Where my ma'ma came from...

During my visit home for Labor Day, I got see the houses in which my mom grew up. There are two… one in front of the other. Both of these houses (and many others to come) were built by my grandpa Ortiz.

The back house was built first. My guess is that it is probably 500 – maybe 600 -- square feet total. It’s a one bedroom house. It has one bed room and a living room… a teeny tiny kitchen and an even smaller bathroom. That’s it. My mom and her four siblings (minus the current baby) slept in the living room.

As you can imagine, they “out grew” that house before they ever occupied it. While they lived in the little house, my grandpa built a slightly bigger house in the front. This house actually had two bedrooms.

My grandma still owns these houses (along with her mother’s house – my great grandmother’s house). I am amazed by the size of these homes. Even my house, at 1000 sq feet, which I call “little”, would have been considered “big” by those standards.

It was inspiring for me to see those homes. It was inspiring for me to hear my grandma talk about raising her family in those homes. I guess I learned, in a different way that -- less, IS indeed, more. It leads me to aspire to simplicity.

DK...

For those of you who are lovers of Diana Krall's music, I thought I'd let you know that her new album "From This Moment On" will be released on September 19th. http://www.dianakrall.com/

I, personally, can't wait!

Where I come from...

I spent Labor Day weekend (and a few added days) at home in Pojoaque. That’s the name of the little town where I was raised. It’s just north of Santa Fe in the valley between the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains.

This visit home was different than most others. It was different in a good way and for many reasons I suppose… maybe it's because I've never seen Santa Fe blooming with wild flowers (they've received more rain this summer than ever in recorded history)... or maybe it's because the weather was so amazing (especially so in contrast with what Dallas had been like)... or maybe it’s because I had the opportunity to see people I’d not seen since I was in High School. I got to drink Margaritas with my friend James – something we’ve not done together since before we could do so legally.

I also got to witness the swearing in of two Air Force Lieutenant Colonel’s – one was a guy I’ve known since I was 5 years old – the other was his wife. What an honor it was for me to be present for that ceremony. I was so proud of Carlos… and listening to him speak, I was reminded of many of the reasons I am so proud to have been raised in the Pojoaque Valley.

Carlos talked of many of the people, places and things that he has experienced during his tenure in the Air Force. He was in the Pentagon on 9/11 – thankfully on the other side of the building. He spoke about faith and courage and perseverance and honesty and countless other virtues. He attributed his success – not just in his military career, but also in life – to his parents, his family and other members of the community. He said, “How can I not succeed when I have been surrounded with people like you my whole life?”

He talked about how people influence us, even when we – or they – don’t know it. He talked about my mom and her influence in his life. My mom was his Den Mother in Cub and then Boy Scouts… she also managed the local grocery store and in many ways has helped and continues to help the community. This is where I come from… this is the community in which I was raised. Carlos helped me realize that many of these same people have had a tremendous influence on the person I am. They’ve all left indelible mark on my character.