Much to report

A great deal has been happening! i'll start with the present and move back in time. At the moment, I am in the living-room of Jim and Mary's house in Owls Head, Maine. Supper is being prepared. We just arrived. Today is Memorial Day, of course, and the southbound traffic was incredible. People headed back to Boston after a holiday weekend. Fortunately, we were going north. No delays for us. I did something I've never done before coming to Maine - I sat in the back seat sideways so I could stretch out my legs straight. My knees ache these days when I sit for a length of time with knees bent. Today was much more comfortable. I was still able to read aloud to Ellen. I read the Introduction and Chapter One of The Far Distant Oxus by two adolescent girls, Katherine Hull and Pamela Whitlock, writing back in the 1930's. They sent the completed manuscript (handwritten) to Arthur Ransome, of Swallows and Amazons and he helped them to get it published.

I'm a big fan of Swallows and Amazons, and John thought I would like this book, which is the same genre, so he gave it to me. LATER. We had a lovely supper of lamb stew with Anadama bread bought at the When Pigs Fly bread store (mobbed with people and almost totally sold out) on our way up from Kittery, ME today. Now Ellen and Mary are watching The Good Doctor on the TV. I talked with Phil McKean earlier - we'll meet him tomorrow afternoon at the Farnsworth Museum. YESTERDAY In the morning, we had a Union Service of five UCC churches at the Guilford Church - a full, vital service. We sang in the choir. Afterward, some Morris dancers came (Memorial Day weekend is a big Morris Dance time in our area). They performed under the pavillion - a wonderful setting for them. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Perfect for Morris Dancing.

Morris dancers under the pavillion.

Emma Davis in her pig costume. Emma loves pigs. Her parents, Andy & Robin, made the costume, amd she loves it.************** After that we went directly to Newfane, VT for the ordination of Matthew Dean. Ellen dropped me off - she had to go home and prepare food for later when we would be joined by Katie and Brendon. Matt Dean went to Union Theological Seminary in NYC and while there he did an internship at Judson Memorial Church, a very arts-related, progressive church. The senior minister there, Micah Bucey, was at the ordination and gave a charismatic sermon. We don't often hear preaching like that. Matt is a very interesting person - he grew up in a Pentecostal Church in Georgia, left that behind for a more progressive faith, but is still influenced by it, I think. His MDiv. thesis is along the lines of my son John's Contemplative Ecology work.

Micah Bucey, Judson Memorial Church Senior pastor.

Scott Couper (left), Moderator of the Windham-Union Association, presiding over the ordination of Matt Dean (right).

The congregation after the "Laying on of Hands" ritual at Matt's ordination.

Matt Dean at the reception following tne ordination service. ' Lee and Carolyn Moore took care of me after the service and during the reception. Then they set me up for what came next, which was more Morris Dancing - the final extravaganza (called an "Ale") involving all the teams- maybe 18-20 in all, two from England. It is amazing, and the setting - the village of Newfane - is architecturally stunning, with the Windham County Court House and the Congregational Church providing the primary backdrop. There is a lot of variety among the teams and it is all delightful. Lee and Carolyn lent me a folding chair and I staked out a spot in the shade, and then before I knew it, Ellen and Katie and Brendon showed up. What a great time!

Scenes from the Newfane Morris "Ale."