December 8, 1998

Dear Mom,

I want to tell you about the things that have happened, are happening and will be happening in connection with San Pedro Chapel and the Capillita. You loved those two places so much and dedicated so much of your life and your energy to them. When you had your stroke, you did not seem to show much interest in the things that had been so important to you. The Chapel and the neighborhood seemed to be part of that. Now that you are no longer in your body, maybe you will read this and renew your interest in the Chapel and its grounds since souls do not have dementia (at least in my belief system).

Since your stroke, we have had a number of interesting activities in the Chapel. We had a lecture on the archeology of the Ft. Lowell area. Quite a few people attended and found the lecture very interesting. We also have been having a writing class which is a six or seven week class. It is being held in San Pedro Chapel and the theme of the writing is San Pedro Chapel. The idea is to create, "a Sense of Place" about the Chapel. We work as a group and share ideas and words. We incorporate each others' work in our own, giving credit where credit is due, of course. The class drew my attention because it is about creating "A Sense of Place" which is so much like what Dad and you created about the neighborhood--"A Sense of Time and Place." I have been taking the class and have been having a good time stimulating my desire to write. I have even found that I have fun writing poetry, especially haiku, which I never thought I had any propensity for at all.

Gosh, since your stroke, we excavated the site of the Capillita ruin. This was something you had pushed for. Then very shortly after the excavation, a new adobe Capillita was constructed right on the foot print of the original building. It is wonderful to have there. It seems to have become quite a neighborhood shrine. People have been leaving lit candles in it, leaving donations and milagros and saying prayers. And, now that you have left your physical body, people are making the Capillita a living shrine to you.

The future plans for the Chapel grounds have come closer to becoming a reality since you had your stroke. We have plans for putting ramadas over the concrete slabs that remain from the mule home. This will give us some nice shade for outdoor events. We are also going to put up signs and make maps available that point out and interpret the historic aspects of the property. Storage areas, a kitchen, a bathroom and an office are going to be built south and west of the Adobe House so that the plumbing can be removed from the Chapel. Once the plumbing is removed, the Chapel will be returned to its original configuration inside. The outside area around the buildings will be landscaped so that it is a desert park like area with pedestrian trails. Car access will be changed and limited so that the focus of the area is people, not cars.

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