Almost Ready to Migrate South

First things first.  I was as disappointed as the rest of Seahawks nation with the loss.  I was stunned and could not even face the post game analysis at first. A couple of days later I started to listen in to what Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson and others had to say and how they are framing this loss.  The question is What's Next?  Let's acknowledge the grief and then move to the next place.  What can we learn and how can this make us a stronger team for next year?  Great advice.  And the reality is - the Super Bowl is a game and there has to be a winner and a loser.  I think what I see from the Seahawks and from Seahawks nation is how losers can be winners.

Mike and I have been in a flurry of preparation to leave our beloved home and pets for 6 weeks.  It is the longest we have ever left the gang.  We have Daisy and Chewie, the dogs.  Daisy is an almost 12 year old German Shepherd mix and Chewie is an 8.5 year old Australian Shepherd/Lab cross.  They are the "girls" and we are devoted to them.  We also have a very old cat, Celeste (almost 19) and a young cat, Polly (2ish) who also travel the journey of life with us.  Our house sitter knows the pets and will take good care of them.  I have considered using Face Time to see the dogs at least once while we are away.

Daisy and Chewie at the beach.

We have been de-cluttering our 1903 home (read that as short on closets) and it has been a good process for me.  I think it fits with the sabbatical process well.

I went to a Clearing the Clutter workshop recently given my Carrie Koehnline, Clutter Therapist and friend.  It was really helpful.  I came back with extra energy for giving away clothes that I no longer use and also thinking about what else I can let go of in order to make space in my life for What's Next (reminds me of something the wise Coach Carroll had to say this week).  My list might surprise you. I would recommend doing this kind of work for anyone.   One of the resources I picked up as a result of the workshop is a book by Angeles Arrien, PhD., : The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom.  Sounds True Press, Boulder, 2007 edition.   The late Dr. Arrien passed away in April of 2014.  I was familiar with her work on the Four-Fold Way.  I am taking the book with me as my inspiration read for the trip.  I love having something that gives me insight into my own life course.

We journey by car to Tucson.  Our workshop begins Thursday.  I finished reading Undocumented by Aviva Chomsky this week and have as many questions as answers to the immigration dilemma.  I loved it that she sees the future in the youth advocates who are willing to speak out.  Mike and I also watched Juan Gonzales's documentary, Harvest of Empire, that came out last year.  Juan is also co-host of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman.  His voice is a familiar one in our household.  The film embellished the information in Chomsky's book and really presented the issue in the frame of imperialism.  Not something I am particularly proud to part of and yet I am a part.

So, as we get ready to leave, one more fanciful picture:

This a mural in the Old Town district of Bellingham where I shared a birthday breakfast with a friend this week. (Her birthday not mine).  I like to think of the migrating butterflies and birds and hope that my journey is as safe as can be and that there will be light and beauty to counterbalance what I see as I study up close some of the barriers to immigration.

Thanks for reading!