Quaker Youth Book Project Meeting In Progress

My purple coat has been showing up on random editorial board members running through the rain. Okay, it has just been Rachel and Katrina but I still find it greatly amusing and am glad I can give something to them in this small way. It has been raining as hard here these last two days as it does in Oregon. But here, however, it just seems prettier, cozier. This may perhaps be because this is a beautiful place and we have been inside most of the time working together. This morning Rachel started a fire in the fire place so we have been talking and writing with the rain pattering outside the open windows and the fire crackling inside. It’s a warm rain, the air is what we have been calling “thick” and I like the warmer weather. This afternoon, two of the staff from the center we’re staying at brought us cookies and water. We thanked them profously and dove in. The macadamian nut and white chocolate (which was still warm and melty) were our favorites.

These last several days, I have gained a different view of Quakerism. Before, I have mostly known Quakers from the Northwest, but now I can call Friends friends from around the world, literally around the world. I have also gotten many, many Quakers from the East coast and they have a different flavour of Quakerism than in the west. It’s been nice to get a more balanced view and to see things about Quakerism I have not been intimate with before because of the type of Quakers I’m usually around. For example, did you know Quakers are touchy-feely? I didn’t but do now.

Many of these new friends I met through Quakers United in Publishing, a group dedicated to the written word which I am now seriously considering becoming a member of. I am greatly amused at God’s skill to bring me into contact with the people I have needed to meet and get to know. One night at dinner I sat at an empty spot which happened to be next to the editor or staff member of Quaker Life and across from a British woman who offered her help if we needed type setting help for the Quaker Youth Book Project or my own books. I remembered as I fell asleep later that night that I have been praying fom a graphic artist who knew Adobe In Design. Thank you God!

The things that are different here:
-Rabbits. Whereas in the Northwest, we have wild cats running around our neighborhoods, they have rabbits. Wild rabbits run hither and yon.
-The color green. The leaves are a neon green, I’ve never seen that before.
-There are hardly any evergreens, most of the trees are deciduous.
-The food. They use more spices and beans. I like it very much and I even tried a new vegetable that looked very odd and as if it could be very hot but it tasted good.
-The accent. I admit, I have only heard the “south accent” here and there from the natives. I have heard more of the Bolivian, African, and British accents.
-The Buildings. Both in houses and community buildings, the architecture is different both in age and style.

I am going to go relax for a while before dinner. I will write some deeper, more reflective paragraphs later including posting pictures when I get home, but right now, I would rather live my time here instead of writing about it. I will leave you with this thought we have been discussing: Younger Friends are the Friends of today AND tomorrow.