Coming Home, home coming....

I arrived on the evening of October 8th 2009. My moving van came on the 10th and the next few days were a blur of unpacking and exhaustion. I just wanted to do nothing for a week but the pressure of my list of orders was forcing me to get the studio up and running. I have unpacked the studio, most of the kitchen, and my clothes. I haven't found my tea kettle yet!

I have wanted to do a full write up on my cross country trek.
Each day I find myself too tired and it is all starting to blur.
I have many photos to upload. My trip across the country was overwhelming at times, and wonderful and terrible all at once. I cried my way across the country. I sang along with my old tapes. I pulled over when I got too tired. Shadow was my ambassador of good will. I had adventures. I talked to Jim several times a day and also to Gary my truck driver. He (Gary) became my guardian angel and checked in with me each day as we wandered across America. He calls me sister. I think he is an amazing human being and a true gift. Who knew? we met up for lunch in Nashville.
Arriving here was such a relief and overwhelming. The tears continued to flow for many days...but somehow within the last few days I feel differently...more grounded and at peace.
My kiln is up and running and I rakued a few days ago. Somehow being fully back at work made the difference. Living with Jim is the easy part, letting go is the hard part. I do feel guilty for leaving those I hold so dear behind. I do mourn the loss of parts of my old life. I am sure that this is where I am supposed to be. I love being around Jim...it just feels right.
The land here is so beautiful. Great rolling farmland, huge hardwood trees, asters, ragweed, queen anne's lace, pokeweed, mullein, grasses and cattails...cows, donkeys, white squirrels, goats and horses, hay fields and corn. It is much like Vermont but more hardwoods and more open. I still get lost on the backroads and don't have a clear picture in my head of the geographic relationship of the small towns around me.
I wonder if I will get a Southern accent?
I'll post pictures and travel stories soon. I promise!
Tomorrow I will be going to the Southern Highland's Craft Show in Asheville that Jim is selling his work in. I'll meet his friends and check out the other artists and help him break down his booth at the end of the day.
Living with another artist is amazing in so many little ways. It is like we speak the same secret language and flow with the same rhythms that working with clay imposes.

Misty Mountains of Utah (below), Cortez, CO (right)

Idaho

Abandoned Homestead

Eastern Washington Balloon and Birds

Yakima, WA Lumberyard FIRE!!!

Eastern, WA or Oregon....

Going and Coming

After seriously underestimating how long it would take to pack up my household things and my studio by about a factor of ten....I was rescued by several friends and my driver Gary Duplex. Gary is from Tennessee and came a day ahead of time and helped me do a marathon packing session along with a great local young man named Blake that a friend recommended for the job.
What I learned from this experience is more than I can easily put into words. The stress just about did me in. The kindness sent my way was very special and still brings me to tears. I am learning so much with each new day. I feel incredibly loved and I also find people has been so incredibly open with me lately. My conversations have so much depth and honesty and sometimes I am even overwhelmed by it all. I have had people releasing some very painful and private feelings and history...none of which I can discuss. I am left with a feeling that we all carry around some very intense hurts, illnesses, loneliness and broken relationships.

I am in Kamas Utah with about 2,000 miles to go on this trip. I have had a very intensely amazing trip so far and I will be posting photos and going into more details. So far I have experienced the immensity of driving through the steep Cascade mountain range, driving through the east sides of Washington and Oregon seeing vast rolls of hay, alfalfa, sugar beets, hops and fruit. In Idaho the rock formations have been intense and remind me of Keflavik,
Iceland.
I have been visiting with family in Idaho and now in Utah..meeting my great nieces and nephews.
The 2 nights I have spent in motels have been a study in contrasts. My first night was in a small old motel full of Hispanic families along with a bunch of kittens and puppies. All the little girls loved petting my small old dog Shadow and I had a great time hanging out with babies , toddlers and middle school aged boys who shared their remote controlled cars and kittens with me. Last night I stayed at a pet friendly Best Western that was luxurious and also had good energy. The restaurant next door was fairly empty and the other guests , our waitress and I had a great conversation. The waitress is a lesbian and she and her partner are trying to decide if they should have a child together. So the conversations ranged far and wide from travel, school to becoming a parent.
I traveled to Salt Lake City today and met up with Stan Roberts of XAZ Beads. He and I met years ago in Seattle at the gift show and we have talked a few times since. He gave me advise on how to build a small electric raku fired kiln. I loved seeing his set up and unique firing tricks. He is a tall slender sweet man with a great smile and lots of wisdom. I will post photos later.
Its is almost 3 am so back to bed...
Reminders to self: write about dumpster diving, keys in the car, cell phone hell, impressions of the places I have been, saying good bye one last night and gifts of the open road....fishing dreams and babies..................
More later..Pictures too.

Upstage Benefit concert for Serena and my Guardian Angel arrives!

Here is a photo of Jasper and me as he played with water in my sink. Just water and bubbles can make the best play things!

Last night I packed until 9:00 pm and thought I should go to bed early. But instead at the last minute I decided to head into town and go to a benefit concert at the Upstage in Port Townsend. Serena's 103 year old cello has broken and is being repaired in Seattle with an estimated cost of $2,000.

She is a beautiful young single mother, composer and passionate musician. The turn out was great and the whole event came together under the direction of Joe Breskin who managed to network through his vast email list and get folks to come and play music and donate to the cause.

The quality of the music was excellent, deep and heartfelt. It was more than special to experience this event.


Today my Guardian Angel arrived in the form of a truck driver from Tennesee. Gary is a special man and he came a day early and is helping me pack. I have been so completely overwhelmed by the volume of stuff that has to be packed. Even with help I was and still am far behind. We just about have the house all done and while he and some local hired help load up what is in boxes I will tackle the rest of the studio packing in the morning. My assistant Rose spend 3 days packing bisqued animals and plaster molds. River helped tape up and pack the glazes over the weekend. I have had so much help with packing and the yardsale.

Many thanks to all my dear sweet loving and kind friends who have brought me food, helped set up and breakdown the yardsale stuff, taken trash to the dump and checked in often. I feel loved.

I do not have a lap top and this computer will get packed up tomorrow morning. So the next entries will be from borrowed computers along the way. I will take photos and upload as I get the opportunity. Tomorrow Jenny is cleaning my car for the trip...sweet!

The last few months have by far been the most difficult in my life. Great highs and lows.

As excited as I am about leaving for North Carolina and living with Jim I am also very sad about leaving this community that has made me feel more loved and enfolded than any other place I have ever lived.

Leaving Jenny and Jasper is heart breaking. I will visit of course, but it just isn't going to be the same.

Crying a River.....

Last night was my going away party hosted by Jill Beaumont and Tom Lemmons. They set up for the party in a small grove of young trees with a circle of Adirondack chairs, picnic table and a wonderful fire in a deep fire pit. Most of my friends were able to come. Some coming as from as far away as San Juan Island which is 2 ferry rides from the north where I raised my sons. My dear friends River and Chinmayo (the San Juan Island friends) came early and helped me pack and to cheer me up. They are deep souls and among some of the finest women I know. Each have lived through hard times and painful life experiences to only become stronger and more full of life and creativity. They are amazing people. They love deeply and give of them selves fully.

Actually I think I could say that about most of my friends here.

As I looked around I realized that my friends are artists, musicians, writers, story tellers, fishermen and healers, gardeners, great cooks, world travelers, committed community minded seekers after the ideal of a better way of living, sharing and relating to the blessing of living on the fragile planet we call home. Otto, Kristin, Joe and Buzz played music, the potluck was sumptuous and made mostly from local fish and fruit and vegetables. Carrie cooked the huge roast beast I had left from the 1/4 of a beef cattle from a local farm. Had to defrost that freezer!

We live in one of the most bountiful places on the planet.

I can only absorb just so much right now. I am so overwhelmed and fragile and find it hard to let go and say my good byes and hear all the loving words of support and friendship.

Pam danced with me and sang a sweet impromptu love rhyme in my ears.. The tears flowed.

I had to say good bye to my son Tucker early this morning as he headed out to Lopez Island and then home to Mt Baker with a truck load of his broken motorcycle, dirt bike and snow mobile...He sold the broken 1979 Toyota 4x4 pick up to a local off roader and will sell the rest for whatever he can get. He is determined to not accumulate more "projects" that he doesn't actually get to! A great life lesson many of us need to learn. He is most likely headed to Alaska again to continue with Avalanche and Rescue training. He is a certified Heli-sking Guide.

My other son Evan started his first semester at Whatcom Community College and just found out his Pell Grant came through! I think he is going to do very well in school. I am proud of both of them.

I have had some wonderful support with friends helping me pack and even bringing me food. I have lots 10 lbs....combination of stress and being really strict with my new diet to control my diabetes. Feels really good to be losing weigh. 10 lbs to go..seems attainable.

I'll hopefully make my deadline of being ready by Friday for the moving van! It seems impossible to pull off. Hopefully tomorrow will be a day of more packing and less crying! Cavin Richie is going to build a crate for one of my kilns....more kindness and generosity.....My plants are finding new homes and my treasures are mostly packed. If you stop by I will put you to work!

I'm officially tired of crying.

Today I fired my last raku firing that I'll do on Blossom Lane in Port Townsend, WA. Then I cried.


I shipped several orders to galleries today, even one to The Netherlands! I cried after saying good bye to the staff at the local UPS Store. Audrey, the owner, has become a friend over the years along with Lynn who also works there. They are dog lovers and even have special soft dog treats for my small dog Shadow who is 15 years old. When I first moved here I hardly knew anyone and going to ship my orders out was a treat. Right from the start I felt a special connection to the place. They saved boxes for me and always asked about Shadow if for some reason I didn't bring him, which was rare. I walked out and cried as I drove away.


Tonight I baby sat Jasper my 2 year old godson. This is the last time I will babysit him for a long time.We cuddled on the sofa and I made up stories about rabbits and squirrels with Jasper as the hero in many a tale. I shed more tears sitting in the car as I drove off.


I am getting really tired of crying......

Raven Box

I was playing with cigar boxes one summer. Transforming them with paint, glass bead feet and embossing velvet for the lining. I had not painted for many years and once again fell in love with the magic of color. I have done a few others but this first one is still my favorite. The handle on this box is from my apple tree in Friday Harbor, WA