WEEK ONE: Boston and Phoenicia, NY
Paul Kaye, Vincent Dupont, Cleora Daily, Roger Wakefield and I arrive in Boston for the beginning of our 3 1/2 week East Coast MSIA Staff trip. It’s a wee bit nippy, yet we see the signs of Spring awakening all around us as we drive to our hotel — yellow forsythia, baby green leaves on the huge trees, a few red and purple tulips and the white/gold jonquils, here and there a flowering crepe myrtle tree. We breathe in that special earthy smell that comes with earth that’s been dampened with the Spring rains. Our Boston MSIA Rep, Lisa Boone, and friends are waiting for us at the hotel with our water, goodie bags, and schedules of MSIA Services and the most incredibly beautifully executed folders of maps and directions. We decided these folders merited giving Lisa the first ever MSIA Rep award for best directions. It’s right to work we go with some initiations this evening, and then we settle down to our first staff dinner on the road. These first staff dinner meetings are what I imagine it would be like doing a huddle in the locker room before the start of a game series. We do a little catch up with each other, and then onto the logistics of our next few days in Boston.
John Morton meets up with us the next day and he and Paul do a book talk and signing this night at the Borders in Chestnut Hill topping off a day of Services. We sell out of the What’s It Like Being You? books, and there’s also a run on The Blessings Already Are books. John and Paul go straight to the heart and this night’s lucky participants are treated to pithy, 5 minute seminar-like responses.
The next day, Wednesday, we have Services to do and crown the day with the first ever Blessings Fest in Boston. Charlie Verge coordinated and hosted in his lovely cozy living room the Traveler, staff and 18 participants. The table settings were lovely with beautiful bouquets of spring flowers. We knew we were in for a feast as we tasted the hors doeuvres which were mouth-watering. I love these Blessings Fests — John goes right to the essence, and it’s amazing to me how he addresses so perfectly what is asked in writing and in silence. Then it’s adieu to Boston and we caravan by car down to Phoenicia, New York to prepare for the Tao of the Travelers retreat.
These driving travel days are treats for us staff. We get to dress casually, and take in nature and many times the quaint and historic parts of the countryside. The baby spring green is all over the trees, and as we progress farther south, the trees and bushes are flowering even more. It’s still pretty cool. We get to Phoenicia pretty late and staff’s accommodations are off site and on the rough and ready side. But ever ready for adventure, especially Vincent, Paul and Roger, we bivouac for the night.
We start off Friday morning with a big breakfast at a country-style restaurant in downtown Phoenicia. The pancakes were huge and yummy; they even have sausage without onion/garlic and pork. Everything tasted good. We fueled up as we knew this would be a long day — first to set up at the Menla retreat center and then into the evening as the workshop begins. Three MSIA Reps have come together on this retreat team. Leigh Hamel is our team captain and takes charge of the team. Lisa Boone manages the products table with great class, and Teri Wunderman is her enthusiastic and capable self as overall assistant — a mighty trio who are joined by several more to make a fine, smoothly running assisting team. Paul Kaye is at his very best, blending clarity and his lovely wit in his presentation. Then John brings the tour de “Force” of Light and caps our day with a meditation and beautiful sharing.
Being at this retreat location is very reminiscent of some of the places we visited in Japan. There is a running river that goes through the property, with little waterfalls here and there along the path to the workshop location. One day it is rainy and misty bringing an other worldly quality to our quiet time. One of the participants plays a wood flute and the sound transports us as we walk along. We are experiencing being present and in the no-thingness easily and gracefully.
On Saturday John comes again to share with us and we get to expand in receiving of the grace of the Travelers through this Traveler. We are filled to overflowing, and there’s another day to go.
It’s Sunday and we finish our retreat with John-Roger’s words ringing in our ears. We eat our boxed lunches as we pack up and hug many of our new and old friends. Soon we are on our way, driving a very scenic way along the Hudson River down to New York City for a whole week’s worth of events.
WEEK TWO: New York, NY
Sunday evening after driving into New York City from the genteel country we find ourselves having dinner at a French bistro near Times Square. Walking to our bistro down Broadway in this area is a whole other experience. Our senses reel with sights and sounds. The sights include: huge digital screens flashing vivid colors and pictures high above us, shop windows advertising everything from touristy items to unique American artists’ carvings, restaurant and cafes with tempting dishes. The sounds include people talking/calling out, cars honking and screeching to a stop near us. There are smells of the city too — hot dogs, hot pretzels, souvlaki. Ah, we’re in The City now. Dinner is a joyous time. We are particularly happy with our entrees and the sauces that were prepared without any onion or garlic. Plus it is a free night, and like kids with no school the next day, we find ourselves luxuriating with just the thought of a free day the next day. What are we going to do with this very rarest of occasions for us — a free night and free day back to back. Our gratitude runneth over! Once we are well fed we amble back to our hotel, window shopping along the way. Back in our hotel rooms we take time to settle in, doing email at a leisurely pace, some of us even taking long relaxing baths, with the remaining bath salts that were delicious remnants of our Boston goodie bags.
Monday – the whole day stretches out before us. We each have our own agendas for this free day. Exercising spiritually then corporeally come first. After that the schedule varies for the individual. Some of us take in a museum and shopping — mostly of the window and health food variety. Others choose some leisure office/email catch-up. Emily John drops by. She is our NY MSIA rep and has taken great time and care to make sure we are organized for all the Services and events we will be doing this week. Emily is this combination of delicacy and focus. And when she isn’t organizing us she’s playing or teaching the harp, and assisting her husband, Jim John, in his musical career. Tara Bach-Martinez, our co-NY MSIA rep, has been in charge of the nitty gritty detail of arranging Services. She does a superb job too. How wonderful to have this preparation in place. Our day whisks by; we are grateful for the gracious pause before the whirlwind begins.
Tuesday – we gently start to ramp up today by doing Services in the suburbs, so to speak. The girls head to Connecticut and are hosted in Shelley Rothbards lovely home. Leigh Hamel and Louisa Holmes tenderly look after us and prepare a smorgasbord of snacks and lunch. The train ride out and back gives us a sense of being on yet another vacation for the day. The guys venture to New Jersey and the warm home of Elsa Hill, our New Jersey MSIA Rep. She provides personalized chauffeur service and tends caringly to their every need during their Service day. Of course, Elsa has a special interest in looking after them as Vincent is her son-in-law. The love is mutual! Roger Wakefield joins us today after enjoying some family and old friends time up in Boston.
Wednesday – Services in New York today and the energy seems to be mounting. The Traveler, John Morton, joins us again flying in from Los Angeles. We are delighted to have him with us again. This evening each of us is on our own. Paul is off doing a private Being You book salon.
Thursday – We’re on a roll now. More Services, and then it’s off to Joan Beisel’s Canal Street loft for a special event — a double-header Book talk and Signing with John Morton and Paul Kaye featuring the books The Blessings Already Are and What’s It Like Being You?. This time is like a blast from the past as many of us old-timers remember walking up those steep three flights of stairs and sitting in this very loft listening to John-Roger seminars, after a day of Services there. There were goodies to munch on as we listened cozily to John and Paul share with wisdom and humor. Sweet and profound, and a special treat for all who filled the loft this evening.
Friday – It’s Services again today and then we go for a sharing with John at the Doctor of Spiritual Science class. There seems to me a special energy here that springs from this group of people who have dedicated the last four years to their multidimensional growth and expansion. And as always, “where two or more are gathered…” there is that outpouring of grace and love that is commuted through the Traveler’s presence with us.
Saturday – A full day of Services today too, and then a seminar for Discourse subscribers. Joan Witkowski is the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening and in lush tones guides us seamlessly and graciously through the program. Kathryn Kienke, Brandon Ross and Eric Lumiere lift us with their expressions of love in their music. John then blasts us into the spiritual stratosphere with a meditation and all we can do is surrender to the beauty of it all.
Sunday – Ahh, there’s more in store. A special treat for some of us staff — we have breakfast overlooking the park, a walk through the park (one of God’s gifts to New York through the designer of this city, I think) it’s like a beautiful green ocean, and a quick journey through the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view some of the old masters’ works: Manet, Monet, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, Cezanne and more. More blessings are to come for us this day as we change clothes and head to the first ever New York Blessings Fest event. Caryn Kanzer and Joan Witkowski have long been the beacons and champions of fundraising events in New York. For many years now with grace, spunk, cajoling, negotiating, loving, and laughter they have created hugely successful events. This evening is a success yet again. We have a special room in the Westin and it looks lovely. The flower arrangements and the candles have Wade Binder’s special touch of class. John Morton brings us to the blessings and the blessings to us. We open to receive and are filled beyond what we could wish for. Throughout these last few days Vincent and Roger have been on deck to set up and pack up the audio and video equipment. They are valiant and steady, and we’re so grateful for their strength, devotion and out and out know-how which allows them to orchestrate wonderful sound no matter where we are. After a glowing packed week it’s time for all of us to pack up, for tomorrow we head to Philadelphia.
WEEK THREE & FOUR: Philadelphia & Washington DC
It’s Monday and “Good bye Big Apple” and “Hello City of Brotherly Love.” We head to Philadelphia where our country’s Founding Fathers came together to sign the Declaration of Independence. I’ve always loved the history of this city and our hotel is walking distance from the historic area where there are still cobblestone streets, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, where Ben Franklin lived, and William Penn’s Landing. Not too far away from Philadelphia is Valley Forge where George Washington and his army spent a long bitter winter during the Revolutionary War. This whole area is rich with history. We have just enough time to get into our rooms and it’s off to visit the Philadelphia Ministers at their monthly meeting. They’ve invited the Traveler, and John Morton takes a seat in the circle of ministers. There is something very humble in seeing him just being with us as a fellow minister. Following the ministers meeting we make a wild dash for the movies. This is a rare treat on the road, and all the more fun that all of us staff get to go.
Tuesday – Paul, Cleora and I are doing MSIA Services and then it’s off to the Barnes and Noble at Rittenhouse Square for a book event with both John Morton and Paul Kaye. Vincent and Roger have prepared the sound space for us. John and Paul have been honing their act in Boston and New York, and they continue to entertain and touch us with their sharings. I take a moment to be grateful that the Traveler’s teachings are being disseminated and this commercial space has become a temple once again.
Wednesday – More Services and set up today for the Closed MSIA Seminar at the convention center. Closed seminars have a very special energy as all the participants have had a little more background in the MSIA teachings as part of the requirements for attending the seminar. To prepare our hearts for the Traveler, Leah Brecher-Cohn and her husband Andrew Cohn do a specialty number – Slow Boat to Soul, and Sallie Weaver sings her original song “I Am With You.” John comes forward and it’s all we can do to stay in our seats as the loving and Spirit so strongly pours through us.
Thursday – Some more Services and then we travel out to Faith and Peter Cadwallader’s home for a BlessingsFest. Elizabeth Frumin has been the coordinator and Light holder for this event and with her caring assistants has turned the living room into a dining salon. Elizabeth Zeitlyn and Lou and LinnieTenaglia are the head chefs for this gourmet meal. We eat wonderful food full of loving and caring, and receive and receive of the Blessings that John relays through his voice and being. Just when we think we’re full to overflowing there is more to come.
Friday – Today we do Services at Faith and Peter’s home. On the way to their home we take in the beautiful spring flowers and the feather-like rich green that is everywhere. Lunch is another feast – we get the left-overs from the night before – and then we crown our trip with listening to John Morton do sharing with the MSS 1 and 3 classes. We are so grateful to Kris Wohlhorn and Betsy Washburne who, with their willing and enthusiastic volunteers, have prepared the way for all the events and Services to go very very smoothly this week. As we head back to our hotel and begin to pack, I reflect on how magnificent this trip has been. Three weeks have gone by and each day seemed better than the next. Roger and Vincent seemed to find endless creative ways to make the sound and video clean and clear, Paul and Cleora were always there to lend a hand and do Services with caring and warmth. John was like the wind beneath our wings, lifting us ever higher. It is a privilege to be with our family experiencing again what presence is with us “when two or more are gathered…”
Saturday – I go to the airport to bid goodbye to John and all the staff as they head back to Los Angeles. As I wave goodbye tears spring to my eyes, I just love them. But I don’t have too long before the excitement of driving to Washington, DC and seeing my spiritual and physical family there takes over. It’s a gorgeous day. Hey, I’ve even been upgraded by Hertz and the drive is easy and fun. Mario Morresi joins me this evening in DC and will be staff with me for the next few days.
Sunday – Services today are at Don and Donna Cook’s Victorian style home in Columbia, Maryland. They even have a porch swing that brings an air of gentility, especially with a flowering tree – I think it’s a dogwood tree-out front. Mario and I are completely spoiled with an incredibly tasty tomato soup, salad, roast beef and turkey. Not to mention – espresso. Ooooh, I love being spoiled like this. It’s also loverly visiting with old friends in between Services. Tonight we have an Open workshop – The Spiritual Warrior. As I facilitate this workshop I find myself the student, listening carefully to the John-Roger excerpts as I’m reading them, reminding me to be ruthless and impeccable as I hold the intention of “Keeping my eyes on the Lord.” I am grateful that we have these workshops that can both introduce newcomers to the teachings and renew us Discourse subscribers in our strength and purpose. Thanks to Myrtle Sutphin and Tim Fiocchi and Jan Rovecamp for creating this evening and organizing the Services.
Monday and Tuesday are full days of Services. People come from as far away as Ohio and Charlottesville to get their aura and polarity balances. And for some fellowshipping. Thank you to Alex Beau and Don and Donna for contributing delicious lunches. I know there were others and we send our thanks to you too.
Wednesday – We have a few more Services to do and then Mario returns to Philadelphia and I spend some time with my family. Thank you, Mario, for giving so kindly and generously of your time to do Services with me in DC.
Thursday – It’s time to return to Los Angeles. I’m ready. I’m grateful for all the blessings of this trip, and it’s time to finish the preparations for our trip to the Southwest that will begin in two weeks. Thank you all for sending Light to all of us throughout this trip!
