three weeks

Three weeks away from this computer, this home, this town and I'm having a hard time figuring it all out again. What I do know is, we had a tremendous journey. The trip encompassed all that I require out of travels: relaxation, comfort, beauty, introspection, balance. And, as I've noticed before after long forays away, I have a hard time capturing the essence of something so big too far after the fact. Instead I'll try for highlights:

• Eliana spending seven blissed out nights in her own tent, sleeping splendidly to the sounds of the sea.

• Long sola walks and sandy yoga sessions.

• The way Eliana "made cakes" or "made soup" with her posse of new friends and trusty bucket and shovel.
  

• Hiking out to the tip of the peninsula, Cape Flattery, and looking at the insane view.

• Snuggling with my little family.
  

• Long, delicious dinner with friends (perhaps most notably the night the fishing crew brought back massive amounts of salmon that was then cooked in foil over the fire).
• Loving the way other people appreciate my kid (Burns calls her the "floor model" -- gotta love that).
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• Eliana getting splashed by seals and getting touchy feely with anemones at the aquarium in Seaside (since the seal incident, when asked what she just dreamt about, she replies, "Seals splashin' me!"
  

• The bakery in Manzanita.
• The hot tub in Manzanita.
• Jeff and I leaving Els with her devoted Auntie Kelli and Uncle Jack in Portland so we could walk up to this cool little cafe and have a drink, late night style.
  
• The writing and yoga retreat that Becca and I co-lead in Opal Creek. Absolutely perfect in every way.

• Watching the sunset over Neah Bay.
  

• Reading lots of novels on the beach.
• Exploring the intense beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

• Savoring the wild sense of humor and imagination that is developing in my big girl.

• Getting dirty.
• Feeling silly.

• Being totally relaxed.

On Monday we return to work and get swept up in the current that is Fall. I have so much to hold on to from this journey and hope that I can retrieve the lessons in balance when life gets heavy and fast again.

moving along

We're moving along again. The Kessler August summer fun train leaves tomorrow for twenty days of coastal adventure. I'm antsy to get moving, shake things up, rock it hard before school starts again and the sunny season comes to a close. We've been busy. Lots of cousin love visiting (four boys!) and my beautiful sister, Erin and her hubby, Stan have been here since Saturday. Long, leisurely dinners, a float trip on the Blackfoot, swimming holes and downtown treats, make a fully satiated Missoulian ready to explore new territory. I so love sharing where I live and embracing how to live here right. It also makes me eager to explore a new place with a fresh perspective.


Els Bells continues to explore her two year old self. We've had glorious, hilarious, independent, brilliant moments. And long screaming and crying fits that have kept us from our naps. She kinda lost her noodle in the tent on a little family camp extravaganza, and I had that moment, was that mom -- the one whose kid is keeping everyone else awake, the one who everyone is thinking, well, thank god it's not my kid, poor Gillian, poor Jeff. Woah. I'll remember that night like some of my wilder nights in college, all blurry and wild and can this really be happening. Moving on.

Our little summer in Misosula chapter is closing. These are the last August days with Eliana destroying the house, moving from one activity to the next, chaos in her wake. The last August days where she's still unsteady up the stairs, sorta jammin' instead of racing, speaking phrases instead of sentences. Her hair gets nuttier by the day, Casey likened her to the dad in the Munsters family tonight, old man crazy curls and a bit of curly comb over on top. Love her hair. Love it. Can't wait to see what happens to it with a good dose of sea air.