​                                                     Journey to a Green Sanctuary
                 “Respect for interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

     One of the goals of UUA’s Green Sanctuary Program is to; “Deepen ties to UU faith and the seventh principle, bringing congregational culture into greater alignment with environmentally sustainable practices.”
 
     In many ways I have been on the green path my whole life through; teaching and living the seventh principle.  As an educator I introduced the world of ecology into my science classes before it was considered appropriate for sixth graders, at least by conservative parents. Each spring my class went camping for a week; at camp they studied                                     different biomes, identified organisms they found and learned how they fit into the web of life.
 
     Long before the plight of Monarch Butterflies and scarcity of Milkweed became the front page of the Wall Street Journal I had been raising Milkweed and Monarch Butterflies from egg or newly hatched  caterpillar to flight. Teaching others to do the same was second                     nature to me.
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     When money ran out for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection I organized my Garden Club and a nonprofit group, Association for Protective Stewardship to take over and teach all the sixth graders from two counties, about water at the ‘Water Festival.’ A staff of 50 ran different hands-on activities six times a day for two days teaching about clean water and the cycle we all depend on.    
 
     It is not too late for mankind to change its way of living. We can learn how to use our natural resources in a sustainable way one step at a time. Start small and grow with each other. Hopefully we will be joined by many others in learning how to change our habits and live our 7th principle.  
 
     Look for suggestions on how to lower your “footprint” during coffee time at the Green Table, read our tips in forthcoming Newsletters and emails, and go online to read more about Climate Change. Ask questions, share ideas and give us suggestions as we change                              together.

~ Audrey Brainard, UUCGV Journey to a Green Sanctuary

This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us.
      Gary and Connie Dolezal met on a mountainside. It was a glorious spring morning in 1973 when the youngsters departed from Denver in search of wilderness, each anticipating an adventure ahead of them. They were set to partake of a hike organized by the Colorado Mountain Club, to Bottle Pass and up the precarious slope to Ptarmigan Peak. Gary rode to the trailhead with the leader of the hike. Connie was traveling with her father and sister. When all the hikers were accounted for, the group set off along Deadhorse Creek. When they stopped for lunch Gary found the perfect seat on a rock that happened to be placed near an enticing young maiden. Connie’s younger sister offered Gary one of her mother’s illustrious “poison” cookies, and a most delightful conversation ensued. After lunch (without little sister) they walked down the mountain together and at the trailhead parted, enchanted, upon their not-so-separate ways, returning to their disrupted, everyday lives.
     During the course of their conversation, Gary had gleaned that Connie was finishing up her schooling at the University of Colorado Boulder. She was working on an internship at “The Denver”, or Denver Dry Goods, which happened to be in Gary’s neck of the urban woods as he was finishing up his schooling at the University of Colorado, Denver. So, a couple of weeks after his poisoning, Gary sauntered over to The Denver and asked where he might find a Miss Connie Bach. Needless to say, it was quite a jolt for Connie – she was astonished. Gary knocked her over with a feather and she accepted his invitation to lunch.
     Gary was born in Denver (and lived there until the age of 55, when he moved to Grand Junction). Gary’s foremost childhood endeavor was making music. In the fifth grade he became a racketeer, falling into a life of organized music. Gary had his heart set on playing the trumpet, with shiny brass and a big, boisterous sound. He saw that when a trumpeter played his horn, everyone took notice. Yet, when Gary visited the music store and listened to the salesman and his parents, he learned more about the various instruments – and he underwent an interesting metamorphosis and somehow came home with a clarinet. The clarinet – capable of creating a complex, intricate, sophisticated sound. [Yes, yes, yes, a trumpet in the masterful hand of an imaginative, playful person is also capable of a subtle nuance and sensitivity.] Dedication and practice are needed to move beyond squeaks and giggles. Gary did not begin to practice with gusto until the seventh grade, when he discovered the opportunities afforded to those in the “first section” band. Gary performed in band and orchestra through high school.
     Gary also signed up for judo in the fifth grade. He was not enthused. In fact, he was forced against his will. For the first three years of judo class, Gary was a mat mop. He was thrown this way and that and became quite adept at sprawling. Yet, in junior high, as Gary matured, he began to advance. He found his balance; he found his rhythm; he perfected his moves. Gary earned his black belt in judo during high school. And judo turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to the clarinet.
     Gary graduated from Englewood High School in 1963 and entered the University of Colorado, Boulder, that autumn with engineering stars in his eyes. Three years and two academic suspensions later, his eyes had been pretty well cleared, and he started looking for a job. He was skilled at mechanical drawing and engineering graphics, and that seemed preparation enough for a starter job. He applied at several places that wanted more “field” experience, and just when his prospects were dimming his parents noticed a want ad that called for a “land draftsman.” The Denver office of the Kansas-based National Cooperative Refinery Association decided to give Gary a try. Land Drafting is all about showing mineral ownership on a map format, and Gary took right to it. He immersed himself in his real-world schooling and progressed to working with legal documents. He began to go into the field to research oil and gas prospects; however, the company said that if he wanted to become Landman, he would have to get a degree – in something. (A Landman determines mineral ownership and negotiates contracts.) So, Gary found himself simultaneously in real-world school and officially back in school at the University of Colorado, Denver. Gary allowed the courses to guide him and eventually wound up with a degree in Interpersonal Communication. A few months before graduation, he met Connie.
     Connie was born in Richland, Washington. The family soon moved to Long Island, NY and then Pittsburgh, PA shortly after; and then, not long after Connie’s third birthday, they moved into a rural area outside of Pittsburgh that bordered a county park – South Park.
     The family became closely acquainted with South Park. Mom would organize impromptu walks in the woods. Off we go! Across the road and up a long, steep hill where they would follow any number of deer trails, old fire roads, and the like. They would often encounter wildlife, but most vivid in Connie’s memory is the time they came upon a pine rattler – “Mom poked him with a stick to make him rattle, so we kids would know the sound”. If you ever hear this sound...
     Vacations were usually reserved for road trips west. They would always stop in Denver to visit family. The most memorable trips were to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, the Grand Canyon, and Craters of the Moon. They camped along the way. They slept in a large family-size tent until they became a family of five, when her parents bought a teardrop trailer with a chuckwagon style kitchen on the backend. Her folks slept in the trailer, Connie and her older brother slept in the back of the station wagon on corrugated air mattresses, and her little sister slept in the car’s bench-style front seat. They all had old army surplus, feather-filled, mummy bags.
     In the evenings the children would search for other kids in the campground to play. They often played cards after dark, hearts being the favorite game. Playing cards by the light of a Coleman gas lantern, accompanied by its peculiar sound, was a regular event. Oh, and s’mores, of course. Connie’s dad would post a note in the high-traffic area of the campground, the lavatories, asking if anyone had kids that wanted to go on a long hike the following day. Though Connie was only in elementary school, she was expected to complete 10 to 20-mile hikes without complaint, and was usually having so much fun that she never had reason to complain. Connie’s only complaint on these trips was the long three-day drive to Colorado and back. That is a long time to be stuffed into a vehicle with seats much less comfortable than they are nowadays, and without movies to watch or cell phones to keep in touch with friends. Perhaps that made the camping all the more enjoyable — when they could finally get out and run around, it seemed like being set free?
     The Bach family moved to Denver when Connie was in high school. She attended Lakewood High School in Jefferson County, and then attended the University of Colorado, Boulder. She’d had her hopes set on CU since living in Pennsylvania, so the move to Colorado saved Connie’s parents a good chunk of change. Connie graduated from CU with a Bachelor of Science degree in 3 ½ years. A few months before graduation, she met Gary.
     Connie and Gary were married on June 29, 1974. It was a small, intimate wedding; the reception the following weekend was large and a good time was had by all. The first honeymoon was a joyful weekend jaunt into the wild, camping below Berthoud Pass along Current Creek. On Labor Day they followed it up with a seven-day backpacking trip into the wilderness of the West Elk Mountains. The parents were very worried and tried to dissuade the young couple, yet the weather was ideal and Connie and Gary made it out of the forest fully intact and alive. Genuinely, they were more alive than ever before.
     And so began their journey through life as a married couple. Connie worked as a manager at    Radio Shack and Gary as a Landman. They continued to fill much of their spare time hiking and camping in wood and meadow. Managing RadioShack required 10 to 12-hour days, so Connie eventually gave that up for a series of jobs that allowed regular eight-hour days. A couple years after their wedding, they bought their first home near Congress Park in Denver. Gary liked the intimacy of the small office; consequently, he never worked for a major corporation. He preferred to remain with the less bureaucratic organizations, and this path led naturally to him becoming an Independent Landman, working for many different companies on their many and varied prospects. He worked with oil and gas prospects in the Rocky Mountains states, and he also worked on an iron mining prospect in Colorado and several gold-mining prospects in Nevada. Work travel varied widely. Some of Gary’s contracts required a day or two, occasionally a month or so. Connie transitioned into being a homemaker, and a couple years later, in 1979, Danica was born.
     When Danica was tiny, the Dolezals began consorting with members of the Denver Sports Car Club and participated in many TSD car rallies. They also started square dancing while Danica was an infant and had a wonderful time with that for years. They wore matching outfits – Connie made her own dresses and Gary made his own shirts. There were tons of camping trips over the years because they wanted Danica to be comfortable in the quiet and dark of a mountain night, and they all enjoyed camping and hiking (and so did their dogs, Dwalin and Gimli, and later, Zirak). In the fifth grade Danica earned a membership to the Monkey Club – she was the only girl in her class able to climb to the top of the rope in the gymnasium. She enjoyed gymnastics and easily scampered to the top of trees that were 30 or more feet tall. Danica had no fear of heights, unlike her mother!
     In the mid-80s’ the Dolezal family was presented with an opportunity to exercise their dexterity and prove their ability to adapt. At the height of the petroleum crash most of the jobs in Denver were eliminated or moved to cities like Dallas, Midland, Houston and Oklahoma City. Gary and Connie elected to stay. Yet, how would they pay the mortgage? Gary thought he might enjoy teaching, so he took a job as a teacher’s aide to see if he could survive full days with the very young. The experiment was successful, so Gary returned to UCD to get his teacher certification. He started out substitute teaching until he landed a job at a private school in Greenwood Village – Beacon Country Day School. His first classroom was a group of 18 in grades 5 through 8. He taught the entire curriculum. Connie needed to find employment that would bring income into the household. Hired by Blue Cross and Blue Shield through a temp agency, Connie started out in personnel and ended up as a business analyst.
     Fast forward to 2005. An old attorney friend who had moved to Grand Junction called and asked if Gary would be willing to work as a Landman again. Connie and Gary headed west. This time around they would run the title work business as a team. They worked well together, and all the time spent in close proximity, rather than erode their relationship as sometimes happens, airily unfurled another sail upon their friendship.
     One fine day Gary and Connie were driving along Grand Avenue and happened to pass the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley. Gary hadn’t the faintest clue about Unitarian Universalism. Connie had asked a friend in the 80s,’ a UU who had responded to Connie’s curiosity with – “they ask a lot of questions.” Connie’s plate had been way too full at the time to even think of asking much about anything. Gary and Connie had both been raised Catholic and had not had much to do with religion for a good long while. They decided to give the UU’s a whirl, and showed up the following Sunday. During the Service, which was presented by Warren Peterson, they realized that it felt like a great home. After the Service they spoke with Warren – and signed the book to become members that very morning! After years of worshiping with nature they had at last found a community of their own species with which to share their joys and sorrows. Connie and Gary have also had the pleasure of wiping a good deal of sweat from their brows, pulling nails and doing heavy lifting, working on the remodeling project for our building and volunteering in various congregation leadership roles. You may have heard the Dolezals speaking from the pulpit, or heard Gary playing the native flute for special music.
     In 2015 Gary and Connie became grandparents. Danica and Bryan had a boy – Odin. They live in Denver, so Connie and Gary are making even more trips back and forth over the continental divide.
     When the Dolezals retired in 2016, they upped the ante on travel. There now are numerous delightful day trips, grounding camping trips, enlightening car trips and peaceful goodwill tours overseas. A few years ago they learned of a volunteer English Language Program in Spain, where volunteers do not need to speak Spanish. They decided to give it a try and have since fallen in love with Spain. Spain keeps calling them back. Connie and Gary enjoy the climate and the culture. The people are wonderful, and they have made close friends.
     Once again the Dolezals have been to Spain, spending time with friends. As I write these words they are zooming on a high-speed train on their way to Munich. They also plan to visit Fischach, Bavaria, Germany where Connie’s Jewish ancestors on the paternal side are from (the maternal side are from Russia). They’ll be staying with the cousin of a cousin, who’ll be taking them on a tour including the cemetery. The Dolezals are winding their way toward France. You may recently have witnessed Connie and Gary trekking around Grand Junction sporting backpacks and hiking poles. They have been building up their muscles to walk the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James). On April Fools’ Day they will begin a five-week, five-hundred-twenty mile walking meditation beginning at St Jean Pied de Port, France, and ending at Finesterre, Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean.
 
Life goes on…  in endless song…

"Space... The final frontier...
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission:
To explore strange new worlds...
To seek out new life; new civilizations...
To boldly go where no one has gone before!"
--- Jean-Luc Picard, Captain, Starship Enterprise; NCC-1701D
 
Journey - An act of traveling from one place to another.
A long and often difficult process of
personal change and development.

The word "Journey" conjures up every imaginable adventure possible. Vision quests by Native Americans, Shamanic meditations, The Camino de Santiago in Spain, even the Hogwarts' gang on their quest for magical wisdom.
 
I've found out that the journey to a specific place is frequently the best part of a trip. Often, the destination turns out to be totally different than what we expected. Sometimes, the end doesn't even matter. It's what we learned along the way from those we met, be they human, orca, bird or a giant sequoia.
Detours on a journey, whether intentional or not, can be eye-opening. Dropping off a hitchhiker who lives 50 miles out-of-the-way can be a huge synchronicity when you find out he's the son of an old college friend.
 
The movie, Michael, had some hilarious moments when, on a trip from Iowa to Chicago, the Arch Angel insisted on taking detours to see "The Largest Ball of String" and the "Largest Frying Pan." Who knew?
 
"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence." Henry David Thoreau had it figured out. In his beloved Walden Woods he took many such journeys of the soul and spirit.
 
Books and movies are awesome journeys, an escape into other worlds. Poetry and music, like nature, can clear our minds of depression and sadness.
 
Confucius had a deep wisdom with regard to journeys: "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." "Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."
 
Deep in my soul I'm a Taoist and resonate with Lao-tzu's "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step." I used to think, in my twenties, that this meant taking the first step out of St. Louis, in the 19th century with your covered wagon, headed out west into the Great Unknown.
 
As decades passed, I came to see it was also relevant when beginning a new diet, exercise program or simple walk around the block. Even starting a painting, novel or article for the U.U.C.G.V. newsletter meant putting paint on a canvas or the first sentence on your computer (or hand-written note pad).
 
If that first step on any journey, spiritual or physical, is not taken you may never discover what wonders await. YOU have to start the journey. Hopefully, inertia and a sense of purpose, whimsy or desperation will keep you moving along the path. 
 
As I've aged, "inner journeys" have become much more important to how I live: meditation, past-life regression and connecting with The Source of All. For it is from within that we most often find answers to the cosmic questions that haunt our dreams. A journey of any type that seeks to help us reveal our place in the Universe is truly a worthwhile endeavor. Happy travels!
 
~Lynn deBeauclair

     The theme “trust” for the month of February at UU, is a very interesting word. Sometimes it is interchanged with the word “faith.” 
 
     In the dictionary, faith is called the “substance of hope,” a belief in something bigger than yourself. Faith requires no evidence, whereas trust is based on evidence.
 
     Some call faith a noun and trust a verb, or action. Trust is called the core conviction of judgment based on knowledge, instinct and experience.
 
     Some say the word faith has been overused and exploited. Blind faith is said to be faith without any exploration or seeking of evidence. This can be dangerous.
 
     True faith is deep only when a person has found this belief through personal questioning and exploration. Instead of accepting what we have been taught, we come to question what we are told and see for ourselves if it is true. This kind of faith requires a deep self-exploration and trust in oneself. This is the kind of trust and faith we need in this world today.
 
     A desire to learn about this complicated world and the time to sit quietly by oneself and contemplate what the truth might be. Trust comes from knowing. We all have an innate sense of what is true. What we need is time to sit quietly and watch our thoughts, get to know our own reactions, and watch these with detachment.
 
     This is what the very important practices of meditation and mindfulness are all about. Getting to know and trust the self. That then leads to trust of the outer world, or learning what can be trusted. Setting aside time to be quiet and to watch and to listen.
 
     These practices are sorely lacking in today’s world. We also need time to be out in this amazing natural and wild world, out in this beautiful unspoiled planet. This is what can build trust and lessen fear. We begin to know we can meet all the challenges we face today with strength and calm. We believe too, in the fact that something way bigger is going on, beyond this beautiful small planet we live on. We open up more fully to the fact that there is so much we don’t know and we face life with an open and humble mind. We are not so inflexible and fixed. Not so sure.
 
     Here is a meditation/song from Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh that expresses the safe and trusting place we can get to with the practice:
 
     “Breathing in, I go back to the island within myself. There are beautiful trees within the island, there are clear streams of water, there are birds. Sunshine and fresh air. Breathing out, I feel safe. I enjoy going back to my island.” 
 
~Bobbie Cleave, MS, MEd

This is a UUCGV Newsletter column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us.
 
     Carmine Nugent’s great-grandfather Dante Raso was a musician. He played multiple instruments but the piano was his specialty. He left his village in Italy as a young man, in search of the American dream. He settled into Brooklyn. He lived to be 101 and was very proud of meeting President Carter late in life.
     Carmine is named after his grandfather Carmino Colosimo, a.k.a. Carmine, who also came from Italy. He was living in Grand Junction, working for the railroad when his brother talked him into visiting Brooklyn. The family wanted him to meet a cute girl from the neighborhood that they thought would be a good match. Carmino met Alina Raso; they fell in love, got married and lived in Grand Junction. To Carmine, they would simply be Grandma and Grandpa.
     Carmine was raised by his Mom, Dolores. In many ways Dolores was a brave pioneer, because in those days there was a harmful stigma around single mothers. Dolores worked various retail and office jobs. Grandma and Grandpa were a big help to Dolores, and were a big part of Carmine’s upbringing. They called him Papoose and Pussycat. The Italian village was still very much a part of their culture. Grandpa died when Carmine was five, so Carmine was greatly influenced by strong women. Carmine recalls large family get-togethers for all the holidays. He was especially spoiled at Christmas when his relatives showered him with presents.
     Carmine’s Italian upbringing kindled his desire to create a village for himself. Family and friends are very important to him. Many of his closest friends belong to the UUCGV. The UU congregation is a big part of his village.
     The Catholic Church was a big part of Carmine’s upbringing. He attended Catholic school from grades three through six. Yet, Carmine has always been a reader; he has an inquisitive (overactive) mind. Over the years, he found it harder and harder to accommodate the Catholic dogma. He still finds comfort in the rituals of the Mass, and a couple of times a year he and Susan accompany his Mom to the Catholic Church. And the teachings of Jesus (the Gospels) are a welcome part of his psyche – all the parables and sermons about mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and loving kindness toward all.
     Carmine discovered Unitarian Universalism in the mid-90s, during his 3 ½ year stint living in Oregon. This was a time of contemplation, of deep introspection and soul-searching. He noticed a UU congregation in the vicinity. He was working in a library, so he did a little research. Unitarian Universalism was accepting of all religions and had a long history of working for social justice. It seemed like it might be a good fit for him. Carmine was trying to incorporate into his psyche the best from all philosophies and religions. Working to make the world a better place would give meaning to his life.
     Carmine didn’t work up the nerve to visit the UU’s until after he moved back to his hometown Grand Junction. He discovered that Grand Junction had a UU congregation, but it was months before he stepped through the door. Carmine is very shy. He is a strong introvert, like many UU’s. He happened upon a UU booth at the yearly Earth Day celebration in the park, and the Bradleys convinced him to give the UU congregation a try. At the time the congregation was meeting at the old Mesa State Chapel on North Avenue. The folks were friendly and reached out to him. In particular he remembers Marge Miller, Janet Cummings and David Miller.  They were welcoming and eager to put his willing hands to work. Within weeks he was showing up to the worship service early, placing a UU banner on the sidewalk along North Avenue.
     Carmine has a well-worn children’s book. It’s easy to see why he was drawn to it. It’s called Carmine the Crow. Yet, Carmine the Crow shares more than a name, with the Carmine that we know. Carmine the Crow collects sparkling marvels, and holds them in his treetop nest. He sees far and wide. One day he sees a swan tangled and trapped in the reeds. He flies to his nest and grabs his shiny scissors and sets the swan free. For this he receives a tiny chest of magical star dust. Just a pinch thrown to the wind and any wish is granted. Before he can make a wish for himself he happens upon several of his friends, each with a singular pressing need. Before he realizes it, Carmine the Crow has used up all of his star dust helping his friends. Yet, he is happy being helpful. Giving makes him glad. And it turns out that there is a speck of star dust left after all, enough to make him feel young again.
     Carmine became an official member of our congregation in 2000, not long after he first stepped through the door. He has been active, reaching out his helping hands, as well as participating in various small activity and discussion groups. He was church moderator for the infamous Council of days gone (thankfully) by. He’s taken two turns as the treasurer and been an at-large board member. He’s been a long-standing member of the finance team and enjoys canvassing with the stewardship team. He’s been on the worship team and even did a sermon, though it nearly scared him to death. He has enjoyed attending the Unitarian Universal regional conferences. He’s been a regular at the Wednesday night get-togethers. He even performed alongside the famous Sweeney Sisters as a ventriloquist at a talent show.
     Carmine has learned a lot about himself over the years with the help of his UU village. He has evolved. He now likes to think of himself as a love activist. Dispensing love by the handful; standing on the side of love.
     In 2008 Carmine met Susan O’Neil. They met online and talked on the phone for a year before they met in person. There was a strong magnetic force between the two of them – they were drawn together and then the magnet would flip and push them apart. They had an on-again, off-again relationship for a couple years. They almost got married in Vegas in 2012, but Carmine chickened out at the last minute.
     Yet everything came around beautifully. On Valentine’s Day 2017, Susan and Carmine were married by our own Rev. Wendy Jones at the UUCGV. It was a simple ceremony, with only their close friends Mario and Sandy (and the UUCGV staff) in attendance. Carmine and Susan honeymooned at Disneyland and California Adventure. They rode all the fast rides and roller coasters.
     After some consideration, Carmine and Susan decided they would like to have a celebration, and invite a wider circle of friends and family. They did extensive planning and preparation for the wedding and reception, and on June 3 they celebrated with a renewal of vows.
     Susan and Carmine had fun with all of the traditional pre-marriage rituals. Carmine tagged along and got a pedicure with the girls. Carmine’s bachelor party was fairly tame, though he did get a little wobbly. It was a raucous dinner party. Chris Coolidge was brave enough to attend. Susan’s bachelorette party was a little more lively. Her friends took her to the Magic Men Male Review at the Mesa Theater.
     The wedding ceremony was magnificent. Many tears were shed. The Rev. Wendy once again ushered Carmine and Susan into marriage. We all cheered!
      And then we headed down the stairs to a joyous wedding reception. The hall was decorated to honor those that had passed away and could only be present in spirit. They honored their ancestors – Carmine and Susan are both half Irish, Carmine half Italian, and Susan half Japanese. The food and cake were Italian and the decorations were Japanese. It was extraordinary, heartfelt and beautiful. Yet, most impressive was the corner dedicated to disco dancing, disco-ball and all! The wedding party created a sweet rhythm to get the celebration started. Carmine doesn’t often let loose, but he is a talented dancer. He’s got the moves! And then we feasted and told stories. I had more fun than at any wedding I’ve attended, except for my own.
     Carmine was more relaxed the second time through the ceremony. He was able to take it all in and enjoy it more thoroughly. And because the ceremony was witnessed by the larger community, Carmine settled more thoroughly into the village as a married person. All eyes were on Carmine and Susan. And strange as it may seem, the big commitment to Susan in many ways set Carmine free. He no longer had to worry about the dating game and was able to focus more thoroughly on meaningful relationships.
     Okay, let’s meander back into the early 80s – MTV, Cyndi Lauper, The Police, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Jackson and the Talking Heads. Carmine graduates from Grand Junction high school. He gets an Associate degree in Graphic Communications Printing from Mesa State College. Then, at CMC, Glenwood Springs, he moves into the dorms and focuses on photography. After two quarters he decides to return to Mesa State, where he earns a business degree. He works a year for Rocky Mountain Health Insurance, and then 15 years at the Mesa County library. He worked part-time for the Mesa County elections from 2000 to 2016. Since 2000, he’s been at his current place of employment – Shoe Design, Downtown at 7th and Main.
     Carmine has always loved downtown Grand Junction. Some of his fondest childhood memories are from downtown. His mom worked at Kress, a dimestore. He remembers the thrill of entering the Woolworth’s department store. Carmine enjoys shopping more than he likes to admit. He owns more shoes than his wife. He cherishes walking the exquisite downtown sidewalks. So it’s probably by design and no accident that Carmine works on Main Street at Shoe Design.
     Carmine is a connector; he helps connect people to the shoes they need. He pays attention to detail, keeping track of sales, invoices and inventory for Mario. He also helps out front, arranging merchandise, answering the phone, greeting and ringing up customers. He flows wherever he happens to be needed.
     I asked Susan about their nicknames – Frog and Turtle. Carmine is Frog because for the longest time he was Susan’s prince in training. Susan Is Turtle because turtles have a lot of patience. (Susan has a great sense of humor.) She also wonders whether Carmine perhaps married her for her dog Nikita. She says that she may have married Carmine, but he’s Nikita’s man. She says Carmine is a hoarder of books, his own books, library books, as well as newspapers and pens. There are always piles lying around. He reads multiple books at a time.
     Carmine’s reading encompasses all genres – everything from politics to poetry. Carmine enjoys photography and hiking. He always signs up for the hikes that are offered at the UUCGV service auctions. He enjoys movies, particularly science fiction. He is a big Star Wars fan. One of his favorite movies is “Moulin Rouge” – There Is truth, beauty, freedom and above all things love.
 
Life flows on…         in endless song...

This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us.
     As Miranda begins to sit still for her portrait, her phone rings. “Do you mind if I take this?” she asks. The phone call is the owner of a downtown property returning Miranda’s call about office space. Though Miranda’s business is not yet ready to make the move, she is preparing for the possible need to upgrade the space of her downtown business location.
     Miranda is a doula. As a doula she works with pregnant women and their partners, helping them get informed and educated about the birthing process – everything from providing information on the different options for childbirth to helping the expectant mother learn how best to care for her body. Miranda listens. She encourages her clients to do what is best for them, encourages them to trust their intuition. She provides emotional support. Her practice is heart-centered – she does a whole lot of intensive listening. She has her client’s back through the entire birthing process, offering support prenatally, during and after the birth such as with breast-feeding. She is there for her clients when they need her. Miranda is always on call.
     Being a doula is Miranda’s life passion – she sees it as changing the world one birth at a time. She feels honored and grateful to help welcome babies into the world, in a peaceful and loving way. “I love it so much that I would do it for free”, she says. And then she catches herself – later today she is headed to Delta to teach a Hypnobabies® class, for free. Hypnobabies® is a childbirth education course using medical grade hypnosis for an easy and comfortable childbirth. Yes, she’s a hypno-doula. Miranda has been practicing for five years, has orchestrated 50 births and worked with 70 couples. Miranda is the owner of Ten Moons Birth. She also works with the GJ Birth Collective. And, she organizes the Birth and Baby Expo for BirthSmart.
     Miranda’s passion for the birthing process began with her own experience of childbirth. When she was pregnant with Jonah Blue, she got on board the traditional baby extracting machine: the doctor knows best. Listen to your doctor. It was much like a typical birth that you see on TV. She squeezed her hubby’s hand real tight, and screamed for 7 hours – on Christmas day, 2009. When Jude Lee came along in 2012, Miranda had practiced hypnosis before the birth. Her labor happened suddenly, and it was an unexpected, unassisted homebirth. Yet, she remained peaceful throughout the two-hour birth, without the screaming pain. Jay Opie came along in 2014. He was born at the Bloomin’ Babies Birth Center. This birth lasted a bit longer, 3 ½ hours – but not quite long enough. Evan was working in Ouray and didn’t make it in time for the birth. Miranda’s best friend Susanna was present to welcome each of Miranda’s children into the world.
     Of course Miranda’s first experience with childbirth was her own birth. Miranda Sue Rice Richardson was born on May 21, 1986 in Glenwood Springs. She has no memories of this event, yet motion-picture- memories are not the only way that the body holds onto experience. Miranda’s dad was a miner so the family moved around a lot in the early years. From Glenwood they packed-up to Parachute and then Mexico (in a camper); Juneau, Alaska; Beatty, Nevada; Twig, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then back to Colorado – Nucla. Nucla stuck. The family put down roots. Miranda’s mom went into rehab, joined AA and began expanding her heart into the world. Miranda was nine years old when they settled into Nucla, grades 5 through 12. Let the good times roll. Most of Miranda’s childhood memories come from this time in her life moving forward.
     Nucla is a small mountain town out in the middle of somewhere. The population is just over 700. For those who speak of Grand Junction as a rural community, Miranda begs to differ. Nucla is over 100 miles away from a stoplight. Her high school graduation class had 23 students. Because Nucla is an isolated community, Mom made sure that the outside world was included in their culture. Mom wanted her girls to know of the larger, more diverse world – to be accepting, and to appreciate differences in other people.
     Miranda was active in the Congregational Church, especially during her high school years. She enjoyed attending the LaForet MADD Camp during the summer. The camp is run through the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ. It is located in the Black Forest outside of Colorado Springs. MADD camp combines music, art, dance and drama with a wilderness experience. It’s a place where youth can be real and celebrated for who they are as creative children of God. As a MADD camper, you are encouraged to express your own unique style of being. When Miranda turned 17 she was allowed to drive her sister and best friend, Susanna to camp.
     Yes, Miranda has a little sister. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? Mallory is younger by a whopping 18 months (separated by two grades in school). The sisters have always been very close. When the time came for Miranda to choose a post-high school destination, she decided on Grand Junction and Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) because of her best friend Susanna. When Miranda left for college, Mallory would often visit for the weekend, crashing in her dorm room. The next year, Mom and Dad bought a house in Grand Junction as an investment, to help curb the cost of rent while Miranda and Mallory were attending college. The four-bedroom house soon filled up with seven roommates – including Mallory. Mallory moved to Grand Junction to complete her final year of high school, which was also her first year of college. Mallory worked it out so that she could receive high school credits for her university courses. As part of the deal (legalities) Miranda became Mallory’s legal guardian. And the sisters were together again!
     Evan. Miranda met Evan at a college party. The first time she saw him something in her body knew. His nearness ignited something inside of her. Wherever he moved, she was acutely aware of his presence. Miranda experienced a profound connection, a fusing of life-force energy. Eye contact was her obliteration. Evan would later say that he too was powerfully drawn from the beginning, that he knew Miranda was The One. But he is shy, Evan is exceptionally, beautifully shy. Miranda questioned a mutual friend and found out that Evan was interested, so she reached out to him. They had to wait to see each other for a few weeks because Evan was working two jobs at the time. Their first date was the day after Christmas. It was snowing hard. They went bowling, and then watched Happy Feet (a kids movie) at Miranda’s place. Miranda fell in love with Evan that night. They’ve been together ever since. She would later look back at a list that she’d made of the necessary qualities for her ideal man, and wonder, if her list hadn’t somehow conjured Evan out of thin air, because Evan checked off every single item on the list.
     Three months later they eloped over to the courthouse and made it official. Husband and wife – for life. And then it was kind of like, “hey everybody, we’re married, let’s celebrate”. Family and friends put together an impromptu wedding celebration later that evening, and celebrate they did, cake and all. After everyone got over being shocked, that is. Mallory in particular was flabbergasted. “What the What?!”
     Evan and Miranda didn’t waste any time on the putting down roots thing. They got a place of their own shortly after getting hitched, and two years later they bought their first house. Several months later the stork delivered a baby for Christmas.
     “My husband just sent a text that he loves me.” Yes, Evan actually sent the text during her sitting for this newsletter. She gets little reminders all the time. The two of them remain very much in love. Evan is her lover, soulmate, friend and partner. They never fight. Disagree yes, become frustrated, certainly; but, they’ve never shouted at one another. They get along.
     Miranda is a master juggler (she’s been known to put on her jester hat as well). On most days she balances more balls in the air than a Cirque du Soleil Circus performer. That’s her life, “seven jobs, mother of three, four counting my husband, two dogs, four chickens, and a cat”. Every day is a balancing act, an intricate twirling dance.
     In addition to her three doula related jobs, Miranda also works the summer weekend festivals in Telluride, directing traffic. It is like a working vacation because one of the perks is that everything is free, including backstage passes. And the scenery ain’t bad. Telluride is her sanctuary; yet, she’s thinking this past summer may have been the last. Miranda is also a part time administrator at the Koinonia Church. She builds websites. Oh, by the way, she’s also the new administrator for the UUCGV, the glue that holds us all together. Miranda is stepping in to take the place of her sister Mallory, who is leaving to live into her homesteading dream, supplying Colorado farmers markets from her hometown of Nucla. Miranda has been working about five hours a week for the past four years, picking up the slack in the office; so, the administrative transition will be relatively smooth.
     The first time Miranda visited our congregation, way back when, when we were renting a building over on Grand Avenue, the sermon was about “The Dude”. And there were no Bibles anywhere to be seen. Who knew such a thing was possible? It opened her eyes. Miranda appreciates her experience growing up in the Congregational Church. She liked the community and the values it represented; yet, she was unsure about the church’s stance on worshiping Jesus. She felt conflicted about her spiritual path. Over the years, Miranda has gravitated toward a more pagan, earth-based spiritual practice. She is grateful for the Unitarian Universalist faith because you can hold your own truth and still be accepted without judgment. She is grateful that it’s not about professing to have the truth; rather, it’s about listening – the seeking of truth and meaning. She loves the inclusive, welcoming nature of our congregation. She is delighted to see the Rainbow Flag and the Black Lives Matter banner adorning our building.
     Not long ago, Miranda belonged to a small group of women who got together to celebrate the solstices, and a couple times a month to acknowledge the cycles of the moon, of the earth, of human life. They participated in simple rituals, setting goals and holding one another accountable. It was also a social group, an intimate community. They uplifted one another – supported and empowered one another. Sadly, members moved on and the group eventually fizzled out. This is why Miranda started the goddess group that meets at UUCGV, on every fourth Thursday evening of the month. She needed the inspiration.
 
Life flows on…         in endless song…

This is a monthly column helping us to get to know our friends and members in a deeper way. We thank Monte High for taking the time to do these in-depth interviews for us every month.
     The stars were aligning, the planets revolving and the molecules doing their usual dance when Billie Sage was born into the world in Cheyenne Wyoming, Earth on October 18, 1955 at 10:55pm. Four years later the family moved to Laramie. They moved to Albany for a couple years, and then up into the mountains to the place that Billie remembers as home. Billie’s dad purchased a 23 acre parcel in the West Centennial Valley that backed up onto Forest Service land. Twenty-three acres in Wyoming is not big enough to call a ranch or a farm – it was simply “our place”.
     Dad moved his house in Laramie out onto the newly acquired land on the rugged Wyoming frontier. The house expanded over the years as they constructed additions and added rooms. They raised horses, pigs, sheep and even chinchillas for a while. Because the altitude was 8500 feet, they pastured the horses at a ranch down the valley for the winter. They hunted antelope, deer and elk to feed the family, and Dad built a small greenhouse so they could raise a few vegetables. Dad got a job working summers for the Forest Service, and a few years later got hired on full time.
     The bus ride in grade school was 15 miles along gravel roads to Centennial. Junior high and high school was 35 miles to Laramie. Billie was an outsider and kept mostly to herself. She was Stoic; schoolwork was easy for her. Billie participated in 4-H, mostly raising sheep. The family attended a Protestant church a couple times a year, mostly to keep their standing as good Christians; but, the children didn’t really have a religious upbringing of any kind. Nature was Billie’s religion. For as long as she can remember, she’s been comfortable being alone, enjoyed being alone. From an early age she began to spend a lot of her time traversing the un-peopled land. Billie was allowed to roam. Mom would ask which direction Billie was going and tell her to be back by a certain time. Occasionally she would take a horse, but she preferred to walk, preferred the quietude and simple motion of her feet placed carefully upon the earth. Billie was at peace among the wild things. She understood nature better than she understood being human.
     In most everyone else’s eyes Billie was born the middle boy. Yet, early on she realized that she was different from her brothers, and when she started school she knew that she was different from other boys. She didn’t have language for what she was experiencing. No one talked about it. The Internet didn’t yet exist. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Everyone saw Billie as a boy, Billie’s image in the mirror reflected back as a boy, so how could she identify herself as anything but a boy? Yet, the thoughts and feelings were coming from inside Billie, from the very core of being, from “her” essence.
     Billie was confused. Billie thought these thoughts must be bad. She thought she must be bad. She tried not to think these thoughts or feel this way, but it was all emerging from deep inside, from her self, and she could not separate it from who she was. The first time she talked about this (and the last, for many years) Billie was a teenager. Billie tried to explain her experience to her mother. It soon turned into a shouting argument. Billie shouting, “I am like a woman”…
     Billie silenced her inner voice; she tamped her true self down until it was barely a spark. She put on a mask. After all, it wasn’t hard to fool everyone because it’s what they wanted to see. She affixed the mask firmly to her face – put on her male persona. She denied her true self and tried to be what everyone wanted to see – Jim, the middle brother.
     Jim was 13 years old the first time he got blackout drunk on whiskey. Drinking helped cover up his gender issues. It was easy to get booze once Jim got a driver’s license because liquor stores never checked IDs at the drive-up window. When Jim was 17, he tried to commit suicide. He was rushed to the hospital and survived. Jim signed up for the Navy in May, right after high school graduation. The US was still involved in the Vietnam War when he signed up, but he never saw action. Jim was an electrician in the Navy; he did a whole lot of drinking. He did his four years and moved back to Laramie.
     Jim got a job working in the maintenance department at Laramie Hospital. His drinking did not usually affect his productivity at work, though he drank heavily after work and on the weekends. He liked to hang out in bars. At the time he did not consider himself an alcoholic. Drinking is sort of a thing in Wyoming.
     One day Jim met Jeri, a lab tech, at work. He was fixing a machine that she used. They became close friends. Jeri’s husband was abusive and Jim tried to do what he could to protect her, and eventually she was able to leave her husband. Jim and Jeri’s relationship moved beyond friendship, and eventually she began to pressure him – either you’re with me or you’re not. He decided to marry her. His drinking slowed down after he was married. He got a job working for the Laramie Water Department. They bought a little log house in a subdivision south of Laramie. He worked his way up the ladder of the water department and eventually became a wastewater treatment operator, which is a coveted, high salaried position.
     They decided to have kids. Jeri had a miscarriage, yet they kept trying. Her next pregnancy was precarious; doctor’s orders were to remain still for the last three months of the pregnancy. It was a hard labor and they ended up needing to do a C-section. October 3, 1984 they had a beautiful healthy boy – Matt. Jim was in the delivery room, witnessing it all. He was blessed because this generally did not happen in those days. It was an awesome experience; it was Billie’s first glimpse of spirituality. Jim joined the Catholic Church when Matt was 2 years old, Jim joined the Catholic Church because Jeri wanted Matt to be raised in the Church.
     Jim’s drinking began to take a toll on his health. He had always figured he’d drink and die early, but the birth of his son changed that. And then, when Matt was nine years old, Jim’s drinking got out of hand one night. This really gave him a scare. So, at age 40, Jim joined Alcoholics Anonymous. And so began the arduous task of learning how to live without alcohol. One of the tenets of AA is the belief in a higher power, so he began an earnest search for spirituality. He read the entire Bible. He became more involved in the Catholic Church, and this helped him stay sober.
     Without the booze to dull and alter her experience, without the booze to help silence her inner voice, the mask began to slip and Billie’s true self began increasingly to surface – the false male persona began to crack. It became more and more difficult for Jim to deny his lie and Billie began to reach through into the light.
     Ten years after undertaking the assignment to break free and learn to live life without alcohol, Billie found that she could no longer maintain the lie. She decided to come out. She needed to tell the truth and try to explain her thoughts and feelings, to explain the depth of her inner reality. She needed to reach out for help, and find words for her perception, for how she experienced herself.
     Billie showed Jeri her feminine self. She was shocked. Yet after the initial shock, she was willing to try and work it out and save the marriage. Billie then told Matt about her gender issues. Matt was surprised yet very accepting. He had been away to college and experienced the wider world. Matt was Billie’s first ally and has always been her best supporter. Billie’s family of origin was less understanding – they were unwilling to consider “their” Jim as a woman and refused to see Billie’s true self.
     Billie started seeing a counselor. The counselor was unqualified for gender issues but was able to get Billie connected with a national cross dresser group. In 2005 Billie attended Gay Pride Day in Denver for a weekend – her first time in public as her feminine self.  Oh joy! O glorious day! O freedom!
     Later that year Matt helped Billie and Jeri move to Grand Junction. Billie hoped to find both a counselor with experience in gender issues and a group of people dealing with issues similar to hers. (Not to mention that it would have been dangerous to remain in Wyoming as an openly transgender person.) Coming from rural Wyoming, Grand Junction seemed like the largest city that she could handle. Denver was far too large. Billie gave up the promising, stable career and took an early retirement. It was scary and a big leap but once she had the taste of freedom she could do nothing but reach for it.
     Letting go of a stable, false self is terrifying. Leaping into the unknown is unsettling and sets the world spinning. It takes immense courage. Yet for Billie there wasn’t much of a choice but to fall into the truth of who she was. Her delightful inner voice beckoned. Her beautiful inner being put on bells and came calling, refusing to be silenced. What a gift it was simply to exist in the present moment, relating to the world as her true self.
     Billie soon found a part-time maintenance job to supplement her retirement income. She found a counselor who had worked with transgender people. She found an AA group for transgender people. She found an accepting community, in the local Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Marlene was our minister at the time and also worked at Western Equality, the local LG BT Association. She was surprised by our friendliness, by how welcoming we were to her. She attended a UU sponsored LG BT dance.
     After numerous sessions with her counselor, Billie began to better understand her gender dysphoria, her innate identification as a woman. She decided to begin hormone therapy.
     Jeri had tried to stand by Billie, but at this stage she could no longer reconcile their marriage. They got a divorce. They were married for 22 years. This was a heart wrenching, tragic situation for Billie. She loved Jeri. In many ways Jeri had been her saving grace.
     A poem entitled “3” by Billie Sage, from her book “Trans Voice, A Decade of Prose Poems”:
 
I never had a love, you see. I had 3. There was you mom, though mother and daughter we could never be. Then I had you, my wife. Never did I think I would have a wife. Thought I would die alone, crazy. Me having a wife changed my very life. Then that love brought down our boy from above. Didn’t think I could love any more than you, my wife, but man, that boy...That’s a love I never thought I could feel. Seeing him born, that’s when I met Love. My soul I could feel. Well I never was no good at showing anyone what I felt, probably because my mind told me I had the wrong pelt. Well this life maybe I didn’t do it the way most understand, but love times 3 is what my heart thinks is grand. I never had a love, you see. I had 3. Then, now, and for infinity. I wrote this little poem because I felt my soul was alone, but Spirit said “looky here! Open your heart, and all your love is always near.” I cried, it felt good. For you see, I never had a love. To this point I have had at least 3.
 
On December 7, 2007 Billie underwent reassignment surgery in Trinidad, Colorado. She transitioned from male to female. She became totally, legally female. She took the legal name Abby and changed her driver’s license, Social Security and birth certificate. For the first time in her life she was able to experience a true body and soul connection.
 
During this time Billie had embarked upon a deep spiritual quest. It was a very intense time, meeting with her therapist, transitioning and the divorce. She joined a Kirtan chanting group led by fellow UUCGV member Jana Joramo. Kirtan was just what she needed. It allowed her to settle down, feel as one with the world and find her essential vibration. She studied many texts in Buddhism, Hinduism and Paganism. And then she studied with a female Shaman. It was an intensive two-year course. It took her even deeper within herself. It included rituals to heal the soul – such as drumming from moonrise to moonset. Learning to love herself. Learning to love herself. Learning to love her precious self.
 
As Billie became better acquainted with her soul the name Billie Sage came to her. The name Billie resonated with her spirit – the truest name of her truest self. It fit. So Billie changed her name from Abby to Billie.
 
During this time Billie also began a custodial job at Mesa State College, now Colorado Mesa University. After 10 years she retired, and for the past several months she’s been going through yet another passage, learning how to live life without a job.
 
More poems from Billie Sage’s book “Trans Voice, A Decade of Prose Poems”:
 
Skip a Rock
See the water. See the stone. Skip a rock. Listen to the ripples talk. Touch a tree. Learn to see. Breathe the air. Turn off the thought. Talk to Mother while on a walk.
 
The Howl
Walking home at 1:30am. Clouds move slowly across the near-full moon that peeks in and out of them. The warm temps have water in the alley with old, dead, musty leaves. The smell is pungent. Some of the dry ones rustle on the cold cement. I look up at the clouds and moon, and I had to, yes, I had to howl, like the long-removed cousin, the Wolf, crying at my love of the moment and the mystery.
 
I Am the Star
I saw a star, and in the Star, I saw an eye, and in the eye, was a glimmer, and in the glimmer was I. And the Star and I were love and a twinkle.
 
Life flows on...          In endless song...

September 8th, 1:00 Vegan Potluck (after the Hawthorne Park event), 2:00 Presentation, 3:30 Coffee and group discussions
     Wayne and Sandi Sturm will be returning from LA with the latest slideshow from the Climate Reality Project.  This 90 minute show discusses the latest science around climate change with a focus on the effects in Western Colorado and the multiple reasons we have to be hopeful in the face of crisis. After the presentation stick around for some break out sessions around the topics of food and energy as they relate to climate change. 
     We are also looking for a couple of volunteers to work with us on the UU Green Sanctuary project.  If you are interested in participating or just learning more about it, please let Wayne and Sandi know. Hope to see you there!
     Learn more about other events that day by going to 
https://actionnetwork.org/events/rise-for-climate-jobs-and-justice-grand-junction
     RSVP so show your support. This is a precursor to the Climate Talks in San Francisco the following week and we want the world leaders to know we care!

www.facebook.com/events/255455831776399/

En route from Charleston, WV to Seattle, WA aboard the west-bound Zephyr, Unitarian Universalist co-ministers emeriti Mel Hoover and Rose Edington debark in Grand Junction in time to deliver the August 5, 2018 sermon at the UUC of Grand Valley - 536 Ouray Avenue - Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Mel Hoover, Penny Youngren, Rose Edington

The sermon title is from the hymn "Love Will Guide Us" both our first principle of respect for the worth and dignity of all people and the love ethic are needed as we look at key issues in UUism.
In just a little over a year, the UUA had its president resign, a three-person interim co-presidency, and our first elected female president.  We weathered some impressive institutional change, and we still have much work to do.  Love helped get us through the past year; and love, with all its joys and challenges, continues to undergird our never ending faithful actions.  What is the love story of Unitarian Universalism?  What is the love story of UUs  in Grand Junction?
Clergy couple Mel and Rose are co-ministers emeriti of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Charleston WV.  To carry their activism into retirement they founded MelRose Ministries for Positive Transformative Change.  When on the staff of the UUA, Mel directed its national justice work, overseeing the anti-racism, anti-oppression multicultural ministries programs and serving on President Bill Clinton’s One America Task Force. In 2013 he received the UUA’s Annual Award for Distinguished Service. He is on the Board of UU Ministry for Earth.

Rose is on the Board of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition where she has served as its president and is the recipient of its outstanding volunteer of the year award. Both Mel and Rose are members of the Steering Committee for WV Interfaith Power and Light.

The couple recently wrote a chapter for the book "Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class and the Environment" published by Skinner House (UUA's in-house publisher).  The story grew out of a "collaboratory" (collaborative laboratory) that pulled together environmental justice folks from UU Ministry for Earth, UU Service Committee and diverse activists from within UUism.  The chapter focused on UUC's response to the infamous toxic chemical spill that fouled the drinking water for 300-thousand West Virginians.

Come spend a fun Friday night learning how our own inner light and energy interacts with the external world. Holding true to our core beliefs and values without argument can be difficult when challenged by opposing view points. Come join us for an exciting two hour workshop exploring the relationship between values, opinions and spirit. 
· Learn how to give without giving in.
· Discover heart centered communication.
· Deepen self trust and connection.
· Gain clarity and peace.
​
Where: Grand Valley UU, 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO
When: Friday, August 10th: 6:00-9:00 pm.
Cost: FREE
Questions? Contact the church office (970)257-0772 or Deborah Steddom (719)685-0780
 
The Institute for Simple Integration is a wellness collaborative founded by Deborah Steddom. Deborah was trained from an early age as an intuitive healer and has spent a lifetime exploring many different modalities of personal growth and spiritual development. She has taught in the public school system and has facilitated presentations, workshops and private sessions from coast to coast. Visit her website: www.theanswersnow.com