Peace Gathering 2008 w/pics

Dear Diary,

  I’ve been away celebrating Peace at the PeaceWeavers Summer Gathering.   It was 6 days of fun, healing and friends.  I arrived Monday early evening because I stopped at Campmor to buy a new tent.  I was not going to stay in a backpacker tent for 6 days so I bought one that I could actually stand up in.  When I arrived I met Fred Goodnight and he came and helped me set up my tent.  Little did I know that he was one of the guests and presenters at the gathering.  LOL

This is Fred Goodnight.  He is quite a drummer and travels all over the USA to drum and give workshops.

Fred introduced me to Betsy who drove from Ohio with Fred.  She is a great person and I had so much fun with her during the week. 

Betsy is the one in shorts and red tee with Fred and myself.  I look horrible in this picture because I had been crying to see everyone leave LOL.

The first day was a stessful because I had been talking to a woman who is the mother of my son’s best friend.  She was telling me some things as my son is not speaking to me right now for whatever reason he has.  I am not sure why.  I was very upset and frankly didn’t want to be there at that time because of it.  Grief has been very present in my life right now and as you all know, it doesn’t feel very good.

Well I got my tent up and then walked around saying hello to everyone and waiting for the St. John’s Gospel Church folks to arrive from New Orleans.  They are also victims of Katrina.

We all had dinner around 7pm and was I glad because I was STARVING.  The PeaceWeavers can cook!  During the day and before dinner the PeaceWeavers started the week long fire that never goes out until the last day…sort of like the Olympics.

The fire was started with a quiet ceremony and with great care.

Greglynn is the gentleman with red tee and talking about the beginning of the week and how the fire will start.  You can see Fred with Celine next to him.  She practically lives with the PeaceWeavers and is one of the sweetest girls I have ever met.

GL is explaining the tradition of firemaking in the way of the Native American people.  Coby is in the yellow tee with Celine next to him.  Betsy is leaning against the pole and next to her, sitting in a chair is Beth, Coby’s wife.  Coby is like a second son to me.  He’s GREAT!

Coby, Will and Al are preparing the wood for the fire, before it is lit.

Everyone is anticipating especially because we were all HUNGRY LOL.

GL and the gang light the fire…

The fire is lit NOW LET THE GAMES BEGIN!  Interesting that it was during the same week as the Olympics.  Doesn’t the fire look like someone ready to beat a drum?

After the fire was lit, we all went down for our evening meal.

That night all I could think about was my son and our situation.  I am not sure what to think but I do hope this does not last long.  We have always been relatively close but since he is married things have changed quite a bit..

The next day I was asked if I would like to help with the sweat lodge fire.  I readily accepted.  The fire tenders have a hard job as we have to build the fire over the rocks which have been carefully placed on a wooden platform.  Each rock placed has a prayer in them which we placed as we handed them to the person building the pile.

After we carefully built the fire, one has to watch to make sure the rocks are continuely covered.  Coby is checking out the start of the fire.  He uses the shovel to push the logs up against the rocks.

Next to the sweatlodge and fire several folks were working on a new wood shelter for the sweatlodge wood.  They cut down old dead trees from the forest but have to have a shelter during inclimate weather.  This is Sara, a natural building instructor and master builder.  She was great but had very sore shoulders which after speaking to her may be lyme disease.  She is going to see a doctor about that.  THANK GOD.

I participated in the sweatlodge Tuesday and cried a lot during it.  I spoke about the situation with my son, prayed diligently for him and his wife and cried too.  My heart hurt….

The sweat lodge lasted until early evening and was it HOT.  I was really sweating and had to lay down in order to deal with the heat.  During the 3rd round we all went outside and walked into the pond to cool down.  We sat up to our necks in silence.  It was so magical.

To be continued……….