New Mexico- 2002
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In late
September I visited Letty Miller at La Casita,
her home in Dixon, between Santa Fe and Taos.
She shares a wonderful life there with her friend Sarita.
Both are weavers and have many artist friends.
I also attended an elderhostel on spirituality at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu.
I loved New Mexico--the mountains, the desert, the artists, the freedom,
the light and shadows, the monastery, the adobe houses.
I hope to go back there every fall.
With my hosts
Sarita and Letty on the
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Potter Betsy Williams built her own kiln |
Painters Nancy and Pierre Delattre are among their friends. |
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The adobe guesthouse at La Casita |
In her ceramics gallery-- Nausika Richardson |
You're all welcome at La Casita, next to the Chiripada winery in Dixon |
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Letty and Sara's back yard and mountain view. |
Letty at her loom in the Weavery |
Mabel Dodge Luhan's home in Taos |
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Chamesa grew everywhere, even in the carport--achooo! |
"Daisy Miller" keeps Letty running. |
Our spirituality
elderhostel group
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San Jose de Gracia church in Truchas |
Altar of San Jose church |
Chimney Rock on Ghost Ranch |
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Ghost Ranch sits beneath Kitchen Mesa |
The miraculous Sanctuario in Chimayo |
I could see Pedernal Mesa from my cabin--Georgia O'Keeffe made it famous. |
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Our group met daily in Ghost House |
Panoramic view of Ghost Ranch |
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A mesa rose up in every direction |
The Painted Desert of New Mexico |
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I wanted to paint every view. |
On the Chimney Rock Trail |
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Spiritual Practices |
I kept going back to Chimney Rock.. |
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That week at Ghost Ranch our elderhostel group tasted various spiritual practices from a variety of traditions--meditation, chanting, etc. I realized that painting is one of my spiritual practices. I painted Pedernal, Chimney Rock, Kitchen Mesa, and the mountains of the Old Ones at the monastery.
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The Mountains of the Old Ones behind Christ in the Desert Monastery |
Christ in the Desert Monastery |
Typical Spanish Colonial altarpiece |
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"Seasons of Spirituality" |
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Meditation, chanting, silence, lectio divina, solitude, following a rule, walking the labyrinth, spiritual reading, praying the Office, Islamic devotional songs, mandelas, fountains. Best of all, we visited the Benedictine monastery of Christ in the Desert, not far up the road from Ghost Ranch. |
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