Sending winter solstice greetings from a bluff above the Mississippi River. I love winter solstice sunshine; it feels special and magical, like you could make a wish and believe that it may come true.
I don’t actually know if people are still reading this website, but if you are here, thank you.
So many things have changed since my Haunted Tea Party and Spirited Schoolhouse days, in my personal life and in the world. The biggest change for me is that I lost my beloved Dudley this past May. I will post a tribute to Dudley on my blog and probably on this page as well. I don’t want Dudley’s life, and the impact he had on mine, to be reduced to being part of a long post. It deserves its own space.
Our life changed in 2016 when Dudley had the first catastrophic stroke. It changed again in 2018 when we lost my awesome dad and had to sell the family home, which also meant the loss of a way of life that had been a foundation of our family gatherings for more than 40 years. Our life changed a THIRD time in 2019, in a terrible year in which I lost my younger brother Randall to cancer and also unexpectedly lost my dear friend Linda Cora. Also in 2019, I finally, FINALLY conceded that it was time to leave the house I loved and thought I would be in forever. MY HOUSE!! I kept waiting for a miraculous turnaround in our neighborhood’s decline. I couldn’t imagine living anyplace else. But after three years of fighting on many fronts to keep the residential character of our once-wonderful neighborhood, we left
Then the pandemic happened.
For these past few unusual years, I’ve been essentially holding space and recalibrating my life in (fittingly enough) the Driftless Area of Minnesota, in a beautiful and seemingly unhaunted Victorian home in another historic river town.
The world is in such a different place now than when I stepped back from my writing and spirited events in 2016. I still consider myself a student and scribe of the spirit world, but my focus going forward will be be on earth healing practices through spirit/energy work and sustainable stewardship.
I am inviting all past friends of this page to join me on a journey as I start writing again. I am planning to self-publish a follow-up book on my former house, probably using the Kindle Vella platform. (I would love to publish in a way that didn’t involve Amazon, but at this point in time, it doesn’t seem feasible.)
I also have a paranormal fantasy novella (not yet complete) that I plan to publish on Kindle Vella. Will post updates here and on my blog.
I have a new focus: earth-healing practices through spirit/energy work and sustainable stewardship. I believe it is what our world and all the children (and creatures and plant life) of the world need and deserve from us.
At this point, I’m a dedicated student. I have some initial ideas. I will be doing research and, once again, connecting with those more skilled than I at energy work for the earth. I invite all of you to join me in this conversation/exploration/practice ~ sharing your ideas, your experiences, asking questions. I am especially reaching out to:
Suzanne Worthley
Diana Stinocher
Janice Carlson
Tina Cassler
Marie Des Marais Robinson
Lynne Maki
Tide Ramel
Jane MacNett
(Am I missing anyone from the tea party days? Please let me know.)
Asking for your thoughts and suggestions on what paths to pursue, helpful books/daily practices to recommend, etc. Anything beyond that is welcome also
Wishing all of you, and our world, peace and bright blessings in this holiday season and in 2022.
~Annie