I started this “Impactful List of Women” on my 49th birthday (three years ago) and it has taken me this long to make it to #26.  Not because I don’t have PLENTY of women who have made a huge impact on my life, simply because I procrastinate about sitting down and actually writing.  I’ve decided to give myself a pass. I’ve decided I’m going to use all of the years in my 50’s if I need them, to pay tribute to 50 of the women who have made a huge impact on my life.  These 50 are in no particular order and by no means are they the only women who have made an impact on me.  There are more, so many more. Let me tell you about the women at #26. These women are my dear friends I have made on the mountain.  I’m lumping them all together in this post because I still have so many more women on my list to write about.  Hang on for a long one this time because this list of incredible women is long……

I’m going to start with a woman who has been on my heart lately.  She is known on the mountain as Shug.  Her cute little cabin is the Shug’r Shack.  She was one of the three women who lived full time on the mountain with me last year.  I tease Shug and tell her that she’s immortal because the energy this woman has in her sixties is like the Greek Goddess Artemis…. The Goddess of wild animals…. And that’s my Shug, a WILD ANIMAL.  If there’s powder she’s making fresh tracks downhill skiing or cross country, if there’s sunshine she’s riding her bike all over the mountain…. And not just on the trails.  If there’s rain she’s out running around in her side by side…..and any other time she’s hiking, riding her four wheeler, cruising around with her sweetie in the snow cat or leading a bunch of wild hooligans to one of her secret haunts.  Last year was tough on both of us and we spent many winter days whining, complaining, laughing and crying about the beauty AND the harshness of our winter sanctuary / prison, depending on the day.

We both experienced some depression to varying degrees and relied on each other’s understanding of this.  These shared moments pulled us through and we celebrated with each other big time when the summer came.  Shug had some operations this year but even after a knee surgery she pulled me up on the tables with her to dance at our annual picnic.  That’s Shug, she’s tough and she’s a go go go’er!  I’ve heard that Shug is not always everyone’s cup of tea (though I’ve NEVER actually talked to anyone that doesn’t just love her…so I think that’s a rumor from someone that’s just jealous they aren’t her. Lol.) I will tell you that our girl Shug, can get herself in trouble faster than anyone up on the mountain AND she also has the biggest heart of anyone on the mountain.  She wants everyone to have a good time.  She wants everyone to love the mountain the way she loves it.  She wants everyone to get along and she cares deeply about the beauty that she lives in.  She adores her grandkids and loves when her kids and grands visit her on the mountain. I just adore this woman and I’m so thankful for her being my winter buddy last year.  Because she is part of my life, because I know her, I have been changed for good.

The next woman is Stephanie Taylor.  Steph has the most beautiful mountain home and she opens it to all us crazy folks.  She is one of the best hostesses and is a planner extraordinaire.  Last winter she would text me before she was heading up on weekends and ask what I needed.  It was usually some random produce like lemons or avocado’s.  She would gladly bring me my fresh produce.  She would also surprise me with the most fantastic gifts.  I am deeply touched by her generosity and thoughtfulness.  As I mentioned before, I found myself struggling with some depression last year.  I was embarrassed this was happening…. Even felt a little shame around it.   Steph’s little gifts always lifted my spirits.  Her effervescent interactions with me reached into my darkness and sprinkled twinkle lights enough for me to feel the warmth of her friendship.   One of her weekend visits she brought me a bouquet of fresh flowers. 

It was a simple bouquet and yet it brought life back to my soul…. It allowed me a break from my feelings of despair which haunted me during those dark months.  Steph always invited me to come and play with her when she was up on the mountain.  We went tubing, riding around exploring the wintry wonderland and she even asked me to give her a private yoga session…. I know this was for me, not her…. And it meant the world to me for her to ask.  She was also there to talk me off the cliff when I thought I would go absolutely crazy.  The greatest gesture of her friendship was her offering to drive up to get me and take me off the mountain when I felt I couldn’t do it one more minute.  Her friendship is a treasure and words are too small to express my appreciation.  I hope she knows how much I adore her.  Steph and I share a birthday month and she suggested we plan a sunshine getaway to escape the snow (see how brilliant she is!).  I suck at planning so Steph took the lead and made it happen.  THANK YOU!!  Last year was a blast and I’m looking forward to another sunshine vacation to celebrate our birthdays in a couple weeks and in the future whenever she wants to go!  Another area that I truly admire Steph in is her work.  She is an incredible Mortgage Goddess and she has helped some of our clients be able to enjoy a little slice of heaven on the mountain with her expertise in loans. She takes great care of our clients and I can always trust her to do her best for our people.  She is also an incredible mom, she loves fiercely.  She’s firm in her parenting and I have a tremendous respect for this, her firmness shows her commitment to guiding her children in the direction that will set them up for wild success in their lives.  She takes such good care of her family…. I’ve seen her with a house filled with people, sneak away from the festivities and into the kitchen to make her hubby some dinner because he’s been too busy with friends or digging someone out of the snow to get a proper meal.  She also takes care of everyone on the mountain, chances are if you have a lot or a cabin up there and you have had questions, you’ve talked to Steph.  She has a heart of gold and gives far more than she ever asks of anyone.  Steph has been an absolutely solid rock for me when I needed someone to lean on and because she is in my life, because I know her, I have been changed for good.

Next up is Shelly Peck.  This dear friend has been through so much personal rough stuff in the past several years and yet, she continues to laugh, play and love everyone in her life so well.  She is truly an inspiration.  She also played a huge role in assisting me to find my way out of a hole of darkness last winter.  One weekend she came up with her family and we all ended up at Steph’s place (of course…. The BEST hostess) Shelly could tell I wasn’t doing well, she pulled me into the bathroom, grabbed one of her daughters and had her curl my hair while Shelly totally loved me with all the wisdom of a Fabulous Shaman Medicine Woman.  Her words continue to echo in my heart to this day and I treasure that night we were able to go deep, get real and talk about some raw emotions.  Shelly is an amazing mother, wife and daughter…plus so much more.  I’m so grateful to count her in my friend line up.  She’s always up for playing pranks and I love getting to just “play” in our favorite place with each other…. Forgetting any of the rough stuff that we might have to deal with when we return to “real life”.  I love that she can just bring me right inside her escape with her.  Shelly is truly an inspiration to those lucky enough to call her friend….. And because she’s a part of my life, because I know her, I have been changed for good.  

The next woman continues to be a soul sister even though she no longer has her lot on the mountain.  And though she doesn’t have a place up there, she is still there for me… I feel her on the mountain when I need her strength and I get to laugh with her in person when we share soup recipes and cookies down here in the city.  Kay Johnson popped into my life and seriously planted her soul sister seeds of love in my heart so unexpectedly.  We have a mutual friend whom we both adore.  I knew I had to meet Kay because of this mutual friend…. I felt an instant connection and I do believe we have been and will remain soul sisters beyond time on this planet.  I can’t say that we spend all that much time with each other and yet, I know she is always with me.  Just tonight she sent me a sweet little text just checking in to see how I’m doing as I was typing this about her… I think we can feel each other thinking about the other.  I do the same with her, when I get a little thought wave of Kay, I check in with some love for her too.   As you can tell, last winter had a very huge impact on me.  Towards the end of winter Kay texted and asked me to stop by her house when I came into town, she told me she had something for me.  It took a while but I finally made it down to visit with her.  Kay had also had a very hard winter. Her sweet little home was a sanctuary of love and acceptance for me.  It was a safe place to unload the darkness I’d been carrying, hiding and trying so hard to ignore.  She invited me in and with just a hug…. It all came tumbling out. I sat in her living room and we cried together for quite a while.   There was no judgment, there was only love.  She was safe.  She sat with me in my darkness, she shared the darkness that she too had been wrestling with. We didn’t compare or try to outdo each other’s hardships; we just held each other’s hands as the darkness spilled out and the heaviness lifted.  After a REALLY good cry session she told me she had something for me.  She had me close my eyes and she went downstairs and came back with a gift.  When she told me I could open my eyes, she laid out the most beautiful handmade quilt I have ever seen.  She showed me the stars on the corners and told me that those were me, how she saw me, a shining star.  She showed me the butterflies, the flowers and all the other beautiful elements she had included in this incredible gift that were little mementos of our mutual love for our mountain.  Then she flipped the quilt over and it was a beautiful green material…. She told me, “And this is your meadow, so you can be wrapped in the sanctuary you love so much.”  I was awestruck.  I still am as I write this almost a year later, the tears come back just as they had spilled then.  This quilt, this gift of love, is the bed spread that welcomed me into my fabulous Hooper home and the next chapter of my life.  Our first night in our new home we set up camp on the living room floor with some Costco camping mats. 

We didn’t have a bed yet but I made up this sweet little spot where I could snuggle into my new home in Hooper, under this beautiful quilt.  This new house gave me a warm hug when I moved in and this quilt whispered, “You’re home, you’re safe and now we will find the light within you that has gone dark”…. and I snuggled in tight.  How does this woman know my soul so deeply?  Our connection spans lifetimes.  Like I mentioned before, I don’t think this is our first rodeo together and I’m so thrilled to have found her again in this life.  Words are far too small to explain how much I love this woman, because this woman is imprinted on my heart, because I know her, I have been changed for good.  

So many other women on the mountain checked in on me, brought me groceries and brought the FUN back into my life!   Sara Frazier taught me all about the woodland creatures and what each one likes to eat so I could Snow White myself through the winter with some furry friends. Angie Marchant kept reminding me that winter would end one day and then we would have a dance party to commemorate Olivia Newton John…. That will still happen, Ange, I promise!!!  Wendy Harris checked in on me and let me know if I needed anything she was there.   Lori Van Hooser also checked in on me and was so sweet to offer me a place to stay in the city if I ever needed a getaway. Rachel Loftus, I hope you know how much your friendship means to me.  Your sweet nonjudgmental love is a beautiful breath of fresh air… and that one night, you were the best friend I could have asked for, thank you, deep bows…. You know what night I’m talking about, you got me through it.  Stacey Deittman and Kristin Buta kept me going with private message conversations on Facebook when I was feeling so alone, then they let me crash their luncheon and become part of their tribe.  Staci Bertagnolli continues to inspire me to have a pair of sunglasses to go with EVERY style and I love that she is a part of our girl gang.  Melissa Schmidt motivated me to keep going and to be strong through the tough times.  We had several long, deep conversations and she wisely told me that sometimes we have to love ourselves the way we want to be loved.  Thanks for your guidance and strength Melissa.  Bonnie Moon was also so sweet to check in on me and bring me plenty of lemons and avocados.  She was also so good at knowing when I needed an extra tight hug, she could sense that things weren’t always joy-filled for me and without words, she gave me a little extra tight squeeze.  Kristy Nishijima gave me a bracelet with a Bigfoot Ranch charm on it. I continue putting it on every day to remind myself that my true sanctuary is not a place outside of me but a place within me. Kara Mitchell lights up my heart with her smile. I’m so excited to be her city neighbor too and get to know each other more with some girl “pool” time this summer.  So many other fabulous women reached out last winter to tell me how proud they were of me.  That validation meant the world to me and I’m so thankful for the mountain community I get to be a part of.  Thanks for all the love GALS….. All of you….. I’m sure I’m missing others that need a shout out and I apologize in advance for those specific women I’m forgetting at this moment…. Please know it is not intentional, I love you all and because I know you ALL, because you are all a part of my life….. I have been changed for good.