Image Courtesy of Ted Harsha
Connecting People to Build a Stronger Community
The Abiquiu News is brought to you by Carol and Brian Bondy
Image Courtesy of Ted Harsha
Image Courtesy of Ted Harsha
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January 10, 2025
In Gratitude
We thank our two new sponsors this week. Karin Lubin and Lubin Lifeline for Longevity and Casa de La Cruz, a new vacation rental.
Karin Lubin - Lubin Lifeline for Longevity
Elevate Your Life with the Four Foundations of the Lubin Lifeline for Longevity
Imagine a life where your body feels strong, your mind is sharp, and your spirit is deeply connected to the rhythms of the earth. The Lubin Lifeline for Longevity offers a holistic and accessible path to vibrant health and fulfillment through its Four Foundations, designed to help you thrive in every area of life.
1. Strength Movement:
Rediscover your body’s potential through resilience, flexibility, and strength. Enhance your brain health, stability, and sense of adventure, empowering you to do what you love—when you want! All from the comfort of your home with live, online communities.
2. Journaling and Self-Discovery:
Journaling invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself. Explore thoughtfully designed journals and participate in Wisdom Circles featuring themes like:
Fuel your body to thrive! Lose fat, gain muscle, and unlock sustainable health through the six-week Nutrition Circle. With live coaching, you’ll master intermittent fasting, carb cycling, hydration, and balanced eating—all paired with exercise and active recovery.
4. Soul Guidance Sessions:
True health goes beyond the physical. Tap into spiritual and energetic wellness with Soul Guidance Sessions, offering:
Sign up for Dr. Karin’s weekly inspirational newsletters.
Imagine a life where your body feels strong, your mind is sharp, and your spirit is deeply connected to the rhythms of the earth. The Lubin Lifeline for Longevity offers a holistic and accessible path to vibrant health and fulfillment through its Four Foundations, designed to help you thrive in every area of life.
1. Strength Movement:
Rediscover your body’s potential through resilience, flexibility, and strength. Enhance your brain health, stability, and sense of adventure, empowering you to do what you love—when you want! All from the comfort of your home with live, online communities.
2. Journaling and Self-Discovery:
Journaling invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself. Explore thoughtfully designed journals and participate in Wisdom Circles featuring themes like:
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Seasons and Nature
- Self-Love and Boundaries
Fuel your body to thrive! Lose fat, gain muscle, and unlock sustainable health through the six-week Nutrition Circle. With live coaching, you’ll master intermittent fasting, carb cycling, hydration, and balanced eating—all paired with exercise and active recovery.
4. Soul Guidance Sessions:
True health goes beyond the physical. Tap into spiritual and energetic wellness with Soul Guidance Sessions, offering:
- Insights into your life’s direction and purpose
- Guidance on ancestral connections shaping your journey
- Self-care practices tailored to your unique energy
Sign up for Dr. Karin’s weekly inspirational newsletters.
Casa de la Cruz
Welcome to Casa de la Cruz, nestled on 12 acres abutting Carson National Forest in the hills of Georgia O'Keefe's beloved Abiquiu. Slow down and experience the rhythms of the desert. Watch storms roll over the mountains in the distance. See the Milky Way sprawl above you. Hike our private box canyon. This a spectacular location to explore the treasures of Northern New Mexico including Ojo Caliente, Abiquiu Lake, Ghost Ranch, Santa Fe, and Taos. Enjoy desert life to the fullest! Casa de la Cruz is serenely located down a gated dirt road 10 minutes from the center of Abiquiu and the Georgia O’Keefe Welcome Center. We have cultivated our home as a quiet respite surrounded by the beauty of the desert and invite you to share it! Our guests have reviewed Casa de la Cruz as having an "unparalleled location" that is "incredibly special", "NM at it's finest", "private, safe, and secure", "stunning", and "the most enjoyable Airbnb we've ever stayed in".
8 guests | 3 bedroom | 5 beds | 3 baths
www.casadelacruz.co
Read how we fell in love with Abiquiu
8 guests | 3 bedroom | 5 beds | 3 baths
www.casadelacruz.co
Read how we fell in love with Abiquiu
Thank you Contributors and Paid SubscribersJoy C
Naima S Antonio D Victoria B
News and Features
EL RITO — The library’s back room was anything but quiet.
A group of people gathered one recent Thursday around a table in the El Rito Library. On one side of the table, two sewing machines hummed. On the other, sewers dug through boxes of fabric scraps. The weekly quilting circle — which celebrated its 25th year this month — was in full swing. Read More
The start to the 2025 New Mexico legislative session is still several weeks away, but some lawmakers have already introduced proposed changes in state laws.
Legislators started putting forward proposals known as prefiles Thursday, the first day they file bills before the opening gavel on Jan. 21. Three state senators filed five bills on the opening day. read more
A reader this week reached out to us. Her property and the property along their road about 1/4 mile north of the Chevron station have seen the water table rise significantly in the past two months as the river water levels have risen. Water is flooding three out of six families living here. This is downstream from where the channel work was done.
Read More
WASHINGTON - Yesterday, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, announced a $6.95 million investment from the Infrastructure Law he passed for two projects aimed at reducing the risk of severe wildfires by enhancing forest and watershed health, and supporting agricultural production while reducing water losses in New Mexico. Read More
“Look at that mountain!”, we said as we came over the hill from the north. “What is this place?”
We had never seen anything like it. The desert landscape so varied and diverse - hills, valleys, and canyons were ebbing and flowing like cresting waves. Light shifting in the setting sun, the colors seemed magnified by the canyon walls and desert rocks. Read More
For a fifth time, state lawmakers will make the case for a fundamental right to a clean environment
A proposal to create a fundamental right to a clean environment on par with other rights found in New Mexico’s constitution will return to the Legislature in the coming days. The sponsors will prefile the legislation this week, Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque), said during a news conference Tuesday with other sponsors and advocates. Lawmakers have already turned in bills dealing with tribal education, retired public sector workers’ health care and foster care in advance of the session starting Jan. 21. Read More
We need all the light we can get in these times. Unfortunately, I’m no longer shining one.
Quite the opposite. I’m turning one more light off: I hereby resign as a contributor to the Washington Post, whose editorial board has yet again neglected to publish my opinions in their once-proud newspaper. Read More
I frequently hear from someone that they don’t use their computer anymore, but instead, they use their iPad. I understand this completely, as I use my desktop so infrequently, but I use my phone all the time. I’ve gotten quite comfortable using my phone for nearly everything, shopping, reading the news, entertainment. Read More
Previous News and Features
It’s that time again when many of us reflect on the year that just passed, and focus on our dreams, hopes and plans for the year to come. Dar al Islam (DAI) has much to look back on, and even more to anticipate as the site is developed, new programs are implemented, and community outreach expands. Read More
Ghost Ranch, NM – On Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1, 2025, those interested in the happenings of the San Juan-Chama Watershed are invited to gather near Abiquiu, at Ghost Ranch, for the 9th annual Rio Chama Congreso. The Congreso brings together land and water management practitioners, users, and community members to discuss natural resource issues in the Rio Chama watershed. Read More
2024 continued to be a turbulent year in water policy, politics and health in New Mexico.
Water stayed at the forefront of news about conservation, health and money in New Mexico this year, and pressure is growing for increased support from the Roundhouse in the January legislative session. Read More
One new federal mandate will require some people to prove they have jobs to receive federal food benefits. Read More
I can barely leave the house in Spandex anymore.
I guarantee that I am way ahead of everyone else’s New Year’s resolutions. Check that box, notch that belt, color me successful—we’re just skidding into January, and I have already outgrown my naïve resolution to exercise at the gym. Read More
Greetings and I hope you have enjoyed your holiday season. The Market, as measured by the S&P 500, is up over 20% for the year, even though the “Santa Claus Rally” kind of fizzled at year end. Still, it was a good year for investments, especially if you emphasized tech stocks in your portfolio. If you didn’t, your return was probably about half the market because the equal-weight index was up only about 11%. Read More
The New Year usually gets off to a very wet start—champagne or eggnog or punch, etc. My personal preference to greet the New Year is hot-buttered rum. Read More
As I write this on the free version of Microsoft 365, I am aware of the irony of what I’m doing here. Read More
Abiquiú News regulars will recognize Mario's name from the beautiful photos that regularly grace the home page. And if you’re an attentive reader, you may have learned from a recent article that Mario is not only a photographer, but pursues another adventure sport, namely, paragliding. This sounded fascinating enough to merit another interview, and Mario graciously agreed to tell me all about it. Read More
The ongoing saga - I’ve completed refurbishing 22 small form factor computers, which means, they are desktops but small ones. Click to Read and pass on to anyone that might need a basic functional computer!
By now you probably know better than to click or tap on links in emails because that's one of the easiest ways to infect your device with a virus. Read More
ABIQUIU – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Abiquiu Lake will host their annual midwinter eagle survey, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. Read More
Image and Copy sent in by a reader
Thursday evening, January 2nd shortly after 6pm, an early model Ford Ranger became engulfed in flames on southbound County Road 158 in Abiquiu. The one occupant of the car escaped without injury, witnesses said. The car owner/driver was returning the car to service after repairs. The driver showed great awareness by stopping the vehicle in the middle of the narrow road, away from the surrounding bush, possibly averting a larger blaze that might have endangered nearby homes. The Abiquiu Volunteer Fire Department responded and doused the destroyed vehicle. At of the time of the incident, the specific cause of the fire was unknown. Thank you AVFD
Hello Library Supporters
So far the proposed legislative budget appropriates no money for the Rural Library Endowment. The final version will be out soon. There is a short time to get it added before the session starts. After that it is more difficult. Please call or text Representative Nathan Small, chair of house finance, at (575) 496-9540. Ask your board members and patrons to contact him also. Request that he fully fund the endowment with the addition of $30 million. A fully funded endowment would mean about $45,000 per year for about 60 rural libraries, including ours in Dixon and many others in Rio Arriba county. Contacting your own representatives and senators is important too. Especially if they are on the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC.) See below. Talking points: $500,000 dollars for each of 60 small villages and pueblos throughout the state is a small amount to help sustain your town. Rural libraries are some of the only infrastructure in rural New Mexico that offer public services to everyone. They all provide services beyond lending books. Tell them one or two ways your library supports your community such as addressing needs during emergencies like floods or fires; early childhood and adult literacy; helping folks connect to health care resources; providing potable water; food distribution; economic development; STEM education; community events and celebrations; telephone usage for folks without it. These are but some things rural libraries have reported they do. Tell them how an additional $45,000 per year would benefit your community, such as hire staff, repair buildings, add programing, etc. Many institutions around the state are failing. Many libraries, though struggling financially, are successful. Why not strengthen institutions that work? Ask why they are refusing to add money to the endowment and what alternative proposals do they have for supporting your community. If you have time or energy to contact other people too here is who you should call or text: George Munoz, Chair Senate Finance Office 505 722-6570 home 505 722-0191 I haven't had luck reaching him at these numbers Meredith Dixon, vice chair House Appropriations home 505 401-8339 Gail Armstrong; home 505 269-2364 Ranking member house finance Below is the list I sent previously about how to contact your own legislators. The ones in red are particularly important as they are on LFC. Contact your legislatures ~ Shel Neymark We get letters
We are also looking towards what comes next for the Abiquiu News. Abiquiu News is in its 12th year. We've grown, have a good readership and support base and want to see it continue once we retire. If you are interested in being part of this dialog email us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Abiquiu News needs you. If you are interested in providing local news for the Abiquiu News on a regular basis, drop us a line. Let's talk! If you have a story to tell, send it in. If you want, interview your friend, relative, teacher, co-worker. If you think it would be interesting, I bet other people would too. Give it a try and send something in to us. Carol Bondy Scene Around TownSend us your local images. Send to AbiquiuNewsImages@gmail.com Please send images under 1mb. My inbox will thank you. ~Carol
On a walk near Ghost Ranch - Image Courtesy of Amber Archer
Image Courtesy of Mario Manzo
Art, Music, Film and Books
https://abiquiuartistsmarket.com/home/
The Locals’ Picks Book List
Zach Hively Casa Urraca Press has created a place for locals in our area to recommend books to each other, and a place to find book suggestions with a personal touch.
Have a book to recommend? Send it to Zach at casaurracaltd@gmail.com – title, author, and the reason you suggest it.
The full Locals’ Picks list is available to view here on Bookshop. A purchase from Casa Urraca's link helps support independent bookstores. Abiquiu’s Casa Urraca Press earns a commission from every shopping trip that starts with the above Bookshop link—you can shop the entire Bookshop site in addition to the locals' picks. Plus, a percentage of every book (at least 10%) goes straight to independent bookstores. This is an opportunity to support small businesses with the same convenience as large online retailers. Abiquiu Book Club
The group has compiled the list of books they plan to read for 2025. Check this out and mark your calendar if you wish to join in the discussions.
February - The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Christopher Murray (7) March - Violeta by Isabel Allende (6) April - Goodnight Irene by Luis Urrea (6) May - Whiskey Tender: A Memoir by Deborah Jackson Taffa, (5) June - The Women, by Kristen Hannah (5) July - Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (5) August - The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin (5) September - Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney (4) October - James: by Percival Everett (4) November - All Fours by Miranda July (4) December - Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy (4) January '26 - Eventide by Kent Haruf The group meets the last Tuesday of each month. Books are recommended by the members. All are welcome to join. Please call Analinda 505 927-6220 if you have questions 
Reoccurring donations make all the difference for the health and sustainability of our programs! We encourage you to consider becoming a reoccurring donor to NYP today:
Donate Today EventsPlease remember, events will go in for a maximum of three Fridays before the event. Send text, word or publisher file and a separate image, please keep images below 1 mb and send to info@abiquiunews.com. Vertical PDFs or JPGs will be edited for space. Send by Wednesday Noon for inclusion in that Friday's News.
New Mexico Beaver Project is coming to Abiquiú! Chris Smith, Wildlife Program Director of WildEarth Guardians, and Reid Whittlesey, Restoration Director at Rio Grande Return, will be discussing how beavers can make New Mexico a more lush, resilient, hospitable, and productive place for people and wildlife.
Announcements and Classes
New Moon Manifestation Gathering
Harness the potent energy of the New Moon to renew, seed your intentions and connect to your deep wisdom. Dates: 1/29, 2/27 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM In-Person Only | $20 each This sacred ceremony includes: ● Candlelight meditation ● Yoga Nidra journey to plant your intention ● Reiki Energy to elevate and fortify our collective vibration Empower your divine intention. Call forth your inner moon power. Reserve your spot by payment. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Movement to Strengthen and Invigorate Winter invites us inward for reflection but also calls for balancing warmth and energy. This class offers a fun mix of yoga postures and inspired movement focused on physical strengthening, conditioning, balance and ending with a feel good stretch and relaxation. All levels are welcome. Thursdays at Soulfire Studio or Virtually 9–10 AM ($10 per class) ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Soul Deep 1:1 Immersion This is your time to receive, restore, and go Soul Deep. Indulge in a personal mini retreat designed to renew and empower you. This sacred space blends self-care with authentic connection, helping you realign and leave feeling deeply refreshed and inspired. Your Immersion Includes: Sacred Ceremony & Intention Setting: Begin with clarity and purpose to guide your experience. Personalized Yoga Practice: Tailored movement to meet your unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Guided Yoga Nidra: Deep, conscious rest to plant intentions and cultivate manifestation. Reiki Energy Session: Energy healing to balance, bring integration and empowerment across all levels. 3 Hours | $225 (In person or virtually) ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Contact Joy for details or to reserve your spot at 802-855-3003 or joyousOM@gmail.com Soulfire Studio is located at 247 NM 554 in Abiquiu
We have a kiln! Two potters wheels and an extruder! So, we are ready to open the ceramics studio! In the beginning of January we will sit down with the local potters who are helping get everything settled to decide on our open studio policies and what classes (for adults and youth) will be offered this winter. If you are interested in learning new skills or sharing your knowledge of ceramics, please contact us!
We are also pleased to launch a new Youth Sewing Program with the help of Jeanette Hammond-Cray and other local sewers. We believe that the age range will be 8 and up, but we will have to go case-by-case; there could be a 7 year old ready to start sewing, and there could be 8 year olds who aren’t yet ready. We hope that boys and girls sign up; the ability to sew and mend is a valuable skill for all. We have a list of projects which the participants will be able to select from, with guidance. Students will learn sewing machine operation, maintenance and safety practices. This will include replacing a needle, threading/ winding a bobbin and threading the machine. Safe use of scissors, pins, safety pins, seam ripper and iron. Seam ripper and iron use will need permission and direct supervision of an adult. And many other skills. Students may choose to complete any of these projects, or may come up with their own; Dog bandana, Flag or banner for indoor use, Wall pocket for storage great for bedroom, sports equipment and closet, Firewood bundle carrier, Pillow with or with out an envelope cover, Pet pillow/ bed, Pillow case with or without cuff, Book cover with book mark, Drawstring bag with pockets. The classes will be $10 each, but we have a scholarship fund available, so cost should not be an obstacle. For more information and to register email 
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DougDashing Doug is soon to “paw-role” from our Paws in the Pen training program at the Penitentiary of New Mexico! After 8-weeks of 24/7 training partnered with our most experienced inmate trainer, this 1-year-old 46lb boxer is getting a diploma in doggie decorum. Doug is a certified smile specialist: his silly antics, endless affection, and boundless energy make him the ultimate four-legged fun factory, and thanks to his top-notch training, this boy has really blossomed. Doug is a social butterfly with dogs, but he politely requests a feline-free future. A lively, active household with a playful pup-pal would make Doug’s propeller tail wag to the moon and back! He is house/leash/crate trained; he’s neutered, vaccinated, microchipped & will have six months of free heartworm prevention; and he goes home with an impressive list of cues and commands, Biothane collar and leash, plus four free training sessions so you can learn what your dog knows, AND an invitation to weekly discounted drop-in classes! Apply for Doug on our website and we can spring him from the Pen for a meet-up!
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 
SeviSevi is a 16-year-old gentleman with a heart full of love and a story to tell. This charming senior was brought to us by a kind-hearted Good Samaritan who found him wandering in their yard. When he arrived, Sevi wasn't feeling his best, sporting a grape-sized mass above his right eye. Thanks to some TLC, he's now looking and feeling amazing for his age! Sevi's distinguished smile hints at a dental procedure he had before coming to our shelter, and though he's missing some teeth, that doesn't stop him from enjoying his meals, or his life. His ideal forever home is one that's strictly indoors, where he can bask in the sunlight and soak up the warmth of a loving family. If you're ready to offer Sevi the golden years he deserves, he'll reward you with purrs, companionship, and a lifetime of gratitude.
www.espanolahumane.org 505-753-8662 |
