Some of Our Favorite Memories

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas, dear readers! Whether your day will be busy and filled with lots of commotion and children's laughter, or a quieter grown-up version of coffee in bed reading your favorite columnist, no doubt love is abundant today.

I hope there are no stockings with lumps of coal to report this morning; just lots of sparkly jewelry, good friends and delicious food all day long.

They say Christmas is for children, and that may be the case. The best memories of Christmas are usually from our childhood. Speaking of gifts, I would have to say my favorite childhood gift was the time my grandparents drove from Ohio to Michigan to surprise my brother and sister and me on Christmas. They brought brand new bikes for us, too, and I can't remember what they looked like. But the memory of my grandparents, the happiness and love has stayed with me for over 40 years.

I put out the call for favorite Christmas gifts. Many of you responded with wonderful stories to share, and I thank you. Here are a few of your responses.

• "In reality, every Christmas at my house was special. All seven (yep, seven) kids would sit at the top of the stairs until Dad went down to make sure Santa had come. Then it was a mad dash to see who got what. Of course, every pile held exactly the same number of gifts, and were usually the same size. Santa couldn't play favorites!"

— Kathy Colley, deputy mayor of Rio Rancho

• "When I was 34, I received a blue-denim shirt from a former girlfriend. The message was that despite how our relationship ended, she wanted a part of her image/persona to stay with me. I still have the shirt. Still fits, too."

— Ray W.

• "My own favorite was the year Joel and I spent weeks working on a gift for the boys. They were about 3 and 4, and we thought they might like a play tent ... We got carried away, and I ended up cutting out a huge circle of canvas, Joel stripped some 8-foot spruce poles, we had special grommets and stitching put on the front and voilá — an authentic miniature Sioux teepee that we still have and put up at times! It was a huge hit, and they spent many an hour playing 'buffalo hunt' and having sleep-outs."

— Tris C.

• "My favorite holiday gift that I will never forget was getting something called "Fighter Jet." I must have been about 8 years old and got this item, which resembled a fighter jet cockpit. Brings back happy memories of my parents."

— Richard B.

• "I'd have to say my favorite gift would be either my Daisy Red Rider BB gun when I was 6 (didn't shoot my eye out!) or my Sting-Ray bike with banana seat and racing slick rear tire when I was 8. How can a boy ask for anything better at those ages? If you were to ask (my) best gift as an adult, it would have to be sheepskin slippers that I get every year. Judy calls them elf slippers because they cover my ankles."

— Steve Shaw, Rio Rancho City Councilman, District 4.

I hope you receive the present you wanted most this year. Merry Christmas.

Quote of the Week: "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other" — Burton Hills

Holey Christmas Tree Just Right for Oz Ornaments

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, December 18, 2010

With all of the seasonal rushing, I somehow got behind this year and didn't get our Christmas tree until a couple of days ago.

This year we bought our tree from Boy Scout Troop 1974 next to St. Thomas Aquinas here in Rio Rancho. What a great group or people they are. We pulled in about 7 p.m. Wednesday and were greeted by smiling faces who were ready to match us up with the perfect tree.

"What kind of tree are you looking for?" asked one of the den mothers, as two helpful Scouts stood by ready to assist.

I told her I only wanted to spend around $40, as I glanced at the tickets on the trees for $65 and up. I was informed their rates were about $8 a foot, which was better than many of the other lots in town. With the most convincing tone of voice, I told my daughters that the shorter trees are just as festive as the big ones, but they weren't buying it.

"How about this one?" my oldest daughter said as she stood next to a towering beauty like a "Price is Right" spokesmodel.

"That's pretty, how much is it?" I asked. "Ninety-five dollars," she sheepishly answered.

"Ah, let's keep looking," I said.

We continued to scour the rows of trees, and when I turned a corner, my daughters had found a 9-foot piñon with branches grown specifically for hanging Christmas ornaments.

"That's a good one, how much is it?" I asked. "This one is $36," said the den mother.

"Why so cheap?"

"It's from in state. The ones from Oregon are more expensive," she said.

After giving it some thought and careful examination, we all voted it was the prettiest tree on the lot and it wanted to come home with us.

The Scouts trimmed the bottom and put my stand on the tree. I paid my $36 and as I turned back to my daughters, who were now chatting with a den dad. I hear him say, "Someone has to buy the Charlie Brown trees."

What? Was the tree that took half an hour to pick out, the tree that I just paid for, really that bad? Sure, it had some bare spots, but that's where the Wizard of Oz ornament collection goes. I had never picked out a Christmas tree at night before and I felt like I was about to find out why.

Once we got the tree home and hung all of the decorations on it, we all agreed it was the most beautiful tree we ever had. Sure, it was lopsided with gaping holes. I did have to tie it to the wall, and it was lying against the television the next morning, but it's back up now. Go ahead, call it a Charlie Brown tree, I can take it.

And at Walmart, the stock boy told me the Valentine's Day merchandise arrived on the dock last week, and will be going on the shelves the day after Christmas. One week of this wonderful holiday season to go, my friends. Enjoy it before it's gone.

Christmas column next week: Write and tell me the best Christmas gift you ever received and how old you were when you got it.

Quote of the Week: "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love." — Linus from "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

45s and Fluffy Found When Decluttering Garage

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 12/11/10

The walls in my garage had finally closed in so far that it was a tight squeeze getting out of my car.

That is one car in a two-car garage, mind you. I couldn't take it anymore; I could see myself on a segment of an upcoming "Hoarders" episode if I didn't do something fast. It was time to clean the garage, words that make grown-ups bristle and children run for their friend's house.

The process actually started last weekend when my daughters and I started sorting through boxes and bags of old clothes, toys and art projects. Get rid of the stuffed animals. Keep the preschool hand print artwork.

While going through some drawers, my oldest daughter found a stack of old 45 vinyl records and held one up.

"Wow, how old is this mom?" she asked.

I took a look at it and saw that it was "Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk Railroad. "That's from around 1974," I said.

"Cool," she says, "how many songs can you fit on one of these?"

Good Lord. She thinks it's a CD, which can hold around sixteen songs. A 45 is almost the same size as a CD I suppose, but black instead of silver, and with a big hole in the middle.

"One. It has one song on it," I tell her.

"One? You're kidding," she says, laughing. Talk about feeling old. Where's my turntable, Walkman and Easy Bake Oven?

Having sorted and bagged and swept, I moved our donations to the curb last Thursday for pick-up. The garage looked much better, but Fluffy the 4-foot stuffed animal was taking up too much room. He went out to the curb, too. I figured I was safe doing that ever since my daughter relegated Fluffy to the garage during her last room makeover six months ago. No such luck.

To my dismay, the donation truck hadn't been down my street when I arrived home from school with my daughter. As we pulled into the driveway, she saw the pile of donations neatly at the curb. But upon further analysis, she saw Fluffy tucked in on the backside of the pile.

"Fluffy?" she screamed as she opened the door before I could stop the car, running to rescue Fluffy from the deathly grips of the Salvation Army.

"How could you give Fluffy away?" she demanded.

I knew I couldn't win this one, so I allowed Fluffy back into the family. He is back in the garage sitting safely between the vacuum and the bikes, taking up too much room.

Just a reminder: Don't miss the Rio Rancho Winterfest parade this evening at 5:15pm beginning at Golf Course Road and Southern Boulevard. Come out and enjoy this hometown tradition with marching bands, decorated floats and, of course, Santa himself.

Quote of the Week: "It even makes you happy when you're feelin' blue. So, come on, come on, and do The Loco-Motion with me." — The Loco-Motion

Readers Share Holiday Traditions of Thespians and Depression

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/27/10

'Tis the season to be thankful and I am thankful for my loyal readers. I love hearing from you, and I always get a great response when I pose a question to you. Last week I asked you to tell me some of your family holiday traditions, and you didn't let me down.

Thank you to all who wrote to me. I enjoyed learning about your traditions and what is important in your families. Here are four letters I received from readers, sharing their holiday memories. I think you will like their stories as much as I have.

Thanksgiving is over. Let the traditions begin.

"Our favorite family Christmas tradition started many years ago when my nieces and nephews were young. I would go to the public library and select a Christmas play with a number of characters and the rest was PURE enjoyment. The family would have to find costumes and props and put their best thespian foot forward." — Marian D.

"Our family consisted of six children with our two loving parents. We had very little money, but we had lots of love and respect for each other. Thanksgiving was a day for us to remember how thankful we should be for living in this country and for what we had. We often went to church for a service. Of course, we had no TV, so we were not interrupted with that. We always had a very good meal.

"Our Daddy's birthday was Dec. 16, so we usually did our Christmas decorating on that day. We left them out until Jan. l. We carefully saved the wrapping paper in order that we might use it the next year. You might guess that I am a "Depression kid" and am 86 years old." — Irene J.

"My favorite tradition when we were kids (there were four of us), was that none of the presents were put under the tree until we had gone to bed. The anticipation was intense. We practiced for days getting down the 24-some steps so we could sneak down without making noise. There was also an unwrapped present from Santa left on the hearth or under the stockings for us. My first trip down the steps Christmas morning was usually around 2 a.m. One particular Christmas, when I was very small, I came down to discover my sister and I both had dolls under our stockings. Hers was a bride doll in a beautiful dress. I wanted that doll — I can still see that lace dress with the silver threads. I thought long and hard about switching the dolls. After all, only Santa would know. Sometimes I wish I had done it; Mom and Dad would have had a heck of a time dealing with that situation." — M.J.

"For Christmas, we have a Nativity scene on the fireplace — year round. But, being that our new home has no fireplace, the piano will have to do. From Thanksgiving until New Years' Day, a porcelain Santa Claus welcomes the shepherds and the Magi to the stable. We have the tree up for a very short time and for one reason only; my 12-year old cat still thinks it's her personal plaything.

"Since fatherhood, my son and I have been observing the Nguzo Saba (or Seven Principles) of Kwanzaa, and try to attend at least one celebration during the week. I think I get more out of it than he does, but we are both learning." — Ray W.

Quote of the Week: "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." — Hamilton Wright Mabie, American essayist.

Ready or Not, Christmastime Is Upon Us

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/20/10

There they were, right in the middle of the living room, right where my daughters had left them upon dragging them in from the garage: the blue boxes, aka the Christmas decorations storage boxes.

The lids were removed and there it all was: the Santa candleholder from 1991, the blinking glass tree that plays a montage of the top five Christmas carols, the umpteen strands of gold garland, and of course, the stockings. But this was Nov. 15, not even Thanksgiving.

Wait. Stop. Are you kidding? I hadn't put away the witch lamp yet. And I am still picking up candy wrappers from Halloween, but nonetheless, someone hung the door knocker with the rustic bell, fake evergreen branch and red bow on the front door knob. Was there any turning back?

They had been begging me since the day after Halloween to start decorating for Christmas, so why should I be surprised? I remember seeing the first Christmas TV commercial on Halloween day. The stores have had their decorations up for weeks. And I was shocked to see Santa in his chair at the mall last weekend. I know they say the older you get the faster time goes by, but this is ridiculous. I know it's not just me.

Getting back to the decorations, I was actually considering putting out a couple of decorations, what could that hurt, right? No, no, no. Some traditions cannot be messed with. Christmas lights are hung on Thanksgiving weekend at the earliest. Decorations have inched their way up to this same time slot, which used to be about the middle of December, just to ward off the claustrophobia that can occur come late December.

Remember the retail tradition of no sales until Dec. 26? Everyone had to buy their gifts at full retail markup.

Do you have a shopping tradition? Do the women in your family go shopping on Black Friday, while the men sit back and watch football?

It's time to embrace the holidays, whether we are ready for them or not. Focus on your family, and be thankful to be with the ones you love.

What are some of your family traditions for the holidays? E-mail me and they might just find their way into a future column. A column tradition I am starting this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Quote of the Week: "Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world." — Susan Lieberman

Chapman Elected on Vision and Tenacity

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/13/10


I am sure you are all familiar with the name Dave Bency, Sandoval County District 3 commissioner who just stepped down from office due to term limits. Don Chapman won the recent election and will be stepping in, ready to hit the ground running.

Don and I served on the board of directors for the Chamiza Estates Neighborhood Association in the Unit 17 area a few years back; he as president, and I as secretary. Our major issue at the time was the after-effects of the summer 2006 flood. Our area was mostly dirt roads, and Don fought with legislators in Santa Fe and Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority here in town until changes were made so the roads wouldn't become impassable again, should another "500-year flood" happen. This sort of vision and tenacity is what got him elected.

Married for 26 years and a father of two grown girls, Don Chapman was a sales and marketing executive for years before moving to Rio Rancho in 2003 and becoming a commercial real estate broker.

When I asked Don what were some of the concerns voters in this election were voicing he replied, "They are concerned about taxes and how they cannot handle more of the same. The challenge is to operate the county's business, not cut any current programs," he said. "But at the same time control taxes, which translates to controlling spending."

Since Don's political profile was published in the Journal during the campaign, we know where he stands on the issues. But that profile didn't ask the really important questions, like: What's on Don's personal bucket list?

Q: Why did you run for the office of Sandoval County commissioner for District 3?
A: Because I believe I can make a difference.

Q: If your house was on fire and all of your family and pets are safely outside, what is the one thing you would go back and get?

A: This is a tough question, but if the family and pets are safe, then there would be nothing worth going back in for, I would have all I need to move on.

Q: What is your greatest extravagance?
A: My wife would say our motorcycle; guess I would probably agree.

Q: What is your favorite getaway spot in New Mexico?
A: We like going to the Sandia Crest, by motorcycle of course, and it is such a short ride away.

Q: At what Rio Rancho haunt are we most likely to spot you?
A: We frequent Federico's quite a bit; the green sauce and mini-tacos are the best.

Q: If you won $10 million in the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
A: I would first buy a new (larger) home for my wife.

Q: Name one thing you want to do before you die.
A: Go to the Masters in Augusta in April and watch all four rounds.

Q: What word or phrase do you overuse?
A: Not sure, bet my wife could tell you.

Q: If you had to impress someone from out of town, where is the one place you would take them
A: I would take them to one of the three: Season's, Savoy, or Scalo's.

Q: Red or green?
A: Definitely green!

Quote of the Week: "If there's a golf course in heaven, I hope it's like Augusta National."— Gary Player.

Keepers Hold Special Meanings in Our Lives

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section November 06, 2010

I posed this question to a friend of mine recently: "Looking back on your life, name some of the high points and tell me why you remember them?"

Maybe it's the change of season, or maybe it's birthdays, or maybe it's just because all of the hate ads are gone from the TV and peace has been restored that puts me in this mood. But actually, the Christmas ads have started already and that's a whole new ball of wax, but we will save that for a future column.

High points, or keepers as I call them, can happen at anytime; sometimes they are planned like vacations or special occasions, and other times they are spontaneous moments that remain in your heart forever, like souvenirs.

Career high points is a category unto itself. Your first job, I mean your first real job where your paycheck came every two weeks and it covered the rent. Maybe during that job you landed a big client, brought sales up 45 percent or produced the best radio commercial the company had ever heard. Whatever career highlights you have, they usually left you with a great feeling of pride, accomplishment and happiness.

Personal high points in life are definitely in a category of their own and vary greatly among everyone. Time with the people we have loved, family reunions, birthday parties all carry souvenirs for us. I still have a birthday card my brother gave me for my 12th birthday with a 1972 quarter taped to the inside. Simple pleasures are the best. Sure, I suppose the rich have very different keepers than the rest of us. Do you think a trip to Carlsbad Caverns would be a keeper for Mick Jagger?

Souvenirs seem to involve travel or special people, or both. When I was in college, my boyfriend and I sneaked off to Niagara Falls for a weekend. My father found out about it afterward and was convinced we eloped. It took me months to convince him I was still single. The drive up, the raincoats we wore on the Maid of the Mist boat, the little cabin we stayed in, all keepers.

My great-grandmother was a quiet, unassuming woman from southeastern Ohio with little money. I never knew my great-grandfather; he died before I was born. They lived in the same small house their entire lives, raised their children in it, and it was where I would go back to visit her into my early 20s. My dad would tell me the story of the trip they would take for their anniversary every year, which must have been in the 1940s and 1950s. It was the highlight of the year for them, driving from Ohio to Virginia in the fall to see the colors changing in the trees along Skyline Drive. When I first heard this story, I didn't understand how something as simple as that was so memorable to them. Now that I am older, I get it. Keepers.

As we get older, the keepers, the souvenirs, become more and more special. I guess that saying might be true, that you know you are old when all you talk about are your memories. I'm not quite there yet, but I feel it coming.

The aspens in the Jemez are at their peak color this weekend. Get your loved ones and drive up for the day. Take a good long look out your car window. I promise the yellow leaves against the blue November sky above and the red rocks below will stay with you forever.

Quote of the Week: "Memories, they can't be boughten. They can't be won at carnivals for free. Well it took me years to get those souvenirs. And I don't know how they slipped away from me." — "Souvenirs" by Steve Goodman.

2010 Copyright Jennifer Huard. All Rights Reserved.

Free Car Wash an Answer to Low Voter Turnout?

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/30/10

"You better not be voting for her," said my 12-year-old daughter after watching the latest scathing political commercial on television. She warned me with such conviction, as if she had read every interview, watched every debate and attended every rally of that particular candidate.

"Why not?" I asked. Why did I even ask? She's 12 and the only thing she knows is what the latest ads tell her and how much a Sham Wow costs. "Just wait for her competitor's commercial, honey; she'll make the other one look just as bad," I told her.

Have you decided who you're voting for? Do the commercials sway you in any way? I already know who I'm voting for; the ads don't sway me. No, I don't vote a straight ticket like I used to, but I made up my mind back in the primary. Still, I know there are some people who wait until they get into that almighty booth to make a decision. Those people bug me.

It's been election season for a long time now (Calgon, take me away). Is it me or are there more postcards in my mailbox, commercials on the TV and radio, and more signs in the yards than ever before?

If that isn't annoying enough, the telemarketers have to call to find out which way you are leaning: red or blue? Did you vote yet? Do you plan to vote? If so, then for whom are you going to vote? The calls seem to only apply to land lines. I ditched my land line last year so at least for now, I'm safe. I'm sure by the next presidential election we'll be getting hounded on our cell phones.

Think about this: With all of the canvassing, hand-shaking, signs, stickers and tag lines, voter turnout remains dismal. We need to make voting day more of a celebration, more significant than just scoring a small oval sticker.

I have voted in every major election since I was old enough to vote. It's in my blood, and I think that's where it starts. If your parents instilled the importance of voting in you, chances are you are more likely to carry that with you in every election thereafter. Teach your children well, my friends.

But for those out there who are apathetic about voting, it just might take some incentives to get you to punch that chad in the voting booth on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

If we really want to turn the table on low voter turnout, we need to make election day more of a public celebration, not less. How about a free car wash when you vote? I could use that right about now. Or the city could waive your water bill for a month if you show the clerk your "I Voted" sticker. The small red, white and blue "I Voted" sticker is good enough for me; I'll wear it proudly all day and then stick it on the roof of my car until it falls off. Vote on Tuesday, my fellow New Mexicans.

Quote of the Week: "Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote." — William E. Simon, 63rd U.S. secretary of the Treasury

Parents, Get Creative With Kids' Games

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section, Saturday, October 16, 2010

This tradition started a long time ago, when my brother and sister and I were out for dinner with our relatives in Florida on Easter vacation. How do you pass the time with children when you are waiting for the food to arrive and kids can't think of anything but the French fries they just ordered? As loving parents, we play games to get their minds off of their grumbling stomachs.

Parents get creative when it comes to entertaining their kids, hoping to ward off their hunger and those pesky ants in the pants they seem to suffer from before a restaurant meal is put in front of them. Some parents build forts with the sugar packets on the table. Some restaurants have the children's menus printed on coloring pages and hand out packs of crayons. I Spy is always a favorite for the very young.

My daughters and I went to Dion's the other night and while waiting for our food, my youngest suggested we play Geography, our traditional game to pass the time. This was met with groans and was quickly dismissed to talk about more current topics, such as bone fractures and treatments that my eldest is learning in her sports medicine class. Whatever works is fine by me. Geography has been a table tradition in my family since my days in Florida, and one I fear we may be outgrowing.

To play Geography, the first person names a city, state, country or continent. The next person has to name a city state, country or continent beginning with the letter that the previous word ended in. For example, the first person says New Mexico. An "o" to the next person, who could say Oklahoma. An "a" to the next person, who could say Anchorage. An "e" to the next person, who could say Egypt. And so on.

Car trips call for different games for some reason, like the license plate game. Try to spot an out of state license plate; the one who spots one furthest from home wins. Hawaii plates are triple score.

Then there is the challenging game called Just Questions. You haven't heard of that one? Would you like to know how to play? Are you a witty person? Can you keep a conversation going by only asking questions of the other person? How long do you think you could go without drawing a blank? Who would think a game like this would be so fun?

We have a game going on in our home right now. Somehow the three gnomes from the backyard got inside and are turning up in the most unexpected places. No one is claiming to move them; therefore the 12-inch inanimate objects must be moving around the house themselves. Gnomes do have that sneaky reputation, but I got the last laugh when two of the gnomes went to school in the backpacks the other day and weren't discovered until first period, at least. Nothing says I love you like a three-pound garden gnome stuffed inside your already heavy backpack.

Quote of the Week: "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." — Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher.

Rail Runner the Restful Way to Santa Fe

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/9/10

Last weekend I did something I've never done before. Something touristy, and with some trepidation since our little town has multiplied exponentially now that the balloon fiesta is in full swing. No, I didn't hit the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Fair, or make it down to the field for the mass ascension. My 12-year-old daughter and I embarked on a Saturday afternoon adventure New Mexico style: We took the Rail Runner to Santa Fe.


Now, I will admit in this column over the years when describing things I have been accused of getting charmingly descriptive and even been being told that I "watch too much of the Travel Channel." All I can say to that is, sit back and enjoy the ride again today.

After checking the train schedule online, we read it wrong and ended up at the Sandoval County/US550 station in Bernalillo one hour early. No problem, it gave us time to run across the street to McDonald's.

As the train's arrival time got closer, the crowd grew and I began to wonder if my daughter and I would even get a seat together, knowing for certain that everyone from the balloon park had the same idea we had and was already sitting comfortably on the upper level enjoying the view. The doors opened, and we all pushed our way in to get the best seat, as visions of the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland flashed through my head.

Doors close, and we were northbound on our one-hour trip up I-25 to our capital to do some weekend shopping and ice cream eating.

Riding the train is another one of those great people-watching activities, and since the seats face each other, the friendship factor is rather high. We happened to be in a car with what felt like one big happy family. The quiet newlyweds sat across from us, the four little girl cousins sat in the seats directly to my right, looking anxious, eager and ready to get off at every stop. Grandpa sat behind me, quietly taking his seat like he had done this a thousand times before. And Grandma sat at the opposite end of the car, never tiring of telling us all just how bad a workweek she had. I hope her boss gets the boot after making Grandma's life so miserable with his lies and smirks and unfair favoritism he is showing toward Juanita.

We relaxed and watched the countryside go by as we pulled into three stops along the way. Wild horses, cows and sagebrush dotted the scenery, and all I could wonder was, where was the bar car, I could use a spritzer right about now.

Upon arrival at the Santa Fe depot, our train tickets got us a free two-minute shuttle bus ride into the plaza and there we were. No driving around to find a parking place. No dodging tourists with shopping bags. And no parking fees. We hit our favorite shops first, then some new ones until we found the perfect birthday gift for my pen pal back in Michigan, a good luck three-legged pig from Chile.

We caught the shuttle back to the depot and waited with the crowd for the southbound train. The skies were threatening, and the rain began to fall just as we took our seats on the upper level and pulled out of the station. People were quieter on this leg of the journey, some spoke softly; some admired their purchases, and others simply slept.

After a day of walking, laughing, eating and shopping, relaxing on the Rail Runner beats driving, parking and getting lost any day.

Quote of the Week: "The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." — G.K. Chesterton, writer.

Corrales the Place To Be Next Weekend

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section September 18, 2010

CHF Official Poster
by Barbara Clark

You know it's fall when ... the evenings are cooler, the chiles are a roastin', and the Corrales Harvest Festival is a happenin'. It's the biggest little festival of the fall, and its right here in our own backyard.

Next weekend is the 25th anniversary of the Corrales Harvest Festival and according to Chip Babb, the festival director, it is slated to be the best one they have ever put together.

"The pet parade on Saturday morning is one of our most popular draws," said Babb. "We are expecting over 200 entries this year: dogs, cats, horses, llamas, even guinea pigs. The pet parade committee has worked really hard this year and was able to get a lot of sponsors, making the winning even better. Nicole Brady, news anchor at Channel 4, will be leading the herd down Corrales Road as this year's grand marshal."

There is still time to enter, just decorate your pet and show up at the Rancho de Corrales Event Center next Saturday morning at 8.

Right after the pet parade, head on over to the Topform Arena for the Horse Extravaganza from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. A variety of horses will demonstrate and show off their unique qualities: Andalusians, Appaloosas, Arabians, Dutch warmbloods, Haflingers, minis, Morgans, mules, mustangs, paints, paso finos, quarter horses, Rocky Mountain horses and Tennessee walkers. It's what Corrales does best.

Phil, Grif, Glenn and the boys will be hauling festivalgoers on their hay wagons between the Recreation Center and Casa San Ysidro Museum near the Old Church throughout the whole weekend. A definite must at the festival, a tractor ride is the only way to get around.

My favorite part of the festival has to be the arts and crafts fair. Located in La Entrada Park, this year there will be more than 60 local and regional artists and craftsmen displaying and selling their art and jewelry. Remember, Christmas isn't that far off. But before you go in, be sure to get your official festival poster, a beautiful watercolor painting of a signature Corrales scene by Corrales artist Barbara Clark. Her other entry, a colorful watercolor of a tractor on a tree-lined road, was chosen for the festival T-shirts.

Runners, don't miss the Corrida de Corrales, a 5K or 10K run Sunday morning. If you haven't walked among the giant cottonwoods in Corrales, you don't know what you are missing. A run through the flat, shady, dirt trails along the tree-lined acequia in the heart of beautiful Corrales is a must. I may skip the Reeboks and put on my moccasins, grab a latte and enjoy a laid-back morning stroll. Walkers are welcome too, you know.

After your run, what better than a Chef Jim White breakfast burrito at the Corrales Growers Market? Stop by the grassy field by the Rec Center and get some homegrown fresh greens, vegetables, herbs and fruits, as well as flowers, honey, jams, baked goods and salsas.

The village is the place to be next weekend. Hop aboard the Corrales Rapid Transit, aka a John Deere tractor, and make your way to La Entrada Park for the funnel cakes, brats and burritos. Do some shopping and enjoy the beautiful fall weather in shady Corrales.

Quote of the Week: "You love this town. You've been all over. And it's been all over you. It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away. It's a beautiful day." — "Beautiful Day" by U2.

Alarming Video Offers Crash Course in Cruises

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section September 11, 2010

There is a viral video that has surfaced on the Internet this past week showing the inside of a Pacific Sun cruise ship as it hits extremely rough waters. The Australian cruise ship was hit with huge waves about 400 miles off the coast of New Zealand in July 2008, and if any of you have ever been on a cruise, you're aware that these things can happen from time to time. This particular video, I have to believe, is of a rare and extreme case. And if you have a tendency to get queasy on the high seas, this video just might do it to you on solid ground.

At first the expressions on the faces of the passengers and crew are that of amusement, obviously because they think it's just typical turbulence at sea. But very soon, not only forks, knives, spoons and plates are flying across the room, but tables, chairs, food carts and bodies; it's like watching a tennis match in slow motion.

The video is amusing until one woman is seen hitting her head on a pillar and collapsing. Reports indicated passengers suffered broken ribs and limbs, a fractured pelvis and cuts. Many of the worst injuries occurred when gambling machines crashed on top of people. The ship, on the other hand, was not badly damaged.

My 12-year-old daughter saw the video and asked, "Can boats really do that?"

"Yes," I snapped. "Haven't you see 'The Poseidon Adventure?'" Flashbacks of Shelley Winters and Gene Hackman filled my head as I remembered the 1972 movie and the S.S. Poseidon capsizing under a 90-foot tidal wave.

All I got was a blank stare and a "What are you talking about?"

I've been on two cruises — three if you count a three-hour whale-watching tour off the coast of Maui. People did get seasick on that one, as I recall.

My first real cruise was the southbound inside passage along the Alaskan coast. Cruising close to shore kept the waters just as I like them: calm. My only worry was that a glacier might break apart in Glacier Bay and possibly create one big ripple. That I could handle.

My second cruise was along the Mexican coast from Long Beach, Calif., down to Mazatlan, Mexico and back. For the most part, we stayed close to shore, venturing out into the ocean only one day, where the waves were a little rougher but nothing like the Pacific Sun video.

What amazes me is the fact that videos like these can be seen around the world by everyone now. Only a few years ago our kids wouldn't have known the force of Mother Nature and that a cruise ship and its passengers have the capability of rocking so violently. Take that, Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Quote of the Week: "Joe, what the hell's going on down there? Is there nothing more you can do with those stabilizers?" — Captain Harrison, "The Poseidon Adventure"

So Many Colors, But So Few Rooms

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/4/10

Hello? Is anyone still in town this Labor Day weekend? Those of us who didn't get away for the last hurrah of the summer are staying home and catching up on work around the house, am I right? Fix the leaky shower, paint the trim or re-grout the kitchen floor.

In my house this weekend, that means painting. I have been contemplating painting the white walls of my house ever since last September when I moved in.

The cornflower-blue carpet in this house has thrown me for a loop, and although I wouldn't have chosen the color myself, it is growing on me. But as far as choosing a paint color to complement blue carpet, I still have that deer-in-the-headlights look on my face when I try to make a decision and "pick one already." This explains the hundreds of paint sample cards in my drawer that I just stare at, tape to my walls at various light angles and accumulate more with each trip to Lowe's.

It's the fear of picking a color that is too boring or too "what-were-you-thinking?" that keeps me from confidently walking up to the paint counter, sample card in hand and asking for 2 gallons of Mexican Moonlight in an eggshell finish.

I used the red rocks of Jemez as inspiration for my bedroom paint color, or so I like to think, depending on the hour. I vacillate between a rich burnt orange color like Ripe Tangerine or Peach Fizz, or a totally opposite hue in a subtle vanilla like Fortune Cookie or Soft Cream.

It took me weeks to narrow down my family room paint choices to four very different, very comfortable beiges. With my sample cards proudly propped up on the fireplace, I asked a friend which one he thought would look best. "None," he says. "They're not you. Those colors are too boring." So much for that.

Everyone is a critic, and everyone is a decorator. And speaking of critics, can you believe the fuss everybody is making over the revamping of the Oval Office? The taupe and beige colors seem reserved and muted, and the furniture styles are somewhat understated. Surely they couldn't have come out looking like the Bellagio Hotel with the economy in the state that it is. Imagine the flak they would have taken for that?

I've seen the Oval Office in person, having had the opportunity to visit the White House when my uncle was head of the Situation Room a few administrations ago. It is a roundish room, OK, oval. But still, with Obama's new stripes on the wall, I can't help but get the feeling of a merry-go-round in there, which I am sure sometimes it does.

The Oval Office has a new carpet, too, like most administrations do. But unlike past presidents, Obama chose to weave his favorite quotes right into the rug: quotes from Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy and King.

Interesting idea, I thought. So, for my rug, I would weave this quote attributed to Mark Twain: "Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

But I can't weave quotes into a carpet, for the same reason I can't get a tattoo: It's too permanent. Which reminds me, paint is not. So why am I vacillating? Peach Fizz it is.

What quote would you weave into your new carpet? E-mail me your favorite.

Quote of the Week: "Women are made to be loved, not understood." — Oscar Wilde

Hey, How Did that Get There?

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, August 28, 2010

You know they say when you die, you are taken to a room. And in that room is a huge pile of everything you have ever lost in your life: money, jewelry, car keys, pets, socks, computer files, and definitely a few pairs of very cool, very expensive sunglasses.

When you lose things, if you're lucky enough to find them, they always turn up in the most unusual places.

Did you hear about that mysterious boat that was found on Madeira Beach, Fla.? Local residents were amazed when the 48-foot yacht, unmanned with the motor running, washed ashore last Wednesday just south of Clearwater.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that the vessel is registered to the federal government, according to CNN. Given this information, I wouldn't necessarily say it was lost, but a boat turning up without a captain, with the lights glaring and motor running is something more than your typical find at a beach — much more interesting than sea glass, that's for sure.

Speaking of discovering things, finding messages in bottles is fascinating and more common than you might think.

One bottle sailed the ocean currents for eight years, traveling thousands of miles from Port Everglades, Fla., across the Atlantic to Bordeaux, France, where a Frenchman found a note dropped into the ocean 23 years earlier by a young girl at summer camp.

Another bottle was filled with letters written by a grieving family to their son, a casualty of the war in Afghanistan. On vacation in Barbados, the family sipped sambuca in their son's honor, then filled the empty bottle with goodbye notes and tossed it into the water. The bottle was found off the Mississippi coast by a Gulf oil spill cleanup crew some 1,300 miles away.

Sometimes things are just as special, but lost much closer to home.

We have a new kitten in the house and last week at about 8 o'clock on Tuesday night, she was nowhere to be found. After I convinced myself there was no way she could have escaped out the front door when I went outside to water the roses, we tore the house apart looking for our lost kitty. My daughters and I thought for sure we would find her cuddled amongst the socks in her usual dresser drawer, but no such luck.

With the stress level approaching nuclear meltdown, the only thing to do was the obvious: make popcorn. I opened the cupboard to get a bowl and there was the kitten curled up in the colander, fast asleep. Seems she must have gotten inside when I was making the salad for dinner. A collective sigh of relief swept through the house, to say the least.

The next time you lose something, just remember to cross your fingers, hold your breath and say the magic words: St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something has been lost and cannot be found.

Quote of the Week: "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." — Mark Twain