I Will Remember You

Reflecting back over the last few days, I realized I'd neglected to post any black and whites of Craig's family. And there's quite a story with his ancestors! They were regular pioneers in Western Kansas. His grandmother on his mother's side could remember walking behind a covered wagon when her family moved from their former homestead near Coffeyville, Kansas to a new one outside of Dodge City in Ensign, Kansas. Her father, Craig's great-grandfather, was a Marshall in Dodge City. So the family lore includes outlaws riding out and shooting up their house, Indian uprisings when the family had to go into the fort at Dodge (Fort Dodge) until the danger passed, etc... It was the Wild Wild West out there compared to where my family settled in Eastern Kansas. Anyway, I thought this would be a nice tribute to Craig's mom and family.

San Felipe de Neri Church

While we were in Albuquerque, we decided to take a quick tour of San Felipe de Neri Church. Founded in 1706, it sits on the north side of the square in the Old Town section of Albuquerque. San Felipe, named after King Phillip of Spain, is actually the oldest surviving building in the city. Having left Saby back in the hotel room, Craig and I were able to go inside this trip. Much to my surprise, pictures were allowed, so I took some photos of the altars. We were impressed with the beauty of the interior!

Consider This, Senora

I just finished reading Consider This, Senora by Harriet Doerr. Actually, after the first few pages, I realized I'd read this book several years ago, but I didn't mind reading it again. It's about four American ex-pat's who build their casas on a mesa overlooking a tiny village in Mexico. This reading, I noticed an extremely poignant quote towards the end of the book:

Our lives are brief beyond our comprehension or our desire, she told herself. We drop like cottonwood leaves from trees after a single frost. The interval between birth and death is scarcely more than a breathing space. Tonight, in her house on a Mexican hill, Ursula Bowles listened to the five assembled in her sala and thought she heard the faint rustle of their days slipping by. She could see now that an individual life is, in the end, nothing more than a stirring of air, a shifting of light. No one of us, finally, can be more than that. Even Einstein. Even Brahms.

The quote is fairly depressing, but definitely a reminder that one life is but a short moment in time in the overall continuum of the universe. By the way, if you enjoy books concerning the life of ex-pat's in Mexico, it's definitely a good read. My all time fave on this subject is God and Mr. Gomez, a biography of the building of the author's (Jack Smith) Mexican casa in the Baja. I've also put a hold on Stones from Ibarra. I imagine I'll pick the book up, read a few lines, and remember I've already read it. But I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much the second time around!

Anyway, that quote was a definite note to self! So do consider this senora (and senor). Seize the day! And live your dreams now!