Bruthuhs and Sistahs!
You have happened upon the home page of the Trapp family of Exeter (my profile here); formerly of Ocean Beach, Topanga Canyon, the McKenzie River valley, and Orcas Island.
I've just sold my third novel, ulrike's weinglas, gudrun's violin. I'm hoping to complete my fourth novel some time between March and 2012. It goes slow and then it goes fast. Who knows? For all kinds of exciting reading, and thoughts you'd never imagined, check out the page about my writing. You should also-everyone should-check out my weekly (Friday morning) blog, Laural's Dish.
Theresa's found her heart's work teaching kindergarten at the Exeter Steiner School. It's a very cool little school, just a few blocks away from us in St Thomas. Theresa's accumulating honours and degrees way too fast for me to keep up, but her work there is a very good thing. I can't imagine how a child could ever have a better teacher, the one you remember. Here's a nice letter on a day in her classroom, written by one of England's leading Anthroposophists. Here's how part of her domain looks (it's really L-shaped, hanging off into another big room to the left):
Kasmira's been in her own place for more than a year now. She's moved closer, back this side of the River Exe. She has a nice little place, maybe a half mile away. She's chef at Mill-on-the-Exe, one of the better restaurants in town (and a great place for a pint on the grounds as the sun goes down). She comes home at least once a week to check on her Facebook page, take a nap, make some great food with Theresa, watch garbage tv with her sisters, and talk travel and politics with me.
Alexandra's studying music at Exeter College, though she occasionally threatens to move into English Lit (she's be great at that, too, she's an incredible writer). She's head of the string section of the Exeter Children's Orchestra (on tour in Russia next year!) and plays viola in at least four bands. That's her boyfriend Mason with her, he's a great sax player and nearly as good as improvisation as she is! I hate thinking it, but she's only a little over two years from moving off to a music conservatory, perhaps in Wales.
Amelia's dreams are less discernible, more general in a sense that she finds pleasing, and relaxed. One day it might be possessing a certain pair of shoes; and upon their possession the following day a different pair. Or she might just forget about shoes altogether. Right now she's real excited about owning gerbils. Her guiding light appears to be the vague and undefinable filtration of greatness, often manifest in the expressed desire to someday relocate to Liverpool or Ibiza. Already, without knowing it, a master practitioner of numerous schools of psychology, I look to her future with nothing besides a spectacular smile and anticipatory amusement. I'm pleased to say that she's writing again, she's a natural surrealist.
Myles attends the Steiner school in Dartington. He's really into Star Wars, a subject upon which he could easily qualify as an expert witness. He has two Dumbo-eared rats that Kasmira gave him, and I think he finds them even more entertaining than Star Wars Legos. He's doing really well in school, he has that sense of history, he picks up foreign languages easily; unlike some of the rest of us, everybody likes him.
Collectively, our good children are The Newfins. (It's a long story relating to a visit by the Queen of England to Newfoundland in a snowstorm.) Here are a few (fairly old) stories about Newfins.
Laural continues to serve as mascot, pet and confidante with the grace and élan of a young goat studying trigonometry. All of which renders his efforts ever more dear. There is a split of opinion as to whether he's very stupid (everyone else) or just very stubborn (me), but we all agree that he is incredibly loyal and lovable and wonderful and good. I mean, just look at him, may we all naturally inspire such good will!
Peace and teleological agitation!
Clayton & Theresa
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