Thursday, January 12, 2012



   
2011 
was
a very good year.
Here it is, wrapped up in some meaningful quotes, comments, events
Clockwise photos: Amelia, Jeb (Sweden), Amelia (Sweden), Jean (8 Hours in Bratislava), Jeb, Alan (Lama woodcutting)


January ~ "I'm the boss. My wife said I could be." 
Relationships deepened as Alan and Amelia became more important in the Admires' lives.

February ~ "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof." Richard Bach, Illusions 

Good fun: Dede and Chris, longtime friends from southern VA, ski Taos and visit Santa Fe with me. 

March ~ The dream of my life
is to lie down by a slow river
And stare at the light in the trees —
To learn something by being nothing
A little while but the rich
Lens of attention. Mary Oliver, "Entering the Kingdom"


Quiet month in Taos included a week of silent meditation retreat. You could say that for a short time I was a lens of attention. Rich? Not sure about that!  Jeb meets Alan and me in Moab, UT, for a weekend of hiking, slickrock biking, and fine dining at our rental house. Then Alan and I camp/hike at the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. FUN! 


April ~ "Do at least one thing that scares you every day." Eleanor Roosevelt


Alan house sat in Taos and renovated east wall of dining area with new window and door. Meanwhile I travelled through Eastern Europe with best girlfriend, Barbara. We started in Vienna, moved on to Czech Republic, Berlin, Estonia, Berlin, Denver, a ski day at A-Basin close to Breckenridge(CO), and home. WHEW! Check earlier blog posts if you'd like to see a few photos from that trip :-)


Leaving a contractor to tear out and replace windows when you're a continent away - now that's scary!! Hope you'll visit Taos to see Alan's magnificent craftsmanship.


May ~ "There were four million people in the colonies and we had Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Monroe, Washington. Now we have over 350 million and several top noisemakers are Hillary, Bernanke, Bachman, Petraeus. What can you draw from this? Darwin was wrong!"
Mort Sahl


Jeb and Amelia visit her family in Sweden. I'm happy to be home, listening to water run in the acequia (irrigation ditch) and admiring Taos Mountain view through new dining room window.


June ~ "Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul upon another." George Eliot 


Busy month in Taos ~ lots of gardening, reading, writing, hiking, and commitment to landscaping improvements: patio, redwood deck, raised beds, gravel walkways, and the best-ever birdbath. 


July ~ "You learn the rules. You learn the discipline. And then you break the rules to find your freedom." Marco de Luca, mosaics master quoted by Terry Tempest Williams


Steve Aldrich, friend from early Taos days, stops by Taos on visit from Denver. Now here's a man who's followed Marco de Luca's maxim: master magician. accomplished dancer. skeptic supreme. Steve can always evoke a laugh and/or inspire deep thought. 


August ~ Birthdays galore: me, Julia Child& E.E.Admire (both gone but not forgotten), and lots of Ertels (that's Barb's family). Great Walling campout at Jackass Meadows. Jeb shows two-year old cousin Elyssa how to juggle.  Amelia plays cribbage and teaches me to make a g&t with campari....yum-yum!


September ~ "On dit que les bons amis peuvent passer de longues périodes sans de parler et sans se voir, sans jamais mettre en doute leur amitié. Quand ils se voient, ils se mettent á jour comme s"ils s'étaient vus la veille, sans considérer le temps passé et combien ils ont été éloignés." 


Absolutely true insight about friendship sent by former colleague at Rabat American School. You can translate it here


Michael Storey arrives for three weeks from Wokingham, England - highlights include hot air balloon ride with Barbara (quick overlap visit), Florrisant Fossil Beds in Colorado, lunch on the Rio Grande RR drive through Royal Gorge, dawn photo-ops at Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Guess it's time to past-post blog entries from this wonderful reunion.


October ~ "What do we wish? — To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather what we are separated from." Terry Tempest Williams, one of my favorite Utah-based writers


On retreat (silent, meditation, reconnecting withred rock) at Professor Valley Field Institute



November ~ "If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, then hopefully we'd be that band." Thomas Lauderdale


Sister Sue visits - great outings to Georgia O'Keefe land in/around Abiquiu and memorable concert at the Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe. Spent the night at charming B&B before returning Sue to airport in ABQ.


December ~ "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." C.S.Lewis


Quick trip to Mom's in Sunnyvale in early December. Highlights: Alamo Square walking tour with Mom and cousin Phyllis and Maharaja Exhibit at Asian Art Museum + grand small-world-story. When I returned to Taos, my front pasture had been plowed: beautiful black earth awaits spring planting. 


Jeb and Amelia spend a white Christmas in Taos: lots of lamb dinners and great skiing along with stockings, presents, games, bonfires at Taos Pueblo. WONDERFUL!


Wishing each of you 
all the great beginnings of a new year.





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