Leo was born in West Virginia, raised in Delaware and developed her careers in Washington. She has applied her creative and administrative talents in support of learning and personal fulfillment in a variety of settings, including Neuro-Psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Construction, and her current passion - Literacy.

 

Excerpts from her comments on:

Philosophy - Learning is a “natural condition of being human.” Learning involves making mistakes. A mistake made while fully engaged in learning is an  “excellent error” and merits honoring.

 

Spirituality – We (animal, vegetable, mineral) are all ONE. Life is a process of reconnecting with the ALL of us. “I love this quote from Rachel Naomi Remen:”

  

Lynn and Eduardo have three very special children that they adopted at birth: Carolina, Morgan and Savannah. All three are growing quickly into roles as active participants in many social situations.

 

Eduardo came to be a parent later in life, yet he feels that this was the perfect time for him to become a father, as he has dedicated much of his prior time and energy to many different causes. Lynn and Eduardo worked together on a project called Tucsonans for a Clean Environment, which worked to improve  the quality  of water  on  Tucson's south side.

Both have also traveled to Nicaragua to learn more about the Sandinistas. In fact, Eduardo has been a political activist since his college days in Texas. He also holds deep environmental values.

 

Lynn was raised on a farm in Kansas. In addition to raising her three children, Lynn works full time in education, currently as Principal of Marana Career and Technical high school. It is a challenging job.  Fortunately, Lynn derives a lot of satisfaction from her work, both from her camaraderie with co-workers, and from her feeling that she makes a difference in her student's lives.

 

Living in a cohousing community is a natural progression for this couple. Lynn and Eduardo recognize the importance of being on a journey with companions who have a goal. As Eduardo says, "The cohousing concept takes humanity many steps forward, and we all benefit, not just people but also the earth."

Natalie says: What is the best moment of my life?  If I’m living my dream, that would be now.  Every now.  When I taught school in Russian Mission, an Eskimo village in Alaska, I was delighted by my capable students on cross-country ski paths we made, over hills through the forest.  Pumpky, Max, Rose, Alexi, me and the others glided, climbed, plummeted, plowed and laughed our way through many twilight afternoons in winter.  I cherish the memories of taking steam baths with my best friend and soul-mate,  Natalia  –  where  once  in the  pitch black steamhouse, she accidentally applied hair remover to her long lustrous hair.  After my nose’s memory led us to the energized panic of discovering and remedying her mistake, we laughed for ten minutes straight (in the Eskimo manner of taking life’s mishaps with humor), imagining the possible result.  (Her hair was so slick and shiny the next day!)  In Milagro, I appreciate the reciprocation of joy, love and caring of friends living side by side.  One of my weekly highlights is a 4-years-running dinner circle.  Every Tuesday, we eat a delicious meal (vegan, although only two of us are) prepared by a rotating pair of our members.  These meals always provide lively discussion and often include singing, a game, a table round for a sober or silly reason like renaming each other, revealing a childhood embarrassment, taking a personality quiz.  Professionally, I teach kids to read who have a hard time learning and I teach adults how to do what I do.  Life is a grand adventure and getting more fun for me every day as I learn to stalk all things good. 

Patricia – "In and of community lies the salvation of the world." This quote from Scott Peck contains much truth for Patricia. "People caring about other people do make a big difference. Community living is an excellent way to be interdependent," expresses Patricia's desire to live at Milagro. She was born in Denver and was raised in the Seattle, Washington area. Patricia lived in the San Francisco Bay area before moving to Tucson.

 

Tucson has been her home for over twenty years. She has two sons, one living in California and one inTennessee. She is now retired from her career as a realtor.

 

New adventures call to Patricia. Over the years she has hiked the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, parachuted on her 50th birthday, petted whales in Baja, canoed the swamps inFlorida, rafted the Colorado and a few other things. Milagro is her current adventure.

 

Hiking is one of her favorite things to do. "Being outside in the Arizona foothills and mountains is glorious," Patricia says enthusiastically. She also enjoys reading, music, self-improvement, movies, conversation, the laughter of small children, gardening, flowers, reveling in the wonders of the universe, learning about and implementing the principles of sustainability. 

Ruth is a single woman who was the first to move into Milagro.  She is a retired author, Registered Nurse, Mississippi River sailor, mother, grandmother and Crone.  Ruth was particularly interested in the community and environmental aspects of cohousing.  She has been a recycler and water saver for many years.  This old woman was born in South Dakota and lived most of her life inMinnesota and now loves the desert and mountains of Tucson.

Kristine and Brian began living at Milagro on Thanksgiving Eve, 2006. Serendipity? Maybe. The holiday set aside for gratefulness was an ideal day to first awaken in their new home and surroundings. While on holiday in Canada at Moraine Lake in Banff, the two pondered where to put down their roots and live. Together, they envisioned a home with mindful amenities: a small footprint and design respectful of mother Earth, sunrise and sunset mountainous views, fruit and nut trees, dark night skies, comfortable outdoor living spaces and a connected community. What they found at Gaia Place fit their vision astoundingly well. Grateful? Indeed.

 

As two people who love to share quiet hikes in dramatic landscapes, enjoy live music, practice yoga, drink wine with good friends, not take themselves too seriously, travel where their curiosities take them and seek new insights whenever possible, living at Milagro is a gift.

"The essential word of process is 'yet.' We are all 'works in process.'
That means that judgment is really inappropriate, or premature, because
none of us are finished 'yet.'
When I began to be interested in the spiritual, I remember literally praying
that I could stop seeing people's faults so that I could release myself from my
habit of critical judgment.
I still see what I saw then, but I now recognize that what I am seeing is
not deficit but the growing edge in every human being. I am seeing the 'yet,'
the place where God is present, the place where the work happens."

Fun – “Let’s hike, travel, build things with our hands, and work TOGETHER – and with our dogs, too, of course!”

J’Fleur and Tim were married in Illinois in l961 and moved to Arizona in 1984.  They raised four children.  Their youngest died in l994 in a car accident.  They have 6 grandchildren.

 

J’Fleur was born the youngest of 6 in Nazi occupied Netherlands in l940 of Jewish parents.  She immigrated to the US in l947 and grew up in New Jersey.  She has a PhD in counseling and worked with individuals and couples in private practice until her retirement in 2007.

 

J’Fleur enjoys knitting, exercising and weight lifting.  She wants to live in a community with others who also value sharing their lives with honesty and love for each other.  She is interested in self-examination and personal growth, seeing psychological and spiritual growth as intertwined.  She values respect for the earth, community and spirituality.

 

Tim, was born in New Jersey the second of 3 boys, loving nature as long as he can remember.  He has been a professor of physiology and the director of the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Arizona. He conducted research on how  exercise can prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and how innovative programs can promote long-term weight loss in overweight children and women.  He retired in July 2008.

 

Since moving to Arizona, Tim has come to cherish desert living.  To create a community which honors ecological living is a deep longing for him. Out of his men’s work with the New Warrior network movement, he is participating in an elder’s group.  He loves reading Thomas Berry, The Sun Magazine and many philosophical and ecological writers.