Mary Anne

  • Mary Anne is a mother of five, sister of six, and beloved of countless more. Her symbol is a palm tree.

Donald Edward Jr.

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    Donald Edward Jr. is a farmer, poet, musician and freelance monk living in Chatham County, North Carolina. His symbol is Canada geese.

Julie Elizabeth

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    Julie is a professor of religion living in Brooklyn, New York. Her symbol is a flower.

Donald Edward III

  • Donny is a farmer, teacher and freelance monk living in Chatham County, North Carolina. He is wedded to Lakaisha Nicole. His symbol is a butterfly.

Clare Siobhan

  • Clare is a dancer, teacher and choreographer living in Vermont. Her symbol is a seashell.

Mary McMonigal

  • Mary is a writer, songwriter and musician living in Brooklyn, New York. Her symbol is sage.

Monica Catherine

  • Monica is a writer and playwright living in Durham, North Carolina. Her symbol is a star.

Family

  • All of us in various combinations. (Not chronological.)

Leaving Annville

  • The magnolia tree bloomed just in time for our departure from Annville, Pennsylvania.

« March 2013 | Main | October 2013 »

September 16, 2013

Of abundance and pine coffins

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"What's enough?" Don 3 talks about the abundant life in this vid of off-the-grid Melleray Farm life.

Don teaches ESL in Chatham County, NC, and Nicole works the farm & grows the kids all day. Somehow this summer they also managed to start a school and launch a business. 

The school: a free Latin academy for local kids. 

The business: a contribution toward abundant death.

Piedmont Pine Coffins is a workshop hand-crafting wood boxes in the spirit of the new "natural funeral," "green burial" and "good death" movements.  All, in turn, are inspired by monastic traditions. 

I was awed at the education I got just by reading the site they put together.  Piedmont Pine Coffins is on Facebook, too, and will attend an expo for "good death" resources this fall.  Plus the whole farm was recently featured on Tiny House Swoon.  Swoon!

But the best of all is that Don 3 said the new venture sold its first coffins as of last week.

Blessings to all for the full cycles of earth's seasons and our precious human lives!

--JEB

P.S. Check out this re-creation of the famous statue Hoi Moskophoroi by the Melleray Latin Academy & friendly creatures!

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Moscophoros22

Posted at 12:23 AM | | Comments (0)

September 09, 2013

Wedding day in Brooklyn

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The big Byrne news of the summer was a wedding!!!

Longtime couple Mary Byrne and Mark Rogers got married in late July in Brooklyn. I was incredibly honored to have a primo view on the ceremony as Mark & Mary's official witness. So we all got legal and signed papers. But what I witnessed more than anything was ridiculous JOY and abounding LOVE. It was just a perfect wedding in every detail, from the sunshine outside to the stylin' attire to the magical slow-time of it all. The real deal was just being around the gorgeous couple and soaking it all up!

The new marrieds put together this album, and here are a few more pix you might not have seen.

Congratulations, Mark and Mary, with all best wishes for the rest of your life together!

Yay for all of us, for Mark and Mary joining our respective families, for the circles ever growing bigger and better!

Finally, if you didn't know, YES to "Mark Rogers & Mary Byrne," the new hot music-making tandem in NYC. I've been going to shows all summer, and, like woah. There will be a future post on that, but in the meantime, if you want to get in touch with Mary and Mark directly, see contact info at their music sites, here, here & here.--JEB

Posted at 12:12 PM | | Comments (1)