Par-tay!

Friday night we celebrated Marie's birthday with pizza and fabulously perfect homemade cheesecake. It was a lovely celebration.

I was most entertained by the biggest kid who kept asking for more and more stories about his tios and the trouble they got into as boys and men. Somehow during these storytimes, with Tom in the same room as his big brother, he just melts into a little boy. I can see him look up at Daniel as an 8 year old who adores his big brother. Very sweet!

More cause for celebration - Daniel just got his license to preside over Christian celebrations - namely non-denominational weddings, baptisms, and burials. There was much teasing, but I am happy for him. Tom likes to say that I say that Daniel is my favorite pray-er. I don't know that a person can have one favorite pray-er, but Daniel is definitely top of the list. He is very thoughtful and genuine - both authentic and articulate. (PS - if you'd like to request the services of Rev. Dan, let me know, and I can put you in contact.) (PPS - be sure to include a cheesecake made by Julie in your negotiations.)

A Bird in the Flue is Worth What?

Yesterday morning I guess I made a mistake. I rekindled the fire from Wednesday night before I got myself together and out the door. Given the hurried departures of Thomas and I in the morning, it probably isn't really necessary, or rather, it probably doesn't benefit us much in the morning. Now if I was the good wife that got up before dawn to stoke the fire, make eggs and bacon, and pack my husband's lunch, well then maybe it might be worth it. So I stoked up a little fire briefly and was, not long after, on my way to work.

No there wasn't a fire. Rather, Thomas and I arrived home to immediately take care of a few things outside. Upon entering the house, Thomas was aware that we weren't alone. There was noise coming from the living room. Not the witching hour or day, we suspected it was from the land of the living. There inside the wood stove was a very sooty bird. The poor bird was likely lured by the heat of the chimney on a chilly day and found it's way under the chimney cap and fell down the chimney. I would guess that it was too tight a space to fly straight up a narrow chimney.

We grabbed a garbage bag and surrounded the door. Thomas got it open, but thought it was too sooty to fly. I tried to use the little shovel for ashes to move it towards the bag, but all things considered, we didn't want to create an opening for it to fly out of the stove and into the house. Thomas finally reached with the bag into the stove and pulled it into the bag. We took the bag outside and waited a moment. Then -POOF- the bag was opened, and the poor little meadowlark flew up and made a big arc to the SW and then slowly back around to a big tree by the horse barn. You could see the lovely color under its wings once taken to flight. We laughed about what that poor bird was going to tell the wife sitting on the nest - really, honestly, I was stuck in a stove - I wasn't messing around!

First Fall of the Snow

OR First Snow of the Fall... Either way you look at it...it came, it soaked, but it did not conquer...in fact, most signs of it are gone. It snowed Wednesday evening. It had been so cold all day; I just couldn't wait to get home and build a fire - though there had been some teasing about whether I was capable or not. It was a soup night for sure, so I also made some delicious focaccia bread and let it rise near the warm fire. So tasty! After I got the bread rising, I snuck out to snap some pictures: (sorry for the delay in post, as if it has never happened before...last night I really did try, but the internet wouldn't upload the pics)

What a way to start a day!

This morning I didn't want to get out of bed.  Could be that I stayed up to late.  Could be that the bed is so warm and comfortable in the morning, as compared to the rest of the world.  Could be that even with the shades drawn, I could sense the overcast-ness of the day, the kind of day that deserves to be relished under blankets with books and movies and cocoa.  But we do what we do because we're "supposed" to - get up, get dressed, freshen up, and head off for work. 

 

I sat in the car a moment to let it warm and run the windshield wipers.  Then the moment arrives that I set the car in motion, and, in my case, it doesn't stop until I park it at the office.  Maybe a brake here or there for deer, but never a stop.  As I pulled out to the highway, I watched Blackie motor by, reluctantly taking Daniel to work.  

 

Following Daniel is usually not maddening, as he drives at a good clip and fairly consistently.  (Yes, there are others who drive slow, then speed up in the passing lanes, then slow down again....maddening!)  We were keeping pace pretty well, but he started slowing down a little, then a little more, then completely pulled off the road.  He started to get out and had something in his hand.  My first thought was what a bummer to breakdown, but what luck that I was so close if he needed a ride.

 

But, in fact, Daniel offered me half a cream cheese-y bagel with chopped garlic and green chiles on top.  He, too, would have liked to stay home and enjoy the storm rolling in (a real live storm with thunder showers, snow, and a winter storm warning from 4 pm - 6 am).  We chatted a moment longer, and then drudged back into motion of going to work. 

 

My drudge was infinitely better with a warm, toasted bagel in my hand and the smile of seeing family on my face!  Thanks, Daniel!

Our Foundation - finished!

We were all head prisoner between these bars until it was finished. With the sun rising and the concrete setting, we urgently got the last of the rebar in place and the concrete smoothed around them. Then, with my soreness, hunger, and thirst, I made it out of the pit and into the kitchen to make lunch! My fingers felt raw on my left hand, tender tips. When I finally washed them, I learned that I should have been wearing gloves. Actually, I wore a glove on my right hand to prevent calluses from holding the trowel with which I smoothed the concrete. But I do prefer the dexterity of a bare hand, so I left my left bare, unknowing of the consequences. And none of my experienced colleagues of the pit told me otherwise! (Thanks, guys!)

It looks like a mouse was nibbling off my fingertips. Or maybe a caterpillar from the garden mistook my fingers for carrots. The squirrely little lines and holes hurt. Sometimes with use they become numb, like being in the ocean so long you don't realize it is cold. And then I do something that smarts like fire. The throbbing in my fingertips will subside, I am sure...

And here it is...our footer for the walls we will put up in the spring. After putting up the basement walls, we will pour the slab.

Thomas glazing the concrete...

Our Foundation - progress

Well, I heard the rumble of the truck before I saw it. Pop had cleared a path all around the hole for the truck to drive and drop down the concrete. The gentleman driving was quite kind (and turned out to be quite talkative after the fact. I offered iced tea and got his family heritage - part Indian, you know?)

Hooking on the extra lengths of chutes....a massive truck next to our little hole

Tom and I are grateful for the assistance of the day. Pop was a huge help. He helped guide the truck, smooth out the concrete, and help getting the rebar posts in for the wall (to be put up next Spring). He worked so hard! I have never done this work, so I took my cue from him. Andres joined us for, I think, his first concrete work. He helped smooth out it out and then proceeded to put his initials and name in several time. We had a good laugh about that.

Andres, who doesn't like to be reminded how he grows an inch a day...I enjoy getting to work with him. The first drop of concrete! Piling it in! Pop & I were following close behind...at least at first. The truck definitely was moving faster than we were!

The concrete filled the forms and then some. We did find that our forms were not quite strong enough to hold up to the concrete, so we quickly added some metal strapping to help. Tom would get a row of it in, while we smoothed the concrete behind him, and while the truck pulled into position for the next side, Tom would get the strapping in place.

Once the truck was gone, Tom shifted his attention to getting the rebar in place for our walls. All that pretty smooth concrete was punctured and then had to be re-smoothed. We were pretty tired and sore when it was all through...

our foundation

We're (hopefully) minutes away from the arrival of the concrete. A truck is coming down from Raton with our liquid foundation. Last week we finished the digging of the trench and flooded it. Thomas, Daniel, and Pop had long since finished the rebar forms for the footer. This past weekend the boards were ripped, and the forms built. Yesterday Thomas & Pop installed the forms. Last night Thomas and I cut up some more rebar, and this morning I bent them, while Thomas tied rebar in place and Pop gave the trench a last soaking before the concrete arrives....I needed to do a little leveling in the muddy trench and couldn't resist stepping in barefoot. Felt so good!

a before and after - the before for the next blog post's after...

the pile of 73 pieces of rebar that I bent this morning

Post baptism

Oliver has a voice, and mostly he just talked to me a lot, but sometimes he's a little fussy. Of course, those are not pictures I would have taken. After Lou & Lisa headed back to Leavenworth, I was first in line to hold Oliver. There is no way to hold onto the kid long enough not to notice a couple of months of his absence, but I was going to try to get my fill. He really is such a happy baby, talking and smiling and checking things out:

Hanging out on Grandma's lap before she had to leave Sitting with his mom...the chrism oil in his hair smelled so good, we didn't want to wash it out! He has such expressive eyes...

Telling me stories - what an animated talker Oliver is!

I don't remember who had the camera, but Ollie hung out in my lap for quite a while Monday afternoon. Everyone else wanted a nap, but this little guy was all I needed.

I enjoyed a movie with Miki in the afternoon...first time in a theater since Christmas! We went and saw The Help and enjoyed the time driving and talking about life. We met up with the others for sushi that night and then said our farewells. It was fun getting to stay with Miki and Marty and be there for bath time and morning chill time. I especially loved that extra down time around Ollie and his parents. I did notice that I spent such little time with my own, as we weren't on Henderson Street with them during the pre and post day chill time. I guess you can't have it all! And now I am counting down the days till we can get back again for Christmas!

Baptism

Monday morning we rolled out of bed to the alarm. I got dressed and ready and headed into the kitchen to make a couple quick breakfast smoothies. Miki was a little nervous about the noise waking up Oliver, but he also needed to be awake, so he could be fed and changed for his baptism. We scooted on down the road to church in morning traffic and found front row parking at Mom & Dad's house.

Miki dressed Oliver in the baptismal gown that the four of us wore and the four Dieringer kiddos wore, too. Two backup outfits were on hand just in case...

The baptism itself was great. Miki and Marty posted some nice pics at http://www.greenleepdx.com/. Our camera was out of commission, since we were with the parents and baby. Oliver was all smiles for Fr. Bob, and with his nightly bath routine, he wasn't phased at all by the water being poured over his head. And with all the chrism oil, he sure smelled good! What a privilege for Tom and I to be Ollie's padrinos, as we say down here. The morning mass crowd, many "contemporaries" of my grandparents who watched us all grow up, were there to celebrate and continue the celebration with breakfast at Mom & Dad's. We had a nice time before continuing to hang out and enjoy family time.

Marty, Miki, Dad, me, Oliver, Tom, and Mom... SISTERS~ how proud of and excited for my little sister!

Chronicles of Portlandia... Pt III

Day two brought more joy! We had a leisurely morning, sleeping in and taking out time.

Ollie with his Tio Tom

Miki had an appointment mid morning with Ollie, so after pancakes we cleaned up and headed out. Thomas found a new pair of sneakers; Marty got a belt; and I lost a few inches of hair. We rendezvoused at a new-to-us brewery on Powell - Hopworks. Delicious seven grain stout - one of the grains was quinoa, so I am sure it was really good for me.

Ollie showing off his "front bum" - the cloth diapers are not entirely flattering, but they do catch the mess without the waste...

A real bummer - Thomas and I had thought we'd make it back to the Greenlee's house before bedtime, but it wasn't so. We spent a marvelous Friday night with the Dieringers - Maddie, Mia, and Monica were aflutter charming Tom. Benjamin was skeptical of us ne'er-do-wells who don't come over and play more often for him to know us. We enjoyed some fresh salmon Pat caught just the weekend before. It was wonderful just to hang out and catch up with Amy and see how much her girls are growing up! We didn't want to leave, but bedtime comes for all of us.

Saturday was another slow going morning. We enjoyed wandering over to the farmer's market, helping (more like watching) Marty with some yard work, and then a nice lunch with Mom aka baptism class. Tom & I enjoyed a visit to Powell's Bookstore downtown , a lovely building crammed with books of all shapes and sizes and topics. It wasn't much, but we enjoyed the brief time of just the two of us before the real commotion began. Dad and Uncle Ken prepared a feast of paella, and we sat down to family dinner with all 6 Fords and our attachments. We even played a game of "Celebrity".

Cole wasn't too shy with me, at least as long as I was taking an interest in playing with the collection of balls. I especially enjoyed crawling around on the floor under the tables with him. So silly!

Sunday we did not enjoy a leisurely morning, as we snuck off to church early so as to make a breakfast date with my oldest goddaughters. So fun to catch up and check out a new neighborhood restaurant serving up local fare: Toast.

Ava & Sophie - high schoolers that I still remember as babies. Not looking like babies anymore! They are so grown up.

After breakfast we headed back to Henderson St. I was giddy to share the funny story of night before. A certain someone sharted in his bath water and startled his mama who thought he was just blowing bubbles! It was so funny to note the change of reaction from a big fart we all heard to lifting the washcloth and realizing bathtime just got a little messy. I giggled and giggled, and Ollie did, too. Marty to the rescue - the tub was cleaned and ready for a refill pretty quickly. Mom & Dad joined in on the laughter, and we couldn't wait for them to arrive for a little teasing. The guys left us ladies and Ollie and Cole for some darts and pints, while we ladies enjoyed a breadbaking class with Sr. Mary Jo. We made Challah and Belgian Raisin Bread - delicious! With the ovens still warm, we popped in pizzas and enjoyed another night of family dinner, though Auggie was noticeably back at camp. No dawdling Sunday night, we all had to get rested up for Ollie's baptism early Monday morning.

Chronicles of Portlandia...Pt II

Flying in over Mount Hood - a forecast of rainy weather meant this was the closest we'd get to seeing Mt. Hood

We got home a week ago, and already the hectic pace of work has eroded the feeling of any recent time off. A good time to remember...

Day one - we sure had fun with Oliver. Dad dropped us off at Miki's, and the playing began. We enjoyed Miki and Ollie for a few hours before Marty got home from work.

Then it was off to a grown-up dinner while Grandpa babysat. The sock were Grandpa's idea - a trifle big now, but no doubt he'll grow into them!

Wish I had a camera...

So much to post about the last week - and pictures, too!  But there have been a few occasions the past week I wish I had a camera.  If a picture paints 1,000 words, then this should be a long blog post about what I can't show you with a picture - don't worry, though, I'll spare you!

 

Thursday, Oct 6th Thomas and I left for the airport...not exactly a 30 minute drive any more, so we left early.  We snoozed a little long, so we didn't leave when we planned, but we did leave at the perfect time for the unsnapped picture.  As we sped out of Miami towards Springer, we rounded a slight corner to startle a mountain lion.  A small herd of about eight or nine antelope was about 100 yards NE of the car.  Between us was a large mountain lion.  It turned toward us and started to run.  As it ran, its tail rippled out behind it, a good four feet in length.  It was moving very fast.  Clearly we were not the target, as it maintained its stride and kept moving in the direction of the mesa as we passed it.  With no trees or other cover and the sun approaching from the beneath the horizon, that kitty cat needed some protection.  Wow!  What a beauty!

 

Shortly after, I wished I could capture the whole sky of clouds before daybreak.  The sun was getting so close to the horizon, but hadn't sent that first needle of light up and over the lip of the edge of the plains.  The purples of the sky and oranges of the clouds were warming to my heart, but then the clouds went molten gold.  They possessed a unique embossed dimension, as if a play of texture and light had melted them onto a canvas of sky.  It wasn't breathtaking, so much as it made me hold my breath and wait and wait and wait for the fiery light I knew would soon burst into the picture and upset the colors of dawn.

 

There are way too many pictures missing from Friday night, when I left our camera at Miki & Marty's.  We spent the evening with three Ms and a B ~ Maddie, Mia, Monica, and Benjamin!  We had a lot of fun making dinner and hanging out and eating and hanging out and reading.  Pat & Amy were full of great stories, and the night shouldn't have had to end.

 

This past Wednesday I wished for my camera twice.  I arose early after arriving late the night before.  I was rushing out the door to be in Springer by 7 am to pick up a colleague and drive to Santa Fe for a training.  The sun hadn't risen yet, and the dawn sky to the west was a dusty purple over the mountains.  The sky was made more marvelous by the whole moon hanging over the mountains just so.  It was hard to push on, but I knew I had to get going.  I wrote about that image last year...probably will make me swoon every time!

 

On the way home from Santa Fe, passing through Las Vegas, I got that sinking feeling that comes when you see flashing lights in your rear-view mirror.  It seemed to be too far away to have been a cop I hadn't seen on the side of the road, but I lowered my cruise control a few miles per hour nonetheless.  As it got closer, I knew it would pass without incident because I could see a fire truck approaching the on ramp to the highway.  I said a prayer in my head and bumped my speed back up.  Soon another stater came up the highway from behind, though the firetruck was no longer within view back there, and the other cop was no longer in view up ahead.  The wind was blowing to the northeast, so we didn't see what was ahead until we rounded a curve of highway probably half way between Vegas and Wagon Mound.  A short cab semi had managed to put a dozen feet between it and its burning load.  A flatbed trailer of dirty looking hay bales smoked and smoldered along side the road, sooty in spots.  I slowed only enough to be cautious with the emergency vehicles on both sides of the road and blocking the left northbound lane of I-25.  A rubbernecker I hope not to be!  There was about half a mile of traffic already backed up in the southbound lanes, and people were craning their necks and cameras and phones to see what was happening up and around the curve of the highway.  As we continued, I thanked God not to be driving south and continued to watch the smoke billowing away from the truck in my rear-view mirror.  It looked smokier from a distance than it had up close, or possibly the fire truck had arrived and was being put to use.  A wildland truck from Wagon Mound and an NMDOT truck with a water tank approached from the north.  No telling when traffic was reopened.

 

There it is...a wordy camera of sorts...

 

Chronicles of Portlandia...

Our time in Portland is numbered...hours - minutes - seconds...can't take it with us! Thomas and I have been having fun, and though we joke about our time being all planned out, we've enjoyed a little down time...emphasis on little. Thursday we arrived in the afternoon. Our drive from Denver was slightly delayed by a need for extra sleep, but we made it to the airport and through security with plenty of time to wolf down our lunch and go to the bathroom. Our flight was rather uneventful, except for the loud father/daughter who had an unplanned reunion on the flight and talked unceasingly about rather trivial and personal matters loud enough for everyone to pen their biographies....oh yeah, and the turbulence that nearly caused me to give up the lunch I enjoyed. Otherwise, rather uneventful... But when that flight ended, the bliss began. Dad whisked us away to see the newest member of our family. It wasn't long before he woke up from his nap, and since then it has been almost non-stop cooing and smiling and giggling. Granted Ollie has a pretty strong sleep schedule, so every hour and a half or so, he abandons us for the snuggly dreams of his sleep sack. But he has given me lots of smiles and made my day! To be continued...