Last night was amazing. Gabe had the idea to invite some of his and Sam’s friends over for a mid-vacation party/sleepover. Kids started showing up around 7PM. By 10:30 or so there were about 40 folks here spread all over the house and barn. A bunch of our friends brought over every imaginable type of food… the place was jumping from about 8 until about 3AM when things started to quiet down. It was both wonderful and surreal having so many of Sam’s friends and their happy chaos in the house and not have Sam in the center of it all. His spirit was everywhere, though.  The kids kept going into Sam’s room to hang out, look at his stuff.. see the pictures we have and swap stories. It was good for everyone I think.   The ripples of Sam’s death are still going through our community and these kids really seemed to need/enjoy coming together and rolling in Sam’s memory.  

After folks were finished eating, we cleared the dining room table and set the group to work making ‘sam stones’. Wonderful friend Jen had brought over a bunch of clay and some ‘sam’ name stamps she’d made out of sculpy.  The idea is to make small lumps of clay with Sam’s name imprinted in them to leave at spots that Sam loved. I really like  the idea that  people might find the stones and see.. or even speak.. Sam’s name.   It was a hoot sitting around the table, hands covered with glop and talk about Sam and everything else.   By the end of the evening we’d made 100’s of these things in every shape and size.  Here’s a picture of the stones on the table drying. Jen picked them up this morning to dry, stain and fire them. They should be ready for spreading sometime next week. If you want a few to spread around, let me know. 
    The house started waking up I shifts around 8 this morning… I waddled down at around 9:30 to find a houseful of sleepy kids and a busy kitchen full of friends cooking for them. My parents managed to sleep until about 11 even though the noise of the morning was right outside their door.  The house produced another 2 hour feast  for breakfast then we started ferrying kids up to Bolton to enjoy the snow we got last night. It was great waking to snow. (I just heard that this December is the warmest ever on record…. What would Sam have made of that ?! ).. It’s almost 2PM and their must still be 10 or so kids spread throughout the house. As things quiet down the mood of the house is still peaceful and light. It’s strange to know that we’ll be sad later…  but I know we did a good thing by inviting the world into our space again. The love we feel from our friends and family is sustaining us right now.

    Speaking of the love of friends.. this morning we received a wonderful gift from my college friend Chris in Tucson (Thanks Chris !) . He sent us a ‘Ben’s Bell‘ Ben’s Bells is a foundation set up by Jeanette and Dean Packard after the death of their son Ben. The idea of the foundation is to foster acts of kindness and healing. They promote the creation of these beautiful ceramic and brass bells which are spread randomly through out the Tucson area (and beyond.. evidently). People come together to create the bells as a way of community healing. They don’t sell the bells either. .. The only way to get one is either  to find one. or be given one from the org.. (they call it being belled, I think). It sounds like a great way of spreading love.   Check it out…

      Well.. it’s 2pm and I’m still in my pajamas.. it’s time to start the day.  I thin the rest of the day will be quiet.. I love you Sam….

-jc