Meet Lori
How one fish became a story about connection
I’m working on a new art installation right now. It’s made up of several fish, each one created from a bottle, wire, and Nespresso capsules. Every fish will look completely different, and each one will carry its own story.
The larger theme I’m exploring is being thirsty for connection.
But before I show you the whole school, I want to start with just one fish. The one that made me laugh the most while I was building it.
Let’s dive in. (Worst pun ever.)
The Fish Named Lori
Meet Lori.
She isn’t just a name on an art piece. She’s a real person and a real friendship. We’ve known each other for over two decades, and we often end up in the kind of situations you can’t plan for. The kind you retell forever.
This one is the most recent, and it’s the reason this fish exists.
The Visit That Almost Didn’t Happen
Lori has a new man in her life. Clark. One day she texted me saying that he had invited her on a trip to PEI, and they could visit us en route on the weekend.
These are the best messages from friends. A new man and a visit. We were excited.
But then came the twist. I’d been exposed to Covid by four different people. I hadn’t thought about Covid in ages, and suddenly it was back in my life. Mark and I didn’t get sick and Lori was still game to visit us.
Then Covid started making its way around our town and I texted Lori to let her know.
She texted back, “We will avoid town.”
I took that to mean the visit was off. That’s not what she meant. She meant they were still coming, they just wouldn’t go into town.
The 10pm Knock
By Friday night, I had fully filed the visit away as cancelled. Mark and I were watching something on Apple TV when there was a knock at the front door.
We jumped. Literally. Because no one in Nova Scotia knocks on a front door. It’s an unwritten rule.
So yes. You guessed it.
It was Lori.
At 10pm.
We were shocked and delighted. But mostly shocked.
After a cup of tea and a long chat, I noticed Lori and Clark getting tired. A day of travel will do that. I asked, “Would you like to stay?”
And that’s when I realized I had missed something.
The Messages I Never Got
Lori had sent me a pile of messages all day. ETAs, updates, the whole thing. But I never received a single one of them. She wondered why I wasn’t responding to her.
We had a good laugh. I assembled a guest bed, grabbed towels, and got them as cozy as I could with absolutely no pre-planning.
Dirt, Stakes, and the Crow Family
The next morning I told Lori that because I hadn’t known they were coming, I hadn’t planted a bunch of plants that needed to get in the ground. It was October, and Mark and I had come home with an end-of-season haul of berry bushes and roses.
Lori was totally up for helping.
Clark noticed a pile of tree stakes that I bought for my next big project: a Nespresso pod privacy screen for our 40-foot labyrinth. He immediately started offering to help with that too, as well as planting.
So the four of us spent the better part of the day outside, hands in the soil, while our crow family supervised what we were doing with what they still consider to be their yard.
It was simple and lovely. One of those weekends that reminds me how thirsty we all are for connection, even when we’re not calling it that.
Two Weeks Later
The visit was truly lovely. Lori and Clark eventually made their way back to Ontario, and life carried on.
Two weeks later, I got a voicemail from Lori.
It was her ETA?!
How This Became a Fish
So now, the fish.
The bottle came from Clark. It was one of the bottles of homemade wine he had gifted me.
The wire, with all its bends and twists, represents the never-straight path Lori and I often seem to end up on. The capsule pieces on the tail reflect that same energy. Movement, variety and little surprises.
And the circles of pods on the body of the fish represent the many dances Lori and I have danced together over the years. Sacred Circle dancing is where we met, and without it, there would have been no Lori in my life.
This fish holds that story.
Not the whole story, of course. Just one strand of it. But it feels right to begin here.
If You Want to Try Something
Think of someone you’ve collected stories with. The kind of person where, when you’re together, something always seems to happen. Choose one memory that still makes you laugh.
Then, turn that memory into art – a poem, a story, a painting, anything.
Subscriber Winner for January
And the monthly draw winner for January is…Kathy Bruce! I’ll make your gift this weekend, Kathy. Congratulations!
What’s Next
I’m working on several fish right now, and each one is going to represent a special memory with a friend. Next week, I’ll introduce you to “Louise”.
(Yes, Louise Racine, I’m looking at you.)
To see the other ways I have turned friends into fish for my Thirsty for Connection art installation, read these stories:
Your story has touched my heart. I just LOVED it. Connections, big or small, have purpose. It's so great when you can recognize them and be grateful for them. This is why you can never judge someone's art just by looking at it. Always know there is a story behind it. One that is personal and meaningful.
"Friends, crows, plants, and labyrinths. Connection everywhere." Oh my goodness, Carolyn, so many of my favorite things in one place! Wonderful post.