Spring is Springing!

Warmer temperatures are finally becoming a constant. I've started some seeds indoors - mainly herbs and flowers. I still need to start the first batch of vegetables. Last weekend, John and I built the garden frames. They are huge! We now have two gardens that are 4' x 8' and about 20" deep. We're going to need about 4 cubic yards of topsoil before we can plant. We also plan to construct a larger compost bin near the gardens to handle more of the yard weeds.

Wednesday was Sam's Parent Teacher Conference. I'm proud to announce Sam has achieved the top reading level expected, as well as excelled in Math, Art, Music and Physical Education. His only weakness appears to be his desire to entertain the class.

Sam is on vacation until the end of the month. We are planning a trip to the zoo early next week.

John's knee is healing vey well. He is walking unassisted now, and continues to do muscle building exercises religiously. He hopes to be able to run a couple of the late season races.

A Break from the Bleak

This weekend, February 9th & 10th, we finally caught a break from the frigid and windy weather, hitting just over 50 degrees.

We woke up Saturday to about 20 hot air balloons passing over the house. With the winds, this has been a rare site since the festival. This is just one view from our front garden. Often the balloons pass so closely that you can hear the pilots talking.

This winter has been particularly cold. Although we haven't had the snow accumulation we saw last year, we did manage an ice storm that left us under 1/2" of bullet proofing.

John's sister, Brenda, will be visiting next weekend. We hope decent weather holds out for her trip, and would love for her to see the beautiful ballons.

John's New Knee

January 9th, John had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and to complete a cadaver ACL replacement. Please note, the following images are HIPPA complient (John said I could post them, and he'll sign a consent form if you really need proof), however some may find them too graphic. Clicking on the image will open a new window with an enlarged view.

John's surgery went very well. Post operative pain was brief and easily managed, and John has been avid in his follow up therapy. The hardest part of this entire process for John is forfeiting the racing season to ensure complete recovery.

On a science fiction note -- we think the donor was a "nice guy" as John has managed to be "pleasant" throughout an otherwise frustrating period of recovery. We can only attribute this to the donor, much as we have seen the recipients of other donor organs and materials suddenly become killers and seers of the dead.

On a more serious note, please, if you have not already added "Organ Donor" to your ID's and Living Wills, do consider it. Something as simple as a ligament in your knee can significantly improve quality of life.

Road Trip into the New Year

December 31st, John, Stinky, Chica and I loaded into the car at about 6:30am and hit the road to explore New Mexico. Although Google Maps told us the trip was about 5 hours one way, we were confident this was an over estimate, and were leisurely about our trip. We made it home about 10:45pm.

Our first stop was "the store that shall not be named" for a new choke chain for Stinky. I bought him a brand new collar over the summer, which he promptly lost with his choke chain. We've searched the back yard repeatedly, fruitlessly. I had to replace it before I could take him to parts unknown. Sadly, and much to John's frustraton, this is the only store open at this hour with the item I needed.

Next we were off Dunkin Donuts - a big treat! DD's are few and far between in NM. Stinky was just dying for a couple Old Fashions and some hazelnut coffee. We had clear skies with very brisk winds. We were greatful to return to DD's lava hot bean juice from the many "doggie stops."

Among our stops was NRAO - better known as the Very Large Array. The VLA was one of those places that was "science fiction" in my mind; something I really needed to see with my own eyes before I believed it was real and not just a movie prop. The sheer size of it is astounding. John and I took time out from the road to do the mini tour in the visitor center. The fact that we were looking at science of the future, through information from the past on New Year's Eve seemed an appropriate way to usher in the new year. Our return trip, many hours later, had us driving back by the array under the stars. I had hoped the array would be lit in some manner so that I could see them at night. I'm delighted to report that contrary to the beautiful sight I imagined of lit antenna, we marveled at the night skies with ZERO light pollution. We were able to see the skies I remember from my childhood; constellations I haven't seen in a decade or more. This was truely a poetic highlight to an already beautiful day.

Further southwest of the VLA, we visited a ghost town, Mogollon. This former gold mining town was buried deep in a little valley between high peaks. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived and temperatures had dropped significantly. The roads were narrow and snow covered, deterring us from getting out and wandering around. Perhaps we will return in the summer to explore more.

The furthest point of our journey was the Mogollon Catwalk. The park featured a rocky trail leading up to a series of metal walkways over a 100 foot whitewater canyon gorge. The walkways were originally installed to maintain waterpipes for the nearby gold and silver mining. Our 3+ mile round trip walk over these suspended metal grate walkways terrified each of the dogs, but they survived and napped happily most of the trip home.

Our Local Paper...

John and I wanted to share this blurb from our favorite section, "Rants & Raves", of the local paper. "Rants & Raves" are submitted via phone, mail or email to The Observer.

Sunday, December 23 2007 - Page7

"Boy, howdy! What I'd like to give to get my hands on them little heathens who came around my country club neighborhood and place all our beloved and tranquil holiday reindeer in compromising and outlandish positions. All out hard work and painstaking effort to provide a beautiful and happy setting for all the good children was quickly turned in a scene of debauchery. I also wanted to say that all thee cats are coming into my yard and tearing up my outdoor furniture. I even saw some trying to climb down my chimney. I need some traps to stop them little rascals as well. Lastly, I want to say that all this cold weather is making me miss the bikini carwash girls."

The Observer is a small newspaper serving Sandoval County and Albuquerque's West Side. You will be able to find The Observer online at www.observer-online.com

Happy Holidays

The holidays are upon us! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here's a brief update on us...

We've had a couple of very brief snowstorms that amounted to very little and melted as quickly as it fell, but the temperature has been very cold. It has been great weather for sitting by the fire and watching the sun set against the mountains.

Sam and I spent some "special time" together the week of December 3rd. Sam and I constructed a gingerbread house from a kit. Sam had great fun decorating his house. I managed to get a few good pictures, but sadly, gingerbread houses don't last very long, and the roof managed to slide to its doom before John got home from work that afternoon. Sam enjoyed eating the decorations regardless of the structural damage.

Sam also helped to decorate the house this year by cutting out giant snowflakes that we taped to the windows. I showed him how to fold the paper, and what sort of cuts you could make, and he went right at it and made some really neat designs. I also bought him a book on snowflakes - it had instructions for designs you could use all year, including teddy bears, pumpkins, hearts, shamrocks and much, much more.

Sam has grown up a lot this past year. His reading is improving daily. He's able to read Curious George books almost independently, and on several occasions has gone to his bookshelf to entertain himself, rather than playing with his toys. Sam is doing wonderful in math. He is adding and subtracting double digits.

Sam has recently explored several new hairstyles. He briefly dabbled in spiked hairdos before launching full-on into about 2 weeks of Mohawks. He recently stopped his designer antics, but I've got his gel and hairspray set aside as he's sure to continue his experiments.

In early January, John will be having day surgery on his knee. He'll be home from work for at least a week, but knowing him, recovery will be quick - John's not much on patience when it comes to illness or injury. I fully expect John will be back to racing in the spring - the only change will be the addition of a knee brace or two.

John had a great year racing. Overall for 2007 at Sandia Motor Speedway, John placed 3rd in the SuperMoto Open and 5th in Novice Club Sport. Information about the track, standings and more can be found at: http://www.smri-racing.org/

My business, Cookie A Day, continues to grow. This year I had several new customers including:


Mainly Rugs - http://www.mainlyrugs.com/ - online sales of area rugs

Elegant Mommy - http://www.elegantmommy.com/ - online maternity clothing resale

Caroline's Pet Connections - http://www.petconnectme.com/ - pet care & sitting in Southern Maine

Women's Empowerment Resources - http://www.womensempowermentresources.com/ - a resource directory

For the American Heart - http://www.fortheamericanheart.com/ - online sales of greeting cards and daily devotionals dedicated to American soldiers and veterans

Art-Carnage - http://www.art-carnage.com/ - online sales of commodified art

Pinky Lee Productions - http://www.pinkyleeproductions.com/ - children's stories and homemade products


With each project I had fun developing new designs and building new friendships. I also had the pleasure of continuing my work with:


R&W Engraving / Quick Copy Center - http://www.rwengraving.com/ - engraving, gifts and printed goods

Maternity Fair / Baby Furniture Fair - http://www.maternityfair.com/ / http://www.babyfurniturefair.com/ - maternity clothing and baby furniture resale

Energy Pulse - http://www.energypulsesource.com/ - metaphysical talks and products

Sussex Foot and Ankle - http://www.sussexfootandankle.com/ - podiatry

The Friendly Fish - http://www.thefriendlyfish.com/ - hand engraved jewelry and more

Energetically Enhanced Jewelry by Eduard Oganov - http://www.oganov.com/ - jewelry designs


I am very grateful both to and for my customers. I love what I do and I'm looking forward to my 8th year in business!