Minimalist Sanctuary Garden wins 2011 NMASLA Award

Winter meant much time out of Santa Fe for me; announcing this garden winner went by the sidelines.  In December 2011, the New Mexico Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects honored the "Baker" garden with a merit award.

Somewhat Zen inspired, this small yard was transformed from a rough patch of weeds and dirt to this clean, minimalist, multi-use space which includes an in-ground spa with rolled stainless steel rail, custom designed furnishings (granite and steel table, six ipe wood and iron stools, two ipe benches and Cherry wood and stainless steel cook unit), plantings and river rock pool with Aspen trees.  The spa decking is stamped and artfully stained concrete.  A fiber optic cord illuminates the spa edge.

The space benefits from an old coyote fence with neighboring, historic, corrugated roof peering over.  This garden measures no more than 17' x 20' and yet accomplishes much for the homeowner.  It has become a place to work, meditate, relax, read, cook, entertain, star-gaze and more.  Very private and quiet, though steps away from the epicenter of the Railyard.

The garden won a Western Garden Award in 2005 from Sunset Magazine---where a Juror described it as a "brilliant manipulation of a very small space."

Mud Season in Santa Fe

A couple days ago, snow frosted all plants, buildings and sculptural art works along Canyon Road; it was like walking into the scene inside a sugar Easter egg.  Oddly the pavement was clear---evidence of warmth releasing from Earth's heart beneath Santa Fe from several warm days before this mid-spring 'winter'.

Having already adjusted to spring, donning the scarf, boots and gloves again felt like a few steps backward---except that it was so pure and delightful to walk the loop from Garcia to Acequia Madre to Canyon Road and see this gentle (AND THANKFULLY MOIST) icing on a beautiful dessert.  New landscaping and gardens had begun and were in pause-mode while we all smiled at the gift of the great garden cake decorator, Mother Nature.

Along this walk, are two sculpted bears in a perpetual, nested together, nap in front of Sage Creek Gallery.  These bears, like a huge twin bear fetish, always make me smile----on April 3rd, covered in their snowy blanket, I laughed out loud.  Imagining them cavorting in the night up and down Canyon Road, they now rested together in their heart-centered garden room.  Such stories seed the most endearing landscape and garden designs----the things that open our hearts also open the garden gate.

Mid-spring snows at 7,000 ft of altitude can be a game changer.  Sometimes the snow acts as insulation, keeping the buds from a hard freeze, sometimes not.  Many of the trees flowering for fruits later in the season were in bloom.  Time will tell whether this snow event will sap a bit of that vitality, reducing or eliminating the production of apricots and other delicacies.  Perhaps the Goddess brought this weather adjustment due to how terribly dry we are and the need for moisture to get those fruits to market may just not be in the offing this year.  She does know best.

So Santa Fe is in mud season.....it will likely last until the weekend.  ; =

Tapestry Threads

For the past week, travel took me to Columbus, Ohio.  While the focus of this trip was the ordination ceremony of my beautiful and compassionate daughter, Lisa; it was very apparent that the trip also offered a time of reviewing the tapestry threads of my life.  

The first morning's walk along paths at Mingo Park in Delaware, Ohio---where I lived for many years---was followed by a customary drive by all the places that filled our lives while the girls were growing up.  There was a distinct feeling of Ariadne's thread showing me where I had been---that I could go into crevices and crannies of long ago without worry that I might not find my way back.  It didn't take much to reconnect with how blessed I feel....how perfect it all is, the challenges, too.  I wept tears of joy in knowing that the way is always guided, in knowing the threads are strong and varied.

This trip quickly filled up with family and friends' time----many reconnections occurred during this week long visit.   Each rendezvous renewed my sense of how meaningful these people are in my story and how layered, nuanced and beautifully detailed the tapestry of my life is.  Some friends I had not seen in recent years, but we pick up as though no time has passed.  How comforting that always is!!

In this time of reinventing my life path going forward, it was enormously relevant to remember and renew what has supported and given meaning to all the years already walked.  It is clear that these magnificent people go with me into the days ahead. Thank for this!!

Are you experiencing, right now, a renewed sense of the threads of the tapestry of your life?  What has shown up for you?

a murmuration of Starlings

http://vimeo.com/31158841

Enjoy the order that is embedded in the wildness of natural phenomenon...........heart opening!!

Thank you for sharing this Kaylynn!

Hear the Voice of the Heart---and SPEAK

November 5, 2011
It is blustery and snowing this morning.  On top of that, there was a power outage for almost four hours.  The house became very quiet---no major appliances or forced-air furnace humming, no phone or internet, no coffee pot brewing a warm cup, not even my own or another's voice.  Quiet.

When things are this still, the inner voice is more easily heard than on the typical morning.  What do you hear?  What part of you speaks?  And how might this serendipitous solitude reframe the inner dialogue?  It is so important, what we say inside....as what we feed inside manifests around us.  I want to be very careful about this inner dialogue; redirecting, if it sounds fearful, judging or confused. Hm?

A few weeks back the voices of many diverse and creative women were given space and time during the New Mexico Women Author's Book Festival.  Lots of time and lots of space!  It was an honor to be among this multitude of voices with Removing My Seed Coat and a brief talk on creating The Heart-centerd Garden.  Topics varied widely, and while this made the event interesting, what was most powerful was how each and all spoke from a knowing depth, including the inherent and essential questions in their topic and expertise.  With heart and mind entwined, each woman spoke from a place they know well and are skilled at commanding.  Witnessing woman after woman stand and speak from their deepest knowing is a healing experience.  This could be how we redefine leadership.  Some of this leadership is to raise important inquiries to the light of day...for often what we know from the heart center, is that answers come when we risk sharing and listening in equal measure.....and so we keep expressing, fleshing things out as we go.

What seems important to me today is that we find and offer our deep and heartful voices to the public discourse; even as we use our voice to shape our own thinking.  We are still figuring some of this out, i.e. how do we take present conditions and find it is really showing us the way to a higher quality of living...and I don't mean more stuff, square footage, etc.  What is at hand is more than just finding our next job, home, elected officials, but a way of life that reestablishes the common good.  We must not fail at this!

It is messy, this open and often chaotic discourse---no matter whether from the halls of government, the Tea and Coffee Parties, or the Occupy groups.  Hearing ALL the voices is essential in reinventing society for a sustainable path forward.   This is good; it has value.  I hope it stays messy for sometime.  Most of these voices have been way too silent for decades....and it is only by speaking from a heart/mind connection that we make progress.   

New Mexico Women Authors' Book Festival

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak about my first book, Removing My Seed Coat, on October 8th at the NM Women Author's Book Festival. You can learn more about the many talented women authors who also presented, on the NM Creates website:  http://newmexicocreates.org