This may seem strange to some people, but in some ways my life has seemed like one great big marvelous vacation.

    Of course, I had to work and had unhappy times at various places, but most of my homes were in wonderful cities close to nature, where I could take off a weekend to go hiking or swimming.

    I lived in San Francisco about 10 years, working in art galleries and picture framing shops primarily. So I was surrounded by art, which I love. New Orleans was home off and on for 12 or so years; that in itself was a magical experience. Exhilarating in its frightful and fascinating places and people.

    Now, working at Meridian Activity Center, I usually take three-day weekends to return to New Orleans and my sister’s home. Or, to visit friends down there. However, I did agree to a cruise just once last year with my sister, Al, and some friends from the center. Maybe I’m just used to being alone too much, but all the drama and rushing about to do everything proved to be too much for me. I came home with the worst sinus infection I had ever had from going down the slide into the pool with the Red Hat Ladies (a slide used by hundreds of kids and adults!). That was when the doctor informed me I had asthma.

    A couple of weeks ago, I went to Santa Fe for my first really long vacation – flew to Albuquerque and rented a car with my friend Harriet to relive an earlier trip 25 years ago. In those days, we drove across Texas and just when we needed it, discovered Ojo Caliente – which, at that time, was an adobe motel next to an adobe structure you climbed down into to soak in the hot spring. It was dark and creepy, with a mud floor. In those days we were up for anything. We visited Taos and went into each and every art gallery. Ate chili rellenos all across New Mexico. (I’ve never gotten any as good since then!)

    This trip, however, was full of “not being able to wait ’til I got home” thoughts. The very first day, we drove from Albuquerque up to a little mining town, Madrid, where we ran into nobody over the age of 50. It was wonderful! We managed to forget our age for a few hours, but then the wind began to rise. It rose up to 55-60 mph!!

    At the cafe where we had coffee, we met a couple from Louisiana and a biker from New Orleans. There must’ve been a Harley convention or something, they were everywhere. Anyway, the wind brought in a lot of smoke—we did not know anything about the huge forest fire in northern New Mexico! – but I had a severe asthma attack and was miserable for two days.

    Fortunately, one of Harriet’s friends was married to a doctor who fixed me up in no time. Ojo Caliente was out of the question as a destination; the one we visited 25 years ago had burned and been replaced by a very elegant and expensive spa. We went instead to Jimenez which meant driving through Los Alamos (where the Bomb was created). We passed streets named “Trinity” and “Oppenheimer Road.” Appropriately the landscape around Los Alamos had just suffered a fire, so the trees and soil were blackened and sooty. It was a wasteland experience.

    At Jimenez we went to the local bathhouse to experience a hot spring, which was concrete tubs with two bare pipes pouring in hot and cold water that you controlled yourself. I am certain it was there that I contracted a case of poison ivy on my back which at first I thought must be shingles! We visited more of Harriets’ friends on a remote dry, windy, hillside who built his own home and made a living doing photography and quilting. I took their picture sitting on a rock with the saying “What if the hokey pokey is what it is all about?”

    Back in Santa Fe we had dinner with a couple where we learned that one is a “free diver.” Look this up on the internet! He swims every day and has practiced holding his breath under water for up to 5 minutes!

    He goes down 80 feet deep and sits on the bottom much to the consternation of divers in the area.

    After viewing a Georgia O’Keefe show at the museum in Santa Fe, we went up to Abiqui where she had a home. I was walking around the church in the square she had once painted and found a tree just loaded with the reddest, juiciest looking cherries. I glanced around, no one was looking, reached up and nabbed a few, they tasted as good as they looked. Then, walking around to the other side I noticed a small sign attached to the tree; I looked closer: “Forbidden Fruit Tree.” I hightailed it out of there, imaging a priest having a good laugh at my expense.

    There are more stories, such as the ‘independent women and their dogs’ and the fact that the median age in Santa Fe is 44 years old! I found that amazing. All in all it was a good trip (but a lousy vacation – whatever that means!). It was so good to get back home in Mississippi!

MAC summer classes

    For the summer, we have spread out the afternoon Slimnastics class to include Tuesday and Thursdays; Julia Hayes will be returning to teach these two days. That makes a full five day schedule of aerobic exercise. These classes are a lot of fun, moving to popular tunes, using the ball to work on the abs, stretch bands and good hard work to

get into shape. Then, for those interested in late afternoon yoga we still have Pat Wilson offering a free yoga class, from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. She will throw in a session of meditation from time to time if you’re interested in learning a guaranteed way to de-stress.

    Then for those who are interested in leaving something of real value to their loved ones, Steve Owen is teaching a writing class on Tuesdays, from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. He will provide you with outlines to make the personal writing experience something of interest to future generations. Imagine having a great, great grandchild read about the invention of the television or the computer.

    We are once again offering a Basic Sewing class that no one has called about taking on Monday afternoon. This new instructor is also teaching a beginning Machine Quilting class in the mornings. They both begin Monday.

    Beginning computer classes are continuing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. If you want to come by and see the center give us a call at (601) 485-1812. We’re planning another mosaic class and a leaf casting class later this summer, just let me know you are interested! We are located at 3300 32nd Ave., in the heart of Meridian, not far from Meridian High School.

    • Barbara Wells is director of Meridian Activity Center. You may e-mail her at mactivitycenter@gmail.com