Land and Family: The Forever Value of Both

Expansive beauty in a decidedly different vein: The American Southwest. Kathy said, “If you’ve seen this beauty, why would you go in search of beauty elsewhere?” That’s Kathy, my cousin, who has lived in the American Southwest since she was a young girl.

I’ve always been drawn to the palette used by artists: turquoise, orange, yellow, brown, tan. The arridness of the area, however, does not appeal to me.

Tom, my brother, first introduced me to the spectacle of unusual rock formations. It was with him that I first beheld “purple mountain majesty.” He lives in Colorado.

Kathleen Stanton, the same person as Kathy named above, retired from a career in newspaper copy editing and writing, and immersed herself in the land, the people, the culture, and customs.  She and husband Larry Charlie, own sixteen acres in Mora County, NM. Their home is a refurbished 100 year old adobe structure. Each of the other two owners added what appealed to them such as vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, and additional windows. 

At the back of the main property the couple found an abandoned three room adobe that once housed over sixteen family members during another era. Kathy, Larry, local artisans and craftsmen have brought the structure to new life with techniques making it not only attractive but most accommodating. The colors and textures of the walls, the hand-crafted stylized framing, and the beautiful hand-hewn wood of the cabinetry in the kitchen section are to be admired. The three rooms and an entry area make it a wonderful guest house.

Not only did we have opportunity to visit with Kathy and Larry, she and I shared family stories and pictures. To make the time in New Mexico complete, on our way to Mora, we visited with my Aunt Betty who is living in a lovely home for the elderly (she’s 94) in Rio Rancho. When I took her hands in mine and told her, “Aunt Betty, I’m Margaret Jane,” she said in the voice I’ll always remember, “Oh, no you’re not.”  After she comprehended that, indeed, I was sitting in front of her telling her I loved her, we had a nice visit, one that was rewarding on an emotionally profound level.

It was during the summer of 1966 that I last saw my Aunt Betty and her daughter Kathy.  We’ve all changed, but when you look deeply into a family member’s eyes, you see the person you’ve always known.