Friday, February 3, 2012

A letter home

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am having a swell time living on a bus with my friends.  Our first night, we celebrated our new home and mode of living by doing exactly what we wanted in each moment.  Brit held an opening for her solo show in a small private gallery, and we played with our full band and choir there.   We organized a parade for ourselves with a marching band and a tricycle fleet and the press showed up and our resident Spanish journalist decided to begin a documentary about our community that she will show to the international public.  We drank Italian red wine and lit candles and decorated ourselves and hung up prayer flags and took out the hula hoops and danced.  We rode a pink golf cart around.  It all felt magical and exactly the thing to do, a self-feeding creative momentum that promised good days to come.

We woke up exhausted due to far too little sleep but were invited into a nearby bed and breakfast whose owner is a dear old friend of ours.  He served us a three course meal, set out fresh bedding, and we all took catnaps.  The afternoon we spent hiking around a local swamp that is preserve land, collecting materials to integrate into sculpture, drawings, lyrics and poetry.  I found beautiful colors in a species of tree I haven't noticed before and plan to paint with them the next time I have my supplies out and some time to stop and work.  A coconut washed up on the shore and Max cracked it open and the flesh was still sweet and good.  When we returned to our host he was coming in with groceries for an elaborate dinner.  We ate roasted beet salad and sauteed broccoli and the ancient strain of wheat known as kamut with sage and tarragon aioli, and seitan sliders, more Italian vino.  A soundtrack of Fats and Otis and Sly and Marvin.  We wound down around an outdoor fire, singing a new Spanish song our journalist taught us and learning about her and our other new housemate Andy from New Jersey.

When we went home, Loki was a little cold, so we pulled out the full poundage of blankets and snuggled into a few nests.  We slept for a long time, luxuriously.  Today we woke up with enough energy to get us through anything.  Kaley did morning sun salutations, and we made a trip to the nearest grocery for some simple fare.  Coffee and eggs and toast for breakfast, and another long walk through the nearby preserve land to really wake up.  Converted the nighttime bus into a daytime bus, and organized the space better.  Took her for a drive into the sunset, listening to a mix of music Bri came up with to add a little atmosphere to any stretch of road.  Miss her.

Currently, we are working well as a team and a family.  Troubleshooting is easy with all the minds and hearts in this little home.  Every minute is meaningful as we begin our trip and clarify our intentions.  We are really living the reality that we can grow because of anything, anyone, anywhere, and create magic everywhere, all the time.

I hope you are doing good things for yourselves and each other!  So much love,

Jackie

6 comments:

  1. Sounds as if you are living inside a dream state......i love you so much....will pass this along to your dad.
    is your phone dead, or just turned off (can't say as I would want the outside world stomping on what your are doing now either).
    please give a hug to all.
    mom

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    1. We've learned it's possible to live the greatest adventures right next door to home. Only an imagination and positive attitude are required to go on a trip. And maybe it's nice having my phone off so that I can communicate when it is time to and not when my phone rings, but staying in touch IS a part of this trip. Love you!

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  2. I feel lucky to be witness to this extraordinary exploratory venture. I really, really hope there will be recordings of the music you are doing (band and choir?! Props!). I have no doubt it is something to behold. Keep on keepin' on with that spirit that moves: you will change the world...
    looking forward to updates and whatever will come out of this.

    Peace and love,
    yo' friend,
    Tim

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Tim. It's nice to know you are reading...Music demos to come for sure. Hugs from the whole crew.

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  3. Hi folks,
    It was so nice to hear your wanderings, thanks so much Jackie, I'm sure all of us parents are likewise moved by hearing your exciting stories (after all, why do you think we had kids anyway?) And again, we elderlies' fears are definitely assuaged by hearing from you and knowing you all have such elegant means of communication as well as such a wonderful site (with pictures! keep them coming!). And how you have such broad and deep and high thinking about the future of our world, and very, very well written introduction. Do you still have the Cat Stevens youtube on the site?

    Lots of love from Peter and Edel

    Please keep reporting!

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We look forward to hearing from you! Do not hesitate to comment, ask questions, share your ideas or wisdom or a relevant experience. If you want to get in touch with us directly, please review our Contact section. Love, the Loki crew