Week Notes 1: Reading, Writing, Playing, Moving

Late last year, I had to the idea that my new year’s intention would be around “reading, writing, moving, and playing”. I kept to it for about a week and then the new semester hit and blew up my ability to do anything. After some reflection, I realized that I needed some mechanism to keep me focussing on these intentions. So, here’s a little bit of a post about my week as viewed through the lense of that intention.

Reading

I just finished Part I of War and Peace. So, I’m about 10% of the way through. It is just as amazing as I remember from a decade ago.
The whole family is obsessed with The Five Worlds series of graphic novels. I’ve almost finished all five. Mira and I are working our way through Volume 4 before bed time.

Writing

Currently writing up the heart group stuff.
- One of my collaborator is a wizard with computers, and has some code to produce nice braid diagrams algorithmically in Julia. Wow!
Submitting a pitch to The Canadian Friend.
- They like the idea of the pitch! “This sounds like a good piece and I would be happy to consider a 500-word article on this!”

Pitch: The Mutual Relationship of Belonging to a Meeting

One belongs to their Meeting and the Meeting belongs to its members. After about a decade of involvement with my Meeting, I find that I have many specific memories of ministry which I carry as a steward. Just last week, I was passing on advice that Kathleen Hertzberg gave me when she was over a hundred. In this sense, as a vessel or a conduit, I belong to the Meeting. Coming at it the other way, my family has been involved in establishing a Community Night and later a Children's Meeting. We've actively changed the Meeting to suit our needs. And so, the Meeting belongs to its members. There is an inseparable link between members and their Meeting. The Meeting and its members are, mutually, a means of Spirit moving in the world.

Moving

On my walk-in to work, I followed along some rabbit trails until they merge with deer trails. The thick new snow was beautiful and pristine.

Playing

I got a copy of Lenguajes y Juegos de Hilo en Gran Chaco for the library. It awesome. I managed to semi-translate the figure El Flor de Palo Borracho originally from Juegos de hilo y trucos de los Toba-Taksék by Isabel Balducucci.
During a quiet half-hour between meetings, I tried to a bit of juggling but fell to tidying up the office instead. It would have been much better the just be active and have some fun.

Meta

Published: Feb 14, 2025