Pics with Momma

I very cleverly brought a camera to Albuquerque that had been left on since Tom's birthday party.  I realized this upon trying to take a picture with my mom at the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center just a couple hours before she left.  With no time or place to recharge, I was grateful she had hers ready...and even more grateful she forwarded her shots on to me.

quick shot in the hotel room after we arrived

A friend of hers had recommended the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center as a place to visit.  We also received some recommendations from local 'Burqueans at the conference to check it out.  Conveniently they have a restaurant, too, so we got to check out the exhibits and get a delicious meal in our last bit of free time before Mom's flight.

a last hug, and we were both headed for home

Mini Trees - Galore!

Mini trees - aka broccoli!  And yes, galore! 

There is a great company out of my homestate that delivers food across a good number of states.  They carry a vast array of products, most easily described as anything you would find in a Natural Grocers or health food store.  They sell by the can and the case, by a single pound or twenty-five pounds.  Their products include all kinds of foods, supplements, toiletries, books, garden/farm things, etc.  Not everything is shelf stable, either.  They have fresh and frozen meats, dairy products, and produce.  Most all their products are organic, too.

New Mexico is on a monthly delivery route, and upon learning about it, Tom and I made an order of bulk grains and beans.  It was definitely worth while, and one of our neighbors has been gracious to pick up our boxes with her own, as the drop-off is usually just after lunch time in Springer.  We hadn't ordered again because we just didn't have space to store food in the single-wide, but with the house dried in and an empty cool cellar just waiting to be filled, we decided to place a January order.

Our neighbor who orders regularly has been touting the perishable foods - the produce is excellent and not bruised/old like the offerings sometimes are in our small local markets, and the frozen foods are really frozen after all the miles.  So the four households ordering in January agreed to split a produce order.  I suggested we would eat broccoli, onions, and apples.  Everyone was in, so I ordered a case of each, assuming that when we split it four ways, Tom and I would have 10 pounds of onions, 5 pounds of apples, and 4 heads of broccoli. 

An ignorant woman was I, but ne'er again.  Tom and I ended up with about 35 pounds of onions, 15 pounds of apples, and 11 "heads" of broccoli (each "head" was actually of bunch of 3 heads).  The apples and onions will keep well in the cellar, but the broccoli was another story.  I went from expecting 4 heads to having 33.  I wasn't disappointed, though, because it all looked so delicious!  After bagging up some of each, I delivered a bag to Mom & Pop, Marie & Dave, and Daniel & Julie.  Then the apples and onions went to the cellar.  Finally, I got all the broccoli bagged up and stuffed into the fridge.  See, I was leaving the next day for five days in Albuquerque, and Tom was already gone for a conference and still had a couple more days. 

Poor guy came home to an empty house and a fridge full of mini trees!  But all is well now - they've been chopped, blanched, and bagged for the freezer.  After a couple meals in a row with broccoli, we've had to take a break, but there are still a couple heads left for making soup this weekend.  Hmmm...broccoli!

First Visit with Momma

I had the opportunity to attend a conference for work in Albuquerque this past week.  Tom and I were on a funny schedule, as he left Tuesday for a conference in Santa Fe before I left Wednesday.  He got back Thursday, but I just got back Sunday evening.  We were both busy with workshops and the like, but I think I came out ahead on this one.  My mom came out to attend the conference, too, and we filled in the free time with lots of great discussion and conversation.  How lucky for me!

I arrived not long before her flight landed, and then we were off!  We heard some amazing presentations, really just so telling of the passion people have for their work and faith.  We also enjoyed a bunch of great meals - mostly all New Mexican.  As a special splurge, we got tickets to Thursday's showing of Cirque de Soleil's Quidam.  It was quite an adventure getting there in evening traffic on the least direct route, but the show was an even grander adventure of acrobatics and skills.  It made me wish for just a teensy bit more athleticism, flexibility, or strength.  The feats of the performers were remarkable!  Well worth the drive!

Another great splurge was a restaurant on the north side of town that Tom recommended.  I found a coupon for a complimentary side of guac - which nobody in my family would pass up on.  We decided to be smart about the whole thing and split a dinner and a dessert, so we could sample the most.  It turned into quite an ordeal.  We couldn't decide "red or green?", so we were served both the red and green chile, and in a moment of hesitation about which to get, we tried both mild and hot.  Our table was filling up with plates!  As the manager passed by, he stopped to ask how things were, which they were delicious.  But he took away our sopapillas because they were getting cold and sent us out a fresh batch.  I told him we hadn't enjoyed them yet because we hadn't requested the honey yet.  So then that arrived, which I promptly emptied onto the plate when the lid popped off mid squeeze.  Our decision to split dinner to make room for dessert was well worth it, as we savored a biscochito "layer cake" that was amazing.  Also - well worth the drive!

We also made time Sunday morning before Mom's flight to visit the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center (and their restaurant).  It had been recommended by friends from Portland and was well worth it.  The food was delicious, too, as we both enjoyed our first bowls of atole.  The exhibits were really well put together, too, and we were only sorry to miss the dancing in the afternoon. 

All in all - I am a lucky and blessed woman!  What great family I have, and faith, too!

Tom's Birthday!

I thought I would have been able to upload pictures while in Albuquerque last week - you know, the hotel listed high speed internet?  Well, it was as slow as dial-up in the evening with all the other guests using it, so the report on Tom's birthday is very belated!

There is a Vigil tradition of balloon people.  On the occasion of a family get-together, absentee family members may be included in the form of a picture on a balloon.  Tom really doesn't expect a fuss for his birthday, and I think would be just content for it to be forgotten.  But I can't ever forget and really would rather go off the other deep end of making too big a fuss, which I know he really, really, really wouldn't like. 

Maya without her glasses

So this year I made a fuss of staging a balloon family birthday.  We arrived at his parents' house with cake.  I had already dropped off drinks, ice cream, and a present.  Sitting around the table were Daniel, Julie, Marie, Dave, Andres, Maya, Sara, and Sofia a la balloons.  We sat with his parents and visited a while, and I then I asked if he just wanted to get the cake and ice cream over with.  We waited a little while longer, and then the rest of the gang arrived.  And the balloons were great entertainment for a while as the kids kicked and chased and bopped balloons, not to mention stuffing them up their shirts.

Sara and Sara

Thomas had requested German chocolate cake in bundt form with coconut frosting.  I used a cake mix and had no problem baking the cake.  He requested bundt specifically because the frosting can be applied on both sides, ensuring frosting and cake in every bite.  The frosting, however, I made from scratch.  It came out more like a custard, and since I omitted the pecans, it might have been missing a little substance, too.  I didn't really have much in my memory for comparison, but it worked.  

I made it easy for him, and still it took more than one breath  "/

the EVE

Today I feel excited.  It's been quite a first week and a half of the year - both of us plagued with a cold/sinus junk that left us spending our first weekend of the year peering out at the sunshine from under blankets while we rested and kept up our fluids and the fire.  It's also been really cold - wearing long underwear everyday to work is starting to get a little old. 

But the year starts out with a party right away - Tom's birthday is tomorrow!  Tonight I am baking German Chocolate cake and frosting it with coconut for a get together tomorrow.  We haven't seen much of anyone since Christmas, so it will be good to see everyone, too.  Mostly, though, I look forward to celebrating the love of my life - thank God I found him!

And I'm excited because the calendar shows that I'll be seeing my mom this month and next and then hopefully the Greenlees in March - much fun to anticipate!  In the meantime I am always so delighted for the occasional chat with Ollie on skype - who entertains and lets me see how big he's getting.  He's always so generous sharing his cheerios or the pretend foods from his toy kitchen, which I dramatically munch on in thanks.  He shows off his dancing and growing vocabulary.  He's always a delight. 

And who wouldn't be giggling after watching this.  The latest video is actually him patiently waiting for me to be available to skype for a couple minutes.  The message he typed and sent me leaves a little to the imagination, but I think it was something like, "Where are you, Tia?  I want to show you a new dance I made up."  Precious!