This weekend my buddy Jamie and I decided we wanted to drive somewhere, and picked a spot on the map that happens to be Taos. We have a fascination with hippies and communes and all things 60's, and Taos is good for that. The weather is freakishly warm for January (or October, even) so it was lovely.
Jamie is an uber-learned English major and took a course in Brit Lit, so we decided a trip up to the D.H. Lawrence Ranch was in order, as well. D.H., while a famed British author, apparently fell in love with New Mexico in the 20's and spent a bit of time living/writing at this ranch. Upon obtaining some literature, we found out that the chapel memorial on the ranch was built by Lawrence's wife after he died. It turns out he had 2 other women who, according to the biography, "competed for his attention" living at the ranch as well. How this worked out, I don't know. His poor wife.
So anyway, after he died in England, he was cremated. His wife had the remains shipped to New Mexico to be with her at the ranch. Apparently, the other two women (dare we call them mistresses?) thought D.H. should be scattered out over the ranch. The wife disagreed. So vehemently so that she is rumored to have taken the ashes, thrown them in a wheelbarrow full of wet cement, and used the cement to make this little altar in the chapel...saying, "Let's see them get his ashes NOW!" What people will do for love. Or jealousy. Or both.
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2 comments:
Jana, I want you to make my ashes into a cement hedgehog.
what a great story!
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