My ADD

I've just come upstairs to get a battery for the cordless mouse... for the third time.  The first time I got distracted and started the dishwasher, picked up a few things, started laundry, tried calling my sister. I headed back down to the computer an hour or so later.

It was plain to see when I got down there that I'd forgotten my purpose in the first place. I turned around and went back up. This time I was distracted by changing the laundry, picking up the tools and paint in the mud porch, swept it, cleaned the windows of the door, called and visited with Mary and Sarah, washed the truck, shaved and showered, started dinner, and poured myself a drink.

Three hours later and still I forgot the battery. I have never been diagnosed, but it would seem my attention has a deficit.

So now I'm supposed to get the battery, but thought I'd post this and a couple pics for Dad first.

Tom got the thresholds in and the top step.

For my dad...

You requested pictures, so we'll see if I have better results taking them for the post instead of attaching them.

First, we're finally tackling the door to the mud porch.  We trimmed back the opening and reframed the door. By we, I mean Tom, though I cut drywall, a fun chore I didn't realize I'd have the pleasure of again.  And we'll have to recut the tile, as the pieces will now extend out as the threshold.

Second, got the tile installed. The wall is ready to be textured. (Tricky...Installed the tile and will have to let it set before texturing. I am going to take a break! Just kidding...)

Third, I already textured the other side in the mud porch, and it's been printed. So... digging up the paint for that room.

More to come, Dad.

Valentine's Day Power

Really this post is a failed attempt to use my four and a half weeks old smart phone to post a story about Valentine's Day, but I already failed. I lost the first attempt and then deleted the second when I couldn't figure out how to cut and paste. I probably should ask my five year old niece for a lesson or any of her older siblings.

Valentine's Day was interrupted by a power outage in Cimarron. At four o'clock the lights went out with a projected five to seven hours of repair. That mostly eliminates cooking of any kind at nuestro casa.  I texted Tom to pick up Subway or pizza for a romantic candlelit dinner. An hour and a half later, the power came back on, much to his relief, as everyone in Cimarron was in line ahead of him at Subway. We did have a great dinner, his shrimp and crab dish that he'd made for me before we got married. I'd post pictures if I thought it might end with better results than my last attempt.

A New Venture for VIGIL FARM

Thomas and I have launched a new business, VIGIL FARM LLC.

We recently acquired inventory for making windbells - a wonderfully one-of-a-kind wind chime made from re-purposed materials.  As we start crafting these bells, we will be making them available for sale at the L. Martin Pavletich Studio in Cimarron, NM and online.  Currently we are setting up a website at www.vigilfarm.com to showcase our bells.  Keep checking back as our inventory of designs grows.

These are some of the bells we delivered for Christmas orders on the west coast:

And the end of 2016 has come and gone....

Whoops - guess I actually never posted (left it in draft format) my last note, announcing that we are launching a business...thus the radio silence.  Among other things...

The past five months flew by...

 Tom and I had a great year!  We entertained lots of guests, including this trip up the mesa over Labor Day with the Hambricks.  We worked on the property - a totally different place from the one we bought 6.5 years ago - with much more work to come, including building a garage in 2017.  I enjoyed a few trips to Denver to see girlfriends...

 ...and can't wait for the next trip up to meet the newest member of the Columbine gang when he arrives.

Happy 2017!!

Our Most Recent Guests

This is the kind of post that should have lots of pictures, but sadly we left the camera inside most of the week.  Mom and Abba came for almost a week, and we had much fun: ate well, watched movies, enjoyed some margaritas, played a few games, chilled out when it rained, and, of course, put in some work on the property.

This picture captures the "after".  With the old single-wide gone, we lined our drive on one side with the jack fence that used to line the front property along the highway.  The guys did a terrific job and it is much more secure than it was along the highway - hopefully relatively maintenance-free for several years.  The guys worked the auger and dug holes for upright posts.  Dad painted up the upright posts to protect the below-ground portion of them.  Mom and I hauled the pieces and staged them around the drive.  It turned out great!  Minor problem with running out of screws and having to do the last twenty feet a week later, but really awesome to see it go up so quickly.  We've got everything lined up to get the other side of the loop fenced, save for the time to do it.

While the guys were working on the fence and not needing the tractor, Mom and I went to town taking down the old snow fence (windbreak fence) around the large garden we grew our first couple years.  I'll admit I was rather reluctant to take it down - hopeful for future farming out there, but in conceding to do it, I also admit it looks really great now.  The picture below shows the field where the fence and gate were - so much cleaner looking, and as Pop pointed out - easier to mow, which was what he was doing.

The visit was so great, and we were sad to see them leave on the morning of the Fourth of July.  Till next time....

The "Candy or Iron" Anniversary

We celebrated our sixth anniversary this past weekend!!  Sometimes it seems unbelievable that we've been married six years, but then my mom was reminding me of all we've done in six years - not too shabby!

Sadly, no selfies of our romp through northern New Mexico - a stop in Santa Fe for sandwiches and beer at one of Tom's favorite ol' breweries and a couple games of Battleship at a new (cider) brewery; a sad farewell to a beloved coffee shop that has been shuttered; a tour of el Cerro Grande fire remains en route through Los Alamos to Albuquerque; a couple movies; some great meals; and of course, a little bit of shopping.

While no selfies were taken, my hipster husband of six years thought it would be fun to take pictures of food to post on the blog - not him eating shark, but the (whole) red snapper I was delivered:

 teeth and eyeballs and all, this guy didn't even fit on the plate

pescado posteado - red snapper smothered in chipotle sauce

 there was a time for daintily trying to fork the fish off the bones

ultimately, I made a mess holding it like a drumstick and just eating off the bone

DELICIOUS - and highly recommended at Mariscos la Playa

To celebrate our anniversary, we both got new helmets for the motorcycle and hope to spend a little more time freewheeling and enjoying the scenery - not exactly candy or iron, but a great investment in each other and time spent together!