Susan
After 20+ years of Wisconsin winters, I headed west. One master’s degree, one marriage/divorce, two cats, and several jobs later, with time in Colorado, Oregon, Colorado (again), and Arizona, I’m in Oregon (again), enjoying the sunshine (you REALLY enjoy sunshine in Oregon), and getting to know my CoHo neighbors.
I first heard about cohousing at a simplicity retreat in 1996. The initial exercise in the retreat was to get out our key rings and talk about “what we owned” and “what owned us.” I looked at my condo key and wondered if that was the way I wanted to live (two bedrooms with two and half baths seemed liked overkill to me). Gently, over the weekend, we came to ask core questions about what mattered to us and whether our lives were aligned with our values.
With the inspiration to live more simply and one model for doing it, I decided to explore a change in lifestyle. Since then, I have been fortunate to live in three cohousing communities (two as an owner and one as a renter) and share great experiences with neighborly neighbors.
Though the cohousing lifestyle agrees with me, the Arizona weather did not, and health problems with Arizona air prompted my move to Oregon.
I enjoy walking and biking (Corvallis is a great place for both), reading, sewing, crafts, cooking, games, kids, and cats/dogs. I am a volunteer cuddler at West Hills Animal Hospital; I use Reiki and Healing Touch for Animals (in addition to plain old TLC) to help animals before and after surgery. I’m definitely a cat person, but am liking the time I get to spend with dogs at the vet clinic.
Living at CoHo has enabled me to pursue another dream--fostering cats and kittens from the Humane Society. During kitten season, part of my unit is transformed into a kitty playpen complex with two cages and an open play area. CoHo kids (of all ages) visit often and help socialize the kittens. Fortunately, several offspring have been adopted by CoHo families. So far, more than 3 dozen cats and kittens have been CoHo snuggle buddies.
I teach classes in sprouting seeds, grains, beans, and nuts ("indoor gardening") at CoHo and in the community. With my very own CoHo coach, I am learning more about outdoor gardening and really enjoy being able to pick fresh food from the garden right outside my front door. I'm experimenting with combining the two by growing sunflowers (outside) to use for sprouting (inside) for year-round greenery.
