A dynamic and timely statement about biological and spiritual life. Readers are treated to refreshing observations of daily life interwoven with this elder's persistent curiosity about the nature of the Universe. The other two books in this trilogy are "Of One Mind" and "Of Things to Come". Non-classical poetic verse.

Readers are given vivid examples of how the Universal Mind turns imagery into reality, invited to ponder and explore this mechanism in their current lives, and examine the potential for humanity's future evolution. The other two books in the trilogy are "Of One Mind" and "The Way Things Are or Could Be". Non-classical poetic verse.

Through her forthright and open yearing to understand the mysteries of the Mind, Stedman articulates our own deep seeking. Her probing questions prod us into curiosity and consternation. Her answers startle and delight. This is the first book of Myrtle Stedman's Universal Mind trilogy. The other two are "Of Things to Come" and "The Way Things Are or Could Be". Non-classical poetic verse.

This well-known Southwestern artist's philosophy on many subjects is collected in a memoir that is both thought-provoking and inspiring.

He couldn't say "I love you" until the end. And now he was gone. Before, there was the intense love affair mixed with deep disappointments and hurts that started in the 1920s and developed over the years when the two were artists and architects in Santa Fe and Taos. Afterwards, she went on on to reach new heights as she became a famous builder of adobe houses and a painter of all that surrounded her. But his influence remained and it permeates her writing as firmly as the mind that dominated her before his death. Yet this seems to stimulate her probing deeper into her own self and she transports the reader to the art colonies, the blue skies and clean, cool air of northern New Mexico over several decades. Is this a love story? Perhaps not. More likely this is a study in the transforming of attitudes, shaping the reader's thought to appreciate everything about everyday life, encouraging joy in every emotion, searching for one's own consciousness.

Myrtle Stedman was known as an "Artist in Adobe," designing, building, and remodeling adobe homes under a contractor's license. She was also a well-know artist whose academic training started in 1927 when she was a student in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts school. Her English born husband, Wilfred Stedman, whose background was in architecture as well as in painting and illustrating was recognized as one of the most outstanding artists of the American Southwest. Adobe architecture in New Mexico was one of Wilfred's favorite topics of conversation and Myrtle was instilled with the love of adobes from the moment they were married. After his death in 1950, Myrtle went on to become one of the foremost authorities on adobe construction. Her book, Adobe Architecture, Adobe Remodeling and Fireplaces, Rural Architecture, Ongoing Life, and Of One Mind are all published by Sunstone Press.

Here is the account, in storybook form with illustrations by the author, of two artists and how they settled in northern New Mexico to try their skill at designing and building adobe houses.

In one volume clear and thorough instructions on remodeling adobe houses plus how to build an adobe fireplace. Illustrations and practical instructions make working from this book a pleasure. Designed for use by the most inexperienced person as well as the professional builder. Based on 48 years of the author's experience.

A guide, with floor plans ranging from a small casita to larger ones is given in this book, with several pluses. The smaller homes are so arranged that they allow for growth as the family, or purse, increases in size. Cabinet work throughout is in keeping and suggestions for furniture designed to complement the house are here. Plastering, the making of adobes, painting, plumbing, wiring--all the things that must be taken into account are dealt with in a practical manner that helps prevent costly errors.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the use of local building styles and traditional materials seemed to be on the wane. But shortly after that the historic architecture of the American Southwest rapidly began to win a new popularity. The turnaround was partly a product of the back-to-earth movement, the energy crises of the 1970s, and a reawakening of interest in regional history. But it received a boost, too, from advances in the use of solar energy--many of the new developments being especially adaptable to adobe structures. Individuals planning their dream house led the way, but many home builders and architects, taking note of the demand, followed the trend setters. At the same time, "how-to" books and articles on Southwestern traditional architecture began to find a large readership. Among those in the forefront of this small phenomenon was artist and writer Myrtle Stedman. A long-time resident of the Santa Fe, New Mexico area, she had been a champion of the old ways in building for much of her adult life. Indeed, her books "Adobe Architecture" and "Adobe Remodeling and Fireplaces" in significant measure helped spark the return to traditional construction. Mrs. Stedman has now added to her earlier accomplishments with the present sketchbook, focusing on the numerous fascinating and picturesque aspects of rural architecture, focusing on northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Her splendid pen and ink drawings, reminding one of Eric Sloane's work on rural America, have a three-fold value. In the first instance, they serve as an accurate documentary record of features and styles that comprise the unique architecture of this area. Secondly, the drawings will prove a boon to those wishing to restore buildings and improve rural properties along traditional lines. And finally, the artistic merit and natural charm of the sketchbook should appeal to all those who possess an aesthetic appreciation for the Southwestern landscape, be it natural or that part which is manmade.