Invitation to Hopework dinner, Sunday, March 28, 4-7 PM
From: Lynn Englund (Lynnhopework.org)
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:48:21 -0700 (PDT)
Dear Hopework friends,

You're invited to the March Hopework dinner and story circle on Sunday, March 
28, from 4-7 PM at Lynn and John's.

February's dinner and story circle was rejuvenating. We shared a delicious meal and stories of "a time when you 'took a stand' for health." Fourteen old-time friends and first-time visitors gathered around my table. Stories with messages of courage facing disease, attending to the messages of our mind-body, action to bring wellbeing to the workplace, letting go of what holds us back, the benefits of regular physical and spiritual practices, conscious awareness of our relationship to food, attending to the maintenance that our bodies require (and which seems to increase as we age), habits of mind that free us from stress, and the satisfaction of social support from sharing with family and friends are some of the themes that have stayed with me.
Since then, we've enjoyed wonderful weather and welcomed Spring! I've 
celebrated the vernal and autumnal equinoxes for the last two years by watching 
the sun rise into the crown of a tree that stands above on the horizon about a 
mile directly east of me. I've marveled at the beauty of the sunrise and sunset 
through the crown of that tree on the first days of spring and fall from my 
second floor condo since I moved in, but I hadn't discovered exactly which tree 
helps me  mark the balance of night and day until last weekend. After being 
disappointed that I could not identify it from the ground as I walked in the 
neighborhood, I took a more systematic approach. I got out my binoculars, went 
out on the 4th floor deck, and made a mental note of the  houses and roof lines 
in the area plus any other visible landmarks near the tree. Then, John and I 
walked east until we could reconstruct the houses and landmarks. We verified 
that my special tree is on the east side of South Saint Ant
hony Park. The crown of the huge cottonwood was just beginning to soften in color from brown to green-gold. I was happy to meet it in person.
*The theme for this month's stories* are those that connect you to metaphors of 
spring and new growth. For example: What seeds of hope are you sowing for the 
future? What seedlings are you tending and nourishing? Where are your growing 
edges? However, spring isn't only beautiful new growth. As I remember my friend 
Gina, who is dealing with the Crow River in her coffee house in Delano, another 
appropriate metaphor to consider is What is overflowing its banks and 
threatening to flood you? How are you staying high and dry?

Join John and me on Sunday to celebrate the season by sharing a story that 
connects your life to a metaphor of spring. I will ask everyone to share their 
metaphor and their story to make the connection explicit.

For those of you who are new, Hopework is the practice of creating spaces for people to get 
to know and like each other and to find renewed hope and purpose with and from each other. 
John and I host a monthly pot-luck supper as a way to reconnect with friends who have 
shared in our work and as a way to meet new acquaintances who share our interests. Each 
month we look forward to greeting new and long-time Hopework 
<http://www.hopework.org> friends, Philosophy Camp/Lives Worth Living 
<http://www.philosophycamp.org> alumni and fellows, and other new friends and 
acquaintances who share our interests. Please join us when you can!

Subscribe/unsubscribe yourself to this list at 
http://lists.hopework.org/mailman/listinfo/hopework-l

*Date*: Sunday, March 28, 2010.

*RSVP*: Please let John or me know by Saturday night (3/27) how many plan to 
attend. Please contact me if you have any questions.

*Time*: Arrive at 4:00 pm (3:00 pm if you would like to visit in my kitchen and help on my cooking team). The meal will begin at 4:30 pm.
We usually finish stories and clean up about 7:00 pm.

*Menu*: Please bring a dish or a favorite beverage to share. I'll provide a vegetarian main dish and water, tea, and coffee.

*Topic*: Metaphors of spring and how they connect to our lives.
*
Future date*: Sunday, April 25th (last Hopework supper until September 2010).

Lynn Englund and John Wallace
The Metro Lofts
2650 University Ave West, #315
Saint Paul, MN 55114

651-646-0069 (home)
612-710-7287 (cell)

Map and directions: http://tiny.cc/FkhvY

Park on University Ave. near Dunn Bros., or in the large lot along the
east side of the Metro Lofts building. Metro Lofts' entrance is on the east 
side of
the building, just beyond Dunn Bros.

Push "300" on the security box to have us buzz you into the building.
The elevator is to the right of the lobby. Turn left when you get off on
the third floor. We're in unit 315.

Lynn and John


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