Thanksgiving Birthday

This Thanksgiving was great! We were able to combine Bob's 83rd birthday and Thanksgiving together. What better thanks could we ask for than to have so much family to share it with.
It started with a visit from Carie and Joey on the 24rd to the 26th. Joey played Frisbee golf with Carie, EJ and the Dog Horde, Carie helped EJ clean Guinea cages and make shell jewelry, and we still had plenty of time to sit around and visit.
Bobby drove in on Saturday afternoon and Debra made it home by around 5pm with more food to feed an army. We commenced to prep and cook as much as we could before Sunday, the Birthday Boy's Feast.
We had turkey and the whole kit-an-kabootle. Willeta and Fred came in about 10? Sunday, bearing pies galore then Jennifer and the Girls a little later, followed by Travis and Kelly and their two girls.
We were seated around the table for the meal. When everyone was finished we lit the candles on Bob's cake and sang a very loud rendition of Happy Birthday. Bob blew his candles out and we all cheered and clapped. The sound was incredible in that it was filled with so much love that it was almost overwhelming.
Yeshua, thank you so much for our blessings; our family. Please increase our times together!

The New Garden from Start to Now

Bill started the garden where Bob and Debra had it last year. They had been throwing all the kitchen compost on top of the area. Bill tilled and toiled until there were four long raised beds, then he proceeded to put the local river stone around each bed. (Still not quite finished but -- priorities, priorities!) He then dug fence post holes, cemented them in and put 8' deer fencing around the beds. Bill also made rebar gates in and out of the garden. We call one the sunrise gate and the other the harlequin gate. With all that done, we began planting with two apple trees and various cold weather crops, some perennial flower plants and herbs. I'm so loving those. Still to be done is the arbor for vining plants. A garden for utility, but artistic at the same time. (That's Bill for you!)

Great Growing Greenhouse

Bill and Bob put up a greenhouse for the potted plants to survive the winter and to start seeds in the early spring. They had it up and finished in 4 days. Bill used twisted juniper branches for the door handles and fencing for more support and plant protection when the plastic is removed. Bill and I moved the plants and seeder in and arranged them to my liking. Bill also hung up the birdhouses for storage on the shed wall inside. Debra's 55 gallon drums, she gave to Bob for water, are just inside for solar heat release at night and water in a pinch. Now the learning begins!

Absolute Albuquerque Adventure

Headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit with Mom. We had a great time together, wonderful coffee by an aromatic fire in the cool crisp mornings, Chinese healing massages(the best I ever had!), "deep meaning" bible study (Thanks Mom for the Torah book), a vote for change, field trip to Santa Fe, and a to-die-for lunch under a huge poplar tree at La Casa Sena. So much in such a short time and every minute a pleasure. In youth we learn and in age we understand. (Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach) Hope we have many more times together!