Home Ground

So many thoughts as we drove home, memories of before and after, muscles tired from the long journey eager for familiar ground. Always thoughts of gladness and sorrow combined. ... for what lays beyond the bend of the land.

As we entered home ground we were silent, each with our own perceptions of the land, 

the weather, thoughts of our people.

The news trickled in about Boston.. a heaviness entered my chest.. I felt compressed, small, drained.

As we unpacked and looked around, knowing our fine feathered friends would be gone, vacated, absent.. (for we had left and food was no where to be found). we noticed a great tragedy on the large picture window. A mysterious sadness smeared the glass before us. Tracks and trails of blood and remains, body secretions and other such stuff were everywhere. A mighty battle had taken place on the window and on the chair below the window. There was too much evidence to be one of our small feathered friends. It was more probable that a large raptor had taken prey in this very spot. 

Life had been taken, life... death, birth... death

It is never ending today and everyday. 

Joseph Campbell's writing came to mind as I sat to pen. 

"The obvious lesson of all which is that the first step to the knowledge of the highest divine symbol of the wonder and mystery of life is in the recognition of the monstrous nature of life and its glory in that character: the realization that this is just how it is and that it cannot and will not be changed. Those who think- and their name is legion- that they know how the universe could have been better than it is, how it would have been had they created it, without pain, without sorrow, without time, without life, are unfit for illumination. Or those who think- as do many- Let me first correct society, then get around to myself." are barred from even the outer gate of the mansion of God's peace. All societies are evil, sorrowful, inequitable; and so they will always be. So if you really want to help this world, what you will have to teach is how to live in it. And that no one can do who has not himself learned how to live in it in the joyful sorrow and sorrowful joy of the knowledge of life as it is."

Last day of Tucson sunshine and play

What a glorious get away. Eye-opening, heart-warming, foot-aching, rump through the country side. We have discovered new horizons in the art world filled with possibilities and friendship. 

We have seen some doors open 

We have had high hopes for the future of the arts and combining forces with our beloved Montana. 

We have visited with fellow artists, tourists, and comrades who love the arts.
We have laughed, drank tequila, and discussed world problems of which we could not cure but we sure as hell could laugh with others and know that our fellow members on this sweet planet still care deeply about each other despite differences. We rekindled old friendships (with ease) that fit into our pockets like the beautiful rocks that we saved as children. Life, you see, is so short. Yes some of us are quite aware of that but at age 54 I'm becoming more aware of this all the time. I want to see new horizons,,

I want to place my feet upon the sacred soil of Montana and other distant horizons as well.

I want to laugh, to cry, to hold my loved ones as close as the sunrise that unfolds in front of my eyes. 

Every morning, I sat, sunshine spilling over the Santa Catalina mountains shining down upon me. The spring air  filled with songs from the southern birds...
Yes, life is good. I have faith that life will unfold just as it's meant to do.

I have faith that my shoes will strive to dance everyday.

I have faith that this old heart of mine

will reveal  art sprouting from 

it's

 veins...

Welcome Sweet Bird

Welcome sweet bird

of song 

of hunger

Your sounds fill my senses

of mysteries 

from long ago

We beckon you in

viewpoints satisfied for a brief moment in time

fluttering of wings

you are gone

I can still hear 

the gentle tick 

announcing 

Warm breezes have arrived and the Sun is dancing

Tubac

Tubac,
A magical day, mysterious, and familiar. As a child I was drawn to abandoned buildings, to structures and remnants from yester years... bits and pieces of long ago memories. Tubac is filled with such energy. Like a child we wandered touching, sensing, feeling, and with eyes as large as saucers asked the question silently.. could this place be calling our names???
I visited this place years ago and was amazed at the art, but there was more this time. This time it was about the land, the history, the feeling that rose up to greet us from these surroundings. There were wee souls who seemed to know our presence with welcoming eyes and smiling words. We were encouraged to soak up this atmosphere, to come again and stay awhile longer next time. We nodded our heads in agreement... perhaps we will.
We researched living quarters, took in the historical site of the Tumacacori mission church dating back to the late 1600's and took in every art spectacle that we could handle..
There was a quirkiness in the air and, well, for those of you who know us inside and out.. you know we are all about the quirky....  notice the orbs in the mud hut by Trace...hmmm

Family

Puppies, margaritas, good chatter thrown in with family, desert turtles and sphinx moths.... fascinating and fun. Night night

Trusting the path

Here I am meeting new artists, new faces, new galleries, new ideas... time to trust the paths that open. I begin to think outside the norm... What about two art houses (two Roasted houses). What about living down south for several months of the year and living in Montana part of the time? What about expanding (not only my brain) but my art, my way of thinking, my lifestyle... what if, what if, ... it tis a beautiful dizzy pathway of excitement.
Just believing in all that life has to offer sometimes takes great courage and causes great excitement. As we sat on the veranda this evening with our cerveza and our spicy pizza.. listening to the quail trilling around us, hearing the sounds of the desert floor accepting the last rays of sun upon it's skin... life held (and holds) so many possibilities...
I think of my wonderful children and all of the wondrous future that lays before them. Where ever life takes them will be grand, will be outstanding and generous to their souls. And how do I know this, one might ask, because I not only feel it in my bones, but I ask for it by spirit, by meditation, by beautiful gentle prayers for all loved ones. Let life's path open up and shine down upon them, let life's path illuminate our worlds, let us be filled with gratitude and rejoice in the natural world that sings to our ears, that bestows daily wonders upon our eyes and fills our hearts with dreams of great hope and inspiration.
Trusting the path, knowing that by working diligently on my part, by believing that all will play out as needed.. what a glorious thought ...

I am blessed.

So many good things

Life hands us many magical moments, if we are just aware of their entrance.

Being open, being quiet, being patent... allows these magical moments to surface.

A good friend, a sister .. one who I haven't seen in forever.. but as soon as you see one another, well you just know you were never apart. You were in each other's hip pockets softly waiting until the opportune time to greet each other with hugs and whispers. 

You look into one another's eyes and remember the times... full of good things .. memories

I am blessed... you are blessed 

for the moment life is good and that is why we live to feel these moments of treasure ridden sparks that ignite when life is good. 

thank you

Tucson Bound

Here we are ... balmy weather and a beautiful home to stay in. We were blessed with this opportunity to explore these southern regions. From what we are gathering Tucson has the most sunshine days (300 days) of any other place in the nation. Balmy beautiful weather. Out our door is a wildlife sanctuary. There are javelinas, quails, deer, Gila lizards, tarantulas, coyotes and lots of critters. We were visited by quite a few of them. Today our land lady (wonderful spirit) visited us with baby ground squirrels ( a desert squirrel that looks like a cross between chipmunks, squirrels and gophers). Beautiful sounds were made as she hand fed them. Out the door the sun beckoned so off we went to explore some of the territory with Enya in tow.

Missing everyone, love to all and wishing everyone a good night.