Port Townsend

Resolving Cinderella

December 10, 2014 by admin

Last summer, my good friends at Bazaar Girls Yarn & Fibre Emporium approached me about helping them sponsor Key City Public Theatre’s December production of Cinderella. Being a fan of Bazaar Girls as well as KCPT, I saw this as an opportunity to support two of my favorite local organizations.

There was just one problem: Cinderella?

Cinderella bugs me for multiple reasons. First, there’s that whole handsome prince thing. I worry about little girls internalizing the message that we need a prince to rescue us. Love is a nice thing to have in our lives, but we are not “less than” if we don’t have it.

Second, I can attest that the myth of the wicked stepmother has permeated our culture. Nine years ago, as a new stepmother, trying to support two kids through the painful divorce of their parents, I often found myself suspected (even by therapists) as part of the problem. It’s not easy to come in to a new family, with its shared memories, experiences, and culture, and those early years were tough enough without the extra baggage the wicked stepmother stereotype provides.

Still, seeing KCPT’s production, which is bust-a-gut funny, I feel good about my decision to sponsor the show.

Gosh darn it, when Cinderella’s slipper fits, and wins the prince, we were all crying. No matter the message, we love her and want her to win. Cinderella is that hard luck, hard-working young woman who just needs a little help. We are swept up in the story because we can relate to her in some way. If she ends up happy, there’s hope for the rest of us, too.

The fairy godmother, in my view, is an older and wiser version of Cinderella. She has the empathy of someone who has been there and is grateful enough for her own life to want to pay it forward. We women could learn from this, lifting each other up and supporting each other’s dreams. We also — and I can’t stress this enough — be our own fairy godmothers. Watching the production, making a public debut as a sponsor, I realized I need to do more to finish my books and promote them properly. I sometimes work harder for others than I do for myself, and that has to change.

The prince, in my view, is whatever our dream come true is. Back in the day, all a girl could hope for was to marry well. These days, we can have different dreams. We can have love, but we can also have careers and aspirations. I suspect that Cinderella, in her happily ever after, would want to work to better conditions in the kingdom.

In the end, Cinderella is gracious and forgiving to her stepmother and stepsisters. Perhaps we, too, can forgive the parts of us that are selfish and cruel. When we do that, we can find our own royalty.

Gratitude Continues After Thanksgiving

December 3, 2014 by admin

Mason is ready for his Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love picking up the turkey from a local farm that grew it for us. I love making the menu and trying new recipes. I love the smells wafting from the kitchen. I love the relaxed feeling after enjoying a hearty meal. I really love the leftovers.

I make a full Thanksgiving dinner, even when it’s just the two of us. Fortunately, though, we had company: my stepdaughter Sarah, her fiance Neil, and Mason the dog. Mason, a Maltese/Shih Tzu mix, is a rescue dog who, just over a year ago, didn’t know how to play or walk on a leash. Now he’s flying cross-country.

We had some snow over the holiday, which is unusual for us. On Sunday we drove out to the Olympic National Park, which was a true winter wonderland, and enjoyed a pleasant, though chilly, hike in the woods. I’m grateful to live in such a beautiful place.

Lake Crescent area, Olympic National Park

This week, the opportunities for gratitude continue to pile up. Some are small — I am back on Weight Watchers and lost weight, even on Thanksgiving week. More important, I feel better and more empowered now that I’m back on the program.

When a Grandchild Dies is almost ready to return to print, thanks to on demand publishing. I am checking the proof and making some final changes, and it should be available in a few more days.

Tomorrow I will turn 56 years old, but I am in good enough shape that when I use the book Eight Weeks to a Younger Body by Joan Pagano, I can use the weight program for the 35-44 age range, and the flexibility program for 26-35. I am grateful to be strong and healthy.Bazaar Girls Yarn and Fibre Emporium

This week, our local playhouse, Bazaar Girls Yarn and Fibre EmporiumKey City Public Theatre, is presenting Cinderella. KCPT offers fine productions, and I am proud to be a co-sponsor this year as “Nadine Feldman, Author.” It’s my way of starting to come out more as an author while supporting a fine organization. Henry participates from time to time as both an actor and playwright, and I am grateful for the relationships we are building there, especially with Denise Winter, KCPT’s artistic director. I am sharing sponsorship with my good friends at Bazaar Girls Yarn and Fibre Emporium.

And finally, yesterday, with a swipe of a pen, a judge ended a lawsuit against us. I am cautious about getting too excited about this, because we didn’t “win.” The plaintiffs withdrew the suit without prejudice, so they could re-file the lawsuit. However, for now, at least, a two-year legal battle has ended. We can go back to enjoying life in paradise.

What are you grateful for?

One more Mason photo to add joy to your day!

Giddiness

September 9, 2014 by admin

Here, enjoy this taste of tomato through the Internet. They’re small, just a bit larger than a cherry tomato, but take one into your mouth. Let it roll around your tongue and teeth for a moment. Now, bite down on it. Let it fill your mouth with its juices, sweet yet tangy. Just one will leave you nourished, but go ahead. Take another. We leave the bowl out on the counter and eat them like candy. If you’re old enough, you remember when tomatoes always tasted this good, nothing like the red cardboard you get in the grocery store.

The anticipation began in spring when the first tomato starts appeared at the farmers’ market. When I grow them from seed, it begins even earlier, in egg cartons under grow lights, as the first leaves start to emerge. In late May, when it’s warm enough, I put them outside on my deck. By this time, the plants are already tall enough to need support. In early July, I am harvesting the first fruit.

It’s late summer now, and the tomatoes are just about finished. Here in the Pacific Northwest, tomatoes are the holy grail, difficult to grow because our temperatures remain in a narrow band, never too cold, but never too hot, either. After last year’s bumper crop, friends told me not to expect that kind of production every year. I know they’re right, but I’m too busy eating them to think about next year.

As some of you know, for the past 20 months or so we have been involved with a bitter and nasty legal battle. I can’t and won’t write the details here, because some aspects are still ongoing. However, on Friday, one piece of the battle ended. It’s hard for me to take that in, and my Sunday night sleep was disrupted as it has been for some time. Still, I am freer than I’ve been in some time, and that makes us giddy.

Ancient Madrona by Rachel Josepher Gaspers

Port Townsend was filled with visitors for the annual Wooden Boat Festival. The monthly Gallery Walk coincides with the festival, filling our little downtown with people and a carnival atmosphere. We ran into friends everywhere we went, and without the expense of a hearing, we spent some of that money on art. Seems like a better use of funds! I include a couple of photos here, and will follow soon with a photo of the third piece we bought — which has its own separate story.

We are deeply grateful to the friends who have stood by us in our difficulty, to the creative atmosphere of our town, and to the garden that always reminds me of what truly matters.

Taste the tomato and see if you, too, don’t feel as giddy as I do.

Friday Fun — The Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race

November 2, 2012 by admin

We’ve all had a tough week. A little fun won’t take away Sandy’s devastation, but we might as well have some laughs where we can.

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Just for grins, here are some photos from the recent annual Kinetic Sculpture Race, where “cheating is not a right, it’s a privilege.” The first such festival was held here in 1983, making it the third oldest kinetic sculpture festival. Vehicles must be operated by humans (not engines) and prove their ability to travel on land, water, and in mud and sand.

Costumes? This is how we normally dress around here!

. The goal, as I understand it, is not to win, but to come in somewhere in the middle. Just another day in a wacky paradise!

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

The ability to pop a wheelie isn’t required, but if you can, why not?

Crisis at the parade as one sculpture has a flat.

The flowerpot proves that it can float!

It’s hard work passing the water test.

When a teacher of mine suggested that I find a more narrow focus for my blog, I said, “Well, it’s for women at midlife and beyond, and we’re complex.” I am interested in too many things to limit myself, and I think many women of my age feel the same way. I decided, then, that I would meander a little, exploring and sharing whatever I found interesting — and to trust that the audience I would attract would be those women, and some men, apparently, who aren’t just interested in One Thing.

I was absolutely certain about One Thing, though. “I won’t EVER write about fashion!”

I meant it at the time. I don’t enjoy shopping, and I’m not particularly girly. But then I discovered hats and made an exception. Once done with that, though, I retreated once again into my declaration. I won’t EVER write about fashion again!”

Wrong.

I figured I came well prepared to Washington State with my convertible pants for hiking and multiple layers. In this part of the world, we’re a pretty casual bunch, so even though I have limited wardrobe right now (moving van is headed our way!), I have managed to be comfortable.

Then I noticed that many of the ladies in town wear scarves. Shoot, a lot of the guys do, too, and it gives them that cool, casual European look. “Hmm,” I thought. Even my Puritan brain thought, “Okay, they seem to serve an actual purpose of keeping people warm.”

In the interest of looking as though I’m “in the know,” I purchased a selection of scarves at a local store:

So, I’ve bought a few more hats — also handy to have when the wind blows. Done, right? Now I can move off the fashion topic?

Not so fast.

Last weekend, Port Townsend held its annual Victorian Festival, celebrating Port Townsend’s rich Victorian history. The town is dotted with picturesque Victorian homes and buildings, created at a time when high hopes were held for Port Townsend to become a major center for commerce.

For the festival, many residents enjoy dressing in full Victorian costume for the events that include a fashion show and ball. Here’s a link to some cool local residents who love to dress this way year-round — and no one here bats an eyelash, which is one big reason we love living here.

Hubby and I, being a little late to the party, attended just a few events, and wore our normal wardrobe. We wouldn’t miss the Victorian tea, though. We’ve been to a few at the Empress in Victoria, so we were excited about a local version. This one was held at the Blue Gull Inn B&B, and several of the ladies (hubby was the only guy) were resplendent in gorgeous gowns of taffeta and lace, with hats, gloves, the works. (Note: I apologize I did not get photos of these gorgeous gals. If I run across any, I will pass them along.)

If you haven’t been to a Victorian high tea, run to your first opportunity! Besides sipping elegant teas, you get to eat finger sandwiches and all kinds of goodies. Here’s the dessert tray to entice you:

We had a great time, though I confessed to feeling underdressed and promised my new buds that next year I would be better prepared. After that I started shopping online…I’m thinking a daywear dress and perhaps an evening gown…

Who knew I would be pondering my own Victorian wardrobe? My God, if this keeps up I may end up writing about *gasp* shoes!