November 29, 2011

Its too early to be awake but the energy from all who are helping make the
sale possible reverberates through the house and my tired eyes just pop open
as I remember all the good things that happened yesterday and all the work
that needs to be done to make the Artist Sale the most successful ever.  I
am blessed beyond words by the support that gathers to make this all
possible.  From all who donated greens to the workers making wreaths to
supporting artists we are so very thankful as each person gives in such a
meaningful and caring way.

Yesterday we tried to send Megan home to rest as she has not been feeling
her normal chipper self but she was still here last night and smiling and
helping in so many important ways.  She booked two shoots that were done by
Caroline and Sasha at Seattle Children’s last evening.  The requests for
shoots have been coming in at a record rate and our photographers have been
doing an incredible job of stepping up and sharing their talents.  A number
of them have also been gathering greens for us and I want to thank Cami and
Kurt especially as they are so generous with their greens.

Huge thanks to my sister Patti and her entourage who brought incredible
greens all the way from Oregon.  Plus Patti brought artist’s donations of
dolls and jewelry and much to my delight more items for my metal creations.
We are hoping the roads stay safe and ice free as Patti, my brother David
and my nephew Jeremy and his girlfriend are all hoping to come and help at
the sale.  From Oregon we also welcome Sasha who will be making food for our
artists during the sale hours.  Sasha is Lew’s boyfriend’s mom and part of
our family now so I am feeling most blessed by all this help from family

I need to be sure to let you all know that not only Megan, but Diane and Lew
have been amazing in helping make the last days before the sale work as
smoothly as possible.  Each person has done so much to make it all happen.
Today Lew and board Vice President, Heather are hanging another show
At Seattle Nutrition Counseling, that is part of Blakely Wellness Center
near University Village.

Our board members have been amazing and I thank each of them for their hard
work.  I want to thank Jodi today for a shoot she did in California for her
friends daughter who is facing a battle with cancer.  In looking over Jodi’s
work I realized that she had captured such special images that eventually I
am hoping we will have permission to use this shoot as a tutorial for new
photographers joining our mission.  This recent shoot is absolutely
outstanding and I salute Jodi for her accomplishments with her camera.

Two things have touched me deeply in putting this show together.  First of
all my history in Sequim is coming back to help in loving ways.  My best
friend from high school and former neighbor, Patsy has reached out and
created lovely items, both knit and felted for the sale.  Her tiny felt
pincushions are not be be missed and her knitting is lovely.  But she also
joined us yesterday, donating greens and creating beautiful wreaths.  She
worked nonstop for over 7 hours and her work was stunning.  I am most
delighted that she has agreed to come and spend the night next year and work
with us making wreaths for two days.  The second effort that knocked me out
from Sequim is that my favorite high school teacher and his beautiful wife
have made items for the sale that they are donating.  Walt has created folk
art bird houses and feeders with hand whittled characters that are charming.
I hope to be the proud owner of one, just trying to decide which is the
right choice, narrowing it down to the one with the pig and farmer or the
priest and his church, either will be so great in my courtyard.  Carol has
sewn wonderful dolls and generously donated a small tub full of them.  Carol
introduced me to a Sequim photographer, Tawnya Gagnon who will be handling
shoots in that area should requests come from the Peninsula and Tawnya drove
over with her husband and delivered greens.

I want to share that a gift arrived yesterday that stopped me in my tracks
and caused some major flooding.  Soul artist and my good friend Dianne Tudor
sent me a beautiful angel bunny that is now part of my courtyard but the
thing that brought me to a place of remembering exactly why we do the work
of Soul is a video that was made of the time when we invited her nephews and
niece to the Ballard studio to share with them our memories of their mom.
Mary died after contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion that was given
when testing was not deemed necessary.  The loss of Mary is a sad part of my
life as she was in health care and worked with medically fragile children,
if she were alive today I know I would have had an amazing mentor and guide
for our work with Soulumination.  Her husband Randy was our doctor through
my 2 miscarriages and into the birth of McKenzie.  Doug built Randy’s clinic
in Port Townsend so we both were close with Mary.  I was only able to watch
the first few minutes of the video yesterday and just typing this has
reopened the faucet.  I hope the Adult Legacy project of Soul honors the
loss of my friend and will give comfort to children like Mary’s as they move
through their days without the physical presence of a parent.

I close with one more salute to Dunn Gardens for the donation of exceptional
greens.  Pat and Sue are supporters of the highest order and the workers at
the gardens are now some of my personal heroes.  In love, peace and
gratitude, Lynette