Just a quick update if anyone is interested. I promise I'm NOT a pest and I will go away from your forum. : ) However, I just wanted to let you all know that after further research, and based upon the following website, I have concluded that this is most likely bonded carrara marble. http://www.everlifememorials.com/v/bonded-marble-statues.htm Although I bought them in Italy, we purchased them at a Market, and I really didn't know anything about them at the time, only that I loved them and always wanted some of these statues. And since that time, I really never gave them much thought. But common sense now tells me that since I actually bought them in Italy, then in all probability, they are more likely this bonded marble, as opposed to being some other substance. I was also reflecting on how there would be slabs and slabs of marble in this town we lived near. It seemed to be as common as grass is to us here. (Gee, I sure do regret not purchasing several slabs of marble.) Thank you all for indulging my intrusion here. You have been very kind.

Thanks Susan, I consider that a serious accolade, having seen your own paradise. We'll be visiting George again next month. Perhaps we can meet up? Joanne, this is the climber, under constraints, she wants to be over the house and back and I wish her to remain a bush, or sort of. Rose wars. Carol knowing your roses, I have no fear Buff will be pounding the roof in no time. And yes the front is always behind the back, less early morning light, but you'll note that green bush between the Golden Celebration and Ulrich Brunner fils with two blooms? That is Grosse Choux de Hollande already finished by the time the others got started. la

Thanks for all your compliments and for your suggestions and ideas! Amcofar: thanks! I'd love to see those pics, if you can find them. Valinsv: I've just angled it. As for the rug, most of us out here use Oriental rugs. They look great with our decor here in the SW. If we get a good Native American rug, we usually hang it on the walls instead, as they're sooooo expensive. I don't care for the cheaper versions, but you're right, a real (good quality) Indian rug would be beautiful there. Trailrunner: thanks! I love the Tewa art and I'd love more of the Santa Clara black pots, although the nice big ones cost a small fortune! Sable: Yes, we met the artist at the show. He's a great guy and we talked with him quite a bit. We bought two of his pieces; the other one is on the wall now in our family room. As for Chimayo, I love that place, too! We bought table runners and the fabric for two of our punched tin mirrors up there. Did you eat at Rancho de Chimayo while you were there? The food is outstanding and the place is so pretty. Oofasis: Hi Girl! Yes, I've actually met John Nieto several times at art shows. He's a nice guy and I love his work. Like you, I wish we could afford to buy one of his originals. Any of them would look great in my family room. Do you have one of his prints hanging in your beautiful new kitchen? I can picture one in there. Justgotabeme: Thanks! Inside the cab is just one fixed shelf. Nothing very telling. Tish, we should get together someday and hit the antique shops in ALbuquerque. Let me know if you're up for it some day. Maybe the antique mall on Central. Igloochic: thanks for that info. It'll help when I try to do an internet search to date it. I'd love to se your Native Alaskan pieces someday . . . whenyou get them unpacked ;^P My friend here is from ALaska and they have some great pieces. Lori: thanks, I love the hunt!

Just to give you more info than you probably want to know, if St. Francis is holding anything paper-wise, it's supposed to be the rule he wrote for his friars, the Franciscan Rule. See the statue of him at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The reason St. Anthony, a follower of St. Francis, holds the Book of the Gospels is because he was very learned--in fact St. Francis was a little leery about having such a learned man join his community: he wanted simple, humble souls. But he changed his mind after he heard St. Anthony preach. Then Francis allowed Anthony to start teaching his friars, deciding that such profound learning wasn't such a bad thing. So my guess is that the lore got mixed up along with way with the statue makers and they put the book of the Gospels with St. Francis when it should have been his Rule. (But Francis definitely loved the Gospels and probably knew them by heart--he just wasn't a book-learning kind of guy.) Here is a link that might be useful: