is Africa

“This red earth, it’s in our skin. The Shona say the colour comes from all the blood that’s been spilled fighting over the land. This is home. You’ll never leave Africa.”

-Colonel Coetzee, Blood Diamond

This week’s pairing is M.A.N. Chenin Blanc and Blood Diamond.

The Colonel’s words come as he pours soil into the hands of a diamond smuggler played by Leo DiCaprio. This soil just happens to be from a vineyard in South Africa.

The grapes to make this terrifically dry, South African Chenin Blanc thrive in the deep soils and high temperatures of Africa, the same conditions diamonds thrive under.

To see this bottle at first you would think it’s all about the fellas. Quite the contrary! The initials are actually the names of the winemakers’ wives, Marie, Annette, and Nicky.

Blood Diamond is certainly a manly film with its violent and vicious scenes. This was absolutely the only way to open our eyes to the truth. Even with the all too manly brutality, it comes down to who has your back. Who has your back while you are out fishing, out hunting for diamonds, or out making wine. And whose names are on the back of the bottle…THE WIVES!!

So, enjoy the stunning visuals and story of this thought-provoking feature. I suggest you do so with a bottle of wine that equally reflects this rugged, yet exquisite continent.

To be transported to Africa right now, listen to Adiemus!!

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day! 

Since the 1600’s, this has been the feast of the death of the greatest patron saint and Catholic Bishop of Ireland in 461 AD. It commemorates the arrival of Christianity to the country of Ireland, and carries with it their heritage, their culture, their food, their celebration of life!

If you are blessed to have Irish men and women among your family and friends, you know that they are a lively bunch, a vigorous and energetic breed. And they might just have an opinion or two.  🙂

Because it is normally celebrated in the Season of Lent, when food and alcoholic consumption were restricted, this was often lifted for the holiday.  And this somehow led to the excessive alcohol abuse we see now on this day, which is an unfortunate turn for the holiday.

What we are really celebrating is the strength of the faith, life and commitment of this great people, and the strong influence that they have had throughout the world, even as poor, desperate immigrants to our own land. It’s a good day to celebrate all immigrants and all people who are faithful and committed!

As usual, we do this here at RitA with pictures and Riverdance music.  Amazing!

And here is a great article from the NY Times.

click on for larger view
click on for larger view
click on for larger view
click on for larger view

Communion of Persons

Communion, commun-ism, communicate, community, commune, be-come, come, com- … sometimes, it’s good to go back to the roots of words.
 
At least one true meaning of “com-” is “with”.
 
It is said that the best way to destroy a culture is to destroy or twist the meanings of its words, because without the core meanings, the most basic of human function ceases, the ability to “communicate”.
 
So, for a moment, we want to talk directly about Roses in the Alley, and our vision of “community” (being securely and freely “with”; to “build” “with”).
 
If you type in rosesinthealley.com in your browser you will get rosesinthealley.net. Why is that? because .com means business in this day, and .net meets community. Networking is the new word for Communing. So, if you want community, you don’t use .com; you are .net. You don’t commune; you network. I’m not sure how that happened, or whether this particular thing is good or bad, but it is true. 
 
But there is a coldness to the word “network” that is not the normal sense of the word “community”.
 
Communion used to mean coming together as persons, in love and relationship, freely and securely with granted permission to do so. Now, in the political sphere it has been replaced with Communism and Communication, neither of which are about these things. And in religious realms, it now means something exclusive, where permission is withheld until granted by an authority.
 
And when one talks about coming into community, it is often attacked, seen as coming against, not coming together.
 
Can we for a moment just go back to the core meaning? It might help our ability to speak to one another.
 
Here is one really sincere expression of community in music :-)! 
 
How would you express community?  We welcome your comments. May they help us build together… communion of persons!

Sorry Ma! Didn’t See the Crack

“They say, ‘If you step on a crack, you will break your mother’s back.’ But that’s just silly, ha-ha-ha — Oops — Plop — Sorry, Ma!” – Shel Silverstein, Falling Up

Are you the kind of kid that absolutely knew, 100 percent, that there is no way stepping on a crack could break your mother’s back … but you avoided them anyway?

What does that mean about you?

You are rational enough to know that it won’t break your mom’s back. It couldn’t; there’s no way … right? But you were an inquisitive one. You questioned everything. So, when you love someone that much, how can you even take the risk?

And didn’t you have a day when you were mad at Ma and stepped on about as many cracks as you could?

It’s okay; you didn’t mean it! And it’s also okay to question and wonder about things, for as long as you are able to.

Art like Shel Silverstein brought us, and the love from every kid that avoided all those cracks, are the things that should never be questioned or wondered about.

These are some of the truest things we have. If you love your Ma like I do, maybe you would like to listen in and share this song one more time! (Boyz 2 Men)

Snowbound in New England

Winter in New England

“So all night long the storm roared on:
The morning broke without a sun;
In tiny spherule traced with lines
Of Nature’s geometric signs,
In starry flake, and pellicle,
All day the hoary meteor fell;
And, when the second morning shone,
We looked upon a world unknown,
On nothing we could call our own.
Around the glistening wonder bent
The blue walls of the firmament,
No cloud above, no earth below,—
A universe of sky and snow!”

John Greenleaf Whittier

Today we simply give the warmest of wishes to our family in Haverhill, Amesbury, and Salisbury, Massachusetts and many others in the Northeast part of our country. You most likely will be snowbound tomorrow or the next day.

My brother Phil was born close to this day during a blizzard like this in ’56. Right when we thought Spring was upon us.

Know that our thoughts are with you, and we sincerely hope that you find solace in a warm home with a day of rest. Call it a gift of a day off, sit back and enjoy your coffee! 

And may those who have to get out there to help with power, emergencies such as new births and the many other needs that come up on days like these, return home safe as well.

Stay warm and share time with each other! There’s precious little time it seems, after all.

Maybe George Winston’s December will help you find joy in this day.