Summary

Margaret Noyes moved into her new house on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Her husband was still in Connecticut, working on a case. She was glad he was unable to yet move with her as she wanted time to herself and to focus on painting. The painting she was working on, Canute Commands the Tides, was based on the story of Canute, a Danish king of England who ordered his throne to be placed in the tides, believing he could control them. She related to this story and felt like it was partly a self-portrait as “Instead of submitting to the tide of life, letting old age drag him away and under, Canute had railed against it” (Location 2932). She had started this painting two years ago after she was deeply upset by her daughter and grandchildren moving to South Africa.

Margaret...