Telluride Plein Air ~ A Birthday and a Tomboy Road Trip

This June 30, 2013 on our Telluride trip was mostly a delight. Up early with the bug to go do some of my very own plein air painting. T'wasn't all from enthusiasm . . . I seemed to be experiencing some lack of flow. Yep, happens to us all apparently. I just was feeling kinda timid, uncertain and fearful about painting - - and YIKES - - I may be teaching a class in just a few days (I will hear in the next few days if my Ouray Plein Air Class fills enough to be a "go".)! So I launch off with my watercolor paper and a mission! The day carries some threat of rain showers so I find a view of the east side hills from the covered

bleacher seats in the Town Park and get to work. My friends, Hether and Chuck (PS - it's Chuck's birthday today) find me and come chatter a bit, letting me know where they will be in town. I get a good start on my small plein air piece and then, I later get it finished. Ok, I'm feelin' a bit more confident and able to paint again [[[sigh]]]!!

Our big plans tonight for Chuck's birthday are to

take them to a special restaurant that Roland has researched, "221 South Oak". We all get dressed and drive over (because Cody, our golden retriever, is more comfortable being in the car than in the basement room) and get a nice table inside. The food was good and we skipped dessert because Hether has made Chuck's favorite homemade Tiramasu and it's waiting at home! T'was rather cute ... once we'd all savored the "delish" dessert, Chuck took straight to the pan. I captured a shot of him and he had to go into my journal, with the restaurant business card angled in the corner. Doesn't he look like a happy guy?!?!?

Next day must have had adventure in the air and Roland surely pursued it. There are several 4-wheel drives leading up into the mountains around Telluride and the first one we take at the south end of town, near the defunct mine, is Tomboy Road leading to Bridal Veil Falls. Now, granted, we have a '03 Subaru and it is a 4-wheel, but it sure creeped me out taking it up those lumpy, rock plagued, angled dirt roads. I'm rather embarrassed to see how un-rugged I am now -  oh well. But we make
it a good way up the road and then, take to our feet for some exercise up the remaining turns to see the falls. We'd tried to stop earlier on the road right

under the mist of the falls but there was a TV team shooting a commercial for Toyota - only in Telluride! From different vistas we could see the falls and then, turn and see all the way back down into town. Just magical stuff - - here in my journal is my aim at capturing both views (on the left, can you see the teeny waterfalls? and on the right, can you make out the tiny Telluride city buildings?). And, on the right of the journal page is this magnificent wild flower I saw as we drove up the twists and turns of the dusty road. Isn't Mother Nature just amazing?

But Roland isn't done - - now he wants to attempt taking the even MORE rugged Imogene Pass Road up the east side of Telluride. Grief!! Ok, I'm trying here to loosen up and feel more of my ole' "Mountain Mommy Legs" and I just close my mouth. This primitive road has giant boulders and then, large, uneven drop offs. And . . . finally, even Roland admits timidity and we search for a place to turn around and head back down. A fresh bagel and hot, fresh brewed cup of coffee at "Baked-in-Tellluride's Bakery" was our consolation. I personally didn't mind . . . and we leisured the evening away, just drinking in the radical beauty of Telluride.

Colorado Reunion ~ Merriment and Alpen Glow

(Note: Just a lil' memo to let you know ... this trip took place the end of September 2012. )

After rising to crisp Colorado blue skies, I found a phone message from my friend. She'd arranged a Brunch at her place for several of my ole acquaintances to converge ... and I'd best be there!! Cool! I have my mornin' Chai Tea and amble over to my friends! There's Anna (who I'd known as Margie, and still can't remember to call her Anna) who's strumming on Hether's newly acquired banjo, Billie (who later arrives after just having flung himself over his bicycle handle bars, bruising himself and the apples he'd brought to contribute) and eventually, my ole' architect (did I tell you I'd had plans of buying property and building a home in Telluride? Well, that's another story ...), George Greenbanks. In the wanderings of George's office I spy this fantastic pen and ink sketch of George and I ask, if he has a small one I could perchance have? Digging in his pocket, he pulls one out and hands it to me. I smile, tears again ... this sketch is of George 'n my dear friend Hether at George's home in the garden.
A flood of memories wells up inside me and I'm between giggling and tearing up. It was a whole lifetime ago, yet still one of my very favorite times that held up so many opportunities to my young life at that time. I'm not unhappy where I am but my curious mind and creative heart wonders what my life would be like had I followed some of those dreams I'd had then ... all the way to fruition. I wonder ...

Mind wandering aside, after nibbling on brunch George and Billie offer us tours of  their nearby homes. I'm jazzed, homes are such holograms for us humans. And these two homes did not disappoint. Meandering our way up to Billie's I was reminded that George is the best town history buff, and we all garnered stories about each house and the people around it too! Where Billie's home had a warm, clean Asian feel with many an artist's thoughtful touches, George's was eclectic, with holdings from every imaginable memory and person. I ached a bit inside, wishing I'd stayed in Telluride, weathered the life there and had a home and life there now. But it was not the time for that future to manifest and so many other dreams have come true. I just had so many opportunities, it's hard to pick which one to follow.

Eventually, our group moved in our different directions and I return to my room to ready for my evening plans with my renewed friendship in Linda. Her business is the care and maintenance of homes for whom Telluride is not a primary residence. With her dedication to work, her Virgo organization and her integrity, Linda's positioned herself well in the small community. She picks me up and I travel deep south of town where I knew the Telluride Mine's tilings ponds to be. Now days the ponds have all been fixed and the homes there are some of the most exclusive ($1 million per lot). I savor the aspen sprinkled grounds while she does her work and soon we are curving back thru town and out the north end. My friend prefers solitude and lives nested out of town. Her cozy two-story home affords her lovely views overlooking the opposite mountains and mesas. She prepares a yummy fresh dinner and as we're talking I'm hopping up and down. The exquisite color play going on across the valley on snow-capped peaks and golden aspen groves is breath-taking. I try to capture it here in my journal peering over the nearby rooftops ... I hope you can gather even just a snippet of the pink, gold and orange alpen glow.

What an amazingly rich day ... I return to town and my quiet bungalow ... with memories and heartfelt friendships dancing in my head ... as I fall asleep.

Some "Sweet-est Favorites" before Flying Off to Telluride Reunion

This has gotta be one of my happiest memory journal pages. Following some trips or events I like to just sit down after the fact and nest into what was the very, very "favorite-est" parts of that time. It is with this page I did just that for my "Women's Journaling Alpine Retreat 2013". On our final retreat day we'd all assembled delightful, diverse lil' "Harvest Books". Kind of what we in brief, had "harvested" from each of the rare and rich spirits of the women at this retreat.

T'was one of the most riotous and creative times at the entire retreat and I wanted the nest my book securely in my journal. I adore my book, with it's tumble of word descriptions in the middle page and then, the individually designed page by each retreat participant, chattering joy, inventiveness and personality across the small, folded pages. It's such a treasure, so unique! I chose this copper, iridescent envelope which I cut off so as to display and make accessible my fold-out book. I loved the "serendipity" of the rusty, copper-ish fishing hook and Chef Izzy's simply elegant business

card residing so cohesively on the page too. Truly a statement of tender gems my life has been sprinkled with ... reminding me I am absolutely blessed.   :)

And not much less charged with happy energy, the opposite page starts chronicling my Telluride Reunion trip. For not much less than a year, I'd made my decision to make this travel down memory lane. And as it unfolded, not only did I get to reunite with many friends but, I was able to show at THE gallery of my dreams too. This page gives you a peek out the final plane flight that took me from Denver over miles of exquisite Rocky Mountain terrain into Montrose. It was just east of Gunnison that I began seeing the small clumps of yellow dotting the mountains below. Oh WOW - - it was my beloved Aspen trees in their golden autumn garb. I nearly cried. Some of you know how connected my heart is to these trees ... many times tears have come to my eyes just being under these lovelies. And it really grounds me to my Colorado roots.

When I reached Montrose my ole' friend (as in having been a friend for forty five years) picked me up with hugs and excited conversation. We shopped for groceries for my next week in a lil' B&B and settled in to meet her new husband. Their cozy home cuddles up against the eastern slopes of the long valley leading to Ridgeway and seeing ole' familiar territory where I'd so long ago lived stirred my heart. We barbecued dinner in their front yard barbecue (which you see here) then, moved inside as the evening cooled.

Boy, did I feel like I was home. I folded myself into the deep mattress and covers of Colorado nights, smiling at the anticipation of the coming days.

Summer Christmas Continued

Let's continue with Christmas, heck, why not in May, ok? Again the fun PaperClay Christmas Tree I created and stitched in is visible thru the continuing pages and you get to see the interesting cut-out design created in the following pages. You'll notice, I cut out further, the heart-space (remember, I was having issues with my heart). So it stretches further into my life experience ahead.

We had the joy of a friend gifting us with tickets to a Holiday music concert with Tingstad and Rumbel, http://www.tingstadrumbel.com/. This was a fabulous master guitarist, Eric Tingstad, and, precision musician at oboe, English horn and ocarina, Nancy Rumbel. It was a cascade of lovely holiday music, old favorites and samplings of various cultures. Not to mention the playful humor both of them displayed. I'm lovin' saving paper things by slicing them diagonally and arranging the so as not to take too much room on the page ~ here's the ticket stub! It was one occasion that was saturated in the perfect holiday meaning. And I needed that!

On the right side of my journal resides memories from a one person show I did at the charming South Stage Cellars Tasting Room (http://www.southstagecellars.com/) just down the street from us in Jacksonville. I adore this venue with it's rustic barn wood walls and friendly owners and employees. The fabulous Cheryl Garcia, of Great Metal Works (http://greatmetalwork.com/), curates and shares the venue with me. Even with metal as her media, her open heart and gentleness show in her works. It's an honor to show beside Cheryl! The reception was gregarious and several of my dear friends came to populate the cozy place and, of course, nibble on yummy offerings. Sweet cards from them I love keeping and have overlapped into my journal entry.

And here, presents the total two page entry, joined together, hopefully with the colorful "illuminated" letters that start each separate entry. I'm lovin' how it looks ... how about you?

The Nesting of a Heart . . .

As you notice by the date, it's taken awhile for me to gather myself all back together and start participating in my juicy, enriching life here in Oregon. But, it has finally begun and I'm feeling grounded once more.

You know all the standard stuff, laundry, unpacking, going thru the mail and touching base with precious friends has made me feel so supported and loved. Aren't friends just the "best-est" thing on the planet?

I went back to my sweet studio space in the Ashland Art Center and wiggled back into my chair, beginning to paint and update my journal. It feels SO GOOD!!! Reconnecting with my artists peers and catching up on all the goings on at the Art Center (like the big fund raiser in March with demos and more and more!!!) The year of 2011 has been declared the "Year of Paper" at the Art Center and there was created a playful, fascinating hanging 'mobile' of sorts. It dangles on movable threads in the open space above the stairs - located just in my horizon when I look up from my desk. Love the patterns formed by the afternoon light on the paper objects!!! Also, I have new neighbors, whose names I'm still learning (blush) that I caught here, chatting to the public at our February "First Friday Artwalk". Now, upon request, I'm starting to plan a "Watercolor Basics for Journaling" class . . . hopefully starting in March. I love my Art Center home :)

And then there's my sweet "home, sweet home" too. As both Roland and I walked into our cozy, cheery abode, we looked at each other saying, "We love this lil home, tell me again why we want to move to Mexico?" Even without encouragement or tender care, our adorable teeny white Snowdrop blossoms have popped up all around our home and meekly peek out when we have a sunny afternoon. Inside, I'm surrounded by all the earthy, rich wood that I so much appreciate (having realized that, when we visited Mazamitla, remember?) and my treasured lil' green wood burning stove. Two of my favorite times of day are: 1) in the early morn, when Roland has just stoked the golden fire and we sit with our coffee mugs and read our daily selection from Buddhist or other spiritual encouragements, and then, 2) at night, when it's frosty cold out and the fire warms our spirits and 'cockles' after our nightly walk.

Roland is busy again. Currently, he's modernizing our second bedroom's closet door and has placed our 28 foot RV and the PT Cruiser (that we towed) up for sale. We've decided we'd probably not drive back down to Mexico in the RV again and selling the duo would make sense, since they are so nicely paired up with the custom hitch and braking system. And right now, he's mustering up a yummy pasta dinner (wanna drop by?).

Seems life is moving and changing . . . as always. Despite my attempt to freeze the "perfect" things in my life . . . I'm still learning that change IS the perfection. My ~ the lessons never do end, I guess, if you want to stay vibrantly alive, eh?

So, for now . . . my heart is all nested back into it's home . . . can you hear it purring?