Day 9 New Friend- Housekeeping

Today feels like a housekeeping day. I have heard from a few folk about journals and have yet to put it here on the blog. So here is the skinny:

• The Open Heart Letter which was sent to Salt Lake City with 12 days journal #15 was received. My good friend Matthew said he was speechless, which while heart warming, doesn’t make for great blogging. (You know I love ya brother)
• Chris, my partner, was hand delivered an Open Heart Letter with 12 days journal #16 inside. He has sent it away to Manitoba to a dear friend who was in our wedding nearly 12 years ago (can you flippin believe that? I still feel 22 how could I have been married 12 years?!)
• I had been keeping this project a bit of a secret, slowly coming out with it. I had wanted to keep it a secret from my kids until they got their Open Heart Letter and 12 days journal #19, but yesterday My eldest let it slip that she knew about the experiment. She saw a journal in town, recognized it from the ones hangin round our house, read it, and found the website. There is no keeping secrets from a 13 year old. She didn’t however remember which journal she had seen. Bummer. Incidentally their letter and journal still sit in our mailbox, I haven’t had all 3 kids in one place all week, I want them to discover it in the mailbox together.
• Just today I FINALLY mailed the Open Heart Letter containing 12 days journal #14. It took me till now to get her address as she was off in Europe being her fabulous self.
• 12 days journal #21 which was sent to yours truly by...well yours truly, arrived today. I have not opened it yet, I want to wait until my children are asleep. I want to be alone, perhaps in a warm bath, when I open it. When I can really take in what I wrote to me just over a week ago.
• I started a facebook group where you can find out about events, and updates. You can join here.

Yesterday was the first day I came out with this project full force on facebook. It also is the day I received more views of the blog than any other. So the blog side of things is going well. I admit to getting impatient on the journal side of things though. I want for the answering of the daily question to be a big past of this. I WANT PARTICIPATION! I would love to hear from YOU! Ya you, who is reading this right now. It would be easier to be patient in waiting for the journals to return home if there was some back and forth right now about the questions being asked....SO...PLEASE use the comment section below each entry to write comments or better yet answer the daily question. I know a very important part of being able to answer freely is anonymity so I have set up this blog to allow anonymous posting if you prefer. Just don’t post anything you will regret...SPEAKING OF REGRETS....(how's that for a cheesy segue?) When I outed my eldest daughter last night on knowing all about the experiment I did so by asking her what she thought a good question would be. She came up with a great one; “Is there something in your past you would like to make amends for?” which went inside 12 days journal #30. which brings me to today’s stranger. First off I have to say...this stranger thing is hard! It wasn’t in California but has been since I got home. Like yesterday I fretted all days and just when I thought I might have to give up.....

I was in the office supply store buying journal labels when I heard an acquaintance and a TOTAL STRANGER, talking about purchasing journals, discussing which were best. I butt my nose right in and and sang the virtues of my beloved moleskine’s, the only journal I use for the 12 days journals. The womyn asked “Really? what do you use them for?”. Right there in my hand was 12 days journal #30, we chatted briefly about the project and I asked if she would take the journal. She agreed...phew! Only 3 more strangers to go...

Day 10 Open Heart Letter- Home again

I am sitting in the Spokane airport. I am suppose to be in Marin by now, but I missed my earlier flight. As I sit here I wonder if I missed the flight on purpose, if I am delaying this trip just a few hours more. I LOVE going to California, for so many reasons. It was my sanctuary for many many months. I am completely convinced that Chris’ injury is a blessing, but there were days when it was just too overwhelming. Having another home to go to, where responsibilities were few was welcome medicine. I have had a few homes in the Bay area. At first I stayed with a dear friend out in Walnut Creek, she opened her heart and her home to me despite this not being her usual way. She tells me I made it easy. I then began to stay with another friend in Mill Valley, he recently moved to Salt Lake City, and was the recipient of 12 day Journal #16. Since October of 2008 I have stayed out in Woodacre. Woodacre is how I always imagined Northern California to be, long before I ever visited. Towering redwoods, roads wind through hodge podge neighbourhoods filled with quaint homes oozing soul. The opposite to the kitch American suburb. Trails out my back door and only an 8 minute drive to Fairfax. A full service laid back community with all the amenities I could ever want. All this was second though to the comfort of coming home to the friend who shared this space with me. It felt for a long while like I had two homes. But as is the way of the world, things change, circumstances change. Change is a good thing, I know this. I have no doubts that there are many more homes and experiences for me on the horizon. I sit here in Spokane watching people que up to board our plane to California and know I am about to go and meet this change. I am ready....kinda. I am also tired and long to know the bed I sleep in tonight, to know exactly where I am going, to be greeted by an old friend who will understand. I long to go home again.

So today in honour of “home“ I send something back to Canada to my home there. To my 3 little wonders who make my home messy, and loud and such a comfortable place to be. I love my children so very much. They amaze, astound and inspire me. I thank god everyday for choosing me to raise them, what an honour and wild ride it has been. I will be sending them 12 days journal # 19. They are only vaguely aware of the 12 days experiment. They know I have been writing in little journals, Rose has seen me drop one at the top of Pulpit rock. But I have not formally introduced them to my plans for the next 300+ days. This feels like a fun way to include them. For me it is a way to remind myself of how blessed I am to have so many places in this world where I am welcome, places that if only for a night I can call home. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am. The question in todays journal reads, ”What do you love about your home?“