At the heart of every being lies creation’s dream of a principle that will one day give organic form to its fragmented treasures.
Pierre Tielhard de Jardin
Tags: Quoting
Hello from a week a little over a week ago, on the road south to Albuquerque. It seems a bit sacrilege not to include a dazzler of the Spanish Peaks any time we are in the neighborhood, so here we are. It was a gorgeous day for a drive!
Happy New Mexican Black Dog meets University of New Mexico Lobo. Juniper gave it a curious sniff before realizing it wasn’t going to make a move on her.
All the above photos were taken on the UNM campus. Like most colleges I have visited in my life, the grounds were quite unexpectedly beautiful. You’d think I would be prepared for it, at this point, but alas, I am an occasional slow learner. I can’t imagine a more perfect sampling of New Mexico arhitecture, either. Sweet sigh.
Also, for a fun bit of history, Grandpa Marv attended school here before enlisting in the Navy. What a wonderful picture I conjured of his handsome young self, long legs carrying him across campus.
San Felipe de Neri
We stayed in a great airbnb, owned by a very talented artist (Lezle Williams and bought a few prints!), and just a short walk to Old Town.
Historic Route 66 continues to be a big influence in Albuquerque. We got some kicks at this delicious diner, sharing a burger and milkshake, of course!
The Kimo Theater was built in 1927, and is quite the stunner. It is another place I like to imagine Grandpa when he was little, with his family, or maybe even on a date with Grandma.
I was keen on getting the neon in full regalia, so we made a beeline here after our Route 66 Diner treats. Little did we know that Saturday nights are for cruising, and were treated to a sort of American Graffiti moment of stunning low riders along Central Avenue. I am super psyched to get in on this when we are New Mexico State residents. Yes, ma’am.
Our Albuquerque abode…
Crazy to think how old this city is – 317 years!!
Get ready for Arizona…
Tags: New Mexico
Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is, “Are you ready?”
Johnny Carson
Hello there! Happy Friday afternoon. It’s been a while since I posted many of my own words, one part absence of them, two parts business. My friend Bebe and I did a whole bunch of beading, with bookmarks, tassels, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces made. There’s one more set in a holding pattern while I decide if they are quite right.
Another bit of business has been our Taos house. I cannot tell you how many iterations of the design I have made over the past two years since buying the land. Fifteen? Twenty? Thankfully, my wonderful husband got me a design program for the computer, as all the first tries, maybe even half of them, were done with sharp pencil and ruler on graph paper. Oof. I made fine work of several erasers.
Just this week, I landed on the layout of our dreams, and it is now in the pre-fab designers hands. She will work out the finer points of passive construction, then sometime early next year it will rise from the ground in 7-10 days.
As for the design itself, I will likely keep secret until the big reveal, but I will tell you that it has everything Greg and I have ever dreamed of in 2200 square feet, including a slightly over-sized single garage: two wings separated by the main living space, a large covered patio, an office for me (with a view window for Juniper), a cozy guest room; and a multi-use space for working out, Greg’s desk, and guitar jam center. Truly, all the things!
A lot of the design was driven by the near tragedy of our dear friends’ son. He was in a horrible car crash three years ago and is mostly wheelchair bound. We realized something similar could happen to us or a beloved guest at any time, so we might as well try to future-proof by modifying and stretching every space for wheelchair access. It isn’t difficult, but it does take more thought and a little more money. I’ve got a crazy spread sheet with estimates of the highest average cost for every job and detail I could conjure in hopes of not being terribly surprised when the bids roll in. Fingers crossed!
So there you have it. Time well spent, I think. Now a little summer dreaming in the depths of cold. I can’t remember if I shared this photo before. We suspect the previous owners were quite short, and this doorway from the patio is a perfect example. In order to keep Greg from knocking his noggin, I bought these cute flags. They do a fine job and are super cheerful, too.
Enjoy your weekend…
The holiest of all holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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One of, if not the first photo of Greg and I together. Today marks thirty-two (!!) years since we started dating. It is our first holiest of shared holidays, the second comes with our wedding anniversary in May. I cannot imagine a better companion or friend.
I love you more than ever, Buddy!
