As Time Goes By

We are slowly realizing that we are getting a little more organized around here. Gene's garage is in great shape - today when he needed an Allen wrench he told me where they were and I actually found them...all of them...all 50 of them, or so...in a container according to size. Wow, that was fun. So he fixed the front door.

Second - he brought out his sleeping bag (no, not his wife) and we hung it outside in the sunshine and breezes to air out so I can use it on the wilderness camping trip. Still need to take it to the cleaner but at least we found it and aired it out a bit. Only one spider (that we noticed).

Third - Gene headed off to the "lower 40" and cut down a bunch of small scrub oak trees that are just nuisance trees and found all sorts of interesting things - like old tires and small toys - buried under the brush. With that gone, the vista opens up a bit and we can actually see how the yard slopes down away from the house. Gene's plan is to make terraced gardens out there and I can actually see where they will be.

Fourth - I baked a lemon meringue pie yesterday using real lemons! real eggs! etc etc. Even made my own crust - a yummy graham cracker w coconut crust. Baking here at 6500 ft above sea level is iffy...so I bought a cookbook with about 100 recipes that have been tested at high altitudes. Following the directions is time consuming because the author has written the ingredient lists in a chart for 5 different altitudes. Did you know that meringue needs to be stabilized with corn starch gel so it won't fall. And above 10,000 ft you actually make it like a 7-Minute frosting. Looks good baking and then - whump! down it goes. I followed the directions, washed way too many dishes, spent way too much time on this pie but it turned out perfectly fine!! Should have taken a picture. So I figure I'll work my way through the cookbook trying all the recipes.... just like Julie/Julia!! (FYI - Gene found a farmer near by who has organic eggs for sale - yippee!) (and chicken manure to enrich the compost/soil he is making for our gardens).

The rest of today was spent changing oil in the car (Gene) and doing a little sewing (Linda) and sleeping most of the day (Levi). I went to a reception at the university with one of my neighbors this afternoon - it was the opening of a quilt show at the gallery there. First time they had done that and some of the gals I know had projects in it. Nice show...not large but nicely done and it was fun to see the range of talent. I met so many people - lots of quilters of course and others. It's fun to go somewhere and have people remember me and say hello! And nice to have a neighbor invite me. Tuesday night is our monthly Girls Night Out get-together...they are fun and every time I go, I meet someone new. Fun to see everyones house and just hang out. Very friendly group here in the neighborhood. I'll try a recipe from "Pie in the Sky", the new cookbook.

Last Thursday night, Gene and I went to a water meeting... we are all on wells out here in the country and the city keeps pumping water from a well nearby which causes some folks to lose water ... it's an ongoing problem and they have been fighting this for a couple of years. So they want to get a community well/tank for us but in order to do that, we need to set up a community water board. So that's what the meeting was all about. Very interesting and such a talented group of people out here. Gene and I volunteered to help as much as we can - me on grant writing and he on membership and PR. It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of people but it must be done. Too many people here have had their wells go dry and had to either drill a new well or wait for it to refill. One couple actually has water trucked in. If we can organize and this happens, we can get the county to truck in water. Lots of rules, regulations, old-boy network type government, etc to go through but also lots of gov't folks willing to help and teach us how to apply for grant money. What a change from Seattle where we always had water. But it makes us realize how precious a commodity water is and it's not just here in the SW. So remember, don't let your water run when you brush your teeth, use low flow toilets, etc etc. Take short showers. If you have a partner, shower together. One of you can wash while the other rinses. You'll probably halve the amount of water you use, saving money. You may have some fun while you're at it, too! If you don't do it to save the water, you'll at least save money on your water bill.

Gene starts college tomorrow...again...he's taking a class at Highlands about the History of New Mexico. M,W,F and he gets to pay the old person rate...$30 for the class instead of $300+ for "normal" students. I'm starting college concert choir next Monday night and that will cost $20 as a community member. Hey, this getting older thing isn't too bad!!!!!!!

So that's all I can remember right now. Busy week ahead - the Pot Quilt will be ready for me to pickup in Albuquerque on Thursday so a couple friends are going over with me to get it and check out a couple of quilt shops there. Am anxious to see it all done...except for the binding of course which I need to do. And on Saturday, our friends, Jim and Linda Grover, from Bellevue (Seattle) arrive . They are in Santa Fe this week attending the opera and will come see us Sat-Mon. It'll be so good to see them and have company. They leave Monday and then on Tuesday (25th) Gene's sisters, Barb and Bev, and friend, Carol, arrive from Minnesota on their 2009 Road Trip. Busy days ahead but what fun!!

Oh and best of all - on Thursday Levi gets to go to the groomer for a shave and a haircut and a bath and a peticure (that's supposed to be funny - peticure - get it? never mind). I am keeping my fingers crossed tightly that this gal really knows how to cut a Westie. but whatever, the dog will be clean and white again...for a few days. He loves being outside and chasing whatever but it has been a while since he's been a white Westie! I'm going to have her use bleach!! Not!