[dar-list] delurking

[pfleary at aol.com]

I love this thread that Howie started and even though I'm not one of the folks Russ was calling out (although I do recognize most of those names!), it's time for me to delurk.? I used to post quite a bit back around the turn of the century.? I started listening to Dar in 95, Honesty Room and then Mortal City.? Saw her for the first time in? 96 in Santa Rosa CA.? Joined the list in 98, mostly lurked, dropped off?and came back about?a year later.

I grew up in Vermont, but have lived in northern CA now since 1985.? I attended FRFF in 01, 02, and '03 and met oodles of dar-listers there.? Prior to that I had met only two listers face to face, Katie Stohlman who lived locally and Oh Canada Gail of darwilliams.net fame.? I believe Katie moved out of the area, I don't see her around at local shows anymore.? Gail as we all know is living the good life, Toronto style.

A lot has changed in my life in the past three years, all very much for the better.? In 2005,?I left, what was for me, a very unrewarding career teaching special ed.? I enrolled in a local?Culinary Arts Program and began working part-time at a small winery.? When I was finishing up my program, my boss at the winery moved on and I was offered?a full time job as Hospitality Director and Winery Chef.? For the very first time in my life I am truly happy with my chosen profession.? It is amazing what a difference?that can make!?? Dar's music has sustained me through some difficult times, but I was also pleasantly surprised to discover how positive and affirming some of her songs can be when things are clicking in life.? What Do you Love More than Love?? WOW!? I drove to culinary school every morning listening to this, usually followed by something like Talking Heads or Beck to get me motivated for a day running around the?kitchen!?

Last year my wife Holly and I left our little house in Sebastopol and moved 10 miles north to Healdsburg to an old Victorian farmhouse surrounded by grapevines.? We are both two minutes form our jobs and have reduced our gas consumption by about 80%.? I have a bicycle on order and will soon be pedaling through the vines to get to work each morning.? This year, we are putting in a garden and want to grow a lot of our own food.? We're both big on local foods, slow food etc.?? I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma right now and Holly's reading Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Mineral.? We will switch when we each finish.? 

Okay, Our computer is in the shop and I'm at my office on a morning off, grabbing the Wine Away to clean a red wine stain I put on our carpet and want to get out of here before the winemaker and my Monday staff get here.? Thanks again Howie for starting this thread.? Great to hear form Jen, Jen, Arjuna and Russ.? I hope more people out there check in.

Peter

--When your feel your soul go beyond your skin,
and you know that's the way that it's always been