Reboot.

In between Minnesota and Oregon, there is Holden Village (www.holdenvillage.org). Some people come here to work, some to volunteer, some to play, some to rest. The Princess and the Pastor have come here to reboot. This is a familiar, safe, calm and restorative place – I will never tire of looking up and seeing great peaks of the Cascade Mountains looming over me. The absence of cell phones, vehicles, large crowds and meat don't bother me at all, in fact, I love it. In particular, this year has been a much needed reboot for the Princess. With all the worries she carried with her over the past year, we needed a chance to break out of the place where her worries were born (not to blame Minnesota, its just the genesis of her growing anxiety) and keep working with the coping skills we've learned in a whole new place. Oh, don't worry there have been plenty of arguments and a few meltdowns, but over all the Princess frolics with new joy, new buddies and is thriving out west! I too have been surprised again and again at how exciting this new chapter feels. After all those goodbyes and all the stress of leaving a very safe and familiar place, I felt in the short 24-hours we had in Oregon that this could feel like home right quick! Also, two weeks of doing nothing but being a musician and a mom...now that is gift, grace and the best reboot ever.

Here are a few highlights of our time in the mountains (pictures to come next week...)

• playing a loud, gospel Eucharist service...with the Princess under the piano the whole time.
  
  
• Playing a quiet, Taize service and right in the middle of a song the Princess, who is sitting on a stool in the dark next to me whispers, “Mama...mama...check out these guns” (with arms flexed). I giggled for most of the rest of that service.
  
  
• Hearing the Princess say, “Mom, I'm going to go play with my friends!” She still won't go to a nearby bathroom by herself...but we're making progress.
  
  
• The freedom for the Pastor to sit inside the library for two hour and read a book for leisure, taking breaks only to watch the rain fall. Also, four great hikes in two weeks!

Stayed tuned for the first installment of “Life in the Dalles!” coming soon!