May20

Loretto.

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the original staircase

the current stairs

the story

The Loretto Chapel’s miraculous spiral staircase in Santa Fe

The Loretto Chapel is a former Roman Catholic Church in Sante Fe, New Mexico that is now a privately owned museum and wedding chapel. It’s known for its spiral staircase the “ Miraculous Stair”, which rises 20 feet while making two full turns, all without support of a break or central pole…it’s held together by wooden pegs, no glue, nails or other hardware…33 stairs, noted to be the age of Christ at the time of his death. Built between 1877-1881. (story has it a mysterious stranger appeared, built the staircase and then disappeared without collecting pay, the Sisters of Loretto believed the mysterious builder was Saint Joseph himself)….railings were added in 1887.

the legend

the model

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the link to the Loretto chapel and the stairs’ history:

https://www.lorettochapel.com/our-story?srsltid=AfmBOop4APIFnYxkEEusChD_kK-t3ngYq-isG7B1m34vqw1YwZNTpPrN

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“the difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible Is what takes a little longer.’

-fridtjof nansen

 

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source credits: Loretto Chapel

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA – May 2026

 

 

May19

folk.

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one of my favorite museums ever

 Urania Proscenium No. 11, a 19th-century German toy theater, Joseph Scholz of Mainz. 

this vibrant hooked rug, crafted by artist Celso Gallegos,  late 1920s or early 1930s.
he rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.

 Monica Canilao, Teotilian del Vallek. Oaxaca, Mexicto, 1960

Sculpture titled “Ms. Utopia” by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE,

featuring a mannequin dressed in Dutch wax cotton textile, 2013

pinata near the offices, artist unknown

quilt titled Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: Fannie Lou Hamer (2024) by artist Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. The quilt honors Fannie Lou Hamer, a prominent civil rights activist and community organizer who championed voting rights.

This blue and white ceramic vessel is a work by Los Angeles-based artist Elyse Pignolet, often featured in exhibitions exploring contemporary female experiences. The piece is part of a body of work that utilizes traditional ceramic techniques—specifically blue and white glaze reminiscent of historical European pottery—to subvert expectations.

 

 papier-mâché sculpturen created by artist Roberto Benavidez.

part of an exhibition titled “Truths Be Told” 

from the Ray Neutrogena collection

 vibrant hooked rug crafted by artist Celso Gallegos in the late 1920s or early 1930s
  •  The rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.

museum guests of all ages were invited to stitch with museum materials

,
folk art is handmade, utilitarian or decorative objects, created by everday, often self-taught artists with a specific cultural community. instead of following formal academic rules, it relies on deeply-rooted community traditions,
preserving cultural heritage, history, and daily life through generations.
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‘from our first babblings to our last word, we make but one statement, and that is our life.’
-richard paul evans

 

 

 

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source credits:

museum of iunternatiuonal folk art, santa fe, new mexico, u.s.a – may, 2026

May19

curating joy.

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doodlet’s

the most whimsical, charming store i have ever entered

filled from store to ceiling

and everywhere in between

with nothing but pure joy

in s small, yet lovely space

it took us over two hours

to walk through

look and touch everything

 choose our treasures

“we cannot cure the world of sorrows but we can choose to live in joy.”

-joseph campbell

 

 

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new mexico, usa – may 2026

May18

a trip takes us.

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the road and the world around us 

changes with every mile of sky

no turning back

onward

 

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‘we do not take a trip, a trip takes us’

-john steinbeck

 

 

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laguna pueblo, new mexico, usa, may 2026

May17

the shining.

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 as we went to head into town
leaving our little adobe house
moving toward the door
i said
we still have one more light to turn off before we go
response was
a pause and silent moment
then
look up
oh
it was so bright and streaming through
 not used to such a brilliant sun
shining down on me 
inside
complete shift
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‘attention, if sudden and close, graduates into surprise;

and this into astonishment; and this into stupefied amazement.’

-charles darwin

 

 

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new mexico, usa, may 2026

May16

georgia o’keefe, up close and personal.

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georgia o’keefe musem visit

her story, her words, her art

visitors given the opportunity to see things closely

 create them in georgia’s style

some add a bit of humor to their response

georgia lived a life on her terms, full of color and beauty.

May15

sticks and stones.

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 river of stone

stone to find home

stone for resting

stone to remember

*sticks to make rustic latilla fences 

‘to so enter into it in nature and art

that the enjoyed meanings of life may become a part of living

is the attitude of artistic appreciation.’

-george h. mead

 

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*In New Mexico, you’ll find charming fences made of small branches called ‘latillas’ made primarily from native cedar or juniper poles. These rustic fences have a rich history, passed down through generations of indigenous and Hispanic communities.Originally built to keep out wildlife like coyotes, they’ve become a beloved part of the Southwestern landscape, especially in Santa Fe-style architecture.

 

 

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new mexico, usa, may 2026

 

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May14

lights.

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light on the tiny houses

light in the cathedral

everywhere you look

santa fe is filled with light

 

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‘to love beauty is to see light.’

-victor hugo

May13

go west.

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let the adventure begin

first stop

santa fe, new mexico

 place of art, history, beauty, and mystery

sharing a road trip with my fellow life traveler

my sister

nature celebrated with art

 wild mustangs up top

birds splash in a flock

 burro waits patiently

half sun half shade

no need for a clock

 

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“take me where the road ends and the adventure begins in Santa Fe.”

-inspired by Bon Jovi

 

 

 

 

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art credits: all sculptures by new mexican artists

May12

on the loose.

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the goose up on the roof

yells out like a rooster

with the accent of a goose

wrong bird, wrong address, wrong song?

what’s worng?

 

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‘mother goose is on the loose, stealing lines from lenny bruce.’

*phil occs

* Phil Ochs (1940-1976) was an American protest singer, songwriter, and political activist known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, and topical songs during the 1960s. A prominent figure in the Greenwich Village folk scene, he wrote hundreds of songs advocating for civil rights, anti-war movements, and labor rights.