Stairway to ... ?

Climb with me to the stars... aloft to the loft... where dreams coalesce...

It’s so important to think about where we need to go, and how best to get there.

For about a year, since the Forge (my writing cottage) was completed, we’ve needed a good way to get to the sleeping loft, the “treehouse” level, where a memory-foam mattress provides one of the best sleeping places in these parts.

Gordon has designed most of the Forge building itself, so he’s been thinking about this cosmic elevator for a long time. Built-in wall steps? A notched log? Fold-out stairs? A ladder? Ah…

The ladder stores elegantly against the wall, so the door to the mudroom can open

Our friend Hans Nelsen, a renowned woodworker and artist, saw Gordon’s drawings of a possible ladder, and made it real. Now there’s an easy ascent to the sleeping / napping / dreaming level.

A nap in the middle of writing? Why not?

The ladder bows in and out, and gives your climbing feet a sound massage with its cherry rungs, as your hands cling to its Douglas fir rails. It’s sleek, comfortable, graceful.

Even when not in use, it invites elevated thoughts...

Javier Sanchez, visiting from Mexico, was the first to use it to sleep in the loft.

And now the Forge feels more complete, even though there are a few more details to finish. So … no excuses not to write!

Thanks to coaching from my friend Ruth Ozeki, I’ve embarked on a daily discipline which will help me ascend beyond my own fears and into the realms of better sense-making and communication. No phone or e-mail in the morning! Instead, forging words, ideas, images.

Luminaria

A spontaneous parade moves through -- becomes -- the crowd at Victoria's Luminara Festival

Summer’s going too fast – I can’t believe they’re closing the Vashon swimming pool early because there’s not enough evening light, starting today. But there are other ways to bring light to our world. (Last night’s rare Northwest heat lightning show was one impressive manifestation.)

Amazing what can happen when a community pulls together its creative sparks

While traveling through Victoria, B.C. on our way to a wonderful summer gathering at Hollyhock Retreat Center, Gordon and I happened upon the city’s annual Luminara Festival.

Light drummers add visual beats to a pulsing summer night

Wow, it’s like Halloween in midsummer!

A light bear searches for light salmon...and finds them

There were gremlins and robots and Bucky Balls (soccer balls made as geodesic spheres) and drummers, fairy princesses and bears and wishing walls and fire dancers.

Reflect on this: What dragons are you facing, and how well are you facing them?

Families and performances, Magic Lanterns and spontaneous parades. It reminded me of the importance of ritual, creative expression, and humor in our daily lives.

You never know who's going to show up when you call a summer luminaria party!