My pasta dish for "The Movable Feast"

Or Why I blog...
Quite some time ago there was a conversation circulating among the blogs I love about why people feel the need to blog, especially as it pertains to artists, authors and other creative people.  It started with Rima Stains at the Hermatage (one of my all time favorite blogs!) when she was interviewed for John Barleycorn  on her inspiring blog site and her art. Her words evidently struck a chord with folks as so many people chimed in.  Terri Windling (who authored a fabulous book and has another of my favorite blogs) spoke beautifully as to her thoughts on blogging and dubbed the all-encompassing-conversation that was sweeping the blogosphere "the movable feast".

(Not related to "The Movable Feast" but I wanted to show you Terri's beautifully haunting novel, I highly recommend it!)

A Mermaid in the Attic picked up the thread (or should I say the salt and pepper?) and added her thoughts.  It has since swept the Internet with so many eloquent voices speaking their personal reasons for blogging.  If you haven't read anything on this or are not familiar with Terri, Rima, or the Mermaid in the Attic treat yourself, make a cup of tea and get ready for a fascinating, thought provoking and heart felt read.  Terri has everyone all linked up so start by clicking here, however please do read my story below first.

This subject of blogging and the resulting conversations strongly resonated with me but as with so many things it has taken a while for me to digest.  I kind of got it today when I read a comment by one of my followers in England.  She happens to have the sobriquet "Pixie" and lives in an old fishing village in England (my heart soars at her profile!).    She left me the loveliest message about following my blog which caused me to immediately start crying.  Now upon reflection though her words were very sweet my response was a bit extreme.  This caused me to wonder what had been triggered and after a few more tissues lead me to the table of the"movable feast".  I believe I am now able to offer my side dish which finally came out of the oven just now (to firmly abuse the analogy!)

I have always marched to a different drum beat.  My father was so far out-of-the-box that to consider living in a box would have been abnormal.

(The ranch I grew up on, those are date palms, now it is in the middle of a golf course in the Coachella Valley.  When I was growing up Coachella was most definitely NOT as cool as people seem to think it is now {if you can call 120F in the shade "cool".)

As wonderful as that sounds there was also a lot of crazy stuff, like Dad didn't believe in the public school system so he pulled me out in the 6th grade.  Now some of you might be thinking how wonderful that I was home schooled...  I wasn't.   He didn't bother.  He stated that  "You can learn more from watching TV than going to some dammed school".  One time he handed me a calculus book (when I had last worked on fractions in school ages ago) and told me that I needed to read it.

(More of the Date palms on the ranch.)

Even with that experience of the written word (or should I say equation) I still grew up with a love of books though the scholarly tombs that were around our house (Churchill and Abrams the Rise of Western Civilization) were rather daunting to my young mind.  I was still immersed in Nancy Drew and The Happy Hollisters" after all.

Though my life was very abnormal my extended family was very traditional.  They were mostly from a small steel mill town in Colorado and grew up in a classic American way.  To say they didn't get me is putting it mildly!  I was always the weird cousin from California who they said dressed strangely (well, actually I did), acted bizarre (I guess I did that too), was an only child and so consequently was a spoiled brat (that I will disagree with).  I know they thought I would never be functionally normal (well I am functional but definitely not normal).

(My version of evening wear, a frilly nightie over sleepers with feet in them.)

Today I consider that a good thing but at the time it was a bit tough to hear.  I wasn't into the party or boys scene (maybe because I didn't go to school?) I would rather draw, read, dream and play on the farm.

(Not really dressed at all but doing what I always did, drawing and coloring.)

(One of my early drawings (age 8 ) of my dog)

I just knew I was not like anyone else out there.

(Age 15 of 16 I think.)

I sort of came to accept that and have gone on about my life.   It is rare when I really connect with someone especially in my own town.  Mind you I like people I am just very different from most folks so I have often felt I don't really have a community.
So fast forward to present day.  Here I am blogging about my life, my creations, the 50+ kitties my husband and I look after (definitely not main stream!!!) and people all around the planet find me and say the loveliest words of...  acceptance.  I think that is why when I receive these comments from the far flung Internet world it hits me so profoundly.  These people "get" me.  We understand one another.

As I dig further into the blogs I find that many of the artists and authors I admire are interconnected forming their own community.  They have found each other and now I am finding them.  And in a round about way I am finding me.  I understand that I am not alone in the big wide world.  My kindred is just not very local but all over the planet, in England, Russia, Australia, China, Canada, and so on.  We may not even speak the same language,  but our spirits recognize each other.   I feel encouraged and accepted and to have another person actually enjoy what I do is so wonderful!

This is my dish for "the movable feast" (a rather large pasta dish don't you think?)  Though not nearly as eloquent as so many other voices it is my truth.  If you have read all the way though thank you for your precious time.
Blessings,
Tricia (AKA the weird cousin from California)

P.S.   I did eventually go to the local community college and then transfer to a University and receive my BA in Art History...  it was a TON of work!!!  Completely ignorant doesn't even begin to explain my state of learning as I ventured onto a college campus.  Just thinking about it makes my knees knock!

P.S.S.  I can tell you this...  not for all the tea in China would I go back in time!!!  That is saying something because I adore tea and now that China has published my faerie wedding I adore them too.  Each decade has been better than the last.  

I like. like, like like, being 48!!!!!!!!!!  Here's to the next decade!

Blessings