November 24-27, 2004 (Wednesday-Saturday)
In our culture, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of our holiday season. Here we take the time to observe the spirit of this holiday by emphasizing gratitude, relaxing deeply, and paying attention to the spiritual nature of the season. We celebrate abundance and give thanks for all that we have in our lives, both realized and yet to be realized. It is important to allow ourselves the time and space to feel sadness, but it is also important to feel happiness and joy.
If you are single during this family holiday, this celebration might be just what you need. We have wonderful, comfortable ways of creating an extended family over this long weekend. Child care is provided for a part of each day, allowing the adults time to gather to share the stories of our lives and get to know each other better. We live gently and respectfully together, and in addition to our amazing vegetarian banquet, we also serve range-fed turkey in our lovely new dining room, for which we’re very grateful. Relax, kick back, party, hike, read, be on vacation and do whatever you like. The retreat ends after lunch on Saturday, so it is 50% longer than a normal weekend and costs $80 more. Kids are welcome at 1/2 your cost for the first child, 1/3 for the second, and 1/4 for each of the rest. Come on over the river and through the woods to our house for Thanksgiving in the Berkshires. You will love it.
Prue Berry was an Executive Director of RC&CC for 17 years and still hosts our weekends. A guitarist, singer, therapist, mother, gardener, and ace workshop leader, she’s a graduate of the Radcliffe Seminars Graduate Program in Landscape Design and has her own business, Sacred Spaces, through which she goes to people’s homes, evokes their dreams and longings, and offers them tangible plans for bringing more beauty into their lives, homes, gardens, and hearts.
Douglas Wilson has been at Rowe since 1973 and is the Executive Director. He’s a Unitarian Universalist minister, writer, political activist, and an amateur comedian, smart alec, and philosopher. Together Prue and Doug have led this retreat gracefully for many, many years, and those who come have a lovely time. We hope you’ll join us..