Ball and Bones 2013

Wrens dad lives at a place known as Bobland, and every year they have a quaint festival known as Ball and Bones. This is the first year Wren and I have been able to go, and boy were we delighted with the folks and activities there.

 The name comes from so much of the outdoor art being stone carvings of balls and bones.

As you can see, we had a lot of fun... especially on the ball tower.

 There was an evening of performance including a fashion show, an accordion trio, musicians, poetry, palm and hand-writing reading, and Wren and I performed our rope act while Robin (Wren's dad) played his accordion.

But most of all, Wren's favorite trick was balancing his new baby nephew Soren.

 We had an awesomely delightful time wit sun, wonderful people, wildly fun entertainment, music, great food, and a squishy adorable baby to smooch over. I can't wait till next year.

Gettin Under the House

Occasionally, Wren and I have the pleasure of staying at his moms house in Anacortes. Margaret is a fun/inspiring/chef/seamstress/retired-librarian/grandmother/health-conscious/active/thoughtful/friend extraordinaire! Inside her house is full of beautiful artwork, fresh flowers, and lots of great natural light. Outside is soft landscaping, raised-bed gardens, and a well-kept lawn. Also occasionally, there are fun tasks that we are able to help out with. This was one of them... removing the insulation from under the house, packing it into the bed of a neighbors truck, and delivering it to the dump.

Here is Wren in his anti-itch suit.

Wren under the house!

 My main job was to take it from the under-house entryways and pile it up... this was just one of many piles.

 It feels so great to help someone who does so much for their friends, family, and guests. And to contribute toward the upkeep of such a beautiful house! Here is a photo of an evening we enjoyed from her upstairs porch... absolutely amazing.

Thanks Margaret for sharing yourself and your wonderful home!

Oregon Country Fair

This year I was part of an ensemble for the Oregon Country Fair with Shannon Collier, Alex Allen, and Mark Growden.

Marks music was the inspiration of the piece, and lucky for us, he was accompanied by these wonderful musicians Ben Farrell, Steven Bent, and Harry Levine.

Our show was called "Teaspoon of Sugar".  It was the story of an older woman (me) sharing her memories of a lost love.

Shan played the young me and Alex played the old and young love. It was sweet, funny and emotional, and brought many people to tears.

 It was quite a heartfelt production. We all enjoyed the outcome and hope to make our way together again in the future. Thanks to Jess Hobbs for the beautiful photos!

OCF Mud Bay Jugglers n me

A great honor I had this year at the Oregon Country Fair, was to be invited to stand in for an act in the Mud Bay Jugglers' show. I got to wear an enormous beard and take slow-motion cues from Hairy, who I was standing in for. It was such a delightful and special thing for me, as I really look up to and respect these fellas.

I think the look on my face says it all. This is one happy girl.

Thanks Alan, Harry, and Doug!

Workin' Towards Oregon Country Fair

This year I decided that bringing a meaningful, well-rehearsed show to Country Fair was worth driving to California for. It also included living in my van and working with two other essentially "homeless" people. Those two, Shan and Alex, were both couch-sitting or briefly house-sitting over the duration of our month of show-creation. It did allow me to see much of Oakland, San Fran, and Berkely, which was more beautiful than I had imagined. Between the three of us, we occupied 8 dwelling units over a 30-day period. Here is the first place Shan was at... complete with Luke the dog!

 This photo may be representative of the ways in which we individually held it together for the show.

A typical post-rehearsal moment.

 And finally, here's an example of one of the best reasons to be a third wheel... 

Making a show can be so fun, yet so challenging. This adventure is probably something I will choose not to do again under previously stated "homeless" and travel purposes. In figuring travel to San Fran and back, rehearsal and random things not counting food it was at minimum $210 (hooray for Craigslist rides!). This did not count the $600 fuel pump I put in while there and a month of my time. The Fair paid out $290 plus $106 in tips equaling a whopping $396. I do feel like we created the show I was hoping for, and these photos will always remind me of the fun non-rehearsal times we had, and just how absolutely rediculous Shan and Alex are. Yay for that! =)