2006 CMN National Conference

Reflections

Thank you in every language, gesture and song for your presence and presents. I am reminded of John Denver's song, You Fill Up My Senses.  Beyond the five senses, I was touched and moved and inspired.  Language fails to describe the weekend. Thanks for the blessings, and I will definitely see you all next year.

Liz Hannan Burlingame, CA

This started off as a short comment, but as I think about the weekend, I can't figure out how I fit so much into three days.  Beyond all the large and small gatherings for workshops, general sessions and meals, some of my highlights were shared experiences with one or two others.

One of the highlights was when Bruce O'Brien and I shared a fox on Friday night.  I was sitting alone on the patio practicing “Pupu Hinuhinu” softly when a gray fox started walking around collecting little morsels of food from around every table (probably dropped by the kids who were at the conference center and left Friday morning before we came en masse).

He must have walked around me two or three times, not getting too close, but he knew I was there and I guess he didn't mind the music.  I tried to serenade him, but I could only remember the first verse of "The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night".  After awhile Bruce walked by and we both spotted the fox out on the grass again.

Oh, yeah, and I challenged a mature buck to a fight, but he didn't take me up on the offer (Thank goodness!!!)  Marie and Kitt can back me up on that.

Naomi and I shared some deer teeth (What'd he say!!??).  Saturday I did a Nature's Treasure's program with [children] Naomi and Evelyn, and later that day Naomi came up to me and was excited to bring me out to see something she had found.  She led me to two small portions of a skull with teeth, right next to the child care building.  We compared it with a deer skull that I had in my treasure box and we confirmed the identification.  Pretty neat person, that Naomi!  She really shined (shone?) at the Round Robin Saturday night, too.  Thanks for sharing her with us all, Mara [her mom].

And furthermore Jackson and I shared a hill climb on Sunday, looking down to the entire conference site and the magnificent surrounding countryside across the valley.  I still can't figure out how Kathy Lowe conned us into climbing up there while she stayed at the bottom taking pictures…

I just have to start saving up to get to next year's conference in Albany!

And now back to the CMN Yearlong Online Conference.....

Dave Orleans Portland, OR

I’ve enjoyed all the comments about the conference and would like to add a few as well.

I joined CMN just 2 years ago and have had the pleasure of attending 2 of our regional gatherings which were absolutely wonderful. The thing about the national was that I was able to meet in person so many more of the people from all over whose e-mails I've been reading, enjoying and learning from for so long. I felt that we knew each other pretty well already—it was just meeting them in person and actually hearing their voices which made it complete.

The workshops were extremely helpful, interesting and entertaining (but always difficult to choose from); the round robins were exhilarating and inspiring—every song was terrific and ones I’d like to learn and share. The camaraderie was warm and fun. It was easy to embrace people I didn’t even know and share stories, songs and ideas with them. And I felt welcomed.

Here's my animal story: I left early on Sat. (about 1:30 AM while the after hours festivities were still going strong—fun!) and encountered a family of 3 deer on the path to my sleeping quarters. There was a very young one and 2 larger deer. I was gently talking to them as I walked closer telling them how lucky I was to be sharing the space with them or something to that affect, when all of a sudden the younger one let out this loud hiss which scared the life out of me! And the larger ones began moving closer to me. I had the thought that I was going to be attacked by 3 seemingly peaceful deer and no one would believe me, but all was well. I quietly snuck inside and they continued to graze. :)

I loved opening the door each morning and seeing the deer, and jackrabbits and quail right outside. And sitting in a workshop watching deer gracefully walk by the windows. And those hills—what a beautiful location!

So if any of you are hesitant about going to a national conference because you’re shy, intimidated, or don’t know anybody, please do it anyway. And once you get there, if you need a little reassurance, find me and I’ll help you as my new friends helped me.    Thanks to all of you who have enriched my life so easily by being yourselves and sharing your songs and ideas, all together in one place or scattered throughout the planet (under one big beautiful sky!)

Big hugs all ’round, Sammie Haynes South Berwick, ME

OK, I’ll add to this PETaluma critter discussion a young grey fox climbing into a young redwood tree, staring at me with those beautiful inquisitive (or was it nervous?) eyes while a dozen young quail (and their dad) ran around under the tree's branches.  It was just so charming; I was quite captivated.

Captivated as well by the incredible abundance of good-hearted friends, known and just met, each one leaving a trail of talent as we crisscrossed paths around the facility en route to workshops, song swaps, yummy meals, wacky moments and meaningful discussions.  It was a “ten-day-weekend” (!) and gratefully a few folks have lingered for work or play in my area so the connections are not quite over yet.

I personally want to thank the board and the conference committees who worked so hard at putting it all together (a huge undertaking), as well as the workshop leaders who offered their gifts to our benefit AND gave up a slot of participation in a workshop to lead one! No small sacrifice :-)

Other highlights for me were some of the newer folks I had not heard before: Marci and Erin Lee—great energy, excellent “Moonlight Wolfbite” song! The young boy who sang a song from Finland (he made a statement of the value of CMN just by being his sweet self, as did the other children present, each of them so precious). I thought the Magic Penny Award was just great this year—informative (I did not know much about Nona but so appreciate that I do now). The ceremony was funny, uplifting, inspiring. Thank you to all who put that together.

And mainly I just can't tell which I more deeply appreciate: the boost my professional self gets from the new material and ideas from everyone, or the incredible upliftment my heart receives from knowing so many dedicated, talented people of integrity. The friendships that develop from these gatherings are so enriching; more and more I see that the music is the medium for what we really offer each other: a peace—oops, a piece!—of our true selves...both, I suppose!  :-)

Thanks everyone for being real and shining your lights in this often crazy world. 

Freesia Raine Lompico, CA

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