Rita in 1956

Rita O'Connell

WHAT ELSE DO I DO WITH MY DAYS? (AKA -- what I do when I'm not knitting) 

For the curious out there --  I'm single and love to camp, visit archeological ruins and nature's wonders, and try to follow the spirit wherever it leads me.  I have 6 sisters and 2 brothers, most live in our home town of Duluth, Minnesota, and all are younger than me.  I've lived in Duluth, Minnesota (~22 years), Los Angeles, California (~10 years), Duluth & St. Paul, Minnesota (~17 years), Colorado (~5 years), and now back in  Duluth for a few years -- and if you do the math you can figure out approximately how old I am, too!

Some of my life is based on my academic training -- I have B.A. and M.S. degrees in biology and a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Engineering.  I worked for more than 15 years with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in a variety of positions as an environmental scientist -- first writing permits for wastewater treatment facilities, then overseeing the cleanup of contaminated solid waste landfills, then as a ground water quality policy planner, and finally as a facilitator and planner of river basin-wide activities to coordinate water quality protection efforts at all levels of government.

But, then spirit/intuition/longing told me it was finally time to leave the hectic big city life.  In late 1999 I moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a small rural community in southwestern Colorado.  I lived at 7,000+ feet in the San Juan Mountains, in what is considered to be the northeast corner of the Four Corners region (where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico come together).  It's a very beautiful place and is also within a few hours drive of an amazing variety of the best that nature and ancient human societies have to offer on the North American continent.

I loved the life I lived there -- not financially wealth-making, but abundant in life lessons and growth in spirit.  Now I'm back in my home town of Duluth, even living again in my childhood home (built by maternal great-grandparents) and am bringing science back into my life in the form of teaching biology, chemistry, and/or environmental science classes part-time at 3 local colleges.  I may also explore writing feature articles for local magazines if that opportunity arises again.

Through it all, though, knitting has been and will continue to be a steady heartbeat of sanity and tranquility and creative challenge.  I'll continue to keep it a significant part of my life.