Road Trip!

This time when Mary hugged me in her kitchen, she didn’t let me break the embrace. There were huge vases of sunflowers on the counter before the wide open windows and canning supplies obviously at the ready.

I had just had it with life.  Labor Day 2013 was a weather disaster.  Just rain, or just don’t! Stop with the tease of sun, torrential downpour then muggy gray soup. I was either going to clean my house – sticky, buggy, hairy place it has become – or run away and hope the weather and the fates would offer inspiration.

I hadn’t seen Mary in months and always feel intimidated by her talent and ability to make me feel so at home, when the niggling thought in my mind is that I might be interrupting her. I understand interruptions; when you are in a creative fog and have to stop, emerge, and then refocus. I’m not sure why I harbor this guilt as she has never shown any sign that my arrival on her doorstep unannounced is worthy of anything less than celebration.  I guess it is my irritation at interruption, that I imposed on her world.  The mission was to drop off some used blankets for her husband George’s draft horses and, if Mary had a moment, leave a copy of my book.  Her reaction could not have been more excited had I won the Pulitzer prize. Thrilled, impressed and full of questions.

Her own personal best, most recently, was the “People’s Choice” of the Keene Art in the Park festival this past weekend.

Next stop was a stone arch bridge I have driven by it too many times to count. Today, I thought, “just do it and get it over with, maybe you will be inspired.” Of course, I hadn’t counted on choosing the wrong lens, again. Why do I become enamored with technology?

From there I headed west in search of Stonewall Farm in Keene and some much-needed honey.  As I parked the truck in the dirt lot, I looked left at the truck parking next to me and recognized Jodi and Dean from Imagine That Honey, my mentors. Jodi and I barely managed to get out of our vehicles before we were deep in conversation about bees and next steps as we discover our paths in life. Jodi and Dean maintain the observation hive at Stonewall farm and they were stopping by to check on it and the hives they have out in the back gardens. 

What a beautiful observation hive! I learned more in half an hour of watching the bees than I have learned all this summer of being a beginner beekeeper.

And this Labor Day, I learned more about being strong and believing in your convictions and the paths laid out for you.  Thank you to two strong women who looked me in the eye and said, “We do what we believe is right.”

Sometimes, you just have to get out to see within. I was awestruck and amazed by Diana Nyad’s accomplishment.  At 64 years old, she managed to scratch one off her “Bucket List.” Here’s to all of us with Bucket Lists!