June 11th, 2023
Mark and I are gradually and gratefully getting back into the rhythm of life (and Paths of Heart!) after our “sabbatical” and traveling schedule of Spring. Summer will officially start soon and we are catching up on all that requires attention at home and in the yard and gardens – quite a task with the continuing rain (though I’m not complaining!). We love musical metaphor so we’ll revisit the themes of rhythm, improvisation, harmony, and such as we move through this thing called LIFE. And speaking of music, there are still some seats left for our “Paths of Heart Presents…” house concert with Austin’s Jeff Plankenhorn THIS Friday (tomorrow!), June 9th here at Paths of Heart “heartquarters”, 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524. See details below.
Play on! ~ Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“Life is about rhythm. We vibrate, our hearts are pumping blood, we are a rhythm machine, that’s what we are.”
~ Mickey Hart
“One can ascend to a higher development only by bringing rhythm and repetition into one’s life. Rhythm holds sway in all nature.”
~ Rudolf Steiner
“As you begin to realize that every different type of music, everybody’s individual music, has its own rhythm, life, language and heritage, you realize how life changes, and you learn how to be more open and adaptive to what is around us.”
~ Yo-Yo Ma
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”
~ Thomas Merton
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Our Paths of Heart “sabbatical” has ended, and we are meeting on a more regular basis now! We hope you’ll be able to get in the rhythm of celebrating life with us on Sundays 2-3 times a month. As you can see below, Gatherings have now been scheduled through September. We know some folks have asked for a “regular” schedule (such as the 2nd and 4th Sundays). However, we’ve experienced that vacations and special events often disrupt that “best laid plan” plan for all of us, so for now we are going with what works within our family schedule. Adjustments may be made as we continue to assess attendance and finances. We may also consider an earlier start time in the summer if that’s something the majority of folks would like. Let us know your thoughts!
Sunday, June 11th, 10:30 a.m. – In person Paths of Heart Gathering
Sunday June 18th, Father’s Day, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering
Sunday, June 25th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering
Sunday, July 9th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards
Sunday, July 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering
Sunday, July 30th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering
Sunday, August 6th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards
Sunday, August 20th, 10:30 a.m.- ZOOM POH Gathering
Sunday, September 10th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering
Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards
Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering
Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!
We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. We had a wonderful gathering of folks on April 25th, and we hope you’ll spread the word! Come join us for group singing in an informal and safe space. You are welcome to bring an instrument and song suggestions of love, life, and peace especially! $5.00-10.00 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice. The following dates are scheduled. Please RSVP at least a day or two in advance! Since attendance has been rather inconsistent of late, we’d like the opportunity to make alternate plans if sign-up is light.
June 20 (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
July 25th
August 15th (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
September 26th
“Paths of Heart Presents…” We have several house concerts on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room. Help us spread the word! You may pre-pay for any of these concerts on our regular donation page https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ OR with Venmo @PathsofHeart. Though tickets may be available at the door, pre-paying is the only way to guarantee your seat so it’s highly suggested! Please indicate which concert you are paying for in the special instructions or memo line. Hope to see you!
Friday, June 9th, 7 p.m. with a potluck at 6. – Jeff Plankenhorn, a wonderful performing songwriter hailing from Austin, TX. $25.00 suggested donation. Learn more about Jeff at https://jeffplankenhorn.com/
Sunday, July 23rd, 7 p.m. concert with a potluck at 6. – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN. $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Buddy at https://www.buddymondlock.com/
Friday, August 4th 7 p.m. concert with potluck at 6 – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series! $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Megan at https://meganbeemusic.com/
Please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!
Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to regular Sunday gatherings. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as an easy way to donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!
Another easy way to further support Paths of Heart is through the King Soopers Community Rewards Program – If you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up! This one small gesture (by just 25 or so families at this point) helps to generate over $1,000 a year for Paths of Heart, so we appreciate your consideration in participating in this valuable program!!
“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden
This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day. We DO love all this rain, but we hope the weather will be more labyrinth-friendly soon!
Gratitudes
Flowers! Green grass! Outdoor music season! Kayaking! Summer is here!
What are you grateful for today?
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melody Beattie
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.”
~ Sri Chinmoy
About Paths of Heart…
Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together (in new and creative ways!) for music, poetry, commentary, and dialogue to create and nurture joy, compassion, gratitude, and love – in our own lives and throughout the world. Paths of Heart is a 501(c)(3) Human Services/Educational non-profit organization that uses the arts, especially, to encourage and propel seekers of a better, more peaceful world to find ways to serve, while becoming more kind and compassionate human beings.
We welcome you as we collectively and individually explore the sweet mysteries of life – this is an invitation into co-creation!
Visit us on the web at https://www.pathsofheart.org
We hope our physical paths may cross soon!