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...................

Monday, October 22, 2007

The Weekend Excuse For Being Absent and Neglecting My Blog Duties

I've been out-of-pocket all weekend with my friends and lots of fun, so I'm behind on Sunday Funnies and Monday Movies. And you must forgive me, because when four grads from Farmington High School get together, things get crazy. I'll get caught up on that a little later in the day. After all, I've been so irregular with those special posts being on the right day, I didn't want you to think something was wrong with me when I posted them on the right day of this week!! LOL!

Wow, what a great weekend! It was sometimes hectic and crowded, but that almost seemed to be part of the fun. I had more guests that I can accommodate in this house at this time because I'm sort on actual beds, but we played musical beds (NO! Not that kind, you freaks!!) and it all worked out.

On Thursday our friend from Tulsa (Joe) and his wife (Debby) arrived. (Debby's the redhead, Joe's the serious one. I don't know the third person.)


I gave them my bed since they were the only couple to be here. I slept on the hide-a-bed, and Gail had her place on the Aerobed in the guest room. BTW, she is really liking the Aerobed, and is looking into betting one as a mattress for her own bed when she gets to move into her place. Then on Friday our friend from Santa Fe (Enid) came in. (Enid on the left, Gail is atilt!!)


I borrowed a roll-a-way single bed from a local friend, set it up in the office and slept there, giving her the queen-size hide-a-bed. Saturday evening, Gail went to spend one night with her brother and SIL, so we left the couch folded up and Enid slept in the guest room on the Aerobed.

We made it to the concert on Friday night, joined by Allan and Gail's boss and her husband(last 2 not present when this was taken).


We had a great time! These people, a mixture of the original group from 1961,


and some new ones to replace those who have passed away,


are the greatest fun!


They do some wonderful music, inspiring, heart warming, sad, funny and sometimes just get pure silly, as you can see here. This is the two women in the show and one guy, all in costume.


Frankly ... I can't recall what they sang, because we were laughing SO hard!!

They also sang a newly written song that will be released soon. This was its debut. It is called "Ruidoso," honoring the town they have found to be so friendly and open to them. It is really beautiful. Then they also did a song that Randy, the leader of the NCM, wrote a long time ago. He wrote many songs for Burl Ives (are any of you old enough to remember him?), a warm-viced folk singer and balladeer from the 1950's and later. It was recorded by BI, but never released. The song? It is titled "Armistice Day in Farmington, NM." He sang it just for us, and acknowledged the graduates of FHS! When I get a copy, I'll share the words with you. It was written after he was told the story by an old cowboy who was recalling the end of World War I.

On Saturday morning, we had breakfast with some of the New Christie Mistrals and their families. They have a tradition that is a lot of fun. They carry sets of dice which are passed around the table, and each person rolls "poker" hands. Each round of the table, the top hand is eliminated, safe from having to roll again. As a person is relieved with each round, the tension gets higher and higher, because, you see, when one person remains, that person with the losing had between the final two, he or she .... buys the meal for everyone!!! We all played, gamely, but with nervous giggles and big "whews"! Joe lost, but Randy Sparks picked up the check, so we all threw in for a generous tip for the waitress who was patient and smiling while serving 15 silly, rowdy people!

Then while Joe and Debby went shopping, I took Gail and Enid to the Gallery. Enid is an artist of national, if not international, renown. It was fun to take her to see this place which is clearly a center for local artists of all levels of expertise. (Enid hasn't worked since her husband's death. It was devastating for her as he was her partner in the creations. He did the lighting and she was the sculptor. She is now taking up another art form as she still cannot face the former without him. If you'd like to see her work, go here.)

Joe and Debby decided to return on Saturday night for their second show, but Gail, Enid and I had dinner at the Casino before Gail left for Alamogordo. Enid and I returned to the house, had some hot tea and visited. It has been a very long time since we have had time to do that, just sit and talk. It was wonderful. Enid and I were friends from grade school on, sometimes closer than others, as happens. Then after high school, we both lived in Albuquerque with our respective husbands, and our sons were just six months apart, becoming best friends until they were about seven or eight. Enid was divorced and remarried, and her new life took her all over the US, as well as internationally, as they lived in Kuwait for some time. We stayed in touch, but in the days pre-email, and with small children(we both had another child, and after I divorced and remarried, step-children) and busy schedules, it was less close. At our high school reunions, I always enjoyed seeing her, but those are busy times, and having time to sit and casually visit is unlikely.

Enid and I have both had great losses in the recent past. My parents both died, three weeks apart, in 2000, my husband in 2005. Enid lost her husband, her mother and her eldest son (the one that was friends with my Scott) in less than three years. Being able to talk with someone who has had similar losses is highly reassuring to one's own sanity. Trust me, you begin to think you're over-grieving, or not "moving on" as people seem to think you should. Having someone to share and compare with is a god-send. I've also done that with Gail who lost both parents rather close together (a couple years), and it has helped. In fact, the three of us had some of this conversation while at dinner, shedding tears over our coffee and dessert. But Enid and I were both widowed, and I had no one with whom to compare that. We were both comforted by this, I think.

On Sunday morning Joe and Debby headed home. Enid and I had another quiet time to talk, then she took me to brunch to thank me for hostessing the weekend. As she drove away, headed back to Santa Fe, I thought again about how fortunate I am to have the enduring friendships of these childhood friends.

Life is really beautiful!!!


PS - Yesterday was really chilly, never getting over about 52 degrees and with a fairly stout wind. Last night when I took the dogs out for the last time at 9:30, I felt some moisture on my face. I looked up, and sure enough, it was snowing!! It was tiny little flakes, not sticking, but enough that the steps were damp. It was only 27 degrees, so certainly a possible phenomena. This morning, there was a tiny, thin covering of sparkly ice crystals on the steps! Hey, y'all ... it's winter!!!

9 comments:

  1. It looks like you had a such a WONDERFUL time with your dear friends. What a wonderful weekend, and how blessed you are!!!!

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  2. Loved reading this and knowing how busy and fulfilled you were over the weekend. Good times with good friends. Yes, I remember seeing Burl Ives on tv (and watching Rudolph when it first aired on tv) and I remember the New Christie Minstrels. Funny thing...I didn't read who this group was at first but from the photographs I assumed that's who they were!!
    And Lynilu, if you want to play musical beds honey, you can do that any old time you like...you're a grown woman and no one will say a thing!! :) LOL!!

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  3. Cheryl - I did, it was, and I am!!

    Sherry - Good time, indeed! Well, I'm glad someone younger than me remembers him! I feel SO much better!! And how clever of you to recognize the group! Sadly, they've aged, but their music just gets better and better. They are going to be re-recording some of the old songs, and I'm really glad because they sound better today than the old recordings. There is a maturity in the current style that I think comes from *living* rather than just *singing*. I'm so glad that Joe brought them back into my life.

    And as for the musical beds ... Uh, well, I'm going to want some more players before I change styles of the game as we played it this weekend!!! LOL!!

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  4. Awww, how cool for you. Nothing like having a good time with friends. I LOVE entertaining and socializing with friends.

    I love reading how much you are enjoying your life and just having a good ole time. I'm happy for you. See, if you come to Georgia one day, you and I will have a ball too. But be ready, cuz I LOVE laughing!!!

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  5. Dawn - Thanks. It IS good to be with friends... it is something I've missed over the recent years, and I'm enjoying so greatly being able to do this now.

    I'm going to be passing through GA but not close to your area on this trip with my tight schedule. However, as long as my daughter lives in FL, I'll be back with different schedules in the future, so I'll just look you up!!

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  6. Yay for old friends and reminiscing. Glad you had such an enjoyable time and were able to talk about your bereavement with Enid.

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  7. Patti - Yes, friends are wonderful for reminiscing or support or many, many other things. Thank goodness for them.

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  8. Sounds like a wonderful weekend.

    I am going to check into the Aero Bed. My little mattress is falling apart.

    About your losses,I lost so many friends and I still grieve. Fortunately I have wonderful memories. I know this sounds morbid but.... When Betty became ill, I was taking her to the hospital several times a month. She finally confessed that she hated me driving on the passing lane. It became a joke between us. When I went to the hospital for the last time to see her, I found myself in a horrible position - how do you say goodbye? All of her family was gathered around crying and it came to me. I leaned in real close and whispered, "Betty I will never drive in the passing lane again." She snorted. I cherish those memories.

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  9. Pepper - About the Aerobed ... I'm going to drop over to your blog and leave a note.

    Grief is with us for our lives, isn't it? It's OK, because it is usually the bittersweet that remains in the end, still a loss, but mellowed to the sweet side with time, and those memories are precious. And I understand about the awkwardness of saying goodbye. Never easy. I'm glad you let her go with a fun moment.

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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!!!