“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, Avondale Presbyterian Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
What a joy it was for me to facilitate a walk. I am not a trained facilitator, and that is a bucket list item. But I have enjoyed and researched and talked about labyrinths for the last 10 years. So I loved sharing what I know and what I have experienced.
“In the midst of devastating crises, we are asked to do the counterintuitive. When the times call for anxiety, flight, or fight . . . [we are asked] to allow for the possibility of contemplative refuge, respite, and renewal. To slow down and be still is to allow both the source of our troubles and options for recovery to emerge. . . .”
I enjoyed this time of slowing down with my Red Boot Way friends.
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, Myers Park Baptist Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
After a delightful brunch at Little Spoons, Carol and I headed for a labyrinth walk. She had never walked MPBC, so off we went.
Carol immediately noticed the lamps that anchor the 4 corners of the labyrinth area. They are pretty cool and an interesting chaotic contrast to the structured pattern of the Chartres labyrinth.
I noticed ants, gnats, and bees. And I heard the nearby traffic, planes above and birds chirping all about.
It was also hot and humid. We need a storm to break the heat.
I enjoyed telling Carol about Tom Schulz the creator of this and two other labyrinths in Charlotte and also about my serendipitous meeting of his brother John in Rome GA.
Carol liked hearing about the piece of stone from the quarry outside of Chartres France that grounds the center of this labyrinth. She reached out and touched it when she reached the center.
I needed some friend time today. I needed some labyrinth time.
Thanks for indulging me, Carol!
And one of my favorite Saturday newsletters shared this quote today:
“I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Labyrinth Walks, First Baptist Church- Asheville NC:
I have been in the Asheville area for the last few days visiting with my college roommate at her family’s cabin. It is one of my favorite places in the world.
Credit: RAB
Today was the last day of this visit. RuthAnn, a swimmer, headed out early for a morning swim at the Y.
I met her at a park along the French Broad River where we consolidated into one car and headed to the North Carolina Arboretum. It is a favorite for easy walks in the woods, beautiful displays of native flora, gardening techniques, outdoor sculpture, bonsai artistry and, on my last two visits, snakes. It is Albert friendly so it is a great place to spend a few hours. They also have a nice café. On this visit, we got to chat with Brian the current proprietor about its offerings. We had a humus board with pickled tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and pita chips. It was the perfect snack.
After leaving the Arboretum, we headed to the farmers market for fresh blackberries. Ruth-Ann was on a mission to make blackberry jelly (and we did, and I have it with me).
We made one last trip into Asheville seeking a potentially new labyrinth. But alas, we had been misdirected, so instead, we ventured back to an old favorite, the one at First Baptist Church.
But, before we made it to the labyrinth, RA spied Ultimate Ice Cream, an ice cream shop that she had heard about. It serves small batch ice cream. I had Madagascar vanilla and salted caramel, RA had mint chocolate chip and Kahlúa something or other, and Albert had a complementary scoop of sweet cream ice cream. We were all happy.
Next up was the labyrinth at First Baptist. As we approached the church, both RA and I commented on do uniqueness of this Baptist Church.
History | First Baptist Church https://fbca.net/history/ “The plan arrangement of major forms and spaces is predominantly based on Beaux Arts planning concepts that stress formality and symmetry. With the surrounding mountains forming a backdrop, this arrangement which combines varieties of building heights and mass fits pleasantly within its context.”
We then entered the gated garden. The first thing that jumped out at me was the cacophony of sound: the chimes ringing, the birds chirping, the adjacent highway roaring and the leaves whispering in the wind.
We tethered Albert to a tree and we walked. We chatted a little as we walked and I noticed the beautiful hydrangea bush. But what struck me at this Labyrinth was the wooden coin that an earlier walker had left at the center. It read, “Child, you were worth it. Love, God.” And just the other day I had mentioned to RA that I liked the phrase “child of God” as an alternative to “Christian” or “follower of Christ” because of its simplicity and inclusivity. Something to ponder …
We wrapped up our walk and headed into downtown to the olive oil shop and then back to the cabin where we made 12 small jars of blackberry jelly. It is good!
And now I am safely back in Charlotte, and RA is safely back in Louisville.
“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Labyrinth Walks, Cathedral of St.Philip- Atlanta GA, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:
What a day…
First, it’s my daughter‘s 27th birthday. And I’ve been so busy that I really didn’t focus on it until two days ago. And I hope that Amazon Prine will get her gift there in time but for some reason two day delivery now means three day delivery. But I sent her this book … “Gin Austen: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen.” I think/I hope she shares some of my idiosyncrasies, and I know she’s into cocktails, so I hope she enjoys it…
And then I drove to Atlanta, and of course, it was one of those drives where the construction and wrecks, etc., cause it to be a nightmare. My trip took well over five hours. Damn.
And then I had a little communications problem with my sister who wasn’t expecting me. Damn.
And then I went to dinner with my mom and that went pretty well. she didn’t eat anything, but that’s not unusual. We then sat outside where it was really quite pleasant. Then all the sudden her bottom bridge and the attached permanent teeth fell out. So she/we will now have a new episode in the saga of my mom‘s teeth. Damn.
And now I am meeting a friend for dinner at a restaurant that I haven’t been to in years. We are going to La Grotta. I’m actually very excited for a late summer night dinner. And I have a few minutes to kill. At first I couldn’t think of what to do, and all of a sudden I was right here at the Cathedral. I said to myself, “I need a labyrinth walk.”And the first thing I noticed as I walked up were a few magnolia blooms still beautiful. Joy.
And for the second time in a very short period, I have come across a Labyrinth with what appears to be a foursquare marked off. Very strange.
On the labyrinth were a few seed pods from the neighboring magnolias, but otherwise it was quite clean.
The sky was mostly blue with some wispy white clouds. The temperature was warm, but not hot, and definitely not muggy. Actually, quite pleasant. It was 82°. As I said, quite pleasant.
On the way out I walked over to the magnolia tree and pulled down the lowest limb that I could reach. It was funny, I don’t think I have stuck my nose in a
I walked out the long way to take a picture of the knock out roses. And once there I noticed the apple tree. And then I noticed the grass under my feet. How much water do they have to use to keep it this lush and thick and soft?
And finally a luscious veal meal at La Grotta with Catherine W. I felt like I was stepping back in tine.
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