garden growing

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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sometimes i miss having a tiny part of the earth to call my own and turn into my own magical kingdom by way of visit after visit to the local garden centers

i love looking at the gardens wherever i go and seeing all the creativity and personality in them

when i first started tiny house theater back in 2017 i had a summer series of puppet shows on my back patio

attendees would come to the garden gate and get their ticket and a scavenger hunt list— while they waited for the show to begin there were fairies, gnomes, and all number of enchanting little discoveries waiting to be found amongst the green and growing garden plants

i loved setting this up and finding new additions for this event until that house was sold in 2019

now i am the vicarious beneficiary of all the beautiful gardens i encounter walking my dog

i think puppetry and storytelling are a little like gardening— you gather your cherished themes, colors and moods and carefully cultivate them into a unique expression of beauty, faith and growth

there is a lot of trial and error involved and you have to be willing to accept that some of your trials won’t flourish

you get into things up to your elbows and spend plenty of time watering, feeding, weeding and pruning

all for the transcendent minutes when you are in an eden of your own making and its sum is so much greater than its parts

it must be the pixie dust

they were just jumping out to greet us this morning!

they were just jumping out to greet us this morning!

gnome knowing

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i’m so excited i got the limindoor woods gnome books i ordered!— i love reading tales other storytellers tell

i got seiglinde de francesca’s “a donsy of gnomes” a few years ago and loved it and discovered she has this whole series of adventures with her characters in magical limindoor woods

i always enjoy writing adventures for my wold gnome and muver gnome

i grew my gnome family last year when widdle gnome joined wold gnome and muver gnome— i want to make farver gnome and a sister gnome— not sure what her name will be— and maybe even a grampy and grammy gnome

it inspires and primes my imagination to go on these journeys of discovery in “the land of make believe” as fred rogers would say with someone else as a guide

i’m getting into bed early tonight so i can dive in to book one

sweet dreams!

there are 5 books in this wonderful series

there are 5 books in this wonderful series

surviving so i can begin living

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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this afternoon there was a fire sky— that browned out sunlight like the early stages of a solar eclipse and a gray pallor over the blue 

there are big fires burning right now up north and i knew it was just a matter of time until the smoke would reach us

its less than two weeks until the one year anniversary of my first fire evacuation last august 17— my second came september 28

with that and everything else that happened in 2020 my life was pretty much in a brown out— it may have seemed like i was still functioning but we all know brown outs can cause serious damage

i got a cptsd diagnosis in april and have been doing brainspotting for the last few months— similar to emdr, brainspotting is a relatively new type of therapy developed to access, process, and overcome trauma, negative emotions, and pain, including psychologically induced physical pain

for a long time i’ve been doing what i thought i had to to survive

in my session today i came up with the statement— i’m doing what i need to to live

living is really different from surviving— my image was a rainbow in the clouds in a blue sky

living means getting into my vardo

living means trusting i know what i need and how to take care of myself

living means believing that tiny house theater is successful when i follow what excites me and share what sustains me

living means i’m not just getting by any more— i’m flourishing— i’m a healthy ecosystem with my body, mind, emotions and soul in balance

at the end of my session, that rainbow in the clouds wasn’t just an image— i was living it :)

taken 11-20-20 in amazon park, eugene, oregon

taken 11-20-20 in amazon park, eugene, oregon

the light of every star

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i gave blood today for the first time since the shutdown

i was planning to listen to my latest audiobook, “between two kingdoms” by suleika jaouad, but they had music playing really loud

as i lay on the table with the needle in my arm i thought about all the blood suleika received in her cancer treatments— i never knew that people in intensive chemo needed blood transfusions, but it was one of many things i’ve learned so far from her journey

i sat at the snack table and waited out my mandatory 15 minutes post-donation

i thought about all the time she spent waiting in clinical settings— i thought about her realization that she could never go back to the life or person that she had been or thought she could be and how hard it was to navigate the transition from cancer patient to cancer free— all the structures and routines that don’t follow you into your new status

i feel like i’m struggling with my transition too— i think i’ve realized i’m not going back to what i had and was working toward before the shutdowns, before the fires, before my dog died, before all that silent narrowing of hopes, of expectations, of abilities

i love her use of the word “cleaving” of her before cancer self and after— it captures an essence of the losses i’ve experienced in my life in the last 5 years— like huge hunks of a glacier breaking off, falling into the oceans and floating away

there won’t be a reunion, or a meaningful transformation in that— it’s just gone, leaving a raw edge where the next hunk comes off

i’m just at the part of her book where she is deciding to make a car trip around the united states

i thought about the difference between the journeys we choose and those that are thrust upon us by life

i thought about deciding to begin my own journey of writing a book— the phrase “the light of every star” came into my mind— i googled “what happens when a star dies” and i guess the main point for me is that the light is still seen by us for a really long time— i like the idea of leaving our light behind to guide others on their way, even if it appears as a shadow

i like the idea that even things that are gone can still guide us

hydrate and get your blood sugar up!

hydrate and get your blood sugar up!

getting busy with fabric

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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when i was in sixth grade, me and my friends cheryl and jennifer started the “sexy sewing circle”— i am not really sure how this name was chosen, but i do remember we were all obsessed in a furtive way with our newly developing breasts

we would meet after school in one of our bedrooms to make barbie doll clothes— jennifer’s mom sewed and she took us to elisa’s yardage down in kirkwood plaza where we got a multi pattern envelope of barbie fashions including a strapless evening dress and a big bell bottomed jumpsuit

we would painstakingly cut out and hand stitch our barbie couture with varying rates of success and have whispered discussions of boys, breasts and other not nearly so memorable topics

i still love creating with fabric and i’ve got a whole pile of projects waiting— curtains for my vardo, my forest mother dress for a storytelling theme, some work smocks and a colored pencil case!— i am still wanting to participate in the grown ups coloring book craze ;)

this week i’m struggling to engage with all the tool oriented tasks that need to be done inside my vardo where i feel inadequate and overwhelmed, so i’m taking refuge in front of my sewing machine where i feel like a pro

i want to start another sewing circle but this time to make quilts for kids in the foster system and soldiers far from home— maybe that will end up being the bright side of the delta variant casting all my travel plans into doubt once again

yummier than a stack of pancakes!

yummier than a stack of pancakes!

sometimes it's hard to keep going

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i started my journey to tiny living in november, 2016 when i attended a tumbleweed weekend workshop in sonoma, ca

the innocence and optimism of that experience seem light years away ;)

i’ve had 7 different builders working on my vision in the time since then

i’ve encounter some potentially dream shattering difficulties and still not sure how a few of them will play out

but i’m remembering a conversation i had with my son while i was visiting him when he was in school at university of denver

we were out to dinner at this great restaurant, sitting outside, and he was telling me about a dream he had

i was taking him through a dream discovery protocol i like to use, a variation on work i did in a robert moss workshop i attended at esalen

as we talked through the dream, the jist of it was “the cost of wisdom”

the price we pay in living each day so we can grow— physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually

we actually can’t live without causing harm— most of it unintentional and unknown— but mostly, the good that comes from the costs that we and others bear so that we can move forward balances out because, in the end, we do far more good than bad

this vardo has had a steep price, but fortunately i’m on an installment plan, getting my lessons delivered a little at a time

sometimes it is hard to keep going, but that will just make finally getting there all the more worth it because i’ll be moving in with so much experience and so many stories to tell!

a hard to keep going moment when replacing ducting, seeing part of my framing builders hacked away to accommodate the dryer vent

a hard to keep going moment when replacing ducting, seeing part of my framing builders hacked away to accommodate the dryer vent

an even harder to keep going moment when i realized they had also cut my steel frame! :0

an even harder to keep going moment when i realized they had also cut my steel frame! :0

woodland magic

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i’m developing some new storytelling performances— they are based around a costume and a theme, and one of them is woodland magic

i’ve had the idea for years to take this brown velvet vest i have and turn it into a fern filled storyscape, and now it’s finally happening

i have just finished all the plant life and now i’m starting with the birds, animals, reptiles, insects and forest fairies who will fly, crawl and play among the green, growing ferns and flowers

i have a lovely floral cotton lawn dress i’m making to wear with it and i’m going to have a felt flower crown

then i can collect stories, songs, rhymes, poems and anything else that comes along on the theme and mix it up into an hourish long event for families

i have another dress— my lucky penny dress— that is almost ready for a luck, love and wishes theme :)

i can’t wait till i can travel to festivals and art faires and share my stories!

this scene definitely reminds me of the woods in pennsylvania where i spent my early grades years

this scene definitely reminds me of the woods in pennsylvania where i spent my early grades years

are we there yet???

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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well— i haven’t let go of my puppet studio and my vardo isn’t done yet

but i have been off social media!— i’m celebrating small victories these days

i’ve been chipping away at all things vardo— the whole interior cedar siding is sealed with osmo polyx oil— my cabinets and drawers are painted, reinstalled and have all their safety latches in— i’ve got my hinges ready to put in my upper cabinets so the doors can stay propped open

my composting toilet is fixed and hooked up with the correct hardware

i’ve got my bike platform mounted on the back and my backup camera repositioned

walt denning, my amazing handyman, has been out and built me some very nice exterior pullout cabinets and fixed the disaster at the dryer vent hook up

i’ve got my under cabinet lighting ready to install, and a doormat to attach to my front step

and i’m getting signs for my vardo so everyone will know i’m a puppeteer and storyteller!!

i’m feeling super pressured out cause i have to be out of this sweet cottage in september

and that means i’ll be actually moving into my vardo!

but instead of attaching the velcro strapping to secure my washer hoses and painting the exterior vent and working on the template so i can cut my door mat to the right size or ordering the foam so i can make a cab to camper boot, i spent all afternoon in my studio working on my woodland magic dress!!!

i’ll tell you about that tomorrow :)

my ex and finny helping me chip ;)

now what???

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i am finally back in santa cruz— living in a sweet place thanks to the generosity of friends

after being evacuated august 16 from my yurt in felton and staying in petaluma for awhile, my landlords at the yurt refused to let me return when the evacuation was lifted

i found a short-term rental in santa rosa— could find nothing then in santa cruz, so many were displaced and none wanted my dog— then was evacuated again september 28 due to the glass fire

i ended up fleeing all the way to cottage grove, oregon— to my friend jan’s beautiful mercy farm on the row river

i’ve had a lot of time to think about what i’m capable of at this point, after everything i’ve lived through the past few years

going to be getting off all social media by the end of this year

going to be putting puppet club on hold for awhile, but starting with “tiny house tales,” a simple daily story and image delivered to you about the simple things of everyday life 

i’ll be posting these daily gems for the rest of december on my facebook page

tiny house tales will be available as a subscription starting january, 2021 and i will have info on my website next week

going to be letting go of my puppet studio

going to finally finish my vardo and get on the road!!

a favorite walking place at dorena lake in cottage grove

a favorite walking place at dorena lake in cottage grove

i guess i never posted this

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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still in the queue as a draft, but posted on facebook— posting it now as a catch-up— an indication of the complete meltdown of my life!!

the date for my planned puppet club launch has come and gone-- for the last two weeks i have been evacuated from my home due to the CZU lightning fire complex here in santa cruz county, my whole life upended, staying with friends in petaluma

i've been feeling so overwhelmed mentally, physically and emotionally

i'm so grateful the beautiful land i have been living on for the past year was spared-- i don't know when we will be able to go back

i'm feeling cheered by friends that have reached out

i’m back in santa cruz today and seeing the blue sky and walking my beloved open space across the street from my studio gives me hope

 please send good energy to tiny house theater and puppet club 

 many thanks dear friends!

this photo is my last view on the land the morning i was evacuated, the sky blood red with smoke

this photo is my last view on the land the morning i was evacuated, the sky blood red with smoke

puppet club!

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i still look at my dog’s picture every day

i still start a note in my phone every morning titled “baby” just like i did every morning before she died to record her respiration rate because of her congestive heart failure— but now i write things that i remember about our life together and my relationship with her— things i am glad to remember, and things i’m sad to remember

when the biography about mr. rogers by maxwell king came out in 2018, i ordered it from bookshop santa cruz right away— i love everything that mr rogers stands for and take so much inspiration from his work

there were two of mr rogers’ favorite phrases in that book that i think about pretty much every day:

1— if it’s mentionable, it’s manageable

2— attitudes are not taught, they are caught

mr rogers attributed these gems to his longtime mentor, margaret mcfarland

back to my dog— we all have things we wish we could have done differently, or we wish didn’t have to happen the way they did— by getting the sad things down in my notes, i’m making them mentionable, so they become more manageable for me

i want to bring both of dr mcfarland’s wonderful “rules to live by” into what i am going to be offering in puppet club— i know i could have used a lot more support, encouragement and modeling around accepting my feelings and learning constructive ways to express them when i was growing up— puppetry and storytelling are such wonderful ways to do this, as mr rogers demonstrated so consistently and creatively in his beloved, long-running show

emotions often arise without our consent, but we can all cultivate communication skills that empower us and those around us to be our best selves— mr rogers believed that gaining self control was one of the primary tasks parents, caregivers and teachers must help children with— when we have healthy self mastery, then we can contribute positively in our families and communities

my 12 week business planning class through the renaissance entrepreneur center wrapped up last night with a “grad night” session— business owners who completed the course with ren center in past “cohorts” volunteered their time to share what it was like actually writing the full business plan that we have spent the last two and a half months preparing for, and gave us advice about how to tackle it— a great example of self fulfillment and giving back!

i’m feeling so excited for all the plans and possibilities puppet club is offering me and my future club members!

i’ve just finished updating my website in preparation for my september 1 puppet club launch— check it out and let me know what you think!

mr rogers with two of his famous puppets, king friday the 13th and queen sarah saturday, on the set of mr rogers’ neighborhood as shown on misterrogers.org

mr rogers with two of his famous puppets, king friday the 13th and queen sarah saturday, on the set of mr rogers’ neighborhood as shown on misterrogers.org

my dog died :(((

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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periodically, i “drop out”— like i did when my beloved dog shadow died on may 29

i’m not sure how other people handle deep grief and/or overwhelm but i turn to nature

i have always loved nature and i became an avid hiker when my youngest started kindergarten 

i had always been active and fit— swim team, cross country and track in high school/college, then when i started teaching in my 20’s, aerobics and weights at the community college on my way home from work became my thing, back before they had zumba and whatever else is out there now

once i started having kids, time for personal fitness was not a priority or a reality and i could feel it!— so i was excited to get back “in shape” when i had the chance

there was a beautiful open space right up the hill from my kids school and literally the first day my son was guided into the classroom by his new teacher, i struck out up that hill for rancho san antonio!— by the time i was walking back down the hill about an hour later, my legs were like rubber and i was completely spent

boy was i out of shape!— but slowly over a few months i built up until i was walking 8-9 miles 3 or 4 times a week at the windy hill open space in portola valley, a short drive from the school

we didn’t have dogs then, but it was one of my first priorities when we moved from silicon valley to santa cruz in march, 2006

i got shadow, a little black chihuahua mix, from the shelter in july— finny, the fluffy, white foundling from lighthouse field, joined shadow in february, 2011— i came to realize family pets are really  parent pets, and when the kids moved on with their lives and my ex and i divorced, i was left with the dogs

over the years it has brought me so much joy to continually find new places to explore together, where the dogs can roam off leash and do their doggy things and i can walk, think, practice puppet stories, songs and rhymes, invent new stories, create nature verses for my twitter posts, and feel the goodness and beauty of the earth

shadow was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last january, but with medications and a strong physique, she lasted longer than they predicted— and we were hiking together up till the end

she collapsed outside the yurt early friday morning, may 29 and died a minute later after i carried her inside

my heart still aches but i am slowly picking up my life again

i would love to hear some of your experiences of “dropping out” and finding your way back after a set back or unexpected life event— it seems so timely with what we all have to manage with covid right now

till next time xo

i called her baby, beebis, shad-shad, little girl— i miss you so much baby

i called her baby, beebis, shad-shad, little girl— i miss you so much baby

have you checked out my nature verses on twitter?

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i’ve been over to my vardo 3 times in the last few weeks but each time i go i forget to take a picture to share on my @vardodemadrone instagram!

james is back at work on it and i hope the progress will speed along, especially now that the weather is getting nicer— although we are supposed to have some rain the beginning of next week— we can definitely use more rain— it has not been a very wet winter

it feels a bit strange to try and believe the idea that all is unfolding as it should in the world— so many are suffering with a complete unraveling of their lives

but really what other choice is there?— i love what byron katie says— i know this is the right thing to be happening because it’s what is happening!

in my year long puppetry training we had an exercise our teacher called the “20 word story”— each morning in our opening circle we had to read the one we had written the day before— the intention was to distill the essence of what we saw and felt into 20 words or less

all these years later i’m still doing it— i love having an outlet for the wonder and gratitude i have for being in this world that is so beautiful— and a daily dose of peace and trust that the world is a good place and being here is a gift, even if things are really hard

i decided to use twitter as a place to share my daily “moments of pause and awe”— something that catches at my heart and makes me stop and look

i post one just about every day and you can see them here

many days i have numerous moments— here is one that didn’t make it onto twitter, from my afternoon dog walk on april 20 in schwan lake, across from my studio

light and shadow in twilit sky

pathway to balance above and below

or a message for those with willing eyes

blog 26 image.jpeg

i’m live on jarrod tocci’s youtube!

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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check it out here!

about a month ago jarrod came through santa cruz and made this video— that was before all the covid-19 stuff hit and shelter in place took over our lives and our dreams

it’s exciting to see my dream up there for others to be inspired by!— thank you again to jarrod for coming by and spending the time to get my story!

it was like a weird throw back to hear myself talking about the travel plans i was making for this summer :(

and i just found out yesterday that my puppet teacher will not be doing puppet camp this summer in boulder, rather it will be online :(((((

i’m happy i still have the opportunity to get the content, but will really miss the experience 

now i’ve got much of my work online on my new youtube channel and just trying to stay connected to my dreams and stay afloat, both materially and spiritually

wondering what the gift is in this reset— keep hearing byron katie in my mind— “thank goodness!— i’ve been spared!”

my dream is still moving forward— i know that— just not the way i envisioned

i know one day we are all going to look back on this time and say “remember when the corona virus hit??” and share our stories, sad, crazy and inspiring

i keep trying to remember to say to myself— this is the best moment ever!!!— cause it’s the only moment!— and we are all in it

stay safe everyone— this too will pass

can’t wait to have my housewarming party!— i will send more pics once james comes back from “family leave” bonding with his new baby boy!

can’t wait to have my housewarming party!— i will send more pics once james comes back from “family leave” bonding with his new baby boy!

slow but steady-ish wins the race?

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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just this morning, leaving my yurt, i was pondering what an exercise in “hurry up and wait” this vardo journey has been for me

i’m a person who really likes to take action— i like to decide on things, figure out the best way forward (in my mind) and then do it!— it’s a real lesson that i can’t control people, places, events and things and that when i’m trying to, i’m usually stressing

of course i don’t call it being a control freak like some might ;)

i call it being decisive or making things happen or being the captain of my own ship— but there’s lots of waves lately!— lots of “weather”— i’m navigating how to keep moving forward when the headwinds seem to be pushing me off course

and at this point, with the covid-19 situation, i’m glad i’m still where i am— who would have thought?— super busy making videos for my you tube channel and experiencing my pupperty and storytelling from a different angle

i did manage to get some paint samples for my cabinets and james had made a sample of one of the upper doors before he and his wife had their baby a few days ago!

things are on a bit of a hold now while he and amy nurture their precious baby boy in his first few weeks of life, but i’m really feeling ok about it— even happy— cause i feel like i can let go of my “schedule” with the help of the virus— it’s just causing such a major collective pause

happy the light of spring is returning to my part of the world— happy to see i can “pivot” as i learned in lean start-up and find a new venue for offering my work to the world

i’ll be on the road when i get there and until then, i’m just trying to enjoy the ride where i am

james calls this my “retro” color scheme

james calls this my “retro” color scheme

jarrod made a video of me!

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i meant to post this a week ago but the corona virus swept some things aside for a while!

i really hope everyone out there is staying safe and well and finding ways to make the most of our new reality— i’m trying to use this time to get to some things that i haven’t had time for in the normal bustle of going out to schools and running my story circles every week sooo— i started my you tube channel today!— this weekend i’m going to post my first puppet show on it!

a couple weeks ago, i got to meet jarrod tocci of nomadik customs van conversions!— he is good friends with wes and savana of tiny watts solar and he saw the images of my vardo that they posted on their instagram— he reached out to me and we met up as he was traveling north from the los angeles area

i got to show him my beautiful vardo and tell him a little of my story and how i made the decision to commit to this big life change— i will definitely share a link when he puts the video out!

he showed james and i his van and it was really fun to compare decision making process and see all the clever things he has done to make his van perfect for him

i’m meeting james tomorrow to see the progress that is happening even while the outside world is coming to a sort of standstill— i’ll post some pics of the progress on my instagram!

meeting another “nomadik” friend :)

meeting another “nomadik” friend :)

and moving forward...

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i just came back from meeting with james over at my vardo!

it’s been hard for me to feel excited lately, but talking to james always makes me feel better— he is like a big teddy bear :) 

i was realizing as i was talking to james that i have a certain amount of “project exhaustion”— i’ve been working on manifesting this vardo since summer of 2018 when i was at puppet camp

i thought i would be working on all the fun stuff now— moving in— turning heads on the road!—  getting curtains and cushions in to make it all comfy— getting my kitchen organized— trying out my amazing power systems installed by tiny watts— sigh

james has the interior almost all cleaned out of the shabby stuff that “you know who” installed

we talked about how i want the cabinets to look and i’m going to bring some paint/stain samples over so they can try it on the cabinet faces— tomorrow i’m going to stop by greenspace, an eco-friendly home improvement shop here in santa cruz— going to bring my fabric sample with me and see if i can get my foam bench cushions made there

he showed me the beautiful, heavy-duty drawer slides he got for me to replace the cheap and completely inappropriate drawer slides that “you know who” had in there— these babies are going to hold up when i’m on the road this summer!

please let me know if you have any advice, tips or ideas!

james knows all the best stuff to make my vardo into the roadworthy maven she was meant to be!

james knows all the best stuff to make my vardo into the roadworthy maven she was meant to be!

moving on

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

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i have to admit i’ve haven’t felt like writing in my blog for awhile

i haven’t kept up with my instagram either— i’ve been feeling pretty discouraged with all the many problems that have been surfacing with the interior of my vardo

like the dryer not being hooked up and ready to use, the composting toilet missing it’s fan, no water pump, screws coming out the other side of cabinet doors, cuts in the countertops, drawers that don’t work, shabby workmanship all the way around on the cabinetry, the wiring— don’t even get me started!— it’s like everything on the inside was slapped together in about a day and a half

i’m going back through all my blogs and removing the name of that horrible company and from now on will only refer to it as “he who must not be named” or “you know who”

but i have my white knights, tiny watts solar and james jenkins!!

my kick butt solar and diesel heat systems are all installed and wes and savana are on to their next big adventure— follow them here— they got me connected to james— thank you guys!!!

and now james and i are working to create an interior i love instead of one that makes me feel like an orphan

he has pretty much gutted the inside down to “beauty base zero”— we are deciding about the cabinets and an overhead storage system that is actually functional and made for a traveling tiny

i took her to the scales yesterday and she weighed in at a trim 16,060 pounds!

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i thought i killed my pet banana slug!

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “i thought i killed my pet banana slug!” above

i share the space around my yurt with a variety of creatures— little birds, ravens, squirrels, mice, spiders— but i feel particularly attached to the banana slugs who frequent my kitchen

a while ago one of the slugs found it’s way into my cabinet and the bananas that were in there

it was hanging around for a few days but then one night while i was cooking dinner i guess it decided to have dinner too and came sliding out from under the counter where it was resting and i accidentally stepped on it!!

i was so upset!— it slooooowly turned around and went back under, leaving a lot of thick slime behind

i thought for sure it was going under there to die, but about an hour later it came out again and went on it’s way

then i was so relieved!!— i’m not sure where it went cause it takes them 10 minutes to go about one foot, but i thought i saw it a few times over the next week

i have been wondering about baby banana slugs too— is there a certain time of year they are born?— do they look the same as adult slugs?

a couple weeks ago i saw a medium size slug and a small slug!— the small one looked way more brown than the big yellow ones i’m used to seeing

it says online that they reach adult size in just one growing season and can live 7 years

some more slug facts here

wonder if that little guy will remember me??

i’m telling mom you’re eating banana before dinner!

i’m telling mom you’re eating banana before dinner!

i'm back!

the purpose of my blog is to document and share images, questions, ideas, information, discoveries, excitement and events as i journey from dream to reality with my tiny house theater

to like this post or to leave a comment, click on the title “i’m back!” above

i’m back from colorado and my vardo is here!— in santa cruz!

it has been over a year and a half since i first visited tiny diamond summer of 2018 after puppet boot camp— months of dreaming and planning, weathering disasters, wondering if this was ever going to be real

and now it is real!!

i left colorado with my son eric on new years eve from my cousins house in lyons— thank you jeff and sue!

we traveled to albuquerque the first night, stopping in colorado springs on the way down to meet cheryl johnson at strategic insurance— a big shout out to her and her team for getting me the insurance for my truck and vardo!

next night we made it to prescott, arizona, down a little highway along a river, surrounded by a snow covered fairy tale forest— in the morning we had breakfast at the raven cafe with two of my puppet friends

then on to bakersfield and an early start next day, making it tiny watts by noon on friday january 3 

my vardo is now at tiny watts solar to get her power systems installed and connected— she is already wired, but nothing works yet because no hardware— you can follow the next stage of her manifestation on my instagram @vardodemadrone

she still has a bit of work needed, but wes and savana are going to help me find the folks i need to finish what was not finished by “you know who”— that is a story for another post— grrr!

pulling away from my cousins house in lyons to hit the road home!

pulling away from my cousins house in lyons to hit the road home!