Travel

All The Other Things I Did In New York City

Yes, I was in NYC to march in the 2023 Tartan Week Parade with BCR Fan Events. But – if you’re in New York – and you’ve only been there a few times before – you have to explore.

You didn’t know I was in New York? Catch up on these posts:

I flew out of Grand Rapids, Michigan with my friend Jan.

Upon arrival we caught a cab and were soon in the heart of Manhattan, driving right by Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

We stayed at the Oyo Times Square Hotel, a budget friendly place less than a block from Times Square.

On one hand that was great because it was very close to anything you’d want to do in NYC. On the other hand, it meant that as soon as you stepped onto the sidewalk, it was busy with people and noise.

The lobby was beautiful, but most people passed through the area. I spent a bit of time sitting in the lobby and waiting for our third roommate, Maureen, to arrive from Pennsylvania.

There was a cool colored-glass wall hanging.

After Maureen arrived, we settled in for the night. Traveling is exhausting!

The next day, I walked a good 10 blocks south to meet the incomparable Sammy Davis of Vintage Boss Babes for coffee. Her Ultimate Manhattan Secondhand Shopping Experience is unparalleled in the city.

I really tried hard to get a group together for one of these experiences. Alas it was not to be, so instead, we met for coffee. We talked for more than an hour, and I can say Sammy is as authentic as it gets. It was a pleasure. I only wish I would have remembered to bring my phone so I could have grabbed a few pictures with her.

I walked back “home” to the Oyo and rested for awhile. Then, my roommates and I ventured off into the big city. We headed north from Times Square towards Central Park.

You have to take pictures of tall buildings while in Manhattan. Mostly we wondered what it would be like to live inside of one of those.

We stopped at Le Pain Quotiden near Columbus Circle for lunch. This place is what Panera Bread wishes it was: the ingredients are fresh and not reheated in a microwave.

I had the Smoked Salmon Tartine – an open-faced sandwich with salmon, avocado mash, scallions, dill, and more. I had a lot of salmon while in NYC, as you’ll soon see.

For dessert I had a monster-sized chocolate chip cookie. It was too big, too sweet, and too crunchy. Thank goodness my roomies helped devour most of it.

We crossed Columbus Circle and there, right in front of us, was the 843-acre Central Park.

We kept walking though, as we were heading to Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon. He lived in the nearby Dakota apartment building.

But we had a good 10 more blocks worth of walking before we got there. People were out celebrating the first real hot day of the year – it was over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The city streets were alive, the sky was blue and this was just a perfect way to spend the day.

Leaves were busting out on tree.

We rested along the way, and my roomie Maureen snapped this picture of me.

The daffodils were already done, and tulips were almost done, too. I loved seeing the mass planting of flowers. How many tulips do you think there are?

We finally got to Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic. There was a guitarist singing and people all around. People took turns photographing the mosaic.

We walked around a bit longer, then decided we’d had enough walking. We caught a cab back to Times Square and rested for a while, then walked to Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant.

After all that walking during the day, I was really happy it was only a block or two away. And this being New York, you never know what you’ll see on the city streets.

We met with other Roller fans and had a fabulous time catching up and eating good food.

One of my roomies had the chicken pot pie. Just look at that crust.

I had Walnut Crusted Salmon. This Dijon dill cream sauce was amazing.

There were more than twenty of us…we took over this corner of the upstairs bar. This is just one table…there were three or four other tables, too.

I’m not sure if this is my photo… but it was on my phone so here it is.

Soon enough, though, dinner was over. My roomies and I walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night.

The next day I went to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. There’s a series of famous picture of the Rollers taken at the same place, so I knew I had to go. Here are the Rollers (I grabbed this picture from the interwebs.)

The skies were clearer and the perspective is totally different, but here I am.

It was a little hazy, but the views were still spectacular.

The fan gathering and parade filled the better part of two days. After brunch on Sunday, my roomies and I walked home. On the spur of the moment, I decided I had to see a play. I choose the musical Hadestown and was absolutely blown away.

I couldn’t have asked for a better seat. Can you believe I bought the tickets maybe a half hour before the show started and ended up this close to the stage?

The next photo was taken before sitting down.

Here’s the stage view from my seat.

Hadestown is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. That will spoil the plot for you English majors out there, but the story is told in a unique way.

And when the turning point comes in the third act, there are audible gasps from the audience. Everyone is stunned.

The show has won both Tony and Grammy Awards. If it’s coming to your town, run out and get tickets now; I want to see it again and again.

There are a slew of bootleg versions floating around on YouTube. Here’s a taste of the show with the cast performing “Wait For Me” at the 2019 Tony Awards.

After the show my roomies and I met fellow Roller fan, Rena, for dinner at local Italian restaurant Bocca Di Bacco.

I had salmon – again. This was the best. And you know it’s a good place if they add that little “hair net” onto the lemon to prevent lemon seeds from dropped onto your fish.

And chocolate ice cream for dessert. I mean, it was my last night in New York City after all.

I snapped a selfie just outside the restaurant.

Everyone else did, too.

And some passersby grabbed a picture of all of us. Then we walked back to the hotel, packed our things, and slept.

Early next morning, Jan and I grabbed a cab and went to LaGuardia Airport. We thought we were going to be home to Grand Rapids by noon, but nope. LaGuardia was blanketed in fog.

And so, we waited around for around six hours. Rena wandered by so we chatted the whole time…and took turns walking up and down the terminal. And soon enough, Jan and I got on our plane and were on our way home.

We left the sunny skies of New York, and returned to grey and cloudy Michigan. There was even a little snow and sleet on my drive home.

All in all, though, my trip to New York City to march in the Tartan Week Parade with the Bay City Roller Fan events felt like one big hug from start to finish. There are a zillion people I could thank, but let me mention a few quickly here.

Thanks to my roomies Jan and Maureen were wonderful. Even if they did like the air conditioner a little too much for my taste, the three of us had so much fun and I couldn’t have asked for better roomies. Thank you Jan for the exfoliating kit, and thanks to Maureen for that fab picture of me above.

Thanks to Simone from Australia for the beautiful bookmark. Every time I turn a page and see that bookmark, I’ll think of you and your daughter – and that long, long journey you made just to march in a little parade in New York.

Thanks to Rena who joined up with us for that delicious Italian dinner – and then also found Jan and I at LaGuardia.

Thanks to Laura and Suz and the whole team at Bay City Roller Events who made this experience possible. Keep On Rollin!

NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023

Come along with me as I march in the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. I marched in the with 90+ other Bay City Rollers fans. This was another part of the different activities sponsored by BCR Fan Events.

The night before the parade, I added pins to my distressed denim jacket. The wool rosettes on the left represent my Scottish clans: Wallace, Leslie, and Cameron.

The Bay City Rollers are represented on the right side, with a few other pins thrown in for good measure.

All dressed up and ready to go. I suppose I’m not looking very enthusiastic, but oh well. On the inside I was ready!!

In full regalia. Thanks to Doris for this fantastic photo.

Waiting For The Parade To Start

It’s impossible to capture just how much excitement was in the air as we walked from our hotels to meet to queue up for the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. We were all decked out in various forms of “Rollergear” – that iconic look of the Rollers.

Once at the parade waiting location the atmosphere was electric. So much tartan! So many bagpipes! And so many men in kilts.

Our banner reveal for the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023. It says “In our eyes you’ll always be a star.”

Doris snapped a great picture of me, so I’m happy to return the favor.

So many people packed into a one-block area waiting to march. And dogs. And mysterious creatures from Loch Ness.

I captured several videos while waiting. Here are a group of Scottish dancers dancing to a pipe and drum band warming up.

Lots of kilts, lots of pipes and drums bands walking to their appointed place to await the start of the parade.

And those pipe and drum bands took turns practicing. The sound of bagpipes was ever-present and magical.

I couldn’t get enough of the pipe and drum bands warming up.

I was a “line leader” for the parade. All that really meant was that I was responsible for getting a few folks to more or less fall in line as we assembled to march. Here’s Line I ready to go!

Just look at the smiling faces and tartan-trimmed clothes! Everyone interpreted “dress in Rollergear” a little differently. Some had tailors sew on tartan. Some wore stripey socks and tartan shoes. We were quite the colorful group.

Eventually the NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023 got started and, well, we stood around and waited some more.

That’s how it goes with parades, though. You just have to wait until it’s your turn. So we slowly crept forward to the turn onto 6th Avenue.

Also in this parade, we walked and then we stopped. So there was quite a bit of just standing around and waiting for the go ahead signal, too. Here we are on 6th Avenue and waiting.

NYC Tartan Week Parade 2023 Live Streams

There were numerous live streams of the event, and many captured the atmosphere before the parade began. Here we are just hanging around waiting – and talking!

You can hear drums and pipes in the background. And I’ll bet you can see Nessie!

We did stand around and wait a LONG time before the parade started. Here’s one of the BCREvents organizers, Laura, being interviewed by Iona MacGowan.

Here we are at 1 hour 14 minutes into this live stream just entering onto 6th Avenue. I am on the other side of the street.

Our piper, Kyf Brewer, is playing Saturday Night on bagpipes. Saturday Night was the BCR’s biggest hit in the US.

Watching these videos brings tears to my eyes. I’m so proud to have been in this parade not only because of my Scottish ancestry, but also representing the Rollers.

Here’s another take on our group.

And one more…

And another. I mean, seriously, I can’t get enough of these. This one might be my favorite because there are so many closeups of our group. Can you spot yourself?

After The Parade

As we ended our walk along the parade route, we filtered onto a side street. We gathered on the steps and sang a few Roller songs.

Renowned photographer Graham MacIndoe wandered by and risked his life to grab a lot photos of our group. He literally was standing on a narrow fence line and hanging onto a tree limb to get pictures – but not this one!

BCR Fans photographed by Graham Macindoe. — Bay City Rollers fans at NYC Tartan Day Parade 2023 captured by Graham MacIndoe.

The parade was celebratory. This after-parade gathering was sweet. In some ways, it was the best part of the parade.

There are pipes and drums gathering on the other side of the street. As bands came off the parade route, they joined in or marched by. Sigh. It was incredible.

Here’s a quick video. Oops, there’s photographer Graham MacIndoe snapping photos!

And another quick video showing a pipe and drum band marching by.

This was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. And like I said, it meant so much to me. I am so grateful to have been able to march in this parade with BCR friends.

The group will not be marching in the 2024 parade, but who knows? Maybe we’ll be back in 2025.

BCR Fan Events and the NYC Gathering

As many of you know, I was recently in New York City attending the Bay City Roller Fan Events Tartan Week gathering. There were so many wonderful things about this trip that I’m going to break it down into three separate posts:

This post talking about the BCR Fan Events gatherings
Another piece celebrating the experience of being in the NYC Tartan Week Parade
And another post talking about the other things I did while in NYC.

So grab your tartan, short pants, stripy socks and get ready for an amazing trip report. As the song says, Let’s Go! (But instead of hugging and kissing in the moonlight, we’re going to NYC with BCR Fan Events.)

BCR Fan Events

BCR Fan Events are fan-driven and fan-funded gatherings that celebrate the fun and friendships that formed around the 1970’s pop-rock band Bay City Rollers.

The events bring together fans from around the world, and this event in New York City was no different: there were fans from the US, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, and even as far away as Australia. The events are family-friendly and multi-generational, too. At both of the events I’ve attended, there were mother-daughter participants and husbands tagging along with wives.

BCR Events Friday Concert

The group gathered upstairs at the Tailor Public House and Kitchen on the corner of 8th and 35th in New York City.

My roommates and I stopped briefly at the welcome table for hugs and our marcher’s goodie bags. Inside the bag was a pin, a hoodie, a t-shirt, and a name badge.

And here’s a tip for the hoodie! When I got home and tried the hoodie on, I realized it was just too tight around the neck, wrists, and waist. I snipped off the wrist and waist cuffs, then made another quick snip at the center of the neckline and removed the hood string. I cut up the sides just a little bit, too and now it’s super comfy to wear.

After gathering our goody bags, we walked into the main event room.

People were already gathering and talking.

There were two rooms reserved for our group. This room held not only the stage up front, but also two tables with a raffle and “Tip Jar” memorabilia.

The attendees of BCR Fan Group events are as generous as can be so there were plenty of people buying tickets for the raffle and purchasing memorabilia. The proceeds for the memorabilia went into a tip jar for that night’s performers.

I spy a copy of Bay City Babylon, a copy of Rollercoaster, and a couple copies of Eric’s An Edinburgh Lad.

More memorabilia went set up in the second room. These were super special items for a silent auction.

There were autographs from the “Classic 5” lineup, the famous “Bubi” book with photographs, a full set of BCR Poker cards, a full set of BCR bubblegum cards, a hologram BCR necklace, two “The Rollers” necklaces, the Voxx CD, and more.

Maybe the most anticipated auction item was the collection of BCR albums along with a portable record player.

I bid on a few of these items, but sadly, the bidding went was fast and furious and quickly beyond what I could afford.

BCR Fan Events Raffle Winner

Back to that raffle in the first room. The proceeds of the raffle were to go to the 2024 Edinburgh gathering celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s first album’s release.

I bought a handful of tickets and didn’t give it another thought… until the winners were announced and I got a beautiful, cozy fleece throw!

The throw is white with the logo for this year’s event. It’s not quite large enough to use as a throw, but a few people suggested it might be a great wall hanging.

After saying hello to about a million people, we all found seats and listened to some announcements. Then, the show started.

Concert Time

The next few hours flew by as the BCR Fan Events attendees listened and sang along to four amazing world class performers: Brian Gold, Craig Weir, Kyf Brewer, and Duncan Faure.

I mean, seriously, there were times where we were almost drowning out the performers. If they were singing BCR songs, we were singing along. There were a couple of times there where we (the audience) knew the words better than the performers!

If you’re like me, you may not know who most of these people are. I’d heard the first three names around the Bay City Rollers Fan Events Facebook page, but I’d never heard any of them live.

And Duncan? When my heartthrob Les McKeown left the band, Duncan came in and (together with the remaining Rollers) made a few ridiculously good albums that I had never heard until a few years ago.

So let me introduce you to some of these musicians who are well worth looking up.

Brian Gold

Brian is based in the Northwest of England. He’s a guitar vocalist with more than twenty years experience, and his set lists vary depending on the audience. For us, Brian performed a dynamite combination of Rollers songs and other throw back sing-a-long songs from the 70s.

Head to Brian’s website to listen to some of his songs. And if you love the Rollers, he’s got Roller’s songs on his website, too. Besides, his wife is a huge Rollers fan!

Craig Weir

Craig Weir is the bagpiper and vocalist for the bagpipe rock band Gleadhraich. Yes, bagpipe rock band: the band regularly combines bagpipes with rock music and it works.

For the set for our group, Craig did a combination of traditional Scottish songs and originals on both guitar and bagpipes. Weir is an acclaimed musician, having performed for The Queen, the Dalai Lama, among others. He’s also shared the stage with Rollers, Queen, and more.

Here’s a snippet of Bay City Roller Alan Longmuir joining Gleadhraich on stage for the Rollers song “Shang-A-Lang.” That’s Craig on lead vocals and Alan to the right on acoustic guitar.

Here’s Craig with the reformed Rollers several years ago playing the pipes on Loch Lomond. Les McKeown on vocals, Alan Longmuir on bass, and Stuart “Woody” Wood on guitar; they’re backed by Les’s touring band. (I don’t know all of their names, sorry.)

And here’s Craig’s performance at the BCR Fan Events gathering last year. Recordings of this year were made, but aren’t available on YouTube yet.

Kyf Brewer

Kyf Brewer was both a performer on Friday night and the piper leading our group up Sixth Avenue on Saturday. Kyf found success with the band “The Rayvns” who had a song on the Fast Times At Ridgemont High soundtrack called “Raised On The Radio.”

Kyf was also in the band “Company of Wolves.” While that band was filming the below video, Kyf fell in love with Celtic music and the bagpipes.

And eventually, he formed the band Barleyjuice which has released eight albums and counting. Learn more and find more music at the Ryf Records website.

You may also know Kyf from audiobooks. He’s the narrator on a whole slew of David Baldacci books, a couple of Danielle Steele novels, and The Return by Nicholas Sparks.

Duncan Faure

The highlight of the evening was Duncan Faure’s performance. Faure moved seamlessly between electric piano and guitar, and between solo material and old songs from The Rollers. Here’s his performance from last year’s event.

Faure is an internationally acclaimed artist who first found fame in his native South Africa with 70s pop-rock group Rabbitt. He was inducted into the RockGodz Hall of Fame in 2014; the RockGodz recognize contributions of “stunningly gifted musicians and professionals who flew under the radar while delivering to the world music that has orchestrated the soundtrack of many lives.”

Here’s a fan favorite solo recording of Love and Dream Wishes, followed by Duncan’s superb cover of John Lennon’s Imagine.

All too soon the evening ended. My roommates and I caught a cab back to our hotel near Times Square. We had to rest up for the parade the next day. I’ll tell you about that in a post soon.

Sunday Brunch

The weekend closed with a brunch at the Tailor Public House and Kitchen. By Sunday I think we were all worn out. But still, there was plenty of talking and lots and lots of love in the room.

While I took a lot of pictures all weekend, I think this picture of Jan, Laura, and Suz really really captures the spirit of these gatherings.

We share stories, lives, silliness, and countless hugs. At both of the events I’ve attended, there is so much smiling that even now writing these words I’m smiling. And the love felt from everyone is palpable.

I feel that love every Friday night listening live on the TD1 Radio out of Scotland from 7p-11p Eastern. We have the most fun in the live listening party: Dedication – Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be on that show one of these days – but you didn’t hear it from me.

That love carries on in so many ways – to the performers, to the Facebook Group, the Bay City Rollers Archives, and beyond.

Can’t wait to see everyone in Edinburgh in 2024! We’ll gather then to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the group’s first album release. And if you loved the Bay City Rollers like I loved the Bay City Rollers, come on and join us!

Lost Lake Writers Retreat

Having finished the first draft of a novel this summer, I promised myself my reward would be a weekend getaway. On a whim I searched for writer’s retreats in Michigan and found the Lost Lake Writers Retreat. It was the perfect way to nurture my writing soul.

The Lost Lake Writers Retreat is presented annually by Inspiration Alcona and Springfed Arts with grants from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Art Works. The retreat is held at the Lost Lake Woods Club on the sunrise side of the state of Michigan just north of the small town of Lincoln.

Grab a coffee – this is a longer post with pretty pictures and interesting stories. 🙂

The Past Circles Back Again

In August I attended an event to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the pop-rock band Bay City Rollers appearing in their namesake city of Bay City, Michigan. That weekend was an absolute blast and had me remembering things left and right for weeks. This weekend was no different – but for different reasons.

Like any introvert, I was hesitant to attend an event where I wasn’t going to know anyone and had to do any socializing. I kept browsing both the Inspiration Alcona and Springfed Arts websites until lightening struck. The director of the event, John D. Lamb, was a musician that I’d seen back in the 80’s in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Back then, I was in college and John (going by the moniker Johnny D) was playing solo acoustic at the Foolery (now known as Rubbles) downtown. I’d go with a couple friends and we’d dance to this guy singing Springsteen-y kinds of songs with lots of lyrics and plenty of chutzpah. Here’s a poster from those many years ago.

These days John is the director of Springfed Arts and hosts songwriting and writing retreats and events throughout the year; he has a whole lot of music available, too. He’s also an amazing, gracious host and made this introvert felt loved and appreciated. His music is available at all the normal places, so go buy some today.

Here is the John D. Lamb website and Bandcamp sites. I immediately grabbed all of the CD’s (because I’m old school like that) and they arrived with a hand-written note from John.

Lumberman’s Monument

I promised myself when I moved back to Michigan a decade or more ago that I would get to know the state more. I’ve failed miserably at that, but have really enjoyed watching a load of TikToks by Michigan creators that celebrate the state. For the drive to the Lost Lake Writers Retreat I decided to wander the byways a bit… Err, I drove some roads I’d never been on before.

One of those roads led to the Lumberman’s Monument just west of Oscoda. The fall colors were already popping and the overlook of the Au Sable river was stunning – especially just after rain – look at these clouds!

It had rained on and off as I drove, and the rain let up long enough for me to walk around the monument site. It was quiet, too, with only a few other visitors in the area. I didn’t take the steep walk down to the waterside.

The monument commemorates workers in the logging industry early in the history of Michigan.

Lumberman’s Monument is open daily throughout the year and there are walking trails and a camping area, too. The site is maintained and staffed by the USDA Forestry department. There is a small gift shop and bathroom facilities.

Trip To The Beach

No trip to the northeast side of the lower peninsula could be complete without a walk on the beach and so I stopped into a roadside park and wandered out onto the beach. Once again Mother Nature held off on the rain just long enough for me to enjoy the view and the sounds. But once I was back in the car the rain poured down.

Lost Lake Woods Club

Just north of Lincoln, Michigan, the Lost Lake Wood Club boasts more than 10,000 acres of private, members-only grounds for hunting, fishing, shooting, horseback riding, golfing, and more. There are five lakes, ample walking trails, a large lodge, and dining/banquet facilities. Plenty of people have summer homes here and some have year-round homes at the ninety-six year old club.

All retreat activities were held in the Lost Lake Lodge which is a sprawling hive of activity for the entire club.

I walked in and almost immediately got a fabulous bear hug from John. Then I checked into my room and settled in.

Most meals were in the dining room overlooking the lake. Portions were huge and I often felt like I would drown in the dishes.

I mean, look at this is sweet potato fries topped with barbecue pork and coleslaw. It’s not a bad way to drown, mind you, but there was no way I could finish the whole thing. On the other hand, it was so tasty I might have to try to recreate it.

One night, there was a spectacular sunset.

And I went for a long walk part of the way around the lake.

It was hard to get a bad photo, though I did manage to get quite a few with my thumb or finger.

We left the property one night for dinner at Rosa’s Lookout Inn just up the road in Spruce. Voted the best Italian restaurant on the sunrise side of the state for ten years running, the food lived up to that honor.

Writers Retreat

Ultimately, the weekend was about words and writing, and really knowing in my bones how important writing is in my life. I think I’ve run away from words as much as I’ve run towards them.

For the longest time I’ve struggled with feeling like I belong somewhere, with trying to identify who I am as a person living mostly alone in the world.

Even when setting up this website, I tried to follow the marketing law of focus on one thing… Any online business course I’ve ever taken has admonished students to focus on “one thing” that you do well. But I’m not just interested in one thing: I am multitudes.

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
Walt Whitman – Song of Myself

(And yeah, Song of Myself is as much about Whitman as it is about America, but that’s a digression I won’t go further into now.)

At the BCR weekend I knew that those Roller fans were my people, my tribe.

I have no doubt that my meditation friends are another part of my tribe, too. That spiritual tribe has ties that quite literally transcend time and space.

My tribal triumvirate is complete with writing friends. These are my people, too.

And metaphysically, I could go into the three in the one and the one in the three, but that’s not what this blog post is about.

Poetry is Life!

Just as the world shut down in the spring of 2020, I self published a collection of poems. (FYI, any link to Amazon is an affiliate link.)

This is a collection of poems written from 1976-2006. Some were published elsewhere, many were read at open mikes over the years. But none had found a permanent home and – to be honest – I hadn’t worked at publishing. I’m happy to have them all gathered in one place.

I recently lowered the price of both the Kindle and the paperback on Amazon. You can also buy the book directly from me and get an autographed copy)

The Kindle eBook is free October 17 to October 21!

This retreat brought home to me how important poetry is… I’d forgotten again. Sigh.

This weekend was about learning new techniques and sharpening up those old skills and this weekend fit like a delicious pair of jeans. This weekend was about talking shop and life and influences. This was a weekend that nourished my writing soul.

In a conversation over dinner at Rosa’s I asked John about future retreats and suggested bringing someone to talk about self-publishing. Through that conversation it became very clear that his focus for the retreat to nurture writers; he does the same thing with songwriting retreats.

The Lost Lake Writers Retreat weekend wasn’t about learning the latest and greatest, but rather about celebrating the heart of the writing life.

This retreat is fertilizer, this retreat is food, this retreat is everything about supporting you right where you are on your writing journey. It was a perfect match for me.

Poetry Game

The poem below appeared through “The Poetry Game” an exercise taught to us by poet Leila Chatti. If I heard the pedigree correctly, it was first taught (created?) by Ruth Stone who taught it to Sharon Olds who taught it to Dorianne Laux, who taught it to Leila Chatti, who taught it to us.

Poets love playing with words and this game began by people offering up random words and then adding additional rules:

Include something blue but don’t use the word blue
Include a lie or a lie revealed
Include your name or the meaning of your name, or a word that sounds like your name
Include the phrase “you can feel it now.”

From there we were instructed to set a timer for twenty minutes and use as many of these words and follow the rules as much as you can. It took more than twenty minutes to polish this, but I got it done – and used all the words and rules!

Lost Lake Writers Retreat, Refrain

Saturday night after dinner each attendee read some of their work. I read two older poems from my book; it’s the first time I’ve read in public in – what – maybe ten years?

It felt like it, too, because I was nervous, shaky, and -let’s be honest- it was kind of hard to read from my book. Thank goodness I knew those two poems (almost) by heart. Even when I was co-hosting the poetry slam back in the day, I never could manage to memorize poems.

And it felt good, too, because by the time I was into the third or fourth stanza, my performance legs were back and functioning. My voice rose and fell. I slowed down to draw out the feelings behind the words and to give the listeners a chance to process the images that “Write A Poem And Call Me In The Morning” and “Starvation” offer.

Sunday morning we did a reading all over again, sharing work written during the weekend. And then, just like that, it was over and I was back in my car, a solitary traveler, on the lonesome highway heading south towards home.

On that long drive, though, I kept thinking about how much I’d enjoyed the weekend – the escape, the camaraderie, the memories. And especially how much I’d enjoyed jumping back into writing.

I’ve already started dreaming about what my “mission” will include for next year. I’m confident there will be writing involved. And I’d like to think I’ll be back to the Lost Lake Writers Retreat, too.

Your Turn

Is it too tacky to say I found myself at Lost Lake? Maybe. But it feels like I definitely reclaimed something I’d lost or set aside. I “re-membered” that writerly part of myself.

What parts of you have been lost along the way? How did you reclaim them?

Bay City Roller Day Celebration – Update 2

This past weekend I attended the 45th Anniversary celebration of the day that Scottish pop-rock band Bay City Rollers appeared in their namesake city of Bay City, Michigan.

This poster from 16 Magazine graced the walls of many young girls. But I was at the event, sitting/standing/shouting to the right of Eric (he’s the guy on the right.)

This weekend was filled with meeting new friends, Roller games, and so much more; this is a long post with a lot of pictures, so get comfy.

Bay City Roller Day Celebration Back In The Day

I was there on August 24, 1977 when the Rollers signed the mural, put their hands in cement, and were awarded the key to the city.

At the time it was an absolutely momentous occasion: I’d never seen any of my teen idols in person and here they were all the way from Scotland and practically in my own back yard.

Bay City is about an hour from where I grew up and, although bands definitely came to the area, it’s mostly rural with farms and fields within easy reach of any town.

Bay City Rollers at the mural in Bay City, Michigan – August 1977 (Photographer unknown)

So I was there with my friend, Gena, and her mom and little brother. We sat outside in front of city hall all day waiting for the Rollers.

We were there with an estimated 3.000+ fans and the band was at the height of their US popularity. The song “You Made Me Believe In Magic” was running up the charts.

Fans chanted “B-A-Y-B-A-Y-B-A-Y-C-I-T-Y with an R-O-double L-E-R-S, Bay City Rollers are the best” and “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT,” “We want the Rollers,” and more.

Then, after what seemed like forever, they were in front of us, live, almost so close you could touch them. Or, could try to touch them – they were on a raised platform and security was very tight.

I don’t remember much of what actually happened that day. To be honest, sitting in the hot sun with a crowd of people is one of my least enjoyable activities ever. We did see the newly signed and painted mural on the way home.

The mural tagged by fans back in the day. The building the mural was on was eventually torn down. 🙁

A couple days later, my parents took Gena and I to see the Rollers at the State Fair in Detroit. And, after that, I went home to that tiny town and blue bedroom, and kept writing letters to Roller fans around the world.

The Rollers quickly dropped from the charts and from most people’s minds. And, to be honest, they were out of my thoughts for a long time, too. Definitely by the end of college I’d found other musical interests and the pen pals had dwindled.

Still, that time being in love with the boy band from Scotland has never left my tartan heart. And this weekend at the Bay City Roller Day Celebration, it all came roaring back.

BCR Fan Events

I learned about this weekend because I follow the most excellent BCR Fan Events. This group offers “internationally fan-driven, fan-funded, and fan-produced events that celebrate the Bay City Rollers and the lifelong friendships that have resulted and endured for nearly fifty years.” Here is their Facebook group.

The group also is behind the podcast, “Dedication – Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers.” Hosted by Suz and Laura, the podcast has featured original Rollers Derek Longmuir and Nobby Clark, other key people in the history of the Rollers, and (oh my!)- fan stories.

This Bay City Roller Day celebration weekend was not hosted or sponsored by BCR Fan Events. However, without that group, I wouldn’t have learned about this weekend.

Rebel, Dawn, Cathy, Becky & Jan

This weekend organized and hosted by the amazing

Rebel D’Elia,
Dawn Scroggins,
Cathy Rice,
Becky Hall, and
Jan Zalewski.

The weekend was held at the Comfort Inn, Bay City, which is right by the events of the Bay City Rollers day in 1977. That also makes it just a short walk from downtown Bay City with shopping, food, and more.

Walking into the hotel I was greeting almost immediately by (I think) Jan who said, “You must be here for the Roller event.”

How could she tell? Any Roller fan could because I had on a tartan shirt, was carrying a tartan purse, and was wearing a t-shirt from Bay City Roller Fan Events that says, “Girls Gone Plaid.”

Right away, this introvert felt welcomed and appreciated; those awesome feels kept coming all weekend.

Those tartans are for the “classic five” line-up of Eric, Alan, Derek, Woody, and Les!

Bay City Roller Day Celebration – The First Day

I checked into my room, unpacked and made myself comfortable. Then I scooted downstairs for the first (non-Roller related) event: a walking tour of Bay City’s historic “Hell’s Half Mile.” A good size group of Roller fans participated in this walking tour.

The history of the Saginaw valley is rife with stories from the lumbering era. Lumber was big business back in the 1850s-1890s and this area boomed because of the vast expanse of old growth forest.

Rugged men spent winters chopping trees in tea-totaling camps and then, come the first spring rush, delivered the felled timber to sawmills that lined the Saginaw river. Then, as it were, they’d party like it’s 1999 – or maybe 1899.

The Historical Museum of Bay County; the city hall is in the background.

Seriously, though, they’d whoop it up like something you probably can’t imagine. Bay County Historical Museum educational coordinator Sam Fitzpatrick gave us an absolutely fascinating peek into that raucous history. Just think notorious, dirty, robberies, fights, stabbings, and vile wickedness and you’re about halfway there.

Sam kicking the tour off on the steps of the museum.

The Bay City Antique Market is in the old Campbell building – one of the oldest buildings in the city.

We stopped across the street from St. Laurent Brothers to learn more about Hell’s Half Mile. In lumber times, this was one of the most notorious locations even known as the toughest place on the Saginaw River.

Several streets in downtown Bay City are blocked off for the summer and designated pedestrian zones.

The tour led us through alley ways and boy, the back of the buildings are just as interesting as the front.

The tour ended in downtown Bay City at the corner of Saginaw and Center streets.

The Hell’s Half Mile refers to an area of downtown Bay City that run along Water and Saginaw Streets. These days it’s a lovely area for shopping and dining.

There was plenty of free time this weekend, and I spent more than my fair share at the superb My Secret Garden and clothing store Uptown Girl. Of course I bought a fluffy tartan shirt for winter.

Dinner the first night was at Tavern 101 where more Roller fans joined, and then we all went back to the hotel for fun and games.

Bay City Roller Day Celebration Party

So imagine your teenage bedroom filled with all sorts of Bay City Roller stuff: pins, shirts, tote bags, albums, fan magazines, pictures, and posters – oh, the posters. Now turn the volume up and that’s what walking into the party room at the Comfort Inn resembled.

(You might need a Bay City Roller musical background to accompany the next part. Go find them on Spotify or here’s my playlist on YouTube. I’ll wait…)

Here’s a quick video of the room as it was being readied for the party. It starts with a BCR shower curtain (yes – shower curtain) that was auctioned off later in the night.

There’s another shower curtain (don’t you just love these men in kilts?)
Then you see a prize table,
a participants table,
some yummy snacks,
some of the organizers,
the auction table,
one of the posters we all had in our rooms,
and a memorial table for Alan, Ian, and Les.

Cupcakes!

Sally of Hope and Help for Sal’s Tribe and Bay City Rollers Memorabilia Auction (and a former pen pal of mine) organized an amazing auction. Look, if you were a Roller fan, you’d be drooling at all that was on offer!

I won a tartan tote bag and, while playing a game, won a Eucalyptus candle. Other goodies that all attendees received:

And this t-shirt!

Bay City Roller Day Celebration Games

You had to be quite the Roller fan to play any of these games, let me tell you. And I was so busy talking, laughing, and eating a cupcake (and turning my mouth blue) that I wasn’t playing to win. I don’t think anyone really was: this weekend was all about comradery.

I mean, how could it not be about fun and friendship if both Woody and Eric knew we were gathering in Bay City? Woody posted a picture of his key to the city and wondered what the key opened. Eric wrote a note on a post-it that said,

Hi, Hope that everyone heading to Bay City, Michigan this weekend has a great time – well done Rebel, Becky, and all the organisers. As I’ve got the key to the city and if you are locked in – I’m your man.”

So those games I mentioned… there was:

Roller bingo,
name that song based on a super short music clip, guess the BCR song based on lyrics,
a word search,
and even a “Spot The Errors” copied from 16 Magazine back in the day.

Another game was “What’s in your phone” where each participant received points for things like

a Bay City Roller lock or home screen,
a contact named Alan, Derek, Leslie, Woody or Eric,
a photo of the Rollers or a Roller,
a Scottish recipe, a selfie in Roller gear,
a Roller Pinterest site,
and for every contact beginning with a B, C. and R.

Here’s a glance at the prize table and some of the games. I found that last word in the word search (Arista -as in Arista Records-) just after I snapped the picture.

There were FOUR PAGES of “Guess The Song!”

Bay City Rollers Celebration Day Two – City Hall!

Day two of the celebration weekend we gathered on the steps of the City Hall of Bay City. That’s where the Rollers put their handprints into cement and where they were granted the key to the city (and that’s where I was that day in 1977.)

Just look at the inside…and imagine the Rollers walking through here in 1977.

We took several group shots then moved over to the historical museum to tour the Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit. Founder of the hall of fame Gary Johnson gave us a brief introduction to how the exhibit came to be at the Bay City museum and talked a bit about some of the things we were about to see.

I spied a pencil drawing and postcard of the City Hall nearby.

This is the front elevation of the city hall in Bay City.

And then we climbed these steep stairs…

And turned to the right.

Bay City Roller Day Celebration – The Handprints

For years, Rebel d’Elia had been working to get the handprints on display somewhere in Bay City. The handprints were on display years ago, then disappeared, then historical society members just didn’t respond…the usual drama.

But through the years, Rebel has persistently called and finally – finally! The handprints are on display!

When you turn to the right at the top of the stairs there is a blue hallway. And along the right side of that blue hallway is the Rollers.

There is an autographed photo, an album cover, Derek Longmuir’s key to the city, the official proclamation, and the poster from 16 Magazine.

Below that black and white photo are the handprints. You’d better believe many a Bay City Day celebrant held her hands up to her favorite Roller’s hands – and yes, they sure would fit together nicely.

Left to right the handprints are Les, Derek, Woody, and Eric.

Woody’s handprints. He also wrote “Woody was here.” That symbol above his name means Keep On Rollin!

We were all in awe.

After spending time looking at other exhibits we had plenty of free time. Some of us went to have lunch. My new friend Jan and I went to Gatsby’s (and ended up seeing other Roller friends there, too.)

Later that day some people went to a Rick Springfield concert while others hung around the hotel or went to eat. I had a delicious dinner and conversation at Old City Hall. There was also tiramisu, too.

Bay City Roller Day Celebration – Goodbyes

All too soon it was Sunday morning and we said goodbyes over breakfast in the hotel lobby. On the way home I reflected on the weekend.

I spent so many years trying to forget that I’d ever been a fan of the Rollers – being cool and liking cool bands was more important. And it’s a shame, really, because the women I met this weekend were incredible. Some of them have been friends since waaaay back in the day. And the stories?

Oh my! The stories they could (and did) tell. Some had met the Rollers multiple times, Many had never seen the Rollers in concert. Some were pulled into the phenomena of Rollermania by friends and others, like me, saw them on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell and were smitten. Lord knows it was a bad show, but the Rollers were on twice and I was glue to the TV both times.

Pen Pals

The other very cool thing about liking the Rollers was having pen pals. And I mentioned that Sally (at the time going by “Sunshine”) was a pen pal of mine…but I had pen pals from around the world. Here are some of them:

Pen pals opened the world for me. I’d get a letter from Japan, one from Germany, and another from California on the same day. A week could bring twenty or more letters.

We shared news from our lives and -of course- the Rollers. We shared cassette tape recordings of the radio, clippings from teen magazines, photos, photo negatives – so much.

At this Roller event, I took a big book of letters that I’d saved. And several people sat down and looked through those letters and look at the names. Those names brought up memories and sure enough, I was reconnected with THREE of old pen pals. That’s just amazing after 45 years!

This was such a fun weekend and everyone – and I mean everyone – was so warm and welcoming. I’d love to come to other events in the future.

Maybe someone will bow out of the Tartan Day event next year so I, too, can march up Sixth Avenue in NYC with a whole slew of other Roller fans. I’d have to be sporting both Wallace and Leslie tartans, mind you.

Your Turn

Did you have pen pals? Were you infatuated with a boy band?

P.S.

The main character in the novel I’m working on loves the Bay City Rollers!

Update 1

After this post was out in the world, I was contacted by one of the organizers of the event. I quite literally did not realize that the event hadn’t been sponsored by Bay City Rollers Fan Events, and have changed the post to reflect my new understanding. My apologies for the confusion.

Update 2

A spot opened up on the Tartan Day walk, and I will now be going to New York City in April! I’m so excited about this and already starting to think about how to represent Clan Wallace and Leslie. I may even throw in something for Cameron as that’s my great-great grandmother’s Clan on the paternal side of the family.

BCR Fan Events had their original Facebook group taken down for copyright infringement; in what sounds like a personal vendetta, one of the organizers also had their personal page and more removed from Facebook. This is wrong. I’ve updated this blog to show the NEW link for the new and renamed group and I fully support BCR Fan Events.

Artsy Weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Not long ago I escaped to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a weekend of art, theater, food, and shopping – some of my favorite things!

Work has been horrendous and I’m writing a novel which means more time at the computer in the evenings. I needed a break, and I needed one NOW.

So I escaped over to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the weekend. It’s a little under two hours from my small town of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, so it’s a super easy drive. I lived and worked in Grand Rapids years ago, so it’s also a way to revisit some favorite places and spaces.

Shop Til You Drop

My first stop is often Georgie’s Consignment in a Grand Rapids suburb called Ada. This is an upscale consignment store with exceptional service and selection. I snagged a pair of light grey NAOT sandals at about half off retail that made my feet and wallet very happy. The store is one of the oldest buildings in the small town, and is directly opposite the covered wooden bridge.

I stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites on 28th Street. This was my first time staying in a Homewood Suites and I really enjoyed the larger sized room and convenient location. The room had a decent size kitchen/sitting area plus bedroom. Breakfast was included, too!

And, thinking ahead, I brought along some of those funky ice pack things from HelloFresh. I planned to stop into Trader Joe’s for unique grocery items I can’t get here in Mount Pleasant. Those ice packs stayed icy cold in the large fridge in the hotel room while I roamed and roamed.

The 28th Street location is a quick drive away from Woodland Mall, where I had to stop for an Olga’s meal for dinner. It’s not a fancy-schmancy dinner, but because I rarely get anywhere that has an Olga’s Kitchen, I almost always have one when I can: seasoned and broiled meat, tomatoes, onions, Olgasauce, and that divine bread.

I managed a shoe store just across East Beltline years ago. I didn’t much like the job at Gussini Shoes and ended up being fired, which set me on my way to Athens, Georgia and some interesting adventures.

That mall the shoe store was in got “reimagined into a hybrid mall/shopping center and it’s now known as “The Shops at Centerpoint.” I always stop at the Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, World Market, and other stores that my little town doesn’t have.

And it wouldn’t be shopping if I didn’t manage to do damage in the thrift stores along 29th Street. There are three that are a must for me every time: Goodwill, New2You, and Mel Trotter Ministries. After the thrift stores, I almost always hit up the independent Schuler Books on 28th Street, too; their café has scrumptious light lunches and refreshing drinks. And books, I bought books.

Beyond Van Gogh

The purpose of the weekend was to attend the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit downtown at Devos Place. This traveling art show was a thrill to see; it reminded me in some ways of the Van Gogh Museum that I’d visited even many more years ago in Amsterdam.

I loved how they told the story of the Van Gogh brothers, and of Vincent’s love of painting. Did you know that Don McLean wrote Starry Starry Night about Vincent Van Gogh? It played as part of the final section of the exhibit and brought tears to my eyes.

The exhibit was laid out in three darkened sections or “rooms.” Walls were formed by black curtains. Only the pictures and meticulous lighting illuminated your way.

The first room told the story; the second featured a waterfall effect with self-portraits, and the final had a 37-minute audio/video presentation. You could stay in each ‘room’ as long as you wanted.

The first room explored Vincent’s relationship with his brother, Theo, using letter excerpts.

The second room was smaller and showed a video ‘waterfall’ effect with accompanying music. I posted a video on Facebook and got a slap on the hand for copyright, so won’t share that video here.

The third room was the showstopper. Here’s a good idea of the size:

The paintings came to life and changed before your eyes, like this – a longer clip featuring the same visuals.

As I said, this room had a 37-minute loop, and it was fascinating to watch. Pictures were displayed on the floor, and on the wall. Music accompanied the entire thing.

Here are a couple of panoramic views of that third room.

Another panoramic photo showing self-portraits.

The rooms were all dark. In fact, the walkway from the final room to the gift shop was dark and illuminated only by green light. I played with the light and it reminded me so much of that classic Queen photo that I had to add add myself right into the picture (sorry not sorry John Deacon.)

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

In between Van Gogh and Mean Girls I had an hour or so to kill, so I went over to the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel to savor the opulence. I also had a sandwich (and then returned later for pizza.) It’s an easy (and totally inside) walk from DeVos to the Amway.

One of the cool things about downtown Grand Rapids is that there is a skywalk system that connects several buildings. No need to go outside when moving from one building to the other – a real help in the heat of summer or depths of winter. It’s a quick five minute walk via skyway from DeVos to the Amway.

Mean Girls

I have to admit I was not familiar with the Mean Girls movie at all. But then I was looking for other things to do and Mean Girls was happening the same day as Beyond Van Gogh in the same building downtown so, why not. I watched the movie, and loved the high school theme – it was good ‘research’ for my novel in progress.

This musical was high energy and filled with lots of typical high school antics arranged around a book that “mean girls” put together about everyone else. Here’s the stage before the performance began.

I enjoyed being in a theater again; it’s my first since the darned pandemic put a stop to so much. I’m really glad that I saw the Mean Girls movie on Amazon Prime before seeing the play, though. This musical moved very fast and I might have been a little lost if I wasn’t kind of familiar with the movie.

Costco Saves The Day

After I got out of Mean Girls and had dinner, I went into the underground parking to my car and -uh oh- the check tire pressure gauge was on. I drove back to the hotel area, hit up TJ Maxx, and the noticed that the tire looked low. I stopped into a tire place, added air to the tire, then crossed my fingers it would hold overnight.

It was Saturday night. The tire place I stopped at was closed on Sunday, as was every other place I googled. Fortunately, Costco was nearby and had a tire center…but I didn’t have a Costco membership.

Sunday morning I scrambled to Costco, got a membership, and had my tire examined. Sure enough, there was a nail in that rear left tire, and the Costco tire crew took care of it for about $15. It took them more than an hour to take care of it, though, so –whoops– more shopping.

You’d better believe I stocked up on a few things at Costco, then headed over to Trader Joe’s for more yummy things to take home. There’s not a Trader Joe’s near me, either, so I loaded my car up with all sorts of goodies like Ube Spread, Lemon Curd, three different kinds of gnocchi, and more. Those frozen packs from Hello Fresh kept everything frozen truly frozen all the way home.

Find The Beautiful

In one of the photos above, I included a quote from an 1874 letter from artist Vincent to his brother, an art dealer, Theo. Vincent asks his brother to “”…find things beautiful as much as you can, most people find too little beautiful.”

The weekend getaway to Grand Rapids was perfect for me and filled with the things I love. It was beautiful. Where do you find beauty?

Escape To The Lake Near Grand Rapids, Michigan

I escaped to a small, private lake earlier this month.

It was the first weekend that we -finally- had warm weather.

I glamped in a 1970s camper surrounded by trees.

I had a couple of campfires. I forgot to bring marshmallows.

I admired the deep blue sky at night as the full moon rose.

I stared at the scenery. I took a couple of naps and finished a book.

I walked along the trails.

A statue of Buddha contemplates the tall grass. In another area, a collection of similar statues presides over a simple labyrinth.

A couple of boats were available, if I was so inclined. I am not.

But staring at that serene lake?

Or gently resting in the arms of a swing seat hung from a tall tree?

Definitely for me.

You can stay in this beautiful spot, too. It’s affordable – even for one person – and convenient to Grand Rapids if you’re interested in city lights.

But for me, a quiet escape to the lake was perfect.

The Sacred Waterfall

The peak spiritual experience of my trip to the Sacred Valley of Peru was a journey to a waterfall. A simple, everyday walk up a mountain unlocked memories and renewed my sense of self. How is that even possible?

I’ll attempt to explain, but please remember: putting words to experience pales in comparison to the actual experience. Though poets and writers have tried for lifetimes, anything written cannot capture the true essence of what it means to love. Same is true here; it’s nearly impossible to accurately explain everything that happened in any way that will make logical sense.

That’s because it’s not logical. It’s experience. It’s in the moment. And in that brief moment, lifetimes unfurled. For real.

First, the magnificent setting:

Walking along an aqueduct that brings water to the retreat center.

Look closely and you’ll see two young girls tending the animals.

Along the spiritual path, it’s not uncommon for people to participate in past life regressions. I did one back in the 1990s, and it helped me make sense of my general fear and distrust of team of horses hitched to a wagon. A memory of the aftermath of an earthquake, and of being trampled by a team of runaway horses definitely put a damper on me enjoying my family’s love of horses. Of course, that memory isn’t the only reason I didn’t like horses: I was stubborn, moody, and unhappy teenager who preferred books and clothes and music.

The story revealed in the regression made sense to me. It was more than a story, though, the memory fit like a favorite pair of jeans. I knew the story, remembered details of the entire life, and could snap pieces into a puzzle I didn’t know I needed to complete. So why is it that we left-brain, logical-centered humans don’t accept such memories as real?

That’s a big question that you’ll have to answer for yourself. Go meditate on it.

These memories are real to me, as real as an impressionistic painting, as real as a blue sky, as real as the cat sitting on my lap and purring as I type. The spiritual path is one you walk alone. Yes, there are traveling companions, but you re-create your own puzzle of memories.

In Peru I trudged along the narrow, rocky mountain path with friends. I silently sang Om Mani Padme Hum because the rhythm kept my feet moving when every muscle wanted to stop. The mantra also kept me focused and alert, making the journey both a physical and a spiritual walk. By the time we reached the side of the waterfall, I was keenly focused and prepared. I also had a hard time staying balanced. As in, hope-I-don’t-fall balanced.

I wear glasses. While they help me see better, they also inhibit peripheral vision. So unless I kept my eyes mostly on the ground, on the path ahead, I was likely to stumble. And did I say it was a narrow, rocky mountain path? Yep, and I’m not fond of heights either.

I stripped down to a bathing suit and carefully stepped onto a narrow ledge of slippery stones. I slithered across then sat on the low wall that gathered the cold water and channeled that water to the retreat center. The frigid waterfall mist covered me. Curandanda Wilma Penado placed chumpi stones in my hands and I held on as tight as I could. Wilma doused me repeatedly with the glacial water and quietly chanted words of blessing and cleansing.

Memories and admonitions flooded into my consciousness. In a few brief moments, I knew that I’d been to this area of the world before. I understood why I felt so comfortable in the Sacred Valley: it was home. Not that I’d been there this lifetime, not that I’ll relocate there, but rather the feeling of arriving home after a long trip. It was good to know that the Andes were home.

In seconds, I knew I’d bathed in this waterfall before, and knew that I had to visit more waterfalls. I knew waterfalls were important to me in ways that I still don’t understand. There are more than 200 waterfalls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I’m going to have to visit a whole bunch of them to unravel more of my life’s mysteries.

On that mountain side in Peru, pieces of my personal puzzle snapped into place. I felt whole and stepped into my power. And all that in only a short hour long walk on a mountain.

My Peru journey was organized and facilitated by Ashera Sefarty at Luminosity Healing Arts. The retreat was co-led by Daina Puodziunas Awakened Potentials for Woman.