Red Cedar

had dinner last night with jess, sharai and megan – at what is likely the last dinner party i will host at my apartment. i can’t imagine three more important or lovely people to have shared this occasion with.

we feasted on wild chinook salmon (caught by my friend george), with a reduced blackberry/rosemary/balsamic vinegar sauce (this turned out amazingly well) – couscous with fresh basil and organic greens and tomatoes. we drank wine and then gin and tonics and stayed up late and tipsy with conversation and alcohol.

i haven’t had a lot of chances to connect with the women in my life lately, because we are all busy and i am moving, and there are always a million other things that seem more important – but last night reminded me of why girlfriends are the most important relationships in terms of sustaining the self. they are there to remind you of who you are and what’s important in your history in the face of new relationships – to ground you in a community of support when you are struggling to make decisions – to listen in a way that only women know how to.

i am so thankful i have these women in my life – and i hold out great hope that eventually we will all live close to one another again – if not on the same land, in the same area – so that we can continue to support each other and the projects we are working on.
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i decided this morning when i woke up that i wanted to see nathan – hence – i am leaving tomorrow after work to drive down to the gifford pinchot national forest where he is doing his research to spend the weekend. i have three days off, and although i have to pack for moving, feel i have plenty of time to complete this task when i return.

it is a six and a half hour drive (if i don’t run into any really bad rush-hour traffic), and my little car is generally good to go – so it’s a road trip for me…. back monday mid-afternoon.

i had a fine evening last night at the home of giles and darcie (and munchkins) – hanging out with them and our friend norman nawrocki from montreal.

for those of you who don’t know – norman is a fine and gifted musician, writer, actor and all around trouble-maker – and is responsible for my favourite album of 2002 (the debut of DaZoque), among other works both provocative and beautiful. he plays the violin like a madman, giving me something to look to for inspiration – and about once a year i get a chance to hang out with him when he is visiting from montreal.

so last night we gathered at the lore krill co-op to drink of some fine home-made beer by giles (maple cream ale – a fine beer he has brewed), listen to a violin recital by jacob and kira (small violins – big ideas), and get a sneak preview of two of the new albums norman is about to release (i’m excited and you should be too!)
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i started writing a post this morning that was yet another complaint about living in the city (air quality is poor this morning, making me ill etc. etc. ) – but i have decided to delete that post for an entirely different snapshot of my life.

as much as i don’t want to be one of those softy-annoying-inlove-people – the fact is – i am startlingly taken with my new relationship and quite happy to declare it. i keep hearing that it is too soon for me to know anything about nathan, it is too early to settle into something, that i shouldn’t rush into things – but i don’t believe that about love and never have. my belief borne out in years of practice is that when i meet the right person, i know quickly the possibilities that exist – and i see no reason not to act on that knowledge.

and by acting on that knowledge, i mean pursuing this relationship with all the commitment and passion i require of myself when i am serious about having someone in my life. the reality is that we will be living nine hours apart from each other for the immediate future which enforces a period of separation at the beginning that is very healthy, and gives us time to get to know each other before making life-changing decisions.
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