Reiki Retreat

Just back from a lovely week long Reiki Retreat on Pyramid Lake in upstate NY. A whole week of daily Reiki treatments, walks, boating, tarot card readings, evening discussions, great food - what could be better. Had a chance to see Howard from England, Sarah and Jan from Scotland, Winthrop from Grenada, Annie from NH and Florida, Carol and Penelope from NY. The only glitch was that we passed a cold from one to another as the week progressed. Just think how sick we might have been if we hadn't been doing daily Reiki? Next retreat won't be for 2 years and we're aiming for either Spain or the south of France. The place we stayed at is a catholic camp and retreat center complete with a family of loons, canoes, kayaks, rowboats and some sailboats. A bit of foliage was beginning and the apples were delicious.

I am meeting with someone from SOMOS (SW writer's organization)tomorrow to begin plans for a book group for writers on a monthly basis. I think for October - Dec we'll read authors who have written about the Southwest and then Jan - May we'll focus on memoirs. My intent is to discuss the books with a writer's eye, analyzing style, tone, plot, dialogue, etc.

Today in water color class we visited the famous St. Francis D'Assisi church in Ranchos de Taos and painted it. It's the most photographed church in all of New Mexico. Constructed from traditional bale straw and adobe it's been a functioning church for over 150 years. My piece actually looked like the church, a bit, so I guess I can say I'm showing some improvement. What I'm really liking is working with color and seeing it splashed across the paper with water and brushes.

Summer of Love II

Last Friday night was the last SOMOS reading of the series and featured prolific writer John Nichols (The Sterile Cuckoo, The Milagro Beanfield Wars, The Wizard of Loneliness - all three of which have been made into movies), Phaedra Greenwood and Enrequieta Vasquez. Enrequieta published a radical feminist newspaper in the 60's about the plight of Mexicans immigrating to New Mexico. Phaedra read from her unpublished novel, "On the Bus" - her true adventures with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters at Woodstock in 1969. John finished off with reading a selection from the "Milagro Bean Field Wars" which was hilarious.

I've yet to have a sighting of some other famous movie stars who live in or nearby to Taos but hope to someday. Julia Roberts was seen at the local health food store not too long ago. Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell have been in attendance at the Harwood Museum for various functions - mostly expensive $150/ticket affairs. I guess there still is a segment of the very wealthy who live in Taos.

I've been invited to organize a book club at SOMOS for writers beginning next month. I'm so excited but don't know if I'll remain so when other people throw in their opinion on book choices. I'm even pickier about that than food. Some genres just won't do - like mystery, romance, science fiction. I guess since I'm in charge I'll say it's limited to fiction - maybe take our clue from the Oprah Book Club - she usually picks some really good books.

Now I'm reading another Anne book - Annie Dillard's, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" which is about her observations and experiences of nature over four seasons in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia. Heady stuff. She must have been an entymologist in a former life because she really slings those insectoid names around like nobody's business. It's like reading philosophy, you have to stop and really think about what you're reading and not just plow through the page. Her powers of observation are phenomenal. Her descriptions sublime. I've never read anyone describe sunsets the way she does. Or the gloaming. Or the pools of bugs, tadpoles and amoeba in the creek by her home. Can't say it's my favorite but it's really giving my brain a workout!