Month: January 2008

WOOOSH! That’s the sound of the dog house blowing by. (not really, but it feels like it.) Even the dog is hiding under my feet as the torrent of wind rushes by, twirling and howling around chimneys, kicking up snow till it looks as though we live in the middle of White Sands in a wind storm. UGh. I can deal with snow, and even cold…but arrrgh…the wind irritates! And, hmmm, how that reminds me of all the wind blowing on the political trail to President. Not to mention the rip tides blowing the snows in our tiny village and it’s upcoming election. I wonder when last there was such a bevy of candidates here? Three running for Mayor, (Current Mayor Clanton, Councilor Larry Leahy and Councilor Chuck Howe…and let’s see if I can recount all those running for Council. Stuart Hamilton, Al Lotte, Luther Robinson, Deborah May, and County Commissioner, Bill Conley). Now, of course, there is one Mayor position, currently held by A. C. (Bubba) Clanton who is running for re-election against Larry Leahy and Chuck Howe. There are two open Council positions (vacated by Ed Culotta and Hoot Gibson). With 5 running for two open positions and two incumbent positions running for Mayor…it’s all abit overwhelming…and exciting! Should one of the two incumbent Councilors win as Mayor, he will then appoint his Council replacement, so the two incumbent seats are not “up for grabs” as it were. The five running are competing for the two open seats.

I’ll urge local residents to head out to the candidates forum(s) hosted by the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce. The Council Candidates Forum is February 13, 6-8pm at the Community Center. The Mayoral Candidates Forum is February 21, 6-8 at the Community Center. You’ll need all the help you can get to sort it out. As for me? Stakeholder? Yes. Business Owner. Director/President for two small non-profits. Does it matter? You better believe it does. But I’m not a property owner/resident and I can’t vote. Not Village rules…it’s the State Constitution that says so. Sigh. And if, your calendar is not full enough, let me add this: On February 20, at the Community is the next community forum for the economic development plan. Now, I know.
We’ve been there before. Roughly 10 years ago. But is it not, really, really, time, to move on? Can we not really come together, work together, change our future for us? It’s high time we moved beyond the past, the bickering and dismay, and work together for our future!

Good Freezing Grief! It is so cold here right now it’s a freezer! Last night the low was -16. Right now, at 8:27 pm it is a brisk 0. Yes..no degrees. brrrrrrr. The fire is burning (at least I hope so…need to go check it) So…people who have been here longer than I (I’ve been here nearly 14 years) tell me this is nothing…and almost normal. So what’s the deal with global warming? If it’s “almost normal” at -16 overnight and 0 in the evening..where is global warming? As I head to stoke the wood stove I’ll ponder it. Maybe you should too. Bear in mind…this is New Mexico!

Hey, I almost forgot! I entered a video contest (yes, I’m looney). I wanna win! Go to http://www.strategicprofits.com/66-seconds-compelling/
and click on my name. Watch to video, then vote! I really hope you DIGG it!

Ok, so I once again let months slip past without posting. I know, it really only hurts me in the end. Not that I’m not already chained at the hip to my laptop. It’s not a lack of time. Mainly a lack of inspiration. Can I leave that behind me with all the challenges of 2007? We’ll see.

Mercifully, after a long, lonely fall and early winter, the last week of December was on fire at the Gallery! and, well, YAY! It certainly helped to raise the level of optimism in my heart, though I generally see the glass half full, 2007 had me wondering about the wisdom of that. But, thankfully, moving on, 2008 is looking bright to me.

What’s new? Let’s see….

The Gallery is full of great new work from kaleidoscopes and stained glass by Ocate Artist Judy Osburn. I also have fabulous new work from Nancy Angulo Telles and Jacqui Binford-Bell. Coming later this month…..ArtZteeZ. 100% Cotton, Pre-shrunk, long-sleeved T-shirts emblazoned with works by Nancy Angulo Telles, Smith Holt, Jacqui Binford-Bell and of course, myself.

My web designer, Anna Stewart, is hard at work redesigning the web site (www.angelfireartspace.com) and before long it will launch with a fully operational secure shopping cart. Watch for the ArtZteeZ to pop up there shortly after that. In the meantime the DVD, “How to Paint a Poppy that POPS! is selling both on my site (www.angelfireartspace.com/classes.htm) and at Amazon.com! All that taken together makes for an awesome beginning for this year!

Maybe I can actually not have to go looking for inspiration on what to write!