Summer Update

Hey you, yeah you out there! You found your way to the -BE- blog.

Congratulations.

You are part of a select few.

This blog is on temporary hiatus, though -BE- is not. Please be aware of BE-l mailing list messages and be excited for -BE- events and more this fall.

Really, it's becoming of you, so do be good and beget many good things to come!

Spring Break

This week is spring break at Warren Wilson College. Most of the BE-suiters are gone; one is biking in coastal South Carolina, one is hiking the Mountains to Sea trail, three are working on campus (two for the pre-school they work for during the school year), and the rest of us dispersed far and wide and mostly seeing our homes and families.

It's been a good term for the suites. Now is a good chance to acknowledge a couple of adults at Warren Wilson without whom this idea-put-into-action that we're talking about, the suites, wouldn't be possible. Thank you Mei Mah, Jim Lauer, Laura Herrmann, and especially thank you to Hun Lye, for the actually amazing amount of time, energy, and good faith that you have put into us individually and the suites.

A Sunday Meeting Update

Emily and I (Josh) were on snack duty for our weekly Sunday meeting. Some highlights:

• The Naan bread from Trader Joe's was great
• The attempted "Quick and Easy Coffeecake" had some issues
• Kevin told a wild story about being given a big dog on the last day of school of his sophomore year, with the dog eventually trapping him in his room and becoming wild, and Kevin finding another home for the dog... I think you had to be there
  
• And we congratulated Vanessa on becoming enlightened!
  

A breakfast tradition, Jim's happy return, and running up mountains!

We had another nice Sunday breakfast with suite members, and some special guests, including Kevin Lane's mother and Brian Hill's two brothers (in to watch those two run the Mt. Mitchell challenge, a 40-mile run up and back down the largest mountain in the eastern U.S.) and Jim, back from his pilgrimage! It is special to get breakfast at Early Girl's, more so with Jim back with us. If you're reading this within the Warren Wilson world, we are planning a -BE- meeting for Jim to share photos and memories from his journey. Also, if you are into or are interested in -BE-, please contact anyone in the suites to join us for breakfast some week (every Sunday we leave the Village at 8:30 am).

First ordained Thai nun talks at Warren Wilson's Chapel

Mindfulness meal in the Suites

Excerpt from Jim's trip to India/Nepal; as Jim writes, some comments follow to inform and puzzle you

Revisited the doctor yesterday and I am cleared for travel, although at a mor relaxed pace. I leave tomorrow afternoon for Nepal. snow, cold, rock slides have made me re think visiting Dharmasala this trip. When crossing street, one must move through it with, grace, timing and rhythm, I have the last two! Lime Water, never again. Road sickness first time in my life, 1st Class hotel - vie of lake, welcome tea, restaurant staff addresses all guests in enlgish first - missing some good food. Lunch is not included, real art takes time, buses are full, daylight comes early, people walk.

Southern Dharma Retreat Center

Fifteen of us left school at four pm on Friday for Southern Dharma Retreat Center (about an hour's drive) for the fourth annual -BE- retreat. We returned today at 2 pm refreshed, ready, and a bit overwhelmed with school work for the upcoming week. Thanks to Hun, the staff at SDRC, and all the retreatants for the strong and meditative weekend. Some of the highlights follow.