Deb's Journal
6-23-06
I've been on the road for a couple weeks seeing the sights in Missouri,
Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado. Saturday is a kite fly in a community near
Denver so it will be a good chance to dust off the kites and get them ready for
their westward journey in a couple weeks. I'll be attending the Squaw Valley,
Brookings, and Billings festival three weekends in a row in July so I better be
ready. Hope everyone is doing great.
2-23-06
OK, it is a new year, I'm another year older and I've done a terrible job of
keeping my website updated with interesting information. This page started out
as a blog before there was such a thing. I will try to do better in 2006. The
last kite festival I attended was in San Diego at the beginning of 2006 and I
had a blast. Traveling with Brian as always was great. Thanks Brian for making
me feel so welcome. Since returning to Garrison I've been practicing piecework
quilt designs in ripstop as a possible treatment for my next kite. At this point
I'm not even thinking in terms of a competition kite...might not compete at Des
Moines at all. But I do need to have some kites done for Skydance #14 so the
sewing continues. Sweet breezes to all.
10-16-05
School is well underway, AKA National Convention is behind me, I'm not on the
kitemaking rules committee anymore, and still am not having any success dropping
the 30 pounds that have found me again in 2005. I still am not smoking and that
seems to be the only positive that I can count on for this year. Time in New
York and Washington, DC were highlights of my fall...I always enjoy seeing new
sights. But I am really looking forward to 2006. Maybe the karma will be better.
I have to make sure it starts out right.
8-8-05
As I head off to start work for the school year 2005-2006 I just wanted to take
a moment to put some photos on my website reminding me of the good time I had in
San Ramon. Thanks Brian.
8-7-05
The Career and Technical Education Professional Development Conference begins
tomorrow heralding the end of another summer. Saying that the summer was the
best of times and the worst of times sounds somewhat trite but in this case,
absolutely true. The school year ended well and a little earlier than usual so I
had a full week to get ready for Skydance. Skydance #13 was a great success with
great flying happening all three days of the festival. Rena, Don, Betty, Mike,
Mike, Chris, and Rollie made it a most successful event. I really hated not
going to Traditions and hated wasting the plane ticket but Medora and the
Theodore Roosevelt National Park were fun experiences. Kathy, Dad
and I said goodbye to mom on June 5th and put her in the care of the angels.
Mom's battle with emphysema and cancer was a horror to watch but reaffirmed my
resolve to never smoke a cigarette again ever!!! I've now been smoke-free for
eight months. Hurray for me!!!!! After the Jamestown kite festival I headed to
Oregon. It wasn't Bryce, Zion, or the Grand Canyon but sharing some of the time
with Brian and other good friends helped it be enjoyable. The Point Arena
Lighthouse Kite Festival fell through mainly because the board or directors
expected kitefliers to put in eight hour days promoting their lighthouse and pay
$1500 for the opportunity to do so. That disappointment was mitigated by a fun
fly at Monterey and Berkeley for the 4th of July (nice fireworks too) and
helping with the first fly of Brian's "new to him" 90 foot Spinsock. I wouldn't
have missed that for the world. The Southern Oregon Kite Festival ended up being
fantastic, even though Brian and I did have to be awake at 2:30am to catch a
6:30 am flight out of San Francisco to get there. And my van "Vincent"... as in
"Vincent Van GOgh"...did great other than the need to have his transmission
rebuilt. Thanks to the Rohde's for encouraging me to get the extended warranty
when I bought the van, whew...the transmission was covered. I stopped in
Billings on my way home for a little kiteflying and good companionship and then
had the last couple of weeks to try to get reacclimated to being so very, very
alone. The best of times, the worst of times. And on my saga goes.
2-10-05
OK, 50 maybe isn't going to be so bad. The 9th was Hawaiian Day at the high
school in honor of where I had hoped to be this week (maybe someday I'll find a
guy willing to travel there with me) and today is "Lighthouse Card and Gift Day"
at the elementary school in honor of a certain affinity I have to a location in
California. (Gosh, does someone on staff know me or what.) Friends and family
helped sweeten the sadness of saying goodbye to the 40's (my life changed alot
in that decade, I found kitemaking and discovered that traveling with a male
companion is so much better than traveling alone) and now it is on to the next
great decade. (I wonder what changes this decade will make in my life. Oh it is
going to be exciting I think.) I leave tomorrow for a weekend of kite flying on
Devils Lake. Hope to see lots of you at "Shiverfest". Heck, why fly in sunny
southern California (Huntington Beach Party is also this weekend) when the ice
is waiting in North Dakota. Photos when I get home.
1-22-05
PS Yesterday was my six week celebration as a non-smoker. Yep,
that's right, after 30 years I decided it was time to give it up. At least one
of my goals prior to hitting the dreaded 50 year old mark was met. Maybe getting
skinny, seeing Hawaii, and finding a good man to share my life with will find me
before I hit 60. I know, I'm such a dreamer.
1-22-05
Happy New Year everyone. I got back from a nice vacation a couple weeks ago and
now am working hard at surviving another North Dakota winter. And being in full
winter survival mode, that means the kite ideas abound and the sewing machine is
humming. I have no real plans to be off the prairie any time soon so the project
work should progress quite nicely. Memories of past travels will have to sustain
me. Utah and Arizona were enjoyable places to visit. Dead
Horse State Park with views of the Canyonlands was extraordinary and I fell
in love with Arches National Park. Sedona with its art
galleries, location to the Hopi mesas, comfortable lodging, beautiful red rock
surroundings and various shops helping separate me from my money, was a fun
adventure.
12-21-04
Happy first day of winter.
Well, at least it is close to Christmas and I can look forward to spending time
off the prairie to enjoy part of the winter at least. I'm headed west to Utah
and Arizona to do some sightseeing. Gosh, I might even see the Grand Canyon
before I turn 50. I'll be back January 9th and then will have to seriously start
spending time with the sewing machine. Merry Christmas everyone. And may 2005 be
your best year yet!
8-2-04
It is bittersweet to be back home. The time away was fantastic, but now I have
to deal with being alone, away from kite friends again. I've updated my festival
2004 page to give an idea of how much fun I had while I was off the prairie.
"Brian, you are a fantastic host and I so enjoyed every single day at Chez
Champie. Thanks for your hospitality." I just have a few days left before school
contract obligations take over so I'll be busy kitemaking trying to have
something special done for Seaside. Hope everyone has a great August.
6-19-04
So much flying has happened in the last two months. Haven't had much time for
journal updates at all. And now I am a week away from taking off for California
for a few weeks. Guess it is a good sign that I'm having so much fun that I'm
not taking time to post long diatribes on my journal.
Skydance #12 was enjoyable for me due to all the friends that showed up for
my little party. New Mexico was amazing since I
had never been there before and there was just so darn much to see.
Jamestown was fun because I was able to have company
for awhile and was able to show Brian some nice spots in
North Dakota. My west trip will include the 4th of July festival at the
Point Arena Lighthouse, the Southern Oregon Kite Festival in Brookings, Oregon a
couple weeks after that, and hopefully, a whole bunch of sushi in between those
festivals. I'll be back at the end of July.
4-17-04
Life
was much more enjoyable a week ago flying in San Jose,
California with Brian Champie and Dan Whitney. But at least I have the sweet
memories and the knowledge that other vacation opportunities are approaching in
just a couple of months. The flight to California was smooth. Brian's help
bridling and tensioning my new hex noodle was invaluable. The sushi Friday night
shared with Brian and Dan Burnham at Genghis Khans was delicious. Saturdays fly
at the Evergreen shopping center was fun but really needed more wind. Watching
the video of the "Brian Show" was a thrill. Sunday thru Tuesday at the
Point Arena Lighthouse was fantastic, filled
with good friendship and great food. A quick stop at Trader Joe's before driving
to the airport on Wednesday was greatly appreciated and the flight home just
long but without any hassle. All in all, the best of times. Thanks Brian, for
everything. You are the best.
4-8-04
Almost two months since my last journal entry. Guess I should get away from the
sewing machine a little more often. But gosh I've had fun will all the kites
I've made. And I finally get a chance to fly them this weekend. I'm headed to
California and to sunshine and to green grass. YEAH!!!!! It will be the second
anniversary of Easter at the Point Arena Lighthouse. Some traditions are just
too much fun to miss. Thanks Brian for agreeing to put up with me again. I'll be
back in North Dakota on the 14th. Happy Easter everyone.
2-14-04
In honor of St. Valentine, I want
to wish all friends and family lives filled with love. The Native American
singing group "Brule" did a song entitled "Lakota Forever". A few phrases from
that song fit my feelings about this holiday so very well. "If I could talk to
all my old friends, I would say the old times have gone, so much has changed.
But love, like the wind, is still here. When all else fades away, the wind, and
hope, and love remain. Those feelings that are so strong, so mysterious, will
always be with us. I think of you my friends and I thank you. I thank you."
Happy Valentine's Day. Sky-dance.net is a year old. Whoo hooo!
1-4-04
A white world greeted me as I debarked from the airplane in Bismarck last night.
Kind of makes me wonder if I am as intelligent as I pretend to be. The shock of
all the white plus a -10 degree temperature was especially
heartchilling considering where I had just been for the previous week. The time
away from my prairie was absolutely fantastic. I had the best time ever. There
were even a couple of "firsts" that I was able to accomplish. Click
here to get the whole story. Thanks Brian, for
everything. You are the best!!!!
12-20-03
Five days until Christmas and seven
days until I get to fly away from the frozen prairie to spend a week in the
warmth and friendship of California. I can't wait. The family will all be
together until Christmas Day when Dan has to board the plane for the Sun Bowl in
El Paso. Go Gophers!!! And I'll have the pleasure of
celebrating the new year in San Diego again. This will be my third visit to the
New Years Day Fly that is sponsored by the San Diego Kite Club. I even will be
offering a kite for the auction...Cool Thunder is my way of saying thanks for
giving me a reason to get away from my snowy white world. Can't imagine being
anywhere else. The breezes are sweet and the friendships warm and welcoming.
Brian Champie has agreed to be my tour guide again for the week so I know I
travel in the best of hands. And I know I'll have at least one Sushi opportunity
somewhere along the way. "Thanks Brian!" Have a very Merry Christmas everyone
and the best that the New Year can bring.