Breathing Blue

Life changes everything. When comfort turns to restlessness it can make you itch. Many of us simply scratch but in this personal memoir Kathy O'Dwyer recognized the itch for what it was, the need for a more fulfilling life. Shocking family and friends she abandons her comfortable Chicago lifestyle trading in her corporate high heels for a pair of steel toe shoes and work gloves to take on management of a small ranch and retreat center in the wilderness of Aravaipa Canyon in southern Arizona. Encounters with rattlesnakes, javelinas, scorpions and coatimundis are nothing compared to the challenge of isolation and loneliness. Following an unconventional path takes courage yet Kathy soon finds it is necessary to bring about intense transformation. She stumbles along the way, strays from the path yet ultimately sheds the skin of her old life and embraces a new beginning. Reconnecting with the Earth allows her to discover her soul's purpose and ultimate happiness. This work from the heart is shared through short stories and poetry during Kathy's two years living next to the singing waters of Aravaipa Canyon.