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New Years 2024: A Trip to Bountiful
Greetings friends – Good to be back in blog land! Three years ago I gave blogging a shot. This fall I took a long break for travel and to get caught up to myself! I continue to be pleasantly surprised to hear from people in emails, on my website, and even Christmas cards how much you appreciate my creative musings and art. I am overflowing with ideas and stories to tell as I envision a new book of reflections and writing a first play. My trip to Italy in November to return to my roots felt like a Trip to Bountiful, a favorite movie of mine with Geraldine Page. Indoor…
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End of the Season: Blue Moon
Blue Moon in Pisces Born in the sign of the fish I thrive on movement, fluidity, change. Yesterday I woke up with zero motivation. My dreams had brought me to many places. In comparision, Day seemed empty and cloudy. We drove to Hyannis with Dolce. Rain started. We found an outdoor covered cafe. Alberto’s! A friendly waiter, dog lover, brought Dolce water. Judy ordered pasta. I ordered canelloni. We watched the world go by. La Dolce Vita! Duende If you were in Boston in the early seventies you may have read George Frazier in the Boston Globe. His favorite word was from Andalusian Spanish. Duende meant in Stud Terkel’s words:…
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Pandemic Paintings
usin Your are invited to an Opening Reception Thursday July 6, 4-6 pm Eastham Public Library 190 Samoset Rd. Eastham, MA 508-240-5950 Exhibit runs July 1-July 28 (during library hours) www.anneierardi.com anneierardi@gmail.com Wait or Create In March of 2020 our familiar ways of living met a dead end as the virus invaded our lives while division and corruption dominated the news. I had a choice. Wait or Create. I climbed the stairs to my art studio with verve. In spite of being perplexed as to what direction to take. I knew the paintings from my stand that I needed to revise – some I painted over while many I improved…
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The Tortoise & the Hare
The Tortoise and the Hare I must have had some ministerial blood inside even as a child. I loved tales and fables with a moral message: Hans Christian Anderson, the Brothers Grimm, Aesop’s Fables and especially stories about animals. In French class in high school we translated the fables of La Fontaine. My teacher who resembled Jiminy Cricket was named Napoleon Alphonse Fontaine. My first paper in seminary was on the book of Ecclesiastes. As a young adult I related to the unknown author called “Qoheleth” meaning preacher in Hebrew. I shared his philosophical turn of mind, beginning with skepticism and ending…
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February: I am Singing of Tomorrow
Love from the Heart One morning I pulled out my Stevie Wonder album singing along: I am singing of tomorrow…I am singing of love. I am singing that sweet love will reign throughout this world of ours… I am singing of love from the heart. Suddenly, I feel free and happy with faith in tomorrow. The past, future, and present become one in a heart. What do you love? Who do you love? In 2023 what lovely thing or action do you wish to engage in? Perhaps something you miss that you use to do or someone you’d like to be in touch with? Retreat and Remembrances January was…
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Celebrating Light: Winter Solstice
When the words come, they are merely empty shells without the music. They live as they are sung, for the words are the body and the music the spirit. – St. Hildegard of Bingen A Story When the great Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light the fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Years later when a disciple of the Ba’al Shem-Tov, the celebrated Magid of Mezritch, had occasion for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he…
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Gratitude: Celebrating Friendships
November is a time of remembrance and change. Tonight we lit a beautiful fire in our fireplace. I gave Judy a “fire back” with a ship on it last Christmas, fitting that we live on the Captain’s Mile of historical homes in Yarmouth Port. Nature’s Colors On All Souls Day we explored Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. My writing mentor and friend, Kathleen Spivack, asked us to drive her to a place she has sorely missed because of ill health. We put her walker in the car and found a sacred place to rest and take in the beauty. Kathleen awakens the artist for all those privileged to have…
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Let Autumn Come
Autumn is a time of change – leaves turning color and then falling to the ground. We have lots of trees in our yard many planted by Honey B.. our previous owner. Trees I never met before -Red Bud and Golden Rain. The humongous Evergreen drops its long pine combs continuing to be itself – ever-green. I like that. Stability. “Great is thy faithfulness, God my Creator, There is no turning or changing in Thee.” A small Japanese maple named “Grace” was a gift for my ministry. Grace can not be contained! She chose to keep expanding in varying shades of yellow, green, and orange. In winter when she sheds…
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Beverly
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Summertime
In July I was at Endicott College for the wonder-filled International Women Writers Guild Conference. After waiting two years due to the virus, I imagined a peaceful time walking along the beach there. Instead, overwrought by the heat and humidity I got in my car and sought out a hairdresser at a Beverly salon. One more layer of my hair was removed but not before the room spun around from bending backward at the sink. The lady seemed to know all about the dizzies and brought me a cup of water. Moving into an empty dorm room made me realize I am not a kid anymore as I lay on…