How To Make Yourself At Home Within Ten Minutes Anywhere In The World
December 1, 2014 by admin
My daughter and family drove to Cedar City, Utah, for the holiday and dropped me off in New Mexico on the way. So, Thanksgiving Day found me settling into my new apartment in Santa Fe, after spending the month of November in Denver with them. We had just experienced five delightful weeks of our annual togetherness.
Now, in lieu of constant world travel, I’m renting in an apartment complex which is used in the summertime to house people who work for the Santa Fe Opera Company. During the winter, these one and two-bedroom units can be rented out on a month-to-month basis through March. I love the little town of Santa Fe and have always wanted to get to know it better, as I did Aspen, Colorado, a few years ago. I was here for two weeks in October when I found this apartment and started my explorations of this historic place. Now, I’m eager to continue my love affair with this sweet, most unusual city. It feels like being out on the world trail…..but, everyone speaks English here. This place does, and doesn’t, feel like most towns in the U.S.
Santa Fe is much more wonderful in a universal way. Most buildings are made of adobe. It’s very Native American, being within an easy drive to three Indian Reservations; and it’s also very Hispanic, being right above Mexico.
My hairdresser today said: “Santa Fe will either embrace you or spit you out!”
Wow! I’m hoping for the embrace!
Something is going on, culturally, all over town, every day and every night. I devour the newspaper’s calendar of events, noting everything that is a must-see/must-do but, so far, I haven’t done a thing! I worked so hard setting myself up in the apartment; making many walking trips to the nearby shopping center (Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s, loads of restaurants, beauty salons, banks, a dollar store, two pharmacies, and a great thrift shop) and I was always just too pooped to locate the bus stop and go into town. I even bought a thrift shop secretarial chair and a build-it-yourself desk to do my serious writing. Pushed the rolling chair home, but hired a taxi to bring the disassembled desk the few blocks. Now, I’m hoping to pass the Handyman Test. Soon, I’ll post a picture of the finished result.
The photos below will give you a look at the first blush of Home. Initially, you’ll see how it greeted me. All the necessaries in very good condition, except not very colorful. I just whisked some South American, Ecuadorian, touches out of my suitcase….a double hammock for the sofa and a great, red, tablecloth for the dining set. A few cute candles, a woven basket on the coffee table….. and, voila! Personality! Took ten minutes! Or less! I’m “At Home!”
Please come in……
Oh, the cast on my left hand (dog bite) is long gone by now. The hand is still swollen but is healing very well.
Come on over! The Weather’s gorgeous! Just bring your hammock!
I’m going to get lots of colorful candles too because we can’t build fires in the fireplace. But, we can fill it with lots of burning candles. I actually like that a lot better! A glass of wine by the candlelit fireplace on a snowy night! I told you this place was different! Like an alternate Universe.
(The After-Picture keeps jumping ahead of the Before-Picture. So Be It! Color trumps all!)
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