DEAR Magdalena.   Over and Over,  an individual rises up with ENERGY and decides something can happen.  Over and Over,  it doesn't quite.    But they never give up.

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This is the only pic i took.  I felt uncomfortable at the thought of snapping pics of the very FEW things and their makers that were there.   I was the 5th.  So four others.  Quilts,  hot pads, place mats,  a beautiful basket tote like Patricia's bowls,  some just Fine knit and crochet,  a woman who made shawls of plant dyed wool,  Churro wool.  She has an indigo vat.   All very fine and welcoming women and an old friend/acquaintance Aleta who i'd not seen in years.  I was mistaken about where i imagined it would be to set up.  Thought it was in the old hotel but it wasn't.  It was under the long portico of the town's motel.  Which was ok till the WIND came up at which point they moved inside to a small kind of dreary room.   What IS it about fiber arts??????

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this is the Indicator that something was happening there.   If they decide to try this again,  i'll know and make something myself.  This was not ok.

But aside from this,  there really wasn't anyone There.  Everyone that came by were locals and friends of the women who had their things there.  And very few of those.   and maybe at another time in my life that all would have been just ok.  But i really just wanted to come home.  So much to do here, NEEDing to be done…so when WIND came up,  i just loaded up and was on my way.

I cruised through town first…i really DO love Magdalena

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a Goat's Eye bag?

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from the back with light.   I'll somehow attach a "skirt" to it and it will be this year's Hose Dress.  More on that later sometime.

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Starts from the Green Girl there who has an organic green house.  I'd gotten on her List a while back,  for peppers.  Which i seem to have a hard time starting.  Her,  not.  2 kinds of bell peppers, Yellow Hots and some other stuff… Calendula…would have made the trip to pick these up no matter.  It was good to meet her.  She has goats.

And before i left for home,  i drove around a little,  for Julie.

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an old place, redone

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at least half of Magdalena is Vacant.

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this bull,  by the rodeo grounds

And then,  the drive home which is always worth Everything to me

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i have no words for how this feels to me

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38 responses to “you can always hope”

  1. Michelle in NYC Avatar

    Glorious weather for a day away. Magdalena has some fine sights and what every you picked up at the thrift was worth the trip, not to mention the knowledge that you have much to offer at the right time and place. You were so very well prepared. All good. Now more to plant. Lovely.

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  2. grace Avatar

    Yes. to Plant. Tomorrow. YES. Happy.

    Like

  3. Marti Avatar
    Marti

    Rich and I decided to surprise grace and go see her and her cloths in Magdalena but we arrived only to be told that she had gone home. I had not mentioned to grace the possibility that we would go because I wasn’t sure that we could make it but this morning, it all fell into place. Magdalena is about 124 miles each way from our home in Rio Rancho. Last year I had the joy of traveling to Magdalena when I camped out for a few days with grace, we had gone to her special Water Canyon and then to lunch at a great cafe so I was eager to share all of this with Rich.
    With respect to the other arts and crafts venues at this event, it was hard to find them, harder still to find anyone on the streets or in the town…still Magdalena is an interesting historic place and I had to smile when I saw grace’s photos because we looked at the same buildings, Rich is fascinated with old buildings.
    Maybe tomorrow more people will come since it is a Sunday. I hope that whoever was responsible for promoting this event will branch out next year and publicize it further afield.

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  4. Liz Avatar

    Oh how I love New Mexico … such beauty in the land and the sky.
    And while I am sad that things didn’t go as hoped for in Magdalena, I am glad that there is a place here for your cloth, your words, and your images … we who stood with you in spirit are with you still

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  5. Dana Avatar

    Yep. Sometimes things are just not what we hoped they would be, but treasure is still there to be found. Traveling under the volatile skies of New Mexico would be a great treat for me. Liz is right, we are still here.

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  6. ² Avatar
    ²

    your experiance is also a little bit ours , there is a small kind of recognised feeling about this
    yes we are still with you
    we breath togther in our world

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  7. ² Avatar
    ²

    together

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  8. .cynthia Avatar
    .cynthia

    well little by little i am forming a very specialized map of new mexico….i can now tie together rio rancho ..magdalena and polvadera in my head ….such small lines on a map for such vastness..i am glad you had the space…that space … for your drive home..i am glad you had big skies.
    gentle day grace much love.

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  9. jude Avatar

    OK, I have been there.

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  10. patriciaspangler47@gmail.com Avatar

    in my mind i was thinking Madrid…but now i see not. not Madrid but Magdalena charming in its own way…and yes i second the suggestion that more publicity would be called for in the future. but we never know. what may come from this. so we wait–your collective support group–and will see.

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  11. beth Avatar

    And so it goes. A fine day once setting aside the expectation disappointment. So sorry you and Marti missed connecting though. And I love that shirt!

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  12. Mo Crow Avatar

    Magdalena what a beautiful name for an almost forgotten place (love the photos especially the wholesalers of everything) here in Australia the Booktown Festival has helped revitalize the old goldmining town of Clunes. here’s a link
    http://clunesbooktown.com.au/clunes-book-town-festival/
    good luck today!

    Like

  13. Bev Avatar

    I like the name Magdalena and pictures too. It’s nice to just flow with the energy like you did, go have some fun and get back to the planting. We’ve been planting this weekend to, I lost most of my herbs over the winter and love fixing up the gardens.
    It’s all so good, so nice. 🙂

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  14. Tina Avatar
    Tina

    Wonderful pictures…..you do know how to take them. I’m sorry things did not go as hoped but know that you did amazing getting everything so beautifully prepared. Oh the shirt..I love it..you came home with a treasure. I was away this weekend and long story short….I got to feed goats!! Yes…you were totally on my mind.

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  15. roz Avatar
    roz

    oh my goodness , those photos of the landscape. i can imagine how being there would make me Feel. and it is so like parts of Australia. Big. Space. and one can feel the enormity of the world ..relative to how big / small we are as a individuals.
    but the Goat’s Eye bag ….. swoon and lust !!
    for me, every venture out with ‘the work ‘, even if no one shows up, is something learned , something gained , gaining comfort in the act.

    Like

  16. Alyssia Fortune Avatar
    Alyssia Fortune

    In a time when you are redefining what TIME really is and how to experience BEING in that “time”, sense is found in the happenings/not happenings of this event. Your goats, your art, your time not (not universally accepted time) are what you were settling into…a new definition of time.
    Perhaps this was from the universe to push you to use your new time with your real focus. Magdalena… provided A DEADLINE provided in this newly TIMED world of yours. Now with the event in the past, you have beautiful works filled with truth of your new newness.
    Magdalena… helping you fill your tool box of you of life…
    Magdalena was not really about the event it was a mile marker helping to read further…create further…this definition of time of Graces time.
    We need well rounded facts to create anew in a pure way. You needed a new deadline in your newNESS.
    Fiber Arts…purpose Full
    Its about what it means today and tomorrows today. This is beauty Full.
    See it.
    I love you my Putrid Grammy

    Like

  17. Alyssia Fortune Avatar
    Alyssia Fortune

    I dreamed of your art and of your blog in great detail last night. I beyond rarely remember my dreams or sleep long enough to have them… today was the day to speak here.

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  18. grace Avatar

    yes
    i am reading and re reading and breathing in and rereading and
    breathing in
    You.
    The gift of words you put here for me.
    i need to do that for a little while more and then i can say
    something to your comment above.
    I love you BEYOND love,
    your best Putrid Grammy

    Like

  19. Nancy Krampf Avatar
    Nancy Krampf

    …i love your precious work

    Like

  20. grace Avatar

    this is how it seems to go with things in Magdalena. So i was
    not at all surprised. Actually, would have told you this if you
    had indicated you might come. That was a long long drive for you and i am so sad that i didn’t know. I would have waited.
    and who knows how today went.
    For me, here, it went Beauty Fully.

    Like

  21. grace Avatar

    interesting. That this is a Place, just as Real and Strong as the Earth beneath my feet

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  22. grace Avatar

    Treasure.
    watch for the Treasure

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  23. grace Avatar

    we Breathe.
    we do.
    we Breathe.
    OUR world. we breathe in it.

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  24. grace Avatar

    those thread lines
    they are important.
    and it WAS, Cynthia, it WAS so much
    a gentle day

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  25. grace Avatar

    OK. took you.

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  26. grace Avatar

    no. Madrid, not. Madrid knows how to do Art. Magdalena fumbles.

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  27. grace Avatar

    i wish i’d have known, but that element of Surprise, well,
    SURPRISE and nope! Bummer.

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  28. grace Avatar

    yes. very much, yes. It’s such an intense Place of Huge energy…
    it could, CAN be anything at all….and it continues to Try

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  29. grace Avatar

    it IS. IT’s all GOOD. it IS! going with it. Going and then just comimg back HOME. Yes. All so Good, so nice…Very Much

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  30. grace Avatar

    eeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE oh, don’t you LOVE their
    Mouths
    their Lips
    their Happiness!!!!!!!!

    Like

  31. grace Avatar

    yes…so much like Australia…so familiar…so Kin
    it was such a good thing…to GO. To SEE.

    Like

  32. grace Avatar

    yes. re
    defining time.
    there’s not all that much left of it. so…
    how.
    HOW
    to
    uh,
    live
    the Time

    Like

  33. grace Avatar

    if you dreamed it…then i know something is UP.
    and when it was enough
    so you
    spoke
    here, then…
    ok and here we go.
    Here we GO, dear you…
    We are UP to it, Right?

    Like

  34. grace Avatar

    it was really good. They were small conversations, but they were good. The women there. Just BITS of conversation, but good and real.
    Felt good.

    Like

  35. Alyssia Fortune Avatar
    Alyssia Fortune

    Yes and yes. Here we go…up we go… dear us.

    Like

  36. saskia Avatar

    yes the deadline always works – well it does for me – gives structure to ‘time’

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  37. saskia Avatar

    Magdalena and your surroundings are gob-smackingly spacious & beautiful, oh how I envy those fortunate to live in open spaces

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  38. grace Avatar

    it took me a LOOOOOONG time to get here

    Like

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