Friends,
Thank you again to all who bake bread and donate food so generously here in Norfolk, Virginia. We all pray that others will follow your example and give to their closest Foodbanks and think about the possibilities of donating warm clothing to those in dire need. Mary's Joy is simply a link to match "those in need with those who can help." This is done mainly by sharing addresses and phone numbers of established places of worship or bona fide charities who are known to distribute donations in a timely, efficient and loving manner.
I have names, addresses, email contacts and information of some very deserving people or organizations: Here are a few examples of the kinds of things that help. Please email me at forresterbooks@earthlink.net for further information on the exact addresses and names of contact persons: Please note, I do not mail these myself nor act as a collection point. I will send exact mailing address so that you may mail items yourself. Some of the following are mere reminders to check your local foodbanks and donate directly, and some creative ways to do this are suggested below.

Infant and children's clothing and sleepwear are needed at a South Dakota Native American reservation.

Hand knitted or crocheted blankets for infants, always needed in general.

Throughout the United States: Donate to your local foodbank. Creative ways for you to collect more items personally: Include "Canned Event. Bring a few canned items to my party on the.....th, to be donated to our local foodbank."
Imagine if every weekend around the U.S. private parties were "Canned" events.

Throughout the United States: Young ladies, mothers to be need business attire for job interviews. Check your local listings for clothes closests in your city or seek out Women's Shelters, homeless shelters, places of worship who might refer you to someone who can take your donations.

MARY'S JOY BREAD-BOXES-Place a Bread box in your local church kitchen once a month to donate directly to the nearest shelter, soup line, or Catholic Worker House, anywhere bread or non-perishable items are needed. Do this in addition to donating to the Food Banks.

More coming soon. Kathryn is on Facebook as well. Let me know if you would like to join and become a Facebook friend.

Blessings and Peace...
Kathryn

A Sonata

A Sonata,
copyright 1994,
Kathryn Forrester Thro ,
Poet Laureate Emeritus of Virginia

In the gardens of the Fountainbleau,
night danced upon the water. Desire,
ending in the afternoon, went singing to
itself and poured its thousand waxen

candles to a single flame, expired into
sepia's cool hands, so that my poor poet's
pen could write of higher things; blue ice ink
of the meeting of two minds, transcending

earth, orbital rhythmic dance, our lonely
hymn a spired dream, faith's honeycomb
poured within the gates, music of the water spheres,

sonatas of all saints, gold cities
beneath our feet and orchids, singing, finally
a cappella, what they tried to tell us all along.

********

Mary's Joy

A Poem from The Snow Bridge, Selected Poems of Kathryn Forrester
Poet Laureate Emeritus of Virginia

Copyright 2004




From The Five Sonatas:

V.

If I give you gifts; a white, fringed scarf
in winter, or a loaf of bread, take them,
freely, into your house and let them be useful
or let them not,

only keep them, so I might imagine walking
solitary on some inclement evening, to come upon
you suddently in the snow, and see drawn tight
around your collar, my handiwork

and you, holding out your hands, tell
me to walk beside you to a pleasant inn
where near some hearth, at your feet, I

await the sound of crusts, the fragrance
of broken bread and you ever-benificent arms
stretched downward toward me, my blessed portion gained.

*******

Thoughts on seasons:

Even as summer officially begins, I long for winter's hearth,
my very dependency on God's warmth and Love so ardently apparent as
the temperature drops and the days grow shorter.



We are to be like children in God's sight, are we not?

Isn't this Mary's Joy? That in our utter desperation and human frailities, we
see in each other the One Who came to us as a Christmas Child?

I am so grateful for those who share from their abundance that which others are most in need of.

This is Mary's Joy, seeing compassion in action spread like flames of a winter's fire.
At His feet, and humbly in service to others, we experience God's love.

Some people long for summer.
Others take joy in remembering the magic of a warm winter's hearth.

Should our hearts not also be like this? Warm, approachable, useful?

This is why even in summer I dream of sleighs rushing over snow white bridges,
bells of angels calling us home.
Christ risen, "Khristoss Votress", in every language and in every heart.



I am so grateful for Parish and Teachers,
friends and family, faith and hope.
Children, grand-children,
brethren all around us.

And so I wish you all




Blessings!
Kathryn

June 27th, 2007