reminder

It's the little things that keep us balanced.

just another monday

Grease Monkey!

                                                          Grease Monday!

All kidding aside. This girl, Rachel,  had some kind of day yesterday. She spent the day with her 9 year old cousin who is visiting here this summer.  She took him out for a day of fun and made him dinner, college-apartment style. On the way to take him back to her grandparent's house, she had a blow-out of her front tire. On the highway. In the dark.

A semi truck in front of her flung something out from under his tires. To avoid an accident by swerving, she did the inevitable and hit it, causing her tire to blow. Thankfully, she was able to pull off on the side of the road safely. Also thankfully, not one, but two state troopers pulled over behind her and along with their flood light and flashing lights (and big strong muscles) assisted her in changing her tire. They discovered that the jack was inadequate and the other tools needed were missing from her car. Hmmm.  Very kindly, they changed her tire to the spare and could see that it was low on air. So, they instructed her to take the first exit and fill it up. Long story short, that one was bad as well and wouldn't hold air. So, I met up with them to take my nephew on to the grandparents house and she called a friend that came to pick her and her room mate up. They loaded the tire and locked up the car, after we discussed the fact that we thought it would be safe parked there for the night. This morning, she got a new tire put on the rim, went and bought new tools and then her nice friend  helped her to change her tire a second time. She is now heading back to the tire store to get the spare replaced as well.

It is somewhat ironic, because she posted her story to Facebook this morning, reminding all of her friends to check their spare tires and tools and to be sure they have a flashlight in their car for emergencies. The ironic part? She had not seen my post that I put on this blog about "securing the details" !  There is a lot of life education going on with all of this and I'm just so very thankful that they were safe during it. And, how nice were those state patrol officers to change the tire? And, I mentioned their big strong muscles...evidently, when they found out her jack wasn't going to handle the job, one officer lifted her car himself, while the other officer switched her jack for his. Strong and helpful! Thank-you Arizona State Patrol officers. We appreciate you!

After I got home and tucked myself into bed, some sort of noise woke me up. And then as the fan in our room stopped rotating and the air conditioner was shutting off, I noticed the very strange lack of noise. Nothing. I looked over at the clock to see what time it was. That is when it occurred to me that the electricity was off. In the whole neighborhood. I remembered being told recently that transformers will blow when the heat is excessive. So, at 1 a.m., in a quiet, dark house I used my very smart phone (they do come in handy sometimes) to call the electric company to report it. As I laid in bed and as the house got warmer and warmer, I could hear the trucks arrive and could hear some banging off and on until about 4:15 this morning, when thank goodness, the air came on again. Whew. So, this morning, when I opened the blind I see this view out my window.

No other trucks. No workmen. Just this set-up. Lemonade stand?

I walked outside to check it out. Here he is, at the end of our driveway. 

And this at the base of the driveway.

I wished him a good morning and said I knew the electricity was out last night, so I'm pretty sure he was out there because of that. He said "Yep."  And I had to prompt him a little more. He was busy and didn't really want to stop what he was doing. But he did and then explained that he was security and was guarding the two electrical boxes, one here and the other up the road. The barrier at the end of the driveway is covering a temporary cable so that I can drive over it if I need to. They don't know where the problem is yet and will need to come and dig things up to repair it. He said "who knows when that will be... whenever they decide it is priority." In the mean time, he will be there to guard the "open boxes" so kids won't get hurt.  I asked him how long he had been there, he said since 4:15 this morning. I told him that made sense because that is when the power came back on. He will be here until 6:00 tonight, when his shift is over and then someone else will be here. They will rotate. Veteran's Security Company, the logo on his shirt and car said. He told me it could take several days. In the mean time, I guess I should feel comfortable because I have my very own security guard...

... who is busily working on a yarn hook rug.

Yep. He has quite a set up. He gave me a "tour" of his space. A custom made stand for the rug material and little separate divided trays for the different color yarn pieces. A small side table with the color chart and pattern sitting next to him. A cooler with his breakfast and lunch and a water jug. He has his shade umbrella with a zip-down window. His safety vest and a comfy chair. He showed me everything and pointed out the fact that he was making a lion design on his rug. This is his sixteenth rug.  He also told me he will not leave his spot unless he has to go to the bathroom.

Do you know how this is going to bother me all day that this guy is sitting out there, in this awful heat
(excessive heat warnings for the last few days by the way) guarding a cable and two transformer boxes, so that all of us can be cool and have unspoiled food in our refrigerators? Do you know how many times I have gone to the window to see him still sitting there, hooking those little pieces of yarn onto his rug? And then later, when I drive out the driveway and have to give him a little wave, how guilty I will feel that I can't wait for the air conditioner to cool my car off? I think I will make him some lemonade and cookies. Or bring him a slushie from Dairy Queen.  Or offer to help him with his rug. I made one of those. In the seventies. Mine was a dog.

Technically, this electric adventure all started in the wee morning hours of Tuesday, but adding it to Rachel's flat tire episode on Monday...won't you all join me in singing along with Cindy Lauper? You know the song. The one about Monday's and kind of our last name and all.

It seems fitting.

And now, Rachel has the tire grime scrubbed off her hands. Her car is all back to normal with some brand new tire-changing tools. Hopefully, she won't ever need them again. I'm so very thankful that she was able to safely pull over to the side of the highway, keeping calm and in control of her car.

Our details are secure now.

it's all in the details

"Secure the detail."

Three words my dad used to say.

It meant locking up the house before going to bed.
Turning the the lights off when leaving a room.
Double checking to be sure that the boat is on the trailer correctly before heading down the road.
Packing the trunk just right for maximum load.
Leave with plenty of time to be on time.
Keep track of your belongings.
Be sure your gas tank is never alarmingly close to empty.
Pay attention to what is going on around you.
Save money and spend wisely.
Always check your rearview mirror.
Never put yourself in harm's way.
Make good choices.
Pay attention.
Listen.

It is good to be sure that your details are always secure.


Self portrait with dragonfly by Leah.

good

Always look for it.
~n~

Santa Fe the last day

Well, we spent our last day in this great city yesterday. All I have to say is a place like this really inspires your creative side. Let's see how well the two of us put that inspiration to use. As far as my post today, all I will give you is a pictorial view of just some of the things I saw yesterday. We spent most of the afternoon walking through art galleries. There are a lot of them.

Painted tiles are everywhere. 

The Georgia O'Keefe Museum Research Center. Lovely.

One of many small chapels.

Flowers.

Pigeons. Look closely. Not only are they on the roof line...there is one on every wood post.

An interesting unicorn mermaid sculpture.

These are the flowers on an Angel Trumpet plant. We have a really small one in our yard, that has bloomed only twice since we have been there. It always looks very sickly. I never knew that it could look like this!!

It was in an indoor atrium area inside a gallery. Being in this environment is probably why it has done so well. They are actually a shrub that can grow and be pruned to look like a tree. This was amazing! It was like an umbrella opened above us with the flowers just dangling down. So pretty.

And then, amongst all the vines and trees I spotted something familiar. Mom ? Are you seeing this? 

It is a Hoya plant. The same variety of plant that she has from a cutting of her mother's plant. My mom's has never bloomed. I have a cutting of her plant that I have had in a jar with water for about 20 years. It bloomed every year, so I never wanted to disturb it by planting it in soil. However, since moving, my plant has never bloomed. Time to plant it? The one in this atrium was huge. The vine had mingled through the trees and the wood trellis and it was just so pretty. Controlled temperatures, plenty of water and just the right humidity is probably what both of these plants need to thrive.

Old iron work is everywhere. Around windows, doors and entryways leading to the prettiest courtyards.

This shop had a lot of old salvaged architectural pieces. Too big to carry-on the plane and way too expensive to ship home.

 The courtyard into my favorite little gallery was just so peaceful. The owner had such simple little touches everywhere that I just loved. It was her attention to small details that thrilled me! Like this beautiful white rose bud floating in the bird bath. Even the wasp was enjoying it.

Draped around her doorway were long garlands made from marigold blossoms. Something so simple...so pretty.  I think I will be growing some marigolds so I can do this for my fall decorating.

Window boxes and flowers were so abundant. I love this look-pretty on the inside too.

The artists make use of every painting area.

Speaking of painting. An artist easel, chair and palette sit quietly along the street.

The palette. This is when art becomes art.

Do you wonder what is behind this old weathered door and stucco wall? Another pretty courtyard leading to a quaint Southwest home, no doubt.

What does one do with all their used, worn-out old paint brushes?

To end the day we went to a neat little restaurant for dinner. The outdoor patio was a perfect spot to spend our last evening in Santa Fe. The breeze was just perfect, clouds were rolling in and a little lightening was dashing through the sky. To top it off...we were serenaded by this accordion player. He was really good and it was a pleasant surprise to have him play while we enjoyed our meal.

Thank-you Santa Fe for the nice week. We sure did love it.

Now, as I sit here at the airport gate waiting for our plane to board...I say...

Adios New Mexico!

Santa Fe day four

Today, I have only one photo to share of my day yesterday.

This is my friend Miriam. We met our first semester in college. It was one of those friendships that just took off quickly. Probably because we had so many things in common.

We were taking the same classes : art and photography.
We were both one of five girls in our family. Although, she also had a brother.
We had gone to the same high school but, had never known it until we met in college.
We had both moved to Albuquerque from another state, attending that high school for only our senior year.
We laughed and giggled at most everything.
We were both very embarrassed the day we had to draw nudes in our art class.
We both tried to maintain our laughter when the instructor of that class came around and looked at our drawings in progress and said..."you can't just draw the outside lines...you have to draw the other parts too." Our drawings looked like gingerbread men.

We have not seen each other in many, many years.
We have kept in contact each year through Christmas cards.

So, while we were here in New Mexico, Chuck and I both said.."lets try to get together with Miriam".

And we did. Last night we met her in Albuquerque and spent over three hours at a restaurant catching up on all those years missed. We reminisced about those nude drawings and still enjoyed a good laugh.
This is truly one of those friendships that no matter how long it has been, we just picked right up and took off talking.

Hugs were big and promises were made that we would see each other again soon.That will be a promise that is easy to keep, because Miriam...that just felt so good to see you!!

Here's to old friends...cheers!

Santa Fe day three

Yesterday was 31 on 31.

I have really been enjoying the lunch break music they have had on the plaza each day. So many people, local and visitors, gather to listen. I mentioned before that food vendors have their carts set up and people are treating themselves to authentic New Mexico fare while listening to great music. ( Well, there is that Chicago hot dog cart that isn't quite authentic Southwest food) 

It has been extremely entertaining to watch the dancing that breaks out. The little twins were too cute and the lady in the orange hat ? A show stopper. She has been out there several times, always a step ahead of the others and always sporting a very colorful outfit with matching hat. 

The pigeons are always there too, doing their own dance of sorts and hoping for a little treat tossed to them by the little kids. I was kneeling down trying to get a photo of this group taking flight. Every once in a while the little boy feeding them would charge toward them. The birds would all fly up, circle just a few feet off the ground and then land right where they started. I watched this for awhile before getting a little closer to try and capture just the right photo. Of course, other people would walk in front of me just as the little boy ran up to the birds, blocking the view and the shot. I snapped off a few, like the one below, before noticing what was just beyond the birds, hiding behind the tree.

Yep. Chuck was on a quick break from his meetings and saw me in the plaza taking pictures of the pigeons. He had been watching me for a bit, before I had looked up to see who was attached to the legs in my photo! I never did get the birds in flight, but seeing him on the camera screen when I hadn't noticed him standing there was just as good. (look back at photo with the birds, you'll see his legs right by the tree trunk-Ha!)

Our hotel is quaint and perfectly Southwest. This is the inside of the elevator!

I love these curly seed pods in the big trees, dangling and twirling with the rhythm of the music.

Colors are so vibrant and full. All of the brightness is a great contrast to the stucco walls and old iron gates.

Hidden courtyards are tucked away everywhere. It's so nice to wander through and realize that on the other side of that building is the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. And, it is interesting to imagine what some of these old buildings were originally used for many years ago.

Quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful.

Love those hollyhocks.

And sunflowers. I'm determined to see if I can grow some in our Arizona yard.

Chili Ristras are so quintessentially southwest. These were the smallest little mini ristras I have ever seen.

On one of the side streets I saw this tiny little corn garden. A great use of garden space I'd say.

The Old Santa Fe Trail ends here. It is marked in the center of the plaza. Imagine the hardships endured on that long road. Santa Fe is definitely a tourist destination for many people. The area is rich in history and I have heard languages spoken from many countries while here. This is a great tourist location. The Native American culture and Spanish heritage through art, food and music is all around. It is really a special place.

I met an older couple in the plaza yesterday and struck up a conversation.  I knew that man was an artist even before it was confirmed in the conversation. He was what we would all picture in our heads as a typical artist. He was wearing a beret tipped sideways, a white cotton shirt and large round wire-rimmed glasses. He was originally from Holland and still sported a great accent. She was everything Santa Fe. Quirky with her white hair, large flowing madras striped skirt with her belted turquoise top, and a colorful striped floppy hat. A photo would have been ideal, but it just didn't seem to fit the moment.

They are locals and have lived here for 30 plus years. He said he loves to come down to the plaza and sit on the bench to watch people. She likes to go around and mingle in the crowd. That is how I met her. I had been standing near their bench, listening to the music and watching them. They were an adorable couple. While she was off wandering the crowd, he had nodded and smiled at me. A few minutes later she drifted back towards me and said hello. She asked where I was from and then asked if I needed any suggestions on what to do while we were in Santa Fe. I took out a piece of paper and she wrote a list of some of their favorite things to do. Then she stepped me closer to meet her husband Nicholas. What an interesting man he was. He told me all about his people-watching love and I said it was something I liked to do to. He said he had noticed the color of my eyes when he was looking at me and had nodded his hello. He pointed out some others and his wife joined in and pointed out "the lady who is a real good dancer". I told him about the man I had seen drive up in an interesting car, when I had first gotten to the plaza, and what I told the people who were standing next to me about him. More on that in a bit.

He said they just love Santa Fe and told me, after I told him our art background, that we should move there. He said it is the best place to live. What a delightful man and I loved that we could share our enjoyment of people watching.

Like this.

And this. She was drying her hair in the warm afternoon breeze on the patio outside our hotel room.

This pigeon likes people watching too. It was on the window ledge of our room peering in at us.

No people on this bench but, I loved the brick walkway.

This was one of our favorite pieces of art while walking through the galleries. This artist does some interesting work and his color pallets are beautiful. Luckily for our savings account, this one was not for sale. It was the gallery owner's favorite piece too.

Walking through the neighborhoods is a treat too. Love this tiny cottage with the rustic fence. This place was for sale so, for grins, we looked it up to see what the price was. One bedroom one bath. Six hundred square feet of cuteness. Over $1000.00 per square feet. You do the math.

Here is the car that rolled up and caught a lot of people's attention. The man is a little washed out from the bright sun...but like I told the lady standing next to me..."If Santa had a car, this is what it would look like." And you know the stories of old St. Nick getting caught in the chimney? Let's just say this Santa had the same problem getting out of his car. Oh Santa...Fe...how enjoyable you are.

So, I started this post saying 31 on 31.

Did you think I was going to show you 31 photos from my day on the 31st of July?

Nope.  We celebrated 31 years of marriage on the 31st. When that happens on you birthday they call it your Golden Birthday.  Is it the same for marriage?  Your real Golden Anniversary is when you celebrate 50 years. That is GOLDEN.

But as Chuck said... "this is our first Golden Anniversary."

We had dinner on the front patio of a really great place called El Farol. The band that was playing in the plaza during the lunch break said they were playing at that restaurant that night. Since we hadn't completely decided on where we were going for dinner and since the couple I met in the plaza gave it rave reviews, we chose it for our anniversary dinner.

The food was delicious. The music was great.

Self shots with the camera are not easy for me.

Yes, Nicholas the artist on the park bench, who said he noticed how pretty my eyes were, noticed Chuck's when he had joined us after his meetings. Upstaged.

Yesterday, the day was Golden.