Hello from the mountains of Montana--Nye, where I grew up. It's beautiful beautiful beautiful out here. Had a bit of thunder & a few drops of rain. Nothing compared to the deluge just before I left Asheville--omigosh, half my street was a river. I don't have the tadpole report. We'd had a soaking rain the night before as well, so I am optimistic. But then I usually am.
If you were wondering about my wanderings between Wednesday the 13th & Wednesday the 20th, here is the not-to0-many-details version:
Spent a couple extra hours in the St. Louis airport while our plane was arriving from somewhere else (Detroit?) & therefore got to Seattle 'round midnight. My friend Cathy met me at baggage claim & after I'd introduced her to a wonderful woman from the trip who lives in the area & is also a writer & claimed my baggage, we took a bus back to downtown Seattle & then a short cab ride to her almost-moved-out-of apartment. She & a couple friends just got a WAY cool apartment near the Space Needle, with a panoramic view of Puget Sound. She's not moving until the end of the month & she's already mostly packed, which is incredibly awesome.
Talked to my son Zach, who gave his girlfriend a ROCK at the end of the marathon she'd just run. (4 hours, 8 minutes, for those of you who know how good that is!)
Hung out with family & attended my cousin's beautiful & meaningful wedding. She got married on her parents' 41st anniversary. I was a 7-year-old, bespectacled, curly-haired flower girl (along with my little sisters) for their wedding & my mom was one of the bride's attendants. So, when this bride & groom fed each other wedding cake, her parents fed each other anniversary cake. It was very touching.
Got to play a little gin rummy & poker & pinochle. (One funny moment when I was playing heads up Texas Hold 'em with my second cousin who is in 7th grade (with 2 more second cousins, 5th & 6th grade, looking on) & I suggested we scoot back so I could lean against the couch--"us old people, after all" & he said, "You're not old" to which I replied I was 48 & the 3 of them looked astounded & assured me they thought I was in my 30s. So funny to hear that from kids.)
I did lots of energy work & shoulder rubbing, even at the reception. The woman who gave the first part of the service told me I could come home with her after I gave her a little session.
Quick trip back with my parents. About 1000 miles. We were going to do it in 2 days, maybe stop & visit my great-aunt in her assisted living home, but Montana got lots of hail so we had to hustle back so my dad could start sending new corn seed around. I drove a little bit, from George, Washington (where Martha's Inn has closed, more's the pity) to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We were in Coeur d'Alene for about 7 minutes, so I didn't get to visit my former cat (still a cat, but now living with a friend of mine who pet-sat so long I decided it wasn't fair to be able to separate them) & my friends & my cousin & his family there. Arrived here at Nye around midnight.
My dad had to head out at the crack of dawn--I hope he got a nap today!--but my mom & I had lots of lovely talking. A friend had just sent her Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. I've read about a third of it already & I can tell you it's going to inhabit my bookshelf.
People's crops have been smashed by hail & windows broken & siding & roofs ruined. My sister's dog had to have surgery after eating a piece of plastic wrap & is still in shaky condition. Don't know what's going on in the world, but I'm guessing there's still pain & suffering. Still, I know the good that lurks in the hearts of men & women & children. I know the tenacity of the earth & her systems. I know there is new love & love renewed & love yet to come. What can I say? I'm still an optimist. Got it from my parents. Who knows where they got it from, but I'm glad we all have it. Silver Lining Specialists, that's us.
I should have at least semi-regular internet access during this trip, so I'll try to keep the posts coming every few days. It's likely to be mostly dial-up, so I won't be lingering online, or answering tons of email.
Blog Alternative:
59. Get ahold of a basketball & a friend or 2 & play a game of Horse. (Except, make it a little more interesting & play Okapi or Python or something. If you're not evenly matched, one of you can go for Gnu while the other is spelling AlbinoPygmyHippopotamus...)
