It is true; my greatest sense of joy is discovered outdoors. I grew up camping, hunting, hiking, swimming, rock climbing, boating, and playing softball or pretty much anything that involved getting out in the sunshine. I am definitely not a winter person, although I am a decent snowboarder. Having been accused of being part lizard by an ex-brother-in-law, I tend to be happier in the warmer climates, which I why I absolutely loved my freelance time in Arizona.
Life as a lizard-hybrid has its challenges while living in a four-season state like Idaho. I seriously go into a human version of the brumation period the closer we get to the fall months, grumbling to everyone that “the only part of winter I enjoy – is spring!” And although I’ve gravitated to Oregon several times throughout my life, desperate for a constant life force and no plummeting temperatures, that I’ve lived both on and near the ocean, along with a short period in the desert, my appreciation for nature comes from my parents and their experiences right here in Boise, Idaho.
My father’s passion for flowers and birds – and my mother’s love for gardening – led me to an immense appreciation for Mother Earth. As a tactile person my senses are greatly aroused by touch, so I deeply connect through barefoot walks, burying my hands in the dark, cool soil, or losing myself for hours in a woodshop.
In the winter of 2011 my dear friend Tracey Calderon introduced me to the love of her life who happened to be a high school shop teacher. While Tracey labored away at her law degree, JD kept me busy in his shop teaching me how to turn pens out on a lathe. I had discovered a new passion and I have been honing my skills ever since. Designing handcrafted wooden pens became a therapeutic practice; offering a mental release from the intense focus required of writing, while allowing me yet another way to remain close to my Pop.
Among my other interests related to nature & being outdoors are farmers markets, meditation, yoga, canning homemade preserves – especially Pearl Jam from the plumbs on our family property in Pearl, Idaho, making organic soap, binding sage for smudging ceremonies, candle dressings, full-moon parties, back yard barbecues, campfire gatherings, making fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, naps in the shade on a freshly cut lawn, gardening, flower arranging, picnics, road trips (alone or with friends), bike riding, evening walks in the North End of Boise, out-door patio dining, listening to Nina Simone at twilight on my front stoop, and travel opportunities.