Life has been . . . . . intense lately. The statewide rideshare project I’ve been leading has been having setbacks, and then actually had its funding yanked (a situation not unique to this particular project). [ Update: It since had its funding restored. ] So I’ve been collaborating like crazy with my colleagues to find ways for it to move forward regardless. This all sounds straightforward enough, but when you’re as passionate and mission-driven as my transportation colleagues and I are, this type of challenge heightens your senses, sharpens your mind, and makes clear that collaboration is the best way to tackle difficult work.* All of which explains the intensity of my life since the last time I posted.
On the home front, my husband Thor and I finally found our new house, still here on Mount Tabor, and will be moving into it in early June. It’s a lovely, sun-drenched home with good insulation, solidly up to earthquake code** due to being a new construction, and just seven minutes walk from our beloved Tabor Park — can’t wait for those Tuesday night concerts in July! Best of all for this extrovert, our new home has lots of room for house guests, housemates, parties, and cultivating community in general.
On May 24 I’m taking a week of vacation to do a Nia dance training intensive here in Portland. Nia is a dynamic, expressive form of dance that emphasizes the joy of movement. Since dance is central to the novel I’m writing, I’m loking forward to the training for two reasons.
* Research shows that girls and women instinctively seek to collaborate in both work and play. It can be a more productive approach to many types of projects than the competitive, hierarchical approach that boys and men tend to pursue. I’m referring here to the gender research of Deborah Tannen, PhD.
** I grew up in the earthquake country of Southern California, and want to be as prepared as possible for the major earthquake that I understand is overdue here in Oregon. Last month, April, was earthquake preparedness month, and I notice that our impassioned discussions about sustainability here in Oregon don’t always address non-wonky, practical issues like sustaining ourselves after an earthquake.
I can see that Diamond-Cut Life’s focus is becoming broader as time goes by. Like everything else in life, my blog is evolving. I welcome your comments on DCL’s evolution. My stats page tells me that since I started Diamond-Cut Life in autumn 2007, it has had 346 posts and 592 comments. I feel great about that. And while we’re counting things, Thor and I celebrated six years of marriage last week. Here’s a post on why we’re happy together and why I term it a diamond-cut, sustainable marriage.
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