Time Flies

Tuesday morning after a night of Maker's Mark and practice (i.e; laugh and make easy music)

I spent some time with Phil and Jessi's four legged crew and

went on my merry way to Long Beach to learn the art of the rolling mill

and ingot melting with my

dear

Khobe

of Studio Delucca

We drank coffee and talked and worked and

I left with a full heart and a grateful mind, a few new techniques in my pocket,

and a wonderful, capable rolling mill.

I am so looking forward to putting special textures on my metal!!

If you live anywhere in the Long Beach (or if you will travel for classes) area I sincerely recommend

giving a call and signing up for one

or stopping by to shop: she has lovely baubles in the shop!

Of the three solid days of revelry and so-full-of-love-it-makes-my-heart-tender-and-teary moments, I captured very few:

I think I was too immersed in the preciousness of these incredible friends

to document as much as I would have liked to:

I couldn't spare a whole lot of moments to step outside of the scene and grab my camera, though it's usually the very thing that I turn to when I come home after the pangs hit:

this time I will just have to reach back into my memory

and recall

the incredible gig we had

the brothers I've found in these men

and how deeply I adore their wives, pets and children....

I love the space one can find in life to step outside of the safety of the mental box; when you are surrounded by love it feels like you could do anything you decided to do.

The Central Valley was verdant and dramatic of sky today on the drive back

I am husky-voiced and missing my upper register from singing too loudly along with Coleslaw (from the dance floor and at the mic for the final song, Applesauce Tran's 'The Family Song') into the late hours...

All of us tipsy and limber-hipped from doing the Love Slide (step step side the side, round and round dip it down, separate and bring it back, now let me see you do the love sliiiiide....)

laughing and Matt pulls me up to sing this song about loving your family...

in the verse:

"Brother Brother you're my mirror, I see me in you;

with examples and with guidance we can see it through..."

it took everything I had in me to not burst into tears...

my sense memory of that special instant is so strong:

the warm maroon walls of The Vault, covered in pictures and art, the liquid swish of my dress, the warm glass lamps hanging,

singing with my hand on Matt's shoulder, his bird's egg blue t-shirt...

laughing with Irene

Phil cutting a rug

the high amp of those gathered around to listen, everyone smiling and lifting lightly off their toes to the beat...

I tell myself it would be different if we all lived in the same town, or even if we still lived in Los Angeles, that we'd be too busy to see each other more, that it wouldn't be as precious...

but it would.

It always is with best friends.

I know soon there'll be babies and new chapters and stories to tell;

we've been friends for so long now and I cannot imagine any other people I'd rather have my little ones call "Uncle and Aunt" than my

crew.

I am eagerly awaiting the return of my Schmill from work

and the kiss that will ensue.

Home was a beacon today, a balm.

With love,

Allison