Today is a slow day. A quiet day. A reflective day. A bit of a sore throat and the sky is threatening some sort of snow. Most days like this also end up being a cleaning day. Cleaning and reflecting . As I was moving some things from here to there in my house I realized I was moving two artifacts that had been given to me by past students. I scanned around and quickly realize that many of the artifacts in my house were given to me by past students. All came at some point along the way after they took a class or classes from me. Many are things they made, from pottery to jewelry. Or a family member made. Some were brought back to me from foreign lands. Some were collected from the Earth. Many I long ago consumed if the came in the form of chocolate or wine. Some came in the form of music , which keeps me young at heart and hearing. Sometimes the gifts have been adventures in themselves like a Wyoming Cattle drive on a remote ranch.

The artifacts blend together with those wild things I collect: feathers, bones, horn and antler, seed and pine cone. They come together to help make the texture and memories of the life I live. And on this quiet , slow day, I take a moment to honor the blessings and gifts I have received in having such great people in my life….and share with you just a few from my first teaching job in North Dakota to just this past year. Each are part of the miles traveled between here there.
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