Travels with Shelley and Muzzy: Bijoux Trading Company

Muz 'n' Shell

Muzzy and I started traveling in 1990. Our first trip was to Thailand. Muzzy was in the Merchant Marines in another incarnation and had traveled all over the world. I had done a lot of internal traveling, but waited a lifetime to be able to really travel. After that first trip I was definitely hooked. We went to Bali in '93 with our daughter Sarah and her partner Don. In '96 we returned to Thailand to visit Sarah at her Peace Corps site in Petchabun province and to celebrate her marriage to Don on the island of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. In '99 we went to Nepal and Thailand, in '03 to Laos and Thailand, and in '05/'06 back to Thailand, Laos and Burma. It was a trip the whole family took after the death of our eldest daughter Lise from breast cancer in February of '05. In '07 we returned to Nepal, Laos and Thailand with our dear traveling companion Kyp. Ever since that first trip to Laos, we have been in love with the country. There is something timeless and magical there and if there is any balm for my soul, it is in the warm breezes that blow across the peninsula in Luang Prabang. Muzzy and I have been incredibly fortunate in making the trip up the Nam Tha river twice to Luang Namtha. Laos is so special to us that I hesitate to tell anyone about it, but life does go on and no place is immune anymore from tourism. I just hope we get to keep traveling. The photos posted on this site are all by Mr. Muz unless otherwise stated, and he is a grand and wonderful photographer! I could go on forever (we both could and often do!) but really, thats why we started the blog!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Bijoux Trading Company

Its gone. The store at 1417 Cornwall in Bellingham is no more. With the help of my faithful and stalwart partner, Mr. Muzzy, we emptied the shop over Memorial Day weekend and stuffed the leftovers into our house. I spent the first week nursing my wounds, hooking up a new WiFi system, calling people to disconnect this and that, and getting ready to "re-invent". I have a small studio space at the Waterfront Artists Studios in Old Town and have been busily arranging the sewing room upstairs to accommodate and anticipate a bit of sewing. Who knows where this new path will lead? Hopefully more travel in our future. Certainly more writing. And if I can create even one of the wonderful ideas that are percolating around my head, I will be happy. In fact, this staying at home, going where I like, spending the morning in my pajamas is not so bad!