Mietzke's POST Holden Adventure

I finally got a decent photo of the buck that hangs out in our yard most every evening. He seems to know that our camera is no good in low light, and comes right at dusk.

It began to rain this afternoon, right before we were supposed to have the outdoor garden party, the dark clouds rolled in gray and heavy. It began to rain and the sweet smell of rain on hot earth filled the air and brought us out onto our porches to inhale deeply. After a while we put on jackets and headed down to the garden party for lavender cookies and fresh picked home brewed ice tea with mint and lavender. There was lemon and dill dip for crackers and lemonade with lavender in it. People all over Holden dressed for the occasion and it was a colorful affair. We walked in the garden among all of the plants that have been so lovingly tended. The rain fell lightly and make everything sparkle as the sun broke through the layer of clouds. I do believe lavender cookies have made it to the top of my food list. Several musicians came out of the wood works once the sun began to shine and the rain slowed. They played soft music in amidst the herbs and flowers. It felt like a grand affair that could have been held in London or France, and all of us there were royalty lavishly enjoying the high life.
I love to think of all of the hard work and love that has gone into tending the garden at Holden, and the willingness to share the life and growth and to create another spot of beauty that can be enjoyed by all. Thanks Janis!

The last few days have been really good. Saturday night we had a group of friends over to play apples to apples and eat ice cream. We were up way to late and made our way through almost all of the cards. We decided to play until we were too tired to play anymore, and the person with the most cards at the end wins.
On Sunday the girls and I went out to the labyrinth with some of the people form the village and spent a couple of hours clearing brush and clipping weeds and bringing it back to a sacred well cared for space for reflection. While I was clipping the girls played hide and seek in the tall weeds and the moment one of them crouched down they were completely lost from sight. They played and laughed, while I got to enjoy the warmth of the sun and to visualize progress. The walk out to the ball park is so beautiful with the sound of the river and the mountains towering all around it brings calming and peace. I also had the opportunity to sing with the choir at the evening service and to do a gospel improvisational solo. It was a lot of fun! The speaker for the evening service was amazing. She talked about the love of God in this way that made you feel like you could taste it on your tongue, that you could hold it in your hand and that you were surrounded by the spirit of forgiveness and truth. A God that could see your divine nature and wanted nothing more than to be with you on your journey to love and support you. I walked away assured, and feeling confident and able to move forward. She had this way of expressing something that I have always longed for and made it seem tangible.
Monday morning was nice and relaxing. I slept in and then read several chapters of a book to the kids and then I got up and went down to work in the library. I cleaned up the library, shelved books, and worked on picking up some of the extra things lying around in the construction zone. Koinonia is really starting to come together, and has an open comfortable feel to it. Monday afternoon I helped Nyrie make a skirt for her doll, and then after dinner Dave Jordyn and I went for a bicycle ride. Jordyn Rode with us to the ball park and then Dave and I rode the second level loop. I am still pretty timid about biking and so I took the second level loop slowly, but I was able to do it, and see how I could get accustomed to it and maybe move into more adventurous biking. Dave was very patient with my process and after we finished the loop he went to do a little more difficult level of riding. In the evening I set up for the service and was able to play the drums for part of the service.
There is a man named Denis here who is the village musician. He is a really encouraging leader and very versatile in his styles of music, not to mention a lot of fun!
Today started out really nicely. Jordyn went off to Narnia and Nyrie decided to hang out with me for the Day. I connected with a really neat woman named Jeanny and we went out to the Labyrinth to work on it some more. We cut back weeds for two hours and had really great conversation. Nyrie cuddled up on a pile of clippings in the Labyrinth and took a nap while we worked. We stopped at lunch time and walked back to the village and then came up to the house to do some art projects. It was nice having someone my age to relate to. She was a lot of fun and I enjoyed getting to know her. After dinner I set up for vespers and worked for a while then I took a nice long walk with my friend Rachel. I felt so cared for today and it was exactly what I needed.

If you had taken the time to sit with us in our suffering you would have seen roots, a stem, and leaves unfolding out of a hard and rocky surface.
If you would have held us in our sorrow and walked with us in despair you would have seen water run deep where there had once been tremendous drought.
If you had asked the questions or comforted us in our fear and shame you would have seen the holy take hold and draw us forward out of our confusion.
If you would have stayed close you would have seen the wonder of forgiveness and a life transformed, not into perfection, but into striving.

Alas, you were not able to sit, and so all you have is your imaginations and the cold hard facts that you carry around with you telling you what is real, and you have missed the divine in flight.

In fear you locked the door to your house tightly and stepped away from our suffering to keep your house safe.
Your house stands in safety, but you missed out on compassion and truth that began to build a new fortress around our hearts with open doors and windows that let light in.

We are looking through two different panes of glass, you and I. What lies before me that was once broken, has been worked upon and has taken on a new shape that is lovely to behold. I see life and process through this pane, while you through yours can only see the broken picture of the past with scattered pieces that can not be mended. I would gladly share my pane with you, so newness could enter your vision, but I wonder, would the view you see from my pain look like healing to you?

I returned to Holden after three weeks of teacher training and it has been a whirlwind. Holden is so beautiful and the magic doesn't wear off. My teacher training was really amazing. We had a full schedule of classes daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The first day I arrived in Canada the transmission in my car went out and I was out a car for the first two weeks of my training, which meant that I needed to find a closer place to stay to the campus, and bum rides off of the others in my program. All of the women in my training were awesome and helped me get my car to a mechanic, and found me a place to stay and a bicycle to ride into school on. They took me to get food and really supported me! The car cost me an unexpected arm and a leg and the man who did the job threw in an extra break job and charged me for it without asking. When Dave and the girls came to visit Dave paid him a visit as well and we were refunded the break money. The third weekend that I was there Dave and the girls along with his parents came to visit and we stayed with Dave's folk's friends Pat and Stew. I was able to show Dave and the girls my favorite swimming spots and introduce them to my fellow students and show them the school where I was studying.
It was so good to be with them! It had been over two weeks since I had seen them and with my car breaking down I really did not have much access to a phone or internet, so I was really missing them.
While my car was being fixed I stayed in a little cabin with my friend Tammy above the Koksilah River and would often go for a swim before and after school. The river was cold, but I love the feel of the water and the movement of swimming was just what I needed after thinking so hard all day long.
Being back at Holden feels really nice and familiar and I am stating to get into the swing of things again. We had our Jubilee auction on Thursday which raised over $6000.00 for The L’arsh Community, which supports individuals with special needs. The day was a lot of fun and I was amazed at the creative things that people donated. What other non-profit organization throws an auction to raise money for another non-profit organization. The whole thing made me so glad to be a part of this community! It was a beautiful day and everyone participated in making the celebration memorable. We had a wonderful barbeque and a service out on the village green.
Tonight we had our prayer around the cross service and afterwards Nyrie came up to me and said "Mom I am so thankful to be living here. The people are so kind and caring and they go out of there way for one another."
I am constantly amazed at the spirit of kindness and giving that happens in the village, and I am lucky to be a part of it.

The Independence Day celebration here was great fun. We had a parade (photos at bottom), joke telling, proclamations, a talent show, and a fireworks display. The parade went down Main St. and then back again, so we got to see both sides of the event. The girlies were in the flag team that led off the parade. Most of the work areas were represented, even the mayor, Olaf Coffee, made an appearance on his bike surrounded by secret service.
The joke telling and proclamations took place throughout the day at the ark.
The fireworks display took place in the Village Center after vespers. It consisted of a slide show of fireworks, while everyone popped bubble wrap, and shined flashlights around the room. Appropriate music was played over the PA, and all of the kids had great fun popping the small bubble wrap and stomping the bigger ones. I had heard about the display and thought it sounded a little hokey, but I was surprised at how fun it really was.
The talent show was the last event of the evening. It was also in the VC, and was great. We had songs, skits dancing, and stand-up comedy that was actually funny. I am still surprised at how many and varied the talents around this village are.
All in all it was a great celebration, and a fun filled day.

Parade Photos

Last night we had a great thunderstorm, the lightning was in the hills all around us. It never got too close, but it was spectacular to watch the sky light up behind the peaks. Every now and then you could see the lightning arc across the sky and touch down on one of the hills. Then the rain moved in and all of a sudden you couldn't see the mountains at all just the flashing in the sky. Many of the villagers were out on their porches watching too.
Jordy and I popped popcorn and watched the show; while Nyrie who’s quite afraid of storms slept through the whole thing.

Remember the time when we were so comfortable with ourselves
assured
confident
the time when we didn’t care
wanted others to see
show off
we knew who we were
thought we did
Back when the photograph matched the picture in our head

Okay, tonight I did the second level loop which is just under three miles and 200 feet of elevation, in the middle of the second level loop is the third level loop. The third level loop is just over a mile, and a little more than 200 feet of elevation. It also has a really fun trail section where you drop the two hundred plus feet in about a quarter mile. I did the third level loop six times for a total of just over seven miles. The whole ride was right about ten miles and 1500 feet of elevation in just under an hour and a half, and super fun.