No, not that Haunted Mansion!
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We were invited to provide some mermaid fun with the team at Imagine! for an employee appreciation event at the historic (and purportedly haunted) Crawford Hill Mansion. We knew we were meant to expect rain in the early afternoon, so we started straight away with pool time to beat the heat on a sizzling Summer day. We'd have plenty of time to cuddle-up with ghosts when it started to rain. 

We love supporting nonprofits. Imagine! "provides services designed to incorporate people with developmental, cognitive, and physical challenges into the fabric of their communities. Services include educational and therapeutic services, job training and placement, recreation and leisure activities, opportunities for community living, behavioral health services, technology solutions, and support for families." In 2018 Imagine! served 4,176 people. We had a splash with the team swimming, chatting, and touring the mansion. 

The Crawford Hill Mansion is a Châteauesque-style mansion in the heart of downtown Denver. It was originally built in 1906 by Crawford and Louise Sneed-Hill. Louise, the arch-nemesis of the utterly unsinkable Margaret "Molly" Brown, was all about classism, racism and xenophobia it seems, as she didn't allow anyone sans domestic servants and "high society" into her home. She wouldn't even let Molly into her home until Molly became famous post-Titanic trauma. Louise was known for being anti-semitic and we secretly love that the building became home to the Jewish Town Club decades later.
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Molly Brown called Louise "the snobbiest women in town" and it's rumored that Louise would lock Crawford in a room upstairs during her parties. Apparently, Crawford's failing health was not to her liking. So, let's add ableist and abusive to the long list of terrible attributes Louise embodied here on Earth. We hope her spirit has since learned some lessons about how to be more kind towards others. Good grief, woman!

All that being said, the mansion is architecturally stunning. After years of neglect and failed restorations, in 1990 it was restored as law offices. We've been to the mansion several times for events, but this was the first time we were able to get a proper tour. We didn't run into any ghosts this time around, but we were rich in mermaid magic and new friends who surely would have made ol' Louise Sneed seethe.

Last week, we were super lucky to be invited to help with the installation of The Climate Ribbon Project at the Boulder Public Library. The Climate Ribbon Project is a beautiful climate justice art project and ritual that we became aware of during participation last Spring in the Boulder.Earth course, What Would Nature Do? During that course, we met Rae Abileah, the social change strategist, community organizer, and ritual designer for the Climate Ribbon Project. Rae designed a closing ceremony for the WWND? course that was delightful and moving. 

As an enthusiast of all things involving ribbons and Rae, we were pleased-as-punch to support this install.  The Climate Ribbon is "a massive public art installation and ritual space to grieve all that we stand to lose to Climate Chaos." The project asks one to reflect "What do you hope never to lose to climate chaos?" and to witness and support others in their hopes and grief. It's such a beautiful project. It embodies kindness, compassion, connection and the space to process our thoughts and feelings surrounding climate chaos in a healing, artistic action shared in community. 

Now, we do love a good tease here at the Uncanny Occasion lair, so we are only including photos of the installation process. If you are in the Denver/Boulder area between now and August 28th, visit the Boulder Public Library's main branch to view and participate in this wonderful art project. 

Look for us in Boulder, CO again on July 19th, 2019 with The Inland Ocean Coalition, Mermaid Trina and other mermaids for Tube to Work Day. See you there!