Coming together at the guest house.
Sunday, January 4, 2026. It's Sol's day . . . forecasts for TulseyTown indicate Southerlies and mostly cloudy conditions as a warming trend settles into the are all week. Mid 50's today, 70's mid week, turning cooler again by the weekend. Mornings continue cold.
Only when you do not strive for enlightenment will you have it. – Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, “Just Sit as Yourself.”
Today is the birth date of Sir Isaac Newton, born in 1643 Woolsthorpe, England.
Doris Kearns Goodwin is 83 today. The Pulitzer Prize biographer was born in 1943 Brooklyn, New York.
The French Educator Louis Braille was born on this day in 1809 Coupvray, France. Blind from birth he invented the Braille system of reading by touch.
Irish-American Jesuit Zen Master Robert Kennedy was one of the first American Catholic priests to be installed as a Zen teacher in the U.S. The documentary “Are We One” traces his 90-year interfaith journey. A most worthy hour.
. . . just when we need to come together, we see ourselves fracturing and retreating into our opposite corners of isolation, our little echo chambers, where we only hear what we want to hear, which often is the opposite of what we need to hear. – Fr. Richard Rohr, Falling Apart, Coming Together, in Meditations at the Center for Action and Contemplation. 1.4.26
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
-- Rumi
Winterlude between storms . . .
Saturday, January 3, 2026. It's the Satyr's day . . . Forecasts indicate Northerlies continuing into TulseyTown. A chilly, cloudy morning is to become sunny this afternoon while remaining cool in the 40's. A warming trend begins tomorrow.
You take wisdom and you take compassion, and with these two wings, each of us can learn to fly and make a difference in the world . – Tencho Gyatso
Winterlude is upon us. – The Garrison Institute.
The first full supermoon of 2026, the Wolf Moon, dominates the night sky tonight.
Today is the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien, born on this day in 1892 Bloemfontein, South Africa.
And it’s the birthday of Lucretia Mott, born in 1793 Nantucket, Massachusetts. She was a pioneer reformer who, with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, founded the organized women’s rights movement in the United States.
Between Storms
[…]
This almost-past year was a long skid, no brakes,
on the kind of ICE that hardens around the heart
[...]
– Alison Luterman, the complete poem “Between Storms,” is at One Art, 12.31.25
Cave time is coming . . .
Friday, January 2, 2026. It's Frigg's (Freya's) day. Northerlies brought a rain shower to TulseyTown this morning. Forecasts indicate clearing skies and low 60's this afternoon.
When roles fall away, do you ever vanish? Or is there something here that remains present, quiet and alive?
Day Two: Yep, new year, new ancient tradition. While the Babylonians were promising to return borrowed farm tools (actually), I read that 85% us will try to spend less time on our phones, which is a noble goal we’ll all inevitably fail at while scrolling through “10 Tips to Reduce Screen Time” at 2:00 AM. – Kim Komando, The Current, 1.1.25
How to establish a daily practice of almost anything. – Anne Cushman
On January 1, 1892 the first person processed through the newly opened Ellis Island Immigrant Station entered the United States of America. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.
The electric car finally becomes more convenient than the gas car in 2026. That changes this year. Major automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are slated to move solid-state batteries from the lab to the production line in 2026. The main problem with e-cars has been batteries. The new batteries are a game changer. They don’t catch fire, they charge in about 10 minutes, and they can go up to 1,000 miles on a single charge. That’s New York to Florida without stopping for a charge. – Kim Komando, The Current, 1.1.26.
Lynda Barry turns 69 today. The cartoonist and author (The Good Times are Killing Me) was born in 1956 Richland Center, Wisconsin.
And, today is the birthday of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The author “The Story of A Soul” and became known as “the little flower.” She was born in 1873, Alençon, France.
Every exit is an entry somewhere else. Tom Stoppard
Extravagant Stillness
Be patient, my heart.
The time of the cave is coming.
[...]
This is not the season of sorrow,
but of gratitude.
[...]
– Maribai Starr, “Extravagant Stillness,” online, 12.30.25