Elle’s Journey

San Diego Waterfront

Catalina Island Beaches

Old Town Puerto Rico

The Cloisters Museum, Upper Manhattan Island, New York City

from Gardener Girl

To Broadcast Personality

OK OK the pics are for dramatic effect. But I have to say, it is so fun to able to change roles and take my talents in one world (dirt) and put it to use in another (diamonds). (Giggle)

Hello All!

It was a wonderfully restful and quiet time in Vermont at the red house with the Long’s in Pomfret. So hilly and remote it was. Not even cell phones work in this region! (trully a stunning thought for an urban Seattle-ite!)

I had the opportunity to visit our nearly 200 y.o. Hazen family farm called Brookside in White River Junction, NH, owned and operated by my cousin Henry Hazen and family. He is running a successful equestrian facility on the land that is truly beautiful. One afternoon I had the chance to ride with his daughter in their HUGE new arena which was a great reminder how greatly I love and enjoy riding and training horses.

Though the rain washed away much of the snow while I was there, there was still plenty to make snowmen and have a few snowball fights.

So many thanks to cousins Ron and Betsy, Joanna and Norwood for extending such amazing hospitality. It touched me deeply to be a part of a family that lives close to each other, eats together, truly enjoys each other’s company, and takes the time to have endlessly fascinating intellectual and heart-felt conversations. Now I am proud to be, ‘the other daughter’ in the clan of unofficial daughters.

I was off to taste a bit of the Big City (New York) the night before New Year’s Eve. Though Times Square was tempting, I decided warm company, music, and a drink sounded far preferable to freezing cold, rainy weather, security checkpoints and 75,000 people crushed into 2 city blocks. So I found myself listening to the most outrageous Brazilian dance music and dancing the night away til 5 am to celebrate New Years. Jeesh that felt good, so very good!

Day after day it was another set of amazing adventures. Sometimes what I did was the adventure. But mostly, it was about the people I met and the stories that were created in the moment. Just to share a few snippets:

1st – There was Paul who just returned from China after studying Chinese medicine for the past 11 years. I met he and his brother and friends dancing to the Brazilian music New Year’s Eve. His work in body-mind healing modalities from the Eastern perspective is awesome and is preparing him to research and work on healing AIDS. But not only that, Paul is a native Long Islander, so I learned to pronounce New York names with a Long Island accent. That was much fun and laughter.

2nd – There’s the two gentleman sitting at the end of the bar where I was going to eat dinner one night. They were wearing lovely hand knitted sweaters, sipping their cocktails and knitting away at the first two seats of the Fish Restaurant of Restaurant Alley in Hell’s Kitchen. One of the gentleman Chris is currently working on his commissioned Broadway musical called “In High Heels and Backwards”. It’s all about the lovely Ginger Rogers. Now there’s a lady I’ve related to for years with my Ballroom dancing. So the saying goes, “Why was Ginger so much better than Fred Astaire?” Reply, “Because she did it all in high heels and backwards, of course!”

3rd – There’s Frankie Manning, the icon of the late 1920’s swing dance scene in Harlem’s Cotton Club, Savoy Swing Club and the films of 20’s dancing. Even closing in on 90 y.o. and 2 hip replacement surgeries that man can DANCE! Frankie bought me a glass of wine at his regular Monday night hangout and we sat and chatted about our mutual Seattle dance acquaintances and how they’re all doing. But when the 17 piece brass jazz band kicked in, all we could do was kick up our heels. All evening long those gentleman had me huffing and puffing. And the average age of the men I was Swinging with was around 74! Ahhh, how I wish all men understood what a gift it is to know how to dance and take a lady out on the floor and enjoy an evening of dancing and live music. I consider it the perfect combination of entertainment, exercise, and ecstasy. The world truly would be a better place if we all danced!

Cousins Molly and Scott with sons Tim and Jonathan were wonderful hosts and put up well with my energetic self, seeing every corner of New York I possibly could while I was there. And through it all, the people, the noise, the big-ness of the Big City, I fell totally in love with her. New York, you will always have a special place in my heart. There truly is nothing in the world like you!

Greetings all! And a very happy Holiday Season to you.

It is the Winter Solstice today, the shortest day of the year.
Traditionally this is the time to be quiet, to pull all your energy into
your soul and wait in the midst of the darkness. “Waiting for
what?” Perhaps its waiting for a suprising discovery that occurs in the
midst of the darkness. Perhaps its simply a time to rest. Perhaps its hearing something for yourself, from yourself, that can only be heard in the space of the silence.

For me this Season, I’m not sure what it is that I need. However, the quiet stillness I’m experiencing surrounded by snow in New England is perfectly perfect.

a voice yells from off stage right: “SNOW! I thought this lady was supposed to be in the middle of the hot Caribbean sweating herself in the sun with no sign of traditional white
Christmas in sight,” remarks an imaginary friend.

Too true. Things have changed quickly and dramatically in the past 10
days. The plan of working informally with my contact with ships for the next 4 months was
shorted by oh. . . .4 months when I was notified the second week I was aboard that a transfer just occured and I’d lost my contact. I was at a crossroads: call this adventure quits or
go for it and pursue a full position with my own ship. Of course, I chose the later and went for it.

Last week I was in South Beach, Miami training with the parent company
I contracted with, an LVMH susidiary. The training, the position, and the company are all
spectacular.

Since there was a gap between training sessions, I had the opportunity to
come visit my New England family in Vermont. So today I am writing you
from the second floor of an old family farmhouse just off the Appalachian
Trail in Southern Vermont. It is BEAUTIFUL country here and all of it is
blanketed with a thick layer of crystalline snow.

Last night the view out my window took my breath away. The moon reflected
off the snow and the Maple trees cast such shadows it appeared to be
daylight in the midst of the night. AND. . .I can really see the stars
out here. Truly and completely!

I’ll be staying here with family until shortly before New Years. I’m
hoping I can get to New York City before New Years, perhaps ice skate
at Rockefeller Plaza and see the ball drop on the 31st. FUN!

Training will continue in New York after the 1st and sometime mid-January
I’ll be back off the mainland USA and back onto the ships, exactly where
and when I do not know. For now, I wait and prepare for the work ahead,
because once it starts, its going to be a quick trip into the midst of
working hard and long in the position of Port Lecturer.

So while my cell doesn’t get ANY reception here in the hills of Vermont, I
am connected more easily by phone and email at present. I’ll be checking
my cell phones voice mail regularly.

I hope all is well with you and that you receive whatever it is that YOU
need from the midst of the dark of Winter. May it benefit you for the
months to come as the light now grows longer day by day.

And for now, I wish you a very merry Holiday Season.

Love, Linda