The 2023 Corazon de Corrales Gift of Fellowship
Dear Creative Woman,
We are delighted to share Corazon de Corrales, a bed-and-breakfast in the Village of Corrales, New Mexico, and Charlene Spiegel, the generous woman who is offering a writer’s residency for one woman here.
On this beautiful secluded acre, Charlene Spiegel has hosted AROHO’s Fire Heart Circle’s annual meetings. We’ve gathered in her rooms, brainstormed at her dining table, and built fires in her adobe hearth, just past a water-blue gate, surrounded by sage and floral gardens. Her place is aptly named Corazon de Corrales. Nestled in the village of Corrales, you can walk to nearby restaurants, the Old San Ysidro Church, and the Rio Grande Bosque. Schedule your own creative residency on this spectacular property on the Corazon de Corrales website (corazondecorralesbb.com), or donate to AROHO for a chance to receive the 2023 Corazon de Corrales Gift of Fellowship here.
One of several entrances to the adobe spread of Corazon de Corrales.
In a conversation with Tracey Cravens-Gras, Charlene shares the details of her gift.
Q: What does it mean to have a room of your own and whom do you share it with?
A: I have always been a creative person even though I seldom realized it. And after surviving two long-term marriages and raising two children, I often felt alone, never experiencing true intimacy with another and somehow feeling “less than” most of my life.
Now that I am in my 70’s, I’ve come to understand that being alone in many ways was my power. I had just turned 70 when I experienced what I call my “senior ah-ha!” moment: owning and running a bed and breakfast – by myself! At last, I had the complete freedom to create a beautiful environment – nay, a haven – where I could do all the things that inspire, fulfill, and sustain me spiritually and physically: gardening, cooking, decorating, entertaining, and sharing my property with other amazing people.
The RC Gorman suite at Corazon de Corrales.
Q: Can you name and describe the details of your gift?
A: “Corazon” is Spanish for “heart,” and Corazon de Corrales is the name of my bed and breakfast. Not only is it located truly in the heart of this small village in New Mexico, where you may walk to many restaurants, galleries, the Rio Grande River, and the Bosque, but it is also my “heart” – and the source of my gratitude.
My gift is a 4-night weekend stay for one woman. Breakfast will be included each morning. The quiet, secluded harmony of this place will provide freedom of creativity for one woman, a special session with Darlene Chandler Bassett, founder of AROHO, and a travel stipend of $300.
May my gift – in some small way – enrich one woman’s creative life.
