The Last Summerstar, Part. 2
So, when I left off, I'd just said "thank you" and "goodbye" to Alec and Betsy. However, to back up a bit, when I was talking with Alec, I'd asked him if he was going to stay. He said, not this time, but he hoped maybe next time. (At this point we didn't know it'd be the last Summerstar. That announcement didn't come until Sunday morning.) But, he said that he thought s00j and Ryan were staying.
So, returning to after the "thank yous" and "goodbyes". I took my chair back to my tent. (I'd brought it up to sit on during the concert.) And then, I walked back toward the drumming and dancing around the ritual fire. Off to the left of the fire and down the slope were a couple of people taking turns blowing fire and then blowing fire at each other. And, down below that, someone was spinning fire. Now, I knew that S00J spins fire and the thought did cross my mind that she might be down there. But, I couldn't tell who was spinning fire from where I was standing. And the closer two people, who were breathing fire at each other were coming pretty close to one other with the flamage. I was getting a little nervous for them. (Looking back, they were probably fine. But I've never really watched people do that live before....on Xena, yes....but not live.... and my phobia was kicking in.)
Later, I saw the pictures of S00J spinning fire at Summerstar, and was a little bummed because I thought I'd missed it. Then, I thought about it and realized I was probably looking right at her when I was watching the person spinning fire at the bottom of the hill and just didn't realize it.
Anyway, Saturday morning, I was walking to the ritual fire pit for a meeting or some such when I bumped into S00J. I told her that I was glad she sang "Firebird's Child" and about being introduced to her music through the fire spinning video someone did with that song as the music for it. She knew which video I was talking about and said that they'd done a good job with it and had asked her permission to use her song.
Somehow, we also got on the topic of where she's from (Arkansas) and that she'd been spending half her time there and half in Seattle when not on the road. I said, "Oh yeah. I've heard your song about traveling across Arkansas." She said, "Actually that was Tennessee. I wrote that when I was living there." "Oh yeah," I said, mentally slapping myself for forgetting which state was in the song. I kind of veered off after that, I think.
I saw S.J. again as I was headed up to check the activity boards or some such. The Quidditch game was going on and I don't remember if she and I actually talked that time, or if I just saw her. She walked up to where the game was being announced. (I think Robin was up there and it may have been to talk with him.) I stood on the hill watching the game.
By the way, watching young men running around, holding a padded broom-handle between their legs, right at their crotch looked amusingly like they were running around holding "something else". I couldn't help it. I chuckled to myself.
I have this memory of seeing S00J standing underneath the canopy where she eventually set up and of me standing on the hill and the Quidditch game ending. I remember waiting for her to get set up. But I think I might've went back to camp and walked up a little later with Heather (one of my spirit sisters). By that time, S.J. and Ryan had her CD's, as well as "Mythcreants" by Tricky Pixie, and her stickers and a download card set out. Heather took a download card and left. I stayed, looking at the CD's and trying to decide which one to get.
S.J. pointed out which album was her most recent ("Mischief"). I picked it up and started reading the songs listed on the back cover. "The Truth About Ninjas" caught my eye. She told me the background of how the song came to be. And she had her guitar with her and said,"Would you like me to play if for you?" I said,"Sure." So she did, which I thought was very cool. :) (She also told me about the ALS video on Youtube for that song, which I watched when I returned home.) I bought a copy of "Mischief" and s00j unwrapped the CD for me with more speed and less trouble than I would've, (she being well-practiced at it), and signed the cover, "To Kristy with extra Ninja Mischief!"
That wasn't the end of it though. I spent the better part of the morning there, visiting with S.J. and some with Ryan (he was fairly quiet and mostly just nodded, but we did talk about hats and I talked with him about having a guitar since I was a kid, but finding back then that I was one of those who wanted to know how to play "now", not practice til I got it. lol. ), as well as the other people there. S.J. told me the story of where "Skinny White Chick" came from; what "S. J." stood for and that she goes by "S00J" (something about it being easier for people); and that someone told her if she wanted to have a serious music career she needed to change her style. She said, "What if I don't want to have a 'serious' music career? Besides, I think I'm doing pretty well, having been doing this and making a living at it for 9 years now." (Disclaimer: might not have been her exact words, but pretty close.)
(Side note: I'd like to smack whoever told her that. And, I'm glad she has the attitude she does and that she is true to herself and doesn't change her style to fit what someone else thinks it should be. I enjoy her music just as it is. So do countless others. And S.J. honoring her creativity, rather than stifling it, and making the music that feeds her soul as she does, inspires me to honor my own creativity and to find what feeds my soul.)
Another thing we talked about was Catherynne M. Valente's books. S00J asked me if I'd read "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making". I hadn't yet. She recommended it and was excited because she'd just completed the recording for the audio book for the sequel, "The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There". The book comes out Oct. 5th, but she wasn't sure if the audio version will come out at the same time or not. (Note: Read the first one. Will be buying the audio book for the second.) She also told me that "Firebird's Child" was based on one of the stories/characters in Catherynne M. Valente's "The Cities of Coin and Spice" or "Orphan Tales" (don't remember which). Also, if memory serves, S00J said something about being excited because she'd just learned how to speak Scandinavian.
At one point, my friend Rose walked up with her Pekingese, Paddington, and bought a CD and talked for a bit. Rose mentioned to S. J. that I also have a Pekingese, well a Peka-Pom (he's half Pomeranian). Later, S00J told me that her last day job (before she quit to go on the road full time) was taking care of show Pekingese. She had to take them all out and bathe and groom them. She said that people spent a fortune on these dogs that all looked a lot a like and she had to keep them all straight. So she took notes on each one's different characteristics and memorized them so she could get the dogs all back in the right kennel. She said it was good practice for memorizing her songs.
Somehow, the subject of tattoos came up and S.J. showed me and another person her Grimm. It's on the back of her neck. She says her Grimm watches her back for her. And later, Tylor came up. He asked if he could sit down and started talking with S00J about different things, including the tattoos he wants to get. She told him of a place in Seattle, I think, that's good for when he's ready to get those tattoos. I think he needed that....talking with s00j. I don't know him personally, but I'd been worried about him all weekend. At previous Summerstars, he was so full of energy and happiness. At this one, he seemed really subdued and down about something.
Another guy also spent a lot of time under there canopy by S.J.'s table of CD's and such. I kept having the feeling that I recognized him from somewhere but couldn't place him. He does some copper artwork on buildings or some such. He showed me his portfolio while we were standing there. Anyway, I remember he tried to talk technical stuff re: amps or some such with S.J. She told him she wasn't really into talking about the technical aspect of it, but he didn't listen. He kept talking the techie stuff anyway and she turned her head and seemed to focus on something or someone else. He still didn't get it, so I gave him the attentive audience he seemed to need. I had no clue what the hell he was talking about with most of it. But I faked it pretty well. (one of the skills I learned in college. he he)
Besides the conversations, I stood there, listening, as S00J taught one of her friends how to play one of her songs. And then Brie came in a played with them for awhile. Brie kept offering them picks but neither one really seemed interested in using them. (That's not a judgment, by the way. It was just my observation. I think whether or not to use picks is a matter of personal preference and up to the musician.) She also gave us all a piece of chocolate, I think...it was something edible anyway...and pretty good too.
I've always loved listening to people sit and play like that. I remember sitting in a passageway in enlisted berthing on the Polar Star, listening to Little Campbell sing "Time of Your Life" by Green Day while someone else played it on an acoustic guitar. And I remember listening to people playing old Folk music on guitars and fiddles and such at the Kitterman - Spence family reunions I went to when Dad and my first step mom were still together. But I digress.
s00j also brought out this really cool wooden flute...I forgot what she called it. It looked a lot like a Native American flute, but longer and had another section that the Native American flutes don't have. She played the flute a little too. It was cool. :) Made me want to get a Native American flute all the more.
Anyway, as I said, I spent most of the morning there, under the canopy with S.J , et al. I did leave for a little bit. I went back to the Sage Wolf tribe camp and ate some jerky and, I think, some Dove raspberry chocolates that I brought to Summerstar with me. (What a combination, huh?). Then I went back to the canopy where S.J. was. (If I'd have thought about it, I would've brought her some Dove raspberry chocolates.) And Rose came back a second time while I was standing there. (She must not have been at Sage Wolf camp while I was there else the following would make no sense.) Like Heather had previously when she was there a second time while I visited the first time, Rose said, "Are you still here?" S00J told her I'd been there all morning. I said, "Well, not all morning. I did go get something to eat." S00J looked amused...but in a good way.
That is one of the reasons I visited so long. For some reason, a few months prior to Summerstar, my insecurities/feelings of inadequacy issues had flared up like a bad case of hemorrhoids (not that there's a such thing as a "good case" of hemorrhoids). I was battling it, but at Summerstar, I was still a little more sensitive than normal. And yet, in all the time I stood there, visiting with s00j et al and listening to them play, I never once felt the "Okay, I've stood here too long. This is starting to feel awkward and it's time to leave" feeling. Instead, I felt comfortable and welcome. And I liked being there. I liked visiting with S.J. and Ryan and everyone there. It was a really positive experience for me and something I needed.
At some point, S.J. decided to go check out the other booths. I visited with the other people under the canopy a little while longer. And then I saw Nate (my spirit nephew) helping in Cat's booth. During the course of the weekend, I'd been looking at this Trinity necklace and thinking of getting it for his mom (my spirit sister, Kendall...aka "Trinity"). So I walked over to get his opinion. I turned to lead Nate over to where the necklace was and took step or two in that direction. Around the corner came S00J and we both stopped just in time to avoid a collision. We both smiled and kinda laughed. I said, "Hi". And she said, "Hi" back. And then we each headed in our respective directions.
When I showed Nate the necklace, he said that he thought his mom would like it. So, I bought it and went off to find Kendall. (I should note that the stone/whatever the Trinity symbol was made of told me the whole time I held it that it wasn't for me....It made the cupped hand I held it in itch the whole time....I kept telling it that I knew that, but I had to find the person it was intended for and it just needed to hang on. It didn't listen. I switched hands....repeatedly.) Finally, after looking around quite a bit of the camping area for her, I found Kendall up by the building being used as the Sacred Temple. One of Aaron's girls was henna-ing her legs. I took her hand, held my closed hand over her open one, put the necklace in it, closed her fingers over the necklace, and said, "This is for you." She opened her hand and saw the necklace. She liked it, thanked me for it, and put it on. And my poor hand was much relieved not to be itching anymore.
By that point, the meditation/hypnosis session/class Teri E. was going to hold in the Sacred Temple was going to start in a few minutes. I looked down the incline to the canopy where I'd spent the bulk of the morning and saw that Ryan and s00j were getting ready to leave. So, I walked down to them. s00j had her guitar in its case on her back and was busy talking to someone. I gave Ryan a hug and told him "safe travels". He smiled and said, "Thank you." When S.J. was done talking to whoever it was, I walked up to her. She broke into a smile when I reached out and gave her a hug and told her "Safe journeys". And then, I walked back up and those of us participating in the meditation/hypnosis session went into the Sacred Temple. By the time we got done with the session, S00J and Ryan had headed out.
For the rest of the story of that weekend, see "The Last Summerstar, Part. 3"