Tonight seems a good time to start - some new photos. They are smaller so I can get more in - I think if you click on one it will enlarge. Anyway, I have no idea what order they will appear in on the Blog but I think you'll know the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assissi includes two more - one of the interior (against the rules but I didn't think my camera would flash - it did!) The other outdoor one is of the labyrinth in front which we haven't yet walked. The food is our lunch today - At Guadalupe Cafe - black bean and corn quesadillas made with spinach whole wheat tortillas topped with sour cream and salsa. And, the sopapillas with honey! YUMMY! Of course, much more than we could eat for lunch - so also for supper. That's what I call great leftovers! And, the NM chardonnay was good. I napped and took a quick walk over to Sanbusco to look at shoes. For once didn't buy any. Meanwhile Faye took off for the library to research stuff for her Master Knitter's paper. I did manage to find a neat long cotton skirt that cried out to me as I walked by the store. So, I brought her home with me. --------We're going to Albuquerque tomorrow, so I may not send another post in the morning. ------ Was great to hear voices of Pod 3 sisters tonight on our monthly Pod conference call. We'll be listening in the early morning hours for the sound of OM Ann tells us occurs in Santa Fe. ----- Oh - one of the great things today - we learned how to use the GPS Frank and Faye bought. Seems mighty strange to this 96 girl to be riding in a car that talks to me, but I guess I could learn to live with it. It did a super job of getting us home from lunch taking us across 3 or 4 little streets we would never have found and bringing us home a crooked but short way. Susan - Thanks for the destressing herbal tea in the cute little bags - I've enjoyed one every night here so far. Not that I'm under stress - the tea just tastes good. Buenos noches!

Day 6 in Santa Fe

Here we are on a beautiful Tuesday - bright sunshine, deep blue sky and white clouds. What a fantastically clear sky we have! Yesterday was a great day! Started the day with sun salutations in the courtyard, facing East, of course. Study of pranayama, sutras, etc. Then downtown shopping - actually buying stuff! Each of us bought a chaleco (vest-like, split poncho). Luke, you will remember Bob's) Ours are fine weave cloth but nice and warm. For our morning meditations in the courtyard we need them - they made the time much cozier this morning. We also made a stop at the Zuni connection store, a custom jewelry and Shiprock for an appraisal of my Zuni jewelry where I learned the artist who made the earrings I've had for years. Then on to a lovely shop of the monks at Benedictine monastery in Abiqui called appropriately "The Monks Store." Found a lovely CD of chants (can't wait to use these in yoga classes) and a whole bunch of lavender stuff - it apparently grows everywhere here - we even have a huge bed of it in our courtyard. Anyway, we bought oil and linen water - so now the whole house smells like lavender - and patchouli - Kate, thanks for the candle. We are both delighted with the aroma in our home. Lots more just goofing around and finally back home to knitting and supper. This time a Kashi frozen dinner - it was Faye's turn to cook - and it was good! In a bit, we're going out to our first NM restaurant for lunch - we've been very good about our diets to now, but it's time to experience some of the ten or so places the owners recommend in their notes to us. So, I'll report on that later. It's called the Guadalupe Cafe - "one of Santa Fe's best kept secrets. Everything is great and very inexpensive. Sopapillas (with honey) one thing that I adore!- their favorite is the chicken enchilada. and the NM chardonnay is surprisingly good "- we'll SEE!

Yesterday was walk around day. I'll post a few photos so you can see a bit of Santa Fe. I took these as I walked from our home to the Plaza - a very nice short walk up hill going and down hill coming home which is convenient. Took a few breathing breaks going up, none coming down. I think I'm getting acclimated. The first (actually it's in the middle when I publish the post - still haven't figured out how to place photos) is the Santa Fe River at Guadalupe and W. Alameda. I don't know if it gets larger elsewhere but on the map it looks like it does. In lower part of the photo you can see my shadow. The cross caught my eye because of the circle - reminding me of Celtic crosses. The Virgin Mary is in the courtyard of the Church of Shrine of Guadalupe. (Name is not right - I'll research it) After I returned home, we headed for Albertson's to buy staple groceries, stopped for gas ($2.85 a gallon - much higher than we paid on the road) and parked at the La Fonda Hotel, walked around quite a while then decided enough. I was told that the La Fonda is where the movie actors stay and that we must see the bar and lobby, etc. So, another day. The day ended with a supper of kale, corn on the cob, and roast turkey breast. Not yet hooked on New Mexican food every single meal - maybe we'll get there, but not yet. Come to think of it, what do they eat for breakfast? Sopapillas, I guess. Have to find them soon! I dearly love them with honey. This morning has gone beautifully! I'm studying Richard Rosen's the Yoga of Breath in an attempt to work on pranayama (breath control) as the next step in my yoga growth. Did a bit of work on savasana (corpse pose) and found it far more helpful to write in my pranayama journal about the experience. Some say this is the most difficult pose to perfect - I got an inkling of what they mean. I've never worked on it before. Also did sun salutations in the courtyard this morning - the mat on the small pebbles felt fine - even though it did remind me of the yogis who rest on broken glass! Or is it a bed of nails? Maybe both. At any rate, life here is settling in to a quiet morning and an adventurous afternoon. So, more tomorrow. Stay tuned! And, I'd appreciate your letting me know you're following this (just send an email if you can't figure out how to comment here) - makes it much more fun to write and, who knows?, I might even hit on a topic you can enjoy reading!

Sunday at Santa Fe - Opera Night

Last night was the Tales of Hoffman night - a long one! We arrived at the site about 6:30, 7 miles out of town, to do our tailgating along with a bunch of other folks and enjoyed our wine and cheese and green chili quesadillas in the car while watching others with their tables and cloths, and fancy eats - even one cooking on a grill - then into the opera house for the opening at 8:00. By 10:30, Faye and I decided we needed sleep more than more opera. (It was scheduled to end at 11:30.) It was truly spectacular and extremely well done - but enough was enough for two old bags who usually get in bed by 9:00! I'll post a few photos for you. And I'll try to put all into a FB album for those who really want to see all! Notice the elegant plastic baggie from which our quesadillas came - Whole Foods, though, so organic! Also notice the scenery behind Faye - beautiful mountains in the sunset. Enough, time for morning meditation in the courtyard.

Day 3 at Santa Fe

Well, we are truly settling in. First I must report my first miracle: I can breathe better! I woke this morning without the very dry mouth I've been having for months. Obviously I am now breathing through my nose rather than my mouth while I'm sleeping. Humidity? I suppose. Still, it feels very nice! ------ We locked outselves out of the house this morning - forgot to unlock both locks on the back door - so ended up in the courtyard - fortunately I was fully dressed - Faye was not - her head was wrapped in a hot towel covered with an Albertson's plastic bag after I gave her a hot olive oil hair and scalp treatment. So, I was elected to walk to Sanbusco and borrow a phone and phone book to call the property manager. Fortunately she was there and promised to get a key to us but couldn't before 10:00. It was then 9:00 - so we continued our wait - which turned out pretty successful. We agreed to meditate and spent 45 minutes in meditation - a very long one but very profitable for me at least. Then, we decided to call again at 10:30 so back to Sanbusco I went - to a different shop this time - borrowed a phone and book and called Amy again. She said she had already been and left a key for us in the key box! Why the dum-dum didn't come in the courtyard and tell us is beyond me. She said she called my name a couple times but didn't come all the way into the courtyard. I guess our meditation was deep! At any rate, we recovered.------Now we're spa web shopping - turns out one is only a block from where we are living - that one appeals to me because they use lots of Native American herbs for oils and such. So, we'll have that to look forward to.-----We're going to Albuquerque on Wednesday for haircuts and doing Old Town. Tonight we go to the opera. Tomorrow? Who knows?

Day 2 at Santa Fe

We woke up this morning for the first time in our new home. I woke at 5:00 (7:00 in 96) and began perusing the guide books for the area and making notes - so much to see and do there's no way to get to it all without a bit of organization! So, I now have a spa chosen for a massage, several places to look at western art, and many places to dine - plus museums, etc. We are taking the advice of the guidebook and resting at home today. I told you wrong yesterday - we are at 6,989 feet elevation not 5,000. And it became abundantly clear this morning when I tried to boil water to cook oatmeal! And, yes, we are tired and taking a day or two to acclimate. -----I spent 20 minutes or so sitting in the courtyard this morning with my candle - while wrapped in a yoga blanket - it's really too cool in the early mornings - but by 10:00 it's absolutely lovely out so I'll change my routine - which is one of the reasons for being here! New routines. I'll post a photo taken in our courtyard - already our favorite place BUT the whole house is absolutely perfect for us. ------ Tomorrow night we go to the Santa Fe Opera production of the Tales of Hoffman - fortunately each seat has a translator screen - so we'll have some idea what is going on! The second photo was taken as we crossed the Mississippi River - I've always loved photos of bridges and this is my favorite photo so far this trip. More tomorrow.

Santa Fe - We're Here!

So much to tell - first here's a photo of the lookout mountain at Tucumcari (translate lookout mountain) where we stayed last night. Then on to Cline's Corners where we left I-40W for 285N to Santa Fe. We saw no more than a dozen cars on 285 until we were within 10 miles of Santa Fe. Past Eldorado where I visited ten years or so ago - and into Santa Fe where Agua Fria crossed 285 (St. Francis St.) (Yep, the one and only St. Francis of Assissi) turning right onto Agua Fria and going about 10 blocks or so toward the Plaza to our home. Interesting that the street has speed bumps built into it. The house is over 100 years old but has recently been renovated with very nice upscale kitchen and bathrooms while retaining the feeling of a timeless adobe home with walled courtyard - and it's only a five minute walk to the Plaza. After getting the car unloaded we decided to visit the Whole Foods store where we stocked up on organic veggies and fruits and wine (organic, too) and a quick stop for tequila for margaritas and on to a regular grocery store which we never found - ended up two miles out of town asking directions from a guy we stopped at an intersection on top of a hill where we could see Santa Fe but not how to get back to it! With his accurate directions, we made it back home in no time - but still haven't gotten to the Albertson's grocery. We'll find it tomorrow. -----I'll insert another photo - one to give you some notion of the expansive open spaces in NM near Albuquerque - (it's hillier here in Santa Fe) and one of the sunflowers growing all along the roadside in NM. I lived here 46 years ago (Tate will be 46 in November, that's how I remember since he was born in Albuquerque) and don't ever remember the sunflowers. Maybe Lady Bird's program got them started? We had a great supper in the courtyard - baked chicken, asparagus, salad, and lovely bread. Spent our late afternoon in the courtyard perusing Cooking Light and other recipes planning our next healthy meals. On the drive out we listened to the Teaching Company's CD's on Lifestyle Management and got inspired to eat well. -------We are both tired. The drive is part of it, but the altitude is also - right at 5,000 feet here - so we're planning a day of rest tomorrow to catch our breath and get over the 2+ days in the car. We covered 1700+ miles driving 10 and 11+ and 4 hours so it's time for a day off. More tomorrow. By the way, all three of these photos were taken from a car moving at 80 mph - not bad, huh?

Santa Fe - second travel day

We're in Tucumcari NM! Three to four hours tomorrow to our home in Santa Fe! Last night we spent in Forrest City AR, just past Memphis having left The Pond at 7:00 am. Drove over 700 miles today at 75 mph on straightaway with almost no curves - even 80 in NM where the speed limit is 75. We've been really hauling. Thalma and Looeze are great traveling companions! Lunches at Subways, snacks in a cooler, breakfasts on the road from McDonald's, just traveling, traveling, traveling!!! I'll get some photos on the post tomorrow - of the windmills, the chollas (NM before we saw any of them) but especially the wide open spaces. I-40 all the way from AshevilleNC to Albuquerque - we turn north just short of Albuquerque to go to Santa Fe in the morning. The lookout mountain here in Tucumcari is impressive! So are the mesas and the wide open spaces - it feels as if we can see forever. Guys are pitching horseshoes outside the Quality Inn where we are staying. About time for supper - know that life is good on the road. Will be more descriptive and perhaps better organized after we reach 526 Agua Fria Street in Santa Fe, our home for the next month.

Departure Time in 24 hours

The photo of Kate and Brad walking the labyrinth was taken from the porch on Saturday just before they left. I used the extreme zoom on my little camera and it was pretty fuzzy. So, thanks to Sydney's (Tate's daughter) suggestion a few weeks ago, I went to Picnik and autofixed it instantly! And, you don't even have to join! In the other photo they are waiting for clothes to dry at the laundromat in 96. (Who was it who wrote "After the laundry, the ????? Thich Nhat Hanh?) ------- Which reminds me, I still have one last load of laundry to do. Garbage to recycling center. One medicine to refill. One more yoga session this evening. Rent checks to deposit. Stop mail notice. Move plants to the porch so Angie can water them for me. Strip my bed so the mattress can air out.(No, I didn't wet the bed - just make a practice of leaving it unmade when I'm gone for weeks at a time.) Post schedule on Yogatorium door. (Even four miles from 96 folks sometimes just drop by.) Finish emptying the refrigerator and packing a cooler of snacks and drinks. Oh, yes, I do need to pack clothes, too. ------- Just checked weather in Santa Fe. For the next 7 days or so they have showers predicted! That's a surprise for me - so in goes a rain jacket. In Ireland last fall I wore my rain jacket nearly every day - but in Santa Fe? Oh well, I am sure that's the first of many more delightful surprises awaiting us!

Connecting with Kate and Brad

Once in a very great while, truly special happenings occur. Brad and Kate are here. They arrived yesterday in time to join Martha, Maureen, Wynter, and me in a yoga session. The energy in the Yogatorium was beautiful - an experience that will live long in my memory. Then the evening together was as special. A connection of Selves that rarely has occurred in my life. If you haven't been there, just skip this part. If you have been there, you know of what I write. And, my writing got a "shot in the arm" from that AND from Faye's suggestion that we join a group on Facebook writing 600 words for 21 days and adopting a new practice (exercise of the body, mind, and/or spirit) for 5 days each week. The timing begins September 6 - after we arrive in Santa Fe - so is perfect! (If you're interested in joining the group, let me know and I'll give you the connection point.) Now I sit on the porch and watch the soft rain falling - still dripping from the porch roof and hitting - what? - I've been wondering for days - so just now I looked - it's hitting the pedal boat with a rather low pitch and nearer to me, a lighter tone as the drops hit the water. And, I can hear all this even without my hearing aids! It's like little punctuation marks in my thoughts - mostly like commas or semi-colons, sometimes a repetition of periods . . . . . like my thoughts need corraling. And now the bullfrog sings! And the A/C kicks on. Time for breakfast. But, I'll repeat the rain photo for you before I leave.

Four Days Left

Why is it that I feel compelled to do chores before I can play? Actually, I guess it really was time for a few chores. I've been playing for several weeks now most of the time and only doing those chores that jumped out and screamed for attention. So now today, it makes sense. Brad and Kate are arriving this evening and so a few preparatory chores screamed for attention. The nice thing is that they are now all done! And, it's only 10:47 am. I am a morning person - so now I have the rest of the day to play and I will. Starting with blogging. Yesterday I got a new photo of the Yogatorium I'll find for you. I took a series of photos for my new student to remind her while I'm away of the asanas we've been practicing. I've registered for "A Women's Yoga Intensive: The Journey Within" at the Prajna Yoga Studio in Santa Fe so I'll return home with much new learning to share with my students. That makes me happy. Learning always does make me happy. Sharing my learning makes me even happier! What makes you happy?

Santa Fe trip begins in Seven Days

Seven more nights here and we're on the road! Amazing how many little things seem to need to be done before leaving for a month. Yesterday I pulled weeds, cashed a check I'd been carrying around for a couple of weeks or more, picked up a belt I'd forgotten about at the repair shop (it needed shortening!), taught my last classes for the time being at the church, and managed a girl's night out watching "Eat Pray Love" or is it "Eat, Love, Pray"? Wonder if there is another one of those men in Bali? Maybe I should make my next year's trip there. Today, there is a doctor's appointment to check out a mole - of course, he'll take it off, he always does. Then, to get the car cleaned inside and out. Oh, yes, also yesterday I cleaned out the console, the glove compartment (Surely they don't call them that anymore? Who wears gloves!) the side pockets (maps from nine different places I won't be going), chewing gum in wrappers (thank goodness), three empty hand lotion bottles, rolls of quarters for the laundromat, paper clips, rubber bands, a key to what I don't know, and a key to my safe deposit box, plastic forks and spoons, etc.) Amazing what accumulates in one's car - too many storage places. The decluttering I've been doing for a couple of years now somehow missed my car until yesterday. How freeing it is to see the bottoms of the spaces! Why don't you empty a drawer today? It's a wonderfully freeing feeling - and after all, that's what we're all after - freedom!

Challenges

Yoga on my mind. These past few days two new students have come to the Yogatorium. One is a 12-year-old girl with scoliosis. The other is a chiropracter with an office in Ninety Six who has been doing yoga on his own with CD's for 10 years and is ready to "go deeper." He actually recommended yoga to the 12-year-old's mother and she then told him about the Yogatorium. I'm telling you about this to make the point that my yoga opportunities for expansion are blossoming! By expansion, I mean new challenges. It is always the case that my endeavors become stale without new challenges. Another way this is being manifested - I have found a 4-day retreat at a yoga studio in Santa Fe that fits my need perfectly!! So, yes, my devotion to yoga is getting exciting again! Once again I am recognizing the need for challenge. At least it is a need for my happiness. How about yours? When is the last time you had a good challenge fall in your lap?

Another Day of Just Being

It's 55 in Santa Fe at 7:00 this morning! Whee! I can hardly wait for the cool nights!
I'm a bit late this morning. I got involved with cooking steel-cut oats - it takes a little while longer than ordinary rolled oats, but it's worth it! Of course, the walnuts and raisins help. The sun has already crept onto the edge of the screen porch where I normally write. So, I moved over to my rocking chair. There is a bit of a breeze this morning, so it's not stifling yet. As soon as the grass dries off, I'm going over to work on the labyrinth a bit and also chop down the dead willow trees. Ray and I are still hoping they might sprout back next spring. Hummingbirds are truly feasting on my front stoop all day long now - but particularly in the mornings and other times when I have let the feeders go dry and refilled them. I fill two feeders at least once every day, sometimes more often. At times there are 8 birds flying around. Believe me, these are the nicest kinds of pets! Better than the herons and the egrets - at least these visit my front porch! The bullfrog who lives just to my right, has greeted me, but no one else has shown up.

Egrets and Herons are HERE

Yesterday two Great Egrets (white, black legs, yellow bills) arrived! And, they are here again this morning - or they were. Also, this morning, two Great Blue Herons are here again - at one point I could see all four magnificent birds stalking fish along the edge of the Pond. But, at some point, one of each pair chased away the other. I guess there is some kind of hierarchy when feeding? The egrets look identical so I'm guessing they're both males. The herons look slightly different - so perhaps they are male and female - what fun it would be to again see little herons! I have once before. Actually, I've only seen one fly around - never actually feeding. Young ones don't seem to stay around long. I recorded first spotting the Great Egret in August of 2008. So, I guess this is their time to be on the move. I'm glad they stopped here for a visit.
Randy mowed the grass yesterday - and finally it is grass, not weeds and dirt! We've had great rains lately. He mowed the labyrinth so the knee-high grass is gone but the pattern is still very obvious. It has matured into a beautiful spot for walking meditation. I see it every time I look across the Pond - and now from here I can even see the stones friends have placed around the center section. Unfortunately the willow trees Ray and I planted seem to have died. I'll trim them back and hope they resprout. My Dad always said - give the trees a couple of years, you never know.

Santa Fe - first write

Let me explain first - we don't leave until August 24. So the Santa Fe writes will be intermittent until then. This morning I'm checking the weather in Santa Fe - 62 degrees right now - about 6 am. Fun to anticipate being a little cooler - especially since the humidity is so much lower! I've been told that there are those who followed my Ireland blog who will also be following my Santa Fe one. FYI I'm not creating a new one - just will be writing here so you don't need a new address. If you're not interested, just don't bother reading - I'll be back here the end of September and you can start over again then. Faye and I have now begun swapping emails daily - there's so much fun in the planning! A bit of intro of Faye: She and I met in Boulder, CO at our Claritas interspiritual mentor training in August of 2005. Along with 6 others, we formed Pod 3 and have been together ever since with monthly phone calls and quarterly retreats. She lives in Charleston with husband Frank (who will be joining us for a time in Santa Fe). I'll insert a relatively recent photo taken here at the Pond during a retreat. Yes. she is a knitter! Three weeks from tonight, we will be in the Santa Fe Opera House - attending the final production of the season - The Tales of Hofffman - sung in French, of which I have no knowledge beyond oui and non, I think that's the spelling. But, then when I attended Carmen in Caracas, I didn't know that language either - guess it was Spanish? I am not an opera fan and have no knowledge of opera but I can still enjoy the productions! I did attend an opera at the Santa Fe house about 10 years ago with a friend, but don't even remember what it was! I do know the experience was delightful! Enough for now.

Why am I here?

The sun is back. Today is beginning more normally but I want to share a photo of the rain running off my tin roof yesterday. Imagine the sounds! What a joy to have this beautiful place to live! This morning I'm looking forward to three weeks to "Just Be" here at my cottage. No travel is planned and few scheduled events other than my regular evening yoga classes. A time to relish my place in this world. The question that arose yesterday is "Why am I here?" I recall my Mother asking that question over and over during the last year of her life. And, I could not give her a good answer. I now think that question perhaps follows naturally the big question: "Who am I?" Perhaps we never answer either of these satisfactorily. Perhaps the thoughts that arise by simply asking the questions are reasons enough for asking them.

Green

A shocker this morning! As I walked out onto the porch, TWO Great Blue Herons were arguing - but not for long - one flew away to the little inlet behind the trees and the other to the west over by the peninsula to begin his normal stalking of fish along the shoreline. The second one seems to have flown away - haven't seen him again. Never before have I seen two here. It's overcast again - so a bit cooler. Still, I close the door to keep the a/c from coming on even though the thermostat is set at 80. There is a nice breeze occasionally - I'm enjoying the overcast days. It's quiet now and very still and green. The green is greener when the sun is not bearing down on us. Brings back memories of Ireland - the greenest place I've ever been. I remember living in Oregon on the west side of the mountains where things are very green also. What green means, of course, is lots of rain. Here, it's now green, but was brown only a short time ago. We switch back and forth between brown and green in the summer time. And now August is here and leaves will begin to turn - I saw red sumac a couple of days ago. They are the first to know the days are growing shorter. A belted kingfisher was here yesterday. I first saw one here in October of 99. Fun to watch him perch on the posts that supported a spillway pipe years ago and dive down for fish. The pipe is long gone so now water spills out a culvert on the far end of the dam. But it hasn't spilled through it in a long time - not since last winter.