Busy day. Breakfast at Guadalupe cafe, amazing service, everyone irrepressibly cheerful all the time (how lucky are the children of these women?) great huevos, scrambled with chile, veg, and shredded tortillas. Homefries that needed nada, not even salt. On to the Palace of the Governators and the native american jewelry artisans outside. They lay their wares on cloths on the ground and you are hard pressed to pass any one of them by, so stunning is their work and so reasonable the prices for the time it takes to make these little works of art. We talk with them, they invite us to try on. We debate and buy something lovely from Eddy for a certain young jazzman back east.

The new museum at the Palace of the Governators is impressive. History of the area intriguing and honest. Nice quote on the wall from Agnes Morley Cleaveland (the contributions of women in the formation and history of the state are well represented here, maybe one reason this state is a little hipper than most), from her book No Place for a Lady (must read), publ. 1841: "A six-shooter makes men and women equal." Carlotta would agree, or as she put it, "If more women knew how to use a shotgun, more men would be better behaved." We saw a thin, delicate arrowhead about 7000 yrs old here at the 7000 foot high museum and lots of other cool stuff besides.

The beautiful San Miguel Church, where T helps an older man manage his new digital camera. Oldest one in the states.( pics above.) T took a moment to sit in the old confessional and forgive the entire planet its sins. So, start over now, shall we, and let the women run things this time, okay?

It's the local working people that are cool, that give the place its soul, while the multi-propertied class is well represented and definitely announces its presence with authority. There is serious moola wandering the streets, flashy too, witness the shiny high priced cars, folks de-ressed to the nines, I mean seriously turned out, ladies, and several pairs of most awesome boots on the feet of the well-heeled -- (wincing at the pun, sorry). I must admit to some shameful covetous moments there as the boots i bought in Paris, Italian though they may be, look really boring and staid by comparison. I have seen the most beautifully dressed people here I've seen anywhere in the states, including NYC. Plennya dough here, folks. We mooned over gorgeous thousand dollar blouses. Ridiculous, but I'm telling you they were true works of art in mud silk by an amazing Chinese designer name of Sophia Hong.

We hiked (poor T in her clogs) all the way up Canyon Rd in search of a tea house. Not worth the effort, I must say. But the patisserie in La Fonda was pretty cool, and voila! there I was in another french conversation with the proprietress. Two in one day? Charmante!

We picked up dinner at Whole Paycheck. too pooped to eat out. Whole paycheck is where you also encounter the non-working locals, the boulevardiers, and I'm here to tell you they have a whole different vibe than the locals who work for a living. It's the same trustafarian, entitled vibe that's everywhere the enclaves of the privileged exist. We don't like it. Give us da funk. The soul, the cool cooks at the Volvo dealership. The amazingly efficient waitresses and waiters in this town. Their souls are full of joy. They get the place. Probably cause it is their place. Everyone else just visiting, they are. The faces on customers in Whole Paychecks everywhere tend to the grim, or smug, except the checkout gals and shelf stockers who must be cheerful for a living. And I've no doubt there's some lesson there. I would think Santa Fe might need the occasional "smug alert" like that South Park show as well.

A little aside here. I am recalling that on the long drive over here from Santa Rosa Saturday, there were moments as the car climbed from less than 2000 ft to nearly 7000 that, as we crossed an endless high plain, I got the distinct feeling that just over the next horizon we would actually fall off the edge of the earth. ( A little empathy with the pre-Columbus crowd here.) It was very disorienting and a bit scary. (As I get older my sense of vertigo gets more insistent. Odd that.) Now New Mexico, and the southwest in general, will have its way with you. It certainly has in the past. It's what has always attracted me about the place. As one man said, it takes no prisoners. So if you have 'issues' of one kind or another trailing after you on your journey, expect to have them exposed at some point, and entirely without your permission. Last night was my moment. The full import of what I've done, the changes I've made and the 'security' I've given up hit me full force. Like T said, (and was there ever a better daughter a woman could have?) there is so much space here, you kind of intuitively feel, Yes, I can let it all go now without taking up too much space! And what do you hear in return? You hear this..

Yes, dear daughter, let it out. Cry til your eyes hurt. Then take a deep breath and realize that you haven't lost anything, you have only let your line out a little longer. Extended your faith in the universe. You've learned that fear is the mind killer. So relax. Everything is as you wanted it at this particular moment in time. All is well. Practice non-judgment, of yourself as well as others. Live in the dozens of smiles you are receiving. Breathe. Then breathe again.

So Monday we do a little giving to the spirit, ours. It's a few hours at Ten Thousand Waves nearby for "the treatment", instead of Ojo Caliente. It's closer and Japanese. A reward for our bravery. Silly? Maybe, but what do you know anyway? Hot, cold baths, massage, salt scrub. I am ready for some TLC. Then maybe the Georgia O'Keefe museum and a little something for Ms. A de la F? Nice to stay in one place for a couple days.

I be willin... to be chillin....