Toddstock: Tuesday 6.17.08

On Tuesday we went back to Anini Beach but this time we were led by Michele's brother and sister-in-law. They lived on Kauai so they knew where to find the best snorkeling. They led us to some great sites and it had been a long time since we had seen such colorful fish and turtles. Truly helped us remember how much Chuck and I love snorkeling.

Chuck's accordion strap had broke the night before so we knew we were going into town after snorkeling to find a music store. Pippi, Ronnie and his son, Allen, went with us to get some lunch before we hit the music store. Pippi hails from Texas and has a wicked sense of humor and an amazing singing voice. Ronnie is from England and is a true gentleman. We enjoyed getting to know these great people and they will always be a part of what made Toddstock such a once in a lifetime event.

We stopped for photo opps of these amazing taro fields as shown above.

Been Gone Too Long

I'm back to finish the Toddstock blog. My friends and I had an open house here at my house and we did very well selling jewelry and purses (handmade - not knock-off brands). We had a great turnout and appreciated everyone showing up. Sales were good and so I went on a bead hunt with my friend, Cortney, who makes beautiful, contemporary jewelry. I have replenished my stock and am beading again. We will probably go to a bead show this weekend at Sharonville Convention Center but no more buying after that - only selling! Cortney and I have promised to not let each other spend any more on beads cause we're beadaholiques! Cyndi, who makes amazing fabric purses, Cortney and I will probably be at the September Days Arts and Crafts Market on September 13th at the Village Green in Fairfield. Hope to see you there!

Toddstock: Monday 6.16.08

We continued to meet some great people. Chuck and I both have an introverted side to our temperament and so it takes a great deal of energy for us to small talk. Not so here. Todd/music was the common denominator so any question such as, “How many times have you seen Todd in concert?” was an immediate conversation starter. We realized pretty quickly that we were amateurs compared to the people who had seen him 60 or 70 times. There was a noncompetitive spirit about the camp so we were still welcomed even with the handful of times that we had actually seen Todd. Chuck has played Todd’s music whenever possible in bands and even in worship in churches.

We met a beautiful lady named Mary who came to camp by herself. Her husband has an aggressive form of MS and he was gracious enough to give her the gift of this week. She struck me as a devoted caregiver in much need of this time to recharge her spirit. She has physical problems herself (as most of us did since this wasn’t a Woodstock generation) and she was so filled with energy from other people and being near Todd and Michele. Her story touched our hearts and I continue to ask the source of love to be very kind to her.

I met a lady, Mary Ann and her husband, Larry. He is 67 and I didn't catch her age. Mary Ann had only discovered Todd’s music six months ago and was consumed by it. She had printed off the words to songs and had compiled them in a notebook. It was one of the things she asked Todd to sign for her. She really resonated with his words. One of his songs, The Last Ride, came through the speakers and tears started rolling down her face. The words spoke to her at such a deep level that the only way to describe the connection is to call it spiritual. Even though our ages were not that far apart I still found that she was very inspiring to me because I hope I always look for those things that speak to my heart. The concert on Sunday was the first concert of Todd’s that she had actually seen live. She and her husband enjoyed it immensely. They were the ones who had brought Todd the walking stick which he carried during the hike. They also brought jewelry for Michele and I think it was the night of the Luau that she wore their gift.

There were so many great people – I can only name a few as I blog about this event. I just kept saying during the week – of all the places to be on the earth at this time – this was the place to be. It was simultaneously surreal and, yet, very centered. Very difficult to explain but the people who were there know what I mean.

Day 3 was the day we went looking for a different extension cord for Chuck’s sleep apnea machine that he was using in the tent. Most of us were of a mature age which required an electrical box in the tent that housed the camping tents because of the number of people using CPAP machines. Michele referred to us as a Papper colony - better than being a leper colony! Chuck discovered that the CPAP machine has a dual purpose – was great for blowing up air mattresses!

Toddstock: Sunday 6.15.08

Chuck and I took off on our own to check out the snorkeling at Annini Beach. Beautiful, clear water. We didn't find much in the way of snorkeling but when we went with the group on Tuesday we saw turtles and all kinds of fish. Michele Rundgren's brother and sister-in-law led the group and knew exactly where to direct us to the fish.

Camping

We have not camped for at least 20 years so it was a test. With the air mattresses it really wasn't bad. What was bad was the snoring. I had wax earplugs and could still hear it. Of course, I'm sure they heard my snoring and coughing as well. The majority of the tents were under one huge tent like they use for events so we were really close together. So, at night, Toddstock turned into a snore fest. We lasted 5 days and 4 nights in the tent and then mutually decided if we were to have the best experience possible that we needed more rest. The hotel room was small but looked huge compared to the tent and the bed and shower looked even better. There were outdoor showers at the camp and you could look up and see the Hawaiian sky - when you looked up you hardly noticed the cold water. Trading hot water for cold still ended up feeling like a true luxury.

Camping in Kauai is probably under some of the best circumstances possible. Lower humidity and cool breezes at night. We just got tired of the red dirt that permeated everything. Chuck did like the red hue of the dirt on his green khaki shorts but that was about all we could tolerate. I imagine we'll be finding red dirt for quite awhile.