Driving and the creative mind.

Chilly..grey. Cloud filled skies today..good for writing.
I am attracted to New Mexico. While Santa Fe is a bit too touristy..I have lived in other areas where there is tourist season..and then a lull to refuel..make new work..meet your neighbors. We drive through and I keep this in mind. When I drive long distances ( I am use to driving alone to art fairs all over the country to sell my wares) ..I noticed that once on the road my thoughts would soon turn to all kinds of creative endeavors..titles for chapters of books I'd like to finish.. finding that bridge for a song I started last trip, design elements on a water tower in Texas. I'd have a notebook on the seat next to me to jot things down. Now with the I phone I can record a voice message reminder and If I pull over..take a picture of something that grabs my attention. It was as if when my attention was occupied by driving , another side of my brain was allowed to come back online and start sending out messages. On this trip with my son..he is listening to his music via earbuds and I make mental notes of   1. things we need to buy    2. things we need to do    when we get to our destination..a small house in the middle of the sand at the end of a dirt road in California where I know no one. I don't mind a challenge ..I just like to be as prepared as I can for the unexpected.
         Things we need to buy
        1. drinking water...don't be fooled by all that bottled water at the store . Tyler's Dr assures us there is good bottled water and bad bottled water..I need the good stuff.
      2.    Food..sure..sounds easy..but we are gluten free, consume very little processed foods and for health reasons find grass fed meats and free range eggs a part of our usual diet.
       3.  assorted odds & ends..soap, white out and a pencil ( doing my taxes), sunscreen, hats, flip flops, chocolate.
     That should get us started. We'll be here for 2 months. I'll find the Post Office, library, best local Mexican food next trip. That's the "do" part.
thanks for reading

Driving across Arkansas and Oklahoma on Rte 40 is not that exciting unless you get off  the highway..and my way of thinking is when you are in an older mini van with a chronically ill co pilot you ask the travel goddesses to" please don't let me have a major vehicle problem"and you promise not to take too many side trips.That seemed to work. ME/CFS my son's disease is such that even sitting upright for long periods of time is very tiring so we stopped often to just lay back..shut eyes.
His symptoms also include being sensitive to toxins (man made and natural) molds and cleaners, fumes and pesticides...so motels are a major black hole in the travel arena. One was ok ..one smelled so perfume filled I left the front door open..and still it kept him awake most of the night. On the recommendation of a fellow traveler we stopped in Winslow AZ and stayed at La Posada hotel, a beautifully renovated historic adobe. Filled with art and books it was a good nights rest ..and as my fairy godmother says over my shoulder.." you deserve a night at the ball". Next stop ..the desert.Thanks for reading.

Please no email Valentines!

Valentine's Day...great. Just ignore it..it'll go away.    Since last I wrote..
I was going to say a few words about driving my son and myself from North Carolina to Cal desert.
and no, I do not always speak (write) in complete sentences..I don't like punctuation and I am a very bad speller..just ask the kids...anyway______ Van is serviced and packed with as little as is safely possible for a road trip...flashlight? check. sleeping bag? check. phone charger? check. shovel? ( I am a Mainer after all)  check. We go back to the house twice for forgotten meds and marijuana muffins. (medicinal silly) ..we stop in Nashville to do a Walmart run..which entails purchasing functional clothing in exchange for the ones you are wearing from top to bottoms! I pick out grey boys' tennies, 2 tops, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pants ( one I can sleep in) and undies. I grab a $5.00 hello kitty back pack and a $1.00 shopping bag to hold the stuff..my son does much the same..we get a motel room and ditch all of what we were wearing and try on the new. I get an A+ for finding great pants for 7 bucks. Oh yeah and I found a black knit dress for $6.00 just in case..of..I don't really know..for fun. As we drove away the next morning heading west I wondered (in Spanish) what the housekeeping personnel thought when they found our old shoes, clothes, purse and wallet in a neat pile..with a note.."FREE"..so were we..and heading west.. Thanks for reading.

                     Ceiling of the tower ( designed by a woman Architect ) at the south? rim of the grand canyon..I am always looking for a sign..a symbol..an arrow to point me in the right direction. There were many here.

8 weeks in a balloon

well..as you can see the last blog date entry..I have NOT been blogging at all! Six years later and still sometimes there is just too much to put into words so I paint or sculpt instead. But let me start anew.
     Maybe at some point I will fill in the missing years..but I'd rather start from the present for now while my memory is fresh.
     My son has ME/CFS   Myalgic / Encephalomyelitis and has been house bound for a more than a decade. After his father died we moved from the coast of Maine to the mountains of North Carolina hoping for some relief from his daily fatigue and inflammatory responses to many kinds of molds and toxins both natural and man made. Bought a house..found a studio from which to work and hoped for the best.It seems it is not to be. Two years have passed and his symptoms worsen so once again we search for a place where he can stand, walk and think clearly enough to regain some of his independence...I will be note taking and writing thoughts of this part of the journey for now as it unfolds..sometimes a list of what the day's tasks are...hopefully a bright spot here and there.
     We will be living on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California for the next 2 months to see if the rumors that we have read are true..that for some reason others like my son ( and yes there are millions) find that the desert air, with less pollution and a cleaner environment seem to make them feel better...some much better..don't know why..as of yet...would love to see that examined.
     We have driven from North Carolina with few belongings ( don't bring the stuff that lived with you when you felt bad) and hopes of at least an interesting experiment and maybe..just maybe..some hope for the future. I'll jot a few notes about the 5 day car excursion next time...note to self..hey !! there's a whole lot of room out there in America!! we should spread out a little! Thanks for reading.