Yes, it's been a while since we posted anything.  We've spent a lot of time at home, so this trip was a lot of fun.  I went with friends Lydia and Gerda to Albuquerque's Old Town Stroll and Christmas Tree Lighting.  

It was truly beautiful, with thousands of people lining the Old Town Square.

I found out that the Christmas Tree was actually made up of 156 Douglas Firs and it takes them two days to trim and fit all the trees together.

Dinner at Church St Cafe was wonderful as was the Bailey's Irish Coffee.  A great way to stay warm!

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking tham!

We were fortunate enough to be invited to Monika and Reuben's Oktoberfest bash.  What a great time we had!  The food was fantastic and the company was even better!  It was great to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones.

Looking forward to next year!

Last week, I made a whirlwind trip back to Tennessee to pick up my car and other things we'd stored.  Lydia flew with me to help me drive back home.

It was Lydia's first time in East Tennessee and I enjoyed showing off my favorite things about our old home.  Mom and I took her to Foothills Parkway to see the completed Missing Link - a section of Foothills Parkway that was finally finished this year after decades of waiting.  While the leaves were just barely turning to their fall colors, it was still a beautiful drive.

I love showing off our beautiful Smoky Mountains.  They never fail to take my breath away.  Next up was my sanctuary and my favorite place in Tennessee - Cades Cove.  We didn't see any bears, but the morning was misty enough to look like a fairytale.

In addition to Cades Cove, we managed to fit in a trip to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome, which is on the TN/NC state line.  It was fascinating to find out that when we were at Newfound Gap, one of the gateways to the Appalachian Trail, we were at the same altitude that we are here at home in NM.

The stand out amongst Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome are the views of the mountains.  The haze makes them look so ethereal and fairy tale-like.

We also took a girls' trip to Asheville so that Lydia could see her daughter and family.  While she was enjoying her family time, my mom, sister and I went to the Asheville Arboretum.  It was a true jewel.  My favorite parts had to be the Bonsai garden and the little model train railroad.

The best part of our trip?  Seeing family.  It was great to spend time with all of them.  Kate and I spent one afternoon at the park while she showed off her swinging and sliding prowess.  She's getting too big for her Grammy's liking.  But what a smart, beautiful, talented and funny granddaughter we have.  She's the light if our eyes.

They finished dinner, now time for play, says Bella.

Some pictures require no explanations.  This set is one of them, evidenced by Luna's look in the last picture.  Yep, she's met her match.

I post enough sunset pictures to bore anyone, but the sunrise this morning was spectacular.  It wasn't about bright colors.  It was more subtle - a unique cloud that I've never seen, peeking out over the Manzanos.  A serene way to start the morning.

  Last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to head for Sandia Peak, on the Tramway, with Lydia, Monika and Gerda.  The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway located adjacent to Albuquerque. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains and has the world's third longest single span. It is the longest aerial tram in the United States.  It took about fifteen minutes to get to the top, which is over 10,000 feet.  There are two trams and they balance each other, so one is always on top while the other is at the bottom and they meet in the middle.

The ride up and down were absolutely beautiful.  We even saw a few pieces of wreckage from the TWA flight that crashed into the canyon decades ago.

The new Restaurant 10-3, was wonderful.  I enjoyed the best cuban sandwich ever and the general consensus was that the food was outstanding.

It was another day of learning more about this enchanted land we've joined.  Unfortunately, the pictures don't do it justice.  My camera battery was dead and I took these with my phone.

So I post too many sunset pictures.  But there's a storm brewing tonight and I've never seen the skies as beautiful as tonight.  We had to stop what we were doing and just appreciate nature's beauty.

We've been working on our projects this week.  I've finally repotted all my succulents and they're outside getting some Sunny D.  

Dave has been working on his clocks.  The work he's doing is amazing, so I'll save that for its own blog post.  Stay tuned!

I'm starting a new project.  We need a buffet in the dining room to house Dave's grandmother's china and silver.  We can't have anything tall because of the niches in the wall.  So, I've been scouring thrift shops and antique stores looking for just the right piece to refinish and place there.

I found it yesterday at Bethlehem Trading Post, our favorite thrift store.  When we walk in, we're greeted with hugs and pecans.  Dave got a mission clock working yesterday and I see a great partnership ahead for them.

As for me, I found my piece outside on the porch.  It's probably been there for a long, long time, so I got it for a song.  I love it because while the original style is mid-century modern, the overall lines can be vintaged more with the right paint and new drawer pulls.  I love the clean lines of this piece.  Dave will need to cut a couple of new shelves in the doors, but that won't take long.  

This will be my most challenging project yet, but I'm looking forward to bringing it back to life.  Wish me luck!

Today was a road trip day with Lydia and Pete.  Our first stop was Magdalena, where we had lunch at the old Magdalena Cafe'.
According to Wikipedia, ""The Lady on the Mountain" is a rock formation on Magdalena Peak overlooking Magdalena. Spanish soldiers saw the profile of a woman on the west face of the peak.
Magdalena continues to be a ranching community while strengthening its art, astronomy and geology venues. The reopening of the Magdalena Hall Hotel (circa 1917) and the renovation of other historical buildings allow visitors to connect to the past. The Magdalena Public Library and Boxcar Museum are housed in the old railroad depot. Several rock and mineral shops have been around since the mining boom days. The ghost town of Kelly and two festivals, the "Open Studio and Gallery Tour" and the "Old Timers Reunion and Rodeo", bring tourists to the area. The "Enchanted Skies Star Party" in early fall brings astronomers and astro-photographers together under its very dark skies.
​
The Very Large Array lies 24 miles due west of the community. The Magdalena Ridge Observatory lies 25 miles southeast at an elevation of 10,600 feet. Magdalena is located 26 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico."   As a side note, the VLA is where the movie "Contact" with Jodie Foster was filmed.

The drive to Magdalena was beautiful and awe inspiring.   As we climbed up, the terrain changed and reminded me of South Dakota, especially after we passed the Continental Divide and drove through the Alpine Meadows.

Nest stop, Pie Town.  Yes, there's a Pie Town in New Mexico and yes they make the most sinfully decadent pies I've ever tasted.  Its name comes from an early bakery for making dried-apple pies that was established by Clyde Norman in the early 1920s. Pie Town is the location of a "Pie Festival" on the second Saturday of each September. Pie Town is also located immediately north of the Gila National Forest and not very far west of the Plains of San Augustin, also located along U.S. 60.  It gained recognition again when Kathy and Stan started making and selling pies at the "Pie-o-neer.