Resilience Strikes Again!

About three months ago, my website host dropped me and deleted my website.

No warning.

Poof.

Gone.

Did I have a backup? I thought I did.

Thoughts are not reality, though.

Yes, I called and begged and pleaded, and finally, after about a month of denial, I shrugged off the desolation and got to work.

I had some (not all) of my content saved, although not all in one place (I do now). And many of my blog posts from the past two years are gone forever. So, I began again, with a marginally smaller learning curve than the first time. And here is my first blog post on the new site. I would appreciate any feedback, especially on the website!

Updates

Tom and I are healthy, happy, and busy – as usual – during the summer season. I am working again as a seasonal interpretive ranger at Denali National Park & Preserve. And (although I know I’ve mentioned this before, it deserves repeating) I love my job!

I typically do not have time (make time?) to write or work on jewelry during the summer, but I had the good fortune to participate in an Artist Residency at a local resort in early June. July brought a wildfire inside the National Park that raged less than a mile from where we live, but fortunately, it was contained in under two weeks. We are grateful to the many firefighters and other personnel who helped keep this potentially devastating event from escalating.

Last month, I was honored to join Melissa Brunetti for an episode of Mind Your Own Karma – The Adoption Chronicles. I will let you know when the episode airs.

In September, I will participate in two adoption-related events. The first is the Activism in Adoption Speaker Series. These live-via-Zoom sessions predominantly feature birthparent and adoptee voices and create a safe space for everyone in the adoption community to explore preconceived notions, stigmas, and stereotypes and ask hard questions. Interested in signing up? Here’s the link.

The second event is the Concerned United Birthparents Annual Retreat, held this year in Kansas City, Missouri. CUB dedicated itself to supporting birthparents and providing education about relinquishment and adoption trauma. They encourage everyone connected to adoption to register and join the annual Retreat: birth/first mothers, fathers, siblings, adoptees, adoptive families, and professionals who work with our community. I am honored to be hosting a “Journaling for Self-Discovery and Growth” session and co-hosting the “CUB Story Hour” with Amy Seek and Marilyn Waugh. To register, go to this link: Concerned United Birthparents.

What the Future Holds

Tom and I are excited to be traveling to Europe later this year, but other than that, the future is uncertain but full of potential! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Please reach out if you’d like to know more, are interested in collaborating on a project, or have suggestions for improving my website. I’m glad you’re here.

May you be happy, May you be healthy. May you be safe.