catching up

Wow! Come Mother’s Day, it will have been a year since our arrival in Durango. And quite a year it’s been!


Alex will graduate from the Renewable Energy Program at San Juan College in Farmington, NM this May! However, he does have to take an online math course in the fall to officially earn his RE certificate. But in the meantime, he’ll be ready to start looking for employment in his new field in the Durango area. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the hunt will be a short and successful one. I, for one, can’t wait for the program to be over. While he’s enjoyed the challenge and has gained invaluable experience and skills, and while we have NO regrets about the great leap of faith it took for us to make this incredible change, we’ll all be thrilled when he no longer has to commute 2 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. And no one will miss his constant, unrelenting homework assignments and study sessions. But the bottom line is that we are immeasurably proud of him and know, in our bones, that moving to Colorado and pursuing our dreams, was the RIGHT thing to do, and that it’s already paying off in so many ways!



We survived our first winter in Colorado without a hitch. In fact, we’ve been a bit disappointed by the relative lack of snow this year as compared to other years – we only needed to use our brand new snow thrower once this winter. (How boring.) Nevertheless, we’ve made good use of the huge wood stove in the living room and have had no problem staying warm and cozy.



Playing host to a few visitors has been especially enjoyable for all of us. Dad came for a week in August. Mom’s best friend, Judy, visited at the end of October. I was thrilled to have Heather here for a few days in November. And in January, Alex’s mother, Carol, came for a 2-week stay. In every case, we had the pleasure of showing our guests our beautiful rental, the town of Durango, and the general area. We took day trips to Mesa Verde National Park, Chimney Rock Park, Pagosa Springs, Silverton, and more. We hope we continue to have friends and family come stay with us this year. Plenty of space is always available!


I have been getting more and more involved with my artwork, other artists, and the art world here in general. I have taken 5 art classes so far, including collage, drawing, paper-making, and mixed-media painting. I am doing ceramics again, working privately with a local potter in her studio once a week. I try to regularly update this blog with images of my collages, pottery, and other art-related ventures. I was proud to be included in 2 holiday art shows in December, one of which led to having some of my art cards for sale in the Durango Arts Center gift shop on a permanent basis. Also, beginning in May I will be displaying some of my collages in a new store in Durango, called Handcrafted House, offering interior finishings with an eco-friendly emphasis. Also, I continue to volunteer weekly at the Durango Arts Center, where I am meeting tons of great folks and getting plenty of hands-on experience with exhibitions. Currently, I am helping to organize a juried exhibition in May, called Durango Blooms: Flowers in Art. I have even challenged myself to make one or two pieces to submit to the show. Finally, I plan to submit a proposal with another local artist, to curate a show next year that showcases abstract art (as opposed to realistic/objective art, such as landscapes and portraits). Basically, art (in addition to my Siddha Yoga practices) helps to keep me grounded and sane.



Mom continues to make new friends and find more opportunities to enjoy the many resources Durango has to offer. We discovered the Durango Senior Center even before we arrived here. (She’s patiently awaiting her 2 snow-bird friends/bridge partners to return in the spring or summer so they can get back to some serious bridge-playing.) Recently, we learned that there is a Senior Center in Bayfield, which is only about 15 minutes east of us. Already, she’s jumped into many of their offerings: lunches, bridge games, dominoes, bingo, etc. In fact, she’s hoping to find some way to volunteer there as well. I am pleased with how much she’s taken to Durango. She especially loves the fact that we have four distinct and beautiful seasons. She’s now eagerly awaiting the blooming of spring!

For the past few months, I’ve been taking Mom to the local Unitarian Universalist Church for Sunday services. It seems to be a great fit for her, spiritually, and an ideal opportunity to be part of a community of people who are welcoming and caring. While Siddha Yoga will always be my spiritual home, I have been enjoying the services and fellowship as well. Most especially, I am impressed with the way in which this UU church welcomes and embraces the queer community. For example, the entire program this past Sunday was devoted to LGBT issues. During story time, which happens before the children are ushered off to Sunday school, someone read to the entire fellowship a childrens' book based on the true story about the two male penguins who “fostered” a penguin egg at the New York Zoo. (The book is called “And Tango Makes Three”) Now THAT was impressive (i.e., teaching a gay-themed lesson in a church setting, although the penguin papas are impressive as well)!
[NOTE: while researching the true story about the penguins, I was reminded by Wiki's page on Roy & Silo that, as always, "sexuality" is more fluid than we think. Go bisexuality!!]

• Our various critter-friends are thriving, also. Kitter and Ebony, our indoor cats, have become quite adapted to one another. In fact, Ebony has somehow, miraculously, brought Kitter (the skittish one) a few, but significant, inches out of her shell and she now socializes with us much more than ever before. Mysterious, and wonderful! And the outdoor/garage cats continue to enjoy Alex’s ministrations in the form of food, water (heated, of course), shelter (made of hay bales and blankets). He’s essentially created a kitty resort, attracting god knows how many neighborhood (and feral) felines. The next project, and not an easy one, is to gather up as many of these residents and get them fixed. The last thing we need is a herd of kittens appearing in the spring, cute as they may be!

Have I missed anything?