in the liminal space

in a little over 24 hours, this will be the view! despite all of the traveling i've done over the years, i still get the good kind of butterflies when on the verge of a trip - i love the energy of an airport, filled with people who are going somewhere. people are generally in a good mood, either happy to be heading off on a trip or happy to be home again. there's an excitement in the air. sabin and i are headed for the US tomorrow afternoon. first, we have the sad occasion of my mother's funeral and then we have a long road trip to phoenix with a couple of stops to see friends along the way. although the funeral is somber event, i am looking forward to the closure i'm sure it will bring. we are planning music that mom would love and going to give her a good send-off. our bags are packed and we're ready to go. husband is taking us to the airport tomorrow, but before that, he's going to a job interview for an exciting position he really wants. i just did a video interview for a position that i'd really like to have. so, here on the verge of all this travel, it feels like so many great possibilities are opening up. it really feels like the beginning of a new chapter, even as we close the chapter on my mother's life. it's that liminal space - where everything feels fairly quivering with possibility - and the feeling is heightened by impending travel. it's been too long since i felt this way. it's nice.

a beautiful handmade wooden airplane

we were invited to a 70th birthday party on saturday at our neighbor's house. he's become a good friend and so we wanted to give him something more special than the standard three bottles of wine in a gift box. since he had been a commercial pilot for SAS for years, i suggested to husband that he try to fashion an airplane out of driftwood. we looked through our driftwood collection and didn't find a piece that whispered airplane to us. so husband turned to the firewood pile and found a piece of birch that was just right. he sanded and smoothed and attached oak wings and tail fins (i'm suddenly in doubt that that's what they're called). i was planning on painting some stripes and call letters on it, but it was so beautiful and pristine in its naked glory that we left it. but now, at least, i can say that i've given a meaningful gift.