10,000 Waves

So on Monday, after hearing my neck pop while doing some pilates, and having the day off from the museum, I decided to make use of Kate's birthday present, a gift-certificate to the renowned Santa Fe Japanese Spa, 10,000 Waves. What an incredibly beautiful place. You'll see below the pictures of the grounds on the walk up. The Spa is known for their Japanese baths--sort of like a hot-tub, but oh-so-much nicer. They have communal men's and women's tubs, in addition to private tubs. They are all enclosed, with rain showers, cold plunges, saunas, teak decking, and the blue sky and many trees above. I'm having a hard time thinking of a more relaxing place. If you come to Santa Fe (and please do!), you must spend a day here. Better yet, I'll take you. It was fun talking to people on vacation, some who postponed leaving Santa Fe, just so they could spend another day here at the spa. My massage was decent (I still have bruises on my back from Pyara's elbows), but I'm a discerning client :-) so you have to be a pretty good masseuse to impress me...and it was good, not great. When I go back (and I will definitely go back) I'll go for the special Japanese pressure point massage. It's so interesting to be in carefully cultivated environments like this one--they've taken much care (open since 1984) in really making a truly quiet and relaxing space that's not really snooty like most spas are. All sorts of people were there--alot of locals too--as they give a hefty New Mexico discount. Everyone walks around in Kimono's and sandals, and somehow that seems almost normal. Almost...until you drive out of the driveway back into reality. But "reality" Santa Fe style is nothing to complain about, so I won't.

I am really settling into work at the museum now--there in my office most days from 8-5:30 ish. Windows open, speakers playing music, me in my comfy grey plush chair taking copious notes on yellow legal pads. It's truly amazing how much work can actually get done in an office when no one comes to knock on your door. Don't get me wrong, I miss my students and teaching terribly, but this gift of time and silence is truly amazing. I've been reading lots of primary and secondary stuff on Stieglitz and Day, shoring my foundations, so I can go on to put Day back into the leadership role of the fine art photography movement. I've rediscovered the critic Sadakichi Hartmann and some key phrases of his from the 1890's like "Day and Stieglitz are the only photographers that should even be looked at by serious "art" critics." All synapses are firing and my brain is back to making connections beyond whatever I am teaching on a given day. Maybe it's all the Gingko Biloba I have to take for the altitude issues--maybe it's the peace and quiet--maybe it's the fact that I know I better make the most out of this four months, because it's back to reality in January. Either way, I am remembering how much I love to research (if not the part that comes after), and that's a sentiment I've not felt for ages.

Life here has settled into a routine--museum, gym, eating healthy, listening to Cds, not watching TV--I have one, but rarely turn it on--there's nothing I really need to be distracted from. I do find that I miss people (my husband especially), but the solitude has its benefits, and there are plenty of nice people to talk to at the research center when I get tired of putting pen to paper. The guards are particularly informative and amusing. It is, I must admit, SO strange not to be at BC after 11 years, but I am getting plenty of updates from my old students and advisees, which I am grateful for!

Tomorrow is the burning of Zozobra, which I am excited for. I mean, who doesn't want to see a 40 foot tall Old Man Gloom go up in flames with 30000 other spectators. I'll be sure to fill you in :-). Good Night!

Check out 10,000 Waves: http://www.tenthousandwaves.com/