Update: Wendy Roberts

Wendy with dinosaur (footprint only)

Bozeman, Montana

20 April 2011

Hey everybody,

I miss Kathy and Hope and had a good cry on the anniversary of their death. Glad you are all getting together, and sorry I am missing the gathering! I’ve been living in Bozeman, Montana for 16 years since I finished my PhD in biology at Berkeley.

After Kathy and Hope departed this realm I turned to Zen Buddhist practice in my grief, and the practice stuck. I started a small Zen group in Bozeman, and in May I will travel to Zen Mountain Monastery in the Big Sur mountains for a week retreat with two of my dharma sisters from Bozeman.

I’m now in my seventh year as a consulting biologist, a surprisingly ‘real job’ that I seem to have settled into. I mostly manage a lot of projects while chained to my desk – largely by choice as I don’t want to travel much while raising kids. I do a little field work, including a trip to southern California this spring to look for habitat for the barefoot banded gecko. I’ve also worked the last year-and-a-half helping a small hydroelectric project in Nepal get through environmental compliance so it can be funded be the Asian Development Bank. So far no trip to Nepal, but a girl can dream.

 

My daughter Eleanor is 12 and currently surviving the gauntlet of seventh grade. She has a love of gymnastics, and also focuses on passions in singing, art, fashion, speed texting, make up and hairstyles. Lately we’ve even seen a spark for academic topics. She has no end of suggestions that she thinks would make her mother “look more like normal women” as she puts it.

Scott is 10 and loves school, especially math, although all things word-related appeal to him also. The other day at the ski lodge he did the Fibonacci Series in M&Ms. His teacher nominated him to spend a week in Washington, DC this summer in a program learning about American history.  He’s incredibly excited to travel on his own.

While Scott goes to Washington, Eleanor is going to a week-long residential camp for gymnastics, and Tom and I will have – ta da – five days by ourselves! This is the first time we’ll be alone in twelve years!

Tom is writing software part-time for a friend he used to work with in California, and holding down many duties as a househusband.

The thing I am most looking forward to this year: remodeling the house. Living as a family of four in essentially a 1000 sq. ft. house has gotten old, very old.

The thing I am least looking forward to this year: ankle surgery. In the fall I’ll have surgery for nasty arthritis in my ankle that is making me limp. I’m able to ski, bike, raft, and canoe; however walking again would be a plus.

BTW I miss you all and the Bozone is a great place to recreate.  Everyone should consider themselves to have an open invitation to come here and play. Also, I am very interested in joining folks for winter ski adventures if anyone is up for it!

Wendy