"Go to the Limits of Your Longing" by Rainer Maria Rilke; translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
 then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.

 Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you:
 beauty and terror.

 Just keep going.
No feeling is final.
Don't let yourself lose me.

 Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.

Book of Hours, I 59

Sisters in Spirit

by Teri VanLieshout
February 2005

My sisters
Generation to generation
Across time and distance
Sing to my spirit,
Giving my soul a place to be nourished and grow.

With gratitude I wake
To see the new light of each day.
Starting in solitude
And going to a place
Of community and family.

You are my touchstones.
In each turn of life
that brings my spirit to yours,
I learn more about
what it means to be
a woman,
a daughter,
a mother,
a wife,
a friend,
a teacher,
a citizen of this world.

In our sisterhood,
We are the life-blood of this planet,
Bringing wisdom and love,
Hope and joy,
Laughter,
Dignity in sorrow and grief,
Bravery,
Leadership,
Strength,
Courage,
And compassion,

To the places of our own,
Our families,
Our communities,
And the quietest part of ourselves,
Which is the interface between this world
And the next.

It is in our friendships
And the cherished places where we meet each other
That we feed the purest part of ourselves,
That becomes the woman
Who meets the word.

It is with gratitude
That I greet the dawn of each day,
And give thanks for
My sisters in spirit,
Who brighten my life.

Fecund Offering (a revision)

By Teri VanLieshout
original 3/5/97, this version 1/25/11

Love is not
       like magnified

It is showing appreciation
     for life
       through commitment
    to others
           and shared vision of what is good

Experiencing joy
   comes with
     sharing
         life’s good work
                                        together

Hard work
   strengthens calm

Peace comes
  in the wake
     of a steady push forward
 
Comfort
   is satisfaction
     in knowing you’ve done your best

Souls are kept
   by passing love on,
     sharing in the triumphs and pitfalls of life

      fecund offering

Neonatology by Elizabeth Alexander

Giving birth is like jazz, something from silence,
then all of it. Long, elegant boats,
blood-boiling sunshine, human cargo,
a handmade kite —

                                 Postpartum.
No longer a celebrity, pregnant lady, expectant.
It has happened; you are here,
each dram you drain a step away
from flushed and floating, lush and curled.
Now you are the pink one, the movie star.
It has happened. You are here,

and you sing, mewl, holler, peep,
swallow the light and bubble it back,
shine, contain multitudes, gleam. You

are the new one, the movie star,
and birth is like jazz,
from silence and blood, silence
then everything,

jazz.

by Elizabeth Alexander, from her latest book
"Crave Radiance" page 143 (excerpt from 153)

MOPS Newsletter #6 January 25, 2011

2010-2011  Issue 6
by Teri VanLieshout
vanlieshout@att.net

January 25, 2011

Upcoming Dates:
We have some fun things coming up. Please put these dates on your calendar:

·         Mom's Night Out – Friday, January 28^th
Movie Night
7pm – More info to come

Upcoming Meetings:

·         February 8th Finesse & Real World Mothering

·         February 22^nd – Gary Grahl will talk about eating disorders

Feel free to bring in any things on the wish list (below) in this new year.,,

MOPS Wish List:

If you are able, the following things are needed. Your donations are always appreciated:

·          Large plastic tote (need 2) for MOPPETTES toys

·          A gently used toddler toy

·          $20 (amount paid 1 moppet worker one wk)

·          1 pack of printer/copy paper

·          I’ll help set up and tear down things for the MOPPETTS at regular meetings

·          I’ll help clean up after meetings

·          I’ll help set up before meetings

·          I'll help at the Randy Peterson Concert Fundraiser April 16^th

·          I'll help at the MOPS rummage sale Fundraiser on May 21st

·          I’d be interested in serving on the Steering Team in the future

In the Community

Lumberjack Supper
*Wednesday, Jan 26, 2010
United Methodist Church of Sturgeon Bay
Serving from 4:30-7:30
Tickets $14 at the door
Kids 5-12 $6 each

Door Co. League of Women Voters*Thursday, Jan 27^th
4-5:30pm  Judges Forum, discussing judicial elections and judicial issues. Call Shirley for reservations: 920-743-1691

Art For Health
*5 weeks program running Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Starting January 25^th-26^th. Children ages 5-12 can work with local Door County artists to develop skills in visual and performing arts. Free. For more info & reservations call: 920-746-3738

Fiddler On The Roof
Sturgeon Bay High School*2/4/2011-2/7/2011

Info to share?

If you have something you’d like to include in a newsletter or know of an event in the community that you would like to share with other moms, please let me know. I will pass on such info:  Email Teri at vanlieshout@att.net or call 920-746-0047

MOPS Newsletter #5 January 11, 2011

2010-2011  Issue 5
by Teri VanLieshout
vanlieshout@att.net

January 11, 2011

Upcoming Dates:
We have some fun things coming up. Please put these dates on your calendar:

·         Mom's Night Out – Friday, January 28^th
Movie Night
7pm – More info to come

 

Upcoming Meetings:

·         January 25^th, Focus on Finances and our Kids with Gay Pustaver

·         February 8th Finesse & Real World Mothering

·         February 22^nd – Gary Grahl will talk about eating disorders

Feel free to bring in any things on the wish list (next column) in this new year.,,

MOPS Wish List:

Just so you know, we are in need of a few things. Our MOPPETTS needs are growing, as MOPS grows. We may need to split a room, which means we need more toys. Like many organizations & people in these tough economic times, our budget is lower this year. Due to community need, we’ve given extra scholarships, which we are happy to do, but that action decreases our budget in a significant way. If you are able to help us out, the following things would be appreciated:

·          Large plastic tote (need 2) for MOPPETTES toys

·          A gently used toddler toy

·          $20 (amount paid 1 moppet worker one wk)

·          1 pack of printer/copy paper

·          I’ll help set up and tear down things for the MOPPETTS at regular meetings

·          I’ll help clean up after meetings

·          I’ll help set up before meetings

·          I'll help at the Randy Peterson Concert Fundraiser April 16^th

·          I'll help at the MOPS rummage sale Fundraiser on May 21st

·          I’d be interested in serving on the Steering Team in the future

In the Community

Door County Right to Life Silent Vigil
*Friday, 1/21/11 - 6:30 p.m.
Starting at Gov't Center (across from Library)
and ending at Door Cty Memorial Hospital

Sturgeon Bay Public Library
*Book Art Bonanza Crafts
1/12/10 9am-5pm
Drop in All Day & Create All Different Kinds of Books

*Olivia Comes to the library
Saturday Feb 5^th 12:30pm-2pm
Stories, Games, Snacks, Crafts

Art For Health
*5 weeks program running Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Starting January 25^th-26^th. Children ages 5-12 can work with local Door County artists to develop skills in visual and performing arts. Free. For more info & reservations call: 920-746-3738

Fiddler On The Roof
Sturgeon Bay High School*2/4/2011-2/7/2011

Info to share?

If you have something you’d like to include in a newsletter or know of an event in the community that you would like to share with other moms, please let me know. I will pass on such info:  Email Teri at vanlieshout@att.net or call 920-746-0047