This Sunday (November 2nd), at 10:30, I will be speaking at the Skagit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The topic is “Choose Love.” If you want to attend the service in person, the address for the fellowship is 500 West Section Street in Mount Vernon. (The fellowship hall is behind the Mount Vernon post office.) If you want to attend via zoom the link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83222201810
It would be lovely to see you this Sunday and to celebrate Love together!
Karen.
I admit I was nervous about traveling to LAX this week. I was flying with Alaska Airlines, and they’d had a spot of trouble last week. Also I was concerned there might be a dearth of air traffic controllers – seeing as how these heroic folks haven’t been paid for the last week I wouldn’t have blamed any of them for leaving to find work that would provide them with income. So it was with some trepidation – and a lot of prayer – that I I started my journey to Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.
There had been moments before my trip when I’d had this sense of certainty that Love was with me, preparing my way for me, leading me. I was motivated by Love to travel to California to see my son, daughter-in-law, and grandbaby, and I knew this was a right desire, and could only lead to Good. At those moments, I determined that my mission was to shine love on everyone I encountered on my trip. But, every now and then, a news headline would hit my newsfeed that had me doubting again. There was a battle going on in my thoughts between fear and happy anticipation to see my loved ones again.
My husband drove me the hour and a half to Sea-Tac (bless him!) and dropped me off at the departures door. Now it was just me and Love. It took practically no time to find the security line – and I was, like, the second person in line! I got through the whole security line in probably three minutes!
Once I was on the other side, I went in search of a restroom. There was a flight attendant in the restroom, standing by the sinks, cleaning out her bag – apparently she’d spilled something in it. I asked her if she was going to LAX, and she said she was – I told her we were going to be on the same plane then. Her job, I said, was one of the hardest jobs in the world – flight attendants have to serve and take care of everyone else first, but they’re dealing with the same difficulties as everyone else on the flight. She smiled and nodded and said that yup, we’re all in the same boat together. I asked her if she’d had any problems last week while Alaska Airlines’ technology wasn’t working, and she said she and her crew had been grounded 12 hours someplace. Yikes! But here she was – ready to get on another plane and serve her passengers. Another hero. She indicated – pointing to her bag – she was feeling a little frazzled at the moment, but I told her (and this was true) she totally looked put together, and I felt reassured knowing she was going to be on the plane with me.
An hour later, when I boarded my flight, I saw Sheryl there, greeting people at the door, smiling. I said, “We made it!” and she started laughing.
The flight to Los Angeles was incredibly quick and smooth – I think we landed early. And when I got there, my beautiful daughter-in-law and precious granddaughter were there to pick me up. My daughter-in-law set my little granddaughter down about ten yards away from me and let her race to me, a big grin on her face. I scooped her up and held her close and felt myself in heaven.
I was only in LA for three days – but it was chock full of joy and hope and good people. It was chock full of love. And it was so good to be with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandbaby again.
We went to the neighborhood playground and I climbed the equipment with my grandbaby and enjoyed watching her work her way around the big toys; We stopped at Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch https://shawnspumpkinpatch.com/ , where we met Whitney and Dennis, and I had fun volunteering to take family photos for the other tourists; We strolled down the Santa Monica Pier, and stepped into the photo booth for some pics; We went to the Cafe Gratitude for dinner and met sweet Kiara pup standing in line with her human there; The next day we went to the The Butcher’s Daughter for lunch – that day I was proudly wearing my Mariners shirt and I asked one of the servers if he was a Dodger’s fan – he said no, but I found out he was a Yankees fan, and I had fun talking baseball with him for a quick minute; I bought fresh-squeezed lemonades from Mike at Hot Dog on a Stick in Santa Monica – and I really wanted to give Mike a tip for his genuine kindness to me, but he wouldn’t take one – he graciously allowed me to snap his photo, though, and laughed when I introduced myself as a Boomer named Karen – passing my Karen test; Then my daughter-in-law, grandbaby, and I sat and listened to Ian Bradley and his drummer make music next to the Hot Dog on a Stick restaurant while we sipped our lemonades. I dropped a donation in their box and got thanked and twirled for my humble gift.
The morning of my last day there, my daughter-in-law brought me to a music-in-the-park event for toddlers hosted by the musician, Ryoji. And oh! Once again, I felt I was in heaven. The music, the youngsters, the parents and grandparents and nannies – of every color, race, and ethnicty – enjoying music and dancing together and showing love to one another – isn’t this heaven?!
In the afternoon my son drove me to LAX for my trip back to Sea-Tac. We gave each other big hugs goodbye, reminded each other we’d see each other again soon at Christmas, and I headed for the security line.
I got in line behind a woman who just radiated good will and kindness. I told her I’m always a little nervous about going through security – afraid I’ve accidentally committed some security transgression (this time I accidentally wore my cellphone into the full body scan, but – thank goodness! – the TSA official clocked the cellphone before he scanned me – he said cellphones are 99% of the reason the scanner alarms go off – yikes!). My new friend, Alia, laughed and yawned and said she was too tired to be nervous about that today. We got to talking then, and learned we were both on the same flight to Seattle! How cosmic! I followed Alia through the security line and then we both went separate directions in search of food. But we met up again in the waiting area before we boarded the plane, and got to talking about our families, the goodness of people, and kindness. Heaven again!
I met so many wonderful new friends on my trip! And every place I went I found heaven.
Hello, dear ones!
This Sunday I will be speaking at the Skagit UU Fellowship at 10:30. The topic is “Choose Love.” You are invited to attend in person or via zoom.
The fellowship hall is located at 500 W Section Street in Mount Vernon, Washington (right behind the post office). Here’s the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83222201810
It would be lovely to see you this Sunday and celebrate Love together!
Love, Karen
Let’s…
Choose Love over hate.
Choose Love over fear.
Choose Love over selfishness.
Choose Love.
because…
Fear is not the boss of me.
Hate is not the boss of me.
Selfishness is not the boss of me.
Love is my boss.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Yesterday I headed towards Fir Island, with the vague mission of finding snow geese. Other than some flocks flying overhead, and in a field far away, I did not see any snow geese. But I did find some other cool magic.
I started my adventure with a quick walk on the Padilla Bay Dike Trail. This is where I saw some snow geese flying overhead, and saw a flock out in the distance, on the other side of the water.
After my walk, I stopped at the La Conner-Swinomish Library to see if I could find my books there – and look! I’m shelved right next to Anne Lamott! How cool is that?!
I also stopped in to see Jolyne at the broadband office while I was in La Conner. Jolyne and I are on different sides of the political divide, but we’ve managed to maintain our friendship through all the ups and downs of the last several years, and I’ve really appreciated her thoughtfulness to me as she’s seen me struggle with current events. This time she went back into her office and came out with a little journaling book for me, and then we exchanged a much-needed hug. A gift!
As I was headed towards Fir Island, I passed by what used to be the old Rexville Grange – a quick look showed me there were people going into a store there, and I made a note to check it out on my way back.
I got as far as the Snow Goose Produce stand. It was closed, and, alas, there were no snow geese to be seen. So I headed back, and turned in at the store I’d passed earlier. It’s called The Rex Bistro now – and it was the exactly right place I needed to get myself a mocha and a treat (a raspberry crumble bar), and to sit and ponder. There’s an outside eating area there, under a roof, and I sat by one of the patio heaters and listened to the rain pattering on the roof, and felt myself relax into the peaceful ambiance. It was mellow and wonderful.
I maybe sat there for a half an hour, just listening to the rain, and watching the flames in the patio heaters. Then I headed back down Best Road and ended up at (surprise!) Christianson’s Nursery. There was a man moving trees out into the path there – and I asked him if someone had bought them. He told me that they’d gotten too big for their little pots and were being transplanted to bigger ones. And when I looked at these trees that made sense. Jesse and I introduced ourselves then, and I learned that he had once been a teacher, too! We exchanged teacher stories – agreeing that it was the students we’d worked with who had made our jobs so fun.
My soul all filled up with the sound of pattering rain, the sight of trees ablaze in their autumn finery, a hug from an old friend, and an exchange of teacher stories with a new friend, I headed back home – where the cats greeted me at the door, ready for lunch.
My dear Humoristian hooligans –
Today may your confidence in the power of kindness bring assurance to the lonely and scared. May your unassailable joie de vivre transform the bitter, the bossy, and the bullying. May the stodgy, stuffy, and stingy be transformed by your irrepressible good humor. May you bring laughter to those in sorry need of a good guffaw. May those who mistake meanness for strength be edified by your example of unwavering good will and courage.
Go out there and work your magic, my friends!
Karen
Magic!
I needed to get out and go for a walk in the sunshine, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go – Mount Baker? Squalicum Pier maybe? Deception Pass? I started driving, curious where I’d end up, and found myself at Lake Padden. And oh! There was major magic there today!
The mist was moving over the autumn reflections on the lake (I’ll post more pics and video in another post), and the paths were filled with a golden glow from the sunlight filtering through the leaves. There was a man and his pup – Shawn and Remington – down near the shore – and I could tell they were as caught up in the magic as me.
Shawn was wearing a hat that said “Ketchikan” on it, and we got to talking about what a great little town Ketchikan is – Shawn had lived most of his life there and I’d traveled through Ketchikan once on an Alaskan adventure. Then Shawn bent down near the shore and showed me how he took cool pictures with his cellphone by letting it rest vertically right on the edge of the water (he showed me some of the photos he’d taken this way and they were FANTASTIC!). I wanted to know more about Remington, and Shawn told me that Remington had been rescued after being abandoned in the woods with other dogs from a puppy mill.
As Shawn was leaving to continue on his walk with Remington , he turned back to me to point out a deer that was headed down the trail. Magic!
After taking some more pictures of the mist on the lake, I headed for the dock – I figured there’d be some great reflections there. And this is when I met Salem, and her human, Josh. Salem let me scratch her behind the ears, and Josh and I got to talking. I learned Josh had moved from Seattle to Bozeman, and had only recently returned from Montana. I asked him if he missed the wide, open spaces of Montana, and he admitted he did. He talked about how he’d been astonished by the starry skies when he’d first moved to Bozeman from Seattle. And then we got to talking about the mountains and skiing and snow-boarding and (ahem) I might have mentioned my dad is in Wikipedia for mountain climbing. 
I continued on my walk around Padden, passing under golden arches (not the MacDonald’s kind), and swishing through autumn leaves. When I got to the part of the park where the geese hang out, I sat at a picnic bench to watch them. And this is when I saw the magnificent Wilbur! “That dog is magnificent!” I told Wilbur’s human, and he smiled and brought Wilbur to me so we could get acquainted. Wilbur let me pet him – his fur was so soft! Wilbur, his human told me, is an Irish Doodle – part Irish Setter and part standard poodle – and he’s huge! Wilbur’s human introduced himself as Ryan and I introduced myself as “Karen, of course” – Ryan passed the Karen Test by laughing – and we shook hands to make our introduction official. (We went all-out with the handshake and did the handshake, thumbs over, fist bump, and “poof” – because, as everybody who’s anybody knows, that is the best way to shake hands.)
I really needed to be at Lake Padden today – I needed to meet the pups and people, and see the mist moving over the water. I needed the magic of kind people and autumn.
Ask, and ye shall receive. BIG time!
I asked Love to show me She existed today – after reading the stories coming through my feed this morning, I was in sorry need of reassurance. And Love said “Okay,” and then dumped such a deluge of blessings upon me – one after an incredible ‘nother – that I’m sitting here, still trying to process all the magic She poured over me today. I think Love has a sense of humor.
When I left the house, I was feeling sort of closed-up and tentative about the world. Cautious. I thought I would just walk and observe and keep myself to myself today. But, of course that didn’t happen.
Because. Connections. A Seahawks shirt. A WSU cap. Animal-lovers. A mountaineering father. I have found I don’t need to dig too deep to find a connection with pretty much every person I meet.
The first thing that happened was I saw my old friend, Baker pup, wagging his way down the boardwalk, greeting every human who came his way. So, of course I had to stop to talk to Baker’s human and thank him for bringing Baker to the boardwalk for all of us. Not long after I gave Baker a scratch behind the ears, I came upon another one of my favorite pups, Ari. Ari’s human let me give Ari a treat so that I could become his “hero forever.” And, if I’d just met Baker and Ari, that would have been enough. But no, Love wasn’t done with me, yet.
Just before I got to the coffee shop in Boulevard Park, I saw a little pup stylin’ a purple mohawk, and I was instantly charmed. Her human, Wendy, told me that she dyes Lucy’s hair herself – using masking tape to keep the dye inside a little rectangle on top of Lucy’s head. She said Lucy loves to go shopping with her at thrift stores, and enjoys her spa days when Wendy dyes her hair and gives her doggy massages. The idea of a spa day for Lucy totally tickled me. Wendy graciously agreed to let me take little Lucy’s picture.
I walked into the Wood’s in Boulevard Park to get myself a mocha. The barista fed me my line: “And what’s a good name for that drink?”
To which I answered my usual, “Well, I’m not sure it’s a good name, but my name is ‘Karen.'”
To which he answered, “I love that name! My mom is named Karen!”
To which, I gave him the highest tip.
As I stood off to the side, waiting for my drink, I saw a young man wearing a WSU cap. “Go Cougs!” I said, and he started grinning. I told him the year I’d graduated from WSU – long, long ago – and learned he’d just graduated in June. I learned that his friend also graduated from WSU, and is going to Tennessee soon, to get her law degree. My new friends introduced themselves as Emma and Austin, and cheerfully agreed to let me snap their photo.
I finished my mocha outside at a picnic table, people-watching and listening to the breeze gently rustle the autumn leaves above me. I felt such peace there.
A couple of women passed by, and one of them stopped and started frantically patting down her pockets. Uh oh. “Did you lose something?” I asked, concerned for her. She smiled and said she thought she’d lost her phone, but she found it. Whew!
When I felt it was time, I moved on down the boardwalk. I’d just gotten to the end of the first boardwalk section, when I saw a little group of people pointing and looking into one of the pine trees there. I was curious, and asked them what they saw. They told me there was an animal in a nest in the branches, and they helped me find it. I tried to get a picture, but the nest was hidden in the shadows of the tree, and it was hard to get a clear shot. For a while we stood together, speculating about what kind of an animal this was – we knew it wasn’t a squirrel because it didn’t have a squirrel tail, but see? There’s its ears and “I think it’s looking at us.” Someone thought it might be a mouse. I suggested it might be a completely new kind of creature – half-bird and half-mammal. And my new friends played along with me.
I loved these people. I asked them if they were from Bellingham, and learned they were visiting from Florida. I welcomed them to my part of the world and thanked them for sharing their discovery with me. And, of course, I asked if I could take their picture. I told them I was collecting magic today, and they were a part of that. So we all introduced ourselves, and I learned my new friends were Lin, Portia, and David.
After Lin, Portia, and David continued on their journey, I stayed a little longer to see if I could get a better view of the creature in the tree. And when Caden and Kylie passed by, I could tell they were people who would enjoy seeing the nest, too. So now *I* got to share the nest-magic with more cool new friends!
Little Fig pup appeared on the path as I was heading for the second section of the boardwalk. She just radiated friendly puppyness and it was impossible to NOT take her photo.
When I got to the ramp above Taylor Dock I found the women who’d passed me while I sat at the picnic bench in Boulevard Park – when I’d thought one of them had lost something. They recognized me and asked me if I’d take their photo for them. I did that for them, and then they posed for me so I could take their photo for myself. Rose and Claire were very fun. I learned that they were visiting Bellingham from Alberta, and I thanked them for coming down from Canada to see us.
But wait! There’s more!
When I got up to Fairhaven, I texted my husband to let him know I was bringing home dinner, and stopped at OVN to order a pizza for us. While I waited outside for my pizza, I noticed a dog at the next table was sticking her snout in between her humans, looking for attention, and I started grinning. More pup magic! I told the family around the table that I was loving their dog, and they started laughing. They said Kodak ignores them when they want to give her attention, but then inserts herself between them when SHE wants attention. “Like a cat,” I said, nodding, and they laughed and agreed.
I came over to their table to get a picture of Kodak, and to give her a pet on the head. Kodak’s family introduced themselves to me then. Cindy was the matriarch, and her children Zoe and Jordan were with her, and their friends, Vaughn, and Lani. I learned, then, that Kodak’s family was up in Bellingham because Zoe was attending WWU this year to study anthropology. And all this got us to talking about state universities. I told them one of my sons had attended WWU, the other one had attended WSU, I had attended WSU, and my father had attended UW. I said my dad and I had enjoyed the Apple Cups together – but, of course, that’s all different now from when he was alive. Cindy said her dad had gone to UW, too, and maybe her dad and mine had known each other! And then one thing led to another – we started talking about our dads – and we discovered they’d both been renowned mountaineers and almost surely had known each other!!! Her father, Jack Kendrick, had been one of Fred Beckey’s climbing partners and had climbed with the Whittaker twins. I told Cindy my pop had climbed Mount Kennedy with the Whittakers, and was probably best known for his participation in the 1953 K2 Expedition.
It was so fun talking to Cindy and hearing again the names of people from Dad’s circle of friends! (Here’s more about Jack Kendrick: https://www.mountaineers.org/…/in-memory-of-jack-kendrick ) (And here’s more about Pop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dee_Molenaar )
Connections! I love these connections we all have with one another.
But wait! There’s more!
My pizza had been brought out by this time and it was time to go. So I bid my new friends goodbye, grabbed my pizza, and headed up to my car. When I got to the statue of J.J. Harris sitting on the bench at the corner of 11th and Harris, I saw a man in a Seahawks sweatshirt who looked like he might be wanting to sit next to Mr. Harris on the bench. I said, “Go Seahawks!” and asked him if he was thinking of sitting on the bench. He started laughing and said he hadn’t been thinking of that, but he would do that for me if I needed someone in a photo. So he sat on the bench for me. I took a photo of him with his cell and then took a picture of him with mine. I learned that Parry was visiting Bellingham from BC, and I told him I was so happy to see Canadians visiting us.
Parry reassured me that we’re “all one” – and it felt like Love Herself speaking to me.
I woke up angry this morning. Angry at the cruelty, and blatant racism, sexism, misogyny, and deceit playing out in front of us; angry at the people who seem to be fine with all of that; angry at the people who talk about “leftist extremism” while brushing off January 6th as a “rally” and ignoring the violence being done to children and other innocent people because they “look guilty” and happen to live in the wrong parts of towns in blue states; angry at an administration which seems to take delight in inciting violence and hate towards states and people it views as its “enemies”; angry at the federal agents who say “f***” the children and “now go home or you’re next”; angry at bullies; angry at the people who applaud the bullies; angry at the “friends” who have tried to guilt me into silence by calling me a “pot stirrer” when I’ve provided information counter to their political views; and maybe I woke up angry at myself, too, for feeling powerless to make the cruelty stop.
And so that’s how I left our house this morning – angry and grumpy.
We needed to go to Sedro-Woolley to run an errand, and, afterwards, ended up at a coffee shop for drinks and treats. After a while, when we still hadn’t gotten our order, I began to feel impatient and asked the baristas if maybe they’d forgotten us. We got our drinks soon afterwards.
Another customer had come in after us. She waited patiently at another table. She never asked if she’d been forgotten. She never looked agitated or perturbed. She quietly sat at her table, swinging one leg while she waited for her coffee. She had on the coolest rubber boots – she’d rolled them down at the top and there was this cool salmon-pattern revealed on the rolled-down parts. I had to ask her about them.
She told me the pattern was designed by the “Salmon Sisters” in Alaska. She’d lived in Alaska for a while, she said. I learned then that she’d worked for NOAA as a marine biologist, and now worked for the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. I told her my brother was a marine biologist, too, and had worked for NOAA for a time, and then another government agency, and had ended his career working for the State. We talked about fishing for a while – she told me something I hadn’t known – that if there isn’t enough fishing allowed, the fish population will exceed what the rivers supply in food, and the salmon population will begin to die out. She was interesting. And kind. She was interesting and kind and patient. And, when she finally got her order and was ready to leave, I thanked her for modeling kindness to me this morning. I told her I’d come in to the coffee shop feeling grumpy – which isn’t my usual self – and she’d helped bring me back to myself again. She smiled and thanked ME – which is, of course, what a kind person does.
Meeting my new friend reminded me of one of the most essential lessons life has taught me – that as long as we can love and show kindness to the people we encounter every day, we aren’t powerless – we CAN make a difference. Just like my new friend did for me this morning.
I’m still angry about the cruelty I see in our world. Maybe it’s right to be angry about that. But I don’t feel so powerless, anymore.
I had the great privilege of knowing Holocaust survivor Noemi Ban. I invited Noemi to come to my class and speak to my eighth graders about her experiences as a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Her sharing was powerful and inspiring. Afterwards, Noemi asked me if I could drive her home, and she invited me into her house. The first thing I saw when I stepped into her home was a photo of her family – her parents and siblings – taken before the Holocaust. Noemi told me it was the only picture she had of her family. Her father had found it in the rubble of their home after the war. The photo was precious to her. She’d lost her mother and siblings in the death camp’s gas chambers almost as soon as they’d arrived at Auschwitz.
My friend, Diane Sue, who was a close friend of Noemi’s, told Noemi’s story in the book, Remarkable Resilience. I am feeling a sense of urgency right now to share this excerpt from Remarkable Resilience: The Life and Legacy of Noemi Ban:
“I imagine that my story has opened your eyes to the ease with which hatred can grow and destroy. Hate can be perilously insidious, beginning as a seedling that grows into a powerful tree, and, before we know it, we are surrounded by a dark and dangerous forest. Hate can destroy a person, or can destroy a civilization. Why is it so easy for some people to hate their fellow human beings? We asked that question when imprisoned in Auschwitz, trying to understand why the Nazis hated us when they didn’t even know us. Similarly, we may ask why some people hold so much animosity toward certain groups even in today’s world…
“I realize my reaction to what happened during the Holocaust could easily have been hatred. Many trauma survivors find it difficult to let go of their anger or resentment. I feel fortunate that I not only survived, but that I also avoided having my heart poisoned by hate. Those who hate can become bitter and lose their perspective on the beauty of life. I learned in Auschwitz what hate can do and I refused to do to myself what the Nazis did to me. If I focused on hating the Nazis, then I would still be their prisoner. And how can you live a peaceful life with hate in your heart? Some people wonder if I have forgiven the Nazis. Although I am working on it, I doubt I will ever be able to say that I have completely forgiven them. Nevertheless, when someone asks if I hate the Nazis for what they did to my family, I can honestly say I don’t hate anyone. I feel sadness, anger, and hurt, but not hate. There is another way to live life, and that was my choice—to live with love. “
Dear friends,
Here’s my quandary: I want to avoid sensationalism and doomsdaying here, but I don’t want to tiptoe around the very real concerns our world is facing – the evil that needs to be exposed, seen for what it is, addressed and healed. When I bring up concerns, my intent isn’t to overwhelm or burden you. My intent, when I share with you, is to feel the power of your fellowship as we work our way through these challenging times together.
Some of you have asked me, at various times, how I think we should be praying for our world. For me, I’ve found that the best prayer starts with Love. I feel Love’s presence with me – feel Love spreading Her wings over all the world – embracing and caring for each and all of Her children – without discrimination or boundary. I recognize that NO one is outside Love’s care – that Love loves no one less than anyone else. Love loves those we might call our enemies no less than She loves our allies. Love “maketh the sun to shine on the evil and the good; and maketh the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) I recognize Love as the ONLY power – NOTHING has the power to usurp Love’s governing of Her own creation. I wait. I listen. I feel the presence of Love. I know the power of Love. And this brings reassurance and healing to my thought.
I like to think – I hope – that our collective love reaches those who might be feeling alone and scared right now. I know I have been the recipient of the collective love-power from my friends in the darkest times in my life – I’ve felt your love lifting me up. I’ve felt the power of that. And I want to share that same love-power with others in their “darkest times.”
I want my internet space to be a safe place for my friends. I have friends from pretty much every race, ethnicity, religion, political party, gender and sexual orientation on here, and I feel the need to protect my friends from bullying and cruelty when they are in my internet home. Bigotry, hatred, unkindness, and generalizations and stereotypes made about whole groups of people are not welcome here.
Thank you for your friendship.
Your kindness and love has made the world a better place.
Karen
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 