It was wonderful to have everyone’s participation in last month’s service on practicing hope. As promised, I made a list of all our activities that we turn to when feeling the angst of today’s world. I hope this can be of use when one needs a bit of inspiration.

They are as follows: The sound of laughter, being home, listening to music, the Serenity Prayer, going to the park, attending a protest march , poetry, playing golf, horseback riding, gardening, hiking , attending a Unitarian retreat ( Unirondack), our pets, lighting candles, a comfy chair, Hudson River , Mother earth and trees, dance, putting up signs for candidates, podcasts ( Science of
Happiness, Happiness Lab), reading about inspiring heroes ( Harriet Tubman, Joan of Arc) , archery, meditation, physical hard work, making crafts, humor (Andy Borowitz, SNL ) neighbors, gratitude practice, listening to Taylor Swift,
movement as the antidote to despair, repeating the a mantras such as “This,
too, shall pass” and “No amount of worrying will change the future” .

As mentioned in October, I am organizing an inter-generational joint retreat between UUCRT and the Poughkeepsie UU for next summer. I hope many of us will attend. There will be some financial help with costs (more details to follow) for a few congregants. The exact dates in mid-August will be posted as soon as they are available. Below is a short video about the location, and the island’s website:

Star Island: Unplug, Unwind, and Reconnect With Nature: https://youtu.be/vbMeyL4ud3g?si=MFuGWpXlIN3cdUyh
–Star island ( https://starisland.org).

Kindly,
Rev. Diane