This past week I felt a presence that I haven't felt in a long time, but I am getting very Darth Vadar-Obi-Wan-During-Episode-4- on you, and that is not fair.

It was either trailing behind, strolling beside or lounging next to me for the better part of my week vacation back home. Some incarnation of myself was with me, in my parents new home, it was the future me, the daughter with her old parents, worrying about the access and amenities that Houghton Lake, MI has to offer. Driving to Traverse City to visit my friend from Grad School, I was 20 years old during my first year of grad school, feeling very out of place and in over my head. Sitting on the boat with my family was teenage me, having my first beer with my brother and fishing while lounging in the sun. In my parents old house, it was young me, probably 10 years old, torn between trying to suck-it-up-and-deal-with-it-like-a-big-girl and wanted to make the memories of my childhood sink in.
 

I felt my old self the most when I was driving back from my best high school friend’s house, while smelling of camp fire and having reminisced for several hours. It was the last time I would drive home on a summer night with the windows down, playing music while having just left my friends. It felt so much like the summer after high school when the group of us was inseparable. But the entire time it was as if she was sitting in the passenger’s seat. Reminding me of what it felt like. When all you have is the future, all the great adventures and fuck ups. So many of those friends are married and starting families, and I am (happily) so far from that. But with young me in sitting there, I am reminded of when we all where together, friends, happy, and waiting for our lives to start.

My parents had an offer of their house only 4 days after they listed and are now working on the deal.

It just surprised me, how hard this was going to be. Considering that I haven't lived there in 6 years. But now this house will get a whole new life. Another family will live in it. Kids will run up and down the back yard, they will think it was a really great idea that one time to ride laundry baskets down the basement stairs, or try to drown each other in the kiddie pool, or drag their sleds in the winter down to the culdesac. They will sneak out of the house late at night, they will hide liquor in the closest and water down the bottles next to the china cabinet. It will serve that family well, the same way it saw 34 years with mine. My brother and I both grew up and left that house. Now it just has my parents and 3 floors of stuff in it. So thank you little house, with your squeaky floors, doors that stick or wont shut, pealing wall paper, scratches from kids playing in it, stone steps in the garden, flowers in the shade, trees to read under, grass to play it.

That will do, little house, that will do.

May 4th, 1970. 6 Dead In Ohio

"The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia, which President Richard Nixon announced in a television address on April 30. Other students who were shot had been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.

There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students, and the event further affected the public opinion—at an already socially contentious time—over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War."

I went to Kent State in Ohio for my masters degree. Every May 4th, at noon, the entire campus is given a 1 hour break from the last week of classes, or if needed, no finals are scheduled during that time. A large demonstration takes place. People speak, music played, dancing, artwork, protests

, discussions, plays, everything, takes place on the same grass that over 40 years ago 6 students where killed during peaceful protest. I have meet people who were present that day, I have sung peaceful songs of protest. My generation are the sons and daughters of those effect by the massacre. Going to Kent, you become part of the heritage, a member of a small group that not only remembers the collage for the shootings, but group that has decided to celebrate how is helped the rest of humanity. Peaceful protest can happen, that change can take place, if someone falls, just be sure to remember.

I graduated 2 years ago, but on May 4th, I try to remember, an event that shaped my parents generation, and becoming a graduate of Kent State I have become part of the heritage.

Link To the NY times Article

Craft Role Call! Sound off!

I tend to dabble in the random, the seldom thought of, the used-to-be-cliche, off-beat, unappreciated, and all around, underground and forgotten.



But then they are things, well still very dorky/geeky/nerdy and down right just, well, weird (who needs knitted mason jar coosy). I love knitting, reading, National Geographic, comics, sewing, How I Met Your Mother, cartoons, oh yes, cartoons, records, toys, shenanigans, miniature items, the list goes on.

Crafter, I am a BIG crafter, making anything, thats my deal. My newest and favorite media: Shrinky Dinks. It started with an idea as an end-of-the-season gift for my co-workers that just, exploded.

After several days of making presents for my co-workers I've worked up to this: it's a manifestation of our season biggest joke. One afternoon when we had all received our paychecks, my pal Jeannie asked if I was going to go and get 'Pictures of bears", when I asked her what they meant, she said that I like "pitchers of beers". Thus, my hearing problem becomes amusing to us all.


Researching lace images I found this AMAZING Dutch company. I am fascinated with there work. I want a house, home, apartment, vacant lot so I can fence it in with some of this. (Above)



It's beautiful. I am a big fan of using everyday objects in an unexpected way. Just a few more twists of wire, not at all dissimilar to lace making, using many of the same techniques, they have crated this on a much larger scale. Or something misappropriated, similar to this scull lace piece, something so delicate creating a usually sinister image.

Or, OR! This one is my favorite! I have an unnatural love of ponies, but more of the My Little verity. I found this amazing artist who creates these pony flavored masterpieces!

Two of my favorites are the Lady Gaga Via "Telephone" and the classic white jumpsuit Elvis. I am in love with this. The details are amazing.

Thats just the way it will be, or is, or something

Well, I didn't keep up with this as well as I had planned.


Take 2.



After my last post, well, there have been several months in there. I have spent the last months working at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, my 3rd summer in residence. It has always been a great time. Staying for wardrobe this year I have 4 more months of adventures under my belt. I have seen the caves at Great Basin National Park, climbed to Overlook Point at Zion National Park, and crawled into the lava pits at Snow Canyon.

In a few weeks, I will start out on my newest adventure. A few weeks ago I was offered a first hand position at Orlando Shakespeare theater. No winter, no snow tires, all sun and a 100 percent humidity. I am overjoyed.

In place of the overwhelming insecurity of no job, but he awesome back plan of moving to NY after the new year, I now have the overwhelming insecurity of finding a place to live after I move and moving my storage space from Metro Detroit to Orlando.

I hope my new place looks like this, that would be the dream...so many books. And, now that I am in Orlando, I can only hope to partake in this new phenomenon. Oi, I wonder if you can get it in the drive though.

I would walk 5,000 miles...

Road tripping.... a tradition created after the invention of the highway, memorialized by such books as "On the Road Again" by Jack Kerouac.

I am more of the "Go west young man, and grow up with the country" kind of gal. Traveling the 2,498 mi, 40 hour trip from Hartford, CT to Cedar City, UT takes me through 11 states, and 3 times zones.

Today, just when I was struggling to stay entertained and engaged, I drove though the high land inside of Nebraska on I-80, snow.... honest snow.


Now as I sit in Laramie, WY getting ready for my final leg my journey I am also gearing up for the summer.

Scribbling Makes My Dancing Feet Feel Like They Are Moving

That word would be 'pony.' Don't ask why, I don't even know.

I worked all of this weekend. While I feel accomplished and exhausted, the reality of my current projects impending completion date is now staring me in the face.

Day: Wow, I can't keep track of that...

As I poured my cup of coffee onto my journal my co-worker, fellow knitter, and very pregant friend, Rachael back away from the table then stared at me in wonder.

It soaked up a lot of it. Then the journal hung to dry on the laundry rack of the rest of the day.






I drank a lot of coffee yesterday. I think I bordered on 5 cups.