Books
Works In Progress
Patience, Chocolate, and Pussycats
Patience, Chocolate, and Pussycats tells the story of a simple accident and the result of that accident. It’s a story of lives suddenly changed, a story of grief and struggle, a story of hope, a story of love, and a story of humor and happiness. It’s our story from my point of view. My husband, Charley, was a pedestrian hit by a bus. I was with him as he returned through the coma, then the long, long road of recovery, and our very happy life together. It has been a time to learn about me and us, to test our limits, to grow and – most definitely – to change.
This story is about a basically happy person who is uncomfortable with being sad, and even more uncomfortable with tragedy. But it was a tragedy I had to deal with. I coped the best way I could at the time, but I wriggle uncomfortably now at the morose, long-faced way I seemed to look at everything at first. I grew more in the first ten years after the tragedy than I did maybe in all the 40 years prior. Because I’m really two people – the sad, dramatic version of then and the happier person I like much better now.
At first, I went through shock, then profound grief, then determination and sadness that lingered for years. But I never lost hope, and deep inside myself is a mischievous kid who likes to be happy. She came back.
Between the Winds
Sometimes change happens gradually; sometimes it hits you in the face.
I was in my early 20s, just married, in the Peace Corps in Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego, Chile. I was completely raw with almost no life experience. It was a time of growth, but mine wasn’t a typical path.
Arriving in Punta Arenas we were immediately faced with having to live in a closet because it was all we could afford. As we became more established and got a house, I tried out the housewife role, but it didn’t fit. Instead, with just a degree in history but very strong will, I pursued my goal to be a geologist.
It was the last years of the Allende socialist government. We and our Chilean friends in Punta Arenas struggled with extreme inflation and scarcities of everything: scarce matches, scarce clothing, scarce car parts, and extremely scarce food. With inflation, when you did find something to buy, it was expensive.
On Tierra del Fuego we could somewhat forget those problems. My husband was studying the guanaco, and we spent many wonderful days wandering around watching the guanacos’ graceful ways. I learned and worked in geology, helped by the serendipitist meeting of geologists from Columbia University working in the area. My husband’s and my professional work provided peace, but the political and social unrest continued to build, eventually exploding into the bloody Pinochet coup.
The coup itself and the year following were terrifying whenever we were in contact with the military but very gratifying in the warmth of friends and community, all of us in it together. Being detained for nothing by the military three times, the interminable checkpoints, and the constant low- to medium-level fear finally became too much. In the end, my work and the pull of our friends and the community we loved were not enough, and I returned home after three and a half years.
Between the Winds is a story of rapid growth during a time of turmoil. It’s a story of joy found in odd places, of outdoor treks, adventures with wildlife, and adapting to a new culture – all in the constant winds at the southern tip of the continent.