Burning Man - Part VII

This was Tom’s third time going to Burning Man. In the past I was unable to go with him because of work. I always felt like I sent a part of me with him when he went. When he came home he would tell me stories about being there. I felt like I was there with him because my heart was with him.

When we got there one of the first questions Tom asked me was, “Is it what you imagined?” It was exactly as I imagined it to be. I felt like I was there before. I looked around and it looked familiar and felt right. It was amazing.

It’s not all fun and games on the playa. There is the fact that as team we agreed not to shower. When you have 40 members and only two RV’s either some shower or none at all. Body wipes are very helpful.

The other thing was the port-o-potties. They didn’t bother me. Mind you port-o-potties are gross, but you can wrap your mind around anything for only a week. There should be an unspoken rule when using port-o-potties - cover your poop. It appeared that there many who were proud of their creations. It doesn’t take much to throw extra paper in there to cover it up. I’m just sayin’.

The team worked hard during the day and at night after dinner, we got to relax and spend time with one another. It was great to get to know new people and spend time with folks we don’t get to see often. We laughed and then laughed some more. We told each other stories about ourselves and it was great. Some of the team members would go for a ride on the shopping cart.

My favorite part of the week was when James bought me an ice cream cone. That’s right – on Thursday, I had ice cream in the desert. It was glorious. I heard the angels sing. Thanks James, I love you. I want to thank Dr. Seuss for letting James know how much I wanted ice cream.

Here are some art work that was on display. My favorite is the Dancing Lady (pictured above and below).
The Human Ant Farm.

Art work at night.

Random pieces I enjoyed.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man - Part VI

Once our camp is set up the best part of Burning Man began – encounters. There are many theme camps at Burning Man. Our camp is called Spirit Dream Interpretation and Café.

In the Coffee Dome we offer free mochas, espressos and lattes. It’s run by a man named, Ron and his wife Cookie. Outside of the Encounter Tent we give away free water. Inside we offer dream interpretations (someone tells us their dream and we offer an interpretation), life readings (we ask Creator for an encouraging and uplifting word for the person), spiritual cleansings (we ask Creator’s light to come and remove the darkness), etc.

You might wonder why it’s all free. At Burning Man there is a gifting culture that fits perfectly own philosophy of gifting. Whenever we do these types of outreaches, we never charge money for it. Freely we are given and freely we give. We also don’t use religious language. Some people come to Burning Man for a spiritual experience and so using non-religious language fits better. An example would be we use the word Creator instead of God or Creator’s Light instead of the Holy Spirit.

Watching someone’s life change or their life encouraged made it all worth it – the heat, the port-o-potties, the dust, etc. Some people come there and they haven’t been told positive things about themselves. They are changed when we say the things that reveal who they truly are. When burdens are lifted and their spirit is refreshed – it changed them. Some people come back with their friends and others come back every year.

I have many stories about these wonderful encounters, but it is a private thing that happened between us and I want to respect the privacy of those we ministered to. The team members come from all over the United States and one gal came from Scotland. Their various churches made gifts for us to give out to the Burners we have encounters with. It’s a way for them to remember their encounter. We gave out hundreds of necklaces and bracelets during the week.

I can tell you about an encounter I had when I came out of the port-o-potty. It appeared the hand sanitizer was empty and I forgot mine in the RV. A young lady asked if it was empty and when I replied that it was she said she thought she might have some. She shared hers with me. I was wearing a bracelet that looked like jewels to me. I took it off and said, “I would like to give you something. This bracelet reminds me of jewels. When you look at it I want it to be a reminder to you that you are a treasure to the Creator.” It was a quick word I heard when I looked at my bracelet. She was so touched and gave me a big hug. The smile on her face was priceless.

Stay tuned for more stories and pictures from the playa.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010

The picture above is Dr. Phil and Tom during an encounter.

Francine Rivers - Her Daughter’s Dream

I interrupt my series on Burning Man to bring you this Francine Rivers blog tour event. The first book in this series, Her Mother’s Hope was excellent. I’m looking forward to reading the second book. Francine’s writing is easy to read and hard to put down.

Book Description

In the dramatic conclusion to the New York Times best seller Her Mother’s Hope, Francine Rivers delivers a rich and deeply moving story about the silent sorrows that can tear a family apart and the grace and forgiveness that can heal even the deepest wounds.

Growing up isn’t easy for little Carolyn Arundel. With her mother, Hildemara, quarantined to her room with tuberculosis, Carolyn forms a special bond with her oma Marta, who moves in to care for the household. But as tensions between Hildie and Marta escalate, Carolyn believes she is to blame. When Hildie returns to work and Marta leaves, Carolyn and her brother grow up as latchkey kids in a world gripped by the fear of the Cold War.

College offers Carolyn the chance to find herself, but a family tragedy shatters her newfound independence. Rather than return home, she cuts all ties and disappears into the heady counterculture of San Francisco. When she reemerges two years later, more lost than ever, she reluctantly turns to her family to help rebuild a life for her and her own daughter, May Flower Dawn.
Just like Carolyn, May Flower Dawn develops a closer bond with her grandmother, Hildie, than with her mother, causing yet another rift between generations. But as Dawn struggles to avoid the mistakes of those who went before her, she vows that somehow she will be a bridge between the women in her family rather than the wall that separates them forever.

Spanning from the 1950s to present day, Her Daughter’s Dream is the emotional final chapter of an unforgettable family saga about the sacrifices every mother makes for her daughter—and the very nature of unconditional love.

Questions for the author:

Writing a novel is not for the faint of heart. What was the most difficult part of writing this family saga? What came the most naturally to you?

The most difficult part of writing any novel is getting out of my own way. I have to get rid of preconceived notions about themes and characters and plot. The first draft of this novel came in at over 1000 pages and was too biographical. I wanted the story to shift back and forth from present to past, trying to show what happened to create the rifts and valleys between Hildemara, Carolyn and May Flower Dawn. I was too cautious, too afraid to harm to my grandmother and mother’s memory.

A wonderful editor wrote me an insightful letter in which she listed what she wanted to know about each the characters. Her letter got my creative juices flowing. She helped me look at the story in a new way. I set the first manuscript aside and started over. I found it better to move from one generation to the next in a linear story. This time the characters followed my grandmother and mother’s timeline, but took on a life of their own. They became unique individuals rather than the shadow of real people.

After readers finish this series what do you want them to remember? What questions and feelings do you want it to provoke on a spiritual and emotional level?
I hope and pray readers who have had difficult relationships with their mothers or daughters will let go of the pain and anger and allow God to work in their lives. God can work all things together for good for those who trust and love Him. Following Jesus’ example changes the way we see people. It changes the way we relate to one another. Even when the chasm is too deep to cross, we can decide to forgive. Some people wear grievances like a dirty coat. With God’s strength, we can strip it off and be free. When people finish reading Her Daughter’s Dream, I hope they will want to extend God’s grace and forgiveness. I hope they will tear down their walls and use their life experiences to begin building a bridge.

For a chance at receiving a free copy of the book join the Virtual Book Tour on Facebook. They are giving away THREE copies of the book: Click HERE and ONE copy on the Christian Speaker Services blog - Click HERE .

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man - Part V

Once the initial tents were put up, the only thing left to do on Monday was decorate. By the afternoon the Encounter Tent was open for business. (More on that in the next post.)

The Encounter Tent


Bracelets and Necklaces we use to gift the Burners are lined against wall to help with the decor.

The Coffee Dome

Chairs line up around the inside of the Coffee Dome. Pillows and blankets in the middle so people can gather.
Drums are also available for people to play.
Open for business.
Monday was a massive rain storm. It didn’t rain for long, but what was left was this double rainbow. It was beautiful.
The rain also left behind “clay.”
Look at my shoes. I’m glad I wore my old shoes.
The next day Bear took advantage of the rain caught on the roof of the shelter.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man - Part IV

It takes a lot of preparation to take 40 people into the desert for a week. Part of the reason the team meets up in Carson City is to get everything ready. I volunteered to help with the kitchen staff. The couple who was in charge of three meals a day for our team (Watering Eyes and Amphora) did an awesome job getting things ready beforehand and cooking while in the desert.

We stored the cold food in coolers. But some things had to be prepared before going. For example, brownies were made, bacon was cooked, and vegetables were cleaned and packed. I was impressed how organized they were. Not only is there food prep, but the tents have to be checked, cleaned and packed.

With the trailer filled with food, tents, chairs, barbeques, etc., we started our two hour trek from Carson City to Black Rock City (BRC). There is a long road to enter BRC, with these signs that line along the road. (Pictured below)

At the next check point your tickets are checked and then you proceed to the “Welcoming Station.” Greeters welcome you with big hugs and by saying “Welcome home.” If you are a first timer they make you roll around in the dust and ring a bell. (Dr. Phil below at the Welcoming Station.)

Welcoming Station
Dr. Phil rolling around.
Dr. Phil ringing the bell.
You are probably wondering if Momma Bear rolled around in the dirt. The answer to that would be no. It’s not that I’m not a good sport. I have really bad knees. They were swollen and I can’t lie on the ground. It’s too hard to get up. So Momma Bear lied through her teeth and said I was there before. Don’t judge me until you walked a mile with my knees.

The playa is set up with roads that have names and time. Our location was 4:30 and Detroit. The team worked very hard to set up the coffee dome, encounter tent, area where we cook and eat, and the personal tents for the team to sleep in. Tom and I were blessed to sleep in one of the RV’s.

Enjoy the following pictures of the set up.

The RV's.
Encounter Tent being set up.
Overhead shelter for our cooking area and our meals.Coffee dome frame being put in place.


© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man – Part III

When you drive 44 straight hours, stopping only for gas, food and potty breaks, you realize how tired and dirty you are when you arrive at your designation. So what did I do for all those hours? For the first six hours I braided my hair (pictured above with my hat and shades). I did that for many reasons, but mainly I thought it was the easiest way for my hair to be without it being shampooed for the week we were on the playa.

Part of the Burning Man experience is creativity. People are very creative with what they wear. They color their hair and sometimes their bodies. Our team learned that it’s better not to stick out like a sore thumb when on the playa. So we have fun being creative.

We all have playa names (mine is Momma Bear and Tom is Godfather). Some of the men wear kilts or skirts (pictured below).
I colored Tom's goatee for him as well as his nails. I must say that was a first for me and I got to paint the nails of three other guys. I think I might open up a salon.
One day I had a mask and someone loaned me angel wings.
Here are some of our lovely ladies.
There is much work that goes into preparing for Burning Man. The team leaders work year around to set up for the week we spend in the desert. They make sure that supplies are ordered (food, water, etc). We arrive a few days before setting out for the playa as a team. They prep the tents (individual and encounter tents), prep the food and we participate in a protocol ceremony with our Native American friends. We ask permission to enter their land and receive a blessing from them to do so. We share communion and exchange gifts.

Until the next installment here are a few photos from the protocol ceremony.

Willow and Robb prepare to present our gifts from the team.
Our friends lead us in song.
Godfather and Momma Bear being gifted by our friend Dan.
We share communion together.© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man - Part II

Getting ready for Burning Man involves lots of prep work. You have to gather supplies (flash lights, hand sanitizer, sleeping bags, etc.). Our journey was to start on a Wednesday and since I would be gone for two weeks there were lots of things to do. Imagine what went through my mind when Tom said, “Hey Babe, do you think we could be ready to leave a day early?” Hmmm. Don’t panic. “Sure, honey no problem.” With Tom’s help we got everything done a day early and set out on our adventure.

Part of the Burning Man experience is “art cars.” People modify and build these cars to drive around in the desert. As mentioned in the last post Horizon built a giant shopping cart (pictured above). For those inquiring minds, he took a 1980 Chevy C 10 truck, cut the body completely off, shortened the frame to 12 ft. Installed a 1976 power glide transmission, kept the original straight 6 engine and ran all new JEGs parts. The basket was built with steel square tubes from 2" to 1", welded all with a MIG gun outside using argon gas mix, painted with real aluminum foil. He installed an 1/8 diamond aluminum tread plate for the floor, installed a stainless steel 12 ft. steering rod, upgraded springs and shocks, then added 16" alloy low profile tires.

Getting the shopping cart to Black Rock City would take over 44 hours of straight driving. When you’re pulling a giant shopping cart on a trailer you get many looks of awe and wonder from people. Suddenly people slow down in the lane next to you in order to get a good picture. People come up to you when you stop and ask such questions as, “What is that thing? Is that a shopping cart? What does it do?”

A couple of my favorites “We’re going to Costco. Where we come from everyone has one of these.”

One young gal out in the middle of night with a young man wanted to take a picture of the cart with Horizon. She asked (with the cutest little southern accent) “Mr. Inventor Man, can I take a picture of you with that thing. My boyfriend won’t believe me if I tell him about it.” Turning towards the young man she’s with she continued, “That’s not my boyfriend.” Hmmm . . . interesting.

The guys took turns driving and sleeping. They were awesome. It’s not easy driving a van pulling a 2,500 lbs cart. On the trailer Horizon had a generator and various tools incase there were any problems with the cart in the middle of the desert. We found out how much of a “Mr. Inventor Man” Horizon was on the way home when the van’s alternator was failing. He started his generator, ran an extension cord through the back window of the van to the front seat to a battery charger, and the wires went out the window and were attached to the battery itself. We were in the middle of the salt flats in Utah and about 30 miles from a garage. We spent the night and after the garage fixed the van we were on our way.

Additional photos of the cart.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010

Burning Man

For the last two weeks I’ve been on an adventure with Tom. Tom has gone to Burning Man in the past few years twice. Each time my heart wanted to go with him, but I was unable to because of work. This year I was honored to be part of the outreach team (made up of 40 people from the US and Scotland) that went to Burning Man.

What is Burning Man? Here’s a brief description from their website:

People make the journey to the Black Rock Desert for one week out of the year to be part of an experimental community, which challenges its members to express themselves and rely on themselves to a degree that is not normally encountered in one's day-to-day life. There are no rules about how one must behave or express oneself at this event (save the rules that serve to protect the health, safety, and experience of the community at large); rather, it is up to each participant to decide how they will contribute and what they will give to this community. The event takes place on an ancient lakebed, known as the playa. By the time the event is completed and the volunteers leave, sometimes nearly a month after the event has ended, there will be no trace of the city that was, for a short time, the most populous town in the entire county.
Everyone on the playa has “playa” names. It’s part of the experience. Tom is Godfather and I am Momma Bear. So when I talk about the team I will refer to them by their “playa names.”

There are many creative people that come to Burning Man. Some build art installations and others build “art cars” that are driven around on the playa.

About six months ago one of the team members (Horizon) started building this giant shopping cart that you can drive and carry people on the playa. He and his team of helpers did an amazing job.

Horizon lives in Ohio. He needed help driving it from Ohio to Nevada where Burning Man takes place in the middle of the desert in a place called Black Rock City. So Tom and I (even though I didn’t drive) and another man (Dr. Phil) drove straight through, only stopping for gas.

My next post will talk about our adventure to Carson City, where the team meets to prepare before heading to Black Rock City.

I hope you join me as I share my experience through words and pictures.

© Nadine Zawacki 2010