Christmas in Santa Fe

Our first Christmas in Santa Fe has been a wonderful, magical and community-centered experience unlike no other. Just like the celebrations of the summer months, "The City Different" knows how to have fun and put on a party, and our own microcosm of the city here at The Commons on the Alameda Cohousing Community also knows how to make the most of the season.

On Christmas Eve, we made our way to Canyon Road for the very famous Canyon Road Christmas Eve walk, an event that is now attended by 20,000 to 30,000 people. But first, we stopped at a local gourmet chocolate shop for spicy Mayan hot chocolate to pique our palates and warm our bones.

On this special night, the entire road is closed to vehicular traffic and is transformed into a spectacle of bonfires (luminarias) and farolitos (paper bags filled with sand and lit with candles). Some galleries, residents and shops go all out, lighting their property and adobe walls with dozens, if not hundreds, of farolitos, and the effect is stunning.

Many galleries and shops offer free hot cider, cocoa and snacks, and there are planned and spontaneous outbursts of holiday singing and caroling at every turn. Although there are thousands of people, it is a very tranquil event, and there was a very palpable peaceful aura all through the city.



Thanks to a local friend, we were invited to several nearby house parties, where we were treated to hot food, egg nog, and other holiday cheer. It was a nice respite from the chilly night, and we were greeted along the way by people gathered in front of fires along the darkened streets.

Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny, with abundant blue skies. Here at The Commons, a group of carolers wandered the community beginning at 10am, singing for various neighbors as they asked for their cups to be filled. We rewarded these intrepid singers with French cognac, and then joined them on their merry rounds. We ended our singing at a neighbor's home, where a generous spread of food and drink was on offer, with kids and dogs running and playing in the large living room as adults laughed and talked.

Luckily for us, our son and daughter-in-law arrived from Taos by noon, and we enjoyed a long, lazy day of opening presents, cooking a sumptuous meal, walking along the river, and playing charades after sundown. It was a lovely and memorable time, and the day ended as sweetly as it began.

On Sunday---Boxing Day---we had a delicious brunch with our "kids" and bid them adieu. Leaving Tina at home, we went for a very special hike in the hills along the Rio Tesuque outside of town, and marveled at the beauty of the forest, the icy running water, and the sun that tried its best to make its way down into the shady darkness of the forest.

This evening, a Boxing Day gathering at The Commons featured desserts, even more holiday cheer, and time to elongate the holiday feelings that have enveloped our little community all week.

It's been a special holiday weekend, and we look forward to the celebrations that will no doubt be in the offing as 2010 wanes and 2011 dawns.

Happy holidays to all, and our blessings to you and yours at this special time of year!

Misery Loves Company, or Great Expectorations

Well, since our arrival home last Saturday from our whirlwind (and somewhat stressful) trip to the East Coast, Mary and I have been holed up in our casita, nursing monster viral illnesses that have pretty much laid us flat. Although I became ill just three days into our trip, Mary did not show signs of illness until our last day in New England, the day after she had her memorable post-Thanksgiving emergency root canal.

Calling in sick to work for the entire week and canceling all appointments except for mutual sessions with our chiropractor, we basically entered a state of collective suspended animation, spending entire days in our casita, leaving only for several minutes at a time to give Tina brief walks. (Actually, we were generally so sick that we were sometimes unable to walk Tina, so we chose to just let her out on her own, except for nighttime when the coyotes are prowling the nearby river bed, hungry for a sweet canine or feline morsel.)

On Monday evening, too sick to make it to community dinner (and unwilling to infect others with our illness), a neighbor delivered our dinner to us when we requested that someone do so, and we gratefully slurped on homemade soup. Meanwhile, someone has brought us chicken soup, a neighbor is loaning us a vaporizer/humidifier, someone else called from the co-op to see if we need anything, and others have also checked in to see how we are and what we need.

To this day, our coughs continue (although Mary’s is improving), and as I posted on Twitter a few days ago, the used tissues have piled up like so much snotty snow. And to add insult to injury, I believe I have suffered a hairline rib fracture from the force of my persistent cough. Oy.

Illness notwithstanding, yesterday a momentous day dawned, and the 18-wheeler on which we had packed all of our worldly possessions not one week ago in Amherst, Massachusetts arrived to our new storage unit here in Santa Fe. Rallying our strength and meeting up with our excellent hired help (a sweet father-and-son team), we unloaded the truck, carefully packed the storage unit, and brought selected furniture and beloved objects to our casita. Having lived with our clothes in cardboard boxes for the last seven months (and crammed into small spaces in the RV for nine months before that), each of us having a dresser seems like an unheard of luxury, and we will continue to discover small treasures and beloved belongings as we slowly comb through the contents of our storage unit.

So, you may ask, dear Reader, why have the intrepid travelers and self-proclaimed “nomadic communitarians” decided to bring all of their worldly goods to the West? Are they thinking about remaining in Santa Fe? What about the continued search for community and the optimal climate for living?

What we have decided is that, except for friends and family who we love dearly, our ties to the East Coast have indeed weakened, and we have decided to stay in the West for the foreseeable future. Although Santa Fe still holds our attention and we are happy at The Commons on the Alameda, this area is not feeling like our “forever home”, and other horizons will eventually beckon once the time to move on has presented itself. Until then, there is still much to explore and experience here in Northern New Mexico, and we are presently traveling while rooted in one place (something that Tina is especially thrilled about!).

So, as the used tissues continue to pile up and gallons of tea with honey are imbibed (with the odd shot of sherry or port wine for reasons of pure constitutional fortification, of course), we feel our mutual suffering coming to an end, and our (admittedly somewhat cozy) self-imposed isolation will also cease.

It’s been a long two weeks, replete with a whirlwind trip to the other coast, acute illness, reuniting with our life’s possessions, and the reminder that our bodies need important rest and recuperation when under duress. Yes, Misery loves Company (guess which one of us is Misery and which one is Company!), and we know this time of companionable misery and great expectorations will remain a poignant memory long after the trash is taken out and the surfaces summarily disinfected.

We are wishing everyone out there in blogland a most happy, healthy and joyous holiday season, and we send you all our love, respect and gratitude. 

Autumn Light

The late afternoon light here in Santa Fe is just spectacular at this time of year. And here at The Commons on the Alameda, the cottonwoods in the central plaza simply glow as they tower over our cozy community.

The fountain in the central plaza

Cottonwood and evergreen, by Mary

Cottonwood and adobe, by Mary

Cottonwoods, by Mary

Reflections by Keith at One Year

Exactly one year ago today---on October 30th, 2009---we woke up in our rig after spending the night in our friend David's driveway, said goodbye and began a journey whose length and breadth we could not predict. Having sold our house and most of our things, quit our jobs, and made the radical decision to hit the open road in search of intentional community and (excellent) adventure, we left our beloved New England for points unknown.

Not several weeks after our departure, our aforementioned friend David took his own life, and an unplanned return to Massachusetts for his funeral threw a temporary wrench into our travels---and our hearts---as we processed the grief and loss that his passing engendered.

Recovering from David's sudden and unexpected death, we continued our descent down the East Coast, visiting friends, family, and intentional communities whose missions or values spoke to us.

For me, this East Coast sojourn was like a long goodbye after 45 years of living along the Atlantic, and my heart continued to open to the West once we took that right-hand turn in northern Florida. We meandered through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, and there were BBQ's, communities, serendipitous meetings, Laughter Yoga, camping adventures, and all sorts of events along the way.

It was a wild ride, and I must honestly share that even though we were very road weary and ready for a break once we returned to New Mexico following our visit to the Grand Canyon for Mothers' Day weekend, the transition to a place-based life was indeed difficult for me. After so many miles and so much forward momentum, our screeching halt in Santa Fe---although necessary on many fronts---gave me pause as well as a short-term bout of depression.

Now, after five months living at The Commons on the Alameda Cohousing Community and making the most of life in Santa Fe, I see clearly how we all needed this break, and that living only 90 miles from our beloved son and daughter-in-law is sweet and lovely.

We left Western Massachusetts in search of community, with a deep desire for a sense of belonging and sustainable living. Here at The Commons we have fulfilled that longing, and we have immersed ourselves headlong into the life of the community, making the most of our time. We honestly have no idea how long we will stay at The Commons or in Santa Fe, and while we would like to find our "forever home", I'm not convinced that that concept truly applies to us.

One year ago, we took a giant leap of faith into the void, with eight wheels between us and the road that opened up before and beneath us. That road has treated us well, and even though we're now in one place (for however long it lasts), my "traveler's mind" is active, intact, and still brimming with curiosity. Although I love many things about where we are and who we're with, I still feel like I'm traveling, and those 10,000 miles have not really assuaged my itch to further explore the world around us.

There's no predicting where we'll be in another year, but I have no doubt that it will be rich with community, adventure, beauty, and possibility.

The Joys of Community Living

When we set out on our journey on October 30th of last year, our intention was to visit sustainable and intentional communities around the country and find one where we might be able to create either a short-term or long-term life for ourselves and Tina.

Now that we're here at The Commons on the Alameda, we are dedicating ourselves to life in this community for however long our stay turns out to be, which will be at least until the end of March. Reluctant to make a long-term commitment, renting a little studio "casita" gives us a cozy little home, a place to rest our heads, and 79 other people with whom we have frequent opportunities to interact.

The Commons is a cohousing community, so it is like an intentional neighborhood that was designed by the original families to be a safe pedestrian village wherein children and adults could live a community oriented life while maintaining a large degree of personal autonomy. And to this end, The Commons has been wildly successful.

Socially, we are lucky to have two opportunities for inexpensive community meals twice per week, and these meals provide us with the chance to break bread with neighbors over homemade food, and it is a weekly ritual that many of us are loathe to miss. Some residents are very popular chefs, so when certain people are on the schedule to cook dinner, you can be sure that the tables will be packed! So, for anywhere from $4 to $7 each per meal, we feast with our neighbors and can even take home inexpensive leftovers for the next day if the food really strikes our fancy.

While organized parties are few and far between (at least since we moved in), we did recently celebrate the annual harvest celebration here at The Commons, and participating in that 19th annual party was a treat. Also, various Commoners frequently host movie nights, sing-alongs, and other gatherings that bring some of us together. (Tonight, a group of us watched "Vitus", a sweet Swiss film that we heartily recommend).

Living in community also gives us the wherewithal to make our needs known and have them fulfilled without participating in the conspicuous consumption that makes American life so expensive and unsustainable. When we need to borrow a tool or a cooking implement, we simply send out an email or stop by the community kitchen or tool shed to see if there's one we can borrow. When I had two flat tires last week and had to send my car to the garage, one email resulted in five offers of cars to borrow so I could get to work. And if one of us was to fall ill or we were to need to community support in a pinch, we have no doubt that it would come through with little effort on our part, and that is a comforting thought.

As far as community processes, we both make time to attend various meetings here at The Commons, including the monthly business meeting, community meeting, parents meeting, and other important gatherings. When we arrived, we immediately saw that the Care and Concern Committee (with only one member) was in need of energy, so we both joined and have initiated a monthly "Heart Circle" where Commoners can come and be heard in a space devoid of judgment, feedback, or problem-solving.

When it comes to kids, that is a very fun aspect of life here. With Mary doing childcare two afternoons each week, many of the kids now see our casita as a place to come for fun and positive adult interaction, and Mary has smartly set up a shelf at kids' eye level that is covered with various toys and playthings. So, various Commons kids come and go from our casita throughout the week, and Mary has especially put a great deal of energy into creating sweet relationships with many of the children here.

Akin to kids, dogs at The Commons are another source of joy, and we have several canine friends with whom we share a special bond. There are a few who wander at will (and sometimes make their way into our casita in search of treats), and then there are others who we run into as we wander the community.

Yes, life in community offers opportunities for socialization, time with children and dogs, and the ability to dig into community life, contribute in meaningful ways, and enjoy not living in isolation in some anonymous neighborhood where no one seems to know one another.

I can say all of this and also simultaneously acknowledge that community life is not perfect. No community is not without its dysfunctions, personality clashes, and cumbersome processes, but in the larger scheme of things, we feel most at home and comfortable when living in an environment wherein some semblance of shared living is involved. It is more sustainable, more ecological, and yields a sense of connectedness and belonging that living in that isolated outside society can often lack.

The Commons may not be our forever home, and we may eventually move on for other pastures, but for now it's a comfortable place to be, and we're settling in for a New Mexican winter here in the high desert, safe in the folds of community living.

Herbs and Community

A Weekend of Community

This past weekend was the 19th annual fall celebration here at The Commons on the Alameda cohousing community, and we are so blessed to be here and to have taken part in such a wonderful event!

First, on Friday night, the members of the community gathered for a fire circle, potluck, ritual tree-planting, and the sharing of stories about life in The Commons. Since its inception in 1992 from a scrubby field of cactus along the Santa Fe River, The Commons has been home to more than 300 people, and the current census is now at 81 adults and children.

This is a truly special place graced with much heart, community spirit, and the willingness of dozens of people to create a functional and thriving intentional neighborhood that enriches the lives of all who come into contact with it. And this annual day of feasting and revelry is our way of giving back to the wider community with food, drink, music, dancing, and gratitude.

These are some photos from the weekend's events. Enjoy a taste of The Commons at its best!

Some Views of Our New Surroundings

We wanted to share some photos of our neighborhood and surroundings, and these are a few offerings to give more of a visual image of where we're living.......

This is a bird's eye view of The Commons from our landlords' rooftop terrace.....

This is the view from the horse farm next door. Note the mountains in the distance (this is truly within the city limits of Santa Fe)......

The following photos depict the (unfortunately very dry) Santa Fe River which "runs" just behind the community whenever the powers that be decide to release a little water to the thirsty minions.......(and this is where the local coyotes hang out at night.....)

These photos give a sense of the leafy shadiness and paths that wind through the community.....

And this is the breezeway that welcomes all who enter the community......

These are the community chickens which several families share cooperatively......

The community garden space near the chicken coop is decorated with colorful flags.....

This photo shows the outside dining area where we often eat community meals on Mondays and Thursdays.....

Our neighbors' lovely patio across the walk from our casita is just one example of how people have made their homes both attractive and comfortable.....

Taken from a vantage point we only recently discovered----an enormous hilltop dog park built upon the remains of the former city landfill.....this photo offers a view of downtown Santa Fe at sunset.....