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Visions of Bandilier National Park in New Mexico as the Ancient Manhattan of the Southwest
It was a Friday morning as I drove past El Morro, the chunk of rock emerged in the New Mexico landscape exhibiting shades of bloodshot burnt orange in the sunlight and graying rock within its shadows. I was headed to Santa Fe for a girl’s weekend with my two sisters and a trip to Bandelier…
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El Morro is the Zuni Penthouse
El Morro National Monument in Ramah New Mexico was a stop on the way to Albuquerque from my state of Arizona. The landscape represents the state accurately with its high mesa’s and dry brush. Indian ruins are secretly tucked away in nearly every canyon wall crevasse. With family in tow, we drove into El Morro,…
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Hopi Petroglyphs Endure at Homolovi
On my way back from attending a friend’s graduation with my husband and son in Flagstaff Arizona, we stopped at Homolovi State Park near Winslow. This was our second trip to the ruins in a month. We ran out of time on our first visit so I never experienced the magnificent petroglyphs that I had…
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DIY Duct Tape Racetrack Reverie
My three-year-old does not have a shortage of Hot Wheel cars. Or an imagination. Of course, he has space-taking tracks made of plastic that cramp his room that he seems to have lost interest in. I wanted to create a racetrack with no bulk that could go anywhere including travel. Hotel rooms become WAY more exciting with a racetrack your…
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DIY Organic Summer Coconut Scrub
Here is a DIY a la’ natural body scrub that you can literally eat, just in time for Mother’s Day. Handmade gifts not only demonstrate thoughtfulness, they demonstrate the motivation you have to make things with your hands despite the daily grind. Yes, buying a gift is more convenient but being able to create something with your…
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Kinishba Ruins Through The Lens
My summer home in the White Mountains of northeastern Arizona eventually became my primary residence to allow for my family and I to travel more frequently. Our Pinetop neighborhood is on the cusp of the Whiteriver Apache Indian Reservation near the Kinishba Ruins which are at a lower elevation of 5,000 feet just outside Fort Apache. The…
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Boxcar Envy and Art at the La Posada Hotel
La Posada Hotel located off Route 66 in Winslow Arizona shrieks Fred Harvey. So who exactly is Fred Harvey? Harvey established and ran all hotels and restaurants of the Santa Fe Railway, eventually controlling a hospitality empire that spanned the region. He “civilized the west” through his flawless service to the railroad traveler. In the…
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Exploring the Homolovi Ruins
My return to Arizona from a four and half month stay in the Yucatán peninsula still had me searching for adventure. Digging all the Mayan culture left me with a hangover and wanting more. To curb my desire for exploration, I decided to explore relics that were nearby and found the Homolovi Ruins located a…
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Investigative Reporting Strategies: How To Get People To Talk
Finding dirt on someone can be rewarding as well as exciting. It is the thrill of the hunt. Sometimes we really do need valuable information such as what the babysitter is doing with our kids, why exactly two of your best friends are fighting or who’s next in line to get that promotion. Ample work goes into gathering reliable information…
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Poetry: No Need for Ruby Slippers
This is a poem I wrote for a poetry class in college and the first to read aloud in an intimate environment. Walking along cobble stoned A sea of mineral matter This yellow brick road don’t go where it used to Leading to an Emerald City full of green envy I am stone cold tripping…
“Write in recollection and amazement for yourself.” – Kerouac
Slangshot 