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Permutations of Home

This feels like a blend of Twighlight Zone and Groundhog Day.  My fallback gig of petsitting has brought me back to the neighborhood where I have lived in 4 different houses within 2 city blocks, so I’m walking the dog each day through permutations of significant phases of my adult life.

First, 4 decades ago, when I first moved to the PNW, I shared a little upstairs apartment in an old house with my pup, Isha, and a roommate who became a friend; Kim. After days of working as a graphic designer for my cousin, Isha and I would amble down the hill to Boulevard park, where I soon fell in love with the future father of my children.

Next was another seedy apartment in a big old house, where Sean and I lived as newlyweds.  I was a barista at Tony’s , and then a nursing assistant, while also figuring out how to feed my hungry man, who would come home grimy and exhausted after a long day of roofing.

The 3rd house was a 1940s bungalow converted by my second husband and myself to a 2 story with a sweeping view of the bay.  Our children were still young, and it was a good home, but we left it for my dream of living in the country.

Skipping over nearly 2 more decades of dramatic ups and downs, I again rented an apartment space, in the basement of a house that- I just realized today- was almost directly across the alley from that house my family had lived in before!  Wild juxtaposition.  I like to think that I’m a reasonable aware person, but… apparently there’s a lot that I miss!

Artistically speaking, I completed a commission for my sister, the current Jansen Art Center show comes down next weekend and another goes up.  As a new member of the Whatcom Artists Studio Tour, I have entered 3 new pieces, and get to help put up the WAST show, filling the entire second floor!

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