Taking The Long Way Home

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I'll wander away from Halloween in a moment now, after just a few more pictures to show you how much fun we had here in Taos. The crowds of kids always come out in the early afternoon, leaving the evening for the grownups to go out and play. We were out early, and back home for dinner, but I still donned my fabulous hat and my bonehead necklace. Heidi was a very popular little bee, and wanted nothing more than to snuggle with us on the couch last night. Those adoring kids wore her out. I have to admit, we're really still enjoying Taos. Maybe we're stranded here, and maybe it's just a matter of perspective. These beautiful fall days are perfect for sitting in a sunny spot, and just listening quietly to whatever "comes through." We certainly don't have all the pieces to the puzzle yet, but little hints are managing to work their way to the surface. The trick is to shut up my own chatter long enough to hear them.  I dreamed last night that I was trapped u...

Great party. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Another Dia de los Muertos Poetry Party success, thanks to Deborah and Thomas, who really know what a party is all about. Good food and drink, good friends, new friends, poetry, music, and some dancing to shake it all up. I, for one, had a blast. The honored dead poet this year was Basho , and the poetry style, haiku. I like the concise, small, format of haiku. It's kind of like making jewelry out of words. I wrote a few in preparation for the party, but then I became timid when I found myself in a room full of real writers. So I wimped out and read a few silly poems I found on the Pirate Haiku webpage. It was totally cowardly of me, but Rick, my ever-lovin' hero, took my notebook from me and read a few of my own haiku for me. It was good to set them free. I wish I could have done it myself, but man, there were some heavy hitters in that room. Nobody threw rocks at me though, and I do enjoy writing those tiny...

The Taos Zombie Stagger was a great success, especially for a first time event. We arrived to find a jam-packed Plaza, filled with creepy zombies and curious onlookers. Everyone milled around for a few minutes, and after some brief instructions, the parade began, right on time. That never happens in Taos, so a lot of people were late catching up. Straggling zombies ran after the pack, and befuddled locals with cameras murmured, It started on time...? The best costumes made use of some pretty gruesome makeup techniques. And of course some of the kids were just too cool, and too beautiful, to make themselves look ugly on purpose. Because this was a last minute decision for us, and because we don't know a thing about scary makeup, Rick and I decided to take the easy route and just wear masks. Being fond of embellishment, even if it's creepy, I added some rubber worms to my already hideous face, and wore a lavender wig, a fabulous hat, an old strand of toy pearls, and a fres...

To continue a bit on yesterday's topic, because I keep hearing from more and more discouraged friends, I think it's important to say that I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I have Rick, and my health, and not one, but two roofs (or rooves--I looked it up--both are correct) over my head. I have plenty to eat--you can tell that just by looking at me! And I really do have everything I need . After reading my post yesterday, a friend called to talk about all this, and to relay yet more stories of friends who are "in it," as we like to say. In It, and in it together , even though it can feel pretty lonely at times. We came up with something that seems like it might be helpful, at least to us. When we're feeling discouraged or picked on or just plain surly, we need to recognize it as something temporary, acknowledge it as some sort of guidance, and then go do something else. The New Rule here is No Wallowing. Yep, times are tough. Let's have some fun anyway. ...

Friday, October 29, 2010

Rick got a job yesterday. It's just a temporary, part-time, fill-in sort of thing, back at the Sagebrush Inn, where he used to work. This should make me very happy, and on one level it does. He went out there and asked, and they said yes, and now we'll have some money coming in. Rick is my hero in so many ways. So the part of me that's not so thrilled has nothing to do with him.  I guess it all feels sort of like a commitment to Taos, and in the past, that has also felt like entrapment. It's icky. That's my best word here. Icky. It's like a surrender, or even a defeat. We went away, we came back, and now we're stuck again. What we came here wanting, is not what we're getting. Isn't that the way it goes? How does anybody even know what they want? I'm beginning to feel a little silly living in a trailer in my driveway, while our big house sits there empty. But we still have good reasons for doing it this way. We hold on to the hope that we'l...