Yes, yes I am. Thanks to Brandon for covering Columbus's Pride, very amusing.So yeah... to say it has been an eventful week has been an understatement. This was not the post I intended it to be a week ago. I suppose, it would be best if I went in order of events. BTW this is my personal account, and more of a reader's digest. I'll wax more poetic when I do my official festival review on the Juggler.
The day before I was to head down I was packing and buying stuff (as one does when they intend to be in the woods for a week), my van decided not to start. An hour or so later AAA shows up and informs me my starter is probably going bad, and so the next morning was spent in the shop. Very not exciting, but I kind of like the car starting when I ask it to so it was a must. So 6 hours later than I had hoped I was finally on my way. 2 hours and in the middle of the heated day I arrive at Wisteria and set up camp in what folks now call OGC (maybe later I will inform you of what that means). Friends are rediscovered and all was well!
Until... I think I may have mentioned that my G-ma has been sick, well she died on Solstice morning. I get the news, and was told I didn't need to return right away as there wasn't much I could do. Memorial was set for that Friday in Sylvania Ohio (which is just outside of Toledo. For those of you keeping track Wisteria is south of Athens Ohio, which is at the other end of the state). So yeah, a little freak out was called for.
I gotta say though, if I had to find out this news anywhere, Wisteria is not a bad place to do so. I received a lot of support from my friends there (and a few acquaintances and strangers). I was given space when I needed it and company when I required it. Thanks to everyone who was there for me. I really mean that, ya'll make what happened a little easier to deal with.
On Thursday I pulled up camp and went back to Columbus, which is a 2 hr drive. I took the chance to shower and get clothes more suitable for a Christian church and drove the 2.5 hrs up to Sylvania to meet up with my family. The next day was the memorial, which was very nice. In the weeks leading up to my G-ma's death my mom and aunt took turns staying with her in the nursing home. To pass the time they wrote haikus to help express what they were seeing and feeling as the cancer took their mother away. Here's a few of them.
Liberated soul
United with the Great Source.
Eagle flaps her wings.
Earth tilts towards the Sun.
Liberated soul flies free.
Summer Solstice comes.
Life leaves us orphaned
if we stay disconnected.
Streams flow to the sea.
United with the Great Source.
Eagle flaps her wings.
Earth tilts towards the Sun.
Liberated soul flies free.
Summer Solstice comes.
Life leaves us orphaned
if we stay disconnected.
Streams flow to the sea.
After the memorial, and a return trip to where my grandparents now rest, I returned home and slept.
There was some debate about me returning to Wisteria. There wasn't much I could do in Sylvania as my mom and her siblings worked out details of where to put my G-ma's stuff. I was tired at this point, because I had spent most of my time in 90+ degree heat with high humidity (this past week was a scorcher) and I was sporting a sweet trucker tan from all the driving. Plus there is no air conditioning in the van so once I am on the road I generally had been sweating like a horse. But I did go back, to process and to be among friends for the last night of the festival. Some of those folks I wouldn't see again for a long time, and besides, life is short, and my G-ma wouldn't want me to stop living mine for a second.
Yep! It's the Momentary Prophets! They had just started their set right as I rolled up to Caffinas. This song is the Fox Song, and they say this song wouldn't exist if not for me. Check out this previous blog post for the illustration that I did for them for fun that they turned in to a pretty groovy song. Thanks guys! It's like ice cream and a hug to me :) By the way, their new album Mandala is pretty rockin, you should buy it when it's available to be bought.
So yeah. Eventful week, much of what I experienced will take time to process. I'm ok though, just tired. I took a lot of photos and videos for the event site, and most will be mixed and put on Wisteria's youtube channel. A few though I will put on mine, because I can, because I like them, so if you want go there and check it out. There's even one of me spinning fire for the Dragon Ritual Drummers. That was pretty cool I must say.
So, because she was completely awesome, here's a part of the obituary for my G-ma.
She had a biting wit, a great sense of humor, and she was pretty damn awesome I must say. She influenced me a lot, and I was lucky to have her.
Anne Retter Matthews, a member of the Greatest Generation, veteran of World War II, a retired registered nurse, a spirited intellectual, great wit and gifted seamstress, died peacefully on June 21, 2010 at the age of 88 in hospice care in Columbus, Ohio with her family at her side. She was born September 14, 1921 to Otto and Emily Retter, immigrants from Germany and Austria, in Buffalo, N.Y., the youngest of six children. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and sisters, including Herman, Alfred, Otto, Herta and Ilse. After graduating from high school in 1939, Anne attended nursing school at Buffalo General Hospital where she became a registered nurse. In 1942 she joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. At Bowman Air Field in Kentucky she met the love of her life, Earl Rodney Matthews, Jr., whose task was to teach Army nurses how to swim. They married on September 25, 1944 at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City. As an Army Air Corps nurse, she served at a base on Long Island where she cared for casualties from the European theatre and once met Eleanor Roosevelt. After the war, the Matthews lived in Columbus, Ohio. before moving to Toledo in 1948. In 1954, they moved to Sylvania, where they raised their six children and lived the rest of their lives.
She worked as an RN at Toledo Hospital and later was assistant director of nursing at Lake Park Hospital in Sylvania. Following the death of her beloved husband in 1984, Anne continued living independently at her home of 45 years in Sylvania until March 2010 when she was diagnosed with cancer. She was a member of the Sylvania United Church of Christ for 56 years, a member of the Ladies Literary Society, and the Book Club. She had a keen wit, loved classical music, and was an avid reader of histories, biographies and mysteries. Anne was a gifted quilter, seamstress and gardener and for many years contributed her work to the Sylvania UCC church bazaar. She is survived by her six children, numerous nieces and nephews, 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren
The family wishes to express its deep appreciation to HomeReach Hospice and Kobacker House of Columbus and the caregivers who assisted in the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Anne Matthews’ name may be made to Hospice, the American Cancer Society or the United Church of Christ of Sylvania, Ohio.
She had a biting wit, a great sense of humor, and she was pretty damn awesome I must say. She influenced me a lot, and I was lucky to have her.
Anne Retter Matthews, a member of the Greatest Generation, veteran of World War II, a retired registered nurse, a spirited intellectual, great wit and gifted seamstress, died peacefully on June 21, 2010 at the age of 88 in hospice care in Columbus, Ohio with her family at her side. She was born September 14, 1921 to Otto and Emily Retter, immigrants from Germany and Austria, in Buffalo, N.Y., the youngest of six children. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and sisters, including Herman, Alfred, Otto, Herta and Ilse. After graduating from high school in 1939, Anne attended nursing school at Buffalo General Hospital where she became a registered nurse. In 1942 she joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. At Bowman Air Field in Kentucky she met the love of her life, Earl Rodney Matthews, Jr., whose task was to teach Army nurses how to swim. They married on September 25, 1944 at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City. As an Army Air Corps nurse, she served at a base on Long Island where she cared for casualties from the European theatre and once met Eleanor Roosevelt. After the war, the Matthews lived in Columbus, Ohio. before moving to Toledo in 1948. In 1954, they moved to Sylvania, where they raised their six children and lived the rest of their lives.
She worked as an RN at Toledo Hospital and later was assistant director of nursing at Lake Park Hospital in Sylvania. Following the death of her beloved husband in 1984, Anne continued living independently at her home of 45 years in Sylvania until March 2010 when she was diagnosed with cancer. She was a member of the Sylvania United Church of Christ for 56 years, a member of the Ladies Literary Society, and the Book Club. She had a keen wit, loved classical music, and was an avid reader of histories, biographies and mysteries. Anne was a gifted quilter, seamstress and gardener and for many years contributed her work to the Sylvania UCC church bazaar. She is survived by her six children, numerous nieces and nephews, 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren
The family wishes to express its deep appreciation to HomeReach Hospice and Kobacker House of Columbus and the caregivers who assisted in the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Anne Matthews’ name may be made to Hospice, the American Cancer Society or the United Church of Christ of Sylvania, Ohio.
I feel as if a legitimate introduction is inevitable. My name is Brandon. I live in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. I am 22 years old. I am gay. I post video-logs to my YouTube account:
