little munchkins everywhere

So my friends have been having babies over the last several years now. Jen & Murph just had Gavin (very cute), Leah & Ryan are due next week, Jesse & Grace have almost-one-year-old Elsa--the list goes on. And I just read about a 60-year-old woman who recently gave birth to twins. There's a lot of mixed sentiment on that, for sure! My mom said if she discovered right now that she was pregnant, she might cry. (I'm embellishing a bit, but you get the point.)

Kids in the this world--obviously, it needs to happen and will continue happening, unless we all kill ourselves in one fell swoop through continued planetary destruction or some other mindless, pathetic means. I often think about adoption, fostering, all the different options. Which is best? I think that question can only be decided by the individual couples or the individuals themselves. Me? Not sure. Within the past six months or so the names of three children have come to mind (don't get too excited here, Mom!), which I am keeping close to my heart for now. First off, I 'd like a healthy, sustaining relationship before the children happen. And I have a year-long personal commitment to not be in relationship with anyone else at the moment. (And it's also possible that the three names only came up because back in my early 20s, a palm reader at Venice Beach told me I'd one day have three sons, and my body is urging me to get on with it! Sigh.)

But I wonder about some things. Looking at my age (38), the question arises, will I even be able to have children for much longer? If I still can at all? A friend of mine who is the same age discovered last year that her eggs are too old to "catch" any longer, which was a bit of a blow to her and her husband. Secondly, would I really want to adopt, as I have professed before? Would biology prove too strong? Will my furry critters remain the only "children" I ever have?

Anyway. Some thoughts. Anyone else's thoughts on babies, procreation, all the choices out there, general overpopulation of the planet now, biological urges, etc. etc. etc.?

little munchkins everywhere

the wilds of Utah & the wilds of gas prices

Ah...been a little while since I've written. Oh, well. Life does that, sometimes. Since my last post, I've been in the wilderness for a total of 16 days on two separate occasions, visited Santa Fe, NM, and put lots of pricey miles on my truck. ($3.50/gallon, anyone? By the way, I saw gas for $3.05/gallon in Bernalillo, NM. Quite a bargain by today's standards.)

I've been working a little bit for an amazing wilderness therapy program for at-risk teens called the Aspen Achievement Academy in Loa, Utah. I worked there for a long time and recently returned, much to my delight. It's gorgeous country, as you can see. This photo (bottom) is from the summer course area.

The entire area is beautiful. Located in southern Utah, Capitol Reef National Park is also a favorite stomping ground of mine. I went on a great hike called Sulphur Creek with my friend Karen a few weeks ago. Warm and sunny, it was the best possible day for that particular hike, which involves lots of scrambling over rocks and through the water. That's me wandering happily through the canyon.

After a few sunny days, I woke up on Wednesday morning in the field with snow falling rapidly on our heads! (See top photo--yes, that's June 6.) We were camped at about 9500 feet in area where it can snow in August.... I was pretty glad to be leaving the field that day. I don't think the kids we at all amused.

Then I went to Santa Fe with my friend Ellen for a whirlwind of camping and drumming with interesting folks, lazing around by a sunlit mountainside stream, a wonderful shiatsu massage also by said stream (knowing someone in massage school is a beautiful thing, I tell you), relaxing at the 10,000 Waves spa (only $13 for hours of hot tubbing and sauna-ing! Thanks again, Kevin!), and eating extraordinarily good food also for cheap that night in town. And, of course, the Trader Joe's trip--ah, one of my favorite stores ever.

So I'm back in Durango right now, wondering why I'm here, and looking for ways to escape quickly. It's been an interesting ride here in this little town, which I shall perhaps someday expound upon more (but probably not in my blog; more likely in my tell-all book that shall use pseudonyms to protect the innocent and expose the guilty. Ha! Never piss off a writer.).

It's a glorious day here today--sunny, warm, begging me to get outside. I should have done my laundry yesterday when it was rainy and cold and the Internet and my laptop were just not getting along. Alas and alack, my clothes need a-washing. But perhaps after I go on a long walk by the river....

Just finished reading Surfing the Himalayas: A Spiritual Adventure by Frederick Lenz, an intriguing little book. Some out there might enjoy it. Tried to wrap my head around The Soul's Code by James Hillman last night, but not quite what I'm looking for right now.

Ah, it's clearly time to get outside. As should the rest of you!

the wilds of Utah & the wilds of gas prices