We left off in December of 1996 receiving two containers of goods from Thailand. These containers included 4 giant deer each carved from a single monkeypod tree as well as 4 rearing horses standing all 13’ tall. This is something we will never see again as trees that tall don’t exist anymore. The tall carving on the left side of this page is an intricate teak piece depicting animals and foliage, a true tree of life. We exhibited at the Seattle Gift Show:
Next up was the L.A. Show both held in January. We trailered our display goods to L.A. selling most floor pieces as they typically were one of a kind. Geddy’s niece Sharon hosted us while in L.A. We became friends with the owners of Shalimar, selling intricately hand-woven baskets from Pakistan. Later, I pursued a new business with Robin, one of the owners. After the L.A. show we visited with friends in Venice Beach, Laguna Beach, and La Jolla. Our friend Ricky was renting a posh cottage in La Jolla, part of the Valencia Hotel. We headed next to Tucson where we showed the remainder of our goods at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.
Here we met Micky. Living in Mexico, he was involved with the Huichol Indians, famous for their beaded art. He explained that the Huichols, adept at beading in beeswax on objects, needed more unique objects for their art. He was intrigued by our rustic wood carvings from Thailand. We made a plan to bring many carvings to Mexico for this purpose in mid-March.
Our road trip continued on to Scottsdale, Sedona, and Las Vegas where Shalimar was located….following up on our new acquaintances from the L.A. Gift Show. One more stop in Mendocino to stay with Jay and Monique is always a treat. This five-week journey covered a lot of ground and was very productive for 4 Creature Comforts’ evolution. Our little Cuban refugee dog Starr traveled with us everywhere which became the norm no matter where we went in the world.
Geddy went to Fort Lauderdale to attend to yacht Opportunity at the end of February while I filled our wholesale orders from the shows and travels. I started to plan our trip to work with Micky and the Huichol Indians for March. Typical Huichol beading is in the bright fiesta colors that evoke the sunshiny Mexican atmosphere. I wanted to create a very different experience, one that the North Western folks could relate to. I looked to the softer palettes of colors from Turkish rugs and a more subtle South Western feeling. Ship Wreck Beads became my go-to place to gather beads in these color palettes. In those days you could travel with 70 lb bags. I packed giant bags from Thailand with as many Thai wood carvings as I could. We would be traveling with two Bainbridge Island friends enabling us to have extra bags with carvings. Arriving in Puerto Vallarta on March 19th, Micky picked us up in his vintage Cadillac. We spent a little time in Puerto Vallarta. Then we visited Micky’s home. It was a delight to meet his family and their pet rabbits.
We traveled 2.5 hours north to Tepic where we met the Huichols, distributing the carvings and beads. The Indians loved picking their carvings and beads… it was so fun to observe! Our plan was to travel while they completed the project for us to take back to Seattle. Micky took us on a tour, first to Guadalajara. Such an enormous city full of markets with amazing crafts. While swimming, I developed severe knee pain. I went to a hospital in Guadalajara where they put me in a full leg brace. I wasn't too happy about this awkward contraption, but what can you do? We stopped in Tlaquepaque and Tonala before arriving in Ajijic on Lake Chapala. On Easter morning at a small café, I met a woman in a neck brace. As we talked, she told me about a shaman who might be able to help me. She phoned Cheila, the shaman, despite being a holiday. Cheila was willing to see me immediately since she sensed my Tibetan guide.
Such an extraordinary experience...I walked out of my session without the brace! She never touched me...she manipulated my energy field using her hands, like reiki. The oddest thing: She cracked a healthy egg in a glass of water and when she was done extracting negative energy from me, it was contained in the glass which now held a black ugly egg! We stayed in touch for many years. While there, we met a metal and rock artist, Daniel Palmer. We fell in love with his pieces and hoped to import them.
Back to Tepic, the Indians had finished the pieces and they were magnificent. I was excited to see how they beaded parts of the creatures, leaving some of the weathered wood exposed, showing the grain of the wood. They sold so quickly that they were all gone before I claimed any as my own. I had thought I would go back to repeat this process, but life had other plans for me. Now 25 years later, we visit Ajijic every year. We are back in touch with Daniel and own three of his kinetic sculptures. The journey of life is a wonder to me!
My Dad visited several times in the late Spring working on the plans for the new house on the property adjacent to us. As the plans begin to formulate, Geddy and I become a bit suspicious as to why he is planning such a large house. As things evolve, it becomes clear that he is hopeful that we will all live in the new big house allowing us to rent the one we live in now. And this is what happens! Truly, a brilliant idea.
In mid-July, we traveled again to exhibit at the L. A. Gift Show, once again visiting Ricky at his Valencia Hotel cottage in La Jolla. On the return trip, we stopped in Yosemite. We didn’t stay long due to the summer crowds. This was nothing like my previous March visit when the crowds were non-existent.
I did another Spirit Quest in Umtanum Creek, Ellensburg, WA. I carpooled with Tina Lear in her little sports car. I came to discover that her Dad was Bill Lear, the creator of the Lear Jet. She told me stories of living in Italy while it was developed. She proved she was a Lear, getting a speeding ticket on Canyon Road en route to our meeting spot for the quest.
In October, we adopted two kittens we named Jasper and Tibet. Jasper, the grey kitten, was so intent on being adopted, trying desperately to get out of his cage while Tibet was the opposite, super relaxed. Jasper had an extreme respiratory infection. I thought he would never survive, but our vet, Stan, assured me he would be fine...and he was. They were endlessly entertaining. Starr took to them right away.
In mid-October, Geddy returned to Florida to check on Opportunity while I went to Phoenix to visit Robin from Shalimar Imports. We were zeroing in on a new business venture called the I Am Collection. It began with designs we did together for a line of jewelry. Later it morphed into T-shirt designs, candles, and aromatherapy. This was our initiation into this new concept. She planned to continue with the Pakistan baskets just as I planned to continue with 4 Creature Comforts imports.
When we finished our planning, I went to Tucson to visit my friend Ginia, with her import business from the Philippines, Sangin. We played in Tucson, then took a road trip to Tombstone and Bisbee. Fascinating countryside and history.
Dad made another visit for house planning. We had Thanksgiving with dear friends here in Hansville living on Foul Weather Bluff, Dody, and Hugh.
After his departure, I went into deep product development of the I Am Collection. I made mock-ups for candle molds with themes of grounding and runes. I then had the molds made in Fremont. I created designs for t-shirts, tote bags, and long-sleeved turtleneck shirts. Our neighbors had a silk screening business, Tuna Graphics. They were entrusted with the printing. I created 6 synergies for aromatherapy tinctures. In order to do this, I immersed myself in the study of how to create basically a perfume. It was a huge learning curve and I found that I needed to sequester myself away from distractions in order to focus on the task. I was thrilled with the results.
However, I was in for a surprise at the beginning of the New Year to come.
Comments