My Next Show is In Durango, Opening May 8th

There’s been a lot going on lately, so I am only just now telling you that I have a show coming up, opening May 8th in Durango at Diane West Art. Last time I had a show there in May 2024, we ended up with a new dog, having found Kai on our way home where he was wandering around the Four Corners area injured and a face full of porcupine quills. Hard to believe he’s been with us for two years already and the positive impact he has had on our lives. Don’t tell Boone, but Kai is a perfect dog.

Please join us for the opening reception of my Spring Show during theDurango Art Walk at Diane West Art, Friday, May 8th from 5-8pm. I’m still working on the last of the work, so expect to see all the images for the new paintings on May 4th in my next newsletter.

I will have a slate of new work, both encaustics and cold wax again. No theme this time, just work, improvement of ideas from before and also just some classics. Art shows don’t always have themes, so I don’t have any grand theory to tell you about, well except this: progress is rarely achieved through leaps and bounds, but an accumulation of effort over time.

Effort + Time = Progress

I wish so badly for myself to have an epiphany and for the next painting I make to change everything, to just magically step up to the next level. But that’s not how it works, and often that progress is more like two steps forward and one step back.

As a reminder for myself and all of us - we put too much pressure on ourselves to achieve or transform instantaneously, but real progress is made by slow methodical work, showing up for yourself and others, making the effort, trying different ways, and then trying again when that doesn’t work. The achievement of the big vision (and I’m not just talking about art right here), does not happen in a week, or even a year - it has to mature, simmer, ferment, get destroyed and rebuilt, and be tended to with care and love.

Which brings me to my next point - my ridiculously handsome husband retired this last week from 21 years in the fire service. With one year at Ogden City Fire, where they were so busy every day and night, that he would often pull over on his drive home to nap, and then 20 years with Park City Fire. What he keeps saying over and over is: “I made this plan over 20 years ago, and I can’t believe it worked out.” And everything he planned, worked for, and committed to with time, patience, effort - it all paid off. He and I got together right before he went into the fire service after years of waiting tables and ski guiding, and he wanted something stable, close to home, with a retirement.

He got all that for sure, but he also got a career he felt really proud of, helping people on their worst days, making his town better, and a fraternity of incredible people to work alongside. Yes, it was also hard, the loss of sleep is real and a problem, and his brain has changed as a result of responding to emergencies and trauma. But I know he would say it was worth it, and if it weren’t for the sleepless nights, he would probably keep going.

He finished his last shifts last weekend, and the department held a beautiful Flag Ceremony and Last Call to honor him as he finished out his career. The American Flat at his station was lowered and swapped for a new one, which his brother and nephew helped raise, and the flag taken down was folded in the traditional manner and given to him. The final alarm went over the radio to the whole district to announce his retirement, and I include it here because it was so very beautiful. There were a lot of happy and bittersweet tears that day.

“Final alarm for Captain Meinhold

Captain Meinhold, for 20 years with Park City Fire, you answered every call with unwavering professionalism, deep dedication, and a work ethic that never went unnoticed.

You didn’t just do the job—you lived it, setting a standard that made everyone around you better.

You led with strength, with humility, and with heart. You took care of your crew like family, and in doing so, you built a bond that will never be broken.

Your legacy isn’t just in the calls you ran, but in the people you shaped, the lives you touched, and the example you leave behind.

Though your watch has ended, you will never be forgotten.

Captain Meinhold, Thank you for your service. We have it from here.

Rest easy, Captain—we’ll take the watch.”

Thank you to the Park City Fire Department and to all of our friends there, we will miss you and not being part of that world every day. The department was a huge part of Matt’s life, but in turn, he made a huge impact on the fire department, not just for the calls and rescues he responded to by helping strangers and friends a like, but also behind the scenes, he made his crews' jobs better, safer, and more effective. He was a great leader and widely admired, as evidenced by how many people came to the ceremony.

Among the many things Matt did for the department, he was responsible for the solar systems installed on the stations’ roofs; he implemented a number of new live-saving protocols; he and a fellow captain began the leadership development program to train new officers; and even at the end in the last 3 months, he developed an AI-driven analysis to give feedback on fires and big calls. He was always innovating and working to make peoples’ lives better.

Everyone’s asking him what he’ll do now, and his answer is “Whatever I want!” but don’t worry, you’ll still see him. He will continue with his part-time job ski guiding for the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour in the winter. But his big project is building out our new van for art deliveries. He’ll be volunteering with our local Elks Lodge and working on all the house projects that always need to get done. And we’ll be traveling more, on what we’re calling the Pro Leisure Tour. He already wants to go camping more than I can, so there will be an adjustment as I figure out how much time I can actually take off. BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A JOB! (Which I love and will never retire from even if I threaten to.)

But seriously, call my husband to go play. I’m gonna need him to get out my way occasionally. For 21 years, I’ve had the house to myself 2 out of every 6 days. The adjustment in routine is gonna be harder on me than him. Wish me luck. And him. But we are so very proud of him.

To read more about Matt’s career:

Strait of Hormuz: A Citrini Field Trip

With the ongoing conflict in Iran, I came across this article suggested by Substack in their Weekender newsletter, about a financial analyst who decides to travel to the Straight of Hormuz to see what is actually going on. Now this article is a couple weeks old at this point, but I would imagine that things are similar,(but who knows now that we are supposedly doing a blockade). It’s all madness. Anyways, it was a really interesting read, and was a good reminder that people are just trying to live their lives even through geopolitical conflict.

Vedic Astrology Reading

Through a strange set of circumstances, I made friends with Navum Patidar, a vedic astrologer in India who runs Vedic Window. Vedic Astrology has some similarities to Western Astrology, but some big differences, and like me, you might find that you’re a completely different sign. Vedic astrology is also said to be better at explaining what your karma is about - where you came from and who you were in past lives, and then especially what you are here for in this life. After some really insightful comments from Navum, I booked a reading for myself, and then after for Matt as well, and I wanted to pass his info along to you.

If Western astrology has never quite landed for you, I would recommend giving this a shot. But be warned, you can’t just look up your chart as easily, the inputs and outputs are more complicated and it’s wise to have someone like Navum who has studied and trained his whole life on the astrology. His insights and recommendations were really spot on and have given us both some help during this transition into Matt’s retirement.

A Thriving Utah Yard with Daryl Lindsey

With the coming summer and the worry over water, I want to again plug Daryl Lindsey who runs the landscape design company Yardfarmer. We worked with Daryl to create a landscape plan for our place in the desert, which I am still working on, and I wanted to pass on her info again. Every time I hear her talk, I am convinced she is doing god’s work to transition everyone’s yards to more sustainable, drought tolerant, and beautiful spaces. Your yard does not need to be rocks to save water, in fact, a rock yard is just going to be HOT. So plant the right plants in the right way and Daryl will show you the way. Even if you don’t want to pay for a landscape design, she has so many helpful insights via her socials and her Youtube channel. And it’s not just for Utah, it’s for anywhere really, and the difference is just plant the kinds of things for your area.