deacondawn

Saying goodbye

The downside of living and working together in a fluid community is that people are continually entering and leaving your life. We have guests that arrive on each Saturday, we get to know them and they leave on Friday. But more significantly those that we work with day-to-day also leave. This is difficult. Sometimes veryContinue reading “Saying goodbye”

Living in Community

One of the odd attractions of Iona for me is living in community. Yes, this severely introverted person enjoys living in close quarters with others. It doesn’t mean I don’t still need a time to myslef, but it has given me a good sense of what it means to live and work with like mindedContinue reading “Living in Community”

Picking up lobsters, bashing them on the head

About the Iona Community

First, I would encourage you to Google Iona Community and visit their webpage for the most comprehensive information about the Community. There is an Isle of Iona — off the west coast of Scotland and there is an Iona Community. The two are NOT one in the same, but they do share a relationship. TheContinue reading “About the Iona Community”

Back on Iona

I am back on the Isle of Iona. For those of you who have not followed my blog for very long I will explain a bit more about this place in a few days. But in a nutshell, Iona is a small island off the West Coast of Scotland believed to be the cradle ofContinue reading “Back on Iona”

Oh the places you will stay

This, by far, has been one of my most extreme, prolonged and adventurous travels, to say nothing of the diversity of tasks that I engaged in while away. I was on a walking pilgrimage through Spain which required hiking boots and trekking poles, a day pack and a few varied food stores. From there IContinue reading “Oh the places you will stay”

Three little beads

One of my favorite possessions from the Camino is a beaded, woven prayer chain that one of my fellow “peregrinos” made. She crafted one for each member of our pilgrimage team. It is small and doesn’t add to the burden of the walk. The woolie chain has three wooden beads; one yellow, one red andContinue reading “Three little beads”

Two holy islands, a beautiful contrast

Earlier this summer I visited Lindisfarne Island, Holy Island, on the east coast of Scotland/England, a place of pilgrimage for Christians related to the Isle of Iona by a common heritage of Christian evangelism. In the last few days I have visited Holy Island, just off the village of Lamlash on the Island of ArranContinue reading “Two holy islands, a beautiful contrast”

Always a friendly face

I have zig-zagged back and forth across the UK. Landed at Manchester, England I caught the train at the station to go to Sheffield. The journey continued from Manchester to Berwick-upon-Tweed, then to Edinburgh, Aberdeeen, Glasgow and finally Ayr. Since we don’t routinely use train transport in my part of the US, these are uniqueContinue reading “Always a friendly face”

Being still and pondering

It has been about a week since completing the Camino de Santiago. It has taken about a week to take in what that might mean to me. I have spent the in between time slowing down, being still and pondering. Which is odd, because I am slowing down from a walking pace. And have doneContinue reading “Being still and pondering”