Andrea of Ortega's and Brenda
Going to Santa Fe entails many activities, including that all-important task of shopping. In this age of over consumption, we must be conservative in our use of finite resources and be especially attentive to the labor that produces goods we admire. To that end of being sensitive to the environment, even in the purchase of jewelry, one must discriminate between what one can live without and what object will bring admiration and be regarded as an heirloom or treasure by one’s descendants, hopefully passed on for several decades if not a century. My wife, Brenda, has been given and she has purchased for several years, silver necklaces made by Maggie Moser. Buy quality, keep quality.
Ortega’s of Santa Fe purvey Maggie’s work. Brenda is wearing necklaces, five strands of them, purchased over the last five years, and pictured with her is Andrea of Ortega’s. Andrea is modeling some of Maggie’s necklaces. Andrea is a persuasive salesperson and devoted resident of Santa Fe. This year, for the first time in twenty years, she went to the farolito evening along Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. “Oh, it was so beautiful!” Andrea said.
Brenda will be pass her necklaces down to our grandchildren along with lessons of conservation because this year we did not purchase any new items from Ortega’s. We looked, but did not buy.
Sage to Meadow ~ Jack Matthews 
Thank you for the beautiful comments, you and your wife truly were a delight to meet.
Andrea
Andrea, you are welcome. We hope to see you this summer when we return for a short vacation. Beautiful photograph of you. Don’t know if you clicked the photo or not, but it will enlarge and with the camera I used you get really good resolution. Thanks, Jack.
This is so great, Jack. My husband and I are feeling exactly this way. Each purchase is done with attention to quality, so we know we won’t be throwing it in the dumpster in a year or two. And we’re discovering antique stores. There’s something so gratifying about buying something that you need, knowing it’s been around for 100 years and will be for 100 years more. Can’t say that about much at Walmart…
Kristy, We just don’t have a lotta space, either, to display. Yes, buying something old and know it will last another 100 years. We have a French country dining table, very sparse-looking, that goes back to 19th century. We will pass that on. Love to eat off of it and see the scratches from who-knows-where. What antiques do you all have?