The air has a brisk feel in it, Fall has definitely arrived.  The harvest is mostly in.  We picked the last of the green beans on Sunday afternoon and it was cold.   The leaves and vines were withered because it froze the night before but most of the beans were still good.  We picked five gallons altogether.and picked all the tomatoes, green, pink or barely red.  They are now in the greenhouse ripening off the vine.  As they get red I will put them up in their pint and quart jars to eat later this winter.  We still have cabbage and beets in the garden.    The steers were taken to the butcher this morning and the male goat.  They will come back in neat little w hite packages.  Now, I need to clean out the freezer and make room for the meat we'll be getting the end of this week.

  One of our favorite times of the week are Sunday afternoons.  It is also a favorite of our grandsons.   Why?  Because they get to come over (with their parents of course!) and spend the whole afternoon and evening with us.  We usually have a late lunch and then a pick-up sort of supper, whatever we have lying around or feel like eating.  This last Sunday we ate outside, our days are numbered that way and we are trying to take full advantage of the gorgeous fall weather.  We were still drinking our coffee at 3:00 p.m.!  So, we weren't too hungry for supper.  We decided to make an Angel food cake (from scratch) and it was delicious!  So, topped with Strawberry-Rhubarb topping we had cake for supper.

 We also made a fishing game and the boys had fun "fishing". (Not sure why Jonathan decided to eat the green magic markers...hmm.....)   Earlier they had fun floating their boats in the pond.  While we were floating boats in the pond we noticed that we had lots of baby gold fish.  The question is, "will they live through the winter?"  I hope so, but time will tell.

We welcomed our new P.A. student this week.  He has taken over the "nursery" and we have rearranged all the grandkids toys, games and videos.  Justin and Cody are our house guests and they are a lot of fun. 

The last few weeks have kept us hopping, what with a trip to Pagosa Springs with some of our family and time with friends and family at home.  While at Pagosa Springs we enjoyed time with Pete Heather and boys and Erin and Nathan who came up with us for a few days. The kids had a ton of fun playing with their Aunt, Uncle, parents and grandparents.  Running back and forth between the condos was a favorite of theirs.  They helped their Aunt Erin and Daddy make a replica of the Noah's Ark (they are studying Noah's Ark in homeschool) and watched movies late at night while cuddled on the floor with blankets, ate yummy things, helped celebrate Uncle Nathan's birthday with a cake and balloons, play at the nearby playground, float the ark and another little boat in the nearby creek and lake.  Vacationing with little ones again is a treat and exhausting!   We had lots of fun going shopping, having coffee at our favorite coffee place along the river, walk along the river walk, smell the "rotten egg" smell that Pagosa is famous for and have lunch at Kip's Cantina and Grill.  All in all it was a wonderful few days and we can't wait to do it again!  Next stop, Williamsburg, VA.  We  just wish Erin and Nathan could join us again for that one! 

A sign of the times???

We are off to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, one of our favorite places and to make it even better, Pete, Heather and boys and Erin and Nathan are joining us!!  We will be celebrating Nathan's birthday tomorrow (he's HOW old?) and he and Pete are planning a marathon "Warhammer" game.  And we girls are going to play with the little ones and watch movies and who knows what all! 

It has taken us hours today to get ready though, Doyle is exhausted, he's been up before the sun, picking in the garden, moving livestock and  picking up poop! Yep, the farmer's work is never done!!!  The poop probably could have stayed, but Cody's family (he is the P.A. that is living with us until his house sells in Albuquerque) is coming up while we are gone and they are "city" folk, not used to such organic things as horse poop!!! 

We are  packing lots of food, because when the Meyer's get together they love to eat, fresh veggies from the garden, and the doins' to make homemade tortillas, coffee cake and Texas Sheet Cake for Nathan's birthday (we'll see if we can do as good a job as his Mom!!!).  The pressure is on!!

And..................the real sign of the times????  Lots of homemade canned goods for Erin and Nathan and produce from our garden and best of all????  Fresh green chilie and rosemary!!!  YAY!!!

I love houses that have flower gardens and old wooden picket fences.  On Sunday, Doyle and I went to a wedding at Blue Lake Ranch Ridgewood Event Center (in Colorado about an hour from our house)  and on the grounds was this house.  The wedding was actually held outside, the dance was in a huge log cabin, the dinner was outside under a beautiful white tent.  It was all beautiful and lovely.  We however, didn't get any pictures of the bride and groom (check them out on Facebook, if you're friends of Cara and Anthony).  But, we did enjoy the grounds after the ceremony, before the dinner.  We also took pictures by an old wooden gate that led into a flower garden.  I just know that this has got to be a favorite place for Teenie Weenies.  I kept expecting to see them pop out behind a flower petal.  What a magical place for a magical event.  We wish Cara and Anthony all of life's magical moments! 

Excerpts from a letter I wrote to a friend on the loss of her mom. .  June died on Wednesday,  August 29, 2012 at the age of 99. She was a good friend of mine.

September 6, 2012

Dear Jerri,

 I’ve been thinking of your Mom, June, and what an influence she had on me as a young mother and wife when we moved to Aztec 32 years ago this month.  I imagine that she and Dock were some of the first people we met and we felt very privileged to call them friends over these years.  I often regretted that life got so busy it was hard to keep up with them and her as I wanted to, but if anyone understood “busy” it would be your Mom. 

I have often told people over the years that if it hadn’t been for your parents (and specifically your Mom), we would have gone hungry the fall we arrived in Aztec in 1980. This is not an exaggeration at all, it is the truth.  Thank goodness we moved in the fall when veggies were profuse at your parent’s garden. We ate daily from everything that came out of there, and many our meals,were just veggies from their garden. It is incredible to think that June gardened into her 98th year!  I clearly remember how sweet and kind your parents were to little Christopher and how your mom and Willa Bowra would often take him on stroller rides to Safeway!   Christopher and I would take daily walks down to your parent's home every day as we only had one car and I was stuck at home most of the time.  I treasured these walks and the time spent talking about gardening and food. 

 Probably the most important and influential thing your mom did though was to teach me to can. You’ve heard the saying “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.” Well, that would work for canning also! Because of the lessons I learned from your mom, I have been canning from our huge garden ever since.  And, it didn’t stop there; I have passed down the knowledge of canning (and love for it) to my daughter-in-law and sister, and others who have come through my kitchen.

 It’s interesting to me and I believe quite profound, that a person, in this case a woman, didn’t have to travel the world, write a best-seller or even teach at church to influence future generations.  I believe that because of your mom, many people have learned how to take care of a home, children, husband and friends.  It’s so true, that what really matters in this life is Love.  And your mom, my friend, June had much love  to give.  I will always be thankful for her.  You and your family are indeed blessed to have had her in your life for so many wonderful years!

 Thanks for sharing your mom with me. She will be dearly missed.  She was one of the loveliest women I know. 

 Blessings on your day,

 Brenda Meyer

Weekends are for family, friends, food.......... and shields and swords???  Having grandsons to enjoy close by means we get to do "boy things"!  My son, Peter is a woodworker and when his wife started reading Robin Hood to Jonathan (age 5) and Daniel (age 3), well............their imaginations started working overtime!  And that meant.....their Daddy needed to help them make shields and swords.  I have to admit their shields and swords are AWESOME!!  They are made out of wood, sanded and have leather straps (added by Paca)!  Any red-blooded American boy (and probably ALL boys!) would be so impressed by these that Peter could probably quit his day job and make these on an assembly line.  (Hey maybe that's an idea!).  Anyway, the boys need to paint their shields yet.  Both Doyle (Paca) and Peter are hoping for some good "pictures" on their shields.  The boys were very excited to protect me from "bad guys" when they were over this weekend.  I am so thankful to have such brave knights to protect me.  How awesome is that?

In other news, the boys spent the night Sunday night and we enjoyed breakfast on the deck.  They always (especially Jonathan) order me (in a polite way of course) to make Coffee cake for breakfast.  They love it and so we enjoyed our coffee cake, cantaloupe and tea out in the fresh morning air.

Sunday afternoon we had Peter, Heather and boys and Cody and his wife Stephanie and their five children for Sunday dinner and the afternoon and evening.  We had such a good time getting to know Cody's family.  His children are sweet and good natured and we enjoyed Stephanie.  Cody lived with us last Fall and is now with us again for a few months until their house sells and they can all move here.  (He has a new job here).

The garden is producing extravagantly as is Heather's and  Beth's.  Do you need any squash, zuchinni, okra,
onions, beets, corn, cabbage, grapes?  (That is just OUR garden!)  Just come on by!  

Doyle and I celebrate 36 years of marriage today.  Every anniversary I think back to our wedding day and thank God that he brought Doyle and I together.  Neither of us really knew each other very well having only known each other nine months when we "tied the knot".  I'm not sure I would tell very many people to get married if they only knew each other nine months, but surprisingly our parents were all for it.  (Maybe they were worried neither of us would ever get married!  Ha!).  Anyway, it was the best thing either of us could have done. I think after 36 years I can say that our marriage has been successful.   Does that mean our marriage has been easy?  Does it mean we've been blissfully happy every day?  It must mean that we have made a ton of money and live in a big fancy house!  Or, that our kids are financially secure, and perfect in every way.   No, not even!  After 36 years of marriage though  here are a few observations, I've made on how to have a good marriage.  (I realize yours may be different!).

1.  Look out for the BEST interests of the other person.....ahead of my own.
2.  Put the other person first.
3.  Forgive always.
4.  Don't go to bed angry.
5.  Laugh often.
6.  Don't take things TOO seriously.  (But seriously enough!).
7.  At least offer the last cookie to your spouse!
8.  Don't try to fix everything for the other person.
9.  Allow us  time to be alone once in a while (if that's what we want).
10.  Let us pursue our favorite hobbies.
11.  Allow each  of us to operate in our own gift areas. 
12.  Always believe the best of the other person.
13.  Don't  always try to "fix" the problem, or heaven forbid, the other person.
14.  Allow each of us be the special person God made us to be.
15.  Grieve together whether it is the death of  a parent, friend,  kitten or dog..
16.  Know when to let the other person "be".  Some days are just hard!
17.  Nurse one another through sickness or surgery.
18.  Allow each other to "try, try, again". 
19.  Allow each other the freedom to be wrong and make mistakes without being ostracized or blasted verbally.
20.  Respect each others different opinions.
21.  Believe in each others dreams.  ("For if dreams die, life is a barren field all covered with snow").
22.  Let things go in "one ear and out the other" when need be!
23.  Know when to make issues out of issues, and when not to.
24.  Respect each other.
25.  Celebrate life's large and small victories and accomplishments!
26.  Pray daily together!
27.  Go to church together.
28.  Play together.
29.  And most of all....Love each other!
 

   On July 28, 2012 DelRai and Kiana Thompson were married out at their home south of Bloomfield (on the rez).  Peter was best man.  DelRai spent many, many summers with us growing up and we were very sorry to miss his wedding.  We were glad Pete, Heather and boys could go though.  Ben Stoner officiated and Eunice played the key board.  Both DelRai and Kiana made their traditional Navajo wedding outfits and by all accounts they were pretty awesome.   

I'm posting some pictures that were taken.  Enjoy!

  Yesterday Heather, Sherrie and the kids (Luthien, age 2; Edmund age 8 months; Daniel age 3 and Jonathan age 5) came over to pick green beans.  Heather and Sherrie got 10 gallons which they will can.  Heather needs at least 50 quarts to get through a year, I probably need 50 pints and Beth needs probably 30 pints or so.  I'm sure we'll get it all.  The bean plants are about five feet tall and producing probably 10 gallons every three days!  These are the busy days of gardening and it lasts a couple of months.  I'm not doing much of anything this year, Beth and Heather have helped me by canning produce for me as they are canning theirs.  I can't thank them enough.  I never planned on surgery this summer and I'm amazed at how exhausted I still get after doing just a few things each day. 

Jonathan and the boys were here earlier this week and Jonathan was excited to show us his glasses.  He ( and probably  the other two boys) was doomed from the beginning I'm afraid as both sides of his family ALL wear glasses.  He is quite excited to be able to see so much better!  I think he looks really cute, don't you?

One of the things the little ones think is just wonderful is being able to come to our house and watch movies while sitting on my bed.  Little do they know that the t.v. won't stay in our bedroom, and their laying abed while watching Veggie Tales or Toy Story is soon coming to an end.  Kids get such enjoyment out of little things!  

In other news, the little kitten, the sole survivor of the "magpie massacre" is getting fat and cute as a button.  He will definitely be VERY spoiled!  I thank God we have him.  He is getting to be so cute and is just learning to play.  Yesterday I peeked at him ( I take him out several times a day to play with) and saw him on his bed, on his back, batting his little paws in the air.  Yep, he is a happy cat!