Newsletters

SNOW CANCELLATIONS FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH:
NO JUMPSTART! THIS AFTERNOON
POTLUCK DINNER AND DRUMMING CIRCLE RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10TH, AT 6:30 PM.

WINTER PRICE BREAK
Need a mid-Winter pick-me-up? For the month of February, The Gathering Inn is offering a discount of 25% off the cost of a personal retreat. This includes your overnight charges, bed linens, towels, and three nutritious meals per day. So, the cost of one overnight and three meals in a shared room is $60.00; $75 for a private room and three meals. Come sit by the fire, read your favorite book, take long baths and lots of naps, and spend time in quiet meditation and mindful contemplation. Retreats may be planned for one to three consecutive nights. Subject to availability, please book early.

MONTHLY MUSINGS
THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF AGE-RELATED APHASIA by Deb Weldon

For some time now, there has been a strong interest in mindfulness, the practice of focusing one's full attention on the present moment. This practice creates the beneficial experience of being centered and able to observe your thoughts and feelings and appreciate the sensory information in your world at that moment. Aaaahhhhhh....

In my life as a "mature" woman, I have also encountered the art of mindlessness. This state requires no practice. In fact, it tends to occur at random, unplanned, and often inappropriate times. This age-related, often progressive memory loss usually takes on the characteristics of a neurological condition called aphasia, the inability to remember nouns. (In case you've lost the memory of elementary school grammar, a noun is the name of a person, place, or thing.)

Without a doubt, nouns play a pretty important role in the process of talking to each other. If you haven't actually participated in such a noun-less conversation, I trust you have overheard one. They sound sort of like this:
     ".......You know the one I mean......he was in that movie.......I can't think of the name of it......But you know so-and-so was in it too........You know the one who I think was in that TV show.......Oh, I can't remember what it was called........."
This noun-less form of communication can become so commonplace that it is understood and accepted as normal among women of a certain generation. In part, this acceptance comes from frequency, as well as the experiential learning that the elusive noun can abruptly and without notice rush to the front of one's mind and sometimes suddenly burst through into speech, in Tourette's fashion.

In fuzzy contrast to the centered calm experienced through the practice of mindfulness, the woman with mindless aphasia can feel scattered and confused. At times she can lose total connection to the subject she was talking about in the first place. Others around her will try to help her retrace her steps before she embarked on her "wild goose chase" in search of
the missing name of a person, place, or thing.

So with a lemons to lemonade attitude, let's consider the spiritual brightside. Expressive aphasia transcends intellect and breaks down the ego. The smarter she is, the harder...............   It creates for her the opportunity to evaluate the importance of whatever she was trying to say. As she develops the ability to detach from her opinions and viewpoints, she is able to practice the art of laughing at herself or listening to another or placing her attention on her heart instead of her head. Many spiritual paths teach that our Divinity is in each of our hearts. So when a maverick noun runs away from the group take a breath and move your attention to your heart. After all, what else really matters.

FOLLOW UP TO "STATE OF THE INN ADDRESS" AND BRAINSTORMING EVENT ~ FEBRUARY 28TH AT NOON
Thank you to everyone who was present for our first "State of the Inn Address" on January 24th. Many creative ideas came to light, our next steps were prioritized and several teams were formed to work on some of the Inn's immediate concerns.

February 28th at Noon we will gather again, both to follow up on the work that began on January 24th and to hear any fresh ideas. Anyone and everyone is welcome, even if you couldn't make the previous meeting!

If you can't come, send us your ideas by e-mail before then. If you are coming for the book discussion that morning, please bring your lunch; we will have coffee/tea available.

FACEBOOK
In a quest to utilize all the communication tools available to us, the Inn is now on Facebook. Become a fan of the Gathering Inn!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gathering-Inn/454479795397?ref=nf

COMING EVENTS
February 17th at 7:00 pm EMBRACING THE WOMB - A DEEP WINTER CLEANSING RITUAL
Please join us as we take some time to honor the closing of the deep winter season and begin to prepare for the coming of spring with a purification ceremony and a renewed commitment to rededicating ourselves to making choices that honor God's intended heart centered, love filled way of living. Please bring a blanket/comforter or whatever you use to snuggle down with, and a scarf. A small donation per person would be appreciated.

February 19/20th ~ FEBRUARY MOTHER/DAUGHTER RETREAT
The Gathering Inn will not be available Friday/Saturday, Feb. 19/20. We will be hosting our first Mother/Daughter Retreat, working with a by-invitation-only focus group.   There is much wisdom to be shared between the generations and we hope to be able to offer this to the public soon.

February 28th at 9:30 am FEBRUARY BOOK DISCUSSION
"Here If You Need Me" by Kate Braestrup.
11 years ago, at the age of 33, living in Maine, married with 4 young children, Kate Braestrup's state trooper husband was killed in the line of duty. He had planned to retire and enter the ministry. Kate decides to follow what she calls "a hand-me-down calling" and enter seminary herself. In 2004, she becomes an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and becomes Chaplain to the Maine Warden Services. She "does more than bless the moose", she is present to families and searchers participating in search and rescue missions. This funny, true, and inspiring story tells how Kate Braestrup let tragedy and grief bring positive transformation to her life.

http://www.amazon.com/Here-If-You-Need-Me/dp/B002SB8QZ0?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=gatheringinno-20&creative=391877

March 5th at 7:00 pm MARCH MOVIE NIGHT
"P.S. I Love You"
"For those who believe true love lasts beyond this physical plane, 'P.S. I Love You' is a jewel in the romantic-movie crown. With elements of Ghost, Heaven Can Wait, and My Life, the film is an unabashed valentine to the notion of lasting (everlasting?) love. Hilary Swank is Holly, a deeply happy lass married to the most impossibly adorable Irishman on the planet, Gerry (Gerard Butler). When an illness takes him from her, Holly spirals into depression. Then, as if from beyond the grave, communications, gifts, and remembrances from Gerry begin to appear--gestures he'd planned knowing his death was coming. The "communications" with her dead husband could threatened to keep Holly in past, yet they begin to pave a path into her future.

Swank, not a traditional romantic actress, is quite moving as Holly, whose grief and confusion is palpable. Butler will win new continents of fans, largely female, as the yummiest honey one could wish for. Special kudos to the supporting cast, including Lisa Kudrow as a Holly pal, and James Marsters and Kathy Bates, always breaths of fresh air onscreen. Under the sure hand of director-writer Richard LaGravenese, P.S. I Love You is touching, sad (have tissues on hand), and heartbreakingly lovely. --A.T. Hurley" ~ from Amazon.com Editorial Reviews

http://www.amazon.com/P-S-Love-You-Kathy-Bates/dp/B000YAA68C?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=gatheringinno-20&creative=391877

March 10th at 6:30 pm POTLUCK DINNER AND DRUMMING CIRCLE
Public potluck dinner... just bring a dish to share at the table and your drum, if you have one. Drumming is a wonderful form of meditation as it allows you to be free to connect with your own body rhythm, the heartbeat of the earth, the energy of the universe, and co-create with the rest of the group. Please let us know if you are coming and if you need a drum. This is a free event, but a small donation is always greatly appreciated.

March 21st at 9:30 am MARCH BOOK DISCUSSION (note this is a date change from our usual last Sunday of the month)
"The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew -- Three Women Search for Understanding" by Ranya Idliby

http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Club-Muslim-Christian-Understanding/dp/0743290488?&camp=212361&linkCode=wsw&tag=gatheringinno-20&creative=391877

To enhance our understanding of various faith traditions, we recommend combining the reading of this book with participation in the Kairos Center's 5 week series "Common Thread: Seeking the Holy in Mystical Traditions" which will begin with a general discussion on what mysticism is and then focus on the role of mysticism in Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and the Sufi faith. Find their web site below. Perhaps if there is enough interest, The Gathering Inn could sponsor a multi-faith dialogue this Spring or Summer.

CALENDAR OF OTHER EVENTS
We try to keep all our movie nights on the first Friday night of each month and our book discussions on the last Sunday morning. But as we look ahead at the calendar, we find that 2010 gives us several challenges to that schedule... many fall on other significant holidays. That means several movies will move to the 2nd Friday, and several book discussions will move to the third Sunday. So if you have questions, either watch for the newsletter each month, call us at the Gathering Inn, or go to our full calendar at:
http://gatheringinn.org/events%20calendar.html

One date to get on your calendar now is Saturday, March 20th. We are in the planning stages for a Spring Equinox event.

WOMEN UNITED
March 8, 2010 is International Women's Day. for more information, go to: www.internationalwomensday.com

Nov. 25, 2010 is International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, go to the UN site: un.org/en/globalissues/women to read more.

MOON CIRCLE ADVENTURES
Our first joint venture with Active By Nature was a snowshoeing trek under the full moon on January 30th. You can go to www.activebynature.com to see photos of the 20 intrepid women, ages 35-70, who ventured out on a freezing cold, but beautifully moonlit night.

THE GATHERING INN and ACTIVE BY NATURE are offering a continuation of "Moon Circle Adventures" a guided outdoor adventure along with a workshop about the cycles of the moon, the cycles of the seasons, and how they relate to women's life cycles.

Adventure #2, June 4 & 5, 2010. Book soon, the last trip sold out early. Come along with other like minded women and experience the fun on a bike ride into the Quabbin Resevoir. Or make it a real get-away experience by staying overnight one or both nights at the Gathering Inn. The workshop is the evening of June 4th and the ride on June 5th.

Our website will be updated soon with all the details.

THE STUDIO AT THE INN
THE STUDIO AT THE INN OFFERS YOGA AND JUMPSTART!
Don't give up on those New Year's Resolutions! Beneficial for all levels of fitness. Schedule changes include: Wednesday JumpStart! begins at 4:30 PM. Thursday Yoga class is suspended for now.
More information and to see our schedule online
http://gatheringinn.org/specialsaugust.html

SLIDE SHOW
Kathleen Nagy (www.TheSoundLady.com) put together two wonderful photo slide shows of the Inn with music and posted them on Youtube.

Winter at the Inn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03SUYwpt1w

Summer at the Inn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-gWhWoYZDo

RECIPE RECOMMENDATION
Well, it finally happened. We've dished up vegetarian grub and gluten-free chow routinely over the years, but vegan, gluten-free bread - that was new to us. Fortunately, we found a recipe at the Gluten Free Goddess blog that promised the bread to be delicious. And you know what? It was. So, of course, we had to share. The recipe, that is. Go make your own bread - this loaf is ours!

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/02/delicious-gluten-free-bread.html
Keep scrolling down. The recipe itself is way down on the page. There are directions for conventional baking and for using a bread machine. Happy Baking!

READING RECOMMENDATION
You've probably heard of the ancient Triple Goddess - the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone - representing a woman's life cycle. But women are living far longer lives, encompassing far more than ever, so Deborah Roth, in her essay, "Exploring the Four Faces of the Divine Feminine", suggests another stage in the cycle - the Amazon.

The complete article is found here: http://www.modernpaths.com/community/women/articles/f_lib_article_dr_feminine.html

You can learn more about Deborah Roth at her website: http://www.spiritedliving.com/index.html

KAIROS SPIRITUAL LIFE CENTER
The Kairos Spiritual Life Center is a ministry of All Saints Episcopal Church in Worcester and offers many wonderful programs to further spiritual exploration. Some upcoming events include:
"Leading Into Lent: Creating Lenten Prayer Books" on Saturday, February 20th
"Becoming Messengers and Ministers of Reconciliation: The Spirituality of Peacemaking", Saturday, April 10th
And a five part series, "Common Thread: Seeking the Holy in Mystical Traditions" starting April 28th.

See their website for more details: http://www.allsaintschurchworc.org/kairosCenter.html

HELP!
We're looking for a good used (or new) vacuum cleaner for the Studio. Can you help? Give us a call or send an email if you can.

OUR AFFILIATE PRACTITIONERS
Each of these affiliated businesses are independent of The Gathering Inn, however they also offer their practices and programs at and through the Inn. Their missions and purposes are in alignment with the mission and purpose of The Gathering Inn, to promote total health and wellness through various modalities, particularly for women.

Anne Goewey, Registered Yoga Teacher, JumpStart!
js2health@gmail.com or 978-928-4844

Expressions Unlimited, Phyllis Pomerleau & Chris Bergquist
Offering: Therapeutic Yoga; Grief Recovery; Wholistic Health Coaching; Stress Reduction; Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster(c); Private Voice, Piano and Guitar Instruction; and much more! expressionsunlimited@princeton-ma.us or 978-464-2433

Anne M. Porcella, RMT, IARP, Reiki Practitioner, The Reiki Room
508-615-3149 or anneporcella@gmail.com

Please feel free to forward this email to any persons or businesses who may be interested.
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The Gathering Inn at Daydream Farm
http://gatheringinn.org/
thegatheringinn@charterinternet.com
82 Healdville Rd, Hubbardston, MA 01452
978-820-1139