women’s retreat

The theme for the 2025 Women’s Retreat was Right Here, Right Now; Peace through Practice.

Priscilla Galasso wrote this retrospective. It was originally published in the November 2025 edition of the UUFC Journal.

“If ever there were a time for a candle in the darkness,
this would be it.
Using a spark of hope,
kindle the flame of love,
ignite the light of peace,
and feed the flame of justice.”

Melanie Davis

The Women’s Retreat Team lit the Chalice in the Social Hall before 40 UUFC women crossed over the threshold into the Sanctuary, a sacred and safe space for creating connection and practicing peace. Two wheelchairs slid through the portal, a teenager, several octogenarians, a mother and daughter who had only just moved to Corvallis and gone to one Sunday service, the weary, the hopeful, the angry, the lonely, the wise. We gathered to share strategies for creating peace in our center, peace in our connections, and peace in our community. 

The Friday night program centered on the Byron Katie model called “The Work”, presented by Susan Grace Beekman and Nancy Sowdon. On Saturday morning, we dove into best practices in relationships, outlined by the Gottman Institute, with Heather Thomas and Linda Marten (or was that Miss Stern?). Through interactive small and large group discussions, we connected deeply to the material and to each other. Workshop presenters offered sessions on yoga, art, laughter, gardening, and self-discovery. We enjoyed a delicious catered lunch from Forks & Corks. And then we balanced peace with PROTEST!

The planning team had no way of knowing that the No Kings II protest would fall on our retreat weekend, and we quickly adapted the schedule so that those who wanted to participate could do so. One key advantage to having an onsite retreat is that it allows for greater flexibility and inclusion. We made it a priority to have low barriers, providing scholarships and “drop in” registration to fit lives that are often full of care-taking and serving others. Our “choose your own adventure” schedule was not constrained by an outside venue operation, and our campus is in the heart of our own Corvallis community, making travel and transportation easiest. 

During Saturday afternoon’s session, we worked with representatives from organizations who strive to create peace and build community through Religious Exploration, the Arts, and Education. Skyla King-Christison, Anya Ballinger, Thea Hart, and Laura Blackwell (of the Majestic Theater and Corvallis Parks & Recreation) gave us great insight into the philosophy of peace-making among cultures and great examples of Corvallis programs available to us all. 

During our final meal together, the bright Fall day became a quiet, dark evening. Our table conversations included shared stories of protest thoughts, workshop discoveries, and determination to carry on as instruments of peace in this troubled and beautiful world.  

Thank you to all the Team members: Heather Thomas, Ann Marchant, Linda Marten, Sandy Piper, and Kimi Mayo. Thank you to all the Workshop leaders: Kris Egan, Diana Titus, Joyce Standing, Joyce Marvel-Benoist, Joyce Federiuk, Heather Thomas, Linda Marten, Gwen Ellen, and Kayla Garcia. Thank you Ginny Gibson and all the others who volunteered their time making our gathering nourishing and comfortable. 

Thank you to those who have signed up to make next year’s Retreat a reality! 

Dona nobis pacem. Go now, women, in Peace.

Our keynote speaker is Linda Carroll, author of Love Cycles: The Five Essential Stages of Lasting Love, which has been translated into four languages, and the highly-acclaimed book, Love Skills, published in 2020. Linda holds a master’s degree in counseling and has practiced psychotherapy, specializing in couples and communication, since 1981. She works in Corvallis, Oregon, and coaches’ clients virtually, by phone, and in person all over the world. Linda first joined the UU in 1978 and is also a co-founder of a nonprofit serving migrants in Tijuana called Just One Story at a Time. just1atatime.org

Linda has authored three books on personal growth and healing. She grew up in a conservative Catholic family in San Francisco during the 1950s and came of age during the countercultural 1960s. From her traditional childhood, she preserves a faith in the importance of service, mystery, and reverence for all forms of life, and from her early flower-child leanings, she maintains a belief in looking outside the box for approaches to healing. Visit her website at lindaacarroll.com/.

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Retreat Schedule:

Friday, Oct. 7
6:30 p.m. – Greetings, registration, workshop sign-ups, and sing-along
7:00 p.m. – Program begins in the Sanctuary
                    Welcome & Housekeeping – Kris Egan
                    Chalice lighting – Jill McAllister
                    Speaker introduction – Amy Ayers
7:15 p.m. – Keynote Presentation – Linda Carroll
8:30 p.m. – Bedtime Story and Singing – Ann Marchant
9:00 p.m. – Housekeeping announcements and Dismissal

Saturday, Oct. 8
9:00 a.m. – Gather and Greet in the Sanctuary
9:15 a.m. – Announcements and chalice lighting – Kris Egan
9:20 a.m. – Speaker introduction – Bonnie Morihara
9:30 a.m. – Focus on Connection, Community, Caring – Linda Carroll
11:50 a.m. – Lunch and break announcements – Heather Thomas
12:00 p.m. – LUNCH and Recess
1:00 p.m. – Break-out Workshop #1
2:00 p.m. – Break-out Workshop #2
3:00 p.m. – Break-out Workshop #3
4:00 p.m. – Bathroom break; Re-group and Gather in Sanctuary.
4:15 p.m. – Singing
4:30 p.m. – Love in Action suggestions – Priscilla Galasso
4:45 p.m. – Closing thoughts – Jill McAllister
6:00 p.m. – Dismissal

Workshops and More!

Walking Connections – Priscilla Galasso

We will begin with circle time in the parking lot to introduce ourselves and focus our attention on the possibilities for connection during our walk. We will walk on paved paths west along Circle Blvd to Witham Hill Nature Area, where we will follow the Upper Loop trail through the woods and then return to the UUFC. The total distance is approximately 3 miles with about 200 feet of elevation gain. The pace will be moderate. Please dress for the weather, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring your water bottle.
This workshop will run from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Listening and Telling: The Yin and Yang of Connection – Shikha Gottfried

The stories we choose to tell others reflect part of the identity we portray as we move through the world. In this workshop, we’ll explore deepening our connection to one another by sharing small slices of our stories via a few guided questions, and perhaps along the way finding threads of shared experiences that you didn’t know existed in this community. This workshop finds inspiration from the book Between the Listening and The Telling: How Stories Can Save Us by Mark Yaconelli. Please bring a small object that symbolizes for you a time when you were either deeply cared for, or that you really gave of yourself to care for someone else.
One hour

Connections within sewing and stitching circles – Amy Ayers

A brief history and celebration of women gathering in circles to knit, sew, quilt, or practice any other needle art as a part of community, necessity, charitable works, and political action. Please bring any portable needle art project you may be currently working on such as knitting, crochet, needle point or embroidery to work on while we share our projects and consider the power of women gathered together in sewing circles for connection, learning, and sometimes to promote political and social change.
One hour

Poetry and Hats – a lighthearted way to share poetry. – Jean Gilbert

Please bring three poems and three hats. ALL types of hats are welcome! We will read the poems aloud while wearing the hats, with stories about our choices as time allows. I’ll have a few extra poems and hats in case you forget to bring them.
One hour

Foods to build Community, Connection, and Caring – Ann Marchant

Community: Each person’s micro-biome is a community of microbes – some beneficial, others not so much. Which foods promote a healthy gut community?

Connection: the Gut – Brain Connection plays a major role in mental health. Food choices help guide that connection.

Caring: What do you bring to potlucks? Is everyone welcome at your table? Introducing “Universal Meals,” developed by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine. Even most people with food sensitivities can enjoy these delicious recipes.   https://www.pcrm.org/universalmeals 
One hour

Ukraine and our connection to the world community – Irja Galvan

Join Irja as she shares her knowledge of and caring connection to the Ukraine. Learn and discuss more about the current crisis and how we all are connected to it.
One hour

Word Play – Bonnie Morihara

Come play with your choice of different “illuminated” acrostic forms. Add words to represent various UU or personal values and color the pages. Or complete an alphabetical acrostic. What fun! Materials: pre-printed forms, colored pencils and pens which Bonnie will supply. Your playful, creative mind: you supply.
One hour

Belly Dancing – Dawn Dirks

Come learn some basic belly dance moves. For Dawn, this dance form is sacred dance, ritual dance, Goddess dance. Sacred dance has probably been practiced for as long as humans have been able to move and to think about what it means to practice spirituality. This workshop will include gentle stretches and slow, low-impact movement. No dance experience is necessary – just bring your open heart and willingness to move your sacred body in ways that may be new for you. Dawn will bring hip scarves and silk veils for participants to use during the session. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one for a short meditation at the end of the session.
One hour

Living Room Conversations – Nancy Haldeman
Limited to 8 participants

Join Nancy in discussing “Coronavirus – Reflecting and Transitioning”. Each person speaks to questions provided for up to 2 minutes each with no cross talk.
1½ hours

2022 Women’s Retreat Planning Team:

Amy Ayers
Priscilla Galasso
Kris Egan
Heather Thomas
Bonnie Morihara