Shaking off the winter blahs

May 13, 2011

Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Spirit,

Fall in New England is glorious with all the colorful foliage. But I love this time of year. When folks are shaking off the winter blahs, getting reacquainted with neighbors working in their yards, planting gardens and dreaming about their harvest. And the farmers market (at Forest Park on Tuesdays from 12:30-6) begins again! Fresh goat cheese, mixed greens, kettle corn, and asparagus from Hadley.

And driving down the street is a canopy of color. There are chartreuse and rust colored clumps giving way to leaves on the trees. The white puffs giving way to green of the Bradford pears. The bright yellow of the forsythia, the fuschia blossoms on the azaleas, lovely pale pink strings of blossoms on the weeping cherry tree, the striking pink and white Japanese magnolia blossoms, the neon brightness of the phlox in it varied hues and the pale lavender and royal purple of the lilac. On Somers Road across from St. Michael’s Community Center there’s an orange azalea that rivals a burning bush. It’s all truly amazing!

It reminds me of e.e. cummings poem “I Thank You God for this Most Amazing Day”:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

And speaking of things to be thankful for… we have lots of donations for the tag sale tomorrow. I saw a brand new DVR still in its box, a dining room set, a 72″ couch, lots of kids books and toys, and a recliner. For those wanting a green lawn, there’s organic grass seed and other lawn equipment. At Jazzercise this morning, one of the students said she was coming, hoping to find a twin bed frame and headboard (hint, hint). Donations are still being accepted and tagged tonight. Then send your neighbors to buy things Saturday morning. Come, and notice all the signs of new life and brilliant color all around. And check out the “Jack in the pulpit” wildflower growing outside the office hall window.

Shalom,
Pastor Kelly

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