These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Another Fun, Crazy Evening!

It started out simply enough. I asked Allan if he wanted to go out for dinner. The next few nights may be snowy, rainy, sleety weather, and I thought if we were going to go anytime soon, tonight might be best. We hadn't decided where when we left the house. On the way, we decided to try a different place than we've eaten at before.

Once again, the food was wonderful. Do you think I might simply love food? Well, that aside . . . we both ordered pork chops which were thick, juicy and full of flavor and accompanied by a nice big salad, corn, potatoes of choice (we had mashed with gravy, duh!), pinto beans with green chili, fresh bread and a beverage. For $8.95!!

The restaurant is in a big old building that seems to have grown in spurts. You know the type: started with a room or two, another was added, then another and another. There is an antique shop in one room, a eat-in bar in another, then you walk through part of the kitchen to reach the larger dining room. Every room is eclectic beyond imagination. The dining room has two walls striped in what I would call fiesta colors, bright reds, yellows, greens. Between them, a third wall is covered with a wine colored fabric with a brocade design. In the middle of this last wall is a window with curtains made of six scarves or fabric strips, none of which matched another or anything else in the room. The fourth wall was dark green stucco and had an adobe oven-style fireplace. On the walls in massive numbers were paintings and other wall dressings of every imaginable genre.

Additionally, there were pieces of jewelry hanging on corners of pictures frames or nails or inside antique hutches or inside glass boxes. The jewelry was antique and new, turquoise and stones, crystals and beads.

Tables and chairs were a mixed bag of everything. I don't think any matched, but I could be mistaken. Plates & cups were bright colors, the fiesta colors earlier mentioned, and they did match, but the silverware was all mismatched, but not the cafe type, but like you find in many of our kitchens, a couple of Auntie Jane's forks and spoons, some of Grandma's knives and salad forks, Mom's tableware from 25 years ago, and Mother-in-law's silverware that she quit using when her husband left her. Obviously, we were not just interested in the food, but everything in the room, as well! It was just fascinating!

While eating and wandering afterward we met all kinds of people. A table of four sitting near us were leaving, and somehow, I got into a conversation with them. They asked where I was from, and I told the story right up to making an offer on THE HOUSE. When I said the name of the nearby town, they all said, "We live there! Where are you buying?" I told them the subdivision name and four mouths dropped. Yes, same sub-div. I said, "I'm buying the house on the corner of Buggy Lane and . . . I'm blanking on the other street," and all hell broke loose! Can you believe this? There are two (2) houses on Buggy Lane. One of the couples lives in the other!!! Now it is probably a quarter of a miles away, but we are neighbors. We traded phone numbers and emails. There could be one problem, however. Allan overheard some of their earlier conversation and apparently they are staunch Republicans! I was planning to install a very tall flagpole to fly Old Glory with the Zia, New Mexico's flag underneath. I'm now thinking I'll add beneath that a Democrat flag and see if they still call me!!!

While I was meeting my neighbors, Allan was in the bar talking with another couple who turned out to be owners of an art gallery a few doors down the street that we've been talking about visiting. It is fairly new, and we were enchanted with the name, "Oso Art." "Oso" is Spanish for "bear," and bears are big around here for several reasons. They figure strongly in Native American lore (we are in Apache territory), and the real Smokey Bear, the little cub found clinging to a tree trunk after a forest fire who eventually became the symbol for forest fire safety and ultimately stuffed animals and other memorabilia, was found here in this area at Capitan Gap (this is the "notch" you've seen in several of the photos I have posted taken from here at Allan's house and showing the Capitan Range). In town is Smokey's Grocery, Smokey's Motel, Smokey's Cafe, and the National Smokey Bear Museum. Anyway, the title caught our eyes, and now we have a new place to go and ogle and feel comfortable with friends!

I made some purchases. Duh. You knew that was coming, didn't you?! First of all, I bought something for MY NEW HOUSE! I'm going to be living in the country, alone and vulnerable, so when I saw this, I knew I had to have it. I now own . . .





. . . A GUARD FROG!!!!







He is going to hang on the front wall of the house, near the front door. Now, he's a serious guard frog. He's around 18 inches long, so he is no light-weight in the frog category. Be careful when you come to my house . . . I got frog!

BTW, I'm thinking about getting a butterfly bouncer for those of my guests who drink too much and get rowdy!




The next thing I didn't even have to buy! The owner just gave it to me because they "enjoyed our company just so much!" I'm calling this my "Pot Necklace." I'll try to avoid wearing pot and driving, OK?



Everyone in the place said it was just made for me when I put it on. I have to admit, it is really fun and different. Those really are tiny pots and pitchers of clay.








But the pièce de résistance for the evening was something I got for Allan to thank him for allowing me to be here all this time. We've been looking for a painting to put in a special niche above his fireplace, and every time we think we've found the right one, it turns our to be $1000. Or it is too small. Or too wide. Or whatever.

I looked across the room during dinner and say this one. We both loved this painting. The colors are right. The topic is perfect. The price was affordable. So I bought it, and we brought it home.

Guess what? It's too tall for the niche!!! However, it was less than two minutes before Allan found the right place for it.

Allan has a small collection of llamas. He took a couple of them from their former homes and put them on the bookshelf below the painting, and it is just perfect. He's going to have a problem, however, because the vas is mine, so he has it for only a couple more months! We talked about what would look good in its place, and I think we've agreed on a general look to keep our eyes open for.

Here's a close up. I can't tell you how good it really looks in the room, and it finishes that wall. It didn't look unfinished before, but when we removed the thing that was there and put this up, it was unmistakably meant to be there.


It definitely needs to be reframed. Allan will have that done, but we both agree that it needed to be right where it is now.

So it was another good day, with a perfectly fun, crazy evening to top it off!!

12 comments:

  1. Lady you never fail to put a smile on my face. I love the guard frog and hope you do get a butterfly bouncer!

    I absolutely adore the pot necklace. I was never interested in the southwest but you are making me want to visit your area more and more.

    I love Allan's painting too. All I can think of is Madison's book "Llama, Llama Red Pajama" LOL

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  2. Patti - I'm happy that you're smiling! Giving people things to think about and/or smile about is what fills the happy corners of my life. I'm going to be challenged to find the butterfly bouncer, but don''t think I won't try!

    I'm happy, too, that your interest is emerging in this place that I love so much. The Southwest is different and some people never get it, I think because they never look beyond the surface. To me, even the surface is beautiful, but I'm sure part of that comes from experience, from living it, from my history with it, and because I've traveled enough to understand the singular beauties of many regions of our country (and the world). Frankly, I will miss the lush greenness of the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard; I love the beautiful wet swampiness of the Gulf Coast States; I admire the grandeur of the high Rockies of the North; the dreamy dense foliage with it's variety in the Northwest coastal region; and the Badlands across our Northern Plains will always take my breath away. But this, my NM, is me.

    I hope you and Stacy will perhaps plan to venture this way. I would be delighted to have you here and show you what is behind Door #1 and Curtain #3! BTW, next time I make a trip to FL to visit TL, I'm thinking about making a loop through the Carolinas. I'll ring the bell to see if you're at home!

    "Llama, Llama Red Pajama"!! LOL! maybe I should find that book for his collection, too!!

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  3. Hi Snookz, I have decided that your ability to make friends wherever you go is directly related to your open friendliness. I must learn to cultivate a similar attitude!

    And as to your new neighbors, what a wonderful coincidence! I'm sure they will be a good influence on you and your errant politics! (or would that be errored?)

    I was amazed to see your guard frog...and delighted. I got his younger cousins for Christmas. 2 Refrigerator magnets which please me everytime I look at them. I accidentally knocked one off the refrigerator, and it has a broken leg. Not to worry, Gorilla Glue to the rescue. He is now back in a place of honor with a mark of character.

    The llama picture is wonderful! Did you know there are alpacas being ranched in the 4 corners area? Several ranches, in fact. They are such cute, curious creatures.

    I'm glad you are beginning to feel better and hope that the cold doesn't linger.

    And since I forgot my "name and password" I'll just sign this:
    Gypsy Moth

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  4. mmmm... I can smell and taste those pork chops and gravy-topped potatoes. Heaven on Earth.

    LOVE the guard frog!

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  5. I guess you don't want anyone to get froggy with you... :)

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  6. Gypsy Moth - LOL! You really had me going there for a whole! "Snookz" and the politics sounded like my brother, R. But "cultivating" puzzled me,'cause he needs no cultivating in that attitude, and even when I got the the signature. Then I finally connected the 4 Corners with the political NONSENSE ;-) and it clicked. OF COURSE!! Gypsy Moth!!

    I'm going to post later about follow up events to last night, so stay tuned!

    Oh, and PS - You know better than to think the neighbors will rub off! Silly person!!!

    Eileen - Oh, boy, were they goooooood!!

    s3 - Depends on the definition of froggy!!!LOL!!

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  7. As a BIG fan of Frogs, let me say that your Gaurd Frog is simply DIVINE!

    hope your new house welcomes you and your frog with open arms of comfort and rest.

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  8. Maybe your new neighbors will be "good" Repubs.

    Love the frog, too... very scarey.

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  9. I LOVE restaurants like that!! Eclectic ones with mistmatched everything!! And discovering a NEW place to eat is one of my fave things!
    And that food--yummy!! Sounds like something we whip up down South pretty much everyday of the week!
    Love that frog. Made me smile!!

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  10. Yummy - Me, too, on the frogs! I think Guard Frog is quite handsome! Thanks for the visit and well wishes!

    MLM - OK, now I know you, and I have to say that you seem to be speaking in oxymoronism!! The Guard Frog is scary enough for keeping the land free of Reps? giggle!

    Cheryl - In this part of the country we eat either good New Mexican style or that which has a strong Southern flavor such as that mentioned.Lots of chicken fried steak, fried chicken, pork chops, potatoes and gravy, etc. The one thing I miss here is grits. I love grits! And Guard Frog thanks you for the smile and smiles back! Don't tell Gary, though, 'cause even Guard Frog fears Gary might misinterpret this action!!

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  11. I need a Guard Frog at The Shoe to guard against winter illness.

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  12. Old Lady - Oooouuuu. I hadn't thought of that. I guess he just got here to late for me, and I just promoted him to full blown property protection!

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!