Dragon's Eye Update for December 2022

Dragon's Eye Adventures has been a source of deep joy for me for the ten years I was able to run. The detectives complete a creative process that starts with extensive research and development involving history, lore and myth--three of my favorite subjects to study. The stories aren't done until the children arrive -- and we move through each chapter finding those "Aha!" moments.

That spark of discovery and joy is my favorite experience in life. It may come from the piecing together of clues for an understanding that was hidden. It may come from the decoding of a cipher, the solving of a puzzle or the opening of a Dream Box.

That spark also shows up when we sew on the eyes of our little creatures. One moment, we're holding pieces of felt, and the next moment, the tiny black beads transform into eyes and a living creature is looking back at us.

Watching the creature hop, leap or dance away in the hands of a delighted sewer is pure joy. The play begins right then and there, as the children discover that their Tomte have strange powers of cantilevering on the edge of a table or their Moon Rabbits have a secret voice.

These are the true sources of magic in my life -- and the reason the detectives, Oliver and I feel so deeply about our experiences with the dragons. Exercising the imagination is one part of the magic, but discovering connections keeps us going even when the bad guys seem to be winning.

This ability to keep going in the face of adversity is a key part of the Dragon's Eye experience -- and it is this resillience that is being tested for me outside of the game.

The last year and a half have been challenging. My mother died in Aug of 2021, and my older brother died a month later. This was a time when I was going through serious health issues pointing toward cancer. This year, the cancer materialized, and I have had surgery to remove it. Radiation treatments are next, so I am out of commision when it comes to Dragon's Eye Adventures.

Looking back on the summer of 2022, I understand now why I was so exhaisted when preparing for the program in May and June. On top of the cancer, I had anemia. That has taken months of iron infusions, iron pills, and an emergency blood transfusion to correct. On top of this, I caught Covid in July, which shut down the last four adventures.

The healing from the surgery has been extra challenging, so perseverence has become my sole focus this fall. I had hoped to run two holidays in November, but that was not possible.

Right now, I am unsure of where Dragon's Eye Adventures stands. I want to thank Oliver and the children for an amazing ten years of sparkling joy and discovery. I hope that families took away as much as I did from our collective imaginings.

If stamina returns, I may pick up the adventures in the future, but for now, the dragons are quietly dreaming of "Aha!" moments.