Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.

Following last month’s Babe’s With Books (BWB, or Heritage’s Women’s book club) selection featuring a historical view of the news, the October BWB meeting selection portrays a real-life accounting set in Afghanistan, a country headlining nearly every day’s news reports. Our October 20, 7-9 p.m. meeting, held in the sanctuary, will discuss The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, by Gale Lemmon. According to Amazon.com, “The New York Times bestseller, written by a former reporter for ABC News, that People magazine called ‘a transporting, enlightening book,’ tells the story of a fearless young entrepreneur who brought hope to the lives of dozens of women in war-torn Afghanistan.”

Our future reads and meeting dates currently consist of:

November 17 – The Guest List, by Lucy Foley

December 15 – Squeeze Me, by Carl Hiaasen (Holiday party currently on hold in light of
uncertain pandemic considerations.)

January 19 – Circe, by Madeline Miller

All women, members or friends, are always invited to any BWB meeting – whether they have read the book or not. Unless otherwise announced, the meeting’s selection is available on hold for the Heritage Book Club at the Anderson Township library approximately a month in advance. For inclusion in the BWB Google group emails, contact Vali in the office. For more BWB information, contact Barb at

Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 7:00 p.m.

Our Vespers service is loosely patterned after vespers of the Taizé Monastic Community in France and was created to build a sense of communion with the holy through singing, readings, reflection, and silence. Join us in the sanctuary for an hour of peaceful contemplation. Please note that current church COVID policies require all persons to wear masks inside. Group singing is not allowed indoors. If weather permits, we may move outdoors to the patio so that we can sing together. Anyone singing will be required to wear a mask.

If you have questions, please contact Mimi Sinclair and Steph Tacy at:

Les Tacy, music director, is featuring a UU hymn each week. After a short story about the background of the hymn, Les plays and sings the hymn. We invite you to sing along, listen, and meditate.

For the current hymn, look for the “UU Hymn of the Week” entry on the Heritage UU Church homepage. For past hymns of the week, visit Les Tacy on YouTube by searching “Les Tacy UU Hymn of the Week”, or by requesting a list from Les at:

If you have a favorite hymn you would like to hear, email Les and he will schedule your hymn for a future week. You can email Les at:

Second Tuesday of Each Month at 7:00 p.m.

Via Zoom or In-Person Outdoors.

Women Singing In Sacred Circle still meets the second Tuesday of every month. It is surprisingly nourishing! SISC continues to be a source of deep friendship, support and healing for many women across the city.

You have two options for Singing in Sacred Circle. You may join the Zoom Meeting or you may join the “In-person” Singing Circle outside at Heritage UU Church.

If you meet all of the requirements below and you have signed up, please remember to bring a chair and some water!

Because Heritage has requirements and because we are singing, you will need to agree to follow the requests/ requirements below if you want to join in person Singing in Sacred Circle. We are committed to safety first! You may sign up to attend this Singing in Sacred Circle…if you are:

1. Fully vaccinated (Thank you for bringing your vaccination card to the Circle for verification) There must be at least 14 days since receiving your 2nd dose as well as the Johnson-Johnson one dose vaccine) Unfortunately, children who have not been vaccinated yet will have to wait until a later date to join us.
2. Willing to wear a mask while singing* and socializing.
3. Willing to socially distance at least 6 feet.
4. Able to sign up on the “Sign up Genius” form. Spots can fill up quickly, so the early bird catches the worm!

Contact Tracy Jo Duckworth and she will send you the sign-up genius link or the zoom link. You can PM her on Facebook or email her at:

Singing In Sacred Circle is a wonderful opportunity to share voice and spirit through song. While learning short, repetitive women-centered and earth-based songs/chants from a wide variety of traditions, all voices create an energy that is both empowering and healing. This opportunity is intended to allow women, regardless of singing experience, to share their voices in a noncompetitive, safe space.

Shelley Graff, the facilitator, is a longtime teacher/healer/singer/songwriter who believes her sacred journey is guiding her to share the Singing In Sacred Circle experience with other women.

7/14/2021.

Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This group is for all women members and friends of Heritage. We meet on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall. This is a gentle support group that gives each of us the confidence to make better choices regarding our health. It includes but is not limited to healthy weight.

We each bring a brown bag lunch and socialize while we eat. We then have an opportunity to share our challenges and successes regarding living a healthy life. No cost, no scales, no judgement, just fellowship and encouragement on your journey to a vibrant and sound body, mind and spirit. We welcome any woman who has a desire to make better choices in any area of her life.

Contact Julie Kane at 513-843-2567 with questions or for more information.

July 2021.

Friday through Sunday, September 24-26, 2021.

At Hope Springs Institute, near Peebles, Ohio – About an hour from church.

Please Note: While we would love to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend, we will be following church guidelines and capping attendance for the Women’s Retreat at 30 women. Once we reach that number, we will create a waiting list. Thank you for understanding!

Theme: CHANGES.

Reconnect, learn, share and grow while building trust and intimacy with your Heritage Sisters.

You are invited to join your fellow Heritage sisters to celebrate life, friendship, and sisterhood. If you identify as an adult woman of Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church over the age of 18, you are encouraged to take time out with the women of Heritage to nurture our spiritual selves, our friendships, and our bond as women. Spiritual exercises and workshops, crafts, amazing food, intimate discussion groups, nature hikes and more make this a weekend about connecting. There is also time for self-reflection and rejuvenation on your own time – do what meets your needs! Shelley Graff will join us again this year to lend her special guidance and talent.

Cost

$270 includes room, board, activities and all meals from dinner Friday through lunch Sunday. The retreat center is open to Heritage women from 1 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. Sunday. You may come as your schedule allows; however, the price is the same no matter how many yummy, delicious meals you miss! We recommend arriving by 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. If you can’t make it by then, let us know and we can save a meal for you.

Roommates

Often, it can seem daunting to attend a weekend like this if you’re new to Heritage or have never attended before. Know that if you need to find a roommate for the retreat, we will help in any way we can! You can talk with Julie Kane for more information.

Registration/Payment Deadline

• July 30: $75 Deposit Due (When you submit your deposit, a space will be held for you)
• September 9: $195 Balance Due (After this date, we cannot guarantee a refund for cancellation)

Payment Details

Payments and inquiries about scholarships may be left in the Clara Barton Guild mailbox in the Heritage office or directed to Julie Kane at:

Checks made payable to HUUC can be mailed to Julie at 3852 Vineyard Green Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45255.

If you prefer Venmo for payment, please send your $75 deposit to Joelle @Joelle-Tunning. Pay Pal payments can be sent to Joelle @JoelleTunning.

Planning

Hope Springs is the bomb when it comes to food. Meals are sumptuous and all dietary needs can be met. Most bedrooms are double occupancy, with some offering three beds including en-suite bathrooms. Other arrangements are available including a rustic teepee, cots and tent camping. (See Joelle for advice!) All accommodations are the same price. Hope Springs is alcohol-free and handicapped accessible. For more information, contact Joelle Tunning at 513-703-8205 or visit www.hopespringsinstitute.org.

Next Step

Please complete the Women’s Retreat Registration Form and submit it with payment, or email it to Julie Kane at:

Hymn #348, Guide My Feet, has lyrics inspired by Psalm 119 from the Old Testament. The song is a spiritual from the collection of Willis Laurence James, 1900-1966 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Laurence_James).

According to Kimberley Debus, author of the blog farfringe.com, “Psalm 119 is a very long lament to God for mercy. As our writer is seeking protection, so too are they trying to convince God that they are keeping true to the laws and commandments, to show they are worthy of God’s presence through the hardships. So it’s no wonder the enslaved Africans might have heard this psalm and these lines and wanted to ask for the same thing.”

The lyrics are on the slides of this video, created by Steph Tacy and performed by Les Tacy. Enjoy singing this heartfelt song.

Enjoy the YouTube video Guide My Feet.

You’ve heard about Midweek Mindfulness. Maybe now is the time to recommit to this powerful, transformative, very easy and quick spiritual practice. Set a recurring reminder on your phone for 12:30 each Wednesday. Then join others in the Heritage community (and literally around the world) in five minutes – just five minutes – of mindfulness. Take a break, right in the middle of your busy and stressful week, from 12:30-12:35 p.m. each Wednesday, to breathe. To rest. To meditate. To be. Stop and smell the roses. Look at the clouds passing overhead, or a flower in the grass (or on your desk). And know, as you are doing it, that many others are doing the same. Join them in mindfulness and spiritual connection.

August 2018.