The pollen here has been so thick, that local creeks and lakes are covered in yellow 'slicks'. My whole house has been sniffling. But, it is so lovely to have crisp comfortable mornings to enjoy walking my dog.
We had a lovely 'Spring Break.' Spent time on the beach, hung out with the grandparents and other family. Got to spend time with a 'long time' friend from my college days and her parents. Just a very cool week.
Coming back 'home', I have really had the question bearing down on me of 'what's next?'. The munchkins are mostly settled, the husband is mostly settled, so how about me? What do I do with my time while munchkins are at school?
While working towards getting certain US credentials/bits of paper brought up to snuff in order to make a bold attempt at a full-time job, I find myself reading a lot as usual.
I just finished reading Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd. I had heard about this book, but being overseas had not seen a copy of it. Seriously interesting book. For me, it wasn't her theological statements or proclamations on doctrine that I found so very interesting (no real surprises there....), but what was very interesting to me was the deep pain this woman experienced. This book read like a piece written by someone with serious religious 'battle' scars.
I am almost finished reading When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone. The title is a bit deceiving. It's an exploration using various texts, archeology and to a degree what I would call 'word study' of how the Middle East, near Middle East and North Africa shifted over time from being a predominantly goddess worshipping region to a predominantly god worshipping region. I am in the last chapter, and it has been a very interesting read. Not sure if I totally agree with all the points made in the book, but it is a very interesting read none the less. I am particularly interested in the take the author makes on how to interpret Adam and Eve, the serpent and the tree in the garden. As I read it, Stone looks at the story of Adam and Eve as an answer to goddess worship that favors the worship of a masculine deity over the worship of a feminine deity that was found throughout the geographical area listed above at the time the history of the Hebrew people were being written in the books we'd now recognize in the Bible.
For years now, I wanted to know more about these ancient religions that were so vehemently and often violently hated and feared that we read about in the old testament books. Kind of like how I like to see what books folks are trying to have banned from various libraries. I like to know 'why' and 'what' about these kinds of things.
As I sat here typing this, I have been on and off hold for the last three hours working on getting my paperwork in order so I can get a job in one of my fields of study. Totally utterly manic. And I thought paperwork etc in the mid-East was nuts. This is day 4 of trying to get this mess cleared up. And the original paperwork error wasn't even mine.
Wake up and smell the pollen. It's crazy everywhere.
Peace..
We had a lovely 'Spring Break.' Spent time on the beach, hung out with the grandparents and other family. Got to spend time with a 'long time' friend from my college days and her parents. Just a very cool week.
Coming back 'home', I have really had the question bearing down on me of 'what's next?'. The munchkins are mostly settled, the husband is mostly settled, so how about me? What do I do with my time while munchkins are at school?
While working towards getting certain US credentials/bits of paper brought up to snuff in order to make a bold attempt at a full-time job, I find myself reading a lot as usual.
I just finished reading Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd. I had heard about this book, but being overseas had not seen a copy of it. Seriously interesting book. For me, it wasn't her theological statements or proclamations on doctrine that I found so very interesting (no real surprises there....), but what was very interesting to me was the deep pain this woman experienced. This book read like a piece written by someone with serious religious 'battle' scars.
I am almost finished reading When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone. The title is a bit deceiving. It's an exploration using various texts, archeology and to a degree what I would call 'word study' of how the Middle East, near Middle East and North Africa shifted over time from being a predominantly goddess worshipping region to a predominantly god worshipping region. I am in the last chapter, and it has been a very interesting read. Not sure if I totally agree with all the points made in the book, but it is a very interesting read none the less. I am particularly interested in the take the author makes on how to interpret Adam and Eve, the serpent and the tree in the garden. As I read it, Stone looks at the story of Adam and Eve as an answer to goddess worship that favors the worship of a masculine deity over the worship of a feminine deity that was found throughout the geographical area listed above at the time the history of the Hebrew people were being written in the books we'd now recognize in the Bible.
For years now, I wanted to know more about these ancient religions that were so vehemently and often violently hated and feared that we read about in the old testament books. Kind of like how I like to see what books folks are trying to have banned from various libraries. I like to know 'why' and 'what' about these kinds of things.
As I sat here typing this, I have been on and off hold for the last three hours working on getting my paperwork in order so I can get a job in one of my fields of study. Totally utterly manic. And I thought paperwork etc in the mid-East was nuts. This is day 4 of trying to get this mess cleared up. And the original paperwork error wasn't even mine.
Wake up and smell the pollen. It's crazy everywhere.
Peace..
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Be peaceful and respectful.