Floydfest - Crooked Still, Twirly Girls, and good times

floydfest - The Dreaming Creek Stage

These women were passed out in the beer/wine garden.

beautiful floyd - a farm option.

twirly girls -- never a concert without them!

Our friends suffering through the porta-potty "clean"

The Speckers! The red, white and blue fiddler is the father of two beautiful female fiddlers. All together they make up a family of irish tuning, cajun stomping, old bluegrass good timing wrapped up in one beautiful trio. What a family!

This lady just rocks! Crooked Still stole the show.

www.crookedstill.com

Jenga Jenga Jenga!

We are slowly realizing that Florida might not be an option for us this year. The farm we agreed to work on in November is requiring more hours then we can provide since we have our own business to run. Needless to say, we are really sad that we are going to have to say bye to our fantasies of being snowbirds in the keys.


Next Steps:

When one piece falls out of place, the entire jenga game falls. So what do we do? START A NEW GAME!

WWOOF-USA was started in California, home of avocados! California is a mecca for organic farms. Because so many of our plans revolve around the Northwest (and seeing our best friend and family who live there) we started to explore the option of heading over to the West Coast sooner rather then later.

The Route:

At this moment (and not at all confirmed) we want to take the month of October to slowly head across the country. We will stop in Atlanta for business and family. Then we will visit my sister, brother in-law, and adorable nephews in Birmingham, AL. After that we will take a southern trip through my father's home state: Louisiana. After that we have a bunch of friends in TX to catch up with and we are dying to see Austin, Texas baby!

After that, we will be heading into the painted deserts of NM, shoot up to Colorado to see Laura and Bryce and Amber, and then we will (hopefully) be meeting up with my dear boss in Las Vegas to get out any extra consumeristic tendencies we have left in us before reaching our first farm.

After Las Vegas, we will start traveling up the coast of California where we will stay at 3+ farms between the months of November-April. We have identified farms near the beach. We will be staying at spiritual retreat locations, horse ranches, and maybe even help run a bed and breakfast.

Here is an example of one of the farms we will be staying at:

Linda McDonald
MCDONALD RANCH
8870 St. Helena Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
McDonald Ranch is a nonprofit youth day camp and animal rescue. It is in a beautiful dense forest on a winding country road. Some activities include feeding and taking care of horses, goats, ponies, cats, dogs, and chickens, cleaning up around the ranch, carpentry/building fencing, etc. The suggested length of stay is around 2 or 3 months so we can provide proper ranch training. In addition to our animal sanctuary work, we also work with children. We request only WWOOFers who consider themselves good role models for children. WWOOFers have complete access to the ranch kitchen and grounds. WWOOFers are welcome to ride horses if they have the knowledge necessary to be safe as well as swim, hike and enjoy what the ranch has to offer.

And yes, the route could change...again. Isn't that the point??? Mobile living at its best!

Google Walking Maps

Yesterday Google added a new feature to its popular maps: walking directions. As a pedestrian explorer about to hit some brand new territories, this could not have come at a better time. Commenters spur the need to add bicycle maps to the arsenal. Just imagine...

Reduction Design is Live!

We are proud to announce the launch of our new website!

Click here to visit website

Please spread the word to your colleagues, friends and family!

That Green Hat

In honor,

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance. "
-K.B.

I have been trying and trying to find a way to honor T. She was one of the most intelligent women I knew. She challenged us. Our teachers. The administration. She also respected the system, the beauty between human beings, and the benefit of a good booty mix here and there....and boy could she break it down to some Lil' Kim despite our "official" objection to sexist lyrics. And yes, given the spirit of Ring Night and a few too many drinks, I had a blast kissing her on a dare. She was that much fun. :)

As an atheist, she still took the time to sit with me in church and challenged me in a way that strengthened my faith. As a leader, she taught me that even in the most severe situations, all humans are deserving of respect. She was years ahead of most of us. Thank God she was one of our leaders. She crossed over the boundaries of age, gender, sexuality, and faith. Having her on campus made me a stronger person because I could look at her and know I was not alone. We were all making a difference together.

She inspired everyone. Her work in this world was worth two lives. All of us watched her as she fulfilled the dreams of millions. She sacrificed for good and always achieved excellence. She never just went along "just cause" to keep the peace but she could keep the peace while pointing out areas for growth.

She has left me with two very important lessons in life. Due to the beauty she exuded on earth, I know that she has left us with the part of her that is meant to continue changing the world for the better.

T, I am sorry I never said good-bye. I will always keep your lessons close to me.

4 weekends left until move out!

We had a huge yardsale last weekend and sold A LOT of stuff. We are realizing that we may have sold a few items that weren't even on the market. Where is our pie pan?? What about our cellphone chargers? coffee cup anyone?

This weekend, we have friends in town from NY. Next weekend is Floyd Fest (hippies, organic food, blue ridge mountains, and a complete intersection of my childhood, college years, and professional life. It is a crazy experience to see an old professor walking around in "a daze".)

The weekend after that, Lauren is flying home for her mom's 60th birthday and I am going to an individual retreat and then....to my high school reunion. Lord help us all. Why am I doing this??? Because my sidekick in high school insists. :)

The weekend after that we are picking up the Airstream and then celebrating its arrival in Richmond. At that point, the clock will start counting down to one last week at home. We'll have to ship off the rest of our stuff to Diversity Thrift, bribe a certain handyman friend with beer and food in exchange for helping us patch up last minute repairs in the house, and finally figure out how to use our satellite internet, propane generator, and of course...the airstream.

Wish us luck. Time is going FAST. Why am I even sitting here writing when I should be cleaning cleaning cleaning!!! With that said, until next time...

Terror

That's the way I have been describing these flashes. It's no wonder that people have dreams that they speak of and have not quite moved toward... flashes of terror. It began in the night, or just before morning. Now at odd hours of the day. An unnerving sense of spatial... loss, all landmarks falling away.

I have submerged myself in my work. Deb is feeling everything intensely, immediately. I listen and hold everything at arms length, behind my work. I hope that when I let the wall come down, that this ocean washes forth as art, as inspiration, as exhilaration, helplessly.

Glorybound to Heaven and Hell

I think surreal is the word. 

The past week has been filled with resignation letters, panic attacks in the name of "way too big yard sales" and "I have so much to do before I can even leave my current job!" 

Lauren has locked herself in our bedroom a couple of times just to hide in the silence, as if this one room can shut out both of our current realities of choosing to abandon our geographic foundation of five years, life-long friends in the same town, the best colleagues a person can have, a schedule we rely on, and our favorite restaurants. (Note: Food will always be in the top 5 of any of my lists.)

I have never been good at allowing the spectrum of emotions to exist within any one situation. I suppose that comes with my slightly extreme personality. How can I be ecstatic and sad all in the same situation? I have read enough books to know that sadness and happiness make one hell of a great pair of opposites but like many young souls in this universe, I am never convinced until I touch that deceivingly curious hot stove. 

For example, if I decide that I am going to sell every piece of furniture I have ever owned (which is exactly what I am doing) then the last feeling I want is to acknowledge the sadness of letting go of my first non-college drenched, stain-free, know-exactly-where-it-has-been couch. And when I daydream of spending hours on organic farms across America, I also feel like drinking a six pack of something rather then saying good-bye to every plant I co-cared for in my urban farm, in the first house I owned, in a city that has offered up a wealth of open doors.

I am attempting to feel the icky that comes with following one's bliss. It is unsettling. Lonely even. How do I explain to others (and myself) that going away from so much good will ultimately lead me back to good? I don't even know what that means. Sometimes I have to pretend that The Alchemist was written for me just so I can survive myself. I am Santiago following my dreams. Simple words for big vision. Am I just selling myself on a gimmick I created or am I really going down a path that leads to...another path?  The devil and angel sit smugly on my shoulders forever forming the next business venture in the name of "experience". 

While telling people about our plans, I have received every reaction in the book. From, "oh my goodness. you go girl!" to, "but what about your state benefits?" I believe some people see through me because they want to point out all the "fear factors" of the trip, as if they know that I am purposefully looking at all the positives just so I don't have to face the sacrifices. Tunnel vision comes in handy sometimes.

I honestly don't like these conversations. They make me feel as if people want to make me slightly less happy. But I also know that people who take the time to ask questions, worry for my safety, and offer assistance are merely trying to put themselves in my shoes so that they too can be with us on the trip. 90% of the world has good intentions. I am still working on what the other 10% is made up of though. :)

If the only purpose of the trip is to feel what I am feeling right now, then it has been worth it. With all of these emotions stirring in me, the one that is speaking the loudest is appreciation. 

They aren't kidding when "they" say that sometimes it takes losing something, to see its worth. 

(I love using "they". It gives me such liberty to jot down any BS that fits the argument of the moment).

So with that, thank you for the opportunity to miss you.