In Memoriam

In the last two weeks

two 23 year old sons

of different friends of mine

have died in

car accidents.

Such sadness.

Such loss.

I just needed to make a space for

Brooks Rogers

and 

Clay Kickliter

and 

all the sons and daughters

of my dear friends

who have

died.

I'm so, so sorry.

Collage

My First Collage

 I'm taking a collage class.  I started out feeling somewhat intimidated.

I still feel intimidated.  But I do it anyway because I love it.

The first assignment was letters.  I really had no idea how to be abstract and use letters.  NO WORDS??? 

I got home and began using colors.  And paint.

And I kept thinking of my nieces who would really dig this.  No matter what age you are, anyone can do this!

I have three nieces in Miami. 

 I'm not very good at abstraction.  I like faces.

This was an old face I had drawn while on a plane.  Drawing and coloring helps me not be so anxious. 

But it was plain, and unfinished.

Now it became the base of a new piece.

Not sure of her name yet, but I like her.  Alot.

This is another old drawing.  Repurposed.

This last one is totally in process....not sure where she's going.... but I think the journey will be sweet.

I'm still intimidated.  But I'm having fun.

Third Question

What do you consider to be the big question or conundrum in your life?

In a nutshell, mine is: Where do I fit in?

Second Question

Within each of your Groups do you see commonalities?

I think the first commonality for me is that all of the items in all of the groups are specific to me.  I had something particular in mind, even though I wrote a rather abstract word.  I've been to each city, landscape and interior.... and I wear those items of clothing, and am surrounded by those colors.

Another commonality is that I have a very positive association to all of them.  Each color, or city or anything at all that I wrote down made me smile.  That's kind of funny to me.  I don't know why.

My colors all ones that remind me of people, of paintings and of pictures that I love.  They are also colors that bring to mind other senses beyond seeing.  I can taste and feel them as well.

The cities all are places where I've gone with Joe.  Seeing the world.  Getting out of my small town, and being part of the larger planet.  I have loved these cities.  Eaten, walked, played, laughed, cried, made love, friends and favorite spots. I have felt fully there in each one and would go back in a heartbeat.

The landscapes are all ones that are archetypal to me.  Places I have been and that have swooned me.  I can see the grandeur of Yosemite and Glacier in the mountains, as well as the softness and ancient beauty of the Blue Ridge.

The beaches range from my home of St. Augustine to the Gulf to the Pacific and most recently to the North Atlantic in Prince Edward Island. 

Interior spaces are mine.  Places where I relax, I create, I pray, I live.

And the clothes are all about comfort, warmth and solitude.  I also wear these things into the Church at the Monastery when I go in the middle of the night for Vigils.  :)

Try This

From my Lovely Friend, Robin, here is an interesting set of Questions:

Take a minute and write down your responses to the following.  No context ~ just whatever responses pop into your mind.  Be as general or specific as you want, using as few words as possible.

1. Five colors.

2. Five cities.

3.  Five landscapes.

4.  Five interiors.

5. Five things you might wear. 

Then there are Questions!

Endings and Beginnings

After a delightful ferry ride across the Bay of Fundy we meandered our way through New Brunswick toward Woodstock.

We found a sweet diner open for lunch and consulted the map about where to cross back over into the US, looking for parts of Maine we hadn't seen yet.

In all our travels we have spent a fair amount of time on US 2.  Especially from Minnesota to Washington ... so we decided to cross over and look for the beginning of that Highway.  (After you've been on the road together for six weeks it's the little things that seem like such fun.)

So we sailed right through the modern, space-age, Homeland-Security-enabled, camera-ridden Customs Megaplex near Houlton, Maine and before we got on I-95 we noticed a sharp turn to the left and lo and behold .... it was the beginning of US Highway 2!

And what else was there?  Why, an abandoned Customs House! With not a fence, or a prohibitive sign in sight.  So, Joe pulled up (over my objections) and got out to inspect.

It was beyond fascinating ... into creepy, crazy and confounding.  I mean, why did they just leave it?  And, to be honest, it looks like they left in a hurry.

 There are documents on the counter, books on the shelves and even toilet paper on the roller in the bathroom!

I mean, why didn't they take their stuff?  Or at least throw it away?

Shattered glass covers every surface, and the peeling paint gives the whole building an air of organic movement... almost like it is sloughing off a skin that no longer fits.

I wonder what it will turn out to be.

 The brochures in the bag are dated 1982.  They look almost new.  Nothing was blowing around or on the ground.

They are full of helpful tips for coming through Customs.  (I left our copy in the car, so I'll have to add those in a future edit)

And who exactly are they thanking down there on the ground behind the weeds?  Beats me!

All in all it was a good stop.  Perfect for the endings (of Canadian Maritime adventures) and beginnings (terra nuovo in Maine and beyond) of this part of our trip.  Joe was hoping for a stamp of some sort on his Passport, but the picture will have to do for now.

And it's always nice to know just where the Highway (or Sidwalk) ends.  Don't you think?

Rocky Beaches

The rocks fascinate me.  I keep picking them up, putting them in the car, as if somehow I'll bring home some kind of essence of the Bay.  These pictures are from Nova Scotia - most of them from up in Cape Breton, and the Cabot Trail.

 We had some fabulous weather.  Overcast and misty, the roar of the waves against the rocks, temperature hovering around 50 degrees.  We've been listening to a brilliant reading of Moby Dick and the weather brought the sea and salt and wind right into our bodies. As an aside,  I haven't seen a whale on this trip - it's a little early this far north.  (Truth be told I haven't seen a Puffin or a Moose either - not a big wildlife trip).

Looking back down the Cabot Trail

Up close and personal with the rocks

And then we would get a day, like this.  Where the colors were too vivid to be real.

We would just sit in awe and soak it in.

Everywhere we go we've met the nicest people (of course, this is Canada!) and had delicious food.

People here are proud of their province and love to talk about its history and its unique character.  They love their Anne of Green Gables on PEI; and they love their lobster fishermen wherever you are!

 Many of the small communities are vibrant and busy, filled with young families who work hard at providing clean B & B accommodations as well as good restaurants.  You can't imagine how nice it is to get so completely away from chain everything!

 

We have had a marvelous time here ... we're coming back.  And next time we WILL take that ferry to Newfoundland!

O Canada!

We got to The Reversing Falls right at High Tide.  Not as thrilling as Niagra, but amazing nonetheless.

The poppies in the late afternoon sun were simply gorgeous.

If there is a Martello Tower around, we will find it. 

Bay of Fundy tides are, indeed, amazing!  Here we are at Low Tide.

Just wanted you to see that I am wearing my WINTER clothes up here!

The Inn at Bay Fortune - an absolute must if you're ever on PEI!

East Point Lighthouse ... and the spot to go to when looking for ghostly pirate ships on the night of a Full Moon!

The north shore of East Point, PEI.

After our trip to the Fisheries Museum I can tell you exactly how these work!

Thinking about my three girls!!  Wish you were here!

New England Loveliness

We had a delightful time driving through New England...and gorgeous weather for the most part!  Flowers in bloom everywhere, and sun glittering on lakes.  Weather cool and breezy.  From Connecticut through Massachusetts and on into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. 

New Hampshire was interesting - we stopped at Franklin Pierce's homestead, and also the Capitol in Concord.  (Sat in on a hearing on retirement pensions - which I enjoyed!) and then we took the Mt. Washington Auto Road. 

Holy Cow people!  That is SOME ROAD! 

They give you an audio CD to listen to as you drive up.  I'm glad of
that.  It kept my mind busy on the history rather than constructing gruesome scenes of my
impending doom!

The "Tip Top House" is the original hotel at the top of the mountain - and quite an interesting stay that must have been! 

 

We had a bit of haze at the top, but if we stayed long enough it was going to change.  Unfortunately it was going to change to thunderstorms and high winds, so we decided to drive back down. 

 

And on to Maine!

We stayed at the Norumbega Inn - which looks like a castle and was a place I'd always wanted to stay.  We were the only ones there, and it really felt like we were royal! Well, not exactly - since I shlepped all the bags in and out.  But still ... it was a wonderful spot with beautiful, peaceful views.

We have stayed in Camden before, and enjoyed seeing what has changed and what has remained the same.  Fortunately, Young's Lobster Pound in Belfast, ME has remained the same!!

We had some terrific lobster and wonderful clams and a lot of fun with my sister and her husband .... eating with our fingers and dribbling butter down our chins.

What could be better?

The next night we ate at their very lovely B& B - The Hawthorne Inn - and also had lobster.  But they cracked it and made it much easier and fancier.  Still delicious though!

We missed some of our old Camden buddies ... but thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane!  

Then - on to Canada!