the g stands for great mother!

i am chasing my tail to get back
to where i was when i left off for the other shore
of this and that!

sally g. was the generous friend who hosted me
for the meditation week-end with tsultrim allione.

she sponsored me, she fed me..
she slept 3 other traveling ladies
besides myself..

her husband kurt was very kind..
(in the fall, he is taking a year-long retreat from travel..
he will not drive or ride or go farther than a 50 miles radius
leaving no footprints)

the night before we began the retreat,
sally had a date with her best friend, veda..
thee talented 10 year olde in a school play..
i was invited to pizza with the family..
that would be dana,
jay (i hope it's jay) and john..
pesto and cheese..
the play is ready to begin..
veda played TWO parts..
did i say talented?
we found ourselves sitting next to david whyte and his wife,
the poet whose giftbox was just offered to sally..
'tis something how the world goes round, eh?
the play was a norse tale of foreboding and magic..
we await love and peace in the world
so odin can return with his wisdom!

i am to be up early so i can participate in the work/study
program by helping to park cars..turns out i'm a natural..
may well take it up when i finish this walk!
the retreat was held at the whidbey institute..
it has a sanctuary, a labyrinth..a sky loop..
wonderful food..
worth a visit..
would that be www. whidbeyinstitute.com??

the retreat was brilliant..
sally was the great mother
in serving all the ladies..
she is very present with the enviroment..
every day we walked through the woulds
away from the shoulds!!
drums, bell and song..
the very drumbeat that i spoke about
the day i left..
peace feet.
the 4th year of the war in iraq saw us
awakening the rhythm of the heartbeat.

women of wisdom
tsultrim allione
www.taramandala.com

ring the bells that still can ring!
there is a crack in everything;
that's how the light gets in..
leonard cohen

we pledged ourselves to the great awakening..
fran slipped some green in my pocket,
sally left me with face cream, (i look 30!)
chris offered her journey rattle, the wooden egg..
a lucky 2 dollar bill from lorvoka,
a ride to the ferry from carolyn....
in the great wind, i cross to port townsend
ready to walk the heartbeat!

susan and sara from the retreat are on the boat
they land me at lindy's house..with her cat bulan b.
meanwhile, i receive e-mail and calls..
my mother is in the hospital,
some other news of family..
i sleep on the wondering..

sally gifted lindy with a book
from one of her dearest friends..
the little book of transformation
akuyoe graham
www.akuyoe.com

in the morning i decide i will travel to anacortes
to see ms. sallie..
i want no regrets..
i was close..
back across the waters..
after hearty oatmeal with lindy..

diane p. and zoya traveled to get me..
the ferry barely running because of wind
all of a sudden i am a phantom in my hometime..
feeling positively fugitively as i wander the streets

sallie is better than i imagined
pneumonia..a wee bit disoriented..
my other family members are alive and well..
a relief..
diane fed me twice or thrice
i slept in my own bed in laconner..
fed and well tended
in susan and casey's home..
we are here ..
each one of us..
truly to tend to another..
make no mistake..
my visit saw sallie to her apartment..
ready to make 25 pounds of fruitcake with her grand-daughter, susie!
i traveled down whidbey to the ferry
(and across) with mimi and new pup, suja..
ah! the smell of puppy breath