Frank added electric power to my studio. So I have a fan, lights and even an outside light, it’s too hot to do more to it now my ac isn’t strong enough to combat the 100 degrees heat until I add interfacing……can’t find the right word….you know what I mean….
Anyway, he did a fine job, he had to dig a trench for the wiring in this heat. I’m pleased.
It’s quiet here, too hot to spend much time outside until late evening, then I sit out listening to music and have a glass of refreshing white, sometimes I’m joined, always welcome to come and exchange stories, listen to music.
A new addition to my “kitchen” it will be useful and doesn’t take up much space, I roll it down the aisle when I ‘m not cooking and sleep next to my veggies, I cover the drawers with a napkin to avoid fruit flies. It works fine for me.
I’ve ordered some new Indian fabric to sew a summer weight quilt/cover for my bed and curtains. 100% cotton . I have a light cover that I’ll sandwich between two sides to fit my mattress. It looks like it’ll go with the colors I have on the walls, 5 yards, I hope I have enough for curtains or pillows. Becca laughed that I was already changing up things but what I have now will be used again when I tire of the new. This keeps me busy and involved……..at least with myself.
Can’t seem to put the photos where they belong. !!!
today I made some rocks but I haven’t found nice flat rocks here, so I haven’t given them so many coats of varnish as usual and will play with them making hills on my patio and give them to friends.(hint hint Shar send me flat smooth rocks please)
I’ve been doing something wrong and don’t think I’m answering comments correctly, sorry and thanks to friends for leaving comments, it makes a difference to me to know your thoughts , ideas and suggestions about the blog. With comments on my posts I know there is someone out there reading my writings. I’ll figure it out. I was able to change my font to make the words rest easily on the eye and increased the letter size as we are getting older together and bigger is better.
Frank came this morning, ready to start the electric work but got stuck digging the trench (for the wiring) by rocks, so he went into town to get a jackhammer and hasn’t returned. He left 2 hours ago but it takes 1 hour to go and return so I’m not sure this is a one day project. When he finishes I’ll reorganize my patio space with my new colorful rugs and add a photo here.
Not so fast lady!
Frank didn’t find a jackhammer and spent some time removing rock from the trench in 100 degrees heat and will not finish the work today, he’ll ‘shoot’ for tomorrow pm. At just $20 an hour I don’t mind that he miscalculated his hours, he earned every bit and more (and it will be more) I had to move GG about 8 feet forward so now I need to get her level again, it makes me feel unsteady when not level, which I do by putting a series of blocks under her tires, no automation here.
Busy day yesterday, Busy today Busy tomorrow. What can this old lady be so busy about? Fixing things, painting, resin-ing stuff, and a trip into town because the RV had overpowering chemical smells and I needed to get out for a while. I painted José’s table and did a fairly poor job resin-ing it but I didn’t expect perfection on plywood so I may or may not add another coat. Not much of it is even seen as it’s usually covered with more stuff. Just wait, my little RV is getting yet another fixer-up and I like what’s happening here! The outside waits for it’s fixer up but I did get a couple cool and colorful outdoor rugs to put out at my doorway and the studio doorway but I have to nail them to the ground so they stay here (and not get blown away in the wind, not worried about theft!)
Great news, my studio gets electric tomorrow, Frank came by today with enthusiasm an d says he can help me with the insulation as well. .Someday…. One thing at a time. The wind continues to take a toll on my plants but a new RV moved in today next to me and they have a building too which gives me privacy and helps block some of the wind for me. All Good. We are mostly old folks here, I have two 90+ people on either side of me( vibrant ageless people) and I think the average age (not counting them) here is about 70, I fit right in. Truth or Consequences is a town of the elderly as well, notable when I go to shop at Walmart, lots of older women, men too but I notice the women more, probably with reason, as I can relate.
It is a beautiful area , or would be if there wasn’t so much trash and rusted out trailers and junk, lots of smaller communities with trash everywhere. Despite all that, I like it here. Here in the park, everyone keeps their area neat, I guess CJ (owner) would chase them out if they didn’t, she runs a class act here. Have I told you she is almost 80? She looks great, slim active and with many tales to tell in her daily happy hours. I don’t often attend, it’s not obligatory socialization is good but not expected, l don’t feel guilty for not attending or sharing but go now and then, to be social to hear other’s stories I have a flag flowing off the side of my studio, makes me feel like a citizen (and GirlScout). I’ve never flown one before and feel guilty for leaving it up and not taking it down every night, no one else does here, not sure of the protocol, I probably could google it. Heard my first mosquito last night.
Finally, I’m sitting outside listening to Nicola Di Bari love his raspy voice, the evening is overcast at 8:30 pm with a pinkish gray sky and everyone must be inside watching TV cuz I see no one around. Listening to a beautiful song just before I go back inside, but who should appear but Becca and Dan to join me in a glass of wine, music and looking at the stars which are bright and shiny sky is clear and dark. Only one glass as the blue wine bottle is now empty, I need to get another ‘box’ of wine cuz that seems to last forever even when I regularly indulge.
Yesterday I put a thin coat of resin on my tiny kitchen counter. The counter I’d painted black and I added red splashes over the resin, not a good idea resin got all spidery, but the resin dried and this morning I repainted the top with more red and re -resin-ed, not as nice as I’d hoped but better than I expected. The resin has a few uneven areas and is far from a perfect finish, but I’m satisfied for now, waiting for it to dry so I can clean up the sink and change the drains bits that look really used up. I should have changed the sinks too but it’s a trial to get help with that kind of work. I have a red painted board that I’ll use for extra shelf space, maybe I’ll resin that too, it’ll be easier to keep clean if I do, I have some red cups I don’t use so maybe I’ll use them to hold up the board, might work.
Now I have a pantry! I am a happy camper, over the next few days I’ll get very organized, probably move stuff around again…….and again. Thanks to Dan and Becca for helping me turn that odd space into useful space and saving me from hunting in my high cabinets for food and getting my head hit with the doors every time, really!
Yesterday I looked into the studio to see what i could do to start getting it ready to use, stuff is everywhere as I’ve been waiting to hear from ‘Frank’ to look at fixing the AC and electrifying the studio but he isn’t answering my texts. Yeah, same Frank as my roof Frank. He is a certified electrician so I’m sure he can do the job not sure he wants to, we are on mañana time here. It’s okay, no rushing to complete anything, it’s all in the doing and I have time. Anyway I put the desk chair together and put the bed down and see that the frame is bigger than the futon I bought to use for acupuncture now and then, (or a sleepover?). Looks odd but will have to do, I’ll add pillows. It fills up a quarter of the room when open.not a lot of walk around space in there, no need.
I should re-glue the tiles that fell from the bathroom wall when we went into town to fill propane………which reminds me that the hot water heater pilot must have been blown out by the wind again as I had a chilly shower this morning, need to light it again, at least I know there is plenty of gas in there………..yeah, some tiles fell and there are a couple floor tiles to re-glue too. I should do that now.
Gave myself a summer haircut today.
Short.
Maybe someday I’ll have time to get into my Shakespeare and read Don Quijote in Spanish as I so long ago planned to do. But until then I still have plenty of projects to start and finish.
Wish you could enjoy this evening with me sitting outside listening to my man Bocelli and enjoying a glass of wine, with the sound of crickets debating with my music. It’s an overcast evening can’t see many stars sitting here under the mesquite Tree.
Busy day today finally have a full tank of propane but haven’t lit my water heater yet,okay I tried but couldn’t, it was getting dark I’ll do it in the morning no problem.
I told myself I was going to spend my evening listening to music instead of on my computer, I don’t have tv but do watch a movie on my computer now and again and think I’d sleep better if I turned off electronics earlier but here I am outside listening while writing on my iPad. I just wanted to drop a note here, I’ll finish this tomorrow.
Ive been able to listen loudly because almost no one is in the park, people just leave their rv here and take off for parts unknown and come back when they do, I’ll do that someday probably but I still need to get something to tow ‘youcandoitbabe’ I have too much to do here first.
I have to tell you, I am so glad to be where I am, both psychologically and geographically
I don’t have a puppy or a kitten or even another human, I have my plants, they are my significant others, and the wind is out to destroy them.
I remain hopeful because otherwise………….what?
I have to be vigilant to water them at least 2x every day and shelter them behind the studio when the wind is at its strongest. Will they survive and produce beautiful zinnias, nasturtiums, sun flowers and pepinos? That is the question I ponder every morning and evening as I meditate on my plants, giving them my full attention while they cry out to me, ‘help’ ‘ help’. I offer them musical evenings and wonder, should I feed them? They are so young, I gave them the best soil for seedlings, it’s up to them now, I’ll do my best to protect them from the nasty wind and burning sun until they are strong enough to survive Mother natures mean streak, (that we deserve, selfish humans messing up her beautiful earth and all it’s riches for ……..what?)
lavender sighing
herb s struggling
lashed by wind
hoping these will some day climb high…………..
so beautiful by morning, struggling by pm
I will think about getting desert flowers and cactus plants, they are everywhere around here and when I tire of fighting for bright colored flowers I will have to be practical and follow natures way here in New Mexico with plants that survive this clime.
Yes, we can’t fight the wind, we will always lose the battle but I will try a little longer, I’m responsible for planting them so I must take care of them until their annual service is completed.
I use this word a lot to express hope, it’s a word borrowed from Arabic toSpanish and I like how it feels on my tongue and seems to express just what I mean, except when it is not understood. So that’s why it’s here today. Feel free to use it!
I think I’ve listened to Bocelli’s cd SI about 4 times today, puts me in a reflective mood.
‘If only we could turn back time’
I used a mud facial that my daughter sent me some time ago, teal colored mud for 20 minutes, that much attention to my face is disappointing, the dry air here and spending more time outside in the sun has left it’s mark on my face , but then I am old, I don’t enjoy my wrinkles and sagging skin but here I am, alive and kicking down barriers and though I look pensive, old and unhappy, it’s all about the light and attitude.
quite a difference ! Which is my reality? A bit of both I guess, this means I must stay in the light and have a good attitude! It’s all we have now, what do you think?
Got my ‘youcandoitbabe’ smart car back today and all is well but geeze the roads in Texas are terrible. You don’t notice it so much in a bigger car but the drive home wasn’t as pleasant as the drive up in the big loaner car, the roads I’ve driven on in NM are much better.
Monday I’ll drive GG to Truth or Consequences to do errands and fill my propane. finally!
Friends have come to my assistance yet again!
putting the drafting table together
marriage survived putting the table together.
I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to give me a hand or show me how to do stuff. I am a pretty independent person, mostly willing and usually unafraid to try something new or face difficult challenges, but having willing neighborly hands available makes a huge difference in life and fine living. Today Becca and Dan gave me a rod to place across the cab to hang clothes when I’m not traveling, this allows me to use the one closet I have to use as a pantry, which I sorely need. So instead of trying to find my groceries in these upper cabinets with doors that won’t stay open while I look for what I need I’ll have a proper pantry with shelves. It’s the little things in life worth while, not the big hard challenges that we face because we have to, its small moments and satisfying pleasures that make us smile.
I discovered a new storage space, funny how I’m finding out more about GG still after living with her for 8 months. Yes! It’s been 8 months, ownership in a year in August. We will have to celebrate! Maybe I’ll make a Panamanian dinner for my friends with ropa vieja, arroz con algo y platanos. Or patacones. Always interesting cooking in my tiny kitchen but I managed with spaghetti so I think it will be fine. oh yeah, and flan de la casa. Smile…………
I’ve ordered some new Indian fabric to sew a summer weight quilt/cover for my bed and curtains. 100% cotton . I have a light cover that I’ll sandwich between two sides to fit my mattress. It looks like it’ll go with the colors I have on the walls, 5 yards, I hope I have enough for curtains or pillows. Becca laughed that I was already changing up things but what I have now will be used again when I tire of the new. This keeps me busy and involved……..at least with myself.
to put the photos where they belong. !!!
TailGateArt- Tears and Laughter-Othon.com 