Happy Birthday, Rae.

Rae sitting at the Firefly table before we built
the structure for it.

Hi Rae,
Today, July 2, 2017, would have been your 80th birthday.  I miss you.  Ray misses you.  Your family and friends miss you.  I am not sure you ever knew what a positive impact you had on so many people.  Today I have a birthday present to celebrate your life.  We have the perfect structure built at Cuyamungue Institute where people can go have a smoke.  We have named it Rae's Firefly in your honor.  I have already written two posts about this building so I won't say anymore about it.  Today I want to share the pictures we took showing Zac all of the places you loved when you would spend time at Cuyamungue Institute.




I invited your grandsons, Zac and Shane, to come to Cuyamungue and experience the place you loved.  Shane was unable to come, but hopefully will make it next year when Zac returns.  I can not speak for Zac, but I do think he was able to feel the energy of the Land.  He even spent the night sleeping in the Casita which was one of your favorite places to sleep.  Later, just like you, he moved down to Cities of Gold where he could take a 'real' shower.

This is the Casita where Zac spent the night.  Rae, Stephanie and I would put cots out on the patio and sleep under the stars
looking at the constellations (and sometimes fighting mosquitoes).

This is the Thunderbird Lodge.  I am showing Zac the small shrine for the Owl that watches over the entrance.

This is the Bear statue that some artist built for Cuyamungue Institute.  We have the Rae's Firefly sign on display for this picture but it will be posted at the structure.  These are the board members and Zac, Bruce and Ray.

We did not stay here (Buffalo Thunder) this time (no rooms available) but Rae, Stephanie and I would sometimes get a room there with a balcony. Zac and Ray are saluting the art of Buffalo Thunder.  This sculpture was created by George Riviera. 

This is the back of Cities of Gold where we often stayed.  It is a few (well quite a few) steps down from Buffalo Thunder (a Hilton Hotel) but has the basics we need and the WiFi is free.  Rae loved it here.  We took Zac on her usual walk to the Cities of Gold Casino across the parking lot, and we all played a few slots for about fifteen minutes and then headed to another of Rae's favorite, The Big Rock Casino in Espanola.  I forgot to take a picture of us there.  It has a big rock out front.  Rae, Stephanie and I would touch it before going in, hoping it would bring us good luck.

Here is Rae posing with the rest of us a few years ago.  She loved the bear sculpture.

Rae, Stephanie and I are at the ridge after greeting the sun.  We look to the east and wait for the sun to rise above the mountains  Rae loved sitting on this bench soaking up the morning sun.

Zac is looking west from the ridge where we greet the sun each morning.  I think we all felt Rae's energy.  This was another of  Rae's favorite places.  The wind seemed to whisper to us as Zac spread some of his Grandma Rae's ashes at the ridge and I swear I heard gravely laugh.


 Rae, I wanted to end this post with Zac looking at the Land, the place you loved so much.  I know your spirit was with us as we stood on the ridge and that it was your laugh that I heard in the wind.

Sign of the Firefly

We just returned from our annual trip to New Mexico so I could attend the board meeting of The Cuyamungue Institute.  Last year I was greeted by a new structure (almost finished) that Paul had built with the money donated by Rae LeCompte's friends.  I wrote about this structure, Rae's Firefly last June.  This post will be the second part of the story.

If you had read the other post, you know that Rae's Firefly is a structure built for people to have a place to smoke.  This is the only place smoking is allowed at the institute as it is a desert area and at high risk for fires.  Rae would sit out at a table under a raggedy umbrella when she wanted a smoke. There was never enough shade to protect people sitting with her as the umbrella was usually hanging to one side never wanting to click into place.

 It was quite the pathetic area, and yet, that is where people gathered.  Rae was a people magnet and there were always vibrant conversations, colorful language and lots of laughter.  Too often though, the brutal sun caused short discussions during the day.  Once the sun set behind the Jemez Mountains the Firefly was the unofficial meeting place.

I was afraid that in a few years people might forget the story of Rae's Firefly and that it would become just a place where people could smoke.  What we needed was a sign.  This is where my two talented friends saved me.   April 28th is when I got the idea about a sign.  Who could help me make a sign?  Well, no....who could make the sign for me. Bambi and Pottsy!!  I sent them a text asking if they had time to do this.  Within a few minutes I received answers from both that they would love to make the sign and would donate it.

                  What kind of design would look right?  Here is a picture of the structure.

Paul and I playing guitars at Rae's Firefly

 The sign would have to fit the area.  Most of the pictures of fireflies that I found were either cartoon characters or pictures of actual firefly bugs.  I was getting frustrated until I discovered this picture.

 (I don't know who designed this and would love to give them credit but I can not find it now.)  It was perfect!  Rae always wore a Zuni bear necklace and also carried a small bear fetish.  There is also a bear statue at the institute where we often go for group pictures.

One side of Rae's necklace.

This is the side Rae always had showing.  If you
look carefully, you can see some of the stones
are missing.  

Bambi and Pottsy set to work.  I knew I had not given them much time, but they are miracle workers and soon called to set up a lunch date at Henry's in Kenton, OH where we often meet.  It is a halfway point for us.  After a fun lunch and getting updates on each of our lives, I finally got to see their creation!  Oh my, it was perfect!

Bambi, Pottsy and me holding Rae's Firefly sign.

 They also had a cute cartoon firefly on the back corner that said, "Snuff your butts."  They told me that coyote sneaked in when they were making the sign and "made" them put that little cartoon firefly on the back. (Coyote is known as the Trickster in many legends.)

This was just so cute I had to post it twice.

How fortunate am I to have two talented friends like this?  Of course, they knew Rae and loved her like so many of us do.  Thanks to Bambi and Pottsy, we now have a sign for Rae's Firefly.  I have to disagree about the Coyote energy though.  I think there was also a bit of Rae's energy guiding you to paint that cute little firefly on the back of the sign.  I can hear her gravelly laugh now as her spirit smiles at Rae's Firefly, happy to have a place where friends and students can gather to tell stories and share tobacco.



We are standing in front of the structure, Rae's Firefly.  Paul, Zac and I are holding the sign.  Zac was able to join us this summer, at the board meeting, to see the place his Grandma Rae loved.

Rae's Firefly

Two weeks ago I went to New Mexico to attend the Cuyamungue Institute Board Meeting for this year.  Last year I wrote about the meeting because we had set aside time to honor our dear friend, Rae.  She had been the Vice President of the Institute and her death left us all feeling a need to something special in her memory.  Before I started to write this, I decided to read the post I wrote last year.  It told about how we honored Rae and what we planned to build for her.  If you want to read it, check out this link: Happy Birthday, Rae.

Rae had a special table where she would sit and smoke her American Spirit cigarettes.  This is the only place at Cuyamungue Institute where people are allowed to smoke.  It is outside with an umbrella to shade us from the sun.  The umbrella did not function well, though and sometimes would blow away when the wind spirits wanted to have a bit of fun.  So, we decided to have a structure build to replace the rickety umbrella.  It was to be called, Rae's Firefly because she called the smoking area, Firefly.

Here is the Firefly Table as it was a few years ago.

Another picture of the Firefly table....but where is the umbrella?

Looks like a tree captured the umbrella when it was blowing in the wind...

Many people donated money to Cuyamungue Institute in memory of Rae when she died.  We had about 75% of the money from donations that was needed to build this structure.  In April, Stephanie Stephens and I presented a short workshop hoping to earn enough money so we could build Rae's Firefly.  Our workshop was such a success that I knew we would be able to begin building.

People enjoyed the Firefly even if Rae was not there.

This was also where Rae did business transactions.

....and of course, a place for a quick hair cut.

Ray (my husband...we call him TR, not to be confused with Rae...Florida Rae) and I drove to New Mexico in May with a van full of items that needed to be stored at Cuyamungue.  I thought Paul (the President of the board) acted a bit strange when we arrived.  When I climbed out of the van, Paul came running out to greet me and ushered be toward the Student Building.  I saw him get his cell phone out but my attention was drawn toward the area of the smoking area.  There it was!  A structure built of wood and logs from the area.  A table with chairs seemed to invite us to step in and enjoy the shade.  Paul was taking a video of my surprised expression.

Here is Rae's Firefly!  We wanted it to be open on all sides to get the desert breeze.  I am so thankful that Paul took time to build this.  He did have some help from a local young man.

Here are some pictures of Rae's Firefly and a few more of Cuyamungue Institute.  It is a place I love, the Land is a refuge for animals....four legged and two legged.  I can feel Rae's spirit there, and hear her deep laugh as she tells stories.

Here are Paul, Ray and Dave making music in Rae's Firefly

What a wonderful place for us.  It is not quite finished yet, but I know it will be perfect.  We could sit there and enjoy the fresh desert air and not swelter under the sun.

And here are just a few more pictures of the Institute....just because I want to post them.

Here is a picture of our buildings.

This is the May Pole that was built this year.

I can't forget a picture of the labyrinth!

Here are some of the Board Members, plus Ray, our photographer.

Ray took some drone pictures that are amazing.  I hope to put a couple of those in my next post.

Here Comes the Sun

Good Morning Sunshine (The sun is shining over Rae's shoulder)

Every summer I travel to New Mexico to attend a board meeting for Cuyamungue Institute.  I also sometimes teach a workshop.  This year our board meeting is in May, and I will be attending a wedding on one of the days of the meeting. It would be easier for me to skip the board meeting this years as I will miss most of it.  But I must go. The Land calls me.

Our meetings are usually two to three days...with enough free time to spend time in Santa  Fe or surrounding areas.  The land at Cuyamungue is some of the most beautiful on earth and I treasure the time I get to spend there. 



I am walking to the ridge.

One of our traditions is to walk to the ridge, one of the highest points, and greet the sun.  We all face east waiting for the sun to rise above the Sangre de Cristo Mountains .  Someone will say a morning verse.  My favorite is this.



 

Those in and around the mountains,

Those in and around the hills, 

Those in and around the earth:

Your gifts and blessings,

this day,

we return to you.

 

 



After greeting the sun we give hugs to everyone and then someone will break out in song...anything from "Morning Has Broken" to "This Little Light of Mine" to "You Are My Sunshine", and my favorite, "Here Comes the Sun"...anything that has the word 'sun' in it.   What a perfect way to begin the day.

The sun is rising.

The main reason I must go to Cuyamungue is to complete the circle of my friend, Rae's life. I know this is more for me than for her...but I need to do this.  I need to walk to the top of the ridge, open my arms, breath in the clean crisp morning air, and release my grief.  My friend, Stephanie, will join me.  She, Rae and I conducted many workshops at the Institute and our bond was and still is strong.



Stephanie, Rae and I at one of our workshops

In this collage, each one of us communicated to each of the other participants in our own way.  Stephanie was song, I am not sure if Rae's was a hug or if it was Duane's, mine was silence through the eyes.  In the one picture we have Rae in the center receiving healing and loving energy from us.



 

 

 I don't know how the grief will be expressed...tears, sobs, wails?  Will I shout out my grief or will it come out in song?  And after the grief...what?  Will releasing it be enough?  Will I hear that deep, hearty laugh of Rae's, echoing  through the wind?

I won't know until I go...until I am on the ridge...releasing my grief and feeling Rae's spirit riding the wind.  Riding the wind, free from pain, free from stress, and full of love for all of those she touched.

(...and aside....As I was typing this, tears in my eyes...my fingers began to type this....'come down from the ridge and play $10 on the slots at Cities of Gold, and $10 at The Rock, and then $10 at Buffalo Thunder...live, love and laugh...do this for me...) 

Thank you, Rae, my friend, I will follow your wise words.

 

Computer vs User: Computer 1, User 0

One of the trips I am taking this summer will be to New Mexico for the annual board meeting for Cuyamungue Institute.  I usually conduct a workshop while there, but this year we have a special event, The Centennial Celebration.  This is year, Felicitas Goodman, the founder of Cuyamungue Institute, would have been 100 years old.  We have people coming from around the world to spend a week on the beautiful land, and share our experiences with Felicitas.

Last year at the board meeting I volunteered to create a slide show of Felicitas.  I have created a few of these, so felt confident that I would be able to do this.  And...it sure beat taking charge of registration and coordinating transportation and lodging.  In August I sent an email to friends, students and colleagues of Felicitas asking for pictures.  Two people responded...one with no pictures and one with one picture.  It was a bit of a slow start...but I had months to finish this...so no worry.  I sent another email and Belinda (past president of Cuyamungue Institute and now Director of Instruction) told me she had quite a few pictures.  We met for lunch.  I thought she would hand over an envelope full of pictures, but instead had a big box full of journals. 



This was the box of journals.  The fragile ones
from the 1930s are in plastic bags.  This box
is full.  There are a lot more journals
than what it looks like.

Here are four journals.  I took the older ones
out of the plastic bags for a better picture.

Felicitas had taped pictures scattered through the pages of her journals.  Some day I will write a post about Felicitas, because she was an amazing smart and interesting woman.  She was a scientist, anthropologist, linguist, prolific author, and teacher.  She kept intricate records in her research and personal life.  These journals are written in German...and since I have been studying German for the last few months I have found it fascinating that I can actually read part (a small part) of her journals.  This motivates me to keep on studying.


Here is a page from one of her journals....written in German.  The pages are tissue thin.
This will be a lot of work to translate, so I had better get studying. :-)

 But the purpose of this post was not to talk about Felicitas or Cuyamungue....it was to tell about creating this slide show.  First, I went through each page of her journal and scanned each picture that could possibly be one for the slide show....well, I thought I had.  When my sister was visiting last month, I showed her the journals and she just happened to open one to a page with a picture I had not found.  So...I knew I had to go through each journal again.  From the pictures, you can see how fragile the journals are...especially the ones from the 1930s.

This is Felicitas, February 15, 1935

I did all of the scanning using the PC in my office.  The pictures were sent to my blog folder...I was going to correct that, but had already sent some there so decided to send all of the scanned photos to the blog folder of pictures...and then move all of these to a newly created Felicitas folder.  That would keep things neat and tidy.  Next, I used Picasa to edit the photos.  Many of them were poor quality and so I discarded those into a back up folder to use in case I needed more pictures.  After editing the pictures I exported them to a new folder called Felicitas Goodman.

I was feeling pretty good with my progress until last night when I decided to work on it from my laptop.  We were watching something on television...and I usually watch television from the corner of my eye while working on my laptop or reading.  I knew that I had to move all of my work from my PC in my office to my laptop.  I have done this many times when working on the blog...starting it on my PC and finishing it on my laptop.  Transferring pictures was not difficult once Ray set up a short cut to the PC over our home network.

I went through the process of transferring the pictures.  I needed more pictures from her later years and found some on line.  So I copy and pasted a number of those and labeled them 'Felicitas German' since these were from the German website.  Now...to begin the slide show.  I typed 'Felicitas' in the search box.  There was suspenseful music emitting from the television so my eyes glanced to see that action.  Back to the computer screen...horror...no items found!  That could not be!  I searched again, and again...and growled.  Ray, my computer guru, offered help, but I was determined to solve this mystery.

My growls became guttural as I blamed the computer for losing my pictures.  Ray suggested that maybe I had not transferred them right! What could he be thinking!  I have done this many times and I knew the computer was at fault.  There was that small doubt creeping out...but I stubbornly shoved it down.  I transferred the pictures again with a new name, 'Felicitas1' and did another search.  Still nothing.  I finally gave in and had Ray check it.  After about a minute he found that I had been doing all of the transferring back to the PC...or something like that.  I have no idea how I did that.

Ray 'fixed' the problem, and named the folder 'FelicitasSpider'( because my laptop is named Spider).  He clicked  search and got the same thing I had...nothing.  Part of me smiled...it wasn't just me...even the guru is having problems.   Of course, he had other ways of searching and was able to find the proper folder....and a few other folders and pictures...and lots of duplicates and triplets.  How did so many get on there?  It was like checking the 'save' key and my pictures became a game of billiards...scattering in all directions...but these not only scattered...they hid from me. There was still a mystery though...and I feared Ray would spend the rest of the evening trying to solve it.  He found more Felicitas folders....and I know that my PC has even more pictures and folders and duplicates.  Oh my...what happened to my neat and tidy process?

 We decided to turn off the computers and enjoy the rest of the evening...but I know, that when I am out of town for the next few days...Sherlock Hoy will be dissecting 'my pictures' on Spider hoping to solve the mystery.

Rae Uncovers Our Dirty Laundry

Sunset on the Land

One of the blogs I read today reminded me of another Rae story.  This one not so funny...but still deserves writing.  Every June, Rae, Stephanie and I travel to New Mexico for the annual board meeting for Cuyamungue Institute.  We are instructors of the Cuyamungue Method and also offer workshops during the summer. We are also board members.  Cuyamungue Institute is located just north of Santa Fe.  Our 280 acres are within the Pojoaque Pueblo, and we strive to keep the Land pure, clean, open for the wild life indigenous to that area.





Road to Cuyamungue Institute

One summer was quite busy for us.  We conducted a four day introductory workshop and within a week had to have all preparation for an International Gathering where we had members from Europe, Israel, South America and Canada meet.  As I write this I realize that there is too much stuff I want to say about Cuyamungue Institute and the story is getting lost.  So I will put a link to the site for now, and later write a few posts about this beautiful land and practice. Cuyamungue Institute

Back to the story.  Usually, after a workshop the three of us head down to Cities of Gold or Buffalo Thunder casinos and have some fun.  We often find a room at either place, eat at a restaurant, and have a welcoming hot shower.  The institute has showers...but we are careful with water use there, and we share showers facilities...so the comfort level is not real high.

After this workshop we knew that we had little down time before preparing for the gathering.  We decided to do our laundry at Jake's Dirty Shorts, which was near the Pojoaque Supermarket.  I also wanted to buy some Corelle dinner ware for the gathering because we did not have enough plates for everyone.  Plus, they stacked easily, were compact, easy to store compared to the heavy pottery sets we had. 


 Rae and Stephanie resting in the Student Building

Our plan was that Rae would do the laundry while Stephanie and I drove to Espanola to get the Coreelle ware.  (It was easier to drive the ten miles to Espanola than to the other side of Santa Fe where we could buy the dinner ware.)  Stephanie and I helped Rae carry the laundry inside Jake's Dirty Shorts.  We helped sort and fill washers and got them started.  Rae had her book, ready to just relax while we headed to Espanola. 

Road construction slowed us a bit, but we made it to Espanola in good time, got the sets of Corelle ware and headed back.  It was not our fault that as we passed The Big Rock Casino it beckoned us to stop.  (Those who know Rae know that she loves to play the slots...and this was way back when Ohio had no casinos...so we always spent a little time playing when we were in New Mexico)  But The Big Rock Casino was insistent that Stephanie and I go in and play the change we had from our purchase.  Not much, but just come in and try.

Big Rock Casino

The car, hearing the call, turned into the parking lot and we found ourselves inside.  We only stayed ten minutes.  We did not lose any money...we won a little.  Checking the time, we knew we had to get back as the clothes were probably dried and Rae would be waiting for us.  We promised each other that we would take Rae to a casino that evening. 





Walking into Jakes' Dirty Shorts we found Rae looking panicked.  She had a cart with a mountain of wet clothes beside her as she was trying to fold some dry clothes on a table.  "Where the (choice word) have you been?  These people in here are so (choice words) possessive with the machines and don't want to share with a stranger.  I was lucky to get this (explicative) cart so I could pile the clothes somewhere hoping to get a (#*%#) dryer.  Every time a (choice word) dryer was free some (choice word) jerk would grab it.  (Choice word) I did not even have time for a cigarette or get to read my (#%#*#) book."

Stephanie and I looked at each other.  Do we dare tell her?  No, better push our way to a dryers and get Rae out of there quickly.

"You went to the (choice words) casino, didn't you!"  Rae must have seen our guilty looks...well, we were really trying not  to laugh.  "You left me in this (more choice words) hot laundry mat,  working like a (choice words) dog, sweat dripping down my back while you played!" 

Did I dare say that it was her idea...that she could have a quiet morning, reading her book, while doing the laundry.  We told her to sit outside...have a smoke and we would finish the laundry.  We still had not admitted our detour to the casino...it had only been ten minutes.  Soon, Rae had returned, grumbling as she helped fold.  I was, again, biting my lips to prevent my inappropriate laughing.  Rae saw my shoulders shaking and face turning red.  "It's not (choice words) funny, Jackie,"  she said.

I made a short slide show Cuyamungue Institute.

We did make it up to Rae.  We took her to the Cities of Gold Casino and let her play on our meager winnings from the Big Rock.  Then we had a nice meal at the Sopapilla Factory before heading back to The Land.

Waiting for the Conference Call...daydreaming...

It is Sunday morning (well 11:16) and I have a conference call at noon. How will I get my post finished!!! I hear one of my elderly cats caterwauling in her guttural voice informing me that she is not satisfied with her morning meal. I feel the pressure...will I be able to finish this....need to focus...don't think about Star...ahhh...Ray just scooted her to the kitchen and is feeding her a new and different can of Fancy Feast. He tells me that they like variety and so they never get the same kind of food two days in a row. Yes, we spoil them...but they are 22 and 23 years old...so they feel they are entitled.
The conference call is soon and I should get prepared. I am the secretary of a nonprofit, Cuyamungue Institute, that is based in New Mexico. Every summer I travel to New Mexico for a board meeting and usually to present a workshop. I will write more about it in another blog. It is important to select the right words to describe the beauty of the Land and the transformation I feel every time I go there. So, instead of writing about it, this time I will share a few pictures. Sunset at Cuyamungue Walking up to the ridge to greet the sun in the morning. The road into Cuyamungue Institute The Casita and the Kiva.