Wild Women Merchandise?

Enough about paddling and..life

how about Wild Art?

I have four new designs...

for my new "Wild at Heart"

party gift tote.

(available in September)

They will be placed

on the things I love...

a bubble wand, journals, crayons

coffee cups etc.

It has been decided the Wild Women

are too cute to just hang on

the walls any more,

lets play with them instead

and celebrate our simple moments.

Paddling is Life

Good to be sore, I suppose,

not just “sore” but I can’t sit,

I can’t walk, I can’t get up,

I can’t move, sore.

And to know it‘s because

I challenged myself...

beyond my age,

beyond my athletic strength,

and beyond my comfort level

and Won... (so to speak...)

if this is what winning feels like?

ugh, ouch... and yaay!

On the beach at O dark 30!

With piles and piles of stuff for the day.

Even tho we were the first

ones there... the air

already sparked with energy,

our energy.

The boats line the shoreline

asleep on the sand

patiently awaiting the “ride”

within in the hour,

every inch of the beach is covered

with canopies, people with BIG smiles

and paddles and more “stuff” than us.

Carolyn keeps whispering in my ear

“we are so lucky,

we are so lucky!”

Its true, so grateful for this time,

this adventure!

I had already vowed to make this

the best of times,

having learned a painful lesson last May

of not being in the moment.

While grieving a personal loss

to the point of sullen self absorption,

I missed the moments I sat next

to Jen on our last van ride together...

(oh what I would give to have

those six hours back!)

Looking around I see

the passing moments

of the years...the ghosts of “us!”

...lined up shoulder to shoulder

in picture after picture...

I see "them"

the six as one girls everywhere,

I see Jennifer’s smile against

the backdrop of sunshine...

wishing I had known the temporary

fleetingness of it all..

but I do now and I will take no

“thing” for granted!

As race time gets closer, bullfrog burps

expound from my throat...

my new teammates are surprised,

although they had been warned

little me, big sound? May be!

Then it is into the boat

and out to sea

everyone talks to me.

(maybe too much)

It is rough right away,

and the start with it’s usual

drifting array of colors

doesn’t happen,

everyone is on the move

without the flags,

so we went as well but too

far back to begin with.

The horizon goes up and down

it is like a roller-coaster...

a wet one and I remember I don’t

really LIKE roller-coasters...

and I am remembering I don’t really

LIKE the ocean either...

but here I am

my hair like a drenched stringing net

over my salt coated glasses

I can't see...

as wave after wave hits me in the face.

I lose my gum when I breathe

too much,

and I doubt I can go another minute!

My paddle only touches water

every other stroke...

"how to keep the pace when all I scoop is air?"

is one question,

another is,

"how do I not get washed over board?"

and then,

"what the hell am I doing out here?"

And isn't this a little like life?

I used to say, "paddling is life"

how you are in the boat,

is how we are in life!

So I relax a bit, go with it,

move forward, despite the plummetting

water crashing into me,

despite my terror of the huli

that nearly happened...

(confident my teammates thought

of me as they

threw their body weight

to keep it upright...

thanks everyone..

even tho I was resolved to it

and had one foot over the other side)

so maybe the ocean is life...

and I am just a bobber on it,

learning to swim and find my way,

staying put while moving forward,

prepared to being upside down at times,

life IS A roller coaster,

whether you like it or not

and sometimes I may actually earn a medal

for doing something...

I have no business doing!

An idea came to me years ago about a woman's journey through a transitional time, the different ways her heart changes and the women who come into her life to guide her! I have been fortunate to have many women like that in my life. But the story didn't take shape until I started a paddling sport four years ago! When I was joined by five other (older than average woman) all living in the desert, we all fell in love with the Hawaiian sport of Outrigging and discovered we had magic in the boat and on land. A friendship of a lifetime was formed. After winning many medals and creating a unity we called "Six as One" we thought we would have years to share this wonder! But Jennifer ("Dashing Deliah") was diganosed with cancer in 2006, we were so rocked to the core and the story I had wanted to write, took on a new meaning! Using these amazing women as the characters in the story and how they each altered my heart, the story fell effortlessly onto the page.Having such fun with their names and personal qualities. I added two others who weren't a part of the team but significant to me!

Written in a Suessical style ( in honor of my favorite writer) was not an easy style for me, it took me a year to create this whimsical playful fable. Another year to sketch the illustrations. My goal was to finish it while Jennifer was still alive but unfortunately this past February she lost that fight, and no one was more stunned and baffled then me. Never thought we would really lose her! She was our light, our humor, are rational voice and my best friend! She taught me what it means to live with courage!

For some time I let the project sit...grief taking a paralyzing hold on me...! And the six original paintings I had started, collected dust in their unfinished state! With renewed passion and intensity, it was time to begin again and I have just finished 13 of the 24 illustrations.

Each illustration will be an original painting on a 18 x 24 board covered with the signature Wild Women background of Thai Banana mash paper and painted with acrylics. As each painting comes to life I am inspired with excitement to move forward with this tale! For Jennifer, for any and all the women going thru a time they recognize the importance of their "girlfriends," the ways our hearts are willing to grow, to be truly wild and free. It is a celebration of the female spirit! Mostly I am doing this for me because these brightly colored ladies, have a healing power! They are my great delight! I hope you will join me in this jouney!