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Dr. Susannah Smith continues with her new TIO column, “Shrink Rap.” Her second post is a tip of the hat to Alfred E. Newman: “What, me worry?” It is all last-minute holiday stress.

Shrink Rap
by Dr. Susannah Smith


Even the most organized person usually forgets something on his or her list of tasks for the holiday season. Especially if you are an achiever or perfectionist, the stress of “doing everything right” can become severe during right about now. Throw into the pot: kids out of school, Secret Santa presents, missed planes, blizzard conditions, last minute gifts you forgot to get,  and stir into your regular busy life. It is a recipe for disaster guaranteed to make your blood pressure rise.

22 December, 2008 /

James Colt began skiing with the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program last season. In the Autumn of 2006, James had just finished a two pitch climb in Ophir, Colorado, when he was struck by a large chunk of falling rock, which resulted in a serious traumatic brain injury. A long and painful recovery left him with extensive paralysis of his entire right side. In view of his injuries, his progress at the beginning of last ski season was remarkable, but related injuries prevented him from continuing- a major disappointment for him (and for me, as I had been his instructor).

Over the Summer, James put in countless hours on his rehab, including huge miles on his recumbent 3-wheeler, and an equally impressive number of miles walking. At the end of November, 2008, we began again: a full day learning again to maneuver in ski equipment that had once been so familiar, and beginner work on the Magic Carpet.

19 December, 2008 /

I grew up in and around New York, a place known for ethnic diversity, where a handle like "Smith" is as rare as a street with no traffic or trash. The name smacks of white bread and white linen.

OD 2 Susannah is anything but. She is a kaleidoscope of colors. However this true introvert does not announce her many gifts. She unwraps them slowly or obliquely in conversations over time, casually tossing over her shoulder (like discarded peanut shells) the fact she is a practicing clinical psychologist, executive coach, systems consultant, author, composer, soprano, and one-time pilot.

Susannah does not take herself too seriously: she is who she is.
We on the other hand are honored to call her friend and confidante.

Dr. Smith has agreed to join "Telluride Inside…and Out's" team of writers. She will be contributing a weekly advice column, beginning now with her first "Shrink Rap."

15 December, 2008 /

The Telluride Ski Resort opened the much-anticipated Revelation Bowl, high above Bear Creek, with Telski's Dave Riley cutting the ribbon on Wednesday afternoon, 10 December 2008. According to TI...

11 December, 2008 /

Move over Manolo. Jimmy Choo is nothing to sneeze about, but he too can step aside. My favorite shoes for the winter come with heavy straps and metal cleats. And they are not for kinky sex. They are for climbing straight up and down snow-covered...

08 December, 2008 /

The US Weather Bureau forecast for today called for 2-4" during the day, and another 2-4" tonight, snow to begin about 11 AM. The photo below shows about 6" on our patio, the time is 1115, and it's still coming down.Erik Dalton at Jagged Edge,...

08 December, 2008 /

Boomers might remember “Leave It to Beaver,” the 1950s sitcom about the perfect all-American family of the Eisenhower years. The program was sweet enough to give a person a toothache, but one thing for sure, the tight little unit worked: lots of white teeth, love, and just enough mischief to spice up the action. The word “dysfunctional” had not been invented yet.

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Santiago Correa

The Correa clan is Chile’s response to the Cleavers – only more so. There are eight of them: the irrepressible Santiago, Sr, hyperkinetic, wacky, and wise; and his wife, the warm, lovely Ana Maria, the glue of the operation. The happy couple produced six firebrand offspring: Santiago, Jr., Francisco, Tomas, Anita, Andres, and Catarina, each one bright, beautiful, funny, fun-loving, and accomplished. It would be easy to go green-eyed over their disproportionate share of the pie, but when you are welcomed into their home, wined, dined, teased, and hugged, a person would have to be made out of stone not to melt.

We met the Correas three years ago, when Vivien Jones brought us to a dinner at their hacienda in San Vicente, one of five properties where they have vineyards and grow olives and table fruit. At the end of the wine-soaked evening, Clint and I extended an invitation to Telluride. It seemed only right. Tomas jumped at the opportunity to polish his English. Once dates were nailed down, we tackled the logistics of finding him a host family and work.

02 December, 2008 /

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Birthday Cakes for Vivien and Clint

The Residencia Historica is located just a few kilometers from the toy town of Marchihue and 40 minutes from the much larger Santa Cruz in Chile’s Colchagua Valley. Colchagua is one of the centers of the country’s rapidly growing wine industry and the Chilean outpost of blue chip labels such as Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite. We first visited the place in 2005, when it was still a work- in- progress.

When Vivien Jones and her partner Silvio Castelli discovered what has become the hotel six years ago, the sprawling 18th-century home had seen better days. The bones remained, but they were buried in a tangle of old eucalyptus trees. Dead fruit trees and the thorns of roses tortured the grounds like a hair suit. Undaunted, the couple pursued a vision that can only be described as a labor of love: the promising wreck received the makeover it deserved. The result is a fabulous boutique hotel, where old and new artfully co-exist. To celebrate, on November 8 Vivien threw a joint birthday bash, a traditional Chilean BBQ or asada, for herself and Clint.

01 December, 2008 /