Pat Pickett ~ Listening to the Colors
                             Or Living in Grace through Art

I am here because of the many strong women in my life:  my Grandmother, Nora Vincent, who imprinted me with a sense of the Sacred.  Beth Pankake, O.S.B., Jacquelyn Dubay, O.S.B., Mary Anthony, O.S.B. who were my mothers in every sense of the word and nurtured me when there had been no nurture.  Ruth Allen who taught me to dance and liberated my spirit.  LaVonne Griffin who rescued me after a disastrous divorce and was the face of God in that turmoil, allowing me to stretch beyond the fear and isolation I felt.  Finally, all the women who were part of an internet group of women seekers who stood by me as I once again, found my voice.

My life was and continues to be a kaleidoscope of seemingly disconnected experiences.  After my father’s death, my siblings and I were "dropped off" at an orphanage unbeknownst to his family.  We languished there for many years.  I spent five years in the convent which I loved and hated at the same time.  I was a dancer.  I am an artist.  I have seven grown children and twice as many grandchildren.  I was ordained in a Protestant denomination when the pope would not answer my insistence that I be ordained whether or not the church called women.  In my opinion the church was not important in the invitation.  Wasn’t it God who called? 

Today, my kaleidoscope continues.  I teach Hebrew/Prophets/Pentateuch and Wisdom literature in our Seminary's program of alternate studies (PAS).  My day job is Director of Pastoral Care at a state facility for the differently able.  As their pastor I consider myself one with them in seeking wholeness. Many of my people are nonverbal. We communicate through color.  We seek healing, beauty and relationship together.  In this new kaleidoscope I have had to deal with my feelings about men.  To my surprise and tremendous delight, I have met and am enjoying men again.  Through one special man I have come to respect and love myself again.  He has opened the door for the possibility of a full mutual relationship.

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Hermennie Carrara ~ Full Circle
"A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." Diane Mariechild

I just turned 65 last month.  I have had a very full life, full of both joy and pain. 

I was married for 20+ years, and had two smart and beautiful children. My daughter was killed when she was 14 while we were on vacation in Spain. I still miss her terribly. My son just recently married and lives in North Carolina. Short plane hops, phone and internet keep us in constant touch. 

I have lived many places, including Belgium while I was with my husband. I inherited the love of travel from my parents and continue to do so as often as possible. I returned to school in my late forties on a scholarship to Smith College where I majored in Women’s Studies. I currently work for a small corporation associated with a local hospital but I am looking forward to retiring soon. 

Those are the particulars of my life. 

I believe the more telling details I can give you are that I am an optimist, compassionate, and have a sense of humor. Additionally, I have a continual thirst for learning and exploring new ideas and interests and hobbies, and I value my family and friendships above all else.

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Candy Krepel ~ Through My Lens

I am a microbiologist, engaged in applied medical research for over 20 years.  I have been married to the same wonderful guy for over 3 decades and we are the parents of three adult children, one of whom is profoundly deaf.  His deafness has shaped our lives and the lives of all our children in ways I could never have imagined. 

I write with recognition that spirituality is very different from religion.  I define faith, belief, and religion as three distinct, but connected ideas.  I struggle, as do many women, with staying or leaving the Roman Catholic Church.

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Alexandra Rose Frank ~ Book Reviews

I spent most of the first several decades of my life conforming to others’ notions of who and how to be, do and speak (or more appropriately not speak). This began at home with my parents, attempting to be the good girl primarily in opposition to my sister’s rebelliousness. The more she pushed, the more I withdrew and became the consummate rule follower. Without considering what I desired, and by only imposing upon myself the view that one does NOT leave their family, I continued to live and attended college in NYC. Although I had not begun to consider my mission, I graduated with a BA in Sociology, concentration in Social Work. Even then, I knew that I wanted to work with others, though the means by which I would do that were as yet uncharted territory.

Being the rule follower continued into my early adulthood when I married and became the “good Jewish” wife. I delved into my Judaism with even more fervor, convincing myself that I was coming to know God. A primary theme was honoring the memories of my deceased relatives by maintaining traditions, striving to know all that I could about the right way to follow the rules, laws and customs. Being right was of tantamount importance! Finally, in my mid-40’s, nearly suffocated by all of the “shoulds” my soul awoke and I began to search for a better way. Although I had no conscious sense of it, the journey to find a way to live my life was beginning. Over time I became acutely aware that I had settled for surviving rather than living, and I could no longer do so. I was going to live and embrace the fullness of life!

Today, I am living a full, rich life for myself. I have been blessed to be married to a man, who while he does not always understand the twists and turns I feel compelled to follow yet loves and continues to support whomever I am. Our marriage of 28 years continues to become a true relationship in which we honor and appreciate one another, no longer demanding conformity. I now refer to myself as of the Hebrew lineage and consider myself open to all spiritual traditions. I no longer align with any mainstream or new age religion. I have broken ranks with the patriarchic view of God as a male deity ruling over all life. Instead I am increasingly drawn to the Native American ways of honoring the earth as a spiritual practice. Through my studies, I refer to the source of divinity as God/Goddess and recognize that each one of us contains within ourselves a piece of the divine.  As a spiritual counselor, I assist others to empower themselves particularly women, and I am deeply passionate about each one breaking free of beliefs that convince them to settle for surviving rather than thriving.

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