Ellen Wood's Book

The Secret Method For Growing Younger A Step by Step Guide Using The Law of Attraction is Ellen's recently published book. She was interviewed on the Taos radio station, KTAO and was featured in a full page article in the Tempo section of the Taos News last week.

Ellen asked me to help edit her book and I'm really grateful to her for allowing me to be a part of this incredible project. The book is available at www.howtogrowyounger.com.

This project was an opportunity close to my heart because of the attitude and beliefs given to me by my grandma, Ruth Reames.




My grandma celebrated her 95th birthday in March and has lived her life based on what she wanted to do, not by how old she was. And that concept has had a powerful effect on me, as I truly believe that a number DOES NOT determine your choices and actions.

This picture includes my grandma, her eldest child, my mom Sandy ( in red) and my sisters Kim (also in red), Emmie (in a white shirt) and our children. A 4 generation photo. As you are looking at the photo, Max is to my left, Kim's daughter Meghan is to her left, wearing purple, and her son, Bobby, is behind Meghan. Emmie's daughters Sam and Alex are to the right of Grandma, Alex seated next to Grandma.

Now look at my grandma and my mom and tell me my sisters and I don't have fabulous genes!

Spirit Warriors

Fabulous spirit warriors are my newest project. My new client, Vicki Rose, creates these amazing sculptures.

They will soon be available via Vicki's website and in Art Divas Gallery in Taos. She creates large warriors as well as smaller ones. The materials she uses she finds in nature, and uses paper that she's collected and received from all over the world.

Each warrior is a custom creation, and your specific items may be included, i.e. crystals, special stones, etc. Stay tuned for a website and photos!

An in town home sitting gig

I am staying in a lovely artist's casita on Ranchitos, just off the Taos Plaza in town. It's been great being able to walk everywhere! The house, a former school, has 5 separate units and is next to the Harwood Museum and the Ortenstone Gallery.

The Harwood is the 2nd oldest museum in New Mexico. I heard that on the radio recently, and wondered what the oldest museum is, but haven't researched that yet. The Ortenstone Gallery is my friend Carla's mom's gallery. Nancy Ortenstone is an amazing painter and you can view her work at http://www.ortenstone.com

Claire's home has great privacy, a large garden/yard, and a tree from which I've hung a hummingbird feeder so I can watch these amazing birds while working. There's a ruby throated hummer feeding now. They are magical creatures and feel safe enough at the feeder to actually sit and drink.

Finally, please allow me to introduce you to Shakti, the reason I'm home sitting. She is the queen of the casita and her name is Sanskrit for "divine feminine".





























Oh yes, and I finally was ready to go for a new look.....




it's really easy now, I just wash and go, and at some point, shake my head once it's dry. The best part is Rachel Bell, who has been taking care of my hair here in Taos, is right up the steet, just on the other side of Nancy Ortenstone's gallery. Rachel just opened her new salon, Shank, has an 18 month old son, Jackson, is pregnant with her second, and is an amazing woman.

Lou Morgan's post hike birthay celebration

Lou's birthday celebration continued at the Tewa Lounge in Questa, NM, on our way back to Taos from hiking.

We met J.R., who, with his father and assorted other patrons, serenaded Lou with a beautiful Spanish rendition of "Happy Birthday".

This was a great bar, straight out of the "Easy Rider" era. I kept waiting for Dennis Hopper to come in.

Lou, thanks for sharing your special celebration with us - it was a birthday we'll all remember!

Back in Taos

How did it get to be May 8 already????? Seems like yesterday I was driving back to Taos through snow blanketed country and celebrating new year's eve in Tulsa with green tea because they don't serve anything but 3.2 beer on Sundays!!!!!

I returned to Taos from a 2 week home sitting engagement in ABQ in early April, where I actually performed a cat rescue from the roof of Lori's home. Very exciting stuff! Neko, the cat whom required the rescue, was safely removed from the roof, but not without a valiant effort at keeping himself dug in with his front claws while I was pulling him from below. Turned out we both ended up on our backs on the ground, him on top of me, safe, shaking, but ok. Of course, I was wondering if I'd just been "punked".

I spent most of April at the Murray's with Simon and Lily. This is the home that brought me to Taos.











I was back in time to celebrate my friend Lou Morgan's birthday. The birthday girl is pictured here, at Pizano's, with Janet (in lime green), Deborah, and me. Oh, and the little girl next to Janet was seated with her family at the table next to us, and asked to be in the photo. Cute! She also asked Janet and me if she could have a bite of our dessert! Only in Taos! Her parents' only comment was to remind her to say "please".

The next day, Lou's birthday, we went to Wild Rivers and hiked the Big Arsenic Trail down to the Rio Grande. That's the Rio Grande behind Janet and Lou in the photo, and that's me totally enjoying a really ripe and juicy strawberry.