Rec Lab 2018

Tags

fun, Rec Lab

Another Rec Lab has come and gone and it was again, full of fun and lovely people, most of whom I only get to see once a year but who I love dearly.  The amazing thing this year was the cohesiveness of the entirety of Rec Lab.

Typically we have a Discussion Leader that talks about one thing, a Monday Night Celebration that is usually a theme of a different sort, and Fireside evening programs which are quite diverse as well.  But this year was somewhat magical in the way that Discussion Leader Connie Nunemaker’s talks, focused on Gardening and including our friends the pollinators, was carried through in the Monday Night Flower Power celebration and the Fireside talks which had a number of links to butterflies and stories from the beautiful garden of life.  Even the donated items for the Fundraising Auction were linked in many ways to gardens with plants and floral handmade items.

And Tea Time was fantastic with its garden theme.  Barb Benson outdid herself with an organized, well-planned, and beautiful set-up for each afternoon’s refreshments.  She included a focus on sustainability that I really loved: For every time you brought your own mug, you got an entry into the drawing – for one of her husband Jewitt’s artistic cards.  [And there must have been a lot of us participating since I didn’t win once! ;-)]  I am hopeful that Barb’s efforts will continue to guide the Tea Time committee well into the future… until someone comes up with an even better way of doing things, once again.

I was so happy that Connie Nunemaker agreed to speak for Rec Lab as she was a delight and a thrill for many who gushed about how much they enjoyed the Discussion.  She truly had something for everyone.  From soil science to flower bombs, the language of flowers to free plants for your garden, she led informative talks where everyone learned a little something.  One of the more interesting points was about rainfall and how one of the reasons it greens everything up is because, as rain falls, it gathers nitrogen from the air (which is about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen) and puts it into the soil.  Nitrogen is what makes plants greener.  So after a rainfall, everything looks to have greened up significantly for good reason!

But as is the case with any large event, there were shortcomings.  And these are a chance for us to learn, though I sometimes wish that I could learn more easily.

What I learned through my failures this year is that, instead of working on how to proactively prevent issues, I should focus on how to reactively deal with what I foresee as potential problems – though this year I failed on both counts for the main concern I had.  Maybe that’s why I got to hear from those hurt most in the debacle.  It’s a penance I’m willing to pay though I wish I’d had the foresight to prevent the issues in the first place.

I struggle with the concept of letting things happen as they will… simply “learning from them for next time”.  Some may feel that it is only through failing that we learn… or maybe that we learn best through failure.  I can agree with the latter but not the former.

My dad often said, “Experience is a dear school.  A fool will learn by no other.”  Perhaps it is because I heard this so often that I am the way I am… constantly looking to make things better, constantly evaluating and dreaming of the next best iteration, always looking for the group to discuss ideas in hopes that, together, we can avoid pitfalls and find our best success.

I’ve seen many groups come up with amazing solutions… things one person alone would have never developed so quickly.  I have always thought that was the purpose of a Board ~ to develop ideas as a group, to keep each other on task and on target, to assure we are moving forward as a full team for our best effort.  I’ve helped many groups, often with non-aligned end goals to find win-win solutions so I know it can work.  It was one of my favorite things to do as an engineer in the steel industry.  Perhaps it’s just that I lack the skillset to do that like I once could.  Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s Minnesota.

A friend recently shared with me, “Board work can be soul sucking.”  I can see through my experience on many boards that this is often true.  I have seen success stories and had many good experiences, but it seems that it’s often some of the most trying work I’ve done.  Maybe it’s because it’s voluntary work!

But I believe it’s more because I care too much.  Dan told me as I struggled this year:

Very few are capable of going ALL IN like you do. Many have fears that hold them back from a full commitment to something. Most Americans worry more about their own image.  When we let that go then we become empowered to truly help others.  You have a gift and the freedom to share that.  This scares those who cannot understand it.

Maybe.  In discussions prior to the spring Board meeting I had the encouragement of multiple Board members in bringing up my topic of concern.  However, when I brought the idea to the floor, I stood alone.  I was immediately accused of “stepping on the toes” of another committee.  I guess I thought we were all on the same team!  Instead of being seen as an idea to discuss as a Board, my idea was seen as an attack on multiple fronts.  And instead of fighting for it, I just let it die.  Being off-site for the meetings doesn’t allow as much personal interaction or reading of body language in the room.  Perhaps this is part of the reason I seem to lack the capability I once had in business, and even on other Boards.

And I do jump ALL IN.  But I’m finally learning that it just isn’t worth beating my head against the rock.  [It always seems to take me longer than others to learn this… I’m pretty tenacious.  Or maybe just not so smart…]

Another friend recently advised, “When you feel like you’re caring too much, think to yourself, how much will this matter in five years.”  I’ve revised this down to five months or even five weeks.  And sometimes, it’s only five days to realize that most of life is really irrelevant in the grand scheme.  In reality, it’s all just an experience here on Earth.

I believe I am finally at a place where I can let go this year, my last as a Rec Lab Board Member, and fully enjoy the event without becoming consumed with trying to assure we’re thinking of everything, avoiding all the pitfalls, making everything awesome!  I am doing well so far to not need to correct any typos in the minutes, to not need to address any actions during the meetings, to not feel a need to put in my two cents.  OK.  Let me be honest.   I FEEL the need to do these things.  I’m just deciding to not do them.  I’m letting things be as they are.  My input is not required.  Nothing is really critical enough to necessitate my involvement.  It’s an idea I contemplate frequently these days.

And I am hopeful that, at next year’s Rec Lab, I will not be a detriment to my friends and roommates – who BTW did a wonderful job of encouraging me and helping me through this year as I struggled.  I thank them for their caring compassion.  It meant the world.

For Rec Lab 2019, all I need to do is assure that the Art Show is prepped for displaying the created works next May.  [Sorry, Laura, I’m taking the easy gig this year!!  Though Discussion turned out to be pretty easy too so I hope you enjoy it instead.]

And there were plenty of things for which to be grateful and proud.

• Watching the fun at Monday’s celebration unfold was hilarious!!  All those women with low hanging balls!  And seeing the creativity of costumes was wonderful.
• Watching as so many people took time to care for others ~ helping them learn, sharing experience, and being creative ~ was inspiring.
• Hearing the Fireside stories was heartwarming, funny, and challenging.  Tina shared a story about assuring you don’t live life too quickly and instead enjoy the moments, even the tough ones, as they are often the ones that bring you closer to each other.

I guess my painful moments gave me a chance to let others care for me and I am so grateful that they were there for me.  And it allowed others to give me insights that helped me see where I need to go from here.  Though some of those insights were painful, they turned out to be the most informative and helpful.

It’s hard for me to take a back seat and “not care” (as I put it).  As with any experience, I am hopeful that the growing pains will bring good lessons that lead to improvement.  And, in all reality, most of the downfalls were not enough to ruin what is, by and large, a wonderful event at a happy place.

Here are some of my favorite things…

Redneck Life with Laura Burlis, Ann Hippensteel, and Jill Featherwolf (thanks, Jill!); my polymer clay time; June’s collaborative switch plate (this is the heart of Rec Lab to me – working together to create something beautiful); my upcycled thrift shop finds ($4); Tracy Gulliver’s “star” talk (love it when a first year attendee jumps right in to participate!); Laura, me & Lutz ~ Hippy Time;  Mother Nature – Connie Nunemaker (this year’s Discussion Leader); more of my polymer clay and Jill’s Owl – love him!; and me – Happy (jacket before photo).

I also loved Laura Burlis’ Glacier Trip presentation – FABULOUS!!  Another example of why we shouldn’t rush through things… she spent almost an hour on this – AFTER Fireside – and had a HUGE audience.  And my most favorite time is Art Show where we can see all the wonderful work from our week together.  Here’s a video.

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So Lucky in Our Life

Tags

DIY, fun, local

So many blessings in the last couple months!  I don’t even know where to begin and I’m sure I will leave out several of the most wonderful things…  But I am starting to believe that some of the wonderfulness is because of our gratitude.  We are continually saying, “How lucky are we?!?”  It’s like good things just keep coming our way.  And I will keep giving thanks for it all, and hope it keeps delivering.

One of the first signs of spring are baby lambs and goats.  Our friends at Split Oak Farm have both.  Their lambs were rescued triplets from a local farm that keeps the best two of a litter and these sweeties are so small!  I never knew a lamb could be as little as a cat!  And this is at some days old.  I happened to be going for a visit with friend Connie who was helping Angie make an apron from an old linen tablecloth.  That tablecloth never looked so good as when they were finished.  A beautiful upcycle.  Anyhow, the lambs had arrived earlier that week and they were so adorable.  A few days later, Connie and I had a trip to town and so we stopped by the Farm on our way home.  Good thing!  Angie was just bringing out milk for the little lambs and we got to help!  We also got to see baby goats – four of them at the time – two new born and two a few days old, all adorbz!  Connie and I got to play farmer as we helped move two ewes to a birthing pen and relocate a momma and baby that had gotten into a wrong space.  Those goats are sneaky little devils!  All in all, I’m glad we don’t have livestock at our homestead… but I’m sure glad to have lots of farmer friends who do. 🙂

Another farmer couple, Jill & Randy at Merry Gardens Farm, are remodeling their kitchen and we (mostly Dan) are helping with the project.  They pay us good… in food!!  Every time we visit, we end up having a meal and it’s always, in part and sometimes almost in whole, harvest from their land.  We’ve had pork liver and onions, roasted potatoes, beets, and Brussels sprouts, pork chops, and Thai cabbage salad.  Yes, Thai food!!  Jill is an amazing cook and on a recent visit we had both the Thai cabbage salad and Thai noodles.  It was like a dream in rural Minnesota where most of the food tends toward the white and bland.  Her recipes for the two sauces were very similar – a mix of Liquid Aminos (GF soy sauce), garlic, peanut butter, chili sauce, oil and honey – but just different enough to give a nice contrast.  Oh, just yummy!!  And she also makes several varieties of mean tapioca pudding – my favorite.  We never leave their place hungry.

Winter at Merry Gardens is quiet in the fields but we also get to see baby piglets.  These Red Wattles are SO SWEET!! I just love their sleek ruddy coats and their sturdy little frames.  They are really manageable for the first couple weeks and then they are past the cuddle stage.  But they are still fun.  Their market pigs were cracking me up as they ran through the fields rearing up and taking off for no apparent reason.  And even the older sows and boars are wonderful.  Most of them are talkers and they are like little dogs the way they play with Jill when she steps into their pen.  They have some Mangalitsas which are like a velcro pig.  When they are little piglets, they look like sheep in their white fuzzy coats.  And maybe my favorite is Moses, the big boar who, when I call his name, comes running out to meet me like a big kid.  He has the best smile.  And he knows when I call his name I usually have food!  But his real buddy is Randy, as this video shows.  I don’t know who is cuter, Moses or Randy.  Merry Gardens Farm really love their pigs.

But it’s not all fun and games.  The market pigs require castration to prevent “boar taint”, an unfavorable smell or taste caused by the sex hormones testosterone and androstenone.  Though Randy had asked me to help last season, daughter Molly ended up being available.  But this season I got my chance to help.  It was a not difficult process and Randy made it very quick.  I had Danny film us and hope to eventually get a video posted for informational purposes.  Though it may take me a while because I realized it is much harder to watch (a requirement for video editing) than to do the actual castration.  In the moment, I was focused on trying to assure the pig was still for Randy’s process and comforted… as best I could.  Randy says it’s the hardest part of raising these guys.

Crafting has been magically happening in my life as well.  Neighbor Connie and I took a Craft Day to attend the Creative Spirit Fiber Festival and visit Anderson Fabric Outlet.  It was a wonderful event followed by a huge sale.  SO MUCH Creativity and Imagination!! My favorite gal at the fair was Lisa Jordan of Lil Fish Studio. You should check her out. She’s super fun. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=193090157396798&ref=content_filter

And all that fiber watching ended up being a good inspiration for a project that came about due to Connie mentioning “making puppets”.  Turns out my friend Steph’s son Rook LOVES Boss Baby and I had the crazy idea that I would make him a puppet for one of the characters from the movie.  Steph said Tim was his favorite character but I knew I would have to also make a Boss Baby puppet too.  And we did!

How does the Fiber Festival factor in?  Well, when it came to hands and shoes, I decided felted wool might be the easiest option.  And it sure was… with Char’s help.  Char (of Char’s Yarn Basket just down the road from me) is an amazing artist and I knew she’d be able to help me with my project.  Sure enough, we got it done.  I believe my favorite parts of Tim are the jeans and shoes.  And his head is the best of the two puppets (Connie did the paper mache work on it).

All in all, we are truly blessed.  Even the icky stuff that seems to happen ends up having a positive impact – lessons learned, relationships strengthened.  I hope that you are feeling blessed in your life too!

Storyteller Michael Venske

Tags

fun, storytelling

I knew I’d likely be going to see Storyteller Michael Venske in the Farm by the Lake Storyteller series and, after reading the report on his event in the Farmers Independent and on FB, I definitely knew I wanted to meet this guy.

Michael… spends his (time) on projects that help the greater good.  ~ Michael Venske Event Promotion

From recordings for Hazelden, teachings on de-escalation techniques for individuals in mental health crises, HIV awareness videos, performing environmental comedy shows, and working with First Witness Child Advocacy Center teaching law enforcement how to conduct forensic interviews with victims of childhood sexual abuse… this guy has spent a lot of time working on the greater good.

And he spent three years in China teaching English.  I was anxious to hear his reporting as compared with what Tom had shared with us years ago after his trip to China.  Michael seemed the kind of guy who’d be up for adventure. So what did I do?  I reached out to him!

I sent him a message and, as I expected, he immediately responded.  He ended up calling the house and we chatted about the possibilities of meeting, deciding that he’d come for a meal with us during his visit to Clearwater County.

Michael came by our place for lunch prior to the Library gig and we chatted for a while and then had a nice local food lunch including pork roast from Split Oak Farms along with pickles and green beans from Merry Gardens Farm that Connie and I canned this past fall.  We ended with some warm tapioca with a bit of coconut added – this is becoming a great go-to dessert for me of late.

We shared a bit of our story with him and Michael noted, after being introduced to our Rocket Mass Heater, that his story today would include a fireplace aspect.  I was impressed when he mentioned his “Rumford” fireplace.  Ah, a kindred spirit…  We told stories all through lunch and then Michael and I headed to his gig while Dan wrapped up at the Harn.  It was endless back and forth during our ride to Bagley.

We had a good crowd at the Bagley Library where Dawn Loeffler and Marty Cobenais from Farm by the Lake had prepared a wonderful place for him that included a fake fireplace!  The story went up and down, from dramatic and compelling to hilarious (yes, I was laughing out loud – a lot!).  It pulled us all forward and then circled back and then wrapped up with a warm and comforting close.  The crowd was very happy with his performance.  Lots of laughs and a few good things to ponder.  We had a lovely Q&A session at the end and I was surprised by several questions – these people knew a few things about Michael’s work – what a prepared audience!!

A really fun day of meeting a new friend.  I was thrilled to learn more about this amazing guy.  He’s worked on some wonderful projects, one of my favorites of which is training police officers on de-escalation practices for interacting with people with mental illness.  I had some ideas on how we could really use this training to help improve our law enforcement in Minnesota.  But I’m most looking forward to sharing more with him on one of my favorite subjects, which as he was wrapping up the day I found also interests him, Death.

Dan and I have decided Michael can come visit us at the Harn any time, especially if he brings his pink robe!  And Athena.

Photo credit: http://michaelvenske.com/about/

C&C with C&A

Tags

DIY, fun

What a week of fun!!  Cooking and Crafting with Connie and Angie.

I am feeling so lucky in many of the new friends we have up here in the North Woods and two of the best are Connie and Angie.  Luckily for me, Connie lives close enough that we’re talking about biking to each other’s homes… once summer comes ’round again!  And even though Angie is farther away, she has cute bunnies and goats and the best cat ever, Helga, so I get there too.  Both of these ladies have something that I do not… a real kitchen with stoves, ovens, running water that doesn’t go into a bucket. 😀

But the other thing they have is a love of crafts.  We started the crafting venture with Wire-wrapped Pendants and now we’re on to Driftwood Art, which uses some of the same techniques.  While Connie focused more on the bead creations aspect, Angie and I both made a Driftwood piece.  And we all chatted and chillaxed and created.  Here’s our work: Angie’s, mine and two for Connie.

So much fun!  I am loving this creative outlet.  It is amazing to see where it all goes as it’s a natural process and came sometimes turn out different than you expect.

So this was the second day this week for creation at Connie’s as she and I had done cooking too.  We worked on a few Gluten Free (GF) recipes and had good luck with all though we thought we’d only had luck with about half.  So, we started with a GF Beet Chocolate Cake… I KNOW!  It sounds weird.  But it’s really good.  I wasn’t sure but I really ended up liking it a lot.  Even Danny liked it!  So.  One success.

We had some weirdness along the way like a hard boiled egg in with the regular ones.  But we tried three different cracker recipes with mixed results.  The Sesame Seed crackers were the best of the three – nice and flaky, crunchy and tasty.  The Corn Puffs did not really puff – and while these were the third favorite, they were too salty.  This lead to several ideas on how we could improve on the recipe and we plan to implement three of those ideas by making a few more batches for the Super Bowl Feast.  The least workable was an Almond Flour Flax Seed cracker which we didn’t use Almond Flour to make.  Yeah, maybe most of the problem.  The substitution flours were likely too absorbant and we ended up with a VERY crisp cracker.  Too dry.  But the spice blend was good and Dan declared them “good”.  So, we can claim 4 victories… of sorts!

We’ve got lots of crafting and cooking plans so I’ll keep you posted if we have more fantastic adventures to share with you all.  Hope you are having your own successful creative endeavors as well.

Love Water Not Oil Tour 2017

Tags

activism, fun, local music, Women

What a fantastic weekend we had in Duluth!  We headed over to hit the Honor the Earth 5th Annual Love Water Not Oil Tour featuring Nahko Bear and Annie Humphrey among others.  We decided to go over Saturday and get oriented and see town before the Sunday concert.

We arrived in the afternoon and headed to the AirBnB in Hermantown.  When we arrived, Josh, our host, was building a pergola on the large patio deck.  They have a private entrance space with a living room, dining area with refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave, bathroom and three bedrooms each with a queen bed.  It’s a lovely and simple space with a nice bed and enough pillows.  Super clean and quiet.  We really enjoyed relaxing in this space late in the evening but first, we headed to the Canal Walk.

We found tremendous traffic at the Canal Park.  We finally found a parking space under the solar panels near Sister Cities Park and the Lakewalk.  We enjoyed rock spotting and seeing the wide open Lake Superior as we walked the shore but it was dirtier than the North Shore – a little too industrial for me.  There were a bunch of young men enjoying The CRIBS, also referred to as Uncle Harvey’s Mortuary, a large concrete structure of varied legend.  Like little crabs, the boys scuttled along the thin walls of the structure, occasionally jumping from the heights.

We headed inland toward the Dewitt-Seitz Marketplace, recommended by friend Anne Paulson who once lived in Duluth.  We found the Blue Heron, like a compact Crate and Barrel, to be full of lovely spices, sauces, cookware, tools and table coverings. A really fun space to explore.  Just across the way is the Art Dock, full of fun treasures.  We didn’t have time to head up to J. Skylark  but their lower level window display looked really enticing.  We were out of time and had to head to our parking space.  From there we headed up to Downtown and stopped after finding a back alley parking spot (free!) to the Electric Fetus.   It was like going back in time and I took some time to listen to the top albums – none of which was familiar and only one of which made an impression.  Sammy Brue might be worth a listen if you’re into young upcomers.

We decided to head to the neighborhood with the Co-op grocery on 4^th Street – neighborhoods with co-op groceries are usually pretty great.  We found some good stuff – raw cashews for more Ambrosia, some quick packs of Indian food for dinner, cheese curds (hey we are super close to Wisconsin here – they gotta be good!), and some organic tortilla chips (not very good but cheap).  At the checkout, we asked the guy if there was a good place for a little picnic lunch.  He directed us toward Canal Park and we said, “No, no… that’s too People-y.  You know any place less People-y?”  “Ah,” he says, “Lester Park.  There are nice waterfalls.  It’s a little hike in but worth it.”  So we put it in the Google Map and head toward 51^st and Juniata.  We get there and it’s a pump house. 😦  Just to the left, there appears to be a small parking area… and we see a Butterfly Garden (sorry no pic as we were super non-plussed) which had a couple benches among some sparse wildflowers.  We found a short trail and hiked over the flora finally stumbling upon a small creek.  We decided this could NOT be the right place – no waterfalls.  So we checked again and Google said we need to be at 61^st and Superior.  Ah, yes, this is the place!  We drove up in search of a parking place and find the entrance to The Deeps at the top of the hill. If you go in at the trail at the purple circle, you will hike a mere 20 feet and find yourself at an amazing space in the middle of town.  There are 30’ falls that pour into what is called The Deeps – a deep hole into which the locals cliff dive.  Above this space is a rolling rocky creek with smaller falls where Dan took this photo.

We lounged in the water, climbed the rocks and explored for a bit before heading back to the AirBnB taking the Seven Bridges Road ~ we’ve traveled it now!  We took Skyline road up to the top and saw the Hawk Ridge Reserve though no migrations are scheduled until fall… mid-September looks like prime time, though you’ll want Halloween time for seeing the big Eagles.

We actually watched some TV at the AriBnB – Red Green.  Nothing really worth watching on that black box.  Don’t miss TV a bit.

The next morning, we headed into Superior, Wisconsin to hit the Anchor Bar and Grill – Yep, Sunday is a busy day for this little dive.  Their menu is hilarious!  I highly recommend this super cheap burger joint.  Fresh fries and good burgers.  Dan had the Bacon Cheeseburger and I had the Cashew Burger (cashews and swiss – yum).  There was another couple looking for a quiet table – the Elvis was blasting.  Since we’d done the same thing minutes before and had room at our table, we asked them to join us.  They were waiting for their friend, “Crazy Nancy Nelson” (who did turn out to be a HOOT!), and we had room for three so the two sat.  Julie and Joey Sando turned out to be a splendid addition to our party.  She soon mentioned they were seeking driftwood for her art.  Art?  What kind of art does she do?  Stained glass.  And driftwood???  Well, you should check out her stuff – it’s pretty awesome. I forwarded her info to the Rec Lab Creative Activities committee because she’s seems like a lot of fun.  Looking forward to seeing her again sometime.  So glad we invited them all to join us as it made our brunch a super fun time.

After burger breakfast, we headed to the Bayfront Festival Park for the Love Water Not Oil show.  Arriving early again, we walked directly into the venue and found the Honor The Earth organizers who asked if we were volunteers.  So I guess we could have volunteered and got in the show free but we’re happy to send funds to HTE.  We ended up volunteering anyway and were assigned the vendor gate.  This was a happening place and I only got one F-Bomb from a lady who was really pissed she had to walk to the north entrance to enter with her ticket after walking all the way to this vendor gate already (like 100′).  It wasn’t that far a walk (maybe 100 paces further?) and I’m hopeful her day ended up going better.  The rest of the day I thanked the people we kept directing to the ticket entrance for not F-you-ing me and it gave us all lots of laughs… and perspective.  I guess that was payback for all the F-yous I’ve dished out to customer service people on the phone over the years!  I’m better than I used to be but still a work in progress.

So, the big perks of being at the vendor gate?  Got to see:

• Corey Medina ride out on his motorcycle for some wind in the hair before the show started.
• Friends Nicolette, Sarah & Keri from HTE coming in to set up tables and Cedar heading in and out for lunch.
• Greeting Winona LaDuke as she came in to begin the festivities with ceremony.
• Saying hi to Don again – he remembered me from the Futurists conference where we first met!  {Dan says I’m pretty unforgettable.  Aw, ain’t that sweet?}
• The arrival of the Teepees.
• Nahko Bear driving into the venue – AWESOME Groupie Moment. 🙂
• The adjacent and handy port-o-potties! We let several folks in to pee before they headed to the ticket entrance.  It was a super laid back show and fun to be a part of it all.

I was impressed with the ceremony that opened the show.  There were some prayers and songs and the elder that did ceremony for Winona spoke of the importance of honoring women – how we treat our women is how we treat the Earth.  So true.  It’s time for change.  She challenged us all to bring respect to how we allow others to treat us as women and to protect women assuring safety and respect for them all.  Maybe if we can find love and respect for each other, we can start to heal this planet in a big way.

The teepees were also inspiring.  They had the Keystone XL teepee and the teepee from Standing Rock.  Dan got some good shots.  The musical line-up followed:

• Elizabeth Jaakola & Family – Fond du Lac Musicians who sang great original songs with my favorite probably being Covfefe, which consisted of a bunch of mush mouth, jive talk and a perfectly understood chorus of “Covfefe”.  😉 I’d heard them doing this one at sound check and had chuckled my way to the vendor gate as I listened.  http://www.firstpeoplesfund.org/elizabeth-jaakola/ Nice songs about standing up for Mother Earth, being strong as Indigenous, and having fun too.
• Thomas X from the Red Lake Tribe – really nice Rez Rap. https://thomasx.bandcamp.com/  His tunes are all available online.  Support him if you can – he had a sweet little baby on the blanket with him when I stopped by to give him props.  Welcome to the Rez is a nice mix and I had my fist in the air for Standing Rock.  TOTALLY love this dude after giving more of his albums a listen today.  Check him out.
• Two for One – a South Minneapolis hip hop rapper. Couldn’t find him online anywhere but he had some good lyrics and seemed like a nice kid.
• Maria Isa, a self-described SotaRican, rapped her way through a set. I thought it was a strange sound – kind of all over the place – couldn’t really get into it before it changed into something else.  https://www.facebook.com/pg/iammariaisa/videos/?ref=page_internal
• Two short stints by the Sunshine Boys and a guy from California – both presented indigenous songs from their traditions – really nice stuff.
• Annie Humphrey – first time FINALLY getting to see her play live. What a powerful woman!  Here’s a great video perfect for this Love Water Not Oil show which is all about celebrating riding horses against the flow of the proposed pipeline… in case you didn’t know, Horses can Kill Snakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd6wsVgWoUI  It’s so interesting to see her perform – she is such a blend of her mother and daughter, both of whom I know better than I know Annie, that it creates a wonderful feeling inside me.  Thomas X mentioned that he first saw Annie perform when he was 13 and her performance brought him to tears.  I can definitely relate.  Beautiful voice, lovely music.  Definitely find your way to listening to some of Annie’s work.  Here’s Edge of America.
• Corey Medina and Brothers. FANTASTIC.  Great blues/rock sound.  Dan kept watching them thinking they looked really familiar… until we decided Corey reminds us a lot of Alex Crankshaft.  Here’s a Tiny Desk Concert they did (though the two cats with Corey in this one are much younger versions of the two on stage this weekend, Gary Broste & Eric Sundeen).  Ah, here’s one with them playing Want it All at Rail River Folk School.
• Nahko, AKA Nahko Bear, leader of Medicine for the People.  This was the artist that brought us to this show.  He spent most of the afternoon hanging out with the crowd… giving bear hugs, taking photos, chatting.  I was astounded at the variety of people coming out to see him.  I expected the hippies, the water protectors, the Indians but not the young white moms, old white ladies, three older white dudes from the Cities.  All ages from toddler to seniors, all colors.  I guess the only ones not represented were oil men and dumbass rednecks.  Dan and I were grateful to be the final photo op before he headed in for some lunch and pre-show preparation. And he remembered me as the one who welcomed him at the gate!

Definitely check out his music.  Here are a few videos:

• Love Letters to God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPVhnlZaZWs
• One of my faves… Vultures of Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P__iE8ISF5c
• And this one… super fun!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd1CHFfym1s
• Well, I just don’t think there’s any better ending for the blog than that.  Unless it’s this…  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMsOXgSb9o

Rec Lab 2017… and We’re on the Radio!

Tags

DIY, fun, Rec Lab

Well, Rec Lab 2017 was another wonderful week of seeing people I love and making Polymer Clay art.  But a big thrill mid-week was listening to the Call of the Wild show about the Harn.  https://beta.prx.org/stories/203798  What a thrill to hear how Milt Lee made a beautiful show of the much longer time we spent interviewing and touring at the Harn back on April 7th.  In 8 minutes, he covers a lot about our place.

It sure was nice to have a piece of home during Rec Lab.  The week at Lab is SO FULL of activity that I had to listen to half the interview before Tuesday’s Write Your Bio session and the second half just after class.  The Write Your Bio Fireside presentation of stories written during this Creative Activity session was just beautiful.  One of my favorite parts was when Ann read her story about her Uncle Galen (a long time Rec Labber who is sweet and funny) and she became so overwhelmed that another classmate came up to finish the reading for her.  Mimi started out strong but within a couple sentences, she too became overwhelmed.  Both finished their portions of the reading in tears but it was one of the most beautiful moments when they hugged at the end of it.  It was a wonderful example of how the beauty of writing can not only help us retain our stories but also find connection with each other.  This seemed to be a strand of continuity throughout this week at Rec Lab.

Our opening night of Lab included a Fireside of Stories giving various perspectives on how Rec Lab has impacted our lives.  Among the speakers were Lynn and Rhoda who spoke on the origins of Rec Lab, Gretchen on how a class can affect you by reading an A-Z poem she wrote during a previous Lab, Jane on how being a great creative artist is not a requirement for attending Lab, Mike on how we receive help and offer help to each other, and Katherine on how we can find acceptance just where we are in our lives.  I think it was a beautiful representation of the many ways that Lab brings us joy.  Colleen’s Joy for the Journey theme for Fireside this year made for many lovely nights spent in contemplating our joy before we headed to bed.  Or… as a brief, quiet respite between dinner/dancing and MORE CRAFTING!  I spent most nights in the Polymer Clay room continuing to work on my projects.

One of my favorite projects this week was a Fairy Door made for friend Char’s new Yarn Basket shop.  This photo shows it prior to baking and before I got the “knitting needles” (two little straight pins donated by BJ) in place.  I loved the mixed color I got with the lavender and metallic blue clays, the wood grain effects I copied from an example on Pinterest, the sweet roses, and the little yarn balls as a door decoration which were a perfect addition for a Yarn Shop Fairy Door!

Laura Burlis is an excellent instructor and helps each of us learn new techniques that we can use to continue instruction with people when we head back home.  I’m looking forward to having some friends over to make some lovely little turtles, ladybugs and other fun charms.  This year many made fairy houses and little gnomes and wizards as well in Polymer Clay.  This class is so fun that we often have visitors who stay to watch our work or check out our progress through the week. You can read more about Laura here: http://lolaartistsmn.blogspot.com/2014/07/laura-burlis-turns-polymer-clay-into.html?m=1

The one project I didn’t bring home was a Bottle of Hope.  The Polymer Clay Guild Laura belongs to does a project where they gather empty chemo vials and decorate them with clay, returning them to the hospital for patients to take home to brighten their days.  I used my favorite colors to decorate a whimsical jar that I hope someone will love.  The photo with me and the bottle was taken with my instructor and friend, Laura.  I also included a photo of Gretchen who made a lovely gift for her friend Alan along with a beautiful fairy house.  Everyone’s projects turned out so lovely!

Here are some photos of Friends’ work (Jenny’s painting and Will’s Clay and costumes by Jami, Christine and Tina):

There were lots of new things this year at Lab and some were a great success and some I know will be improved even further in 2018.  We had a LOT of information on classes prior to arriving at Lab and, once at Lab, had lots of info on where/when classes would take place.  Our implementation of Craft Talk (in previous years we did a Craft Walk) was OK but we hopefully will make that better next year.  Opening Night “Northland Derby” was tremendous with amazing food, games and decorations.  And the theme made for a laugh-filled Closing Night presentation created by Laura Burlis with loads of improv by the many Labbers in the show.  This show is our chance to poke some fun at the new Instructors and Discussion Leaders for the year’s Lab.  I really loved the bit on Paul’s Fly Tying class by Mike and Russ and the sister act of June and Gail on the Nature Pendants (by Kim) and Nature Hikes (by Dianne).  Ryan brought levity with his documentarian role (his REAL LIFE job).  The Basket girls (Amy, Hailey & Heather) were hilarious as were Lutz, Nick and Jacob as the “Horses” on their brooms and vacuum cleaners.  But my faves were likely Tina and Jenny who depicted our Energy Discussion Leaders Tina Simonetta-Samuels and Christine Simonetta.  They had me rolling on the floor, as were Tina and Christine!  You can see more about the Eden Energy Medicine the Discussion Leaders shared here: http://www.innersource.net/innersource/

Funny things I learned this year at Lab:

• There is an uncanny a resemblance between Jane and Nancy. (Also between Linda and Anita and apparently between me and Krista and Heather…)
• Lots of people enjoy dressing as poop collectors. (There were 6 of us at the Derby party – no fancy hats for us!!  Poo Crew from Iowa, me, Alan and the Discussion Leaders all donned our worst and swept up the Chocolate Bit-o-Honey poops!)
• Earthworms are BAD. (They eat all the duff – leaf matter – leaving nothing to protect the little seedling trees!)

Our week ended with a display at Art Show.  I will say this was a quite nice part of the week.  This had little to do with it being my committee and more to do with the many hands that jumped in to make it wonderful and, of course, the stunning array of art presented in the show.  There were several folks who helped set up and host the event (Mary L, Jewitt, Hailey, Jenny, Mary R, Vanjie – and whomever I forgot in all the hustle!) and the music truly made us look professional with Harp by Jacob and Keyboards, Guitar, Violin and Singing by the Jam Session crew (Jean, Jewitt, Marti, Nancy and Rhoda).  Thanks to Marti for getting that all in place for the Show.  I was so tickled with how it all fell into place.  I hope to get a video up soon of the event but editing my footage is still in process.  Watch for a link in next week’s blog…

There is just never enough time to do all the crafts you’d like.  I spent most of my time in Polymer Clay with a couple days in Write Your Bio and Yoga.  I also got in a Nature Walk with Dianne that taught me much about spring flowers, birds and worms.  A Naturalist by training, she gives a professional take to this Creative Activity!  And I made one of the two Book Group sessions as books are a BIG love for me.  I only taught a one-session class on Vision Boards / Dream Pages, but with First Day and Bulletin Board work, as well as Art Show and Tech Support, it seemed I didn’t have time for as much Creative Activity as I’ve smashed into the week in the past.  I wish I’d been able to check out the Jam Sessions with Jewitt and Marti, the Loom Weaving with Hailey, Paper Crafts with Amy, Heather and Paula, Cooking with Gail, Caning with Kathy, Silverwork with Alan, and Woodworking with Gerry and Abby.  I LOVE lathes.  But there is the Notebook (done this year by Heidi and Katherine with photos by Paul) that gives details on all the Creative Activities so I hope to be able to try some of these things on my own.

I hope you too are busily creating as we make our way through Spring.  Us Minnesotans are mostly still just waiting for the snow to stop…

Happy Birthday to Me!

Tags

Freedom, fun

What a great week!  I have now embarked on my 49^th year and it was sure a sweet birthday.  I got lots of calls, including the official Birthday Song call from Mom and Tom and a lovely call from my brother Rob.  FB was full of happy wishes and it’s so nice to see all the wonderful people thinking of me, people I think of often as I see their posts on social media.  It’s amazing how big the Social Media world can be and while I’ve probably wasted more time than I should on Candy Crush, I really appreciate being able to connect with so many people all over the world.  And I got some nice cards (a handmade from Momma Chris – she’s the bestest!) and a few gifts too – 5 books (they know me!), some cash (always come in handy) and a couple adorable family photos.  I am feeling so loved.

I also began Knitting!  Mom brought me an afghan a couple months back that was in need of repair – she was sure that Char and I could fix it back to good.  It’s a beautiful melba peach color and I would love to have it whole again as it’s really pretty.  I actually ended up working on it with Bernis at Knitting Club, first taking off the ruined part back to one level, and now adding back a finishing edge.  It’s tough but I’m getting used to the process.  It will take some time but I can soon add Knitting to my list of crafts.  I will admit to trying to impress Dan Saturday evening and realizing I just could not be sure about how to start that next row… so the impressing will have to wait!  I’m sure with the strong encouragement from the Knitting Ladies, I’ll be getting the hang of it soon.

And I joined the Garden Club.  Got started with these folks at their March Seed Swap – another early birthday gift?  I will say YES.  I scored dozens of seeds and look forward to getting them planted as we start our gardens here at the Harn.  Met some really great folks here, including Jeff and Angie from Split Oak Farm who have invited me to come over and see their “kids” (baby goats!).  I plan to stop there often when I’m heading to Bagley as they are expecting baby pigs any time now as well.  Everyone was friendly and it was a fun way to spend an evening talking about plants and phenology.  What’s Phenology?  It is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.  There were a bunch of great reports: lots of swan sightings (including Trumpeters); pussywillow, rhubarb sprout and crocus sightings; and my favorite first hearing and sighting of Sandhill Cranes.  My neighbor Connie (new Garden Club friend) and I both heard them – she is around the corner but her back yard and mine are closer than our driveways.  I got a lovely offer for some lily starts which I will surely be taking her up on this spring.  Oh, plus I met a Death Doula (Lorrie).  How cool is that!?!?  Can’t wait to spend some time with her.

I share this birthday week with some friends and Dan and I were able to gift one of them with a present on her big day.  The other I had gifted with her present weeks earlier but I will from now on be sure to give her a gift on or super close to her actual birthday as it’s really special to have the specific day recognized.  This year having so many wishes truly made my day special.

Dan and I are keeping busy with helping friends in the neighborhood and getting to know more of the locals.  It’s really feeling like “our town” the longer we’re here.  Only a few more days until he’s here for good!  I am enjoying getting settled and look forward to lots of fun the more people and plants we get to know.  We had the neighbor from around the corner stop by… his wife had said to him, “That driveway has been getting lots of use!” So he came by to introduce himself which made me happy, happy, happy as I’ve been meaning (for months) to take a walk over to their place.  It will be an easier decision to head their way now that I have a standing invite to visit.  They are home bodies like us.

I spent most of a day with Anne to look at possible cabins and that was a bunch of fun.  We hit every resale shop along the way and I scored BIG finding not only a couple good books I have wanted (Mists of Avalon, Lee! And Cutting for Stone, KP!) but also a new set of 8 ohm speakers for Dan ($3) and a replacement crock for my crock pot ($2.50).  I also scored a nice pair of new house shoes for Dan ($3) and some ribbons and fabric (of course).  Anne took me to her favorite place in Grand Rapids for lunch, Sammy’s.  https://sammyspizzagrandrapids.com/ and I took her to my favorite place (which she LOVED)… Aldi’s! https://www.aldi.us/  They have a brand new store in GR and it’s the biggest Aldi’s I’ve ever seen – yes, I think it’s even bigger than the St. Cloud one which was the biggest in the state.  Now if they will just get one put up here in Bemidji…  I truly see them as life savers because they bring affordable and quality food to the area.  I was talking with a couple in front of us in line who have been astounded at their food bill reduction, which really helps having 5 kids.

I will say, the best part of the trip with Anne was probably Nigig running from the house with her arms spread wide.  I thought she was so happy to see Gramma home and I was smiling big as we watched her approach. But at the last minute, she came to me!  I got the first Big Hug!!  Just made my heart burst!  I think to her I’m this lady that shows up unexpectedly but it tickles me that she’s so happy to see me when I visit!  Later I taught her how to swing herself on the porch swing and told her she is powerful.  I think that’s a pretty good trade.

We had a visitor from Mann Lake Bees [They’re having a big sale but it ends soon! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/]. Our friend Patrick showed us a couple good places for bees.  It was great walking the land with the warm sunshine!   We will need to put up an electric fence for the bears but I think we’re gonna start with bees this year. This will be a good fit as we don’t have anyone close by doing honey.  We have egg people, meat people, yarn people, and flower and veggie people, but no one we know for honey.  This will make a great product that we use a LOT and give us something to give for gifts.  I have friended a couple bee people here locally online and hope to learn a lot from everyone.  Patrick was interested in the Rocket Mass Heater so we gave him an explanation of them and had a fire and some conversation.

The highlight of my birthday week was Sunday evening.  I did a writing workshop with Jamie Lee (not Jamie Lee Curtis as I reported to Anne the day before…) at Farm by the Lake (https://www.facebook.com/farmbythelake/).  You can find out more about Jamie Lee here:

• www.jamieleeonline.com (blog)
• www.thebeadpeople.org
• www.patriciajamielee.com (consulting/training)
• www.manykites.com (publishing)

I was full of writing ideas by the time we wrapped up and I’ll have lots to practice as I continue to pursue my writing.  I may yet publish a book as Mom foresaw when I was young.

I was also able to get in a visit to new friends Jeff and Angie at Split Oak Farm in Bagley on the way home.  They gave me a tour of their sustainable farm with pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.  Oh, and cows (who we didn’t visit… next time!). Their goose eggs are HUGE!  And they just had baby goats so I got to hold the little girl and she was so soft and sweet.  I’m really looking forward to their little piglets which should be here any day! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009080365262&hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf  They’re super fun and we had a great time chatting.  The only thing that would have made it better is if Dan was able to join us.  But that will happen soon, I’m sure.  He moves up here this week!!!

Danny’s Birthday at the Harn and a Trip to Big Town

Tags

fun

The cold continues at the Harn.  I recently read another blog which asked what LIVABLE means.  His questions were about size of the space needed and whether electricity or off-grid was required.  A comfortable place to lay your head, a source of water, someplace to pee, and something to eat.  These are the basics but the one foremost on my mind of late is the requirement for WARMTH.  I awoke in early January to the third day in a row of below zero weather (with about 20-30 below zero nights) and found a pretty stiff wind coming from under the refrigerator.  I had, a few weeks earlier, stuffed towels around one side of the fridge and under the adjacent sink area to stop off the cold.  But a check the week before found no real cold on the other side of the fridge so I didn’t think much more about it.  Well, I should have!  On feeling the frigid breeze, I pulled the microwave (atop the fridge), drug out the little fridge, and began to search for the source.  Aha!  The corner joint between the east and south wall showed infiltration.  I stuffed paper into the cracks as a little black spider moved slowly from his web near the floor to a spot a bit higher.  I never disturbed him, unless he was upset by the “hello, little spider” and “how you doin’, buddy?” as I tried to encourage him I meant no harm.  The wall simply radiated cold – there was actually frost on the wall and the bottom hinge of the door.  But stuffing paper was about all I could do to help for now.  Feeling like I’d done well, I moved everything back into place and then felt the hinge on the door and, yep!  Slight breeze coming in there so I nailed up a blanket to block the lion’s share.  We’ll have to put a new seal on that door come spring.

The latest dilemma I have is whether to open thecovering over the south windows for solar gain or leave them closed to keep out the cold.  On sunny days, I open up it wide and on gloomy ones, I only pull up enough of the covering to watch the birds at the feeders.

So the big happening in early January is birthdays.  We got Mom roses that she just loved and a kind of funny gag gift that she maybe liked even more???  And Papaw Ed got some Gooseberry Jam and Syrup, that made his day, and a copy of the Magnificent Seven remake.  (I told Fran she can watch this one with him.  It’s safe.  Years ago Ed took her to see a Western at the theatre ~ Django Unchained ~ and I think it scarred her for life…)  And I felt so bad for not doing anything much for Christmas that I decided his Birthday had better get a bit more attention.

We’d been talking for some time about updating our collection of So It Goes, the literary journal published by the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library with editors Julia & JT Whithead.  http://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/literary-journal/ We hadn’t gotten one since leaving Indiana so I got Issues 3 Creativity, 4 Social Justice & 5 Indiana Bicentennial Issue.  JT’s intro to Issue #3 was amazing.  I love JT Whitehead’s way with words and was happy to see his book of poetry The Table of the Elements got him nominated for the 2015 National Book Award!  http://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/as-is-for-arsenic-an-interview-with-national-book-award-nominee-j-t-whitehead/

Just as cool, I lucked into another part of Dan’s birthday loot.  I happened to be at Rail River Folk School (http://railriverfolkschool.org/) and, in addition to the books, they had some albums going up for sale.  I grabbed a few more than a dozen and felt like this birthday was going to be pretty good.  These are all used albums and I’m hoping they are all in good shape but, regardless, the money was going to a good cause. And the eclectic mix was enough to make it worth the money spent.  We listened first to Cher’s Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves and then a Robert Redford narrated album on Wolves.  But yet to hear are Trucker’s Songs (hey, it had Convoy!) and Waylon Jennings, Honeysuckle Rose and Anne Murray, Asia and Patsy Cline.  See what I mean?  A real romp through the past.  I even got a couple Disco albums – Far Out!

Dan brought me an electric blanket! (Yeah, maybe a birthday present to himself!)  Now it’s cozy sleeping, even if the Harn is cold.  But he also has on order a construction heater which has enough BTUs to assure I won’t freeze, even if we don’t have as much wood in our stash. It scheduled to show up in Alex the same day I do.

We went to Becida Bar for Birthday Dinner and also a celebration of our Land Purchase Anniversary.  It’s been 10 years to the day that we bought the Harn Property.  So, big time at Becida Bar ~ best food in town!!  Only place in town.  Really.  Nothing else there.  No Church, no other buildings, just Becida Bar.  Here it is in summer:

The Plumber (I call him VDBD) came by to start installation for the indoor plumbing.  We, of course, found things we needed to change since his last visit but no show stoppers.  Dan and I were able to get the plumbing work we needed to do completed so we’re ready for phase 2 of the install.  We built stands for the pump and pressure tank.  We also had to relocate the wiring since our original idea of putting the water heater in the closet had to be scratched as it is just too cold in there.  The cistern room maintains temp better so we are installing all the components in there.  The water lines will run through the closer but the heater will be in the cistern room which should help keep the area warmer.  If the temp drops too low in the closet, we may have to put a heat lamp in there, but for now, we’ve stayed above 40°F.  I did make a new foam door for the closet that seals it pretty well from the rest of the Harn and is easier to put in place than the foam we had in place before.

With January came my commitment to Alexandria Community Ed where I presented the Foreign Film – The Tale of Princess Kaguya and my U-Group met two days later so I stayed in town.  Dan & I were happy to fit in a potluck night with friends Rita, Jon, Joe & Sylvia in between.  And it was nice to be able to take Mom and Tom to the shuttle for their big trip Down Under.  This meant 2 and a half days away from the Harn.  Leaving the space heaters running kept Lucky warm enough and the bowls of food and water kept him fed.  On arriving home, however, I found him fit to be tied.  There was food left in the bowls, there was plenty of water in the dishes, and it was over 50°, but he was yowling incessantly on my arrival.  He bitched and bitched the whole time I was bringing things in from the truck.  He kept it up even while I refilled his water dish and gave him some yummy soft food.  And while I put fresh sheets on the bed and turned on the electric blanket.  I finally climbed into bed and he immediately climbed under the covers and became silent.  Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur… on my chest.  Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr. Indeed.  [Thanks, Edith Newlin.]  Dude was so happy I was back he didn’t even beg for breakfast, just curled up on the bed and then, later, on Clay (the Rocket Mass Heater).

Since I also committed to working Saturday for Cherry Street Books, the week included two trips to Alex in a week.  I was able to head back Friday afternoon and hit the resale shops, in Park Rapids and Alex, finding some needed supplies for cheap.  I got some hardware and outlet plugs, a tin for ashes, a stereo, and some more rugs to cover the cold concrete floors.  That evening, we attended Lakes Area Radio Theatre show (which starred a friend Sue Justice – super fun!). [You can hear the show here: http://www.lakesareatheatre.com/ ]  And while there, we ran into the Bergers and Jim and Linda and, of course, Ted.  I’d seen Sue Gooch earlier in the day and it was great to see so many friends while I was in town.

The effect on me, being in town after so many weeks of solitude at the Harn, was kind of weird.  Up north I pretty much stick to home and spend time alone.  And even when I go to town, I don’t know a lot of people yet so it’s just a quick trip and head home.  I found myself a bit overwhelmed by all the talking but it was enjoyable.  I am finding that it’s hard to explain how I’m “doing at the Harn”.  It is just something I can’t really put into words.  It’s nice.  I’m happy with it.  But it’s still something I’m figuring out too.  It’s still new.  Maybe someday I can explain it better.  We’ll see.

Though I still don’t have running water, the plumber was back this week while I was home to get me closer to ready.  Dan and I hope to get the wiring and such in place soon so we can turn on the water.  Now that the kitchen sink has a faucet, it’s natural to think I can turn it on for a quick hand rinse but, no.  I can’t.   Yet.

Oh, and if you want to keep up to date on Harn Happenings, I have started a YouTube Channel called Harn Theory (ya’ know, like String Theory, only not so physic-y).  It will have video updates hopefully regularly and, if you subscribe, you’ll get notices when I post new stuff.  Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZcwdxIbsSbKuDKyAQuuG6g

Blessing in Disguise

Tags

Dealing with Life, fun

I have been thinking about all the wonderful blessings that have come into my life though it is not clear that they were blessings on arrival.

Here are a few:

• The friend who decided I had violated her trust and ended our friendship.  I had done something to be helpful to a mutual friend that ended up hurting her.  I hadn’t thought my actions all the way through.  I felt the friend I helped needed me more.  But she was right and it was hard losing her friendship, though years later we were able to mend our relationship. [She is a gracious and loving soul.] In talking it through with her, I gained valuable insight into the complexity of relationships and understanding of how, even when you are doing what seems right, sometimes people still get hurt.  These days, in putting myself on the side of the violator for my own hurtful situations, I find that trying to see from the perspective of the person I feel has harmed me can be quite enlightening.
• A guy I liked who wasn’t ready for a relationship which caused me some consternation as I tried to let it go and move on while also fearing I would be alone for some time.  The very day that this major struggle came to a head and I was finally able to let him go was the day I met my husband Dan.  In letting go, I was able to gain what was truly the best thing for me. [And that guy? He ended up happy as well with a wonderful woman.]
• The time I was given a horrible review by the Tech Service Manager, my boss, just after being in a meeting with our customer who had given me excellent marks.  In his opinion, I had over-rated my skills and abilities on my self-evaluation.  I tried to explain that I thought I’d rated myself accurately and that the customer seemed to think I was doing a fine job but it was as if he hadn’t heard a thing in the customer evaluation meeting we’d just exited.  He even went so far as to exclaim that the “no one” at the steel plant liked working with me.  I had been frustrated in the job for some time with its 70-90 hour weeks, extensive travel and high stress (we were ranked #4 of 4 in Quality and #1 of 4 in Tech Service by the main customer I managed).  I had planned to hand him the keys to the company car if my employee review didn’t go well but I was in such a state of shock I couldn’t process.  I simply bid him goodbye and headed to the next customer visit.  When I called the lab the next day, the engineer there sounded so happy to talk with me so I asked if everyone didn’t dislike working with me.  He assured me that I was a delight.  I soon tendered my resignation and, after a month off for travel and rest, moved into a position that kept me home every night and from which I retired 8 years later with a large retirement account.  If I hadn’t been pushed from a job that was truly devastating, I likely would have stayed and been miserable.  So that Manager did me a big favor in the long run!
• The guy I met who was briefly my boyfriend and sired my child, though he left early in the pregnancy.  I am sure he didn’t know what a blessing Tom would be, not only to me, but to his own mother and father who became the primary grandparents in Tom’s life.  No doubt the best thing that has ever happened in my life, though in the beginning, I wasn’t so sure it would be.

But isn’t that how it often is, the thing we wish wasn’t happening can often turn out to be a huge blessing?

I remember driving to work one day long ago and getting stopped by a train.  I was frustrated at being held up.  Ten minutes later, as I drove in slow traffic up Cline Avenue to the plant, I saw the accident scene.  There was a body lying on the ground, almost completely covered, but with one hand visible from under the edge of the tarp.  I realized that, had I not been delayed by the train, it could have been me.  That was a turning point in my life.  To realize that something that seems bad can actually be good.

There’s a good story on this lesson (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/jokes/read/1004069/):

A little bird was flying south for the Winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.
The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you’re in deep shit, it’s best to keep your mouth shut!

I encourage you to find the blessings in every day.  And to remember that even when things don’t look so great, they could also truly be a blessing.

Image credit: http://www.whats-thesayinganswers.com/blessing-in-disguise/

Seeing Friends

Tags

fun

I’ve been running like crazy in the last couple weeks.  I realize I’m squeezing in a bunch of town stuff before I head North for the Winter.  I know I’ll enjoy my time alone at the Harn but it’s good seeing everyone now.

Had the last Crafting Ladies of Alexandria meet-up… unless they decide to continue without me.  It was fun making cards and gift bags (from maps!). Thanks, Deb!
I plan to spend a lot of time at the Harn crafting but it’s always more fun when you’ve got your buddies with you.  Maybe Char will hang with me up North.  Or maybe we’ll get a new group of Crafting Ladies together up there.  Time will tell.

Dan and I had dinner with some friends (Sylvia & Joe, Jon and Rita) and it was fun talking hot dogs, politics, new buildings, community, and more.  I will miss being able to jump in for a quick chance to spend time having dinner with my Alex buddies.  But again, I’m hopeful they will all visit at the Harn!

Meditation Group was great again.  Such wonderful time and good conversations with thoughtful people.  My U Group met too and I love seeing these friends.  I’m committing to coming back to town for this once a month gig. [I think Mikko would cry if I didn’t.  Love that guy!] It’s such a fulfilling practice and it will give me a chance to come visit Mom too.

My ESL friend, Minerva, came back from a long trip to visit family and it was so good to see her!  I missed our time together while she was gone and it reinforced what I’ve known for some time now… that my time with her is going to be one of the things I miss most once I move to the Harn.  I have so enjoyed learning from her and getting to know her.  She and her husband are so nice.  I am grateful to have them as friends and I’m hopeful they will visit the Harn someday soon.  I am also hopeful that we will be able to continue chatting and learning via Skype.  I think about all she’s done since I’ve met her and I am amazed.  Her biggest accomplishment (in my mind) was getting a job.  I was SO PROUD of her work to create a resume that focused on the skills for the job she was seeking and her hard work in preparing for the interviews.  And I was tickled pink when she called to let me know she had gotten a job!  Since then, her vocabulary and ease of speaking continue to improve every time we talk.  She is an inspiration to me and occasionally I feel like I’m learning a bit too.  But my progress is much less noticeable!  Once thing we share – we’re both skinnier now than when this photo was taken.  Though again, her progress outshines my own. 🙂

I also made time to run out the Lakes Area Radio Theater for one more tailgate party.  We meet ahead of the show and grill and snack on the deck.  Sherry, Katie and I had a blast and enjoyed two fantastic performances.  Then we hung out with the show folks.  It was windy but nice to just relax and tell some stories.  Plus, marshmallows! Can’t beat that.

This weekend I headed to the Cities for a Rec Lab Board Meeting and was able to see a bunch of Rec Lab friends. Plus got to work a yard sale which was amazing fun.  They had awesome cool stuff!  It was really fun to catch up with everyone and I’ll see these guys on Skype and such.  But maybe a few of them will visit the Harn too!  While I was doing this, Dan was up at the Harn seeing my new friend (I assume this is not my old grouse, though the photos this week make him seem as big as he used to be).  I’m really looking forward to seeing him every day!

I’ll be spending time next weekend with friends up North.  Katie and Wyatt turned 13 recently and I am looking forward to seeing them now that they are teenagers.  I’m hopeful they are still fun and sweet kids and they never get to be annoying teenagers.  😉 My son was pretty good at avoiding the annoying stage as I recall so maybe they can too.  They really are smart and fun and thoughtful.  We’ll have some chili and they can tell me stories of their recent adventures.

I’m excited about seeing the progress Dan made while I was in the Cities.  The Harn gets more homey each week.  We might even get indoor plumbing soon!  A real shower!!  But never a flush terlet.  😉