happy [and dreaming of another roadtrip]

today is one of those days

on which i really really love my day job

doing what makes me happy

even if it does give me cracked hands

and appalling fingernails

the thing about my day job

is that it funds the indulgence of exhibiting

and

to a certain extent

my teaching

travel does not come cheaply

and workshop fees do not always

cover the spaces in between engagements

but [despite bringing me into disfavour in some quarters]

i love to wander

being

a wanderbear at heart

i had such plans to take a sabbatical

but teaching is fun

and

so is wandering
and wondering

and so is

patience with bundles

taking time to open

is rewarded

with slow magic

which leads me to think

that 

while i really love teaching four or five day retreat classes like 'being (t)here'

perhaps it is also time to offer some one-day workshops

because not everyone has the time

to take the time

and

as my friend John Parkes so beautifully writes

"strange that time is more uncertain than water"

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so

i am considering offering a retreat

that would begin in the early afternoon

which would mean that

the dyeing has the benefit of a restful night

and

we can share a leisurely evening meal

which i will very happily prepare

also

the cocktail hour can be appropriately acknowledged

without having to rush back to work

and then

next morning

not too early

allowing for a lovely walk after breakfast

[and time for yoga]

we would gather again

to open the bundles

and wonder at their beauty

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the benefits of this structure

would be many:

less rush to get to an early-start class

one night of retreat away from home

in the company of like-minded souls

not having to forage for supper in a strange place

and

going home with something beautiful to remember it all by

+

i can think of quite a few places i would like to take this...

among them

lovely Lopez Island, that magical wee house in Inverness (California)

Fort Bragg (in the same state), anywhere in New England in the fall 

riverside in New Orleans, outback Australia, an Oregon beach

Tayside in Scotland, on an island off Tasmania

somewhere up near Cairns (Australia)
as well as possibly

Germany, Austria (in which case the workshop language will be German)
and Japan (where the workshop language might have to be sign language)
oh and i'd love to visit Ireland too

and that is just the very tippity tip of the iceberg

but 

i would also be happy to hear from any kindly souls 

who would like to host this kind of retreat

 because

i think i feel another roadtrip coming on

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did i mention that i have been working on a new cocktail too?
allow me to present my
'ginger bear'

ingredients :
gin [preferably that nice one from San Francisco that has a bear on the label]
ginger beer [in Australia, use Ginger Joe]
some fresh ruby grapefruit juice
and the zest of the fruit also
freshly grated ginger root
wild strawberries
  
method :
shake gin and ice and grapefruit juice
strain into well chilled glasses over more ice
dilute slightly with ginger beer 
garnish with grapefuit, freshly grated ginger and some slightly crushed wild strawberries