10/25/2025
🐳 The Wise ones say, that gratitude and grief go hand-in-hand, that they're one and the same. Always together.
I can say, from my recent experiences, that I 100% agree with that.
🦊 During Gabriola Studio Tour 2025 , at my studio, #10 hosted by dear friends, Dinah D and Connie Cocolalla, many people came by, to collect art and appreciate handmade goods.
💙 More importantly this year , folks came by to offer their heartfelt thoughts and feelings to me and all of us, who are grieving the loss of the amazing O D E in their lives. As you know by now, Ode was my guy, my beloved, my one and only. Far beyond his work, helping me create my art, he invited me to create a beautiful life for myself, and to share it with him. To make magic together, to inspire and challenge each other to reach for the stars.
🌞 With advice from friends , I put out a guest book, and a basket for cards. Many people signed the book, left me cards, and many sticky notes with messages filled with memories, gratitude, and hope.
💔 Thank YOU ALL. I love the tactile nature and beauty of the messages in the guest book and in the cards! I love to touch them and re-read them. Never underestimate the power of a few (or a lot) of sweet words and memories. They’re truly a lifeline to me right now.
🎃🎃🎃Thank you also for the pumpkin pie , the pumpkin loaf, the pumpkin tarts. Thank you for the homemade vegetable soup, homemade squash soup, homemade kichari, fresh fruit, and vegetables from your gardens amongst much other homemade food and drink.
🕯️🕯️Thank you also for the sweet grass , the smudge sticks, the incense sticks, beeswax candles, homemade crocheted blanket, handmade cards, and stitched art.
🌹🌼🥀🌸🪻🌻💐
And flowers, and flowers and flowers and more flowers….all local and hand grown!
And more than anything , thank you for the love, respect and honouring of the sweet soul that was ODE. Now in spirit , he’s more powerful than ever. More powerful than we can even conceive of from our tiny human perspective.
🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🤎
Thank you, my beautiful Gabriola and beyond community .
I’m deeply grateful for you.
p.s. for clarity, I was NOT at my studio during the tour. omg, i can't even imagine that!!
Dinah and Connie ran the whole show for me!