Greetings!
Thanks for stopping by.
I've been thinking and thinking about what to say in
this little "about
me" section. I have the hardest time talking about
myself and an even
harder time summing it up in a short profile. But without
further ado,
here goes.
Born in a small town in Southern Minnesota, our family
of 6 lived in a
sleepy part of town. I remember my mother was always
busy making quilts
in her spare time and my father enjoyed working with
wood. Growing up
as the youngest and a girl, life with 3 older brothers
was challenging
to say the least. I often had to amuse myself. As a
young child I
enjoyed painting rainbows and singing and dancing. My
best friend was a
78 year old woman who lived down the street from me.
At 16, I began taking college courses focused on the
Arts and
Humanities. I received a bachelors of Fine Arts degree
from the
Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a double
major in painting
and drawing. It was during this time that Craig and
I met. We fell in
love and enjoyed spending much of our time together.
Craig and I were married in 1998 and moved to Duluth,
Minnesota where we
made our home. Soon we were blessed with an amazing
child whom we named
Kaidin. We laughed and played endlessly and made our
little family the
center of our world. Unexpected and unexplainably Kaidin
passed away in
2002.
We struggled tremendously during those first weeks and
months at the
sudden lost of our sweet little boy. Overcome with pain
and loss Craig
and I each searched in our own way to find meaning in
the tragedy.
Craig lived in the farmhouse we had recently purchased
and began writing
music that would one day become the foundation for Cloud
Cult. I spent
time alone in the forest along the North Shore of Lake
Superior. This
was a very intense and dark time in our lives.
Seeking relief and the support of each other, we reunited
and found some
solace with the guidance of a grief counselor. This
was an invaluable
experience. We learned much about ourselves during this
time and that
we could, with time and each other, learn to cope with
our loss.
Although there are bumps in the road at times, we try
and live life as
we would have if Kaidin were still here to share it
with us. We have
both learned what is really important and meaningful
in life. In the
past few years, Craig and I have renewed our love and
commitment to each
other and have found peace amidst the chaos.
Today I find my balance with painting and performing
with Cloud Cult.
Additionally, I'm constantly pouring my heart into various
issues
relating to children's environmental health and organic
farming. I
enjoy being an advocate and activist for these and other
important
subjects. I continue my journey at becoming more and
more
environmentally sustainable and create balance in my
life, my family,
and the universe.
Cloud Cult is a uniquely beautiful entity created and
shaped by my
husband Craig. Many of Cloud Cult's songs are intensely
personal to me.
They are literally our journey through grief and loss.
I find sadness
and beauty in them and look forward to each new song
and look forward to
each new day. Life is truly a gift!
Thank you to all of you who have given your love and
support to Cloud
Cult. We are truly grateful to share this journey with
you! |
