I wake up with sunrise, squeeze oranges for fresh OJ. I go to my hammock area, in the palms and sea grape trees, just back from the beach, so I can see the waves but people walking on the beach do not see me or me them. Beside the hammock I also have a couple of chairs and table—great eating and writing area. I do my techniques (see www.azuritepress.com... Scroll down to existing students, enter and table contents has the Technique schedule. I highly recommend doing them to everyone) meditate, say prayers of gratitude…then back to RV for fresh papaya or pineapple along with eggs and chaya breakfast.

Then back to hammock area to paint, read, do certification course, or just sit again. Swim then back to hammock area. Some days I spend the whole day in the hammock. I have found that the more I rest the more rest I need. And just swinging in it, watching the wind blow the palms trees, watching the waves, it is amazing how clear things get just swinging. I seem to get up during the night to do writing. In the evenings after walk on the beach at sunset I again sit in the hammock watching stars come out. I go back to RV to watch different Azurite press workshops on dvd . My friend Maria Louisa usually stops by for an hour or two during the day a couple of times a week and we talk, swim, walk etc … she is loving the quite time one forgets to take during busy scheduled living. As she said it is adding to her peace taking the time instead of worrying about doing all the daily things one needs to do. They still get done.

Since I found two tomatoes that had grown mold in the refrigerator after about ten days I shop for two to three days at a time now. It was a nice reminder that the food is not genetically engineered or radiated which the majority of our food in US is now. I occasionally enjoy a Negro Modelo dark amber beer in the afternoon or at sunset. Jimez (James) Garcia the caretaker has been trying to figure out how to get the generator we bought to charge directly to the RV so I can have fans or air in late afternoon when I cook. Right now we have two batteries – one for water pump in RV and overhead lights and the other one, when not being charged in town, I use a converter on to charge my lap top. Jimez also has cooked some awesome chicken in an outdoor oven that some previous Italian tenants built. He also has arranged for me to buy fresh shrimp, heads and all, off the fishermen driving buy. I haven’t wanted to learn to clean fish otherwise I could eat them also. When I got here, there was a lovely young Canadian girl camping who left me a magnificent water color of a girl diving deep titled “Entre Destines” --between destines---it epitomizes what I am about at the moment.

There is a family from Puerto Vallarta camping here now. They have taken a year off to tour Mexico but so far have been in this spot for three weeks then away 10 days and back now. Her son is 12 and she said it was a difficult time for a boy so they are taking time with him and traveling. They just shared some beautiful curried rice dish with me. Everyone shares what they have here, a great lesson. At times I feel separated, isolated being in RV when the others are in tents, but everyone is enjoying the fruits of a freezer making ice for their coolers. And on the hot nights they have the ocean breeze much

stronger than down below the sand dune in the RV not to mention my friends the mosquitoes—just so you all know there are trade offs in the tropics.

Kitty is adjusting. He was pretty stressed out driving for 10 days, so being in one place even though it is hotter than anything he has experience was a plus. We are still working on shedding his winter coat on a daily basis. He sleeps all day long and goes out at sunset and back at sunrise. All the locals that do see him are sorry he can’t sire any kittens. They have never seen an 18 pound cat. I think he has lost weight in the heat.

If you have gotten an email from me it means I have spent at least two but most likely 4 hours in Tulum, shopping and getting caught up on web. It doesn’t seem possible to spend less than 2 hours there even though the town is less than 4 miles away. I am trying to make my trips after sunset when it isn’t so hot there and I am not away from the beach, but on dropping off laundry days that is not possible. I had a friend and her son from Durango stay for about 10 days. She was so upset, because 10 years ago when she was here with her husband they could camp for free on the beach up and down and now she can’t find many camping areas and you have to pay minimum of $5 per day per person but mostly $15 per day per person. This is one of the reasons it was so imperative for me to spend three months here at the beach while I still could financially afford it. It is getting so crowded and the town is changing way too fast---at the moment it is still mostly small hotels, cabanas, private homes and some camping but there is talk that a large hotel has bought up all the smaller ones from Diamonte K to just before the Tulum Ruins (close to a mile) and I saw a Playa del Carmen sign advertising condos. For the last few years Europeans have made Mexico their playground, but this year I hear Americans everywhere I turn, so the push is on to modernize and “upgrade” the quiet sleepy town I first found with my daughter Nicole in 1994 and have returned to so often. …enough…change is change and I should know.

It will be interesting to see how I change this time. Well a long letter and the last I will probably write this trip, but I wanted to share the quiet and depth of peace I am achieving here and encourage anyone who has the desire to take the leap and take 3 months out of their busy scheduled lives and just rest somewhere their hearts expand. It adds so much more to daily living. The paid two week vacations don’t allow enough time for the soul to communicate with you. The short vacations just tease the body into thinking it has rested.

Love Maggie

Even though it is now May, it is still known as “SpringTime in Colorado”. After spending the winter in Tulum, Mexico staying warm, it is now snowing here in Colorado. Unlike winter snows it will not last, but the temperature does need to drop in order for rain to become snow which also means it is too cold to paint outside. I have been spending this time updating my web page and organizing some earth painting workshops.
I have one with the Weehawken Arts in Ouray, CO on June 16, 2007 (see www.weehawkenarts.org for more information). A couple more are being scheduled for July and August. Please contact me if you are interested (Maggie@durango.net).

I have hung two new exhibits with eco-friendly stories. Natural Territory in Scottsdale, AZ (see www.naturalterritory.com) is a beautiful store carrying many home items that are eco-friendly and healthy, besides being beautiful. The Eco Connection just opened in Durango, CO at 1075 ½ Main Avenue. Sondra Joyce has a net working corner in her new Eco Broker office. It excites me that the general public is having a growing awareness of sustainable and healthy products and that new business are opening to provide them with the items.

Don’t forget, for a fresh look you can re-hang your paintings at a different angle, most do not have an up or down.

I am off to L.A. to meet my first grandson, Beckett Wilmott who was born during my trip back to the States on May 5th. I just love the excitement each wonderful day brings.