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right after my last post i set out for oregon— it was my first road trip since i went down south in september— gas prices were definitely eye-popping— they were better in oregon but not as much better as they were when i was there last fall during my wildfire evacuation
i got to do a puppet show birthday party on my way north!— it was so wonderful to be sitting in a park with my story basket and a small crowd of wide-eyed children sitting on a blanket in front of me, while i cast the magic of the puppets and the tale of “Bella Bluebird’s Birthday” over the scene
then i made a pilgrimage to stone mountain and daughter fabrics in berkeley!— i discovered them through instagram i think, way back at the beginning of the pandemic— where they suggest other sites to follow since you follow someone else— i loved the vibe that came through their website and especially their very personal customer service
it was actually hard to be back in the place that i was displaced to after the wildfires
i wasn’t expecting that— i was really looking forward to being back at my friends land on the row river, hiking around dorena lake, and exploring more of cottage grove and eugene
i was looking forward to elegant elephant berry pie and the local farmers market and the poet peddler
and i did love all those things— but it made me aware of the difference between familiar and comfortable, between place and belonging, between expectation and experience
i discovered the eugene textile center and taught a wet felting class
i discovered the ashland fiber arts collective and sent an email suggesting a guest artist class in the future
i discovered natalies amazing croissants and bought a dozen (6 regular and 6 cheese) to take home with me
i am not sure when my next road trip will be— maybe in the spring— or summer??— depending on covid and gas prices and what i can line up in terms of work
meanwhile i’m feeling comfortable in the rhythm of my life right now— i feel a sense of belonging here at 17th avenue studios— and i am experiencing a process of carving out a new life for myself unlike anything i could ever have imagined
dorena lake from the harms park parking area— a favorite spot to hang out with my vardo door open to the view
