island home

sweet atlanta blossoms
nancy boy- he's so sweet but looks so serious...
cole and marin in their backyard in atl
sweet finn 
gnorman in my backyard on mv
poppy belle with her afternoon snack!
our cutting garden-woken up and ready to GROW!

charlotte, jennie and me...power angels!
geese on icehouse pond

what we do.
greetings from martha's vineyard!

i made it and completely enjoyed the ride!  i got here on sat evening to hang with jennie and mere (my 2 best pals here) and brunched and such on sunday. i spent mon. doing tax/car things and got into the gardens today and had a great dinner w/ mere and dave! i have truly arrived... i am living w/mere (meredith) in a beautiful home in vineyard haven w/ her 2 dogs-basingi's...they are sweet boys and their breed is an african bark-less sort!!! i am settling in, although everything i own is on the floor and i am yet to find places for my belongings... i am home.  

i'll begin from where i left off in atl.  i then drove up to hendersonville, nc-which is just s. of aseville to play with my pals nichols, josh and their son, finn.  i spent 2 days with them enjoying fires in the back yard, big black chickens with a name i cannot remember and catching up.  i then made my way up to asheville (only 30 mins) and had an amazing dinner at the restaurant my pals own called 'table' it's downtown and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!  i spent the next 2 nights w/ my pals karin and matthew who i went to warren wilson with ages ago.  on thurs. i had baby times with josh and cody and vivi and lots of other babies who came over to play.  i then went to hang with ian and grant-amazing bright and cheery twins. we enjoyed pizza that night and i was off the next morning! i drove from asheville to the ny, pa, nj border...it was quite a long day, but great conditions to drive-overcast and cool on I-84 through the mountains...lovely! i made it to the boat at woods hole by 4pm sat. and got on the next boat w/o a reservation... the blessing of march! .... and the rest is history! i am excited to get into the gardens and back to the coffee shop, mocha motts. our work in the gardens is definitely weather dependant this time of year, but today was the perfect day, between 45-50 and bright sunshine. i have certainly arrived before spring has thought about touching the vineyard, so i get to have the whole thing!!! my body is a little out of wack - from fall to spring to winter to fall to spring. we are all very excited here, we feel a GREAT summer is upon us and it just gets better everyday!! i hope this finds you all well and enjoying the splendors of spring!! take care, karengrace 

chillanta

gazz and me at p'cheen

hutch, keiran, daphne and me at p'cheen
me and sweet aiya in athens
need i say more?
hutch, emmett and megan having yummy b-fast
greetings from atlanta!

i didn't really get a chance to finish my last entry in orlando, and now it's sunday and i've made it up to the atl... still my life is a whirlwind and i'm happy to have found a chill in the air as i've arrived to more northern climes! i had a great drive up here, driving fast with all the windows down and the music jammin'... a great jump start for this road trip! i got in here late last night to hutch and megan's spot with a lovely fire in the back yard. we went to athens today to catch up with an old friend from s.f. and made it back into town pretty late. earlier in the day i wrote on my facebook profile that i'd be at a friend's bar - p'cheen here in atl tonight...not realizing the time of driving and the true commitment that it would involve.  once again, i over committed myself- but with hutch's help i made it out to the bar and got to see some dear friends!! the cherry blossoms are stunning here, i'm excited to be driving north and having the privilege of beating the spring blossoms as i go northward! the only difficult aspect is my allergies, i was quite ill in orlando from the oak pollen, and really have that to look forward to on mv in a month or so! perhaps my body will have gotten over the initial shock and by the time it hits the vineyard i'll have an immunity built up?? one can only wish! these entries from n. america may not be as exciting as the polar adventures, but i believe that every place holds it's own mysteries to be explored and shared!! so, here we go!! sending lots of fun from this lovely road trip, take care and i hope you're all having a BEAUTIFULL spring day!  karengrace*

st. pat's in o-do

jaxson at the water park
sunset shuttle launch!!!
silly anna!
sweet christian!
SASSY!
betty, leslie (godparents) and me- st.pat's day
greetings from my folks back porch in orlando!

i wrote my 1st blog here on oct. 26th last year, and this completes my full circle.  my mom suggested that i begin-again from the starting point, and that makes perfect sense to me! i will maintain the name and premise of the blog, because it's from the 'ice and beyond'...

it's been quite a journey and life changing series of events since i sat here almost 6 months ago!   i am winding up my visit here with friends and family in the homeland and heading north to atlanta on thursday.  i'll be there for a few days, then on to asheville and end up on martha's vineyard... my island paradise.    xoxokg

coast starlight

Rossella, Melissa and i in front of the best brazilian sando shop in oakland!!!
Part of the winchester house in san jose- look closely at the door...
me on the steps of orchard lane in the berkeley hills
rossella, me, melissa and shan on shan's front porch in oakland
Greetings from la!

i had another lovely trip on the coast starlight yesterday-i absolutely love that trip, i prefer the southbound trip because there's more to see farther north, and the farther south the train travels it gets more developed.  i got in late last night and had a nice dinner with hank and a friend and now i am making plans for my final days on the west coast.  more pot lucks and dancing before i fly back to orlando on monday!  i am sad i was unable to make it up to orcas to see my lovely people there, funds turned out to be a bit tight, i'll just swing through on my way back!  i'm  off to get the day started here in downtown la... looking forward to seeing everyone in orlando!!! i hope this finds you all well and looking forward to the bounty of spring!! take care, karengrace

bay-time

Melissa on the ferris wheel at the santa monica pier

me and the jolly green giant
greetings from sf!

i apologize for my last entry, it was really sappy,  i was quite emotional and feeling the warmth of old friends.  but i'm better now, and back to my silly self!!!! melissa and i are going over to the east bay today to catch up with old pals and eat brazilian sandwiches- yummmm! tomorrow is another seeing folks kinda day and then monday is wine country and tuesday is the winchester house in san jose!!! we've always wanted to go, and now that mel has an augmented work schedule we've been able to do so many things that we've always talked about!!  i'll be boarding the coast starlight early in the morning weds. for my favorite w. coast train trip to l.a., it's a 12 hour trip, but there's no other way i'd rather journey between the 2 cities...if you've never done it...it's worth the time!!!  i ate amazing el salvadoran food thurs night, they do lots of pork and their own version of sauerkraut.... mmmmm! then yesterday i soaked in the rejuvenating baths at kabuki in japantown...always a must here in the city!  otherwise, i am just feeling the blessings of a good life!! (oops, more sap...) take care, kgrace

sf

Mel and me at the museum of jurasic technologies ...

a 'must see' in LA!!!

on our way to dance...
the self proclaimed split-pea center of the universe
bowling...
the 'sea bowl' with robert, dave, melissa, me and marie!!
greetings from san francisco!!

this place is one of my home bases... i can spend the day walking around the city and all is well...   i have a rigorous social schedule while i'm here, but it's the way to go when there are so many amazing folks i must catch up with! i went through all my pole pix yesterday and felt the experience slipping away... whilst in NZ i was surrounded by folks who'd been through the same adventure and it was still fresh, but arriving back in the states has proven to be quite a test. i have found myself overwhelmed several times and have no true explanation except for the fact that it feels like the pole is slipping into dreamtime.  i know that the bottom of the world has changed me, but...how much? perhaps as much as any new kick in the pants can influence one person...but, was it more because it was so extreme? these are all questions i ask myself, as i cannot sleep... i implore all who read this to challenge themselves and enjoy the bounty!! xo kg*

back into rotation

greetings from downtown la!

i spent yesterday without leaving hank's high-rise splendor...with a mild jet-lag headache and catching up on my newly reactivated cell phone.  that was one of the weirder things about returning to the real world..the ring of everyones phone, and the fact that i have one! i am getting back into the groove today... melissa(stinky) is on her way down from s.f. and loads of us are getting together tonight for an annual celebration of a weekly dance party called s*#ts and giggles! i am looking forward to reconnecting with everyone, i know that i will indeed be overwhelmed, but in such a lovely way!!! i am covered in sand fly bites, i received the venomous bites over a week ago in milford sound and they are only getting worse... truely the worst insect bite i've ever had, and i have close to 100...what a treat to bring back from n.z.,  i look like i've got chicken pox...it's a great look for friday night in l.a.!!  i will be here until monday when i'll drive back to s.f. with melissa and then return here to play some more before flying to orlando.  many of my friends here are unemployed, it's a strange world to return to, much has changed in the 4 months i've been gone...i send you all happiness and cheer on this friday! take care, kgrace