Crazy Turquoise Lady
Hi, my name is Pamela and I love turquoise. Now you say, “Hi Pamela”
As some may have noticed, the accent color in our van is turquoise. Ok, maybe it’s not an accent color so much as the pop of color that is impossible not to see. I could simply say that I like the color, which I clearly do, but there’s a reason I’m so deeply connected to turquoise and why it is everywhere in my life.
It is the color of a wave tattoo on my left wrist, it is part of the color scheme on my custom road bike, it is the color of my journal, it is a prominent color in our logo, it’s on my cell phone cover, it’s in a pair of cycling socks we just designed with our friend Matt at Ridge Supply, it covers a few surfaces in our house, you can see it on this blog. Turquoise is EVERYWHERE. I’d like to think that I’ve still kept it classy and every bit of my life is not vomiting turquoise, but I’ve also nicknamed myself the “Crazy Turquoise Lady” so perhaps I’ve stepped over an edge somewhere.
My obsession began in January of 2005, the year my brother fell out of a tree sustaining a traumatic brain injury; thus changing our lives forever. Prior to Nicholas’ accident he hung out with a crowd that might be described as modern day hippies. Lots of time spent in nature, philosophizing about metaphysics and politics and partying. He was going to La Playa before Burning Man became the cool thing to do and there was, simply put, a very organized yet non-conforming vibe to his tribe. Anyway, in keeping with that theme, when Nicholas got hurt, his friends sent us letters, quotes and items to hang around his ICU bed in order to assist in his healing. Someone somewhere told us that turquoise was the color of healing. The same day we were told that my sister and I got turquoise rings. We did not take them off for a loooong time. In fact they may have stayed on until we each got engaged. Nevertheless, during those early days in the ICU, when my mind and emotions were racing and I had no idea what to think or where to look, I would focus on that ring as a way to channel my energy. Following his accident, Nicholas’ crew would organize what we nicknamed “Global Mindsparks”. His accident took place in New Zealand (my parents, sister and myself were with him) and he had friends all over the globe, literally. One of them would pick a specific time for everyone from all different time zones to focus their healing energy on Nicholas. For me, as I did this, I envisioned this electric turquoise light or laser beaming out from the globe, collecting in space and then shooting right in to Dunedin, New Zealand. If I had any artistic skills I could draw it because it was/is so vivid in my mind. A couple of weeks after his accident, I left Nicholas, still in the ICU, with my parents and came back to the States with the intention of trying to continue with grad school, all the while knowing I could return to New Zealand if it was too hard to be away. Upon returning to my apartment in Boston someone had sent me a turquoise candle. That candle became my visual focus during Global Mindsparks when I was a zillion miles away from my brother’s bedside.
Furthermore, I love the water. No way, really?! Yup, it’s true. And water is turquoise, well it can be and often times it is. I grew up in a town that’s practically underwater. So water, mainly the ocean, is home to me. I’ve written other posts about my love of the water, lakes count too, and how, at the end of the day, sitting in, on or near the water is one of my favorite places in the world, regardless of where said body of water is in the world. Some of my fondest family memories take place sailing in the Caribbean, Bahamas and Virgin Islands. We scattered my grandfather’s ashes in the ocean. Jon’s entire childhood was spent on the shores of Lake Sebago. You can’t think of growing up in New England without thinking of water. While Colorado checks a lot of boxes for me in terms of an ideal place to live, there’s simply not enough real water within which I can play or appreciate. While on this trip when people ask where I’m from I’ve got a stock answer: “We live in Colorado, but we both grew up in New England.” It means something to me. It means everything and thus, more reasons to love turquoise.
One more layer pulled back that you can think of when you see pictures of Ellie’s beautiful cabinets or us parked near the waters edge.
