Peta, Mick, Sam, Janine and baby Bella let me be one of the family for over a week of Velvet the Eel work in and around Masterton. This is one vibrant family who all work together to lovingly run a multi-generational household and support each other in their varied and vivacious interests. They love to visit the nearby Castle Point on the Pacific coast:
Hiking down from the bluff at Castle Point
Sam is the sculptor of the family with his “Dirty Fingers Pottery” on Victoria Street. You’ve seen his eels in a previous post, but he does create beyond the world of fish. His abstract clay sculptures are modeled on organic forms with a hint of Maori-influenced edges and seem ready to spring to life.
Janine's Delicate DragonFly
Janine, Sam’s soon to be wife, and mother of their cute-as-pie Bella manages the awesome, sustainability-focused “Wai-Not-Go-Green” website. Do something good-for-you-and-the-Earth at: http://www.wainotgogreen.org/buygreen.htm Janine also empowers women to succeed at their small business enterprises. She had a lot of smart and savvy tech advice for me that actually made this blog possible.
Peta Campbell and Ol' Maggie (Older Tom was asleep in the car)
Mick Ludden is a joyful grandpa, book fiend, and drummer with a fiery Irish heart and who never ends a day without Bella-cuddles. Mick was always ready to transport me all over Masterton.
Peta is that person who, while the rest of the world is busy trying to decide what to do, is just quietly and happily DOING it. The tapestry in the Wairarapa has become a growing success due to Peta sewing up backgrounds for many schools and her accompanying me to every workshop and offering her experienced support. Peta has just recently retired from decades of teaching at Lakeview where the kids clearly love her when she makes a surprise appearance. This is a woman I’d like to model my future, growing self after: generous, vibrant, easy-going, full of curiosity, supportive of her kids’ various interests and choices, and vital to the community’s natural environment.
Peta's Carefully-Crafted Banded Kokopu
Peta offers her patient support to a pre-school puppet-maker.
Finally, a big “Kia ora” to Gill Stewart (and her hubby Andrew and two gorgeous girls) who transported and supported me and organized all events here and is still working to see the culmination of the Wairarapa pieces get sewn together and displayed before being sent to the Tail of the Fish for addition to the finished eel. Gill is a vital force in the local river group. Another amazing woman I’ve been blessed to get to know and who knows her true worth.
Thank you to you all!