Our gardens in the winter can be a reflection of how we perceive this season—either dormant or alive. In nature there seems to always be a purpose which leads to the next moment. When we attempt to understand the mysterious workings of divine design we become receptive to new ideas and vision.

Just before Christmas I watched on DVD an original Christmas musical play by the Global Change Theater Company called The God Child Came (you can watch the trailer at globalchangemusic.org/media/videos/1/43). As I was listening intently to the many meanings there came the scene where Mother Mary shared the following about her garden which she was tending in heaven:

You know, it takes a lot of work to maintain this garden. It doesn’t just grow itself, even here in heaven. Over time I have learned its ways. I know when to plant and when to prune, when to harvest and when to replenish the soil. Our souls are like precious flowers in Jesus’ garden. He tends to each one of us with care and the touch of a gentle gardener’s hand. He keeps us watered with truth, and warmed with the love of the Son. He even helps prune away the old debris to make room for new growth. The time and energy I put into this garden make it a special haven to enjoy. The Master gives the same care and attention to each one of us, hoping that we will follow his example, and make his garden a place of beauty, peace, and love.

Realizing that there is so much that needs tending in order to create such a garden, I was encouraged by the blessings of this season. Within its dormancy and the longest nights of the year, there is life that needs to be discovered and nurtured. The truth comes in many ways, and how we love our gardens each step of the way brings peace and manifests beauty.

So let’s prune in order to make room for new growth. Pruning is an art that also has function. Pruning an ornamental bush or tree allows you to direct new growth by keeping the branches that you like and removing the ones that are in the way. Pruning addresses the height and density of the specific plant. There are strengths and limitations of what a plant can offer, so you need to learn about it either by observation or study. Plants are often very forgiving and are flexible enough to allow new experiences. When I think of plants, I think of myself and how I would like to be formed and shaped by unseen hands. It’s as if we can sense our potentials and abilities just as we can sense each plant’s purpose as well.

Let’s look at the rosemary bush. It can grow very large with many branches going in all directions and will shape itself to the natural surroundings. After several years of growth it seems to slow down, apparently having reached its limit. Not much changes unless we take another look. If there is not enough light reaching it or if it has no protection from the elements, one can reduce the amount of branches and some of the length to create lots of air circulation. The energy from its roots will now go in a few directions which will bring lots of new growth. By removing some of its structure you are actually stimulating it to reshape itself in a new way. Feed it with good compost and mulch as well as regular deep watering. The rosemary will begin to stretch and grow, sharing the essence of being alive. When a plant feels that it is taken care of it will shine and bloom even more profusely. Don’t forget to use the fresh and dried leaves for cooking; and, there are many more uses including medicinal, teas and air fresheners.

In a way the rosemary bush is a mirror of us in life. Just think about it, and you will know how to shape this plant and many other plants. Even fruit trees, roses, grape vines and other perennials enjoy the personalized touch. It’s pruning time; and if you approach each plant with true insight, you will be blessed in the seasons to come.

You are always welcome to tour Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm and Ranch in Tumacacori. Call us at (520) 603-9932; email us at csa@avalongardens.org; visit our website at www.avalongardens.org, or come see us at our farm stand Saturdays from 11 a. m. to 1 p. m. in Tubac in the Plaza next to the Out of the Way Galleria. I look forward to meeting you.

Have a wonderful New Year, and may the many blessings seen and unseen help you and your garden. Tarenta Baldeschi

How appropriate that our “top” holiday, Christmas, is a Capricorn holiday. Karma lives in Capricorn and children learn this at Christmas. Santa only rewards good little boys and girls. Capricorn is a conservative and traditional energy and don’t the words Christmas and traditions go hand-in-hand? Have you noticed how rarely a new Christmas carol joins the old stand-bys? And Capricorn is materialism. Need I say more?

Of course, it is also appropriate that the birthday of the King of Kings would be placed in the high sign of Capricorn. (Scholars now believe, however, that Jesus was born around August 20th, the Leo/Virgo cusp where the lion lays down with the lamb.) Capricorn is also the most prominent sign of Indian gurus. Among earthly kings born under this sign of recognition, achievement, reputation and fame are Mohammad Ali, king of boxing, and Elvis Presley, king of rock and roll. African American leader Martin Luther King Jr. is also a mountain goat. He even has the name King. If the goat is too proud as he reaches the top, he could be knocked off his mountain peak. Capricorn golf king Tiger Woods is living this ancient archetype now.

Capricorn is the third and final earth sign where ideas received in fiery and spirited Sagittarius must be brought onto the earthly plane and put to the test of time. Capricorn is ruled by ringed Saturn, the cosmic task master and the Lord of Karma, reminding us that what we sow we reap. Saturn is the Grim Reaper, never letting us forget that we too, like all living things, will be reaped one day. Since Capricorn is the energy of time, often the little Capricorns look old, but these “old youngsters” stay younger looking than their brothers as they age.

The Mergoat is Capricorn’s mythic ruler. Most of us don’t notice that the Capricorn goat has the tail of a fish. This overlooked tail is what gives Capricorn the intuition to know which mountain to climb. Winning is so important to the young or unevolved Capricorns that they might not play if they can’t win.

The shadow side of Capricorn is a dour seriousness sometimes seen in businessmen and the like. No time for play in the Capricorn’s day. And the Mergoat can be a superior fellow, looking down on others from his mountain perch. The darkest shadow of Capricorn is ruthlessness. Some will do anything to win. It doesn’t matter who is stepped on or eliminated along the way to the top. Richard Nixon was a Capricorn with his shadow side showing.

Our local psychological astrologer, Nancy Cohen, says the little Capricorns are born to mothers who are running the show but pretending that the father is. The child is in on the secret, giving him an adult edge and a quiet superiority.

The Body

Saturn hardens and defines so the Mergoat rules the skeleton, the teeth, the knees and the skin. Knees heal more slowly than other body parts since they are ruled by the Lord of Time. People with low self esteem often have skin problems as our skin separates us from everything else.

This Month

January will be off to a slow start with both Mars and Mercury in apparent backward motion. Mercury will turn direct on January 15th, clearing our thinking, but Mars will not turn around until March 10th. Furthermore, at months end the celestial heavies, Saturn and Pluto, will square off, signaling a time of more contraction. Our hopeful giants Jupiter and Neptune are now separating, leaving dreams based on false hopes and selfishness dashed on the sharp rocks of reality. Only humanitarian efforts as well as shared ventures will flourish.

The best days this month for new beginnings and major purchases are the 4th and the 21st. The 8th, 18th and 24th are also good. The 11th is an excellent day for endings and cleanings, for giving away and selling. Tear down old structures that no longer serve on the 12th and 13th. Schedule no surgeries for the last days of the month.

Look for old, out-moded institutions to be in big trouble around the time of the Capricorn New Moon eclipse of January 14th. If you haven’t made resolutions, this is another window for that. Success is likely for breaking habits and for making new starts requiring discipline.

The moon fills on January 30th, shedding light on the Saturn-Pluto showdown the next day. You won’t need front row seats to experience the wallop of this lunation. The Sun is in the brotherhood sign of Aquarius and the Moon is in individualistic and creative Leo. Tap into your creative gift and take your place in the circle of life.

It was on a casual tour of the original 800 acres one day that Stewart told me that he had always wanted to farm his families’ property. He was showing me the old operation, pointing as he described the scene he recalled from his childhood “…the grain silo was over there… that was the office … these adobe walls were where employees lived…” He showed me old irrigation ditches, remnants of which went right into the Santa Cruz River bed. We bush-wacked through overgrown mesquites to find the foundations of structures long gone. It was fun, like we were archeologists recreating the past. But – a farmer?

Stewart had a hard time convincing me that farming was a good idea (sometimes he still does…). My distant memories of living in a farming community in Maine as a child had somehow engrained in me that farmers struggle. He had an even harder time convincing his parents. I thought the idea was ludicrous but I also believed that Stewart should follow his dream.

I arranged to do my student teaching in Rio Rico instead of Tucson and Stewart and I moved back to the farm. Stewart bought a variety of how-to books and started to pick the brains of the very few farmers left in the area. Unlike most folks who farm, he didn’t have knowledge passed down to him from his father, but his parents reluctantly helped him buy his first tractor and Stewart broke ground!

The first crop was the European lettuce in the raised beds commissioned by Regina. We harvested the greens with ridiculous care; leaf-by-leaf and carefully washed and spun dried the delicate greens. Since then, Stewart and I have grown a variety of vegetables – squash, cucumbers, beets, radishes, corn, watermelon, okra, kohlrabi, onions, garlic and much, much more, but our favorite crop continues to be those leafy greens!

It is this time of year – winter – when lettuce does best here. You can plant a little now, then wait a week or so and plant a little more and continue for the next eight weeks or so, therefore staggering the growth and prolonging the harvest. There are countless varieties that you can grow and it isn’t hard. If you have a pot in your yard or a little space in the ground, you can grow your own lettuce. We like having a nice mix of reds and greens. Arugula grows faster and will out-compete other lettuces, so plant it separately. You don’t need to cover the plants at night, but they will grow faster if you do. A piece of clear plastic tented over the seeds until they germinate, then a cloth white row cover over the plants once they have started is all you need if you choose to cover them. You can sow the seeds by sprinkling them lightly over loose soil, then gently rake the surface – they don’t need to be buried deep. Water frequently. Use a sharp knife to harvest the leaves when they are big enough, about four inches tall. This takes 4-5 weeks, depending on temperatures. Wait to wash lettuce until you are ready to eat it (and harvest it when it is dry) as water breaks down the leaves causing decay (this is why “table ready” lettuce in the grocery store turns slimy so fast). You can get 3-4 harvests out of each plant.

One of our favorite dinners is a big salad. By adding the additional ingredients, it can be very filling:

• Mixed European lettuce, about 1⁄4 pound, washed and dried
• 2 Green apples, sliced in bite-sized pieces
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 3 tablespoons or so of feta cheese (or gorgonzola)
• Hand-full of sharp yellow cheese, bite sized chunks
• A sprinkling of nuts (pine nuts, pecans or walnuts)
• 2 boiled, peeled, diced and chilled potatoes
• 3-4 hard boiled eggs, chilled and sliced
• 1-2 cans white tuna or 1 pre-grilled tuna steak, chopped or chicken breast, shredded pre-cooked

Toss all ingredients with a mild vinaigrette dressing. Pair with a crusty baguette.

www.AguaLindaFarm.net

This was not the first community quilt in Arivaca. In the 40s there was a 4-H Club whose quilt is still preserved. Later, some 20 years ago, back in the beginning of the Arivaca Arts Council, Lorraine Armour taught quilting classes. They met at what is now the Ceramics Shop and then moved to more space at the Old School. Lorraine led a group in the making of a quilt which hung in the Arivaca Community Center when it was first dedicated. The making of community was in itself part of the process. Another quilt was made to give to Kathy Sheldon in thanks for all her work with the Arivaca Arts Council. Another quilt was raffled off to benefit Lee Williams.

Katie Lusby loves to quilt by hand. She and her friend Marty, with help from Tillie Urias, did the thousands of stitches in the purple border on the Arivaca quilt. She got started at least 45 years ago and has done many quilts since then. Her most original design was a Disney quilt done for her daughter’s friend’s anniversary. A Katie-designed Winnie the Pooh quilt block hangs on the wall of Arivaca Library. Now she is working on an old quilt done by Ernie Grimm’s mother. It was put together but was never quilted onto a backing, which Katie is doing so Eva can donate it to the Arivaca Christian Center. She loves to quilt with her friends, like Tillie Urias, who became interested in quilting because of Katie. Some 20 years ago when the ceramic shop was the Arivaca Arts Council’s center, 15 women each made 15 blocks and traded them, so each of them could make their own community quilt. Tillie still has hers, which she put together with the help of Katie.

Janis Beckelman started quilting at least 30 years ago and took a class from Lorraine Armour. She participated in the quilt that went to Kathy but after that it was all by herself. She makes them for her own satisfaction and often with someone in mind. She has made many baby quilts. She loves playing with colors and describes her work as traditional patchwork with contemporary colors. She often pieces them by machine and then does the hand quilting. Janis’s quilts are well known in the community and many people can identify her style with no hesitation!

You know a serious quilter when they have an area dedicated to their craft. Comfort Cover’s handsome quilts are on virtually all of the beds in her home, which has been on the Home Tour several times. Each quilt is designed to complement the furniture and room design. The upstairs living room is an ocean of quilt materials, projects and displays. Many people have seen her quilts in previous Home Tours.

This year’s Home Tour, held on January 30, will feature a display of quilts done by Patty Goodsell. A resident of Arivaca for about five years, Patty began quilting at a very young age, to honor the memory of her grandmother. She is a traditionalist and makes the entire quilt by hand. Originally she made patchwork quilts until she retired and looked for something more challenging to do. She too, is very interested in color, especially different greens and how things are shaded. She uses color cards to match with the colors in nature, such as flowers. After thirty years or so of quilting, she challenged herself to begin making what have become award-winning quilts. often taking years to make. She keeps a journal for each one. Her most recent project is a Baltimore Album Quilt which she has worked on for four years. Each block in this kind of quilt is different and they were originally made in the 1840s-50s as gifts for public figures such as ship captains or pastors. Now there is a revival of this style to keep quilters on their toes.

Patty’s “Magical Medallions” quilt won the Best of Show and the Hall of Fame Award in the Tucson Quilters Guild Quilt Fiesta Show in 2008. You can see this, before the Home Tour, at the following website: www.arizonaquiltershalloffame.org.
Patty’s quilts will be shown in the newly renovated Old Schoolhouse.

Sagittarians know The Secret: gratitude increases abundance. So isn’t it perfect that we celebrate Thanksgiving as Sagittarius opens.

According to legend, the colonists celebrated the first Thanksgiving with Indians. Now Sagittarius is one of the double signs, its totem being the Centaur, a mythical creature half man—civilized and rational–and half horse—wild, sexual, and intuitive. Our first Thanksgiving was truly Sagittarian, a blending of civilization (the white man) with wildness and freedom (the Indians). And didn’t the Indians ride horses to the feast?

From sports events to foreign travel to finding God, the Sagittarian’s life is an interesting one, moving from surface play to deep discovery. Many living enviable lives are Sagittarians: the professional athlete, the professor, the traveler, the philosopher, the attorney. The Sagittarian professions are fiery, requiring lots of enthusiasm, energy, focus, and hopefulness. The Sagittarian virtues of generosity, fair-mindedness, and friendliness have much to do with the successful lives of these celestial adventurers.

Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius is a big energy which travels far and fast. The archer is goal oriented, pointing his arrow at 27 degrees Sagittarius, Galactic Center, where waves of information are pouring forth. The centaur, big in spirit and strong in faith, wants to expand into new territory. Most Sagittarians love travel, and many live some of their life in a foreign country. The race horse is the epitome of this fiery energy of speed with purpose.

Shadow Sagittarius is the preacher, certain his way is right. It is the friend who tells you what he thinks of you, even if you don’t ask. Darker shadows are the compulsive gambler who destroys his family’s resources and the religious zealot who is willing to destroy others who don’t accept his truth.

The Body

Sagittarius, being under the rulership of big Jupiter, appropriately rules the larger body parts, the hips and thighs. The femur or thigh bone is the largest bone in the body. Here is where red blood cells (metaphysical symbols of joy and happiness) are made deep within the marrow. And it is the hips and thighs that propel us forward and into the future. Thoughts of restriction and confinement often make hip pain. Seniors who see no future often fall and break a hip. “Hip, hip, hooray. There is joy in everyday, ” is healing guru Louise Hay’s affirmation for hip problems.

This Month

Harsh aspects between the celestial bad boys, Saturn and Pluto, continues to weigh us down. The final joining of Neptune and Jupiter in high-minded Aquarius will show whether our dreams are inspired or delusional. Occurring on the United States Moon, we could see “the best laid plans of mice and men. .. ” well, you know that story.

As astrologer Lance Ferguson notices: “December has a bi-polar skywatch. Saturn-Pluto is cruel, realistic, and made of concrete; Jupiter-Neptune is Tinkerbell and scotch and soda. ” All planets are in direct motion until December 20th when first Mars, then 6 days later Mercury will slam on the brakes and turn backward. This is clearly a time ot slow down and hold your horses. We’re already familiar with the snafus that occur during Mercury’s retrograde cycle: problems with cars, electronics, pets, and communication. Add to that a turning inward of our outer drive and will power, “restraining our heroic impulses. ” (Jeff Jawer, Mountain Astrologer)

The best days this month for a new beginning or a major purchase are these: Dec 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, and 17th.. No surgeries around the Full Moons on December 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 30th, 31st, and January 1st.

The Full Gemini Moon on December 2nd will be zanier than usual with wild card Uranus turning direct a few hours earlier. Expect more unexpected change. And expect more consequences from you willingness to change. Stephanie Austin reminds us of the “Butterfly Effect”: small shifts can have big effects. Uranus’ station says that “each of us is a butterfly. Each thought, word, and action contributes to the global weather of our times. ”

The New Sagittarius Moon on December 16th could bring answers to some big questions for us as this lunation is near Galactic Center where enormous amounts of rays and information pour forth. The Sagittarian archetype of the archer is the truth seeker. He is seeking the answers to life’s major questions like who are we and what are we doing here. We might find these answers if we meditate now.

And now is the time to get your ticket for your place on the new ark and join the “emerging global human family of light. ” (Stephanie Austin) The rare triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron will create an opportunity for breaking racial barriers. These planets will not join again in Aquarius for several thousand years.

A second Full Moon, a lunar eclipse on December 31st, closes out 2009. Occurring in Capricorn and Cancer, light shines on our integrity or lack thereof. Amping up the karmic implications are Mercury, Venus, and especially Pluto, joining the Sun in Capricorn, the sign of responsibility. It’s time drop the victim role and put yourself in the powerful center of your life.

Lance Ferguson suggests that this could be a difficult holiday season in general when “people are out of gas and out of character. The Full Cancer Moon will be escorted by loud mouth Mercury retrograde and clumsy Mars retrograde—a pair of jokers who could cause some problems. ” Plan something close to home for New Year’s Eve. A meditation on your role in the new year would serve. “In this next phase, we have a chance to evolve from children of God to adults of God, from victims and villains to conscious co-creators. ” (Swami Beyondananda)

As I write this, I am anticipating Christmas and New Year’s, as well as Hanukkah, Al Hijra (Islamic New Year’s Day), Winter solstice, Kwanzaa (African American Cultural Celebration), Human Rights Day, Forefathers Day, and many more. As I walk in our gardens I recall all the significant moments of the past year while I simultaneously envision the hopeful future. Walk with me for a moment to give thanks and learn together how to approach the coming seasons.

I see the fruit trees go dormant with their changes of colored and frost-burned leaves. We planted dozens of pomegranate, fig, Asian pear, quince, apricot, apple, pear, persimmon, almond, nectarine, paw-paw, peach, plum, Chinese jujube, grapefruit, olive, and others. Some are set up with grey water/rainwater harvesting techniques and are thriving in their new environment. Others are planted to also create shade and windbreaks. In a few years they will all produce. We are planning to plant hundreds more using permaculture designs as part of a food forest.. I encourage you to plant many fruit trees which are so essential to sustainable living.

We gave workshops to the University of Arizona School of Anthropology in partnership with The President’s Good Neighbor Environmental Board, Cochise College Sustainability course, UA Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, and others. Through power point presentations, touring, hands on gardening and building, we showed them how we have developed our eco-village, particularly in relationship to the gardens, food production, and water conservation practices. We are planning to work in alliance with many other schools and organizations to improve and develop all of our towns and neighborhoods. Think about how you can develop some of these techniques in your garden.

I touch the soil and reflect how it responds to loving care. We have applied our own compost, Effective Micro-organisms (EM), woodchips, straw, and other mulches. We used both heavy cultivation and tilling as well as no-till methods and cover cropping. The life force has increased all around and one can feel and touch it. We are planning to intensify our experiences and techniques, and experiment with new ones as well. Beneficial weeds are increasingly becoming a part of the landscape. As the soil improves less land is needed to produce the same harvest. Give your soil the best attention this coming year and the benefits are manifold.

I am harvesting some of the greens and am pleased with the taste—so fresh and power-packed with vitamins and minerals. We have been selecting many seeds in order to test which varieties can adapt to our specific desert climate; and from these saved seeds, we will continue to observe and select. There are thousands of varieties, and by planting and saving seeds, we are ensuring their survival for future generations. One project undertaken was to renew our seed stock of native/indigenous plants. We were blessed with an abundant harvest of Hopi multicolored corn, Hopi lima beans, Mayo Kama/Sonoran segualca winter squash, Tohono O’odham watermelons, sunflower roots (Jerusalem artichokes), amaranths, chiltepin and other hot peppers, and many others. Your closest resource of indigenous seeds is Native Seeds/SEARCH. Get their catalog, choose some seeds for planting, and then experience their great flavors and beauty. They have facilities in Patagonia and a store in Tucson.

Our vegetable harvest was very good, increasing our acreage and developing different techniques to overcome Bermuda grass, insect infestation (grasshoppers), and drought. We expanded our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program into Tucson and Patagonia. For twenty weeks we participated in the Santa Cruz River Farmer’s Market (sponsored by the Community Food Bank) in Tucson. Talking to our CSA members and customers on a weekly basis was a very rewarding experience. We were certified to accept many vouchers for those in financially difficult times: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Woman-Infant-Children (WIC), Senior Assistance, and CashValueVouchers. We also participated in and built many more alliances at the Local and Heritage Foods Market at the Tucson Meet Yourself festival, a pilot Farmer’s Market in Nogales, and the Sabores Sin Fronteras workshops. We have started a Farm Stand at the Tubac Plaza every Saturday from 11am-1pm and hope to keep it going year round. We hope to encourage more individuals and groups to start a garden so more of the freshest food is available in our beloved Santa Cruz River Valley. Plant more than you need and share your abundance with those who need and enjoy it.

We visited many other gardens, farms, nurseries, research facilities, greenhouses, and even aquaculture farms. This brought up many ideas on how we can improve our greenhouses and maybe even develop our own fishponds.

Our non-profit Personality Integration Rehabilitation Program for Teens and young Adults was able to assist many souls find new purpose and hope. Your many contributions—financial and material donations as well as buying our vegetables—made this possible and all participants thank you.

As you can see we were blessed this year, and I hope I was able to share some of our excitement and experiences so you in turn can begin or continue to practice sustainable ways of living. Check out our website at www.avalongardens.org or call (520) 603-9932 to arrange a visit with us.

Thank you again for making this year very special. All of us at Avalon Gardens are very grateful to have you as our neighbors and friends. If you have any new ideas, would like to participate, volunteer your time, or form alliances, send us an email at csa@avalongardens.org or write to Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm and Ranch, P.O. Box 4910, Tubac, AZ 85646.

Have many blessed Holy-Days and an inspiring New Year to come, Tarenta Baldeschi

Like so many little girls, I was crazy about horses.  According to my dad, when I was a baby we had a little pony.  I don’t remember Frisky at all, except for her smell.  Ponies smell different than horses.  If I bury my face in the neck of a pony, fur thick with a winter coat, and inhale deeply through my nose, I am transported to my earliest years – not with vivid memories, but subtle warm feelings that pass quickly and cannot be completely grasped, like trying to remember a faded dream or having someone’s name “on the tip of your tongue”.  We have a couple of ponies on the farm.  What were at first companions for our children, are now entertainment for their younger cousins and the hundreds of kids who visit the farm every year.  Bailey, who was born here two months after adopting Dez and Jesse, has been trained to pull a small plow, too and helps Stewart in the garden.  I don’t know that she makes a significant difference in the work, but I know she makes the mundane task more enjoyable because Stewart feels a sense of comradery with her as they work up and down the rows.  From time to time we bring Bailey in from the pasture, brush her down and saddle her up for a pony ride or hitch her to the plow.   At these times, I cannot resist nuzzling into that furry neck, closing my eyes and enjoying the brief flash of time travel, but I don’t overdo it – I believe that the whisper of a memory that her smell triggers is fragile and could change – I don’t want the pony scent to remind me of plowing.

Despite begging and pleading, I didn’t start riding horses until I was ten years old and living in the Bahamas.  My elementary school shared a fence with the pasture of about a dozen horses and at recess, that’s where I headed.  Daily I was reminded of what I had decided was my true calling and I passed this along to my parents who finally gave in.  My sisters and I started riding classes that fall.  My instructor was English and abrupt and impatient, but I was hooked.  For the rest of my pre-teen and teenage years, horses were my world.  When I wasn’t in school or at the stables, I was drawing pictures of horses, reading Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books over and over or studying in reference books to become an “expert” in horse care so that I would be prepared to fulfill my ultimate dream of adopting a wild mustang someday (a dream that came true five years ago).

My husband, Stewart was a horse lover, too.  As a kid he would spend hours trying to catch his old horse, Foggy back when the farm was 800 acres and having a horse “out to pasture,” meant you might not see it for days.  Then, at only nine years old, he would saddle up and ride all over the ranch and beyond by himself, sometimes into Tubac, ten miles away!  His mother, Regina had grown up horse crazy, too and shared her passion with her kids by footing the bill for English riding lessons, trainers and fancy jumping horses during the 1980’s.  When I moved back to Arizona in 1986 and met my future family, Stewart, his brother Morgan and sister Alex were riding daily and trailering their horses to shows as far away as New York!  When Stewart’s siblings went off to college, the old jumpers were retired from the ring and put out to pasture, and the English saddles became covered in dust in the tack room.

With the arrival of Dez and Jesse, (our kids were adopted ten years ago at ages 2 and 4) the saddle soap and currycombs came out.  Saddles were restored, torn leather replaced and the rest oiled to a safe suppleness.  I bought bicycle helmets for the kids and a small pillow for Jesse to make sharing the saddle with me more comfortable and we were off!  We spent hours riding the trails that first year.  I had taken a leave of absence from teaching to dedicate time to my new family and we bonded through horses.  Jesse was barely three years old when he started announcing “Cowboys and Ladies!” every time we were all mounted up and ready to ride.  It was like his own version of “They’re off!”  or “Ready-set-go!” and the phrase has stuck.  He was small and rode in front of me with his stubby legs straddling my hips and his arms around my waist.  This way he was positioned safely between my arms while we navigated hills, washes and thorny mesquites.  He continued to ride in front on his little pillow until one day, when he was about four he looked down at my chest and said, “Hey Mommy!  I can see your boobies down there!”   I halted my horse and Jesse officially graduated to the back of the saddle where the view was better (at least in my opinion).

Dez was an amazing rider from the start on Breeze, the former show pony that had belonged to Stewart’s younger sister.  She guided Breeze in and out of the Santa Cruz River and through cactus with confidence while either sucking her thumb or chattering incessantly.  Dez had a slight drawl in her voice that she has since grown out of and would say with her thumb in her mouth “I’m a real lady now, ain’t I mama?”
***
Today’s forecast calls for highs in the mid seventies.  It is winter in Southern Arizona, all is quiet on the farm and it is a perfect day for riding.

About this time the Arivaca Community Center was being formed, and it was natural that the two organizations would work together with the former as the location for theater and arts productions, which the Arts Council would fund through grants. The Arts Council provided entertainment for the grand opening of the Community Center, July 4, 1985. At that time, Rural Grant monies provided half the cost of programs with Arivaca providing the other half.

In the beginning, the Arts Council focused on pottery and the visual arts. In 1986 an opportunity arose to rent a building in town from Ike and Mike Turnpaugh. With a grant, they bought a kiln and equipment and Kathy began teaching pottery and ceramics, using hand techniques, the wheel and ceramic molds. This expanded to include visual arts classes taught by C Hues and stained glass by Maggie Milinovitch and quilting by Lorraine Armour. The building was used as the Red Feather Gallery with showings by local artists. Finally the Arts Council gave up this building and began going in other directions. (Mike and Ike ran the ceramics shop for awhile and it was later sold to Pat and Andy Anderson.)

Over the years, many artists were involved with the Arts Council, either as board members or contributing artists. Susie Kromenacher was another of the local artists who helped in the beginning efforts of the Arts Council. (For years Susie’s gypsy could be seen on the wall of La Gitana). Sabrina Sweetwater, Libby Brandt, Patty Hanson, Connie Deere, Melissa Cowen, Deborah and Steve Steinberg, Hal Buckingham, Debbie Walls, Meg Keoppen, Ellen Dursema, Mark Dresang, Maggie Milinovitch and many more were also involved, either on the board or teaching or whatever needed to be done. Other projects followed. Many grants were written and received. In 1986 the face mask project made Sunset Magazine! For some time masks of many local faces hung on the wall of the Arivaca Community Center.

As time went on in the 80s, the focus changed. Nina Baldridge began teaching theater arts at the Community Center, which included acting and dance as well as stagecraft. A professional drama teacher and producer, Nina’s direction provided the children and adults of Arivaca with a rare opportunity to be involved with an exceptional theater experience. C Hues taught art classes for stage backdrops. A generation of children grew up with theater and learned how to act and do stagecraft. Scrooge, The Wizard of Oz and numerous other programs were developed and performed. It was an amazing endeavor of all the artists in the community. The Community Center received a Pima County Community Development Block Grant to expand the stage area. When Glo Williams started Blue Sky Learning Center the Charlie Brown Christmas program was a part of the children’s activities. The Arivaca Childrens Theater and Arivaca Performing Artists performed until 1996 when Nina left Arivaca.

Patti Lopez picked up the tempo with dance classes and performances for children and adults, along with assistance from the Annie Bunker Dance Troupe. Tom Shook was involved, as a sponsor of the arts and assisting with getting grants for sound and light equipment, along with Brad Knaub (who had also portrayed Scrooge and the Wizard of Oz). Allen Wallen was involved with the sound and light. Everything required effort on the part of someone who took the time to make things happen. A large percentage of the community members were involved.

Since then, the Arts Council has written grants and sponsored programs of various kinds, such as Barbea Williams Dance Performers and OperaTunity, but the effort has been less intense. Individuals who had been involved went off to do other things. Sabrina and Patti passed on. Some moved away. Kathy began teaching first grade (a high intensity profession). But things can and do happen, and Kathy still has hopes and would love to hear from anyone who is interested in revitalizing the Arts Council. The generation who benefited from the most artistic immersion has begun to take charge. Second-generation Arivacans Nathalie Dresang and Aja Knaub, along with Jenni Stern, recently put together a dance workshop featuring trapeze work and an enthusiastic group of young girls took part. These are the now-grown-up children (and their children) who have inherited the love of the arts that came out of the years of dedication and professionalism of the Arts Council. Look for this presentation at Winterfest, a variety show to be held at the Arivaca Community Center on December 12 at 6 pm.

Thanks to Kathy Sheldon.

by Ben Salinas