Pilgrimadge West ... Chapter 4 - spiritual quest

When I was a very little girl, we used to go visit my Granny (great grandmother) in Tahlequah, OK every summer. Boy, I've got some stories about her... Anyway, all I ever saw of Tahlequah was the reservation and the poverty. I just returned yesterday from a gorgeous part of Tahlequah called Sparrowhawk Mountain sort of overlooking the Illinois River. I went to visit my friend, Roberta. She grew up on a tent show and we met at the Toby conference in Iowa that I go to every year and really connected. She's REALLY into "woowoo." I am not even close to her league, but she's the real deal. And interestingly as far as woowoo goes, she's a lawyer. She lives on that mountain near an esotaric seminary called Sancta Sophia (they have a website). It was intriguing and I was very drawn to that teaching, most especially to her teaching. I learned how to dowse, devine, whatever you want to call it--very strange and wonderful at the same time, as well as got some new woowoo cards to work with. My friend, Pam came to visit and we swam topless in the Roberta's pool...weeeeee!!!!!! I'll probably head to Arkansas next week at some point to see Pam and her folks. Roberta and I ate, drank, shot the shit, and really worked on my intuitive side. I think I may have come back a different, but clearer person. We'll see how long it lasts. One of my challenges is discipline. I get all motivated to meditate every day, etc., but it wears off.
On the way back to Forsyth, I went to visit my Grandpa, who is home now. He is doing very well and back almost to his smart alecky self (wonder where I get it???)

Pilgrimadge West ... Chapter 3

I think God, Spirit, the Mystery, whatever you want to call it lives in the turquoise waters of Alley Spring. I was on my way to the Current River when I came upon a huge line of traffic stopped in the middle of Hwy 60. I waited for about 10 minutes. I looked at a map and realized that I could go around it (the long way). It was a fortuitous detour because I saw some of the most beautiful country. The detour took me right by Alley Spring and its working mill. Just gorgeous. I'll post pictures soon. I was on my way to spend a great 4 days with my friend, Liz in Fremont, MO on her chicken and organic vegetable farm. She has built a berm and lives there with her 2 kids, 11 cats, 1 dog, gazillion chickens and rabbits, and other various wildlife. We met 4 years or so ago in the middle of the Current River. We're sort of kindred spirits. She raises moving pen chickens, very cool. It was a new moon in Cancer and we did all that "homey" stuff like cooking, canning green beans, picking blackberries, it was great fun! I met her friend, Jan, a painter and the three of us had a great time. Liz and I floated 2 sections of the Current River: Weymeyer to Van Buren, and Van Buren to Big Spring. Really beautiful. The spoonbill fish were at Weymeyer or close to it and they were gorgeous just swimming really slowly around. I swear some were as long as my boat. Since the Current is so clear, you can see everything at the bottom. I think that experience was to show me what one of my earlier life choices could have been like. I'm a little envious, I gotta say. It was very restorative and I appreciate her friendship and the time there.