Saturday, June 6, 2009

Santa Fe – it brings out the dead animal in me

My sister and I took the train to Santa Fe yesterday. After my last excursion there, I vowed to skip the shopping and focus on the city's historical and cultural offerings. Let's just say I was never very good at that vow thing.

We began our day with breakfast at a sidewalk cafe in Burro Alley and a visit to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Not surprisingly, I've always appreciated St. Francis of Assisi, him being the patron saint of animals and all. He also happens to be the patron saint of Santa Fe.



We also toured the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Not surprisingly, I've always appreciated her, too, seeing as how she was a loner living in New Mexico who appreciated nature and said things like: When I got to New Mexico, that was mine. As soon as I saw it, that was my country. I had never seen anything like it before but it fitted to me exactly. It's something that's in the air. It's just different. The sky is different, the stars are different, the wind is different. I shouldn't say too much about this because other people may get interested and I don't want them interested. Her painting of a cow pelvis against the New Mexico blue sky is one of my favorites, and I got to see it up close at the museum. It just speaks to me.

Sort of like how everything at my favorite store in Santa Fe speaks to me. And how this sculpture called Truffles spoke to me. Something in the picture below spoke loudly enough to jump into my shopping bag.


All that culture, followed by all that shopping, made us parched and ravenous, so we headed to the Cowgirl Bar and Grill on the way home. The shrimp tamales with a chipotle sauce, the quesadilla de la casa, and the mojito and margarita shouted out from the menu. We had to order them all just to shut them up.


Remember how last time I went to Santa Fe, I lugged around a lamb pelt all day? This time I lugged around a cow hide. I even took it to lunch. It looked so stylish in this Georgia O'Keefe Museum recycled tote bag. What is it about Santa Fe that brings out the dead animal in me? I don't think St. Francis of Assisi would approve.  


Smooch, however, does seem to approve of the new hide. And she likes the new ponytail bling, too. 



Note to self: you're running out of room to put animal hides. Stop going to Santa Fe.



But I haven't run out of wall space yet, and this painted canvas of a pistol-packing cowgirl found its way into my shopping bag.



It seemed only fitting.


23 comments:

  1. So you have a new stalker, love your blog, and am WAY JEALOUS of that Sister of the West poster. I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!
    I am just starting a new ranch blog, altho I have no photos yet, have to dig out the cd with all the pics on it. come and visit.

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  2. OOPS Daughter of the West. :)

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  3. What beautiful things, I usually hate to shop but not in an interesting place like that. I love that type of shopping!

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  4. Oh my gosh, but it sounds like you had a wonderful day, regardless of things jumping into your shopping bag and other things shouting at you!

    The lunch absolutely makes me drool, what yummy looking food. Now you and Pioneer Woman have cow hide and it's so neat ... I love it along with your ponytail bling!

    Aha, I see you've been practicing your shooting ... good job!

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  5. YOu haven't really exhausted the dead animal thing until you have a certain quota of animal bone decorations. WE have two Navaho painted cow skulls, various shed antler light fixtures, a stuffed deer head (rescued from a 100 year old bar that was closing) and assorted bird feather dream catchers. (That's just on the inside of the barn.)

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  6. I want your ponytail bling....and I don't even have long enough hair for one anymore... but still. I want!

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  7. I love the pictures, you only make me want to come to Santa Fe, and call it mine!!!

    Yes.. and I love the bling for the pony tail, sweet!

    Jan :)

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  8. Meant to say that I got a kick out of the 'palm & hoof readings', and question ... is Smooch's paw ok now? I see her sock is gone.

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  9. Santa Fe is always a very fun trip! I love it everytime. We go for our anniversary every year and we always seem to come home with interesting finds.

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  10. Wow! I so want to visit New Mexico! I'm working on getting my sisters to come with me. The food and drinks at the Cowgirl Bar and Grill are calling my name!

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  11. You are the coolest person. Excellent taste in your purchases. And you go on the target practicing girl! Good job!

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  12. I am loving that animal hide! Pretty darn cool! I kinda think Smooch was liking it!

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  13. Nice grouping....I meant the target in the end but I would guess it would mean any of the pictures above. Be sure you don't feed any lead now!

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  14. Oh yeah, if I had gotten there first, the Daughter of the West poster would be on MY wall. Love it.

    My cowhide hangs on the wall in our BR, behind the longhorn skull. I like dead animals too.

    If you can ever find it (out of print), read Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Steiglitz: Two Lives. a Conversation in Paintings and Photographs. Talk about a complicated relationship between two repressed souls.

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  15. What beautiful things! I LOVE the cow hide...it's very unique! What a fun day!

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  16. I LOVE TRUFFLES!!! I would have been the crazy lady trying to get that in my shopping bag! What a great shopping trip, everyone needs a little retail therapy from time to time and your purchases are very cool :)

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  17. I wouldn't have been able to pass up that gorgeous cow hide either. And nice grouping! :-)

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  18. What a fun day. Don't be too hard on yourself, everyone knows you've gotta bring something back from a trip like that. At least it's not another mouth to feed.

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  19. Hey Carson: What about that beautiful leather duster with the detailing on it? Did your sis get it for you as a hostess gift or was it gone by the time you arrived back at the store? It sure was a beautiful jacket and I would have liked it even if it did cost as much as a car.
    Best always, Sandra

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  20. Love the new pony tail bling!
    Looks like you had a wonderful time. Your lunch looks so yummy!

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  21. From the food to the cow hide--all great looking choices. Nothing to be ashamed of there!

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  22. Nice grouping of shots! ;) Great cow hide too... Love the brindle pattern! Looks like I should never visit Santa Fe, I would have a very hard time leaving things there. And, Georgia O'Keefe is a long time hero of mine -- I like her giant flowers. I agree with what she said about New Mexico, I could re-write it about true Northern California. Though, we're slowly being discovered. :(

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  23. I know what you mean about the lure of New Mexico. I spent one night in Taos in 1999 and that did it for me. Picked up and moved here like you did, knowing only some friends from Santo Domingo Pueblo, bought my little mountain Shangri-la east of Albuquerque and changed my life! Like Georgia O'Keeffe, it seems a lot of women find themselves in New Mexico. Here's what I wrote about Taos:

    "The blue sky seduced me.
    Not like any other sky.
    Not the gray-blue of the sky in the city.
    Not even sky blue like that of a desert remembered.
    But soul-deep blue.
    Rising from a field of yellow ochre flowers,
    deep green pinon,
    and colorado red rock walls.
    These intense primary colors
    against this blue.
    Such sweet seduction
    like the fumes of some narcotic smoke
    adrift above the gray-green sage
    covering this plain that flows from my feet.
    I feel I am standing
    on the edge of heaven."

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