1) Landy is sleeping on my couch right now. She was overcome with the excitement of meeting Pamela Means : )
2). Wrinkles , I do view what has to be done as austerity measures, I think Fest needs to get really tight and then do some real restructuring. This includes a mission statement. Then maybe we can have some of the 'extras' back.
3) Luck I am so sorry about Caleb! There is no harder responsibility than to let go of a pet you love deeply when it comes time. So glad you got that last bit of play and remembering to hold on to.
4) Tonight I sleep with my three cats who haven't seen me for about 2 months. They're acting like it's no big deal.
5) Trixie marine batteries can be recharged by a car if there is an inverter. Pass it on!
6) I have thought of festies as customers in that as a worker, I am there put on a production they enjoy. I am the person who can help facilitate when there is a problem, and in many cases create a space where majik can happen. I make lots of new friends every year, but even if I don't get that personal with a camper, I want them to know they are important to me and I want them to come back. This is a vacation for many campers and I never want to forget that.
7) missing you
8) Mamadi glad you are feeling better
9) went on a wine tasting and yarn shopping tour yesterday. Unfortunately the wine tasting eclipsed the yarn shopping and I now have a new expensive hobby.
10) this hug has been waiting for the right moment, the one where your body realizes that you really have left Fest and you won't get back for another year. This hug is full of the wonder and majik and special love that we call woo and it's wrapping around you right now.

-Kip, your #4 is exactly why i have a dog. I am much too insecure to deal with the cool attitudes of a cat, but the dog makes it abundantly clear she is glad to have me back. (The feeling is mutual. i missed her terribly in the evenings when we regularly go for a walk.)

-I hear you about the cuts, but i don't think they necessarily need to be austere, especially when it comes to changes regarding what the festival is offering to the campers. I really think the festival has in some ways become too set in its practices -however, this could be due primarily to economic factors- (and a small number of the workers overly focused on their festival experience and not the greater community's) and this could be an excellent opportunity to both freshen the experience up and strengthen/grow the community itself. Maybe when i see the word "austerity" now i relate it too much with the political spin and economics of the times (which basically means that such measures focus around folks with less giving-up or being deprived of more) and above all what i wouldn't want to see happen is some of the very special services the festival offers (such as the truly remarkable services of dart) being either cut or made more expensive for those using them.By-the-way, do you have a particular idea for a mission statement in mind?

-Speaking of "austerity" measures, i could in part look forward to an even more rustic camping climate for myself, but after accidentally experiencing the "liquid snow" of the unheated showers of the early years (when the propane cut out while i was fully soaped and half way thru a 6 A.M. shower), i sincerely hope they do not discontinue the warm water. (It may not have made for the best experience of this festival, but it certainly left the strongest sense memory.)

-RL, i'm glad you appreciate that question. It's actually been on my mind for a number of years. Thanks for starting a specific thread for it which i am reading and will def. post in at some time.

-Just to clarify, though, the way Kip answered the question is very reflective of how the other workers i heard using "customers" in regards to festival goers meant the term. They were reminding us that as crew we are there to serve the community and need to be respectful and responsive to campers' feedback.

-What i'd also like to see, though, is more inclusion of festival goers and their feedback in our dialogues. When the crew facebook page went private and by invitation only, i thought it was the wrong move. And all these separate sites for splinter groups serve their own political and social purposes, but they don't necessarily build a broadly common and welcoming festival community well, esp. for new womyn.

-On the home front, I returned to find one of the most beautiful, well-kept near neighborhood yards gone depressingly wild and uncared for.

-Word is the couple who lived there not only enjoyed working in the yard but were also growing some crops indoors: Marijuana to be specific (supposedly only for their own personal use.) So they have been moved on.

-As someone who has numerous relatives who take serious (and expensive) narcotics, with unpleasant side-effects, to help deal with the difficult to manage pain caused by advanced neuropathy, i am very pro legalized medical marajuana.

-And as someone who has not only been there, done-that but is also involved in the social services, i'd much rather see the "weed" legally allowed than alcohol any day.

-As for it being THE gateway to more serious drug use: no, that would probably be prescription drugs these days. (however, i don't use or take any drug use lightly)

-So what i'm saying is as a citizen i'd much rather have the friendly, laid-back couple -who kept up a lovely home and were a positive part of their neighborhood- left alone to tend their family garden as they see fit, then the presence of an eye-sore, probably soon to be bank-owned property being left/allowed to go to seed while the bank packages it in goodness knows how many harmful if not technically illicit ways as both a write-off and asset.

-This all brings back some painful memories because only a few years ago my local Pastor was arrested for practicing the same sort of green thumb in the Parish rectory (true story). He was brewing and baking the harvest into refreshments for many of his older parishioners with health issues who could not afford their prescription pain meds. Not surprisingly, his daily prayer gatherings were very popular and for a while he was a great public favorite with the bishop.

-Around here he is now affectionately referred to as the "doobie priest" and owns/operates a small chain of Yoga studios, raises German Shepherds, rides a Harley and remains one of the sweetest people i have ever met, although he probably has enough of the charlatan in him to pay the bills as a "holy man" as opposed to becoming a martyr, and by his own admission the saying "pride goes before the fall" at times applies very well. For all i know he is occasionally still up to such herbalistic alchemy. i don't ask but my mom certainly loves when he drops by, bring baked goods, to visit her in "the home".

-On a slightly related note, i have an observation about a part of the festival culture to throw out there, which is: if Islam or Judaism were spoken about in the derogatory and i think at times too narrow-minded fashion i often hear Catholicism referred to, i wonder if there would be public complaints made which would be fairly well backed-up by the festival's participants and its claimed diversity valuing culture.

-I do get it. It's not as if much of the criticism against that particual religion isn't well deserved and the personal experiences should not be dismissed. On both its surface and at its most bureaucratically institutionalized core one would struggle to find anything more publicly patriarchal than the roman catholic church. And i certainly value people speaking their minds and love a good debate.

-But, unless someone wants a rebuttal, it's not wise to bring up only the negative observations around me. (i don't recall this as a topic i ever bring-up unsolicited first in conversations while at the festival.)It's a matter of well earnd loyalty for a different group of sisters as well as trying to get gals to consider that current or potential members of this tribe (as well as allies in the greater social world) maybe parts of other groups one is overlooking or biased against.

(-And, especially in the environment of Michfest with its roots in the feminism of the 70's, on intellectual grounds alone if one wants to see and study a brilliant, successful ongoing model of womyn working together to handle internal issues and fight-the-good-public-fight for themselves, for womyn, for their larger institutional communities and for our society, she could do far worse than to check-out the LCWR.)

I've had a running headache for a few days now. I've actually been getting a decent amount of sleep. I'm drinking water. I'm smoking cigarettes. So perhaps it's caffeine...since I stopped drinking pop I have to have a sugar free red bull every few weeks to keep myself ok lol. Maybe today is a red bull day...I hope it works!

It could also be stress...you know, trying to pack to move (new apartment with my BFF Kimmie on the 14th!), trying to buy a car, trying to find the money to move and get a car...

I wish I could be as strong in the real world as I am at Fest (...emotionally...spiritually...)

:/

In other news, I've been listening to this album on repeat for the past week: http://mieka.bandcamp.com/
She is AMAZING. I want her to play fest like whoa.

Oh sisters my sisters. I miss you. I miss the Land. I miss sitting around doing nothing all day except talking with my fest family. Sigh.

HEY! Does anyone know anything about the one piece from Closing Ceremonies...there was singing and spoken word and drums all mixed together...I think it was about dreaming, or having a dream, or something?? It was amazing.

Wrinkles, it is good to read your thoughts on an array of topics! Relating to cold showers, my first three days on the land offered only painfully cold showers because I chose to shower in RV rather than ride down to workerville. My last day on the land, the RV showers were not even running, so I rode down for my shower and mentioned it to someone sitting near me. The woman said, “you may be disappointed, I have heard there are issues with the propane and the shower is likely to be cold.” I said I didn’t mind a bit, and that I had cold showers for three days already. She beamed me a huge smile, shook my hand and said, “I love you! My name is Connie, what’s yours?” Is Connie by chance a plumber? It made me happy to see her grand smile. Regarding your comments on negative attitudes and beliefs about Catholicism, I grew up in a mixed Catholic and Lutheran family. It seems as though most people I grew up with were Catholic and it had a huge influence in my life. I see why so many hold strong, negative feelings about Catholicism and I also see the depth of that faith, both contemporary and historically. There are a group of Dominican nuns in my area who run a retreat center and the Eco-Justice Center, they are worth looking up also: http://www.racinedominicans.org/eco-jmission.cfm The Siena Center retreat center pleasantly shocked me with the feminist, liberal offerings in the book store. They are some strong, smart, activist womyn and they also work with the LGBT Center and created an agency to fight homelessness. I am proud that my daughter completed her Silver Award for Girl Scouts at the Eco Justice Center.

Trixie my sister! You are strong, smart, independent, and creative. It is the pop and the lack of caffeine! Stay strong, my sister!

Kip, yarn can get expensive but not nearly so much as wine! They can be a great mix though, or so I hear since I am more a beer and guitar girl myself. I admire those who can knit.

Bethsnewlife, I have heard so much about your book and have yet to download it. It is on my List! If I am smart I’ll do it this weekend before school starts. I can’t imagine writing a book. You authors are so amazing!

Red darlin I am so glad your surgery got moved up. I am looking forward to visiting and letting you show off all your PT moves. ;)

Luckdragon, sitting with you and talking is one of the highlights of my fest. Thank you so much for your beautiful face and sweet self.

I want to carry more of the praise and joy from fest and work on being more positive with people here. I miss the practically continuous praise and love shooting out from me. I also miss the touch, but it was nice at the Chicago party. We are an affectionate bunch.

Each fest I bring home some small change in myself. I’m not yet sure what this one will be, but I have the patience to let it unfold over time.

PS my last shower on the land was HOT and WONDERFUL.

nef - <3 :)

It's hard for me to post here on the boards about my life, etc, right now, for various reasons...it's hard because this is such a convenient place to just let it all out and I can't. Blech.

I'm really good at being mysterious and emo lol

1. Wow, what an amazing fest. I enjoyed every minute including the rain. I would take a cooler, wet fest over hot anyday.
2. I made some amazing connections and rekindled some old friendships. It's truly amazing how you can not see someone for so long and fall right back into step with them once you reunite.
3. Trixie- our chat has to have been one of my highlights as you showed me perspectives I couldn't see before. It's truly amazing watching you grow over the last few years. You are TOTALLY AWESOME and like Nef said, you are strong; so much stronger than you think!
4. SSNB- I enjoyed spending time with you, laughing with you, harassing you, and just getting to see you as much as I did. You are a joy and a gem! I also loved reliving certain "embarrassing" moments regarding you with Bionerd. I needed those laughs so much!
5. Bionerd & Mahasti- WOW, chatting with you two was phenomenal. I am so glad Bio spotted me so I could finally meet you and also spend time with you later in the day. Don't be shocked if you get a visit from this BAMA gal! The two of you have the best smiles in the world.
6. Red and Nef- so glad I at least got to see you even if for only minutes at a time. Nef- you totally rocked on crew= so professional! (I will be doing another workshift with RV again; so much fun) Red- it made me smile so many times to see you pass me by; seeing your face so often was truly a blessing.
7. Jen and Amy (sorry can't remember board names)- Wow, y'alls hugs had to be the BEST! I loved running into you and so thankful for the humor! Jen's statement was the best, "Wow, it's Thursday and you're still here." I needed to hear that and I am glad it came from you!
8. Luckdragon- so glad we got to catch up; your smiles and hugs from my very first fest have always stayed with me; so glad I got to add more! I wish only the best for you!
9. To my RV mates who don't post on here- you are the best! I have never laughed so much in my life nor shared so much of myself. I love each and every one of you and hope to make this trip with you again! (Thanks for forgiving me for that slight navigational error even though I know "L" really wanted to enter Canada).
10. Amberlight- just seeing you was so amazing and inspiring; so glad we got to chat as well; also enjoyed seeing you throughout the week doing so well.
11. My hopes for next year are to bring my 2 girls. My youngest is all for it and my oldest is still deciding. My youngest said, "is that the place I can be naked all the time?" Yes, my love, YES!
12. Re-entry has been difficult but I am hopeful that the newly established southest michfesties will plan some events to keep the love and fundraising flowing!
13. All of those who have passed over were felt so deeply this year; I truly believe that is why so many had such an amazing fest!
Bonus: I do remember seeing several of you from a distance and not making it to you in time to say Hi, so for that I apologize and am hopeful to meet next year.

10. Seems like so long ago i was on the land. so much has happened since then, and so little.....

9. Re-entry was a mixed bag for me. I got home on Wed nite the 15th and proceeded to sleep till the 18th. Awoke in a strange place and ended up in the ER. From there and some tests next thing I knew I was having surgery from 90% blockage in my caratoid artery. Finally got out of hospital on the 23rd. Recovered from that now, though a strange feeling in my neck still, but more energy from more blood to the brain. However, seems like i never got to have a proper re-entry..... feels odd.

8. Grateful we already have TWO re-entry parties scheduled for the SF Bay Area... i need to reconnect so I can go through my re-entry again. I want a redo.

7. Come join the group on Facebook if you are anywhere close to SF Bay Area. https://www.facebook.com/groups/472187809471476/ we are over 100 strong so far, and I have high hopes for lots of activities and gatherings in the future.

6. I had a FABULOUS fest. True I was exhausted most of the time, and my knees were really bothering me, but I LOVED my time there and it was a love filled fest for me. One of the better ones. I took lots of pictures and have these memories to hold me till I can come back to the love. You can check out some of the 700 i took on FB. Friend me if you have not already and check out Photos. I met some of you there, but now realize that I still did not meet some I was looking forward to seeing. Oh well. next year i guess.

5. Have you all heard the story of Landy? The kitten that appeared in workerville and was still there after we left. She got a caravan ride from the land to Providence RI where she was adopted by one of us. Handoffs along the way. I wish i could travel in such style.

4. Happy to be home here with my dogs and my cat. They were all happy to see me, then confused when i disappeared again. Now my silly one year old pup has taken up hanging in and out of bed. Cant get up on it, so he puts his front legs up and looks at me and sez, "but i am still sitting on the floor mom" He is enormous now. probably about 90 lbs now.

3. Time for end of month billing is coming and I am not too thrilled. Not too much has happened in the last month. Needs work. I may have gotten a few gigs at festival, we shall see how they pan out... send me work woo please.

2. I have washed all the clothes from fest but they sit regally atop my washer and dryer awaiting folding and putting away... just cant seem to bring myself to hide this last evidence of the trip.

1. Committed to getting back in 2013... thought I would be taking a few years off, but every time i get to this place i cannot imagine a year without festival. WELCOME HOME WOMYN

1. today i finished up rearranging the place
2. my lymph nodes and the leg strain are still very much in presence but not being as annoying.
3. ld glad you are on the mend. i just finished putting away all my clean laundry and still have another load to do but that shall have to wait on payday
4. i finally sorted my tote of all the misc crap i lugged home from fest and put everything away from it so i could put yarn back into it
5. i got pop for my donation to iowa fest on saturday.
6. on saturday i am going to a concert with my special someone to see cris ferron and bitch after fest
7. the view out my window is beautiful but i really dont like it much when all the others talk and yell in loud discordance
8. ld nisey and jayne ty for taking pictures. i have a meetngreet one a drumming one and one of my car in the line. ty forest girl my friend for taking a few of my special one and me. she printed them for my birthday and ive just gotten one of them framed.
9. isnt love grand when you reconnect with someone?
10. to all new friends and to anyone who wishes friend me on fb and lets talk. i love talking and really miss having someone right here to talk with.

11. is it august 2013 yet?...... ummmm now?????

1. I'm inspired to post by some of the lurkers coming out of the woodwork.

2. Festival was wonderful this year. I laughed a lot, got a lot tipsy, had a grand walk about the land with my Paduca amiga, talked with lovely lovely friends, rocked out, slept soundly and sometimes not so soundly... no complaints here.

3. Evo, I loved hanging with you and laughing. It was great to see your smile. Please do tell me what those embarrassing moments were. Cause I know it's not me. I am a perfectly behaved butch at all times. Laughter is our best friend.

4. Bio, the compliment you gave me brought me to my knees. Thank you! I remember your kind words when it gets tough. I'm so gald to see you smiling and healthy!!

5. Kirsten, you rock so plainly and simply. You don't have to carry a title or an edge or a chain or a persona ... you are stong in ways most only dream of. I am proud to call you my friend.

6. I'm inspired to try and bring women from my local area next year ... got some feelers out to the local lesbians that I'm not generally in touch with. Keeping my fingers crossed. I've only ever brought straight women to fest.

7. I'm finally coming into my own with my job. I reached an area of comfort where my personality and humor is starting to take effect. I have a great working relationship with the staff and physicians. I'm amazaed at what I've accomplished... but the stress is taking it's toll ... eeek.

8. My neices are adorable ... Gus makes me laugh. She's a lot like me. Alex is a wonderful, inquisitive love bug. I love being an aunt. Best job ever. I'm thinking strongly that I'd like to take Gus to fest next year. She'll be 6 in May ...

9. I have a housekeeper ... best idea ever.

10. We (well mostly me) taped a coworkers bathroom door shut today while she was in it. Best prank ever. Or so I'd like to think. I'll see what human resources has to say about it next week. LOL (kidding btw)

11. I missed many familiar faces at fest ... come back please.

12. I'd like to present a flirting workshop (again) and a kissing workshop next year ...

13. I worked Gaia girls this year. Spent about 2 hours tossing a football with an incredible girl about 10 named Bridget. She had an arm like a QB and did it all while still dressed in her gown and heels. I love fest!!

14. Back to the grind ...

Wrinkles~
I can tell you first hand that not only is that offensive, but it would most definately drive down the numbers. A large majority of the wimmin who utilize Dart services are long time attendees who NEED the services in order to attend AND are on limited or fixed incomes.

-Tonic, i hope you do not find my statement offensive, because what i'm saying is that i do not want to see them cut or more stress put on them because of possible staffing cuts or re-allocations of festival funds.

-and i def. agree that some numbers would go down if there were less Dart services.

-This is not just because i have friends in Dart, or because i do not want to see the attendance numbers go down.

-it is because those services, and the very good accessibility of the festival's camping environment, are truly special and go a long way in making the festival the unique and strong community it is.

-I attended my first year as a camper and when i returned home i would speak to all sorts of people i knew about the experience, changing what i brought-up based on the interests of whom i was talking with, but Dart always came up in the conversations because it is IMPRESSIVE and especially because it takes a real loving commitment from the festival and the womyn who attend to make those services and that camping environment available.

-So, if you are willing to explain why you find the above statement offensive, i would find it helpful.

-But, realistically, the festival is a community already under stress to fulfill some of the
expectations of both campers and workers and is already at times struggling to do so. Bottom line is right now the producer is (and has been for some time) in part paying out of pocket to throw a great party out in the woods and it can't go on like that. (I do think of the festival as a womon owned, for-profit small business. And the producer is the one taking by far the most risk. But it's also a co-op. And it can't function without multifaceted cooperation from everyone attending.)One, it's not possible and two, it's not fair. Changes are going to be made. i just hope that as a greater community, including the owner, campers, fulltime workers and volunteer crew, we can get behind these changes and be willing to make sacrifices and/or work a little harder ourselves to make sure such resources as Dart are there and function effectively. (And i do think there are some changes dart campers could make to help as well.)

(-By-the-way, for anyone who wants an example of the "stress", just look at parts the asphalt ped-path. Not exactly a smooth walking surface. But that's not because people don't care. It's a result of difficulties with time and resources.)

-i personally think, despite the terrible (i would say criminal, though a good part of the difficulties arise from our own too individualist, lackidasical and often cowardly selves) economy, the numbers of the festival can go up and that they can hit, if not exceed, the numbers needed to put Michfest back in the black. But it won't come from trying to sell the music part of the festival or the party aspects of it alone. It will be because it has a truly remarkable and strong community of womyn (and friendship/community is what vast numbers of people in this country are just aching for whether the know it or not) who are willing to share that community with (i would hope) a much broader demographic of women and girls. And that one of the greatest pleasures and gifts this festival has to offer is the opportunity to give and share, as well as take, in an environment where one is not being exploited for doing so.

-Hi Nef. It was great to finally meet you in person. I really liked much of what you had to say at that last 21 topic community meeting. (It was a little atypical to say the least) But i need some clarification about a few parts of what you said. Very glad you were able to stay around for it. Thanks for mentioning your and your daughter's experiences with the Dominican sisters. As for those cold showers, i could take it regularly if it was a must, but i wouldn't look forward to showering outdoors at the festival in quite the same way as i do now.

-LD, this is "whimpers" talking (an admittedly relucant to admit it truffle): please come back in 2013!

derail,

Hi Nef,

longtime lurker here, just a note on the showers. the gas was not on to the rv showers until festival. it was not thought that someone would be using them, as the workerville showers are what most wimmin use in that time. when festival ends, we have to begin the process of packing. the water heaters are removed from the outlying areas so that they can be drained, cleaned and packed. as far as the showers in workerville post fest, the gas ran out and during the brief change over between the big tank and a small one and the subsequent relighting of the water heaters, it was cold. the time was very short and we try to avoid that, but when the tank is empty we have to switch them. Hope that clears up any confusion.

re rail.

wrinkles~ I apologize. I misunderstood and thought you were advocating FOR charging for those services. However, I see that you are advocating quite the opposite. (maybe I should stay off the computer in the middle of the night!) Thank you for clarifying.
In summary, I would find it offensive if someone were advocating to cut or charge for dart services and not because I use some of them, but because of the many other wimmin who use them who have been supporting and attending the festival for a very very long time (some since the 1st or 2nd).

Hey wrinkles, it was great to meet you as well! I will happily clarify or add to any comments I made, let me know. Was that an atypical meeting? Since it was my first, I have no idea. I had to leave immediately and haven't talked to many folks who were there and have experienced them. I am very pleased to have been contacted to perhaps help do some training/workshop activity next year. I have thoughts about the possible changes to festival but they are not yet concrete enough for sharing.

mojavedreamer: I know the gas wasn't on in the RV showers and I didn't expect it would be. I had a choice to shower there or ride into workerville and chose the cold showers, no problem! I didn't expect them to be on after fest either, I hope you didn't get the impression I was complaining, I wasn't at all! The funny part of the story for me was meeting Connie, who was so pleased to meet someone NOT complaining! And as a matter of fact, my final shower on the land, in Workerville, was hot and wonderful. My first showers were cold and wonderful. All my showers were wonderful! No complaints here.