Cool Times in a Hot Town

Sonja Staying Cool

It's been hot in Truth or Consequences, in the high 90s or low 100s most days lately.  I try to get out on my bike and spend time socializing with friends over coffee fairly early in the day, then run whatever errands I need to, before I close myself up in the apartment with the air conditioning running in the afternoon.  That's when I do my eBay work and art work.  In the evening, we can open up the windows again, the time depending on whether there's any breeze.  

Some new things (cool things!) have been happening here for me lately.  So many I think I'll make a list:

1.  I'm back working at La Paloma Hot Springs and Spa one day a week, plus a few hours here and there, subbing for co-workers when they take a lunch break or go to the dentist or whatever.  

La Paloma was beautiful last year when I worked there and became even more beautiful while I was gone for the winter.  There are more gardens, some bird feeders, and lucky bamboo plants in every room.  All of the bath house rooms have been replastered and repainted, and a well-known New Mexico artist, Tracy Turner Sheppard, is painting mimbres and mandalas on the walls of each tub room.  Tracy is in town working on this project this week, and I'm delighting in getting to know her.

Another improvement, for employees, is that we now get to use the spa's laundry for just $1 per load, which is a great time and money saver.  Yesterday I did my laundry early in the morning before the housekeepers needed to start doing bedding, towels and robes used by the spa guests.

   Watercolor mandala embellished with metallic thread

2.  I'm volunteering at the Community Health Foundation (CHF) Thrift Store that is practically next-door to my apartment.  I spend a few hours each week inside the store, usually rolling up pieces of sewing fabric and pricing them.  

I also watch the loading dock at the back of the store during the hours they're closed.  I try to make sure that the donations make it into the store when they're open again, rather than being stolen by passers-by, which happens a lot.  So I stuff bags and boxes and pieces of furniture that have just been left out on the dock into the big donation drop-box, where things are harder to steal.  Sometimes I bring stuff to my house over the weekend and then take them back to the store on Monday morning.   

Of course, this means I sometimes get first pick of stuff that's donated, so I've been able to buy some pretty cool things for resale on eBay or at January's Gallery, an art and antiques store that is right across the street from my apartment.

CHF volunteers get a small discount on purchases ($1) for each hour of work.   It's a great little thrift store, and I always find something to buy for my own use or for resale.  So I always end up leaving my shift owing more hours than when I arrived!  

 Oil pastel mandala on heavy cardstock

3.  I'm trying different art media.  For the past few years, my emphasis has been on mosaics.  A few months ago, I started drawing mandalas with markers, colored pencils, and crayons.  Now I'm starting to do mandalas with watercolors and oil pastels, and I'm doing some collage and papier-mache.   It's like being a kid again, where you try all sorts of things in elementary school art.

I've also started attending a monthly art salon, where local artists get together and talk about what they're working on, what inspires them, what issues they run into, etc.  
  

I've made some mandala notecards, each one an original piece of art, that are on sale at January's and at La Paloma.  I also crafted some Scrabble tile refrigerator magnets that are available at January's.
 

4.  I've increased my coolness factor a whole lot technologically lately.  My old laptop was being kept on life support by Dave the Computer Guy, but once it got to where nothing would help anymore (not even mouse-to-mouse resuscitation), I needed to replace it.  So I got another Lenovo Thinkpad, at about half what the first one cost me about five years ago.  It's taken me a few weeks to get savvy with a newer version of Windows.  I also had to find a new way of editing my photos for eBay because I no longer had PhotoShop, which a friend had put on my old machine.  But I've grown to love PicMonkey, and now I am back up to speed with my eBay selling.

I decided that since I was on such a high learning curve with technology, anyway, I might as well go ahead and upgrade to a Smartphone, too.  My two-year contract with Verizon was near its end, so they gave me a free Droid Pro.  

Now I'm beginning to understand why so many people constantly have their phones in their hands.  I'm using my phone as a mini-computer throughout the day.  I can check on my eBay sales without having to be at home with my computer booted up, and I'm looking forward to using my eBay app while I'm out shopping the thrift stores in Las Cruces next week, to decide whether things are worth buying before I spend the money on them.  

    So true...but at my house, I'm the one tethered to the phone.  Steve will probably never need or want a Smartphone.

5.  There's a new coffee shop in TorC!  Passion Pie is a cafe owned by several local women who turn out fabulous baked goods every day of the week.  I understand they also offer actual meals, but so far I've never been able to get past the pastry case to look at the menu.  I am still a Black Cat Books & Coffee devotee and I go to the Black Cat every day it's open.  But there are days it's not!

So that's my story of domesticity in TorC.  I'm happy and productive.  I always find plenty of interesting things to do, and the heat isn't getting me down.  I am, however, going to see about trading a few workdays with a coworker in July so Steve and I can spend a week or two in some cooler weather up in Santa Fe and Taos.  We'll need to restock the Guppy with a few things, since we moved the mattress and other items into our apartment.  

All is well with me, and I hope it is with you, too.  I'm off to the Black Cat to read the Sunday New York Times and soak up the local gossip.  

My Award-Winning Blog...And Yours, Too

Nearly two months ago, my friend Bridget passed the Liebster Award on to me and four other bloggers.  I hadn't heard of this award before, but now that I'm familiar with it, I love the concept.  "Liebster" is a German word that translates loosely to "beloved" or "dearest," and the Liebster Award showcases blogs that have a following of no more than 200 subscribers.  Recipients who accept the award then pass it on to five of their favorite blogs with small readerships.

It was hard to pick!  If I had my druthers, I'd re-award the Liebster to Bridget, whose blog, "The Nickel and Dime Ranch," inspires me to pieces.  Often, literally, to quilt pieces!  

Bridget is a very talented writer and quilter, and she and her husband have "retired" from teaching to a ranch in northern New Mexico.  Bridget also ran a college placement business in California, and she's incredibly smart about how to get kids into great higher ed opportunities, among other things.  Many other things.

I think Bridget and Tom are probably busier than they have ever been in their lives, what with the cattle getting into the growing dome and all the new projects that need to be started ato make their ranch begin to pay for itself.  Bridget writes about a multitude of aspects of her life, including projects, travels, and recipes.  Occasionally she writes a feature that she calls "Quilty Pleasures."  I love it!  

I met Bridget several years ago online through a weight loss social network called SparkPeople.  Last fall, I got to meet her in person on a short visit up to Taos.  Up close and in person, she's even more wonderful than her blog.  Thank you, Bridget, for your friendship and for the Liebster Award.

And now for the winners that I got to choose:

1.  "How to Love Where You Are and Eat Where the Locals Eat!!  Bob & Jo's Full-Time RV'ng Travel Adventures" always entertains me.  

Although I haven't met Bob and Jo in person, I love them and look forward to the day when our paths cross.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if that happens soon, because they are pretty fast travelers and they cover a lot of territory.  They have been full-timing, or at least blogging about their full-time RV travels, since 2008, and they've been pretty much all over the West, the Southwest, and the Midwest, several times.  

Bob and Jo record not only their travels, but also where they've found the best barbecue, best burgers, best pancakes, and so on.  They seem to be always up for an adventure, gastronomic or otherwise, and they take great photos of their site-seeing trips.  Jo has interesting takes on the restaurants and foods they try, and Bob isn't afraid to add new widgets to the blog, so there are always new maps and other features.  I learn a lot from them!  Congrats and bon appetit, Bob and Jo!

2.  "Life in a Volkswagen Bus:  The Good Life in a Small Home on Wheels" is written by my friend John Rogers, whom I first met online through the VanDwellers group on yahoo.  

Even if we hadn't met and become friends in person last year here in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, I would have picked John's blog.  It's good reading because it's such good writing.  

John has the advantage of being a real journalist who retired from a lifetime of work for newspapers.  As such, he's not afraid to take on real issues.  His most recent blog post about which spa owners have rights to the local mineral water flow got him into hot water (I'm sorry, it had to be said), and he decided to pull the piece.  

It's not the first time John has written about things that are so sensitive, either from a personal or political standpoint, that he's later decided to pull a blog posting.  I like that about John.  He thinks hard and writes about hard stuff, and he's not afraid to change his mind about whether to put his work out there.  When John puts his work online for us to read, it's always thought-provoking and interesting, and his photography is outstanding.  

John has also been sharing the books he is writing, as he writes them.  That's another brave thing to do.  Congrats, John, and keep up the good work!

3.  "Maria Gets Real: Living Authentically as I Prepare to Travel North America" is written by Maria Meiners, whom I know only online (so far!) from her comments on my blog.  Maria is an intuitive who gives psychic readings and does life coaching.  Her insightful and understanding comments on my own blog led me to begin reading hers, which I love.  

Maria writes about anything and everything--personal growth, places she's been, books she's read, things she sees, her work, her ideas, her feelings, her opinions.  Nothing is off-limits, and it's all very real.  When I read Maria's blog, I am happy that she is finding out how to live authentically at a much younger age than I did and that she finds such joy in openly sharing her journey and her insights with others.  

I can't WAIT to see what happens when Maria hits the road!  Congratulations, Maria, and bon voyage when the time is right!

4.   GypsyCzech is Dix's blog. I can't remember whether I started reading it because Dix is a fellow woman traveler or because she's a multi-media artist like me or what.  But we obviously have a lot in common.  She's always writing about something that resonates with me, whether it's a trip to some fabulous junk-pickin' venue, her latest artwork, or some delicious meal she's prepared.   

Two especially great features of Dix's blog are her outstanding photography and the reviews she does of other people's blogs and websites.  Reading GypsyCzech has often led me to other wonderful resources.  

I also love the overall "artsy" feel of Dix's blog.  It's always nice to look at and listen to, as well. 


I noticed that Dix has already received a Liebster recently.  Congrats, Dix!   You deserve to get this award more than once.


5.  Cruzin2Some is one of my favorite blogs because I've been able to follow Dawn and Denise's travels from the very beginning.  They started full-timing just a little while after I did last  year.  They started slow, sticking to their home turf in Texas for quite a while, but now they've hit 15 states.  It's been fun to share the adventure, from the earliest days of figuring out how to get rid of their stuff so they could hit the road to now, when they've become old pros.  I like the down-home, accessible style of this blog.  These gals talk about all of the little unexpected things that can come up when you're traveling, and they also take great photos and know where to find a great meal.  Congrats, Dawn and Denise, and safe travels!

Phew!  That was a lot of work, picking my favorite blogs and telling you all why you should love them, too.  If you want to find more excellent blogs with small readership, just google "Liebster award."  You won't be disappointed. 
 

My Trip to Seattle

The view from my Truth or Consequences apartment at Oh-Dark-Thirty on the day I left for Seattle

I've been in Seattle for almost two weeks.  My best friend, Helen, is recovering from knee surgery.  I knew her dad would be staying with her when she first got out of the hospital, but I thought she might still need a cook/chauffeur for a while.  It's been working out pretty great.  Helen wasn't driving until just a few days ago, so I took her to a few medical appointments and did the grocery shopping.  

Sly--the blue was brand-new on the day I took this photo!

 

 

I've also had use of Helen's car throughout my visit, and this has facilitated being able to spend time with my son Sly and also do a lot of thrift store shopping to lay in some eBay inventory.  I've gotten to see the transitional housing residence where Sly is staying, the FareStart cafe where he's in a barista training program, and the Recovery Cafe where he enjoys hanging out.   For a young person who became homeless a few months ago, Sly is doing very, very well.  He's keeping busy with productive things and has a good start at being clean and sober.  

This elephant is a Seattle icon, and if you look closely, you will see he occupies Wall Street

I've shopped thrift stores from Renton, the town south of Seattle where Boeing has a huge facility, all the way up to Lynnwood, north of Seattle.  I've been very careful to buy small things that I can take back home with me, plus I've purchased some luggage to get the stuff home.  I've found some pretty great stuff and could have bought a heck of a lot more if there weren't airplanes involved in this buying trip.  Seattle is a fabulous town for thrift store shopping.

 

Me, at a differently-abled street crossing

 I got to spend Mother's Day with Sly.  We drove to a county park on Camano Island and had a picnic.  We'll probably do something similar tomorrow, depending on the weather.  Clouds and rain are predicted, so we may not see the big solar eclipse.  

Another highlight of my trip was spending time with my friend Chris, who picked me up from the airport on my arrival.  I also got to see her for dinner a few nights ago.  I reconnected with lots of old friends at Freedom, which had been my AA home group for nearly 20 years before I left this area, and I visited with Janet Still, my former pottery and sculpture teacher. 
 
I head back to New Mexico "at the buttcrack of dawn," as Helen says, on Tuesday.  She'll be able to drive me to the airport!  It's been a relaxing trip, and I'm ready to get back to work at my various ventures in New Mexico.

Kinda scary, eh?  I think he still wants to be a T-Rex when he grows up

Back in Truth or Consequences

VW Bus John, Many Wheels Brian and Blogless Steve

It's been a month since I blogged, and what a month it's been!  I spent the beginning of April getting ready to leave Why, Arizona, and head back to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  Because I could leave some things in storage at Steve's place, I didn't have to carry everything I own with me in The Guppy, for the first time since I left Oregon about 15 months go.  So I made a lot of little decisions about which clothes and art supplies and so on to bring with me and which to leave.  It was nice to be able to travel lighter.


Steve and I spent a night at an RV park in Willcox, Arizona, en route to TorC, and then we lived in The Guppy at the Artesian Bath House & Trailer Court in downtown TorC for about two weeks.  We weren't sure whether we wanted to rent an apartment this year or not.  Last year we both paid a lot of rent and it seemed like it might be a good idea to just stay in my little motorhome and spend our money on gas money to travel around instead of getting tied down with an apartment.


But, after two weeks of close quarters, we were ready to rent a place.  We got along great, and we'll definitely use The Guppy for some future travels, but for every day living, we need more space.  I like to spread out to to my eBay work and my artwork.  Steve likes to have a little space where he can watch a movie, read, or take a nap.  

 My good friend Gretchen

I was visiting my friend January the other day at her gallery while delivering my first batch of mandala greeting cards, and she mentioned there was an apartment across the street over another store.  We checked it out and loved it, so we rented it immediately and moved in the next day.  Yesterday we already had our first little coffee party here.  Several friends joined us to watch the Fiesta Parade, since we live right on Broadway, the main drag through TorC.  It was a blast!  We hung out of the windows and stood on the roof next-door and enjoyed a bird's eye view of the parade and of the other people watching the parade.


The apartment is great--two bedrooms, hardwood floors, and tons of old-fashioned character.  We have windows and doors that open to a false balcony over Broadway, so we get lots of breeze and can watch the town wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night.  I love it!  

 Sonja is right at home in the new place

I feel really energized here.  I've been drawing mandalas like crazy and have gotten the first dozen greeting cards into January's gallery with another dozen almost ready to go.  Since getting back to town, I've already joined the local artists' salon and volunteered to help find sponsors for the yearly artists' directory.   I've returned to work just a little bit at La Paloma Spa.  I have some writing commitments and a couple of business ideas, including making a Truth or Consequences coloring book!

Before I get very settled into my business endeavors here in TorC, I'm heading off to Seattle to visit family and friends for a couple of weeks.  Air fares have been a bargain recently, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to go visit my friend Helen who had knee replacement surgery last week, as well as my son Sly.  Helen has been working out at the gym for the past couple of years, and she's in such good shape physically that she probably won't really need much help from me in her recovery, but hopefully I can at least drive her to doctor's appointments and physical therapy until she's ready to drive herself.   Sly will be busy with a barista job training program most of the time I'm there, but I'm sure we'll get to hang out a few evenings and on weekends.  I'll get to see a few other friends while in Seattle, but I'm mostly going to concentrate on Helen, Sly, and my eBay business.  Seattle has fabulous thrift stores!  And I'll have time while hanging with Helen to iron and photograph scarves and get them listed online.  I'll probably write my next blog entry in Seattle.

 Andrea, Lynn, Judi and Chris

I can't quit this one until I mention what a great time I had meeting some of the members of my WomenGoSolo RVing group that were all staying out at Elephant Butte State Park, about five miles from TorC.   I'm so glad we had the opportunity to get together.  Not shown in this picture is my friend Metta, who has been living in her Class A in and around TorC for the past eight months or so and who recently joined the WGS group.  Both Metta and Judi are now working as camp hosts at Elephant Butte, so I'll be seeing lots more of them.  


And, finally, the real reason I haven't blogged in a while:

"It's not your turn yet.  Meow!"

 

Selling Off My Excess Inventory

Be honest with me--Does this chair make me look fat?

Two blog posts in two days! It must be spring! I must be getting invigorated. Maybe it's that big nearly full moon.

Last night I was on the phone with Steve, who is visiting family in Tucson, and I had to put down the phone and close the door because my cat Sonja was trying her darnedest to get out the screen door and play in the moonlight with the coyotes and other creatures of the night.


I spent most of today putting box lots of 50 scarves each out on the kitchen table so I could photograph them. I got the photos all taken, uploaded, and cropped, and then I wrote up the auction descriptions and launched them. I'm offering a total of 400 scarves (8 lots of 50 each) on eBay at bargain prices. My hope is to have less stuff to take back to New Mexico, as well as having a little traveling money.


Normally I list scarves individually. But sometimes they don't sell right away and I have to decide whether to re-list them individually or save them up and sell them in lots like I'm doing today. I also include scarves in these lots that I chose not to list for one reason or another--maybe a minor condition problem or maybe I just am not that impressed with the scarf and I'm not sure it's worth selling on its own.


I am always glad to get some return on my investment when I sell these lots. I am probably going to sell these scarves at a loss, when you consider what I paid for them and how much it costs me to list them online. Then there's the value of my time--huh! Sometimes it's best not to think about that! I had a couple of self-employed friends over last weekend, and we all agreed we probably work for 35 cents an hour. But, regardless, I'll be glad to get something for these scarves, rather than having to just give them back to a charity thrift store.

I'm one day closer to getting back to TorC, and getting these scarves listed felt great. Hurrah!

The Dog Ate My Homework

Wild burros just over the fence from our place in Why, Arizona

Okay, I don't actually have a dog, and blogging isn't homework. But I feel a little adrift when time passes and I haven't been using my blog to sum up what's been happening in my life. Not only are there several people who actually care about what I'm up to, but writing this blog also helps me hone in on where I stand with my goals and issues.


I've been busy. For most of the month of March, eBay offered free listings for eBay store owners. So I've been working hard, getting lots of scarves ironed, photographed, listed and sold. I've also made some progress on my book on successful eBay selling strategies for full-time RVers, and I've been asked to write some articles for the collectibles page on About.com.

What?! We have to travel...again?!!!

The weather has warmed up a lot in recent weeks. We often have afternoon temps in the 90s. Soon it's going to get uncomfortably hot, and with solar power, we can't run an air conditioner. Steve and I are planning to go back to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in mid-April. So I'm working on a mental list of things I'd like to get done before we go. I had a full physical a few days ago, and I'm going to get my taxes filed this week. I'm trying to use up food, and make decisions about what clothing, art supplies, and such to take with me and what to leave here.

Tailgating at Darby Wells

Life has been routine lately, but one highlight was a picnic out on Darby Wells Road one warm Sunday afternoon. This is an area that several travelers I know have talked about in their blogs, and for good reason. It's one of the most beautiful parts of the Senoran Desert I've seen so far, and it's BLM land where you can camp for two weeks (although I heard recently that, practically speaking, the two weeks starts when an official stops by to check on you--and that rarely happens on Darby Road, where there are far more Border Patrols than BLM rangers).


We also took a nice trip to Tucson last week to spend time with one of Steve's cousins who was visiting from Oregon. Going to Tucson usually means eating too much and spending more money than we do out here where there is hardly anything to buy. I visited the Tucson Mall and found some really practical, comfortable chinos and walking shoes at reasonable prices. Score!


Our six months in Why is almost over and I never produced the artwork I'd planned. I had anticipated going back to TorC with a gallery show ready to hang. I had an idea and most of the materials I needed to do it, but I did not have the creative energy. This was largely due to my concerns over my kid, who has had lots of ups and downs with mental illness since last fall. I guess my biggest accomplishments this winter have been to sustain a happy, loving relationship with my new partner, to live in a new place where I am always meeting new people and have no old friends, and to come to peace, albeit sometimes a fragile one, with my son's life situation.

These curtains are lovely silk scarves that didn't sell on eBay

These things are enough. The art will happen when it's supposed to. In the meantime, I have made a daily habit of drawing mandalas while taking an afternoon coffee break, and that has rekindled some of my creative energy. I've also gotten some more redecorating done around Steve's 5th wheel. There are colorful curtains on all of the windows, some made from my scarf inventory and others from vintage fabrics I'd collected. It is definitely more enjoyable being in Steve's place now that not everything is brown!


I'm looking forward to getting back home to Truth or Consequences, where I have more friends and there is a good coffee shop/bookstore, a movie theater, and lots of 12-Step meetings. I understand there is also now really good bakery bread to be had from the Bountiful Kitchen--I'm looking forward to trying it and seeing what else has happened in my absence. With that, I'm off to do some packing.

Sitting Pretty...More Color in the Man-Cave

My handiwork meets with Sonja's approval

Steve is still dog-sitting in Ajo, and I continue to surprise him with additions of color to his 5th wheel when he comes out to Why to see me. The other day I re-covered the dinette cushions, which had previously been swathed in worn-out cream-colored terry cloth. They're not anymore. I used up some of my vintage fabric cache, which was good. I was tired of hauling so much fabric around with me.

Keyboard and crayons...the necessities of life

I told Steve the next project is curtains. The vertical blinds above the dinette are difficult to adjust, and they poke me in the back. I showed my partner a nice big piece of blue and white Hawaiian floral fabric I'd picked out for the curtains.

"Won't that be too busy?," Steve asked in a worried tone.

"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?," I cackled in reply.

I stay busy selling on eBay, drawing mandalas, occasionally breaking plates for mosaic, playing Words With Friends, meditating, studying metaphysics, reading novels, etc. Now I have begun a new project. I'm writing a book about successful eBay selling strategies for full-time RVers. Writing a book is all-consuming. Last night I was burning the 9:30 oil.

Tipi, the nice one

On Thursdays I go to Ajo for...well, I was gonna say conjugal visits, but that's really tmi, isn't it? Anyhow, there's a meeting for anonymous former winos like me on Thursday nights, and I go in early to have dinner with Steve and then stay overnight at the house where he is caring for Tipi and Jiggs the Devil Dogg. Tipi is a lap dog with a pleasant cat-like personality. Jiggs is a barking, whining, howling, humping disaster of a dog.

Jiggs, in a rare moment of being nearly inert

Dog-sitting wears a guy out

This past Friday, I stayed longer than usual so I could use the 110v electricity to iron scarves for resale on eBay. I stayed too long. My chakras were shot by the time I got back to the quiet of Coyote Howls. Even so, I was able to intuitively sense that I would see a coyote that evening...and I did! While Steve and I were enjoying pizza with some long-time friends of his from the RV park, I saw several coyotes across the fence on the Reservation, one of them a rare white coyote.

I am always glad to get back to Why. There was a full moon a night or two ago, and the coyotes and burros have been very vocal throughout the night. Occasionally I have been woken out of a sound sleep by howling coyotes that couldn't have been more than a few hundred feet away. I never feel alarmed by the coyotes' presence. It's oddly comforting to be so close to nature even in its howling form.

Sonja is scared out of her wits (well, whatever of those she may possess) by the coyotes, and she stands at the doorway hissing at the burros when they walk by. "Take that, burros!"

"The coyotes won't find me in here!"