Happy Beltane, May Day, Walpurgis Night, and many other holidays and
observances for the time of year halfway between the Spring Equinox and the
Summer Solstice, by when Spring weather has (finally, this year) arrived and told
us it’s time to start putting plants in the ground.

And speaking of putting plants in the ground, there has been a buzz (bee
joke) among congregants about mowing at the church. In the City of Youngstown,
like most places, if you have a lawn you must maintain it. (Whether this makes
sense is its own question, worth considering, but not right here.) Regular mowing
is significant labor, especially in the heat of Summer. And don’t forget the not-as-
visible labor of maintaining the equipment. So are we stuck with the drudgery?

Can we trade that kind of intense, repetitive labor for something else? Can
we also consider our role in tending to our local ecology too? Does anyone have
Black-Eyed Susans they need to divide? Does anyone have natural sandstone or
flagstone pavers they’re trying to move? How about a meeting to discuss possible
strategies the congregation can adopt with positive impacts for property
maintenance and the local ecology? Can I go a whole paragraph using nothing but
questions? Alas. Check the weekly newsletter in the near future for an opportunity
to share, discuss, and perhaps makes some decisions about our lawn.

And speaking of property maintenance, our attempt to visit 22 Illinois
Avenue on May 1 was rained out, but perhaps we can reschedule for sometime
later this month or early next? There is something new to see there. Colaundree
Holcomb, of Earth Shade Enterprises LLC, has removed the debris from our site
at Illinois Avenue and cleaned up the sidewalk in front of it too. This was the first
step in the “heavy lifting” of improving the site, freeing us to think about what
else we can do there, as ministry to the neighborhood, over the coming months
and years. Check the weekly update for opportunities to follow up with this
project, just as above.

And, since we are now halfway to the Summer Solstice that falls on
Tuesday, June 21, how should we celebrate this important date in our solar
calendar? Should we have a fire? Rituals? A play? A puppet show? Sharing or
cooking of early crops? Homemade herbal iced tea? Drumming? If you are
interested in joining the Summer Solstice Celebration Planning Committee, look
for a date in mid-May in the weekly update.

And lastly, after such a slow, cold, wet Spring the warmer days to come
are more precious. May your sowings and plantings and observance of them begin
in earnest and multiply. May insects and birds and other animals call you to
engage them with a sense of curiosity and wonder. May the weather work with us
even as we (our species) work against the climate. And may our works heal our
world and the hearts, minds, and souls of those who would destroy it.

Gary Davenport has been a member of UUYO since 2011 and a
Commissioned Lay Minister since 2021. His email is <gdavenport@uuyo.org>.