Happy Birthday, Rene!

This past weekend, we were lucky enough to spend a a lovely overnight visit with two of our favorite people in the world: our son Rene and daughter-in-law Bevin. They came down from Taos last Friday after work and joined us for a concert by Modest Mouse at the inspiring and interesting Paolo Soleri Amphitheater at the Santa Fe Indian School, and then for birthday brunch on Saturday morning. It was great to be together, celebrate Rene's 27th birthday, and share delicious homemade quiche and chocolate ganache cake.

Happy 27th, Rene! May stepping into your late mid-twenties be a year of good health, fun, adventure, breakthroughs and a whimsical acceptance of all that is!

With love from yo Mama y tu Papa <3

Under the Umbrella......

Guadalupe

I just loved the play of light on this statue when I passed it by the other afternoon. It was so striking that I had to turn around, park the car, and attempt to capture it on film.

Play-Doh at Work

Now that I'm providing 12-hour shifts of nursing care for an elderly man at his home at the end of a long dirt road, passing the time constructively is important. At my behest, the social worker bought some Play-Doh so that we could try to engage the client in some therapeutic play. Unwilling to touch the clay, he was still able to enjoy watching me make a menagerie of creatures that brought a smile to his face and some color to his world.

-----Keith

Rainbow

"What is a rainbow, Lord? A hoop for the lowly."----Jack Kerouac

Only in Santa Fe?

The other night, we attended an art opening at the Skotia Gallery in downtown Santa Fe. The show, entitled "Naked", features a number of well-known contemporary figurative painters, and some of the paintings were quite impressive.

This young woman was lying supine on a table in the center of the second floor gallery space, covered with vegan sushi and naturally-sweetened chocolate from "Body", a famous Santa Fe natural foods restaurant and spa.

The juxtaposition of art and food was fun, and everyone in attendance (well, almost everyone) was quite respectful of the young woman's vulnerable position, offering her grapes and gratitude for her sacrifice for the sake of art. Marcel Duchamp may have appreciated this somewhat Dadaist affair.

Tina and A Distant Cousin.....

Tina met another Heeler today at the dog park on the edge of town. They didn't interact too much, but they sure were cute together!

Pause for the Cause!

Howdy y'all. Long time no see! 

I am here to share with you that I am one happy camper 

and I just had to share the joy with you.

First, I want to express my gratitude to Keith for his heroics that helped get us to--and maintain--our new nest. By heroics, I mean:

A. doing more than the lion's share of the demanding physical work that living in a rig requires. It has been fun to witness how this often frustrating work, along with Keith's commitment to exercise and meditation, has transformed his body into a rather buff, but already handsome man that he is. It has also been good for Keith's peace of mind and good ol' self-'steamers' (esteem).

B. being flexible and temporarily letting go of life on the road as we knew it. While we knew it was time to take a break, maybe even an extended one, it has been a lot easier for me to adapt to our new surroundings than it has been for Keith. Our timing and temperaments are just different like that and it is times like these that I am especially cognizant and grateful for my upbringing as a mobile "army brat" which surely makes adjusting to new environs not only a heck of a lot easier, but a lot more fun too!

C. somehow having the wherewithal to live with ME in a 29' RV for 9 full months!

D. for landing part-time nursing work to enable us to enjoy an extended stay in the Land of Enchantment.

E. supporting me in pursuing a passionate new career path as a "Certified Professional Coach", as in life coaching. Keith has been nudging me toward this livelihood for years, I kid you not, but I simply was not ready as I still had so much to give non-profit organizations. Now is my time to shine as I build the business, my coaching practice and, as always, build myself. I could not do it without Keith's kind support.

Thank you, Keith, for everything, and most of all, for loving me, Rene and our extended families all these years. As we step into our 3rd decade of marriage, I hereby wish you one of our happiest wedding anniversaries yet! 21 years and growing strong! Happy Anniversary, love!

Next, I will attempt to describe a typical morning here at The Commons. After waking, I do my morning pages, yoga, pilates and meditation, then take Tina for a walk around The Commons. We say good morning to the neighbors we see, some dogs frolic a little with Tina, and with some people I stop and chat. The birds sing as people water their gardens, tend to their children or take off on bicycles. (See earlier pictures to get the visual). Some mornings I'll help someone with much worse chemical sensitivity than I have, visit a lonely horse in the barn across the field or get in a good bike ride around the nearby park that I call "Prairie Dog Park". Coming home, I'll have a protein smoothie and get to work (on Rives Carlson Coaching, that is!).

Today, it felt like Mr. Roger's neighborhood here as I checked in at The Commons House to sign up for a work shift and some dinners, did my laundry in the communal, fragrance-free laundry room, poked in on the wee ones in the kid's day care, and accepted an invitation for Tina to play with a fellow Commoner's rambunctious puppy. (Tina is still recovering).

All in all, life is really good here at The Commons, especially now that I've reminded myself that it takes time to forge relations. Being on the road did not allow for the luxury of such time. Connections formed more quickly and the freedom of the road inspired an openness in ourselves and others that 'those who stay more still' are less likely to exhibit--and understandably so.

Now that Keith and I have a foot in each of those worlds, we attempt to strike a balance and be realistic with our expectations, yielding to the necessity of the passing of time. After all, ya can't really force a garden to grow. So, with our approaching anniversary (that we are blessed to be sharing with old and dear friends), we will celebrate sweetly and in appreciation of having arrived to a wonderful place to call home, most likely for long enough to reap the fruits of our labors of love in this lovely oasis of a co-housing community!

July, July, July..........

Having left New England at the end of October in the midst of autumn's waning splendor, we realize that we have now entered the fourth season of our time on the road. Four seasons have delivered us through more than twenty states and over 10,000 miles, and we find ourselves spending the glorious summer (or longer) in the beautiful high desert of northern New Mexico.

Our little casita is still comfortable, and life in community offers what Mary sometimes refers to as a "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" experience. The kids play noisily and happily outside the window (with the occasional errant spray through our open windows from their water guns). Neighbors walk by and say hello as they pass. Other neighbors care for Tina while we take care of business or have fun, and we attend community meals, go for walks, bike around the neighborhood, and continue to get to know various aspects of Santa Fe, be they maddening or wonderful. For me, I am more or less adjusted to life off the road, although I still hunger for adventure, novelty and the excitement of travel.

And while we consider what to do with our rig (which we will most likely sell and replace with a different travel-ready vehicle), we are using a neighbor's van and bicycling whenever we can, avoiding purchasing a vehicle for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, I have begun working as a nurse, caring for an older gentleman injured by years of mining uranium. Injured mine workers are common here in the Southwest, and I am happy to provide care for someone who worked for decades underground without knowing that his health was being compromised in the interest of our collective national desire for cheap energy and dangerous weaponry.

Tomorrow is the day that Mary and I joyously celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary, and we will do so here with old friends who are visiting Sante Fe from Washington, DC. Next week, we'll celebrate our son's 27th birthday with him and his wife, enjoying the happy proximity that allows us to see them both so frequently.

And as we continue to test the waters for longer-term living here in New Mexico, we keep our purchases to a minimum and choose to accumulate little that may weigh us down if we do indeed decide to move on. Keeping it "light enough to travel" is indeed the motto (stolen from a song by The Be Good Tanyas), but even so, we make the most of our time and continue to dive head first into life here in "The City Different".  

Mexican Train Stops in Taos!

When Mary's parents passed through northern New Mexico this week on a whirlwind visit after attending the Kiwanis International annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, we all convened at our son and daughter-in-law's house in Taos for a fun night of Mexican Train, pizza, wine, and lots of laughs (the serious countenances in the following photo not withstanding....)

Mexican Train is a strategic domino game popular among the retired set, but we and our son and his wife are totally hooked and play almost every time we get together. Although we all become rather loud and excitable (and occasionally vulgar) due to the tension induced by the stressors inherent in the game, it's all in good fun, and last night our daughter-in-law Bevin took home the prize. We're proud of how she has learned so fast, but I'm determined to beat her next time!

Outstanding in its Field.....

This outhouse on the outskirts of Taos was simply too good to pass up when the light of the sunset raked across it so beautifully........

A Walk in the Woods...

The other day, I escaped from the city deep into the Santa Fe National Forest, driving about twenty minutes out of town to get there. The aspens and other trees were lovely, and the shady forest canopy was a nice refuge from the heat of the day. I heard many birds and saw a considerable number of butterflies, although I sadly wouldn't be able to identify anything that I saw!

Luckily, I had asked a neighbor for tips on finding water, so the trail that I hiked led me to the Tesuque Creek. Being hot enough from the hike, I stripped down to my bathing suit and immersed myself in the ice cold water several times, even though it was only about a foot deep. Sources of water for swimming or immersion are not as accessible here as they were when we lived in Western Massachusetts, so beggars can't be choosy out here in the dry, dry Southwest.........

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.....

Fellow Travelers on the Road.......

Just today, we were lucky enough to meet two couples who are now on the road and happened to be passing through here at The Commons on the Alameda.

Tristan and Libby used to live in Amherst, Massachusetts, the town from which we absconded only seven months ago (in fact, we lived there at the same time but never crossed paths, sadly enough). They've been living here in Santa Fe for several years and are now whittling down their lives, packing up their few belongings in a homemade gypsy caravan, and heading back to Western Massachusetts to begin a new life in the lushness of New England. They are obviously highly talented, motivated and enterprising people, and we wish them well on their journey and hope to keep in touch. Their blog, Whittled Down, is well worth a frequent perusal. Here's a photo of the interior of their gypsy wagon, which is covered with waterproof canvas, and has a simple waterless kitchen and comfy-looking futon.

Jane and Gordie are two professional musicians from British Columbia who put their house on the market, their things in storage, and have hit the road for what will likely turn out to be a year of travel and making music along the way (they've been traveling about a month at this point). We exchanged some travel stories over dinner this evening, and as the sun set they played some original tunes under the trees for our listening pleasure. Their blog chronicles many adventures and is also worth a frequent visit. We wish them well on their journey and hope their house sells soon!

New Mexican Barn Cats

A Check-In at Solstice

A belated Happy Father's Day and Happy Solstice to everyone as the summer officially begins (here in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway).

On Father's Day, Mary kindly took me on an excursion to Cochiti Lake, where we swam in the lovely waters and watched families at play and rest. When the late afternoon winds whipped up a dust storm, we bid a hasty retreat from the beach and somewhat wistfully drove through the campground where we happily camped in our rig this past March. Cochiti Dam is a very large structure whose construction inundated hundred of acres of tribal lands, however the tribes have since negotiated a legal settlement for irrigation rights from the waters of the Rio Grande, and the nearby pueblos still farm the land surrounding the lake. (Click here to read my original post from our first visit to the pueblo.)

The high desert is an interesting place to be in summer, and we do sometimes feel homesick for the lushness and moisture of New England. We remember well those summers of biking to the local swimming hole and Amherst's "Puffer's Pond" for a luxurious swim, but we also remember the wretched humidity and hordes of mosquitos that frequently ate us alive. For now, we bicycle to a local municipal pool that's somewhat slimy with sunscreen and warmed from the sun (and the urine of excited children), and we'll frequent Cochiti Lake and a few hot springs that are all generally within an hour's drive.

Meanwhile, I have managed to secure two nursing jobs here in the Santa Fe area, and I will be working for two agencies that both provide care to various homebound populations, including injured uranium mine workers. (If you'd like to read about my experience of being fingerprinted innumerable times since coming to New Mexico, you can read a recent blog post on my personal blog, Digital Doorway.)

As far as our lives here at The Commons on the Alameda cohousing community, we are adapting to our new lives, attending community meals most Mondays and Thursdays, pitching in where we're needed, and getting to know our neighbors and fellow community members. We've taken a shine to several of the children here at The Commons, and we enjoy sitting on our diminutive patio and making small talk with passersby. Here's a photo of Mary and Tina enjoying dinner in the placita (small plaza) nearby our casita.....

Tina is slowly adjusting to life off the road, and she even has several canine friends with whom she enjoys brief playful interactions before she gets tuckered out. She's had a few play dates while we've been out on the town, and several young girls are always willing to sit with her when we're in need. Tina is making progress and can now spend up to three hours at a stretch alone at home, but she still freaks out and shows signs of separation anxiety that continues to discourage us. Hopefully, this will improve with time.

Mary hasn't written on the blog recently because she has been busy completing a training to become a Certified Professional Coach specializing in holistic life coaching. She is now creating a website (stay tuned!) and is offering a free introductory session to anyone who might be interested in finding out what coaching is all about, so feel free to email her at rives59@gmail.com!

We are still exploring the environs of Santa Fe thanks to our kind son who has loaned us his car for a month (a car that we originally gifted to him last year!), and we hope to continue to explore by borrowing a car from a community member who is not currently able to drive. We are hesitant to purchase a vehicle just yet, so being able to borrow a car is a blessing indeed, and we are very grateful for the ease of transportation that this enables us.

In terms of our rig, it is currently undergoing some basic maintenance and repairs, and will most likely be going up for sale some time later this summer. We fully recognize that our journey is indeed not over, but we are feeling pretty clear that a new rig is in our future, and this one will have to pass to other hands sooner than later. The other day, we stopped by the mechanic's place to pick up a few things from the rig, and I had a good cry as I realized that this phase of the journey with the white beast is over. It's a bittersweet moment, and one that is taking some time to fully digest.

This blog is an important venue for us to continue to feel connected with our journey in search of a new home and intentional community, and whereas it may not be as robust as in previous months, we will certainly be posting at least two or three times per week to keep you all abreast of how we're doing.

We wish everyone a happy and healthy summer, and send our love from the dry high desert of northern New Mexico.