Reawakening

Thank you for your patience these past few months, as I have not updated this blog in quite some time. My life is currently in transition from middle school English teacher to a full time, professional writer. The life of a teacher poses many, many challenges, and those challenges are only increasing. I truly love the students I have taught, and, while 14-year-olds are not always society's favorite teens, I have found much to love in them, even when I had just under 40 per class! 

I hope that what I am teaching them

is to follow your passion.

The past several months, besides keeping up with my middle school students, have been somewhat eventful! 

I'll catch you up.

On 9 September 2013 my husband and I stopped at our little local market to fill up. As a storm watcher (once chaser! That was a long time ago!) my eye is often on the sky, and we have quite a vista of sky on the Colorado prairie. On this particular day, I gazed down the Front Range toward Pikes Peak, and saw a storm that reminded me of the kind of storm you see in December or January; the kind that turns into a three day blizzard. Steel grey and ominous. I thought about photographing it (and often wish I had), but I thought to myself,

I can't take a photo that would do this justice!

A home submits to
the mighty Big Thompson

That storm changed our lives. From 9-12 September 2013, nearly 18" of rain fell in the northern Colorado Rockies, causing devastating flooding throughout the area. The Big Thompson and The St.Vrain rivers roared down their canyons, shoving houses, tumbling trucks and rerouting the canyon wall itself. 

Reopening the roads was
imperative to local business

We had plenty of rain on the prairie during the same period, but nothing compared to the devastation they saw in Estes Park, Pinewood Springs, Lyons and many other nearby mountain communities. The change did not come for us because our livelihoods and property were affected, as it did for many mountain residents; it came because my husband, Don, works for CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) and on 3 October 2013 he was dispatched to Estes Park as one of those in charge of getting the roads reopened. More than 3 miles of mountain highway had been washed away, and the residents of the mountain communities were cut off. From their jobs, from their schools, and many from their homes. 



While he was in Estes, I drove there on the weekends by way of back mountain roads so that we could have some time together. The drive was sometimes treacherous in the winter, dropping into Estes Park on winding mountain roads, snow blowing blindingly in headlights. Those early weeks after the floods were emotionally charged as well, as we bore witness to the pain, and much healing recovery, of the residents of the Estes Park area, whose mantra became "Mountain Strong."    

Our favorite breakfast spot in Estes Park
from Kamikaze Dining

Don finally returned home the week after Thanksgiving. I will not write about it here and now, but eventually, I will share many of the stories of the amazing people we met, some of whom we are now fortunate enough to call friends. I did do some writing about the restaurants in my Kamikaze Dining blog if you are interested. 


After Don came home and we made it through the holidays (without an oven...different story) our new year began with much loss. Within the span of about 3 1/2 months, two dear friends lost their fathers, and each of their spouses lost their fathers as well. In that same time, a colleague and friend, and mother to a much loved former student, lost her 4 year battle with breast cancer. And, because life sometimes offers many challenges at once, Don's niece chose to take her own life. 

As life offers many challenges, it too offers affirmations of love and life. We had the great good fortune to celebrate a family wedding in California, which allowed for time to enjoy and appreciate and to share in great love and profound hope for the future with a dearly loved couple. 

The healing power of The Beach

Time near the ocean, 

steeped in the love of this sweet couple, 

offered a welcome, 

healing respite. 

Within days following the California wedding, my dear friend braved a trip with me and 21 of my 8th graders for 4 days in Washington DC! This was a really great group of kids, who truly made me proud of them everywhere we went, whether shaking the hand of the Honor Flight at the WWII memorial, looking at me with awe in their eyes following The Changing of the Guard, or taking it in stride when our bus broke down and we had to wait for another to pick us up. 

An efficient irrigation system

The back wall of the slave's quarters

One of the many wonderful places we visited was Mount Vernon, the home and final resting place of George Washington, and one of my very favorite places. I took some time to tour the gardens and to appreciate all that Washington contributed to our understandings of responsible agricultural practices. Among many other things, our nation's first president was a great steward of the land. 

Tranquil garden beauty 

While we were in Washington and Virginia, we walked more than 30 miles in 4 days, and I was feeling it!

After our trip to Washington, I still had to face the end of my school year: 8th grade continuation, end-of-year field trip, grading final projects and getting in my grades, as well as packing up my room and closing out my career. 

And now, those things are done.

I look forward to a more regular relationship with my keyboard, and to sharing what we are learning from our newly established beehive, our plans for a new greenhouse, and my first attempt at raising chicks! We have also recently adopted two playful kittens to keep me company while I work towards a new career and their antics have already proved to be quite entertaining. 

Nin is already proving
to be entertaining!

Thank you so much

for taking the journey with me!