MARFA ISN'T JUST FOR TEXANS

It is for art lovers, nature lovers, a break from the city to go star gazing, sit quietly, eat good food, drink good coffee…and contemplate. Donald Judd was at the height of his career when he left New York for the least populated place he could find on the map of the United States. Enter Marfa, a town he helped to cultivate that provided the space to create his large piece artwork and have it exist in relation to the landscape and the sky. He invited his best friend and fellow artist, Dan Flavin, to create works and install them in several buildings of the old army barracks Judd purchased for live/work space. This past spring break, we flew from LA to El Paso and then got in the car and drove. Few nights in Marfa and several more in nearby Big Bend National Park. Did the soul some good.

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO, YO!

My three kids are California babies. Snow is almost a mystery to them, given that we’ve been living through the worst drought in oh, 1200 years! With climate change affecting everyone everywhere, it is not a guarantee that there will be snow on the ground in Springfield, Illinois in February. The Universe shone brightly on Cooper and me this past Presidents’ weekend when we visited my folks…sunshine AND a blanket of white covering the lawn, lake and trees. Bonus was visit from baby nephew and his first time sledding. Opposite of bonus was snow down my back and in my face by sixteen year old first born child!

ROAM YOGA FROGTOWN

When my local yoga studio, The Raven, shut down, it was during the pandemic. I was not at too much of a loss, since Tony G starting offering classes both live via zoom and recorded. These became a sort of lifeline to people, to community, to spirituality, to sanity during an unbelievable time. I enjoyed the flexibility and the ease of “getting to” class. As the world began to open up a bit, Tony began teaching outside and in person classes at a different but nearby yoga studio called Roam. I immediately felt at home in this new setting, Individual wooden pods are set up in a large but private outdoor setting behind the main building of Roam. Shade sails are installed for protection from the sun, and now twinkly lights enable us to practice in these later fall months. It is so good to be practicing again with others. It is so good to be practicing under blue sky and nighttime stars. Roam was a former Buddhist Meditation Center. Beyond grateful that the space stayed sacred.

VELO COFFEE & TOBI'S TREATS

I know there are now a million coffee choices in the neighborhood. Some might think this overkill, but I enjoy the options. I also enjoy spreading the wealth. Thus, I frequent them all...frequently. I was delighted to see the adorable red Velo Coffee cart outside the reservoir on a hot, sunny walk with my dog Tanner one day. I was craving an iced coffee, my car was parked nearby, and I hadn't yet sampled Velo! Verdict: delicious, friendly, convenient, and like I mentioned...adorable red cart. In addition to my spontaneous coffee treat, Tanner was presented with her own delectable treat, Tobi's Treat, a popsicle for dogs! Yes, a popsicle for dogs...made of bone broth and various healthy and delicious ingredients for our pooches, who are likely much hotter than us on a mid-day summer walk. Win-win situation and a wonderful encounter with Tobi and his owner, pictured above.

NAVIGATING NEXTDOOR

Prior to the pandemic, I made the personal mental health decision to go off social media. In the absence of Instagram and Facebook, I’ve found myself perusing Nextdoor rather absentmindedly. I can’t stomach the racial profiling, petty arguments or political rants. However, this community platform can be mined for humor and neighborly good feels. Take this pig and his pumpkin for instance. A woman put out a call out for donations of pumpkins as treats for rescued pigs. Hysterical. Hundreds of post Halloween gourds were donated to the little piggies as the subsequent photo post proved. Heartwarming. The found chinchilla. The truckload of pigeons outside of the Jack in the Box. You’ve got to read the comments. Sometimes I find myself crying of laughter and sending screen shots to my friend Olivia. I used to make fun of her for reading Nextdoor. Now, I’m a happy convert.