Today, 19th of September is the 125th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage in NZ. 💔🎈🎇🎆. I am taking a white camellia to my M. P's Office as I do every year on this date. I don't altogether support her party, but she is a brilliant electorate M.P and has a high profile in the area.
This coming Sunday, 9/23/18 will be the day hubby and I mark as our 45th anniversary, the day we knew we were “an item”. Mind you that was indeed 1973, and gay marriage was only a fond wish. Times have changed, and we’ve now totaled five ceremonies to affirm the commitment. (greedy, no?)
A private little exchange of rings whilst on a picnic the following Spring.
Then, while living in New York City and long before such was authorized, our Rector surprising us by joining our hands with his stole and blessing during a house blessing of our new apartment.
A subsequent move took us to Vermont, which approved Civil Unions in 2001. So we had a formal ceremony in our parish there, Eucharist, organist, reception and all.
Then a neighboring state authorized real marriage -- another ceremony, this time on friends’ front porch. (But, odd as it may sound, it was only then recognized as marriage in that state, so we were “Civil Unionists (?)” at home, and married in the other state.)
And then, when Vermont finally authorized marriage, another ceremony on our very own back porch. (We’d hope we could just fill out paperwork and get an automatic upgrade, but the State insisted another ceremony was in order.)
And finally, the Supreme Court made matters simple, and we’re legit wherever we go. (Whew!)
One particularly fun thing in all this celebrating: our Rector in 2001, then a divorced woman, officiated at our Civil Union. She subsequently remarried, and asked me, by then ordained, to officiate at the that ceremony. Her new hubby was a Justice of the Peace, so he did our final (and last -- those license fees impact the budget!) marriage ceremony.
Do, please, laugh with us at the wonder of God’s love and marvelous sense of humor that indeed “all will be well."
(And yes, this was indeed another of my signature wordy/sermon long posts!)
Today is Parihaka day - the anniversary of the day when around 1500 volunteers and Armed Constabulary invaded the peaceful village of Parihaka. They were met by 200 small boys dancing and around 200 girls skipping. They were offered food. They plundered the village, raped some of the women and arrested some of the men, notably the Prophets Te Whiti O Rongpai and Tohu, who were arrested and imprisoned without trial for about 18 months in various parts of the South Island, where they did hard manual labour.
Despite the violence of the invaders, the reaction of the Villagers was peaceful. When surveying pegs were put in , the response was to plough the ground, hence the protesters were known as "the Ploughmen"
The reason Parihaka was invaded was that Settlers wanted the land.
Today the small settlement of Parihaka hosts people who are interested in learning about it's testimony of Peace.
( Historians, or anyone from Aotearoa/ NZ please feel free to correct me if I've made any mistakes).
Not surprising people from overseas don't know much about New Zealand history, but shamefully people here don't either. This wasn't taught in school when I was a child, but my brother -6 years younger- learnt about it in the 6th form and now there is even a picture book about it.
On Sunday I went to see a film about contemporary children from Parihaka visiting the places were their tipuna (ancestors) were imprisoned. It was very moving.
I dutifully went to my t’ai chi class this morning, as it is well known that half an hour of oriental hand waving is enough to counterbalance quite a lot of cake.
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17 years and it still hurts.
Thinking of those killed and injured 17 years ago.
A private little exchange of rings whilst on a picnic the following Spring.
Then, while living in New York City and long before such was authorized, our Rector surprising us by joining our hands with his stole and blessing during a house blessing of our new apartment.
A subsequent move took us to Vermont, which approved Civil Unions in 2001. So we had a formal ceremony in our parish there, Eucharist, organist, reception and all.
Then a neighboring state authorized real marriage -- another ceremony, this time on friends’ front porch. (But, odd as it may sound, it was only then recognized as marriage in that state, so we were “Civil Unionists (?)” at home, and married in the other state.)
And then, when Vermont finally authorized marriage, another ceremony on our very own back porch. (We’d hope we could just fill out paperwork and get an automatic upgrade, but the State insisted another ceremony was in order.)
And finally, the Supreme Court made matters simple, and we’re legit wherever we go. (Whew!)
One particularly fun thing in all this celebrating: our Rector in 2001, then a divorced woman, officiated at our Civil Union. She subsequently remarried, and asked me, by then ordained, to officiate at the that ceremony. Her new hubby was a Justice of the Peace, so he did our final (and last -- those license fees impact the budget!) marriage ceremony.
Do, please, laugh with us at the wonder of God’s love and marvelous sense of humor that indeed “all will be well."
(And yes, this was indeed another of my signature wordy/sermon long posts!)
Despite the violence of the invaders, the reaction of the Villagers was peaceful. When surveying pegs were put in , the response was to plough the ground, hence the protesters were known as "the Ploughmen"
The reason Parihaka was invaded was that Settlers wanted the land.
Today the small settlement of Parihaka hosts people who are interested in learning about it's testimony of Peace.
( Historians, or anyone from Aotearoa/ NZ please feel free to correct me if I've made any mistakes).
On Sunday I went to see a film about contemporary children from Parihaka visiting the places were their tipuna (ancestors) were imprisoned. It was very moving.
If I had ever known that I was born on the Feast of the Ass, I had forgotten it. And I can’t imagine I’d ever forget that.
So much is explained.
If we add @jedijudy to the list we have 4 ship birthdays in 3 days.
I dutifully went to my t’ai chi class this morning, as it is well known that half an hour of oriental hand waving is enough to counterbalance quite a lot of cake.
I will make your day by not singing!