A Tree Grows in Santa Fe

​September in Santa Fe, with its cool mornings and bright blue skies, is delightful!
I used to dread September.  Too many associations with school and its rules and assignments and nasty buses and people with petty authority.  My dread and discomfort would last into October before I settled into the school season.  Long after I left school, I carried that seasonal dread. 

Meeting New Friends

​ But life is different now. This morning, September 1, I read one of those Facebook “memories” – six years ago I expressed joy that the moving van with all my furniture had arrived; it had set off from Chicago in July, and met with inexplicable delays.  I had been living out of suitcases and boxes since March 29; I had few clothes, no computer, and no cooking gear – but I did have my art tools. Those tools, and a library card from the Santa Fe Public Library helped me survive the months while I waited for my things to catch up to me in Santa Fe. 


I did not have lamps or a TV, so I rented books on tape from the library.  I listened to Moby Dick while I assembled bookcases, anticipating the arrival of my book collections.  The moving company never gave a reason for the delay, or a date that they would deliver, so my waiting was indefinite.  So, I learned about the customs of my new town.  I went to Indian Market and attended the Mass at the Cathedral which included an Eagle Dance.  I made new friends. I looked forward to the Hysterical Parade of the Fiesta, and the mysterious ritual of the Burning of Zozobra. My waiting ended on September 1, with the delivery of my belongings, a signal to me that I could put down my roots, and begin to rebuild a new life.  I realized today, recalling that moment six years ago, that I have not dreaded September since then.

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​No gold on the aspens yet, the peppers are still on their stalks, chamisa is not yet bloomed – this is not autumn, but the full fruition of summer. 

​I picked plums overhanging my yard from my neighbor’s tree; already cooked up into plum conserve.  This is the haiku collage inspired by the plum tree; Neighbor's Plums.Autumnal Haiku

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​Yes, September is a time for feeling alive, for reflection and for planning.  I have a lot of plans for the coming season: shows and workshops and travel. This photo is an old one – ten years ago I think.  I was demonstrating my collage technique at a solo show in Oak Park, Illinois. The upcoming show in late Fall will include one too.  Meanwhile, I am working in the Railyard on most Sundays, and my planetary collages are on display at Ohori’s. 

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​Another delight of the late summer harvest: Pears!  The first pears are in the market, and my home is warm with the fragrance of Pear Cake baking. Yum! I love pears: and so you reap the harvest: all of the pear pictures that I have in stock will be on sale this weekend, Friday through Monday, including original collages, giclee prints and posters, 15% off, online or at the Sunday market.

Unless you would like a slice of Pear Cake!  Just let me know!
 
Love and peace,  


Deco