JournalFest

I had the best time at Journalfest! I met some wonderful new people, spent time with some I'd met before (and got to know them much better!) and just generally enjoyed the energy and creative atmosphere. I took a few photos and I'm posting them here, just randomly, as I am literally out the door this morning to head to daughter Annie's with my son and his family in tow. I should have many grandbaby photos to share in a week or so.

No posts for a bit but then I'll be back and try to catch up!


Happy Halloween!!!

Michele and Roberta at an evening journaling party

Tiphoni, my watercolor class instructor----she was GREAT!

Roberta at a journaling party
Karla, she of the fabulous voice who belted out Don't Rain on My Parade in a version to shame Barbara.....
L to R: Sally, Nancy, Michele and Maria
Doris Arndt, my table mate in Stephanie Lee's Book of Elements class, and one of my (excellent) instructors at the Portland Art & Soul



My mica book from Daniel Essig's class

The Jacob's Ladder covers in construction

L to R: Maria, Roberta and Michele at the Asian Noodle House, Port Townsend

Portland Redux

When I was in Portland, Oregon, attending Art & Soul, I took Saturday off to explore some of Portland with Nonie. In the morning we headed off to look for some shops that import seashells, as Nonie uses shells in her artwork and she is always looking for more sources. Thank goodness for GPS! My Honda came equipped with the most wonderful GPS unit and with its help we were able to track down the locations of these importers. All of them were out of business, but my, did we have fun hunting them down. We found one place that was waaaaaay out north and east of our location, under a bridge. I'm not sure the Post Office could find that place, but the Honda's GPS did. Too bad it was closed.

After our fruitless seashell expedition, we headed to the Pearl District and found the Saturday market. It was fun to wander about, reliving the early 70s, as many of the stalls were selling Hippie-style clothes and, well, equipment for smoking alternatives to tobacco....There were tie dyed granny dresses, vests, psychedelic patterned t-shirt, organic "fair food," candles, soap vendors and some fantastic musicians whose instruments were up ended plastic buckets. Those guys could drum!

I found the following sign on the side of building while we were walking around.....

....and this gentleman not far away. Obviously, keeping Portland weird will not be a problem.

It was a lovely early autumn day and we really enjoyed just having some free time to go out and explore a bit of Portland. Considering the number of times I've been there, it is sad to realize how little I know the city. Portland is a great place and I am planning on spending more time there.

I heart Portland!

Hello Again

Yes, I am back. Well, back for a short time before I head off on more travels. I have had an amazing past few months with trips to Nantucket, Alaska, Vancouver Island and Art & Soul in Portland, Oregon. Now I am enjoying a few weeks at home. Home is wonderful. Home is, well, home and I think my recent gallivanting has made me treasure my own cozy nest even more. And my cabin...oh, how glad I was to see it last weekend. The leaves on all the maple trees were just starting to turn and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing if they are much farther along in their annual color display tomorrow when I return for one more weekend to enjoy that particular little cozy nest before I pack my bags and head out again.

Next week I head to Port Townsend and the first ever JournalFest, brought to us all by the amazing Teesha and Tracy Moore. I have all my supplies packed up, ready to head out next Wednesday. The week after that I head down to Southern California to visit 2nd daughter and her family with son and his family in tow. All five of my grandbabies will be there, under on roof, a gramma's dream come true. It will be a glorious mini reunion and I am so excited!

And then, a week to prepare for a BIG family party to celebrate my DH's SIXTIETH birthday. Both of my Cali girls will be coming home (one with her special friend in tow and the other alone as it's just too much to bring her husband and their two babies for two nights) and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their two children from California will be here, and cousins and my mother-in-law and another sister-in-law (my travel partner Nonie) and and and and AND!!! We will be having a wild family rumpus! Cake will be eaten! Wishes will be made as candles are blown out! Gifts will be given and, most of all, we will gather together to celebrate DH and his many, many years (and--oh!--many many more, please!) and we will just bask in the joy of being together for such a happy occasion. Lucky us.

So very lucky me.

My eldest granddaughters had birthdays last month and are now FIVE and FOUR and where does the time go?

I will try and update this blog every few days, Dear Reader (if you are still there!) with some photos from my travels and a few little snippets of my most memorable travel tidbits, but tonight I want to share a poem that I discovered while visiting the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska. I hope you like it as much as I do.

There Is No Word for Goodbye

by Mary TallMountain

Sokoya*, I said, looking through

the net of wrinkles into

wise black pools

of her eyes.

What do you say in Athabaskan

when you leave each other?

What is the word

for goodbye?

A shade of feeling rippled

the wind-tanned skin.

Ah, nothing, she said,

watching the river flash.

She looked at me close.

We just say, Tlaa. That means,

See you.

We never leave each other.

When does your mouth

say goodbye to your heart?

She touched me light

as a bluebell.

You forget when you leave us,

You're so small then.

We don't use that word.

We always think you're coming back,

but if you don't,

we'll see you some place else,

You understand,

There is no word for goodbye.

*sokoya : aunt on mother's side