Ponderings from the Eternal Now
Early November 2005 #26

Dear friends,

Your most beautiful cards, letters, e-mails, and phone calls continue to sustain me during this time of supervised release.

This past month has been a roller coaster of talks between the Maryland probation department, Jackie, Ardeth and our lawyers.

There were so many times these past weeks that I have been aware of how important and how difficult it is to live this Eternal Now. One day at a time.

I feel like I have been on a roller coaster. The only news I can share is that sometime there will be a hearing in Colorado to settle the question of restitution but we have no date as of this writing. So, until then my prison gates remain the state of MD.

Keep checking the Jonah House web site (www.jonahhouse.org) for updates on our status.

I can hardly wait to see my sister and best friend on December 22nd! Jackie, Ardeth and I will then be able to communicate all together by phone as we discern next steps.

My Jonah House community continues to be patient with me and the women I communicate with in prison give me strength.

The other afternoon I was harvesting saffron. Saffron is the most precious and expensive spice in the world. The saffron filaments or threads are actually the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus flower. Each flower contains only three stigmas. These threads must be picked from each flower by hand, and more than 75,000 or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas are needed to produce just one pound of Saffron filaments. Each delicate thread is bright orange red and because of its strong, intense flavor and aroma it can be used sparingly. We have harvested less than an ounce.

I reflected as I picked each set of three of Ardeth, Jackie and myself. How precious and strong these two women are in my life...how delicate and fragile are our lives... how intense our lives have become to the probation departments of WA, MD, and CO... beautiful thoughts for a sunny, autumn day.

The picture of me was taken at a talk I gave for the WILPF (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) as they celebrated ten years as a branch.

My prayers continue for each of you. Your actions and faithful lives continue to inspire me. I can hardly wait until our paths cross in person someday, somewhere in our eternal now. May our lives continue to be interrupted as we give them for justice and peace.

With deepest gratitude and love,
Carol Gilbert, OP
1303 Moreland Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21216