Putting Down The Landing Gear....

I am home again. It is Monday, September 21st, 2009 and Squam is over and I am living in the afterglow now.

Above are some pictures of my Big Heart Walking apron that I talked about in my last post. Believe it or not, I did not have a photo of myself wearing it at Squam. I actually took these this morning on my back deck. There are lots of things I didn't get pictures of. I feel kind of bad about that but luckily, Carolyn, my roommate and new sister/friend extraordinaire took a ton which she will share with me soon.

(Check out the Canon on this Cool Chick !)

It was a huge, busy, quite cold, inspiring 4 days in my life, this Squam Art Workshop experience. Life changing, I think and certainly, rich and full of colorful details. I am not sure how to talk about it here. I feel like today is about making a safe landing after flying out far and wide and to all sorts of new heights and low lying areas.

(Porter's Lodge - My very, very rustic, Squam home)

I want to share it all with you but that is kind of impossible ! I am still figuring out what lessons I have learned as a result of my time in that place so different from my daily life, and I am missing so many of my Squamie Mates this morning ! The most important thing about SAW for me was the people I met and connected with. They were wonderful, brave, open, fun-loving, supportive and creative people all there soaking up the most of their own experience, just like I was. I know it is going to take some time for it to all settle in me, especially being away from some of my new tribes women ! ;) I have to say I am feeling a little lost today.

The Long House - Registration place - Rockywold-Deephaven Camp

The number one best gift I got out of the whole thing was the gift of Carolyn's friendship. I can't believe we only met in person 5 days ago. I know I have a friend forever now and that makes me really happy. Plus she only lives an hour or so away so we can definitely see each other and play some more soon !

Carolyn and Me Up Close

Let me also add that I am so thankful about the weather we had. Though the cold was really hard to take (it went down to the high 30's at night and the cabins have NO heat !!!!), the sun made the whole place sparkle all day long.

When I was trying to think about what and how I would share Squam Art Workshop stuff on the blog, I thought up doing Top Ten Lists like David Letterman. I am writing those to put into my journal to document my Squam adventures and I thought I would share them here too. Here are a couple that I have written so far today and I will add in some more in my post tomorrow.

Top 10 Words and Phrases

(click to enlarge)

(Flowers waiting for us when we arrived - some for every room)

Top Ten Great Things about The Classes

(I took Judy Wise's classes Translucent Layers and The Play Book, and Sarah Ahern's class Text and Images)

The magnificent, funny, down to Earth, sweet Judy Wise

shares her tricks with my housemate, Kriss.

Judy and me. She totally made my Squam !

Top Ten Squam Foods

The food at the Dining Hall was fantastic ! Fresh, warm, hot, yummy, plentiful, and best of all, I didn't have to cook it !

Number 5 - The Queen makes and artful sundae

So there is just a little bit about what I experienced. I don't think I am going to be able to share it in a way that really makes you feel what I did. It wasn't all Pink Unicorns and sparkles. There was silly, high school-ish cool kids vs every one else stuff that happens often when a big group of women get together. There was the physical challenge of being very cold a lot of the time. There was getting used to walking a good ten minutes in the cold, through the woods, before getting a cup of coffee in the morning. But there was also the companionship and support of fellow artists, the inspiration from the beautiful natural surroundings and from the talented people around you, there was the fireside wine chats and laughs with wonderful housemates and new friends, and there was the quieter giggles and sharing with my sweet and so very real roomie and friend, Carolyn, not to mention art play and more art play and more art play...

Squam.... quite a trip, my beautiful ones !

Oh and one last thing...

When I woke up this morning, I decided I wouldn't blog or even go on the internet. I thought I would want to just take the time on my own and document stuff, journal and draw and write it all done to remember it all. I wasn't even going to turn on my computer ! As you can see I changed my mind. Blame it on Patti Digh !

David called over to me from his computer as I poured my coffee this morning "Patti Digh wrote a post all about you on her blog !" he said. What ???? Yes, it's true - my favorite writer-lady in the world posted about little old Queenly Me ! Told you I was living in life-changing times !

I am going to slowly keep going through my photos and my Squam memories and put my feet back on the ground. I feel like of like a different person today. Well, maybe not that different but definitely shinier. That's it, I think...Squam buffed me up and made me a little shinier. That has to be a very good thing in the long run, don't you think ?

Can't wait to catch up with of you asap. I am glad to be home !