Such a wise and thoughtful post, Susan. Thank you! I wish you all the best in your new home in Montrose. My son and daughter-in-law have a farm not too far from Montrose - it's a lovely corner of the world!
Thank you, Dave! I loved Montrose when I lived there before, even though the sweet little 1930s cottage I had was a huge project--the beautiful old stacked stone foundation had collapsed on one side from neglect and I had to jack it up and replace that part, plus replacing the mechanical systems and all of the windows. The neighborhood (near the hospital) was too noisy for me, and I ended up moving away. I'm excited about going back (to a different part of town) and being able to walk the river trail again. Perhaps we could meet in person sometime when you guys come to visit your son and daughter-in-law.
I am continually encouraged by what you write as I was when I first read your memoir. And as I’m pondering my little blog post this week, I’m working on the concept of resilience. Maybe I’ll just repost yours! Thank you so much for all you show us about living
Kathryn, thank you for reading and for commenting. Encouragement, inspiration and connection to nature (our own and that around us) are what I aim for. Resilience is a topic we can't say too much about these days, I think. And I know you have your own wisdom and spirituality to draw on. Blessings!
Thank you, David! I just packed your Canyon Country natural history book today along with the rest of my shelf of Southwest nature writing and was thinking of you. I'm sorry I'll miss you on your visit to Santa Fe. Maybe you'll come through Montrose one day.... :)
Can you comment on Oak trees, which hang onto their leaves after they have turned brown and only let them go in the spring when the new ones are budding out?
Kathryn, First, I have to say that there are many species of oak trees, some of which are deciduous, and some--the ones called live oaks--evergreen. Not all deciduous oaks hang on to their leaves, but white oaks, which grow in your area, often do. What's happening there is that the leaves are heavily coated with waxes, which keep them from losing water so quickly, and once the tree seals them off at the base of the stem, they aren't a liability as leaves that are more permeable would be. I suspect, but I don't know, that the old leaves serve some function for the tree over the winter, or else they would be let go. Does that help?
Thank you kindly, Lisa! As you know from your experience, finding and honoring one's place is a lifelong practice. I thought the high prairie outside Santa Fe was the place for me for the remainder of my years, but life had other ideas. So I'll go plant my roots in western Colorado and hope to find stability and a long-term home there. Blessings!
Learning to adapt to environmental conditions by modeling the natural world makes so much sense, even more so with a chronic illness like lupus. Best wishes for your new home in Montrose.
Thank you so much for those good wishes, Jill. And yes, we have so much to learn from nature that can help us to be healthy humans! As a certified plant-geek (hah!), I am focused on what those green and rooted beings have to offer, but that's only one aspect of what there is to learn. Blessings to you....
I also live with an autoimmune disease, and although it is not life threatening (rheumatoid arthritis), it has affected my life. This is the reason we chose to move from New York to New Mexico. We also drove here and there around the country to find the right spot, so I can completely relate to how you chose your new home, Susan. When I woke up in the morning in Taos and asked if the town had been scented with incense, I was told that was the natural smell of the sage. No urine smells? No garbage stink? I have never looked back! Be content and healthy in your new home!!
Phyllis, I am so sorry that you have rheumatoid arthritis, and that it's affected your life in major ways. I am glad that you adapted by moving to a drier, warmer, sunnier climate though, and that brought you to Northern New Mexico from New York City because I know how much you love living here. (Even aside from not having urine smells and stinking garbage!) I think sometimes our greatest challenges also have the potential to give us gifts, and I am glad that you received the gift of moving to a place you had never imagined, and which is now such an inspiring home for you both. May your RA continue to be manageable and your NM home continue to be a place of comfort and joy. Blessings!
I have always found the wild country and even non-industrialized farmland to be comforting in times of difficulty. Somehow the mortality we all face does not seem so overpowering in the face of some sort of natural context. Your senses seem to become more acute, as one has to be respectful in the presence of an entity that could easily kill you. I remember hiking down a rock slide in the mountains near Mulegé, Baja California, where my major professor and his band of students had been searching for land snails, when just ahead of me in the dimming light I saw the rattle and coils of a rattlesnake partly obscured by a boulder. If I had not been observant, there could have been a serious situation as we were miles away from any medical help. Oddly, I felt more alive in that wilderness, with all its dangers, than I usually felt at home.
My best wishes and thoughts are with you, for what they are worth.
Thank you for your good wishes, David, and for these thoughts about why wildness matters to we humans. Your story about the rattler in Baja gets to the heart of it, I think. We feel more alive in wildness, I think, because we have to be attuned and aware, not distracted and "busy," thus we are entirely ourselves. There's some really great neurobiology research about what time in nature, the wilder the better, does for our brains, and it's fascinating. We become our whole selves in the wild. Blessings to you and Lynda and those wonderful young women you raised!
A testimony to the healing and transforming relationship with nature! And "adaptation" is my word for the week too -- for different reasons -- but I know this is true for us both: adaptation is grace. You are in my heart, Susan. Welcome back to Colorado.
Stephanie, How appropriate that we're in sync thinking about adaptation this week! I hope that your adaptation is fruitful and gives you the grace to handle whatever comes in this journey of finding the place that will nurture you more fully. I think it's no accident that you found the Morning Altars class right now, and I know the tools you gain from it will help you "as way opens" for your next chapter. As for me, the movers come Wednesday morning and I am still packing. And packing. And packing..... Blessings and a warm hug.
A lovely post, Susan. I too marvel at the adaptability of plants. They are such amazing beings, and have so much to teach us. I'm looking forward to hearing about your move and settling in to a new home. May it all go smoothly...
Have you read the new book about plants, The Light-Eaters by science writer Zoe Schlanger? It's beautifully written and mind-expanding. Highly recommended! The move will be protracted as I have to be out of this house 10/24 and can't get into my new one until 11/25. I'll be staying in a tiny cabin on the river not far from my new neighborhood, and my stuff will be relaxing in storage. It'll be like Christmas when I finally get to open all of the boxes I am packing now and remember what's in them!
Oh, goodness ... well at least it's only a month. And that will be cause for Thanksgiving, in your new abode. I have not heard of that book; thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it out!
Thanks! I'm looking at those 33 days as a working vacation: I get to stay in a cabin right on the river where I can easily walk my beloved riverway trail, and I don't have to think about anything other than writing and walking and settling into my new landscape. All of the house stuff--utilities, unpacking, etc, will come later. :) The Light-Eaters is a breathtaking read; I think you'll really find it fascinating.
Wishing you the best on your move. I am enjoying reading Walking Nature Home, A Life’s Journey. I was diagnosed in my late 30's with arthritis. I have Sjogren's Syndrome. For over 35 years I have been mindful of the need for self- care. I so identify with so much in your writings and choices. Thank you.
Linda, thank you for the good wishes, and the compliment on Walking Nature Home! I am honored that the book is proving to be helpful for you. I am sorry that you're dealing with RA and Sjogren's, and I hope that being mindful with self-care is a strong and effective part of your treatment regimen. Despite decades of practice in dealing with my autoimmune conditions, I have to confess that I am still learning how to listen to my body and still learning to notice and adjust my regimen of self-care. It's amazing how easy it is to slip into thinking I am all fine, and forget the critical daily practices that keep me that way! Every time I fail myself, I pick myself up, resolve to learn from the experience, and start again with my new knowledge. I guess I'm a slow learner.... Blessings to you!
Supposedly the RA is in remission. I have OA as well. Thank you for these words. I do practice self care including reading, walking, mindfulness, gratitude, prayer, gratitide, journaling, and life long learning.
I hope the RA really is in remission, and the OA calms down. Self-care is so important for all of life, but especially for those of us with sensitive and reactive immune systems. It sounds like you have a wonderful palette of self-care tools, and are using them effectively, which is great. May you continue to be as healthy as possible, and may your spirit stay strong and loving.
This so resonates with me. I’m very intuitive and responsive to adapting as things change. I’ve definitely learned to go to my ‘left brain’ in processing decisions. I’m more free now to follow my natural leanings (art, songwriting, cooking) with my new life as a retiree & person w/ effects of a TBI ( memory recall loss & not remembering things, fatigue) I also have some kind autoimmune disorder, we are starting to investigate. Random symptoms, that I suspect have meaning & a source. Enjoying your analogies, and loveeee Colorado 🫶😄I’m now in Chattanooga, TN very hilly, lush and scenic. Let’s compare notes on this journey we dare to live? 🦋🦅🏞️🌉🌅🛤️💐
Butterfly (and what a beautiful name!), I am glad you are more free to follow your natural leanings and find life-rhythms that are supportive as you journey with a TBI and also whatever autoimmune condition you have. (I use "condition" rather than "disorder" or "disease" to get away from the negative connotations of the last two words. We have the immune systems we have, and some of us are simply more sensitive to stress and other negative influences and our immune systems respond to that. It doesn't mean we're sick or disordered, just sensitive.) Enjoy Chattanooga and your art, songwriting and cooking and whatever else moves you!
How I love these posts of yours, Susan. Thoughtful, authentic, inspiring.
Thank you, Cheryl. I am honored by your words and friendship. Blessings!
Blessings as u move forward to yet another home.
Thank you, Bette. I'm very tired of moving, and I am hoping I can stay put in this one. I've been missing having a river nearby....
I so enjoy reading your work and I always learn something new. Best wishes for your move.
Thank you so much, Trevy! Blessings to you.
Such a wise and thoughtful post, Susan. Thank you! I wish you all the best in your new home in Montrose. My son and daughter-in-law have a farm not too far from Montrose - it's a lovely corner of the world!
Thank you, Dave! I loved Montrose when I lived there before, even though the sweet little 1930s cottage I had was a huge project--the beautiful old stacked stone foundation had collapsed on one side from neglect and I had to jack it up and replace that part, plus replacing the mechanical systems and all of the windows. The neighborhood (near the hospital) was too noisy for me, and I ended up moving away. I'm excited about going back (to a different part of town) and being able to walk the river trail again. Perhaps we could meet in person sometime when you guys come to visit your son and daughter-in-law.
I am continually encouraged by what you write as I was when I first read your memoir. And as I’m pondering my little blog post this week, I’m working on the concept of resilience. Maybe I’ll just repost yours! Thank you so much for all you show us about living
Kathryn, thank you for reading and for commenting. Encouragement, inspiration and connection to nature (our own and that around us) are what I aim for. Resilience is a topic we can't say too much about these days, I think. And I know you have your own wisdom and spirituality to draw on. Blessings!
Susan, Wishing you a rejoiceful, calming, healthful, and enchanting time in Montrose. Fondly, DBW
Thank you, David! I just packed your Canyon Country natural history book today along with the rest of my shelf of Southwest nature writing and was thinking of you. I'm sorry I'll miss you on your visit to Santa Fe. Maybe you'll come through Montrose one day.... :)
Can you comment on Oak trees, which hang onto their leaves after they have turned brown and only let them go in the spring when the new ones are budding out?
Kathryn, First, I have to say that there are many species of oak trees, some of which are deciduous, and some--the ones called live oaks--evergreen. Not all deciduous oaks hang on to their leaves, but white oaks, which grow in your area, often do. What's happening there is that the leaves are heavily coated with waxes, which keep them from losing water so quickly, and once the tree seals them off at the base of the stem, they aren't a liability as leaves that are more permeable would be. I suspect, but I don't know, that the old leaves serve some function for the tree over the winter, or else they would be let go. Does that help?
Sending all good wishes as you move to your new place in the world.
Thank you kindly, Lisa! As you know from your experience, finding and honoring one's place is a lifelong practice. I thought the high prairie outside Santa Fe was the place for me for the remainder of my years, but life had other ideas. So I'll go plant my roots in western Colorado and hope to find stability and a long-term home there. Blessings!
Learning to adapt to environmental conditions by modeling the natural world makes so much sense, even more so with a chronic illness like lupus. Best wishes for your new home in Montrose.
Thank you so much for those good wishes, Jill. And yes, we have so much to learn from nature that can help us to be healthy humans! As a certified plant-geek (hah!), I am focused on what those green and rooted beings have to offer, but that's only one aspect of what there is to learn. Blessings to you....
I also live with an autoimmune disease, and although it is not life threatening (rheumatoid arthritis), it has affected my life. This is the reason we chose to move from New York to New Mexico. We also drove here and there around the country to find the right spot, so I can completely relate to how you chose your new home, Susan. When I woke up in the morning in Taos and asked if the town had been scented with incense, I was told that was the natural smell of the sage. No urine smells? No garbage stink? I have never looked back! Be content and healthy in your new home!!
Phyllis, I am so sorry that you have rheumatoid arthritis, and that it's affected your life in major ways. I am glad that you adapted by moving to a drier, warmer, sunnier climate though, and that brought you to Northern New Mexico from New York City because I know how much you love living here. (Even aside from not having urine smells and stinking garbage!) I think sometimes our greatest challenges also have the potential to give us gifts, and I am glad that you received the gift of moving to a place you had never imagined, and which is now such an inspiring home for you both. May your RA continue to be manageable and your NM home continue to be a place of comfort and joy. Blessings!
Yes, adaptation can bring about unexpected gifts!
Being able to see it that way is a gift in itself, seems to me.
I have always found the wild country and even non-industrialized farmland to be comforting in times of difficulty. Somehow the mortality we all face does not seem so overpowering in the face of some sort of natural context. Your senses seem to become more acute, as one has to be respectful in the presence of an entity that could easily kill you. I remember hiking down a rock slide in the mountains near Mulegé, Baja California, where my major professor and his band of students had been searching for land snails, when just ahead of me in the dimming light I saw the rattle and coils of a rattlesnake partly obscured by a boulder. If I had not been observant, there could have been a serious situation as we were miles away from any medical help. Oddly, I felt more alive in that wilderness, with all its dangers, than I usually felt at home.
My best wishes and thoughts are with you, for what they are worth.
Thank you for your good wishes, David, and for these thoughts about why wildness matters to we humans. Your story about the rattler in Baja gets to the heart of it, I think. We feel more alive in wildness, I think, because we have to be attuned and aware, not distracted and "busy," thus we are entirely ourselves. There's some really great neurobiology research about what time in nature, the wilder the better, does for our brains, and it's fascinating. We become our whole selves in the wild. Blessings to you and Lynda and those wonderful young women you raised!
A testimony to the healing and transforming relationship with nature! And "adaptation" is my word for the week too -- for different reasons -- but I know this is true for us both: adaptation is grace. You are in my heart, Susan. Welcome back to Colorado.
Stephanie, How appropriate that we're in sync thinking about adaptation this week! I hope that your adaptation is fruitful and gives you the grace to handle whatever comes in this journey of finding the place that will nurture you more fully. I think it's no accident that you found the Morning Altars class right now, and I know the tools you gain from it will help you "as way opens" for your next chapter. As for me, the movers come Wednesday morning and I am still packing. And packing. And packing..... Blessings and a warm hug.
A lovely post, Susan. I too marvel at the adaptability of plants. They are such amazing beings, and have so much to teach us. I'm looking forward to hearing about your move and settling in to a new home. May it all go smoothly...
Have you read the new book about plants, The Light-Eaters by science writer Zoe Schlanger? It's beautifully written and mind-expanding. Highly recommended! The move will be protracted as I have to be out of this house 10/24 and can't get into my new one until 11/25. I'll be staying in a tiny cabin on the river not far from my new neighborhood, and my stuff will be relaxing in storage. It'll be like Christmas when I finally get to open all of the boxes I am packing now and remember what's in them!
Oh, goodness ... well at least it's only a month. And that will be cause for Thanksgiving, in your new abode. I have not heard of that book; thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it out!
Thanks! I'm looking at those 33 days as a working vacation: I get to stay in a cabin right on the river where I can easily walk my beloved riverway trail, and I don't have to think about anything other than writing and walking and settling into my new landscape. All of the house stuff--utilities, unpacking, etc, will come later. :) The Light-Eaters is a breathtaking read; I think you'll really find it fascinating.
Wishing you the best on your move. I am enjoying reading Walking Nature Home, A Life’s Journey. I was diagnosed in my late 30's with arthritis. I have Sjogren's Syndrome. For over 35 years I have been mindful of the need for self- care. I so identify with so much in your writings and choices. Thank you.
Linda, thank you for the good wishes, and the compliment on Walking Nature Home! I am honored that the book is proving to be helpful for you. I am sorry that you're dealing with RA and Sjogren's, and I hope that being mindful with self-care is a strong and effective part of your treatment regimen. Despite decades of practice in dealing with my autoimmune conditions, I have to confess that I am still learning how to listen to my body and still learning to notice and adjust my regimen of self-care. It's amazing how easy it is to slip into thinking I am all fine, and forget the critical daily practices that keep me that way! Every time I fail myself, I pick myself up, resolve to learn from the experience, and start again with my new knowledge. I guess I'm a slow learner.... Blessings to you!
Supposedly the RA is in remission. I have OA as well. Thank you for these words. I do practice self care including reading, walking, mindfulness, gratitude, prayer, gratitide, journaling, and life long learning.
I hope the RA really is in remission, and the OA calms down. Self-care is so important for all of life, but especially for those of us with sensitive and reactive immune systems. It sounds like you have a wonderful palette of self-care tools, and are using them effectively, which is great. May you continue to be as healthy as possible, and may your spirit stay strong and loving.
This so resonates with me. I’m very intuitive and responsive to adapting as things change. I’ve definitely learned to go to my ‘left brain’ in processing decisions. I’m more free now to follow my natural leanings (art, songwriting, cooking) with my new life as a retiree & person w/ effects of a TBI ( memory recall loss & not remembering things, fatigue) I also have some kind autoimmune disorder, we are starting to investigate. Random symptoms, that I suspect have meaning & a source. Enjoying your analogies, and loveeee Colorado 🫶😄I’m now in Chattanooga, TN very hilly, lush and scenic. Let’s compare notes on this journey we dare to live? 🦋🦅🏞️🌉🌅🛤️💐
Butterfly (and what a beautiful name!), I am glad you are more free to follow your natural leanings and find life-rhythms that are supportive as you journey with a TBI and also whatever autoimmune condition you have. (I use "condition" rather than "disorder" or "disease" to get away from the negative connotations of the last two words. We have the immune systems we have, and some of us are simply more sensitive to stress and other negative influences and our immune systems respond to that. It doesn't mean we're sick or disordered, just sensitive.) Enjoy Chattanooga and your art, songwriting and cooking and whatever else moves you!