All posts by Pets to Go

About Pets to Go

I am an Interfaith Metaphysical Minister, living in Manchester, VT. I am Minister in Residence at Sunderland Union Church, and I teach on spiritual/metaphysical topics, counsel, and am a Ceremonialist for the community here. I am a writer, and have an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College.

The Segue Out of Summer Begins…

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September has always seemed to me like a “beginning month,” its own sort of New Year.  I think this comes from how I felt about starting school when I was a child: new school shoes and uniform and blouses, and best of all new BOOKS with the the accompanying school supplies!  How I loved the smell of those new textbooks, getting new copybooks, pencils, a pencil box with that pristine eraser!  And I remember when we were allowed to finally do assignments in pen when I got to 6th Grade.  Ah, the joys of Bic, PaperMate, and especially Schaeffer fountain pens!  Well, far from that we have come, as I type away on this new blog as part of my assignment so that I can develop this into a website.

Pug dog dressed in pink rain gear
What was that about the bride that gets rained on?

My wedding season continues, and October will be as busy as June, even busier, as I journey to the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT, for a Columbus Day Weekend wedding.  A civil union that I did years ago will get married in NY State the following week, and then back to VT for an October 20th wedding at The West Mountain Inn, a venue dearly beloved to me and the site of much of my wedding history.  I am smiling as I type this, because that wedding will take place in what Vermonters call “The Days of Grace,” after the foliage frenzy has died down and the last press for completing winter preparations is made.  The light is so beautiful at that time, and this will be an early afternoon wedding.  Sometimes there is a bit of foliage left, but the bare branches at this time increase the views across the mountains.

On September 13th, I will begin Hospice Training with the VNA in Bennington.  This is a 13-week course, for three hours every Thursday.  I am excited to learn about what has changed because of the Palliative Care movement, and fill in any blanks in my knowledge about being with the dying and their families.  I am looking forward to being in a class with others, meeting them and finding out why they have come to Hospice Training.

On Thursday evening at 6 PM, October 25th, I will begin moderating a Poetry Reading Group sponsored by Northshire Bookstore.  The group will start out with the book and CD set, Poetry Speaks, Expanded ($49.95), which will be offered to the group at a 20% discount from Northshire Bookstore.  We will use this from October through December.  We don’t have a location yet, but it will be close to the Bookstore.  Nancy Scheemaker, who is the Book Group Co-ordinator, said:

“We hope to attract a diverse group, from the absolute novice to members
who have a lifetime passion for reading poetry in order for dynamic exchange,
new insights, fun, appreciation, and an overall celebration of the genre.”

I am very excited about doing this!  I have been part of a Poetry Group for the past three years, writing poetry and helping to edit and critique the poetry of the other members, and the Poetry Reading Group will give me a chance to branch out, because reading other poets will inspire and invigorate my own writing.  You’ll see ads in the local papers, and in Northshire Bookstore’s website (www.northshire.com) and their monthly brochures.

Now, if it would only just rain  and get it over with!  I have that muzzy, pre-storm feeling in my head…