At Long Last--Back in the Mosaic & Antiques Biz

Mosaic Tray Completed Last Night

Being able to do mosaic artwork again is like breathing clearly after the allergy season finally ends. It's taken me a while to accumulate supplies since I settled here in Truth or Consequences a little over a month ago, but now I'm back in business. I have a few plates and tiles to break, a few items ("forms") to cover with tiles, some grout, sponges, etc. And I have a place to sell my work.

While I'd like to eventually do some solo gallery shows, and I will, for now I'm going to sell some pieces at January's Gallery With a Card Shop on Broadway in TorC.

January is a very nice woman who runs a combination art gallery/antiques store. On Saturday, I brought her some retro stuff that hadn't sold on eBay, and she liked everything and will sell it on consignment.

Consignment is a great way to go! I used to have my own rented antique spaces up in the Pacific Northwest and it was a lot of work to price every item, stage everything in my space, and keep it neat and clean. At January's, all I have to do is bring her the stuff, and she'll do the pricing and display. Of course, she takes a larger percentage, but, hey, I know how to buy low and sell high, so that's not a problem. Now I can have the pure pleasure of "picking"--going out and buying stuff that I can turn around for a profit--which is the most fun part of the antique biz for me, anyway.

Two Trivets

I'll also be bringing January some mosaic pieces when she reopens this week (like many TorC businesses, she mostly operates on the weekend, when the touristas are in town). She really likes mosaic work and already has one mosaic artist in the shop, but my work is very different from what is already there, so that should work out fine.

"Sue Central"--My Kitchen Table, Where It All Happens

I continue to make friends and enjoy new activities here in New Mexico. This week I got to meet John Rogers, whom I've known from the VanDwellers for some time. John is staying in his 1970 VW van at nearby Caballo Lake State Park. He came into town to take care of some business one day last week, and we had a fine time, drinking sodas at Little Sprout Juice Bar, meeting up with our mutual VanDweller friend Brian at my house, and then having a burger at Groovy Gritz. John is a kind, mellow guy who I know is going to be a wonderful friend. We've got some more plans in the works--a camp dinner at Caballo this week and maybe some gold panning up in Silver City! I wish I'd remembered to take a photo of John while he was in town. Whenever I'm having a really good time, I forget to get out the camera.

Organic Heirloom Tomatoes from Artists Habitat (My Apartment Building) Communal Garden

In addition to John's visit, I had coffee with several friends this week and went on a hike at Elephant Butte State Park with Kelly and her dogs. I also worked a lot at getting some business taken care of, such as applying for my New Mexico drivers license, switching over some life insurance from my ex's name to mine, stuff like that. I went to the movie theater on Saturday night to see the very silly but well-animated Cars 2, then had my friend Steve over to drink iced tea while we sat on my patio, looking at the full moon. The past week has been quiet, but satisfying and productive.

With that, I'm off to mail stuff that's sold on eBay and to see what new wonders have appeared at the thrift store. G'day!

Daytripping

4-Wheelin' in Style in Des's Geo Trekker

When I last posted here, I was getting a little concerned about my slothfulness. The initial novelty of living in Truth or Consequences seemed to be wearing off, since I'd seen most of the town, and I was getting into the habit of taking a daily siesta and not getting much accomplished. But that is so last week!

My Zephyr

A day or two after my last post, I ran into my friend Phil at the thrift shop. He's the guy I used to live next door to at the RV park and he's a great bicycle mechanic whenever he doesn't have any beer money. He showed me a nice old 1980s Zephyr Boardwalk cruiser that had just been donated and said he could fix it up for me. Better yet, he would teach me how to fix it myself. It's my favorite color of green and now that it has newer tires and new tubes, it zooms along great in one speed--mine.

Later in the week, I met a new friend, Sam Ace, who is a poet. Friday night, I got to go out to eat at Groovy Grits, a new restaurant in town, with Sam and his wife Amrit, and my friends Des and Kelly, who have a sort of grandpa-granddaughter friendship that is very sweet. I had wanted to check out this cafe, but had been told it was pricey. Not so! I had a terrific Sante Fe Red Chili Cheeseburger with outstanding sweet potato fries and a bottomless tumbler of iced tea for about 10 bucks. The conversation was great, and we were well entertained by a singer-guitarist who looked familiar, and when we chatted I found out it was because he works at the local grocery store. I've forgotten his name, but the next time I shop I will reintroduce myself.

Saturday night was the monthly Art Hop here in TorC, and now that I've lived here a month, I actually knew some of the people involved in the events. James Gosowski had a great exhibit by local artists called "So Gay" and I really enjoyed hanging out there with his friends for a while. Then I had to hightail it over to Rio Bravo Art Gallery to hear Sam's reading from his latest book of poetry, "Stealth." Unfortunately I have no photos from that evening or from Friday night, because I was just having too darned much fun to stop and take any snaps.

Wild desert gourds that look like baby watermelons

Sunday, however, was a big picture-taking day. Kelly picked me up and we rendezvoused with Des and his neighbor Chris, my friends Roz and Dick, and Des's friends Barb and Gabe, and all drove out to Box Canyon near Monticello, New Mexico, for a wild day of four-wheeling. We had two vehicles, which was good, because the folks in the second one were all rockhounds and stopped more often than we trailblazers in Des's Trekker. It was an amazing day unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

Driving down the middle of the stream

The road through the canyon area is crossed at least 50 times by a shallow but quick-moving stream, and there were many times when we drove right down the stream bed itself. We went through a wide variety of environments--desert, oases, open range, homesteads, gentle hills, rocky little mountains--and we saw all sorts of vegetation, birds, deer, elk and even scimitar oryxes, a specialized breed of North African antelope that was introduced into New Mexico game ranches and that has since gone wild here, which is pretty cool considering they are now extinct in Africa.

Kelly kissing a horse, even though she just met him and doesn't even know his name

The conversations in the Trekker and the lunch break were also fun. Everybody shared great stories, and we pondered what it would be like to live way out there where some of the ranches are. This area is also where Geronimo is said to have hidden out prior to his capture in Arizona in 1886. We also wondered about what that stream must be like during the monsoons that hit New Mexico around this time of year. We did see a 10-foot water gauge one place along the creek.

Roz, scanning the rocks for the petroglyphs that we never did find

I also got to learn a little bit about photography from Chris, who is a very accomplished photographer. He suggests that I get a polarizing lens for my camera to help me get better desert colors, which seem to all blend together in my pics.

Chris, looking happy and relaxed at the end of our drive

We had a very full day and all went home exhausted in the late afternoon. I really missed my siesta! I'm so used to taking a midday break that I'm wondering how I'll cope once I start my job at the spa next week. I guess I'll have to bring iced coffee with me on my work days.

Today's eBay and Mosaic Fodder

I missed my siesta again today. I drove the Guppy 70 miles down to Las Cruces to apply for a replacement Social Security card so I can get my New Mexico drivers license. It is a joy to drive my eBay RV now that it no longer contains everything I own! With the art supplies, vintage fabrics, sewing machine, sheet music, etc., all removed, the Guppy drives much more easily. While I was in Cruces, I visited a couple of thrift stores (of course!) and got some great eBay inventory, including cowboy boots, cowboy shirts, African fabrics, and a bunch of Vera scarves. I also stopped at Lowes and bought grout and some great clearance-priced glass tiles for my mosaic work. I came home feeling very inspired, just as a monsoon started, which was a very refreshing break from our 100 degree temps. It's cool tonight and it should be very good sleeping. The thunder and lightening scares Sonja, who prefers to nap in the shade on a hot day, but there will be plenty more of those.

Independence Day 2011

Godzilla guarding the garden in Old Glory garb

I was remembering today that when I was a child, my mother would sometimes say I was "independent" with a tone suggesting that this was not a compliment. I think she meant independent as in strong-willed, obstinate, or arrogant.

I am still these things today, but I am working to have more of the positive characteristics of independence, of which there are many: self-confidence, self-sufficiency, dignity, worthiness, composure, self-discipline, etc.

However, I seem to be falling into the habit of slow-moving indolence that is characteristic of many folks in Truth or Consequences. Between having morning coffee, doing some journaling, taking a midday siesta, watching the cats and hummingbirds in the garden, and maybe fitting in an evening soak at one of the local hot springs spas, it is easy to have an entire day go by with little to show for it. I've had "list stuff on eBay" on my to-do list all week and nothing has gotten listed.

Sunflower with climbing morning glory, just outside my window

But today is another day, and I have been consciously building some new habits for myself. I'm working some art-making into every day. Since I moved to my apartment, I've enjoyed relaxing in my own digs and it's sometimes difficult to push myself out the door to take a walk. So recently I packed my sketchbook and drawing pencils into a tote bag, and every morning I go to the Rio Grande and do a page of sketches. Mostly I've been finding lots of big carp feeding close to the riverbank, so I've been getting familiar with their characteristics, and eventually I will probably do some mosaic images of fish. I have also started doing some simple mosaics, mostly household items for my new apartment such as trivets and candle stands. And I'm tearing lots of images out of the free magazines I find up at the library to use in making collage, altered books, shrines, etc.

The bedroom end of one of my two rooms

There is lots to do to get my house in order. I still have to unpack and find places for all of my art supplies. I will probably continue to keep some eBay inventory and my vintage fabrics in Rubbermaid totes, but I think I'll switch them out to a smaller size that will fit under my platform bed. I have some original artwork by friends and family stored in Oregon that I'd like to get sent down here now that I have some wall space again. And, while I don't want to go overboard, I do have room for more stuff here than I did in the Guppy, so I will probably eventually get some sort of stereo and other creature comforts that I've done without for a while. I need lots of other smaller things, such as baskets for organizing art supplies, cleaning supplies, electronic chargers, etc. Eventually it will come together.

The kitchen end of my other room

Now that I'm in one place all the time, I'm much more interested in cooking again. I never used the oven in the Guppy, but this week I've baked cornbread and cookies for social events, and I roasted a whole chicken last night. This morning I went onto Amazon and ordered a handheld Cuisinart blender and an old-fashioned stainless steel malt cup so I can make healthy smoothies for breakfast. I also want a waffle maker and a compact microwave oven, but I'm going to hold off on those until I find a really good deal. (I'm getting my blender for 87 cents--with free shipping!-- by using the bonus points from my Amazon credit card.)

I had a great time going to the fireworks out at Elephant Butte State Park on Saturday night with several women friends. We escaped the crowds by not going into the park itself and just parking in an empty lot in the town of Elephant Butte. My homemade peanut butter cookies were a hit with the gals!

Sonja and her frenemy clone Abigail--Can you tell which is which?

I don't think I'll be doing much to celebrate the 4th, except maybe to grill some turkey hot dogs here at home. From what I've heard, it's a good day to stay off the road due to drunk drivers. So I am determined that today I will get "list stuff on eBay" checked off of my list, right after siesta time...

My New Casita--Not the Travel Trailer Kind

Surprising things have happened in the past few days here in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Saturday morning, I found myself overwhelmed by lack of space in my 22-foot Toyota Dolphin. Since I moved here to TorC, I've switched up what I'm selling on eBay. I used to sell mostly small textiles, such as ladies' vintage designer silk scarves, but I wasn't finding that kind of inventory here. So I started selling Western wear, which takes up a lot more room than scarves. Twenty scarves might fit in an envelope, but 20 cowboy shirts takes a banker's box. And there wasn't room for any more boxes or baskets or bags in the Guppy and still be able to do normal living activities like making a meal or getting out the computer or drawing a picture.

I wandered off to have coffee and ran into a friend whose partner owns an apartment building that had a unit available. A few hours later, I rented my little two-room casita, which seems incredibly spacious and luxurious after four months of living in my mini-moho. The attraction here is not just a larger living space. Each little home faces into the courtyard, which is a relaxing place with trees and vegetable beds. The owner's unit has a storefront which will eventually be an art gallery. I have parking for the Guppy and a view of Turtleback Mountain from my kitchen window, where I can sit and watch the colors of the sky change while having my morning coffee.


There are only about a half-dozen residents, and I guess we are all as unconventional as the town we live in. (One of the landlord's interview questions: "Are you psychic?" "Well, yeah, I'm a little intuitive..." "Great, you'll fit right in!")

One of my interview questions to him was whether I may do mosaic artwork on my patio, and the answer was, "Of course. You had to ask?" "Well, no, not really, it was more of a courtesy." This is going to be a very interesting and satisfying place to live.

I moved in yesterday morning. I'd bought a TV before I started traveling in the Guppy, but had never used it. I asked one of my new neighbors how to get reception, and, in the process, another surprise came along. She works at a hot springs spa and lodge a block away, and they need a front desk clerk two days a week. So now I have a job, too. It will pay enough to cover my rent and groceries, and I can continue to do eBay to meet the rest of my expenses. I can also get additional hours to come in and paint trim or other easy projects--AND my new employer would love to have me do some mosaic projects! It's a beautiful place, and they're always doing more to continue beautifying it.

You'd think that would be plenty of surprises, but, oh, no, there are more! I celebrated my 56th birthday on Monday, and I'd invited everyone I knew from AA to join me for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Amazing to me, since I'd only been in town for two-and-a-half weeks, the big table I'd reserved wasn't big enough and we had to get another one. A dozen folks came to help me celebrate my birthday. Wow! I also had coffee in the morning with a few people who couldn't come to dinner. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.


Another great surprise--I was walking past another hot springs lodge the other day. I asked the owner, who was out in front doing some remodeling, whether it would be okay if I stopped by sometime and sketched the beautiful potted cacti they have in front of their building. He said, yes, of course, and introduced me to everyone that works there and showed me the entire facility. This is not just a place to go take a soak--the owner and his partner are internationally known teachers of various therapies such as craniosacral therapy and existential somatics. Don't ask me what all that means. I just know they have a beautiful facility and they get to go spend the summer swimming with dolphins somewhere in Central America. When they come back in a couple of months, they're going to be doing a lot of mosaic around their clinic. They've collected great rocks over the years, and they've purchased a top-of-the-line tile cutter that cuts rocks into tiles. I asked if I could help them with this project, since I'm a mosaic artist, and they happily accepted my offer. We will probably do some kind of barter--my helping them with their mosaic projects in exchange for aquatic therapy and use of their rock slicer. This place is kitty-corner from my new apartment.

So, in a matter of days, I have gone from living near a couple of drunks in an RV park owned by a perennially angry redneck, to having a quirky living situation that is well-suited to my needs, an easy part-time job, and a couple of creative projects for which I'll be compensated. Oh, did I mention that I get unlimited free spas as part of my job?

Now I'm feeling like there was a purpose to my going a little crazy from loneliness and disappointment on the road after all. As it turned out, traveling full-time is not my cup of tea, at least not alone or at this point in my life. But it got me where I needed to be--in a community where I feel very much at home. Sonja is very happy, too.


I wondered if I would need to change the name of my blog once I settled down in TorC, but I think not. Even though I won't be traveling full-time anymore, I will definitely be using the Guppy as my eBay reconnaissance vehicle, heading out to make buying trips throughout the Southwest. With the bulk of my possessions (eBay inventory, vintage fabrics, sewing machine, sheet music, art supplies, books, etc.) moved into my new place, I can travel much more lightly with my motorhome and bring back all kinds of great stuff to sell or to make into art. And I can travel just for the fun of it, no longer having the purpose of finding where I belong.

Two Weeks in T or C

T or C Post Office, built in 1939, along with a lot of other great WPA projects

I'm feeling very good about my move to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. I can honestly say that I already have some good friends here. I had one, Brian, before I moved here. And since then I've met a lot of great people in and out of AA.

Last Saturday morning, I went to the farmers market for the first time, and I bought some local organic produce as well as a fantastic green chili salsa. I thought about stopping at Black Cat Books for a cup of coffee on my way home, but decided against it because it was kind of late in the morning and I didn't think there would be anybody there that I knew. However, just as I passed the doorway, my friend Dhultky popped out and said, "Hey, Sue, come and have some coffee!" So I did, and then moments later, Stacy and Dick showed up, too. A few minutes after that, Barbara and Joe were at the next table.

It's that kind of town. I see people I know everywhere I go. When I go to get my computer fixed, Dave the Computer Guy knows my friends and becomes another one of them. When I go to the swimming pool, I see people I've met at the Black Cat's monthly poetry reading. I see my neighbors whenever I go shopping at Bullocks Grocery or the CHF Thrift Store.

I have a feeling that this would be a difficult town in which to keep secrets. It's a good thing I don't have any these days!

I tell everybody I meet that I'm new here, that I'm recently divorced, that I'm in AA, that I'm building myself a new life, that I sell on eBay, that I'm a mosaic artist, that I have a transgendered kid, that I recently got my feelings hurt again, and that I'm trying to be healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have never been so transparent before in my life. There is no point in being anything else.

Imagine a picture of the swimming pool here.
I didn't dare take one, because I recently
heard about a guy who almost got arrested
when he took a photo of a municipal swimming pool.

I've been trying some new things lately. Slowly I try things out and see if they are a good fit for me. Lately I've been to the city swimming pool several times for water aerobics. I'm not sure if this is a good fit. I like the pool itself, but I don't care to have somebody yelling instructions at me all the time and the locker room is pretty gross.

Something I like better is the community garden. I met the garden manager, Paula, at the farmers market, and now I have my own 5 x 20 foot plot. It needs a lot of work. It's been well taken care of for four years, so the soil has lots of amendments, but now it's overgrown with grains and grasses. So I'll spend the next few weeks cleaning it up and then put in a fall garden. Gardening in this part of the country is completely new to me. I'll learn a lot, and I'll have to get up really early in order to get the work done before the day gets too hot for me. Last night I set my alarm so I could start getting up at 5 a.m.

Me, modeling a vintage Pendleton stadium blanket/poncho that's currently listed on eBay

My new eBay approach of selling funky Western wear seems to be working. I'm getting into the swing of hitting the thrift stores frequently so I can be the first one to see a new pair of boots or a brightly colored Wrangler shirt when they come in. I'm going to the Post Office just about every day to mail stuff that's sold.

My 56th birthday is coming up in a few days, and I decided to be proactive and figure out some fun things to do. So I've been inviting my friends from AA to meet me for dinner at La Cocina that evening, and so far there are about a half dozen people committed to do this. So that's a party! I'm also going to have coffee with Stacy that morning, because she has to work that evening, and I'm taking my neighbor Phil out for ice cream in the afternoon.

Phil with his wheels

Phil lives in the motorhome next to mine and he has been very helpful to me in many ways. He's an excellent bicycle mechanic and he's on the lookout for a good used bike for me. I also have put entry forms in at Bullocks to win a cool metallic green Schwinn coaster that they're giving away next Tuesday. Wouldn't that be the greatest birthday gift, if I win? It says Bud Light on it, but I can live with that.

There are a few odd things about this town. Well, more than a few, really. For one thing, in the 1970s when so many mentally ill people were released from institutions, some of them were given one-way bus tickets to Truth or Consequences. From what I've heard, only a few of those folks are still alive, but it kind of set the tone for tolerance of individual differences here. And there are a lot of those.

From this week's T or C Herald

Another thing is, I've never seen so many Chihuahuas in my life, and I've actually had people ask me if I need one myself. No! I don't! But thanks for asking, and don't leave one on my doorstep while I'm out, okay? Leave chard or zucchini or whatever else you can't get rid of, but no little dogs.

I've heard that T or C is the home of some sort of transitory energy vortex, but I'm not going there today.

Something I know for sure is that it's close to Spaceport America, where private companies shoot rockets into space. The first rocket successfully launched from there in 2005 contained cremains of some famous people, including James Doohan, who played Chief Engineer "Scotty" Scott in the original Star Trek series. The payload landed on the White Sands Missile Range, but for a few minutes, Scotty actually went into outer space.

So that's what I know about my new town as of today. Stay posted!

Head 'em Up & Move 'em Out

Well, I've been in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, for a week and a day now, and I now have a new sales line on eBay: Funky Western Wear. For the past couple of years, I've focused on selling textiles, particularly vintage silk designer scarves, but I probably won't be finding a lot of this sort of inventory around here. So, as they say, it's easier to plow when you go around the stump. What I can find here in the TorC thrift shops is Western wear, so that's what I'm gonna sell.


I'm settling into a simple life here. I've already met almost all of the other AA oldtimers in town and I'm going to meetings a lot more frequently than I could while on the road. I'm also becoming a regular at Black Cat Books & Coffee. So far it hasn't cost me anything to drink coffee there, because I keep bringing in books that they give me credit for. I've met a few new acquaintances there, and I've attended the monthly poetry reading, which has inspired me to write a couple of poems.


I have The Guppy hooked up at an RV park that's right downtown, so I'm able to walk almost everywhere I want or need to go. I'm on the lookout for a bicycle that will extend my range a little bit. I'm planning to unhook my motorhome about once a month to go on an exploring and buying trip to other towns. I'll need to venture outside TorC a bit in order to find sufficient eBay inventory and mosaic supplies.


So far, I haven't had any hankerings to get out of town. I'm enjoying just finding out about and participating in things that are going on around here. In addition to AA and the poetry reading, I've been to the Art Hop, the movie theater, the library, the grocery store, the variety store, and the post office (I have a P.O. box!).


Tomorrow I'm going to the Farmers Market, a place where I may eventually sell some artwork. I also have a lead on some possible studio/gallery space. There's no hurry on this, though--I sold and gave away all of my mosaic supplies before leaving Oregon, keeping only my tools, so it will be a while before I have any finished pieces to sell.

So that's the news from TorC...where the slogan you're most likely to see on T-shirts is, "We're all here because we're not all there."

Empty Nest--A Poem

EMPTY NEST

Written on my son’s nineteenth birthday

My son is raised now. It’s just me and the cat.

I’m supposed to miss him. We’ll see about that.

There are those moments of looking back

When the current silence seems to lack

An energy, perhaps a soul

That ought to go inside this hole.

But then I remember—teens don’t talk

To their parents, that is. They turn and walk

And grunt or groan or loudly sigh

To every question, statement or reply.

So, off I went, in my nest on wheels,

To be free for a while, to see how that feels.

And it feels pretty good most of the time.

I’m finding my own space, rhythm and rhyme.

I call him every week just to check

If he needs anything, but what the heck?

Even if he did, what could I do?

I did it all when he was new.

And now he’s grown and needs his space

To make decisions, to fall on his face,

To soar, to climb, to make his way

And I have so little left to say.

Now it’s time to be my own mother

To give to myself, not to another,

The time, the space, the healing calm,

The gift of quiet. I need that balm!

So I travel, I walk, I read, I sit.

I do some artwork, but I won’t knit

Or rock or go to the senior center.

That’s a phase I’m not ready to enter.

Our longer life spans don’t come at the end.

They come in the middle, when we can tend

To all those things we didn’t get to do

When we wanted to, back in ’72.

So Stop the War! Save the Earth!

I won’t give up just because I gave birth.

It’s time for me and folks of my kind

To gather together and speak our mind.

I may be older, but I’m not so far gone

That I can’t experience another dawn

Of awakening, energy, power and peace.

I’ve got the time now to work without cease

For all that I wanted back before

That marriage and the child I bore.

I homeschooled him for many years.

I bandaged his boo-boos, calmed his fears.

Now it’s myself that I homeschool.

I’ve dipped myself in a deepening pool

Of knowledge, wisdom, love and light.

It’s my time now! It’s my right!

So, yes, I admit, I miss my child,

But he’s not gone. It’s me that’s gone wild.

And when I’m gone for good, I hope he’ll say,

“That Mom of mine—she did it her way.”