Category: Newsletter

Hello Dear Ones! Just a short check-in to let you know we love you and miss you! We had a lovely gathering in the backyard last week ~ thanks to all who attended and shared their wisdom. We still think it is wisest to gather just every 3-4 weeks as we assess how our county is faring during these challenging times. We are so grateful for your continued support through it all! We affirm good health and wellness for everyone and know we can get through this together with continued loving cooperation, kindness, compassion, patience, and empathy for others. We hope you find time for quiet contemplation and for time outside in the fresh air – maybe you will even spy Comet Neowise this week! We will be in touch again soon but may take next week off from sending the newsletter. We’ll let you know when we have a definite date for our next gathering. Much love and gratitude, Colleen and Mark

Distance Does Not Matter

The stars in the sky are my eyes that each tonight shine upon you,
So distance does not matter.
The sun is my heart that each day warms you,
So distance does not matter.
The earth we walk on connects our every step,
So distance does not matter.
Knowing this brings us constantly together,
So distance does not matter.
~ Cynthia Cregger (1997)

Sunday, July 12th

Our Greater Good

It’s an interesting world out there, eh? The storylines are extremely diverse and sometimes divisive, and we are doing our best to stay grounded in our intuitive Truth. One thing we are firmly committed to is thinking beyond our own small spheres and acting responsibly and ethically for a better, inclusive society and world.  What are your thoughts on this concept of a “greater good”?  It’ll be our topic for this Sunday’s in-person gathering of Paths of Heart.
We’ll again be in the backyard, appropriately distanced, and masks will be required upon entering.  Please RSVP, as we will continue with a small number (no more than 15 participants) for the foreseeable future. As of this writing, there are only a few seats left!

Looking forward to seeing you again!  Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

July 12th -Our next Paths of Heart Gathering in our backyard at 117 Evans Dr. in Fort Collins. We will be limiting the number of people on any one Sunday, so reservations (and masks) will be required. Reply to this email or call 970-484-9600 to RSVP. We are still deciding how often we will meet.  It will most likely be once or twice a month, as we continue to monitor state and local guidelines for gatherings.

Know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk the Paths of Heart labyrinth – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to come on a dry day!

Gratitudes

We are grateful for…everything!

What are you grateful for today?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Anthony Robbins

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

Sunday, June 28th

The Path of Gratitude

We talk about gratitude a lot here at Paths of Heart (and individually, in our day to day lives!). There is no better place to be than in a state of gratitude.  It makes the challenges, big and small, seem somehow more bearable and most of us know that the more we express gratitude in our lives, the more we’ll see (and have) to be grateful for!
We are so grateful for all who came to our first Paths of Heart Gathering since March last Sunday!  We gathered in a beautiful circle in the backyard and mostly just “checked in” with one another and celebrated our lives.  We also took a “tour” of the labyrinth and celebrated its awesomeness!!
We thought our next gathering might be in two weeks from that Sunday, but when we realized that is 4th of July weekend, we all agreed that July 12th would be a better choice.
We’ll again be in the backyard, appropriately distanced, and masks will be required upon entering.  Please RSVP, as we will continue with a small number (10 -15 participants) for the foreseeable future.
We will also be taking a week off from the newsletter next week, so your next reminder for our gathering will be around the 8th or 9th of July.  Have a wonderful couple of weeks and a safe Independence Day celebration!

Looking forward to seeing you again!  Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

July 12th -Our next Paths of Heart Gathering in our backyard. We will be limiting the number of people on any one Sunday, so reservations (and masks) will be required. Reply to this email or call 970-484-9600 to RSVP. We are still deciding how often we will meet.  It will most likely be once or twice a month, as we continue to monitor state and local guidelines for gatherings.

Know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk the labyrinth – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to come on a dry day!

Gratitudes

We are grateful for…everything!

What are you grateful for today?

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~ Anthony Robbins

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

Sunday, June 21st

The Importance of Celebration

There are so many reasons for celebration, even amid the turmoil we may be experiencing in our personal lives, our communities, our country, and our world at this point in time.  It is always our responsibility to “be the change”, and shine our individual lights brightly, as we do our part to “right the wrongs” of larger society. Today (Friday) is Juneteenth, such an important day for us ALL to celebrate as the day that slaves on the last frontier of slavery (Texas) in the U.S. were freed. As we celebrate, let it also be a day of remembrance, reconciliation, and action, as there is still so much to be accomplished before we see true equality and justice in our world. This weekend we’ll also be celebrating the Summer Solstice (along with a new moon and a “ring of fire” solar eclipse!), Father’s Day, and our first Paths of Heart Gathering since early March! We’ll be in the back yard, well-distanced, and face masks will be required. You will also need to RSVP if you haven’t already, as we will start out small, with just 10 -15 participants. The labyrinth will be ready to walk, before and after our gathering (one at a time, please). We’ll see how this goes; we have heard from several folks that are not quite ready to attend public gatherings, while others are eager to do so. This may turn out to be an every other week event at first or…something else – more is always being revealed! If we have inclement weather, we may need to postpone and will let all that have signed up know that morning. As of today, we still have a few spots left, so RSVP soon if you want to join us!
  
Can’t wait to be with you, Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Father’s Day, June 21st -We will return to in-person Paths of Heart Gatherings in our backyard! We will be limiting the number of people on any one Sunday, so reservations (and masks) will be required. Reply to this email or call 970-484-9600 to RSVP. We are still deciding how often we will meet.  It will most likely be once or twice a month, as we continue to monitor state and local guidelines for gatherings.

Gratitudes

We are grateful for every little bit of moisture we are experiencing from recent rains after SO many 90+ degree days!  Transplanting so many “salvaged and saved” plants (mentioned in last week’s newsletter) has been hard on the plants AND the planters!  🙂

What are you grateful for today?

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~  Anonymous

Sunday, June 14th

Anticipation!

We are getting excited for next Sunday, June 21, when we’ll be celebrating the Summer Solstice, Father’s Day, and as many other things as we please with our first Paths of Heart Gathering since early March!  We’ll be in the back yard, well-distanced, and face masks will be required. You will also need to RSVP if you haven’t already, as we will start out small, with just 10 -15 participants. The labyrinth will be ready to walk, before and after our gathering (one at a time, please). We’ll see how this goes; we have heard from several folks that are not quite ready to attend public gatherings, while others are eager to do so. This may turn out to be an every other week event at first or something else – more is always being revealed! If we have inclement weather, we may need to postpone and will let all that have signed up know that morning.
  
Can’t wait to be with you, Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Father’s Day, June 21st -We plan on returning to in-person Paths of Heart Gatherings in our backyard. We will be limiting the number of people on any one Sunday, so reservations (and masks) will be required. Reply to this email or call 970-484-9600.

We have been enjoying our individual visits with folks on Sunday mornings!  It gives us some semblance of normalcy, and it feels great to feel connected in this way.  Mark and Colleen will continue to be available this Sunday on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart), in  ~15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love. Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. June 14th will be the last day for these chats.

Gratitudes

This week our friend Luis came through again, notifying us of a whole yard of flowering plants that were going to be demolished and thrown in the landfill. Colleen dropped everything and made several trips to rescue so many beautiful and diverse plants and has been busy most of this week finding homes for them here and at friends’ houses.  We are grateful that we could add more beauty to our landscape and bring others joy as well!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~  Anonymous

Sunday, June 7th

Synchronicity!

We seem to be in a weird time warp…It’s Saturday night (again!) and the newsletter still isn’t done. It’s strange being on such a different (non)schedule and we’ve been tending to so many different things other than our music gigs, including joining the conversation and protests for #BlackLivesMatter. We have a better understanding now of the concept that all lives cannot matter until black lives matter. It’s important to take a stand to end the pervasive systemic racism in our country.
This week was also exciting, watching the labyrinth take shape and come nearer to completion, and then…we ran out of bricks! These are older bricks that we gathered from a job site a couple of years ago, saving them from going into the landfill. But after stacking 6 pallets full and not knowing at the time what the heck we were going to use them for, we let the rest go. They are apparently not your standard brick, and we spent most of this past week searching for a match. THEN, I went to the home of some friends whom I had not seen for many months and they had these beautiful glass blocks lined up across their front porch. “Need any glass blocks?” Terry asked, and an idea was born. They were the perfect size and now the outer ring of the labyrinth glistens in the sun like a halo, in shades of aquamarine (Colleen’s birthstone) and patterned clear glass. We were going to post a picture, but there’s still some work to be done and we just want you to meet it in person and walk it when we have our first (outdoor) Paths of Heart gathering since early March on Father’s Day, June 21st. Since we’re figuring we can only have 10 -15 participants at first, you’ll need to let us know if you plan to be here, and when the appropriate number is reached (maybe it’ll be more by then?), you’ll be added to the waiting list or be the first on the list for the following week.  We’re all in new territory and we’ll just see how this goes.
Also, if anyone would like to make a tax-deductible contribution specifically to the labyrinth project, we would be most grateful. It has been quite an undertaking!!  Our Paths of Heart family and friends will always be welcome to visit and walk the labyrinth at their leisure.

Be well and be kind,  Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Father’s Day, June 21st -We plan on returning to in-person Paths of Heart Gatherings in our backyard. We will be limiting the number of people on any one Sunday, so reservations (and masks) will be required. Reply to this email or call 970-484-9600.

We have been enjoying our individual visits with folks on Sunday mornings!  It gives us some semblance of normalcy, and it feels great to feel connected in this way.  Mark and Colleen will continue to be available for the next 2 Sundays on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart), in  ~15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love. Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week!   

Gratitudes

Thank you to Matthew Robinson for the long hours and creative skills he has poured into the labyrinth project!  Thanks to Luis Luna for the heads up on the bricks up for grabs 2 years ago that have now been woven into this beautiful structure, and for clearing the space with his big machine!  And thank you to Terry and Skip Polzin for inviting me to dinner that serendipitous evening where the glass blocks presented themselves.  We love synchronicity!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~  Anonymous

Sunday, May 31st

Gearing Up?

Another week, another opportunity for contemplation and decision making!  It’s been exciting seeing our Paths of Heart labyrinth project taking shape and we can’t wait for you all to join us in a meditative walk!  As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we are starting to plan for small, in-person gatherings – outside as we are able, and limited to 10 -15 participants at first. We’d love to get a feel for who is comfortable with this kind of scenario at this point in time and get other feedback and ideas you might have for us. We are considering Father’s Day, June 21st, for our first gathering. Our son Myles is returning from NYC this coming week, and this will give us some quarantine time to make sure all is well before we invite others over. Please take some time to contemplate this with us and make known your interest and thoughts. We look forward to seeing your shining eyes on your masked faces! As distressing events continue to swirl around us, we invite you to do your part to be a light in this world, standing for justice, peace, equality, kindness, and love.
Be well, safe, and of service,  Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

As noted above, we have begun to contemplate how we might achieve an in-person gathering, and meeting in the spaciousness of the backyard comes to mind.  It’ll take some doing, setting up a sound system and electronic keyboard, etc., but we are up for the task if it means we can finally have a gathering, albeit socially distanced and sans hugging!  Stay tuned for more definitive plans.
 We have also begun the Paths of Heart labyrinth project in the front yard, and though we had hoped for it to be a community project, it is being built mostly by our good friend and artist, Matthew Robinson  (in the picture at the top of this newsletter!). 
We have been enjoying our individual visits with folks on Sunday mornings!  It gives us some semblance of normalcy, and it feels great to feel connected in this way.  Mark and Colleen will continue to be available each Sunday on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart), in  ~15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love. Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week!  We’ll continue to do this till the next right thing appears! 

Gratitudes

Thanks for the notes of encouragement and love we receive in our inbox and through the mail each week! We miss you dearly and hope to see your (masked!) faces soon!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~ Anonymous

Sunday, May 24th

A Mountain Respite

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!  We hope you all can do something fun, even as it might be vastly different from your typical Memorial Day festivities. Let us also take time to remember the origin of this holiday and to honor our military service members who died while serving our country.
The downward slope of the roller coaster returned this week and I (Colleen) was again feeling depressed and with a bit of a “short fuse”, flustered at even the simplest of tasks or decisions.  We decided a trip into the mountains might restore our souls, and boy howdy, did it!  We took a day trip up Poudre Canyon (Emma, too!) and were delighted, awed, and calmed by the many manifestations of Mother Nature.  The river was wildly raging, the wildflowers were an explosion of color, the birds entertained us with flight and song, and everything was again right with the world.  It was once again a reminder of how this earth still spins in all its granduer, and if we stay present to the moment, all is indeed well in the grand design.  We hope you are all hanging in there and that we will be able to be together soon.  We are contemplating having an outdoor gathering in the Paths of Heart backyard, maybe within the next few weeks!
Be well, friends,  Colleen and Mark

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

As noted above, we have begun to contemplate how we might achieve an in-person gathering, and meeting in the spaciousness of the backyard comes to mind.  It’ll take some doing, setting up a sound system and electronic keyboard, etc., but we are up for the task if it means we can finally have a gathering, albeit socially distanced and sans hugging!  Stay tuned for more definitive plans.
 We have also begun the Paths of Heart labyrinth project in the front yard, and though we had hoped for it to be a community project, it will probably be built mostly by our good friend and artist, Matthew Robinson.  We’ll post pictures soon.
We have been enjoying our individual visits with folks on Sunday mornings!  It gives us some semblance of normalcy, and it feels great to feel connected in this way.  Mark and Colleen will continue to be available each Sunday on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart), in  ~15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love. Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week!  We’ll continue to do this till the next right thing appears! 

Gratitudes

Thanks for the notes of encouragement and love we receive in our inbox and through the mail each week! We miss you dearly and hope to see your (masked!) faces soon!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~ Anonymous

Sunday, May 17th

Seeds of Change

This past week has been a busy one, continuing to amend and prepare the soil in our vegetable garden beds for this season’s planting, hoeing short rows in the raised beds, and setting a variety of seeds in the furrows. As I cover the seeds and firm the soil around them, I am reminded of Mark Nepo’s “The Book of Awakening” and his anology of the seeds cracking open in the dark, surrendering to a process they can’t see. Each spring, I remain in awe as I watch those tiny, tender seedlings break through the hard crust of soil, searching..reaching for the light. Nepo says, “By nature, we are all quietly given countless models of how to give ourselves over to what appears dark and hopeless, but which ultimately is an awakening that is beyond all imagining. This moving through the dark into blossom is the threshold to God.”
We hold on to these hopeful words in this ever changing world, seeing the beauty through the chaos. No matter what is happening in our humanness, Mother Earth continues to teach us. The glories and wonderment of spring are still happening. We encourage you to take delight in it. The fragrance of the opening lilac blossoms in this morning’s gentle wind were swoon-worthy. The birds are still singing. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” ~ Julian of Norwich

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our youngest Paths of Heart Community member, Jasper, sent us this Hope poem to share with you. Thank you, Jasper!

As noted in recent newsletters, we’ve started something new on Sunday mornings. Mark and Colleen will be available each Sunday on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart).
We’d love to visit with you individually in 10-15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love . Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week! We’ll see how this goes and where it might lead…More is always being revealed!

Gratitudes

Thanks for the notes of encouragement and love we receive in our inbox and through the mail each week!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~ Anonymous

Sunday, May 10th

Testing the Waters

Hello dear friends ~ How are you all doing this week? It’s amazing to me that the weeks go by so quickly, even as time also seems to be at a standstill. Life is full of those kinds of dichotomies these days…I woke from my Covid dreams with the birds at 4:44 this morning, similar to each morning this week. I try to go back to sleep, and am usually successful, though my mind is flooded with a myriad of thoughts about family, friends, unemployment, our next steps in this pandemic world. I ordered 3 more masks yesterday from a friend who is making them and donating all proceeds to a different organization each week, like the WHO Covid-19 Solidarity Fund, and the First Responders Children’s Foundation (thank you, Ruth and Hannah!). Wearing masks seems like such a small “sacrifice” to make as we start to re-enter public spaces and dip our toes into the waters of the larger community, and I am shocked and saddened by the anger and violence against this simple gesture that is surfacing in some parts of our country. The meme going around the interwebs these days conveys my feelings well on the matter: “The mask I wear to protect you recognizes and honors the mask you wear to protect me” ~ NAMASKE. (Thanks Beth and Stacey!). For me, it has nothing to do with fear, as some might suggest, but everything to do with respect and care for others. We are all in this together. I love you! Colleen

Yes, this time in the world is like no other that I’ve (ever) experienced so far (in 64 years)! There’s that Beatles song…”Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m sixty four…” and I’ve been singing it around the house, mostly to myself but sometimes out loud. And Colleen’s answer, in many humorous forms, is always YES! And I rewrite the lyrics in my head and serenade her with my best British-Ringo accent and affirm that I too, will (and do) need her AND appreciate her at (pick a number, but especially) 64! And that idea of human kindness flows out of my mind and heart in all directions to all aquaintances AND nonaquaintances…and reminds me that kindness and compassion is one of the greatest gifts we can share in any moment AND especially in moments like these! I will wear my mask for our mutual well being but please know that there is a big smile under it, that very much appreciates You ALL…Namaske! Mark

With gratitude and love and wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day,
C & M

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our youngest Paths of Heart Community member, Jasper, sent us this Hope poem to share with you. Thank you, Jasper!

As noted in last week’s newsletter, we started something new last Sunday. Mark and Colleen will be available each Sunday on Facetime (or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart).
We’d love to visit with you individually in 10-15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love . Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week! We’ll see how this goes and where it might lead…More is always being revealed!

Gratitudes

Thanks for the notes of encouragement and love we receive in our inbox and through the mail each week!

“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~ Anonymous