Here we are, the Junior year of this chronicle: what a fine
year it was.
2016 began quietly for the western D…….Family. You can see
already I have adopted the paradigm that we are not mere visitors but instead,
pioneers who have blazed a path to good eating and excellent climate for those
of you back east. Our year began with a
quiet Christmas at home, where Lover and I cooked for 20, and fed 4; 5 if you
count the dog.
By January our big snow came and by the next day, went; and we
determined to expand our garden. No the
bathroom wasn’t completed, we were just not thinking clearly. So with shovel and pick in hand and visions
of giant tomatoes in mind, we dug a trench, poured footer and created a concrete
block retaining wall to contain the garden and added irrigation. It seemed simple, but I’m here to tell you
that laying block is not the party you might expect. Nor is hand mixing concrete.
Meanwhile between fits and starts working on the garden, we
had additional fits with cussing and swearing as we continued to remodel the
bathroom and replace the patio that was dug up to repair our water service
line. Once again I’m reminded of the “Joys” of home ownership and promise to
get even with all of you who could not wait to see me buy a house.
In late March, we traveled to Southern California with some
friends. Before arriving in Oceanside, we visited our companion’s family. The kids were amazed to pick oranges off the
tree and eat them directly…best oranges ever… and they weren’t even completely
ripe yet. Our rental overlooked the beach, and the magic of the southern
California sunsets was not lost on me.
We visited the San Diego Zoo and enjoyed Fish Tacos at every
opportunity. In fact, I celebrated my 40th birthday sitting on the beach with a
rum and coke, eating excellent tacos.
The other wonderment discovered was a California burrito….which among
other things has French fries and avocado stuffed inside.
I made a business trip to New Orleans and soaked in the
Jazz, and the pure funk of a city below sea level surrounded by industry and
drenched in beer and human stank. Bourbon street and the French Quarter are
impressive both for the good and bad….Fritzles
Eurpoean Jazz Pub is just what the Doctor ordered for all of your ills….the
live classic jazz made almost every worry or concern disappear, and the beer
did the rest. This year, I also managed to catch my first trout on a fly
rod. The San Juan River is famous for
large, willing, and numerous trout and I managed to land 2 in a short span on a
new fly rod. My life perspective is
changed as I spend sleepless nights planning my next trip to the river.
The kids spent a large part of the summer in PA with the
grandparents and loved it. It was hard
for Lover to watch the boys board the airplane without us in Phoenix, but they
did it like pros. Bittersweet to see
them grow and not need us as much. Lover
and I loved our kids-free time. We spent time in ABQ touring the local breweries,
enjoying the hot springs, and generally forgetting we were parents. We discovered “Celebration Cakes” in a small
mountain town: Blue Corn Pancakes with cheese, green chile, and bacon baked
into them. All other pancakes now pale in comparison. We also worked hard to perfect our sangria
recipe. When we made it back to PA to
collect our kids, we got to see many of you at Knoebels. It was great to reconnect with everyone. We drove from PA back to NM in record time
and since it’s a great drive, I encourage you all to take it. We made it in less than 3 days without
issue. On the way back we stopped at a
place called Blue Hole in the town of Santa Rosa, NM. There we were able to jump from the cliffs
into an artesian spring. The water is
crystal clear, Caribbean blue and terrifyingly cold.
Lover finished her course work and passed her Gifted
Education certification. After a stressful year of working part time in two
schools Lover found a position teaching gifted kids that she really enjoys. Lover’s
hands are still working clay when she has time.
She will be glazing some of the tiles for our bathroom and is slowly
replacing the store-bought bowls with those that are handmade. Her newly expanded garden did well this year
and we had cherry tomatoes ad nausea.
The green Chile and peppers did well enough that we had some to
freeze.
Monster has continued in scouts and is a patrol leader. He has learned that leadership is the most
thankless job in the world but still enjoys the camping. He continues to shoot the bow and has achieved
some nice high scores at recent competitions.
Monster likes to draw and made a card game that includes creatures he
created and drew. Monster’s love of
music keeps him playing trombone in the band and the Jazz band. Monster recently
had an opportunity to play with the high school marching band at a football
game. He had a blast and is somehow looking forward to waking up at 5am next
year to be a part of it officially, as he enters 9th grade (You read
that right: high school). My guess is he was seduced by the 85 pounds of candy
the kids had stored in their marching hats, and consumed in the stands between
songs. It was a lot of fun to be part of the excitement of the marching band
again and I’m sure Lover and I will find ourselves in the band boosters next
fall. Oddly, the football concession
stands did not have French fries, just nachos….NM is a bit behind the rest of
the word it seems.
Nugget will be in middle school next year as a 6th
grader. He is trying to figure out what
instrument to play in band next year and finish up his cub scout badges before
joining James in Boy scouts in the spring.
Nugget is still non-stop active, running and jumping. Fruit usually is enough to get him to stop
moving, and when he does you can find him playing Legos, nerf war, or video
games with his cronies. Nugget has been
making small things with polymer clay and is refining his cephalopod and whale
drawing skills. Nugget has discovered the joy of novel reading and is working
his way through the Fablehaven series.
We have had a happy year here in the “Land of Enchantment”
and look forward to next year and the next adventure. Make New Mexico your next adventure, the
highways and airports do go both ways. Our
door is open for visitors, and I think you will find our state a welcome and
relaxing change….if only for a short visit. We miss you guys. I hope you all have had an excellent year,
full of life and happiness.
Love, Me, Lover, Monster, and Nugget
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