Wolf Creek Lodge Newsletter

Adult Cohousing in Grass Valley, CA since 2012

May 2023

We have three guest rooms at Wolf Creek Lodge. We consider them extensions of our own homes. They are much appreciated, but sometimes overlooked by those considering becoming members of the lodge.

Spring is here, as we describe below.

Thanks to Claire, Richard, Bob B., Matt, Maureen M., Deanna, and Suzanne for contributed photos.

Bob Miller, editor

Suzanne Marriott, columnist and commas.

Wolf Creek Lodge will be joining many cohousing communities across the nation to support National Cohousing Weekend.

We are offering an in-person experience. We invite you all to join us between 10 and noon on Saturday, May 6th. Coincidently, this happens to be one of our quarterly community work days. It's a great chance to see the community in action.

In addition, we will be holding our regular monthly Open House on Zoom and in-person at the lodge on May 13th at 1:00 PM.

Guest Rooms

There are three guest rooms at Wolf Creek Lodge. They are available to family, friends, other cohousers and prospects.

To reserve a guest room, members sign up on the paper calendar in the multi-purpose room. After their guests leave, members are required to clean the guest room. Some do it themselves while others hire one of our regular cleaners. We ask prospects to pay a cleaning fee

All guest rooms have en suite bathrooms and Wi-Fi.

These rooms are a real asset. In a traditional home there is often a rarely used guest room. Here at Wolf Creek Lodge we have the availability of the guest room without the burden of having it in our own home.

Guest Room #1

This is our smallest guest room. It's on the ground floor with convenient access to the common kitchen and the coffee bar.

Guest Room #2

This guest room is on the second floor. It features a queen size bed and additional trundle bed.

Guest Room #3

This is our largest guest room. It includes a sitting room with an additional bed and an alcove suitable for working.

Guest Books

Each guest room includes a guest book. It helps us discover things that can be improved.

Here, with the author's permission, is one entry.

Some visitors:

Nancy A

My 80-year-old friend, who had to be rescued by the Sheriff's Department during the severe March snowstorm, took refuge in Guest Room #2 for several nights.

Jo

My brother's oldest son, Simon, and family from the UK stayed in guest room #3. They went tubing at Sugar Bowl and had a great time.

Steve

Our friends from Berkeley visited. We walked the Buttermilk Bend Trail at Bridgeport on the South Yuba River.

Sue

Mark and Jen were here on an overnight as they returned to Seattle from Facebook (Meta) headquarters in Menlo Park.

Maureen M.

Shortly after I moved into WCL, my high school friend, Pamalee, flew out from South Carolina to check out my new home. She lives on a lakefront, so I was happy to host her in Guest Room #2 last October, with its beautiful view of our adjacent woods.

Krista

My sister and brother-in-law were able to stay in the Guest Room #3 for a week when they were out of power during one of our winter storms. They were so appreciative to have radiant heat and a warm shower!

Deanna

My niece, husband and three-year old, came to visit after seeing friends who have a farm nearby. We made dinner in the common house, then, after the child was asleep in guest room #2, I stayed with him and they got in the hot tub! Their comments included "it’s like a resort."

Judith

Our favorite guests were Jim’s son Arthur, wife Allison, and their just-learning-to run upstairs baby, Marlowe. They really appreciated the big bathroom in guest room #2.

Richard

Last fall, my late twin brother Bob’s family came to visit us, and we were able to accommodate all four family members in the three guest rooms. Having our guests on premises made it a more pleasant visiting experience for both them and us: no shuttling back and forth to a hotel, each could conveniently retire to their room and return to our unit at their leisure, and they had more opportunities to interact with our neighbors.

Adventure Board

Richard created the "Adventure Board" on the common house bulletin board. We are encouraged to go on dramatic adventures and send the pics to Richard, who creates hard copy with appropriate captions.

Some of us cheat by sending him pics of our kids doing adventurous things. However, the latest addition is the real thing.

The picture below shows Kelly in scuba diving gear in the Channel Islands.

Kelly is in the middle.

Hello Spring

After a challenging winter we welcome spring. It's a little late this year but definitely here.

There are clear signs of spring: the 8:00 AM coffee group moves from the sitting room to the patio, gentlemen expose their knees, trees in the Wolf Creek Lodge gardens are in bloom, the daffodils continue to flourish, and birds are very evident by their song and their nests.

Blossoms on our cherry tree

For many spring demands a pilgrimage to three spots renowned for their flowers - Buttermilk Bend Trail in the South Yuba State Park, Table Mountain near Oroville, and the tulips at Ananda. The tulips are a little late this year but will soon be here.

Deanna, Maureen, Nancy, and Patricia sit among the flowers on Table Mountain.

Gossip Column

Sustainable living seen in the common house.

If you enjoy clam shells for your entrée and choose ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert, then you can use the clam shell as your dessert plate.

House Concert

Tamara Fouyer and Alan Feeney are two local musicians. Tamara lives in Grass Valley and Alan in Nevada City. They regularly appear in various locations in Nevada County. Tamara sings and Alan accompanies her on the piano.

Tamara's musical interests include classical opera, Broadway and jazz. Alan studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He has an extensive musical career in the jazz and pop realms, as an accompanist to vocalists and arranger for theatrical shows and bands of all sorts.  

Patricia arranged for them to give a House Concert on Saturday, 29th in the common house. Some members chose to listen from the patio.

Vicki talks to Alan during the interval.

Getting the Work Done

We have a new battery powered lawn mower. We had some difficulty getting it to not only move, but also to cut grass. Finally Maureen worked it out and set off at great speed. We are not sure if she knew how to stop it. She was last seen heading towards the creek, scattering wildlife left and right.

Quote of the month:

"They're all supposedly adults."

Many of us have embarked on new endeavors since becoming members of Wolf Creel Lodge, and for me it’s been finishing and publishing my memoir. Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey will be out on June 6^th this year, and it’s already available for preorder at online sites, including Amazon, and in bookstores.

Here’s the back-of-the-book description:

Amid the many obstacles she and her husband, Michael, face after his diagnosis with a chronic illness, Suzanne Marriott learns to be a compassionate caregiver both for him and, ultimately, for herself. Through love, psychological insights, and spiritual inquiry, she cultivates her abilities–and gains the courage to confront a medical system that often saves her husband but at other times threatens his life. Despite Michael’s many hospitalizations, he makes miraculous recoveries that allow fun and adventure back into their lives, including his numinous experience with dragonflies. When Suzanne faces her own medical crisis, their world is once again shaken–yet throughout it all, love is their bond, one even death cannot sever. Candid and illuminating, Marriott’s story of growth through caregiving will appeal to anyone facing a life-changing crisis.

As you may know from my bio on our website, I joined the WCL community back in 2006, about six months after my husband’s death. Being part of this forward-looking community brought new meaning and connection into my life along with a compelling way to move forward. Writing my memoir was also a way to move forward, and I hope it will resonate with other caregivers and inspire them on their own transformative journeys.

Please check out my story by visiting my website: https://suzannemarriottauthor.com