Carolyn Ford Taylor

Arroyo Seco, NM 87514

  

 

    A new era in my life began when I closed an art gallery in Knoxville, Tennessee thirty four years ago, moved to Atlanta, and began a second marriage.  I earned an advanced degree in early childhood education and taught in private pre-schools while my three children, Jenifer, Georgia, and Michele, advanced through their own years of education.

 

    By the time my minister husband and I had moved to a new church life in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the girls were out of school and there was time to indulge my own interests in fiber arts, jewelry making, weaving, music, creative writing and designing children's "wearable art" clothing.

 

    Later, an interest in leading trips for groups of our church women developed into my own travel company, "Women With Wings".  This led to a collaboration with a larger tour company in California called "Wild Woman Adventures" and some eighteen trips to foreign countries including France, Spain, Ireland, Peru, Thailand, and India.

 

    The month long trip to India in cooperation with our national church organization included visits to several villages and cities involved in women's empowerment projects.  One such project was the only bank in India established by and for women.

    

    Along the way I became involved with a hands on healing method called Reiki as taught by Diane Stein, author of many women's books.  Earning a Reiki Master's certificate from Diane, I led classes both at home and abroad.

 

    I retired from the travel business six months before the tragedy of Sept. 11th and the subsequent decline in international travel.  Today I am living with my husband, Todd, in a small village near Taos, New Mexico that is a community of artists, crafts people and galleries on the road to Taos Ski Valley.  My three daughters, along with my husband's three children from a previous marriage, have given us eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild and one on the way.