Ocracoke Dingbatters/Ocracoke Light

Light on Ocracoke seems to change every minute. I awoke to bright sunlight, the Sound glowing rose beneath gentle clouds. By the time I was drinking coffee on the deck, the clouds had lowered and the horizon was shrouded in mist. The wind died, so that the oars of two kayakers dipped rhythmically into quicksilver as they drifted by, their voices carrying loudly across the slick cam water.

My trip into the village was mommucked by dingbatters - they've arrived for the holiday - more people in the grocery store than I've seen all other days combined. My visit to the Museum, however, was wonderful. I sat through the entire video about the Ocracoke brogue, so I'm trying out a few of the words in this blog. Not hard to understand the words for an old beach girl, whose "slick cam" waters were often "mommucked by dingbatters" in the summer!

Now, in late afternoon solitude, the rain that came while I was in the village has stopped, the wind is rippling the sound again beneath heavy clouds. My only companions are the mallards whose flotilla seems to carry them back and forth in front of my house, the drakes rising and flapping wings, then settling back down to drift the incoming tide.

Ocracoke Scavenger Hunt/Solitude

Sunday night, as I was writing the previous entry, my sister Tracy and our friend Robin called. I glanced at the clock, realizing the Cedar Island ferry had just docked. Tracy promised they weren't on the island. Robin said that, because they were so disappointed they weren't here, they'd arranged a scavenger hunt for me. I was to go IMMEDIATELY to Howard's Pub and ask the bartender to take my picture holding a Howard's Pub napkin. He would then give me clue #2. Okay, I laughed, I'll play.

Arriving at Howard's, I was greeted by the bartender, who asked if I wanted a Guiness. I was, of course, suspicious that he knew it was my favorite beer. It still took a minute for me to look down the bar and see Tracy and Robin - great surprise! We had fun adventures shopping and eating at Jason's. They departed this morning, after arranging for a gift certificate for me at Island Gallery - thank you beach girls!

So now, in the dove gray light that blurs the line between sea, sound, and horizon, I am alone. It's time to write, read, meditate and sometimes just stare into the Pamlico Sound. I am truly blessed!
Blessing to you!

Ocracoke Wind... My Soul Is In the Water

Dreams do come true. I've dreamed for a year of being back on Ocracoke. I'm finally here, with a fierce wind howling, rattling the windows, white-capping North Pond and pushing sea grass into my front yard. Rain was predicted for this glorious Sunday, but didn't come (yet), so my walk on the beach into the wind was breath-taking. I asked the dripping boy clutching his boogie board where he was from. "Russia," he replied. He'd have to be, to be swimming today in the steel-gray ocean. But the Blues were running, so the fisher-folk were happy.

I watched an Ocracoker pilot his Harker's Island boat into the Pamlico Sound chop this morning. He stood tall and proud at the wheel. Reminded me of Daddy and those cold mornings he and I spent in the oyster beds at the north end of Wrightsville Beach. Surely other children get their own oyster knife for their fifth birthday?

Wandered through the village, stopping at familiar stores, asking about holiday hours and plans for sales. My two favorite stores weren't open today. Kathleen O'Neal's Island Gallery and Sunflower won't be open until later in the week. That's part of the charm of Ocracoke - allowing myself to just be in the moment and know that what's meant to be, will be.

Molasses Creek, Ocracoke's home-grown bluegrass band sings, "My soul is in the water." Mine too. In the water, in the salt wind whipping sand, in the cry of the gulls streaming in black and white ribbons parted in the night by the ferry's bow, in the ochre sunset over the sound, and in the simplicity of just being in one of the most beautiful places on Mother Earth.

Blessings!

Giving Thanks

My Lakota friends say that setting aside one day each year to give thanks is a problem. Every day, they say, should be a day of thankful prayer. Today I am grateful for so much, but particularly for TIME to slow down, reflect, and honor Mother Earth around me. I am grateful to participants in our workshops (email deb.bowen.crone@gmail to be added to my mailing list). I am grateful that, in some small way, the work I do makes a difference in someone's life. I am grateful that my students are my best teachers.

I am grateful to those folks working to stop Titan Cement (see www.stoptitan.org) from destroying this place I love so much. I am grateful to President Obama for working toward health care reform. I am grateful for the work of Lynn Heritage and Grandmothers for Peace (ncpeacegrannie@yahoo.com). There are many, many other organizations making differences in lives, and I offer up gratitude for their work.

In my beliefs, the New Year began on October 31, as we celebrated the last of the harvest, and I am grateful for the new year's approach. I will spend some time in the mountains and on the ocean soon, reconnecting with Mother Earth and Mother Ocean in deep, blissful solitude, and for that gift, there aren't enough words to express my gratitude.
peace and blessings,
deb

Urgent Titan Cement Public Hearing - PLEASE attend!!!
Action Alert: Titan Cement Public Hearing! Mark your calendars, folks. This is a big one in the StopTitan fight. Grab your family, your friends, your neighbors on Oct. 20th and head for the public hearing in Castle Hayne on Titan Cement’s draft air permit. Wear red to show your opposition to the Titan project. Be there for clean air. Be there for our children. Be there to fight for the future of the Cape Fear region.

We need as many people as possible to attend the hearing so the entire state of North Carolina can see how large the opposition to this project really is. Public hearings are for YOU, so take this opportunity to make your opposition part of the public record. We’ve put together a new section on the StopTitan website to help anyone who wants more information about the hearings and how to comment. Use the talking points and data posted on the website, or compose your own. Just make sure you attend the hearing. Email everybody you know who lives here, visits here, or would like to move here--then bring a carload of friends or family with you on Oct. 20th. A few big details:

Two public hearings are scheduled. The first hearing will be from 2-5 p.m. The second will be from 6:30-9 p.m. Both hearings are on Oct. 20th at Cape Fear Community College, North Campus, BB&T Auditorium, McKeithan Center, 4500 Blue Clay Road, Castle Hayne. You can speak at the hearing or submit your comments by mail (or both) to DAQ at the following address:
Donald van der Vaart
Chief, Air Permits Section
NC Division of Air Quality
1641 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699

If you plan to speak at the public hearing, you need to 1) pick which hearing you’ll attend, 2) show up BEFORE the hearing begins and 3) sign up for a 3-minute time slot to speak. There are two hearings. Remember, if you want to speak, you need to be there at the beginning so you can sign up. The format at each hearing is the same. The public comment will begin after a brief overview of the Titan project by Division of Air Quality officials.

Please attend - our future depends on US!
peace
deb

Libra Introspection Time

I love autumn! I love this time of falling leaves and lingering twilights, of soups and homemade bread, and anticipation of the first fire in the woodstove. One of my Guides is Bear, who represents this time of hibernation, of going within and having time for reflection. I need time for reflection, for centering. I've become a "human doing" and I look forward to slowing down some. I say that as if it were true - every weekend until Yule is booked!

Mother Earth Circle's 11 DAYS OF PEACE project was amazing. I am filled with gratitude to all who worked so hard and to those who attended events. YES WE CAN!!! Who knows where these ripples will lead?

I'm excited about CroneWorks' upcoming "Spiral to the Dream... and Awaken to Connection" retreat Oct. 9-11. The "spiral team" (bless you all!) is in final planning stages for this incredible weekend filled with spirit, laughter, drumming, singing and learning. Spirit really has blessed us in the creation of this workshop. If you want to learn more, see my website: www.debbowen.com, or visit www.awakeningthedreamer.org.

Poplar Grove's Halloween Festival runs the weekends of Oct. 16 and 23. For the 22nd year, Madame VonSloopenstein and I will be reading palms and tarot, respectively. What a gift my favorite palm-reader is, in her 83rd year! Come early - the lines to see us stretch for several hours!

I love the workshops and "reading nights" that Samantha Fey and I do together. Our "Ghosts and Orbs" workshop is October 22. Come take a look at photos I have of ghosts and orbs, and learn how to ghost hunt, and most important, how to help spirits cross over.

Our "Past Life Regression" workshop is scheduled for November 11. Learn about your past lives, and the meaning they hold for you in this lifetime. Email Samantha for registration information for both of these workshops at samanthafey1@aol.com or visit her at www.thecrystalchick.com.

To learn more about both of these workshops, visit me at www.debbowen.com.

But now, join me in a long, slow, deep exhale as I give thanks for my Libra spirit and autumn's gifts!
peace,
deb

Spiral To The Dream.... And Awaken To Connection

Spiral To The Dream.... And Awaken To Connection is CroneWorks's 4th Annual Women's Retreat. We gather at lovely Trinity Center (www.trinityctr.com) on Emerald Isle Friday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 11. This intimate retreat affords 24 women the opportunity to relax, laugh, play, dance, drum, sing and rejoice in divine connection. Space is running out, so please register quickly! Complete retreat information, schedule, and registration information is available on my website - www.deborahbowen.com.

Our journey this year will take us on a path of connectedness within ourselves, with other retreat participants, and with our brothers and sisters across the globe. The spiral is our retreat symbol this year. Long a symbol of the divine feminine, the spiral leads us gently inward as we examine all those important dreams held in our hearts, and guides us outward toward healing actions for Mother Earth.

CroneWorks, an organization I lead, offers retreats, workshops, and rituals throughout the year that focus on bringing peace and understanding around the world. We are a collaboration of social workers, nurses, business executives, artists, writers, and educators. Our Practical Spirituality Retreat series began four years ago with a retreat focused on peace. We have evolved over the years to look more deeply at our connection to ourselves and the world around us.

Trinity Center, our retreat site, is simply beautiful. Owned by the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, Trinity lodging and meeting spaces are nestled in the maritime forest, bordered on the west by the Intracoastal Waterway. On the east, the Atlantic offers long stretches of quiet, nearly deserted beach, perfect for walking and meditating. We will build an ocean-front labyrinth as part of the retreat activities.

Rooms are simple, and open onto wooden decks with inviting rockers. Each room has a double bed and a single bed, and a private bath. All linens are provided. Excellent food is served in the dining room, with choices for vegetarians available.

Please join us in October. Some of our participants have had life-altering experiences at our retreats. Here are a few comments from prior retreats:

"The retreat changed my life! I'm a different, better person!"

"I changed my name name after attending - I really am a different person!"

"Thanks, Deb, for such a wonderful, fun, relaxing experience."

peace and blessings,
deb