The beach down our street
I am back to Lenox, MA after spending a month on Long Island directing Shakespeare with young people. It was such wonderful, happy month, learning new skills as a director, establishing old ones with confidence, and being with 2 co-teacher gals that are fun and talented. The school we taught in put us up in a wonderful cottage a half-mile from the ocean and I was in heaven getting to walk on the beach 3-5 times a week. Continue reading
(Independence Pass, Colorado)
This world is far from small
And her heart is the center of it all
And there’s a river that runs through hills, and it’s never still
Listen closely to the sky
And it’ll show you how to dot life’s I’s.
And don’t be afraid if the girl decides to run
It’s half of the fun
This song by the Josh Abbot Band hit me right between the heart-strings.
In a hotel parking lot in Aspen, Colorado I met a man who made me feel beautiful and ugly. We had exchanged a few sentences two days earlier in the hotel jacuzzi and now as I was leaving the hotel and loading up my car, out he strolled rolling his suitcase. He asked where I had been, we chatted about our Aspen experiences, he told me I am beautiful and asked for my phone number in case we should ever cross paths again. Continue reading
In 2013…I danced with a 75-year-old Norwegian prince in Sun Valley, Idaho; drank beer with a track-hoe driver in Wyoming; exposed a friend to the ridiculous joys of miniature golf in Wisconsin; rode a cowboy’s horse down Main Street one evening in Colorado; watched the waves of the Pacific coast with the ghost of my ancestors; hugged 700 year old redwoods in California; made pancakes over an open fire with my mom and sister; fell in love with, and in, small towns across the states; mourned the loss of John Denver in Aspen; spent a weekend at a most special niece’s wedding in Oregon; hiked deliciously beautiful mountainsides; was treated to meals, drinks, couches, pillows, and connected conversations with so many friends old and new; taught/directed Shakespeare and opened metaphorical doors for kids from 11-18 yrs old in Massachusetts. Life is wonderful and the song playing over and over on my iPod is Jason Mraz’ Life is Wonderful…
The highlights start with time with my girls…
The smell of fresh rubber is pungent in my nostrils. I’m writing this post from the lobby of a tire store while I wait for new tires to be installed on my travel weary car.
Chihuly Museum, Seattle
I’m recording another magical night and shaking my head in disbelief. When I am in Seattle, it is home, it is returning, it is my daughters. I spend as much time with them as possible, both together, each separately, whatever I can get of their busy lives, I grab and treasure. Continue reading
The beauty of autumn in Lenox, MA
I have been neglectful of my blog for very good reason, but the guilt of leaving you in silence has been weighing on me. I have so many wonderful experiences to share from my last travel escapades, but they will have to wait a bit longer. Continue reading
My life goes in themes. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, this was the trip of family, and the ghosts of family.
Driving into Westport, CA
The roads from Napa to Mendocino, California are some of the windiest that I know, and driving them brought back memories of being horribly carsick on our way camping. I also remember being a helpless passenger in my brother’s blue Chevy truck. We would come speeding toward a hairpin turn, where we would see the quickly approaching 30-35 mph speed limit sign ahead. He would look over and shout out to me “Double it? Or triple it?” I would scream “DOUBLE IT, DOUBLE IT!” as I closed my eyes and held on. He laughs a wicked, older brother laugh to this day when I mention it. Continue reading
I have spent a lot of time with family on this leg of the trip. Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota were all speckled with visits and catching up. I am blessed with a colorful heritage that I was born into and family that I married into. Seeing them all within a few months time has been enriching and eye-opening. My roots shape who I am, like it or not.
Phyllis, my mother-in-law
I need to get back to trusting my intuition. I seem to be missing it by seconds or hours and being disappointed. I should have stayed in Montrose one more night and enjoyed the company of my new friends at the fair and rodeo rather than rushing off to Moab, UT. Continue reading
(photo courtesy of C.C.)
I love Colorado. The mountains, the waterfalls, the small towns, the blue skies, and driving around a corner and seeing wildly beautiful rock formations. I stopped in Ouray, CO, an adorable town known for its hot springs, and had lunch at a rooftop restaurant overlooking a darling main street. It also looked out upon a bridge high in the cliffs and in asking about it, I found out that it overlooked Box Canyon Falls. Continue reading
The town of Aspen is a mix of upper crust stores, quaint brick public walkways with little miniature brooks running through them, bookstores, restaurants, churches, and firetrucks painted with glossy flowers looking like something from the 1960’s. It is eclectic, and charming. A place I would love to call home someday. Continue reading
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