Off on an adventure – To go drink vodka, enjoy a bit of the ballet and see some unbelievable artwork.

Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг tr. Sankt-Peterburg, Russian pronunciation: [sankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk]) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city’s other names were Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924) and Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991). It is often called just Petersburg (Петербу́рг) and is informally known as Piter (Пи́тер).

Founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on 27 May, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1713–1728, 1732–1918). Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia’s second largest and Europe’s third largest city after Moscow and London. The city has 4.6 million inhabitants, and over 6 million people live in its vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural centre, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea.

Should prove to be a bit of ridiculous fun – I will no doubt slander the poor native language but I do that in English too – so what would make this any different? Right…?

See you when I return.

xoc

THANK YOU
Thank you all from near and far for making it tonight to be with us to welcome Bo Jameson and to celebrate together the gathering of all of the people who surround him. Tonight we have songs to sing and stories to tell, prayers and blessings for Bo to welcome him. We have
games for fun and in the continuation of our tradition… we have all brought a bit of our wisdom and light to share.

I am proud to share the honor and privilege, with Katie to have been asked to be a godparent.

A godparent can have as many roles in one’s life as there are godparents out there – but in all of that there is one thing that is shared which stands out that makes this a very special relationship –

A godparent is called upon to help to teach a solid set of values to live by and in the course of life to add two more pairs of hands to help a beautiful child grow into a beautiful adult. Much the same way as a tree grows from a seed there is much watering to do along the way.

… and we look forward from this point ahead to try to share in every way to be that – along with all of you.

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TRADITIONS
Traditions like this are very important ‐ The term “tradition” comes from the Latin traditio, but the Greek term is paradosis and the verb is paradido.

It means giving, offering, delivering, performing charity. In theological terms it means any teaching or practice which has been transmitted from generation to generation throughout life. The roots and the foundations of these sacred traditions are here and can be found in every culture on earth.

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LOOKING AHEAD

As we look ahead, we must also look from where we have come from – To begin I would like to ask everyone to close their eyes and imagine your own childhood –

imagine the home that you grew up in

and the people in your life that were with you.

Think back even further –

think of your ancestors and the generations of people who have helped us all get to this place and this time…

Think of all of the people in your life who you love and those who love you…

And open your eyes…

Let us call this place home – and let us all help each other find again and again the way back home.

***

Home
Bo –
As for myself –My growth over the last 40 years has been into the ever‐deepening understanding of myself as a spiritual person… I am still somewhat uncomfortable with the notion of some disembodied spirituality… my journey of consciousness has been toward an increasing sense of connection, ‐‐ toward recognizing my at‐home‐ness in this living, breathing, constantly changing offering of awareness…
I want for you, and I want for myself, for this community to be a place where we discover the way back home. I want this community to offer you support in your growth as a loving, compassionate, sensitive, brilliant person. I want us to support one another, to call forth the greatness of one another. I want us to be reminders for one another.

A poem from Vashti

They say a child is born
a blank shape to be molded,
a tabula rasa to be written upon.
But children come
like a plane with a rhizome ‐
its food source,
the genetic coding for what flower it will become,
how often it will bear fruit,
what its artistry is;
all of that born into it with the seed.
The role of the gardener, then,
is simply to discern the manner of the plant
or child trying to emerge.
The role of the gardener,
or parent then,
is simply to ask,
“How do I help it grow
into what it is in its roots?”
‐Dawna Markova, from Prayers for Healing

Once a Zen master stood up before his students to deliver a sermon. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a bird sang.

And he said, “The sermon has been delivered.”

Quoted from http://www.toledohiphop.org/images/old_school_source_code/:

Party Flyers

“Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing: Come back to me and forgive everything.” – Moulin Rouge (The Movie)

“I have learned not to worry about love; But to honor its coming with all my heart.” – Alice Walker (1944~) American Author, Critic

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.” – Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) English Actor, Author, Director

“Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation – We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” – Leo F. Buscaglia (1924-1998) American Psychologist, Author, Educator

“True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.” – Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) German Philosopher, Poet

“But true love is a durable fire, In the mind ever burning, Never sick, never old, never dead, From itself never turning.” – Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) English Officer, Navigator, Colonizer, Historian, Poet, Courtier

“Love is the emblem of eternity; it confounds all notion of time; effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end.” – Madame De Stael (1766-1817) French-Swiss Novelist

“I have loved to the point of madness; That which is called madness, That which to me, Is the only sensible way to love.” – Françoise Sagan (1935-2004) French Playwright, Novelist, Screenwriter

“To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” – Mark Twain (1835-1910) [Samuel Clemens] American Author, Humorist

“True love begins when nothing is looked for in return.” – Antoine De Saint-Exupery (1900-1944) French Aviator, Writer

“I love thee, I love but thee With a love that shall not die Till the sun grows cold And the stars grow old.” – William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English Poet, Playwright, Actor

“Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.” – Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) Numidian-born Philosopher, Theologian

“Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.” – Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) English Clergyman, Author

But alas I also think they are the coolest thing because you can just do whatever you wish and put it up nstantly online.  I have so many amazin’ things that run through my fingers I want to get them online before they go thee way of… the tech junk that never gets seen and lies aimlessly in a folder somewhere.

 Recently I had to find some images that were to be used for a banner online… and found a great site of hi res royalty free images for public use online called – The Stock Exchange – http://www.sxc.com/ - Great resource …

Many good things to come… Keep up the faith.

~ Chris