Fall in full swing

On the Interurban trail

More than a dozen or so of us ladies were joined this morning by a new couple, and one of them is a man, who was a little surprised to find that he was going to be alone with all of the rest of us ladies on the walk. We'll see if he returns. I hope so; they are both very strong walkers and stayed in the front with the ones I hardly know, since I can't possibly keep up with them. No matter, I sure enjoyed bringing up the rear and walking at a more leisurely pace. I did keep up for the majority of the walk but decided there was no need to push myself.

Bridge in Arroyo Park

Now that I've gone on my usual Thursday hike and my usual Saturday morning walk, I'm settled right back into my routine after our wonderful five days on Vashon Island, which now seem like a distant memory. My, it amazes me how quickly I can forget the lovely time we shared. I must admit to having had several ideas for writing come up, but so far nothing has emerged. Just a wish to find a way into creative writing on a regular basis.

I burst into tears yesterday when I watched the news before heading off to the gym. The devastation in California is beyond tragic. When the news of the world feels so desperate, I have to tune it out. So yesterday I took two yoga classes in a row, three hours of asanas and stretching. Afterwards I did feel much, much better, but today I am just a teensy bit sore in places that I didn't know I have. It's curious: when I think back over what we did, I cannot figure out how I ended up with sore thighs and buttocks, and the backs of my arms tender to the touch.

We are on track for more rain, starting tonight. How I wish we could slide some of it over to northern California, where it is truly needed. My body is not the only part of me that is sore, my spirit feels a little bit vulnerable, too.
:-{

Home again, safe and sound

Sandi and Deb on our last Vashon morning

Every single day of our retreat, the three of us left the farmhouse just before sunrise to walk three miles around a loop we discovered a few years back. It was the perfect way to start the day before spending so many hours sitting and writing, reading and sharing, and listening to each other's positive feedback about our writing.

And now it's over. Our sixth and final Vashon Island gathering of the bloggers who have called ourselves "Vashonistas" has come to an end. What lies ahead isn't clear, but I truly hope that I will see the magical island of Vashon again someday. I only know it in October, and this year the weather was more than perfect. We got many glimpses of Rainier, and on our last night, we were treated to the mountain in alpenglow.

Rainier and Quartermaster Harbor

I'm filled to the brim, but also glad to be back in the apartment with my dear partner. I've picked up my car, which has been repaired, and returned the rental car. Tomorrow my familiar life returns, but I've got a hankering to stir things up. We'll see what happens.
:-)

Vashonista once again

Me, Jann, Sandi, Deb at the Tea House in town

Well, our Vashonista group is shrinking. When we started out six years ago, we were six, then five for a couple of years, and this time, we are four. Neither Sally nor Linda are here for what is likely to be our very last year at the Lavender Hills Farmhouse. Renting the six-bedroom farmhouse for five nights split between four is much different than between six. Linda was going to attend this year and graciously paid her share, but I'm thinking it's probably time for us to make a change anyway.

The living room, looking out on the bay

It's every bit as beautiful this year as it was every year before, but we do seem to be rattling around in it a little more than in past years. I am the only one in the basement, with one of two bedrooms on the main floor occupied, and the suite and other upstairs room occupied by Deb and Sandi. I am using the smaller of the basement bedrooms as a place to charge my devices.

Quartermaster Harbor

Last year we went kayaking on this bay, but today three of the four of us did our usual three-mile walk before settling down to work on creative writing for the day. We started out the door just before the sun came up and enjoyed reminiscing about previous years. We are the only three that walked every single morning, rain or shine, and it was truly a lovely feeling to be back here, walking in the brisk cool air with my friends. We saw at least six deer out for their breakfast at various places, obviously very accustomed to human activity.

Mt. Rainier shining on the horizon

When the weather is fine as it is today, we have a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier from the back porch of the farmhouse. You can see a bit of the harbor, too. It's a beautiful place even in the rain, but right now it's spectacular. On the way back to the farmhouse this morning, we saw that a new place has opened up just a block from the house, The Burton Inn, a bistro and restaurant. The innkeeper, Deborah, was not open yet, but she saw us looking and invited us in for coffee and scones, although we had no money to pay her.

At the Burton Inn this morning

It's a lovely place and opened not long after our visit here last year. We made reservations for dinner there tonight and will, I'm sure, enjoy a wonderful meal, if the menu is any indication. Once we returned to the farmhouse, we got ready for a day's worth of creative writing. We are finished for the day, which is why I'm writing my post now. We are relaxing (Jann) or shopping (Deb and Sandi) or catching up on blog writing and reading (me).

So that's what is happening in my life today. We'll rinse and repeat tomorrow, unless we feel like changing things up a little. We're on a vacation with writing at the center, so we can do whatever feels best. I hope to get a post up here on Saturday, unless I forget (smile). We will drive back to our respective homes on Monday morning. Until then, I'm a full-time writer.
:-)

Vashon Island adventure

Looking like I know what to do

My writers' retreat is behind me for another year, but I am filled with wonderful memories of the five days we spent together, with quite an adventure last Sunday: we rented kayaks and a guide and went out in Quartermaster Harbor on what turned out to be a perfect day. I had never before been in a kayak and was more than a little anxious about it. Sandi, too, was a first-timer. No more! We are both no longer neophytes. After two hours in the salt water, meandering around in rented kayaks, we learned how to paddle, turn, speed up, slow down, and basically how to save our lives if we were to overturn. (Nobody did.)

Linda, me, Sandi, Jann, Deb rafting up

I also learned about "rafting up," where we all get close to each other's kayaks and grab ahold of the paddles. It allowed Erin, our guide, to take this picture. It was all so much fun, and although I was worried about whether I'd even be able to move my arms the next day, I was surprised to find that other than a tiny bit of sensation in my upper arms, I was just fine! About twenty minutes in, I was getting worried because my arms felt so tired already, but Erin showed me what I was doing wrong (mostly gripping the paddle tightly and not pushing with the opposite arm). What a difference, once I found out how to do it right!

We have all made the commitment to come back for another writers' retreat next October, and Erin, Director of Fun for Vashon Watersports, has agreed to help us decide whether we will have another day on the water next year or help find us another exciting adventure on the island.

And there is so much I need to process from the writing we did, but that will be for another time. I'm a little tired from such an intense week, so for the present, it's going to be a little R&R. A happy tired, though.
:-)

Our Saturday ritual

Linda, Sandi, Deb, me, Jann

We Vashonistas are taking a break today from our intense schedule of the past two days, with morning and afternoon writing sessions. In a little while, we'll have an afternoon session, but we spent the morning doing what has become our Saturday ritual: breakfast at the Hardware Store (a local restaurant) and then a saunter over to the Farmers' Market. Smaller than ever this year, the vendors were under tents to keep out of the rain. It was indeed still sprinkling a little, and overnight it rained heavily. We were fortunate that it had mostly stopped when we took the picture above. (Thanks to the passerby for the great photos.)

Since this is our fifth year, we had t-shirts designed by my friend Neil, a skydiving friend from years ago, who gave me a super deal on them. They are lavender (of course), since we are staying at the Lavender Hill Farm for the fifth year. Our shirts say: "Vashonista: 5th Reunion, October 2016."

We have one more full day here, tomorrow, and then Monday we will head back into our lives, with another wonderful retreat behind us. I am having a great time, with plenty of blog fodder, and much, much more.
:-)

Fifth year on Vashon Island

Yesterday's view from Quartermaster Harbor

Yesterday, after the five of us arrived separately by ferry on Vashon Island for our fifth annual writers' retreat, three of us went for a three-mile walk. The three-mile loop takes us by the harbor, and the brilliant blue skies and fluffy white clouds made quite a spectacle, as you can see here. Then we went back to join the others at our wonderful Lavender Hill Farm to make ourselves comfortable in our respective rooms. I have always stayed in one of the basement rooms, until this time. I am ensconced in the suite, for the first time, and now everyone will have had a chance to experience it.

The large suite, my room for five days

The bed is huge, and the separate bath and sitting room are incredibly spacious. I felt a little swallowed up by all the space, at first. After having slept there last night and getting a great night's sleep, I can see why everybody wants to have that room.

Deb, our facilitator, making a bouquet

This morning we began the work. Deb has taken several courses to learn how to facilitate writing groups using the Amherst Writers and Artists Method. We just spent our first morning session using writing prompts and giving and getting feedback from our impromptu writings. Every year I learn a little more about the method, Deb's proficiency increases, and I get to enjoy the company of my fellow Vashonistas.

The living room

This is our writing area; and we are taking a two-hour break for lunch Three of the women went off to town, while I sit here writing this post and Linda is taking a nap. She stayed up rather late, and as usual I was the first to leave last night so that I could get to bed at a reasonable hour and feel quite rested.

Although the writing work is valuable, it is also quite intensive, so we will continue to have a few days more of writing and then for the weekend will explore places on the island that we want to know more about. We leave on Monday, so I will be here on Saturday and will post from Vashon Island once more. We've got rain moving in, quite a lot of it for awhile, but we three walking buddies will head out each morning at 7:00am for the three-mile walk. It's the best way to start a day of mental exercise, I think. More later.
:-)

Vashonista Celebration

Afternoon light

My fellow Vashonistas have decided that we would like to share our final writing prompt with each other, and with all of you as well. We were given the last two lines of a famous Mary Oliver poem, "The Summer Day" and then in the next few minutes we each poured out our own take on these words.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?

*   *   *

What, indeed? As I think back on what I have already done with my one wild and precious life, I am impressed with what my seven decades (and then some) have brought forth. What, indeed? A life of light and love, accomplishments too numerous to list, and a myriad mixture of friends and family that sustain me today. I look back and see that it is good.

But what will these next years be filled with? I am hoping to make sure that it will be a life of service that will create good and inclusion, rather than of closing up and diminishment. Ah, but what of Death, the leaving behind of all the love and joy I feel today?

What of that? I am determined to make a friend of Death, because I know that since I cannot stop for him, he will kindly stop for me. My wild and precious life is almost full and finished. And that's just right.

DJan Stewart, 5 October 2015

 And here are the others:

Deb Shucka
Jann Rayner Tresham
Sally French Wessely
Linda Granholm Myers
Sandi Pemberton Babbitt

Home from the Island

Four rowers caught at sunrise

I'm home after five nights at our Vashonista Lavender Hill Farm retreat, with mixed feelings. First, it's good to be home, but it's different here than it is on Vashon Island. I decided that if I ever were able to live on an island separated from the mainland by a ferry ride, it would be this place. It's a wonderful, magical island, and everything I think I might need is right there. Plus it's an easy ferry ride to Seattle, which of course has everything else.

I learned a ton about writing during this retreat, and I also learned an incredible amount about the six women who gathered together for the fourth time. That includes me, since I went without expectations and came back with an increased understanding of my own need to write, with a new sense of possibilities for now, and for the future.

Right now I'm pretty tired, since it's late in the afternoon and I took that picture right at sunrise today on our morning walk. Not everybody is an early riser, but Sandi, Deb and I took off this morning at 6:45 for a three-mile walk, which has become our standard way to get exercise over the past few days. It goes around Burton Acres Park, with a dock where we saw several rowers at the Jensen Point boathouse putting their boats into the water and heading out. I caught these Master rowers from the Vashon Island Rowers Club getting in some practice. We learned they were Masters rowers from the wife of one who was at the water's edge, who watched them and chatted with us for awhile.

We could not have had more wonderful weather during our stay, and as I placed my suitcase in the truck of Linda's car, fat raindrops fell from the sky, the first we had seen since we arrived. Perfect timing! And now I am looking forward to next October, when we will meet for the fifth time.

It was so much more than I anticipated, and I'll write more about it, I promise. For now, it's Wine O'Clock and I'm going to get lost in the Stephen King book On Writing. Deb gave us all a copy on the first day, and I dipped into it but had little time to read. And now I have all the time I need to process everything. Retirement is great.
:-)

Our Vashonista retreat so far

Deb at work

When we Vashonistas decided to get together for an entire six days this year, Deb agreed to organize a writing retreat for us while we are here. We already knew this setting well, having been here three times before, but now we not only have plenty of time, but we also are learning some great techniques to free up our inner writers. It's Saturday morning, and by this time in earlier visits, we would have only this one full day left to enjoy not only each other, but this wonderful Lavender Hill Farm setting. This year, we don't need to pack up and leave until Tuesday!

Deb gave us all copies of Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, which is almost impossible to put down (like most of his books), but we've been very busy. We started on Thursday night after dinner (hence my short post), and yesterday we worked very hard together. I have been to writing workshops before, but it's been a long time, and I have not only already learned some new tools to move myself from stuck writing places, but also how to find buried treasures within myself.

Listening to our esteemed guest

And last night, Linda Reeder joined us for dinner. She lives in Seattle and was one of the original bloggers we hoped would become part of this group in the beginning. She's a very busy person but made the time to take the ferry ride to Vashon Island and meet us in person. We all know each other so very well from our blogs, so she slipped into the gathering as if she had always been here. She writes on Linda Letters and posts about her travels, family, home, and gardens galore.

The picture above shows how we have been working together: Deb would give us a prompt, such as "Beneath the surface" or "Find yourself in a car" and give us either a short time (five minutes) or a longer one (fifteen) and we write, longhand, in our notebooks. I've already discovered that writing that way, rather than on a laptop, frees up something inside, as if writing it down longhand allows another aspect of creativity to be loosened.

Linda joined us for that second prompt (finding oneself in a car) and we all shared what that brought up for us. It was so much fun! The very full day yesterday made me struggling to keep my eyes opened by 8:30pm. (Who am I kidding? That's when I always fall asleep.)

And now it's the next day, Saturday morning. I hear the creaking floorboard above me, letting me know that my fellow early riser (Deb) has begun her day, too. I think I'll go join her to start today's adventure!
:-)

Vashonistas are together again

Our beautiful living room

We are together again for our fourth gathering. I am trying to get this done really quickly, so we can get started with our writing project, our first for our six days together. It's so nice to be back in this place that seems like home. It's a wonderful place, and the weather is fantastic for our entire trip.

Gotta go, Deb is pulling on my arm to get started the writing for tonight!
:-)