Hillerman, Swenson and McNamara--Ladies of Talent

When I recently traversed the carved trails through Bandelier National Monument, I explained to the young person with me, as we stopped to imagine what living inside those ancient cave dwellings must have been like, "If you lived here when these dwellings thrived, your mama would likely be buried by now. Women didn't live very long. And you would probably be on your way to becoming a mother--at least by the time you were 14." In other words, my young friend's mother is 47 today. That would have been gone and buried-time in the Ancestor Pueblo culture.

Ladies of a certain age today laugh in the face of 47, kick the 50Th birthday in the hind end, and maybe a decade or two later, continue demonstrating extraordinary energy and creativity.

, "Tony Hillerman's Landscape, on the Road with Chee and Leaphorn."Anne Hillerman, along with her husband Don Strel, await the fall publication of their new book I spent some time with the pair in Santa Fe, shot a photo of them (which is on the back cover), and walked away amazed at Anne and Don's endless creative founts.
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061374296/Tony_Hillermans_Landscape/index.aspx
I recently discovered a new and favorite blog, One Heart Many Gardens--Psychology and Spirituality in the Garden. http://oneheartmanygardens.blogspot.com/



Through the never ending 40Th year reunion of Alemany High School in Mission Hills, CA, several years back, the author, Sarah Doni Swenson and I reconnected. Her insightful blog touches my love of the garden, the human mind and spiritual quests.


Then there is the artist, Shannon McNamara. http://www.seamcnamara.com/

Her watercolors are my fave. Shannon presently has a show at the Hamlet at Moonstone Gardens in Cambria, CA now through September 3, 2009. A Plein-air artist, Shannon continues running her creative juices at high levels.
Shannon McNamara and friends,from left, Ellen Nishijima, Shannon, Lisa Bertrand, Margaret George, Judy Fitzgerald, Eve Opinion