July 3, 2012
Riona and I drove to Tukums, a city an hour or so from Riga where students were creating for the city festival of roses this coming weekend.The students were creating masks,wreaths and hanging gardens from greens, hay, straw,green and blooming plants,mosses. I will post pictures when they are finished. We will be creating these in classes. I was struck with their creativity and cleaver designs.We drove home to Riga to a going away party--with plenty of food, sharing and fun.
Thank you to those of you that traveled with me. Please let me know what you like to hear about and see in this blog. Sharing what you want to know is the most important to me.
July 4 my flight leaves here at 11:30 on Baltic Air to Amsterdam,3 hour layover,9 hour flight home.Home for the fireworks on 4th of July. Hooray!!!!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
June 30,2012
Lera brought Aija and I to the airport to leave St. Petersburg. It is a beautiful city with wonderful people. WE visited many flower shops and businesses of every size from grocery to huge buildings. I taught a few classes,showed some techniques and had a business meeting with a business with 21 floral shops. The Land Art class and other short courses have given me many ideas from business to design. Designers are the same world wide, delightful, kind,talented and a bit kooky.
Lera made breakfast for us before we left the country. We arrived in Riga,Jani picked us and brought us to the flat, where breakfast was ready. We left after breakfast number 2, to visit flower shops. The main visit where there was an exchange class, they had a very big Latvian lunch. The table was full of food and champagne. That was a nice touch, Iļl need to remember that!! Then out to Aijas parents country house, where, we had another large meal, with deserts, all traditional Latvian. The bread is always fresh , cheese homemade, home grown fruits and veggies, soup, did I say bread? We took a nice walk, came back where she had more food.
Aiajš mother Rita started the school during USSR occupation. She is a very good and educated gardener. The government wanted to learn more about producing food, flowers came under the heading. She took the USSR and German materials, transulated them into Latvian , then taught in her native langauge. When Latvia became a free country she continued traveling, learning and most important teaching her art forms. Aija always went with her, naturally absorbing everything from everyone.
We finally went home, did not eat more, had tea and slept soundly.
July 1,2012
Time is going by so so fast.
Elena picked me up this morning, we picked up Riona and traveled to Jurmal, a bay tourist/spa area. It was perfect for a road trip. We talked all of the way, checked into the hotel, went for a walk in the streets where the vendors were selling souvioneres. Then we went to the beautiful white sand beach, walked for a bit. Back to the hotel/spa we had a hot wax treatment and a massage, tea and relaxed. We decided to eat outside on the patio. Near the end of dinner the waiter walked to our table with some empty bottles,close to us a bottle fell on the cement and rocks and broke. He continued walking towards us shaking a bit, the second and third empty bottle fell next to our table. I felt the glass hit my leg,nothing went in, but a big piece of glass went into Rionaš front of her calf. She began to bleed, they took her to the Dr. upstairs where he checked her, washed and bandaged it. Yes they comped our meal. We felt bad for the waiter as well, he was shook up----get it. Really he felt so bad. Even with her bad leg we walked for a very long time on the beautiful beach at sunset.
July 2, 2012
We were up early, ate,were on our way to Vinda flower shop in Lielvarde where I taught a small class in design techniques. The owner, Ludra has 4 shops, two in Riga, one here and one in Ogre, about an hour from Lielvardr. We stopped at flower shops along the way to the Basilica of Our Lady of Algona. It is a very important and historic site in Latvia and for the Catholic and all religions in Latvia. It is a beautiful site,magical inside and out. It is amazing to be inside and on the grounds knowing the history. We stayed there for some time, drank from the Holy Water,enjoyed ourselves in the beauty and feelings.
The Kolonna Hotel in was where we stopped, checked in, drove out in the country to a few miles from the Russian border to a delightful farm house and garden. This is the home of a famous pottery maker in Latvia, his wife a known florist in the country and friends of Riona. They went to design school together. This was a surprise for me, she did not tell me that this was a part of the plan. Peteris Gailums demonstrated making some pots and bowls, telling how, why ,showing techniques of his art. He gave us a tour of the kilns, told how he made the kilns, and pottery. The big surprise was when he told me to set by the wheel and learn to create with it. The moment I toughed the clay it came alive, in a good way, or I came alive. I loved it, the feel, the process, the color. Oh yes I wore white pants, the only day I have worn them, saved them for the messiest time....! He will fire it and in time Riona will send it to me.
I also taught a class there. He makes beautiful vessels of all sorts, applied art ware and decorative. Applied art is art that one may use. His art is actually both.
Then, of coarse, there was food, food, more food. All homemade, from the fruit jams and jellies,veggies and potatoes from the garden, dill , grown by the door,mint tea, birch wine from the trees, the pig they raised and prepared, with the floral designs from the yard and garden on the dishes he made.
OH yes, all of this time my camera, charger and electricity adapter is in St. Perersburg. They do not sell my battery in the country.
Riona and I came back to the hotel late, had tea. I went to my room for an early rest. While packing and repacking I found a book Riona bought for me in English that told all about the history of Our Lady of Algona. I started to page through it, began reading, until the end. I read the entire book, it is not a big book 150 or so pages, so so interesting . It was after 2:00am before I slept.
July 3, 2012
When being with and traveling with Aija, Riona and their families for close to 15 years now, in Latvia, USA, Canada, anywhere they are always on time, a bit early. When they say 7:00 it is 6:56 . I am the same way.It is a joy knowing that everyone will be on time where they said and when. A couple of years ago at the Home and Garden show for the design competition, Eugene said he would be at K&D at a certain time, Claudia also said she will be there then, as I did. No one called to remind each other, no one worried if the other will show up on time, we all did. That is who you want to work and be associated with!
We drove almost 4 hours through the lovely countryside back to Riga. I am packing up to come home, bitter sweet. It is time. I want to share so many things about business and flowers. I cherish this time away to learn, grow, re invent myself to be a better more effective teacher with more to share and teach.
Traveling nationally or internationally , designing with other teachers, talents, crafts is a growing experience. One never knows enough.
Lera brought Aija and I to the airport to leave St. Petersburg. It is a beautiful city with wonderful people. WE visited many flower shops and businesses of every size from grocery to huge buildings. I taught a few classes,showed some techniques and had a business meeting with a business with 21 floral shops. The Land Art class and other short courses have given me many ideas from business to design. Designers are the same world wide, delightful, kind,talented and a bit kooky.
Lera made breakfast for us before we left the country. We arrived in Riga,Jani picked us and brought us to the flat, where breakfast was ready. We left after breakfast number 2, to visit flower shops. The main visit where there was an exchange class, they had a very big Latvian lunch. The table was full of food and champagne. That was a nice touch, Iļl need to remember that!! Then out to Aijas parents country house, where, we had another large meal, with deserts, all traditional Latvian. The bread is always fresh , cheese homemade, home grown fruits and veggies, soup, did I say bread? We took a nice walk, came back where she had more food.
Aiajš mother Rita started the school during USSR occupation. She is a very good and educated gardener. The government wanted to learn more about producing food, flowers came under the heading. She took the USSR and German materials, transulated them into Latvian , then taught in her native langauge. When Latvia became a free country she continued traveling, learning and most important teaching her art forms. Aija always went with her, naturally absorbing everything from everyone.
We finally went home, did not eat more, had tea and slept soundly.
July 1,2012
Time is going by so so fast.
Elena picked me up this morning, we picked up Riona and traveled to Jurmal, a bay tourist/spa area. It was perfect for a road trip. We talked all of the way, checked into the hotel, went for a walk in the streets where the vendors were selling souvioneres. Then we went to the beautiful white sand beach, walked for a bit. Back to the hotel/spa we had a hot wax treatment and a massage, tea and relaxed. We decided to eat outside on the patio. Near the end of dinner the waiter walked to our table with some empty bottles,close to us a bottle fell on the cement and rocks and broke. He continued walking towards us shaking a bit, the second and third empty bottle fell next to our table. I felt the glass hit my leg,nothing went in, but a big piece of glass went into Rionaš front of her calf. She began to bleed, they took her to the Dr. upstairs where he checked her, washed and bandaged it. Yes they comped our meal. We felt bad for the waiter as well, he was shook up----get it. Really he felt so bad. Even with her bad leg we walked for a very long time on the beautiful beach at sunset.
July 2, 2012
We were up early, ate,were on our way to Vinda flower shop in Lielvarde where I taught a small class in design techniques. The owner, Ludra has 4 shops, two in Riga, one here and one in Ogre, about an hour from Lielvardr. We stopped at flower shops along the way to the Basilica of Our Lady of Algona. It is a very important and historic site in Latvia and for the Catholic and all religions in Latvia. It is a beautiful site,magical inside and out. It is amazing to be inside and on the grounds knowing the history. We stayed there for some time, drank from the Holy Water,enjoyed ourselves in the beauty and feelings.
The Kolonna Hotel in was where we stopped, checked in, drove out in the country to a few miles from the Russian border to a delightful farm house and garden. This is the home of a famous pottery maker in Latvia, his wife a known florist in the country and friends of Riona. They went to design school together. This was a surprise for me, she did not tell me that this was a part of the plan. Peteris Gailums demonstrated making some pots and bowls, telling how, why ,showing techniques of his art. He gave us a tour of the kilns, told how he made the kilns, and pottery. The big surprise was when he told me to set by the wheel and learn to create with it. The moment I toughed the clay it came alive, in a good way, or I came alive. I loved it, the feel, the process, the color. Oh yes I wore white pants, the only day I have worn them, saved them for the messiest time....! He will fire it and in time Riona will send it to me.
I also taught a class there. He makes beautiful vessels of all sorts, applied art ware and decorative. Applied art is art that one may use. His art is actually both.
Then, of coarse, there was food, food, more food. All homemade, from the fruit jams and jellies,veggies and potatoes from the garden, dill , grown by the door,mint tea, birch wine from the trees, the pig they raised and prepared, with the floral designs from the yard and garden on the dishes he made.
OH yes, all of this time my camera, charger and electricity adapter is in St. Perersburg. They do not sell my battery in the country.
Riona and I came back to the hotel late, had tea. I went to my room for an early rest. While packing and repacking I found a book Riona bought for me in English that told all about the history of Our Lady of Algona. I started to page through it, began reading, until the end. I read the entire book, it is not a big book 150 or so pages, so so interesting . It was after 2:00am before I slept.
July 3, 2012
When being with and traveling with Aija, Riona and their families for close to 15 years now, in Latvia, USA, Canada, anywhere they are always on time, a bit early. When they say 7:00 it is 6:56 . I am the same way.It is a joy knowing that everyone will be on time where they said and when. A couple of years ago at the Home and Garden show for the design competition, Eugene said he would be at K&D at a certain time, Claudia also said she will be there then, as I did. No one called to remind each other, no one worried if the other will show up on time, we all did. That is who you want to work and be associated with!
We drove almost 4 hours through the lovely countryside back to Riga. I am packing up to come home, bitter sweet. It is time. I want to share so many things about business and flowers. I cherish this time away to learn, grow, re invent myself to be a better more effective teacher with more to share and teach.
Traveling nationally or internationally , designing with other teachers, talents, crafts is a growing experience. One never knows enough.
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