Category: April 2017

John and I just bought this beautiful Indian trunk from a small import store in the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque.

 

It has handmade wooden wheels underneath.

 

Photo bomb! Or maybe it doesn’t count as a photo bomb since she’s sitting so nicely.

Dear Artist, dear neighbor,

I hope you don’t mind if I post these snapshots of mine, of paintings of yours, and of your home, in your honor, without your permission.

I visited your home with a real estate agent, when you first put it on the market last summer.  I never take photos of personal items and art when visiting houses for sale; there’s no reason to.  Except I loved the bold colors, the cheerful abundant abandon in your art.

So when my agent told me that the owner was the artist, I snuck these couple quick shots, which, unfortunately, do not do your paintings justice. If I had known, I would have taken more time with the photos.

If I had known, I would have bought your home, and maybe set a different chain of events in place.

I am sorry.  I am sorry for the loss of your talented life.  http://www.placitasartists.com/a_goodridge/

And I am sorry for the agony your husband must now be enduring, as he realizes that he failed to protect you from the voices.

I’m sorry that we have created such a misguided society, that we would lock a crazy old man up in jail, rather than direct some of our enormous resources into figuring out how to protect us all from the voices.

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PLACITAS, N.M. (KRQE) – An elderly man is locked up, charged with the murder of his wife.

Sandoval County deputies say 72-year-old Thomas Goodrich called 911 Saturday morning, saying he had just killed his wife.

When deputies arrived, they say they found his wife, Anna Goodrich, badly beaten in her bed.

Deputies say the murder weapon was a rock the couple kept by the front door.

Goodrich told investigators that he had been hearing voices and feared for months that he and his wife would be attacked.

Goodrich said he didn’t want his wife to suffer any pain and “wanted to put her out of her misery.” He says he attacked her as she slept.

He is charged with an open count of murder.

Trying to help Laura pick a new hairstyle.  LOL, don’t you love my drawing? I’m sorta thinking she’s not going to be taking that to the hair salon with her! Moms try though.  We do try.

Here is what I meant. Obviously!

Nothing like a broken cell phone to dispatch the hubris.  I am no longer feeling particularly up to moving mountains (of stuff, that is), nor am I serenely contemplating ways to describe a certain flavor of contentment.

Now I’m just feeling like anyone would feel with a completely inoperable cell phone.

I’d post a picture of all the colored vertical lines on the screen, but first I’d have to go find a real camera.  It’s surprising how much we do with our phones, that’s not about talking on the phone.

On Saturday, John and I spent much of the day pulling weeds. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the Zen-like activity outdoors. It was relaxing and meditative. It’s not that often that John and I get to work together, side-by-side.  We vacation together, but we generally split up the work, for efficiency.

 

As we weeded quietly together, I attempted to describe a sense of contentment with my life, that is not necessarily obvious from watching me running from project to project. I’m always trying to improve things, so I don’t think I always come across as very content (a clear example being yesterday’s post about how I’ve had it, we have to move!)

 

Yet, I feel like I have lived a full life, and if I were to die tomorrow it would be ok, because I would consider myself one of the lucky ones.  Not that I want to die tomorrow, of course.  But I feel like I’ve somehow been given enough, and I would not begrudge the universe if that’s all I get.

 

It’s a hard concept to describe in our language.  To say, “I don’t need to live any longer” or “I wouldn’t mind if I were to die” makes it sound like I am completely dissatisfied with life and don’t want it to continue.  Yet, what I was trying to describe is the opposite – I am very satisfied.  Entirely satisfied. I’ve had all that I would expect from life, and actually much more.  And I am grateful.

   

I have gotten to do so much in 50 years.

 

Oh, don’t these mosaic tables look amazing?

  

http://www.frontgate.com/ProductSearch2#?p=KK&srid=S1-5IADP&lbc=frontgate&ts=ajax&pw=Mosaic%20Tables&uid=800045538&sli_countryCode=US&sli_currencyCode=USD&isort=rating&view=grid&w=Knf%20Mosaic%20Tables&rk=1&p=Q&view=grid&isort=rating

Actually I’d be perfectly fine with any of the less-fancy outdoor furniture that I currently own.  The problem is, it’s in storage right now.

Wouldn’t be nice to be able to just sit outside at a table with a friend?

Hand tools are a special personal challenge of mine (among many others).  So I’m very proud to say that I successfully dismantled this little table, got it into my Mini Cooper, and driven down the hill to the other house. Then I got it unloaded from the Mini Cooper, and carried inside the house DESPITE THE SNAKE AT MY FRONT DOOR, and reassembled.

You may be asking, “What other house?”  Actually, you’re probably asking, “What snake?!?”, but in case you’re asking, “What other house?”…Well, we’re in transition, and there’s too many houses.  John and I don’t even know what we’re talking about half the time.

“It’s over at the other house.”

“Which house?”

“The other house.”

“Which other house, the rental?”

“OUR house.”

“They’re both our houses.”

“No, we don’t own the rental.”

“But we live there, right? Most people call it “our house” if they live there.”

“Just that house, there.” (Points)

And just for the record, I did not lose a screw.  That screw was already missing.

“Which screw?”

“The one that’s not there!”

This snake just fell – leaped!? – dropped (thunk) at my feet!  From above me!  Just now! I was standing there getting ready to unlock the door, and was idly thinking about how windy it was, and how the porch needs swept, but the wind would undo my work in 2 minutes…

And then this SNAKE DROPPED FROM ABOVE!

I try to be cool about snakes.  They are a natural and useful part of my rural environment.  This is probably not a rattlesnake, it’s probably just a harmless bullsnake.  I don’t see a rattle, but then, not all small rattlers have rattles. I just don’t deal well with them when they drop from above!  Within a few inches of my head!

The snake probably dropped from either the top of that light, or out of the knotholes in the porch roof (see above).

IRONICALLY, it was only last night I was having those nightmares about my home not being safe. And now this! My coaching friends say snakes are a good omen.  To see one or dream about one is a positive event, spiritual even.  But if snakes are so positive, why is my body reacting like I nearly DIED?

By the way, if you’re wondering why we have bricks holding down strings of lights at the base of our front door, that’s to discourage packrats from sleeping (and pooping) there out of the wind.  Yeah.  Packrats. That’s for another post. I wonder if packrats eat snakes?  Probably not.  The snakes are SUPPOSED to be eating the mice, but they seem to be failing at that task and really, I’D RATHER HAVE A CAT! LOTS OF CATS!