Books and other stuff I feel like discussing
By education and experience - Accountant with a specialty in taxation. Formerly a CPA (license has lapsed). Masters degree in law of taxation from University of Denver. Now retired. Part time work during baseball season as receptionist & switchboard operator for the Colorado Rockies. This gig feeds my soul in ways I have trouble articulating. One daughter, and four grandchildren. I share the house with two cats; a big goof of a cat called Grinch (named as a joke for his easy going "whatever" disposition); and Lady, a shelter adoptee with a regal bearing and sweet little soprano voice. I would be very bereft if it ever becomes necessary to keep house without a cat.
Mood:
Reminiscing
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Back from the road
We spent Wednesday through Saturday last week in NW New Mexico with Elderhostel. For those who might not be familiar with their programs, Elderhostel is a combination study/travel agency for persons over 55. While Elderhostelers do a lot of "touristy" things, each trip also includes a manageable dose of education with lectures, slide presentations, and talks on topics related to the area being visited.
We spent one day on the Zuni Pueblo which also is the town of Zuni, New Mexico. The Zuni are known for their artisan abilities - I think I recall that over 75% of the Zuni practice various types of art. They are muralists, silversmiths, jewelry makers, sculptors, potters, weavers, and probably several other skills I have forgotten. They have a long oral tradition - some of the various stories of their people take over 15-16 hours to present in full. Several times a year the Pueblo celebrates these traditions with tribal ceremonies. At one time these ceremonies were open to the public without limitation. The rude incursions of the "civilized" world began to create problems, so they refused entry to their ceremonies for several years. At present they have begun to admit visitors again, but have also instituted a half hour tutorial on appropriate behavior for visitors and reserve the right to escort violators back to their vehicles.
I think it would be fascinating to visit the pueblo during a ceremony. Perhaps I'll put that in the early planning stage for another trip.
They also have an admirable skill in today's mobile society - they have kept strong tribal connections with young people who have left for college level study or for the military. The majority of their 20 and 30 somethings have returned to live on the pueblo. This has increased the population, increased the tax base, and increased the average level of education. Driving through Zuni gives one the impression of a solid stable middle class American community, with schools, gas stations, satellite TV dishes, contented dogs, and tidy homes.
We visited a restored Spanish Mission church which houses a unique set of murals celebrating the Zuni traditions. After a visit with an artist and his wife (also an artist)we went to a small museum of Zuni history and then on to a shop featuring a wide selection of small fetishes, lovely jewelry, and a huge selection of art supplies.
The second day we bounced over an unmaintained road - no gravel, just dirt, to Chaco Canyon. This site was the spiritual center of the Anasazi culture which flourished until about 1200. The site has not been completely excavated but enough is visible to give one a good idea of the high level of sophistication in engineering, stone work, astronomy, and architecture which were the strengths of the Anasazi. It took virtually an entire day to get just a brief impression of the whole site.
On Saturday morning we heard a history of the Navaho "code talkers" of the war in the Pacific in 1943-45. Presented by the daughter of one of the original recruits, this was a very interesting summary of the cryptography techniques used by these men. What I didn't know was that the Japanese had figured out that the code was based on Navaho. However, the Navaho who were recruited for this specific task were so skillful in their encryption that the Japanese were never able to break the code.
We left Denver in spitting rain, but south of Colorado Springs we drove out under the clouds to clear blue skies. We enjoyed the high desert clarity for the rest of the weekend, encountering just one brief patch of blowing snow on the return trip about 80 miles south of home.
We have made enough trips by car to the south in the last few years that we have begun to build up a list of favorite food stops. We can recommend the green chili at the Hillcrest restaurant in Las Vegas, New Mexico and the entire menu at the Rambler restaurant in Walsenberg, Colorado.
On the car's CD player we had KEEPING WATCH by Laurie R. King. Ms King writes several series of books - this volume follows the characters introduced in FOLLY. In KEEPING WATCH Vietnam Vet Allen Carmichael works out the demons which have followed him since his military service by working with an "underground railroad" type of agency which helps abused women and their children find a place of safety. As he contemplates retirement, Carmichael has a rescue operation turn deadly. A suspenseful "cat and mouse" chase through Montana and the Olympic forest of Washington kept us thoroughly engrossed.
It's good to be home. The boarding kennel is closed on Sundays. After a late Saturday arrival, we had to wait until this morning to retrieve the cats. More than 24 hours of a meow-free household seems pretty quiet. It's not quiet anymore, and finally seems like home.
Woodstock
We spent one day on the Zuni Pueblo which also is the town of Zuni, New Mexico. The Zuni are known for their artisan abilities - I think I recall that over 75% of the Zuni practice various types of art. They are muralists, silversmiths, jewelry makers, sculptors, potters, weavers, and probably several other skills I have forgotten. They have a long oral tradition - some of the various stories of their people take over 15-16 hours to present in full. Several times a year the Pueblo celebrates these traditions with tribal ceremonies. At one time these ceremonies were open to the public without limitation. The rude incursions of the "civilized" world began to create problems, so they refused entry to their ceremonies for several years. At present they have begun to admit visitors again, but have also instituted a half hour tutorial on appropriate behavior for visitors and reserve the right to escort violators back to their vehicles.
I think it would be fascinating to visit the pueblo during a ceremony. Perhaps I'll put that in the early planning stage for another trip.
They also have an admirable skill in today's mobile society - they have kept strong tribal connections with young people who have left for college level study or for the military. The majority of their 20 and 30 somethings have returned to live on the pueblo. This has increased the population, increased the tax base, and increased the average level of education. Driving through Zuni gives one the impression of a solid stable middle class American community, with schools, gas stations, satellite TV dishes, contented dogs, and tidy homes.
We visited a restored Spanish Mission church which houses a unique set of murals celebrating the Zuni traditions. After a visit with an artist and his wife (also an artist)we went to a small museum of Zuni history and then on to a shop featuring a wide selection of small fetishes, lovely jewelry, and a huge selection of art supplies.
The second day we bounced over an unmaintained road - no gravel, just dirt, to Chaco Canyon. This site was the spiritual center of the Anasazi culture which flourished until about 1200. The site has not been completely excavated but enough is visible to give one a good idea of the high level of sophistication in engineering, stone work, astronomy, and architecture which were the strengths of the Anasazi. It took virtually an entire day to get just a brief impression of the whole site.
On Saturday morning we heard a history of the Navaho "code talkers" of the war in the Pacific in 1943-45. Presented by the daughter of one of the original recruits, this was a very interesting summary of the cryptography techniques used by these men. What I didn't know was that the Japanese had figured out that the code was based on Navaho. However, the Navaho who were recruited for this specific task were so skillful in their encryption that the Japanese were never able to break the code.
We left Denver in spitting rain, but south of Colorado Springs we drove out under the clouds to clear blue skies. We enjoyed the high desert clarity for the rest of the weekend, encountering just one brief patch of blowing snow on the return trip about 80 miles south of home.
We have made enough trips by car to the south in the last few years that we have begun to build up a list of favorite food stops. We can recommend the green chili at the Hillcrest restaurant in Las Vegas, New Mexico and the entire menu at the Rambler restaurant in Walsenberg, Colorado.
On the car's CD player we had KEEPING WATCH by Laurie R. King. Ms King writes several series of books - this volume follows the characters introduced in FOLLY. In KEEPING WATCH Vietnam Vet Allen Carmichael works out the demons which have followed him since his military service by working with an "underground railroad" type of agency which helps abused women and their children find a place of safety. As he contemplates retirement, Carmichael has a rescue operation turn deadly. A suspenseful "cat and mouse" chase through Montana and the Olympic forest of Washington kept us thoroughly engrossed.
It's good to be home. The boarding kennel is closed on Sundays. After a late Saturday arrival, we had to wait until this morning to retrieve the cats. More than 24 hours of a meow-free household seems pretty quiet. It's not quiet anymore, and finally seems like home.
Woodstock
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