Lovemily*
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- Written by: Pat Goller
Emily Meter, CMwD's shining star of a leader, passed quietly in December 2009 with friends singing to her and holding her hands. Frantic e-mail exchanges in December brought sad news finally.
Her memorial and 75th birthday celebration in Deerfield on March 13th closed with the song and comment about Emily: "This little liberal light of mine," A UU or maybe, Emily-adaptation of the sweet song taught in Sunday school when I was growing up. Filled to capacity, the Deerfield sanctuary rang with exuberance at the idea that hiding our lights would simply no longer do. Emily was a "liberal" of the quietest kind. Not brassy, like me, but she stood her liberal ground and offered you a cookie, too. She was the quintessential nurturer. She could "hear" any awful thing and make it seem bearable though her quiet, thoughtful ways. She just listened so completely. "Some times," as the Buddhist saying goes, "all a person needs is a good listening to."
I met Emily at the CMwD-UUWF Lake Geneva Retreat for women at Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Emily was Chair of North Shore's planning committee in 2000. I had been introduced to this retreat the year before and had anticipated that weekend on the lake and the ingenious theme: "The Femillinium." What sure confidence she had as she introduced the in-gathering speaker as a "regular renaissance woman." Emily would later travel with her committee to Starved Rock to meet with our 2001 planning committee from Springfield and Peoria. Always helpful and willing to step up, she was also an expert planner and detail person. Her confident and unassuming leadership was a thing of wonder; the "spiritual" part of her style that inspired me and still does. She was the Renaissance woman for me.
I was once at North Shore for a UUWF board meeting before the Connection was born. It was my first tour of the artistically inspired building studded with unusually shaped stained glass windows into molded stucco and giant ROCK for an altar that inspires the feel of a cave, as I have overheard it described. But it seems more like a womb to me. While we had our board meeting, women quietly worked in the kitchen to prepare our lunch and left without notice. Miraculously a wonderful meal had been set. I like to think that was my introduction to Emily. I don't know for sure that she was there, but the spirit of her nurturing work was certainly there and has left its indelible mark on this congregation, so many in the CMwD and certainly, UU Women's Connection, and our predecessor the UU Women's Federation. All have been blessed and nourished by who Emily was in far too many ways to count.
* Emily's e-mail sign off.
Rocky at Ronora
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- Written by: Kathy Salzano
Summer retreat at Ronora was fun and magical, from the lake, to nature walks, to cool art workshops, to the campfire, and singing. The weather was perfect and the food was awesome. What a wonderful time we had sharing our adventure!
Nothing was rocky--It was all smooth sailing, singing, and socializing until…We noticed that a critter must have broken in to our chocolate supply. Then later that evening, when we had broken out the ukuleles, we heard a rustling up in the rafters. Suddenly our visitor popped out along a ceiling beam in the common room to observe the show, and we did not disappoint! Lisa and Gretchen started to serenade the creature, “you are so cute, but you don’t belong here…” As it gazed at us, and we lined up and gazed back, talking excitedly and taking pictures, it seemed to feel right at home. Even more wondrous than our new mascot, was the enchanted chatter and cries of all of us women. We ended up naming it Rocky after the famous Rocky the Flying Squirrel and welcomed it into the lodge. Rocky ran along the center beam and disappeared into a crevice in the wall.
I know all of us who were there will treasure our time on retreat, and share as well the common memories of Rocky, the Baby Hawk song modeled after Baby Shark, and burning regrets, anger, and disappointment in the colorful flames of the fire. I personally feel great gratitude and am rejuvenated with songs and stories, and the memories of my time in the company of women, which always lifts my spirits. See you at DeKoven! Kathy Salzano
2019 Spring Retreat at Pilgrim Park
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- Written by: Jenny Ross
The 2019 Spring Retreat was held on May 31, June 1, and June 2 at Pilgrim Park. It was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Many of the women who attended are included in the group picture that was taken on Saturday afternoon.
Pat Hyams led us in ritual as we welcomed the directions and celebrated our element, water. Geri Schrab provided an informative keynote about rock art and her artistic journey as well as an opportunity for everyone to create a water color turtle of their own. Many women contributed their musical talents to the weekend, among them Kathy Salzano who taught a drumming workshop and Gretchen Ohmann who led us in chants and songs. Gretchen also facilitated a workshop on alternative methods of leading meetings and making decisions. We shared nourishing meals, played games together, and had time to shop from our vendors.
The grounds at Pilgrim Park are always inviting and provide many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Some people took advantage of the labrynth, others enjoyed the sun from one of the outside porches or took a walk. I encountered a living turtle on my walk. It was kind enough to pose for some pictures.We welcomed some new young women at this retreat and had an opportunity to enjoy the company of some of the older members of our community. They shared their stories and reflected on their roles in creating the UU Women's Connection and other women's groups and organizations associated with the UUA. It takes many people to put on a successful retreat like this one. If you are interested in helping with a future retreat, contact one of the Councilwomen. Planning is completed for the Summer Retreat at Ronora but Fall is just around the corner. ~ Jenny Ross
The Goddess’ own Songstress
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- Written by: Pat Hyams
October 13–15, 2017, the Women’s Connection Fall Retreat at the DeKoven Center in Racine, took place. It was a rainy weekend, but the sun was shining in our hearts. Our keynote speaker was Shelley Graff, the Goddess’ own Songstress. Women gathered from Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. The theme for the conference was “Within,” accessing the wise counsel that we all share but can often be drowned out by the demands of daily life and our own expectations. Having a break to honor “Within” was precious.