Country Mouse turned City Mouse, waiting to turn back again. Mother of two nearly perfect children- a musician son and a mermaid daughter, both starter people in their own right, out discovering life. The icing on the cake? two lovely step-daughters! A wife to an opposite personality: he is calm and steady and focused and works as a consultant in strategy and research for MLB, NCAA, NFL, ESPN, and major event marketing. I am a retired psychotherapist, after 35 years, and now happily ensconced at the Lincoln Park Zoo as a docent and zoo educator. I am a fiber artist and teacher, working predominantly in the area of felting. He is more rational, I am intuitive but also practical and we bring balance to each other. We live in Chicago but I spend some months each year tucked into a bungalow in historic Old NorthEast St. Petersburg. There, I work at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, in raptor rehab and giving tram tours out and among the alligators. I spend inordinate amounts of time fondling wool and transforming it from fleece to felt. I read and write, process wool and make felted creations, garden, dream and dawdle, weave, knit, cook- all better than your average bear. I like catch and release fly fishing-I don’t catch much but I tie beautiful flies. I practice yoga, not very well. I struggle with inconsistency in focusing my energy and time and I procrastinate. I am always precisely 7 minutes late for everything. And I hover over my children like a Bell 206 helicopter.
It seems as though the first 56 years were all about the foundation and structure and now I can begin on the aesthetics. For me these include becoming more environmentally aware, eating as though I am a part of the cycle of life rather than as a mindless and reckless narcissist and creating a center of peace and calm within myself that just might spread far enough to influence a few others. I want to spend more time with an eye towards a macro look at the lives with whom we share this planet- creatures and plants. Perhaps I’ll take a photograph or two.
UPDATE 6/1/09 We are leaving Chicago and preparing to spend our time between Asheville, NC and St. Petersburg. Specifically, we will perch ourselves halfway up a mountain, 15 miles south of the city, in a modest space with an ample kitchen and garden. Yippee!!!
vbennett@umich.edu
vibennett@mac.com
On FaceBook: Vicki Bennett-Luker
I love your writing. And the pictures of the different woman. Everything seemed very real. You have some very good thoughts. So think on and write on.
Nora
I sure do love reading everything you write and your photos! AH! Stunning to say the least! I sure do miss you! Maybe we need to work on rescheduling that roadtrip to Chicago we had planned for last year????
If you get an opportunity, spend a Saturday in St. Augustine – starting at the farmers market at the Amphitheatre – and you’ll discover some of the “local” versions of datil delight. There’s a datil and sour orange spice that turns roasted chicken into heaven on earth. Also, in the spring visit the feed and seed stores outside of town for datil plants – much easier than trying to germinate the seeds yourself.
I love your site!
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What a wonderful blog you have!
so part of the time, you’re only a couple of hours from me? huh. wanna grab lunch some day?
I’m interested in a wet felting class. Where do you hold these classes and when? I live outside of Atlanta, GA.
Thanks.