When I moved here the spirituality of the place grabbed me quickly.  Talking with friends at dinner one night about the Land of Enchantment, somehow my voodoo dolls came up.  Friends suggested it was time for me to make Spirit Dolls and give up the VooDoo Dolls.  For some reason,  that night stayed with me and I've experimented with Spirit Dolls.  Research and all the art classes and workshops have helped me in my quest to make spirit dolls not only aesthetically pleasing but helpful as well.  
But first to pay tribute to my last VooDoo Doll.  And may I add she did her duty and I'm proud of her and our heritage.  She did nothing awful, just a little something to help others.  And I love she is treasured by those who appreciate her gift.  Check her out  in progress.
Here's to good friends with Great ideas.
​

Today I met Rob in town for lunch at Santa Cafe.  Driving in I watched the biggest white fluffy clouds.  On Old Pecos Trail, I looked up to see a hole in the clouds shaped like a heart with the bluest/purplest sky background.  I pulled over so fast you'd have thought I was curb shopping with Cynthia in Forest Hills like back in the old days.  Screeched to a halt, grabbed the phone and was out of the car.  The heart already  dissipated.   But I saw it and it was true. 

Lovely two hour lunch with Rob.  He had some ideas for Virginia and Jim who are driving in from Forest Hills this weekend.  Rob knows the most interesting places here.  Lots to talk about during Sunday lunch on the Plaza.

Driving home wonder of wonders - another heart just like the earlier one, a break in the clouds.  I didn't even try to stop the car, just enjoyed every moment I could look without crashing the car.  The first blue heart must have been from Jack on the way to see Judy.  The second from Bob for me.  They are truly in cahoots up there sending both of us similar hearts.  

7:00 pm on the dot, Katie Belle got her leash and we were out the door.  This ginormous heart was right there.  I couldn't back up enough to get the entire heart in the picture.  I'm thinking a bunch of people up there sent this one with Bob orchestrating.  

Insanity or not, I believe I've found my religion out here in skies of the Land of Enchantment.  The second picture is how the evening walk ended.  Magic, every day.

I've joined a group of Dallas artists and we are launching a new FB group business page together that will be fun, informative and exciting.  More on that soon.  Our group has decided we will start with our individual business pages, so I'm announcing my page today.  Please check out "Lottie Kate Minick Artist" on facebook.   Thanks to Judy Whalen for this photo of me and my boyfriend.

Weaving class.  Looms, string, yarns, patterns, needles and lots of redoing.  Lovely talented ladies who encourage the new kid in class.  I love it.

Class is in the big dining room with floor to ceiling windows.  There are plants some of my friends would drool over just like I do.  The geraniums are huge.  I keep wondering if anyone would notice if I pinched a stem?  If I get caught and they tattoo "Stem stealing geranium pincher" on my forehead, would I still be allowed in class?  My dilemma.  

Today was ceramics and I painted some little adornments I made last week.  They went into the kiln today along with some beautiful bowls my classmates made.  Fun playing with kilns again.

​The most important lesson learned in ceramics today is some of the cute little cottontail bunnies out here in the country have a disease.  A friend's dog caught one and now has the disease.  OMG  Just the other day Katie Bell's leash slipped out of my hand when she ran after one.  Thank goodness though she's fast, they are faster.  Classes are about so much more than the teachings.

By the way the New Mexico logo is from a beer can Randall or Rachel drank the last time they visited.  Those two are my best collaborators.  

First week in Santa Fe Cynthia, Lyssa, Trish and I went to a little flea market very close to Meow Wolfe.  A lady in one booth had a cholla branch for a dollar.  Never seen the cholla plant, but fell in love with this dead branch.  Who knew one day I'd live outside Santa Fe and dead cholla would be everywhere.  Needless to say when Katie Belle and I walk, I'm always looking for branches even though I know I embarrass her.  She hopes none of her doggie friends will see her mother carrying (stealing) cholla.

Weaving class began last week and I really like it.  Started thinking, how about a cholla branch for a loom?  I wrapped the cholla branch with some string I had around the house from the Dollar Tree.  Weaved a little stringy yarn from Michaels, then a strip of denim.   I'm going to take the branch to bead weaving class,  for more ideas.  Love taking art classes and workshops here in Santa Fe.

My sweet friend Win called a couple of weeks ago.  She was making her wonderful pimento cheese and invited me to lunch.  Delicious, as was dessert.  Somehow the subject got to exercise.  She does Zumba at the Senior Center, at 9:00 AM for goodness sakes.  I told her though Katie Belle and I walk twice a day, I know that's not upper body.  Because of Win, I went down the Senior Center.

WOW,  they offer exercise classes and so much more.  Beadweaving, ceramics, fused glass, weaving group, open paint, science class and more.  Cynthia is taking Tai Chi in Dallas along with Abbie, Barb and Beverly in Dallas.  So maybe I should check out Zumba or Tai Chi here.  Zumba's at 9:00am, Tai Chi 10:00am.  Class time could be the deciding factor.  And they serve lunch, $1.50.  The day I was there was chicken, such a big piece I put half in my pocket for Katie Belle.  I must keep little ziplock bags in my purse.  Wrapped the chicken in a napkin and stuff it in my pocket.  People in class kept saying they smelled chicken.  I pointed to someone I don't know.

So Win is right, it's a cool place, lovely people.  I'm in.  In beading class I made a little necklace for my first Cholla Spirit Doll.  She's suppose to be a voodoo doll for Judy, didn't turn out that way.  I'm sneaking you a picture of second Cholla Spirit Doll.  Heaven forbid I'd finish the first before starting the second.  I have such a selection of cholla now Randall is going to have to bring his truck up here when I move back home.  Can't fine cholla in Texas.   But as beautiful as it is here in the Land of Enchantment, there's a lot of good things to say about "home".

About to finished another little Spirit Doll.  The big difference is I'm putting a pinch of dirt from around my little casita here in the country.  Yes, the healing dirt from El Santuario De Chimayo is a wonderful healing experience, but for me it's right here as I step outside.  And my great hope is it will help heal the person I made this doll for.   Note the dog fur, she'll appreciate Katie Belle fur, too.
​
Also made another scarf for a dear man who along with his wife was with Bob and me during every 911 call and more.  They are our chosen family.  Very early birthday gift, but now is when it is cold.  This Lion Brand yarn is a beautiful variegated color and lovely to work with.  Love exploring new yarns.  Happy Early Birthday, Dear Chris.

Seems like I made this piece 100 years ago.  A wise person told me sometimes you have to keep a piece you made that you really love.  This is my piece.

  Instead of working on the design for my Spirit Dolls I've been crocheting.  Had two birthdays coming up, Rachel and Carol.  In Dallas it's been colder than here in Santa Fe, so the scarves took priority.  Last time I was home Debbie and her daughter Melissa jump started my crochet skills.  I say that, but so far straight double crochet is my all in my repertoire.    
Yarn Bee is my yarn of choice right now.  So soft and great colors.  Hopefully my two birthday girls will approve.

The Land of Enchantment with all the wonderful Spirit Dolls of every imaginable material has inspired my sewing gene.  All my vintage beads, threads, materials, etc., are back home in storage, of course.  But Santa Fe has so many wonderful vintage and consignment stores I now have an excuse to visit all.  Also a few trips to Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby an other fabric stores so I can start experimenting.  

Google, one of my dear friends, has taken me to dolls sites.   Who'd have thought one of the sites would be https://www.lottie.com/collections/dolls  So much for a new Lottie Doll Site.  Time to go back to Lottie Kate.

A great friend found some old quilts and and insisted I have them, so here's my first attempts.  A few pictures to see them.  Any suggestions welcome.

​