Randomness

I have had an interesting week.

 

Last Sunday I started itching a lot and had some heat rash.  My monday I was an itching rashy blob and went to the doctor first thing Monday. 

 

Unfortunately I just continued to get rashier and by Wednesday morning even had it on the palm of my hands.  The doctor said that was unusual, which didn't fool me, that was code for wierd.

 

I am glad to say the rash finally started going away but I think it moved into my ears and I must have an ear infection.  I didn't go the doc again because I didn't want him to think I was stalking him, but I guess I have to since I cannot hear well, oh and the oozing.  It's lovely, really. 

 

But hey, I am not itching anymore and I don't look like a freak, well any more than normal. LOL. Oh, and I have an excuse for not hearing that request to do something.  What? What?  I cannot hear you???

 

The painting is going well, it's just that I haven't been able to work on it as much  as I would like but I can see the end and think by Tuesday I should be done.  I wasn't able to get anything done this weekend since we had Mr. Max's 2nd birthday party.  He must be related to KM or Malathion Man since he walked around the room showing everyone his favorite new present, shoes.   

 

My sister is here for a month too and we are all shoved into our childhood home. I have to get this painting done so we can move out, oh yeah and get the water turned on.  But we are almost there baby!!!  I have two landscape consulations lined up this week and a several more that said they were interested.  Crazy!    Maybe I won't need to worry about it, the business will find me!

 

Hope you all are doing well, I am making the rounds, just slowly.  We are getting our DSL and phone on Tuesday at our place, so after that you'll see me so much you'll be sick of me. 

God Bless Texas

I have been known to tease my Texas neighbors. 

 

Being a native New Mexican, I was raised to dislike Texas. 

 

I recall in Las Cruces recently when the restuaruant Texas Roadhouse was built.  They flew a Texas flag, the newspaper was filled with complaints.  "How dare they fly a Texas flag in New Mexico?  We haven't been part of them for over a 100 years!"  The manager then flew a NM flag, and the all the newcomers said "you New Mexicans are crazy, every other Texas Roadhouse flies a texas flag, bring it back."  The manager gave up and flew a plain white flag.  (Now I think it proudly displays both.)  I had overheard a newcomeer talking about it, and they seemed really concerned, instead of realizing that for most of us, it is a friendly rivalry, nothing more.  We tease them about their big hair, big belt buckles and big trucks, they tease us about being poor and eating beans.  I don't really dislike Texans, I just have to pretend I do for state pride, do you understand?

 

Although I still wish my NMSU Aggies would have kicked Texas butt but Friday night, but I am not bitter, okay? I was hoping we could have some taco meat, or shoot an insane deer, understand?   We kept up with them until the last few minutes, and that made me proud.

 

Friday afternoon I was listening to the local country station while I was busy painting.  (Which is taking forever by the way, who knew painting in a trailer house would be so much damn work.  You have to sand, prime, paint, blah, blah to that stupid wallboard they use after I got the bedrooms done I started throwing joint compound mixed with paint on the walls, less prep and it doesn't take two  damn coats to cover the walls!)  But I digress, I heard several Texas oriented songs including God Bless Texas.  Then when I went to Walmart to get more supplies, I noticed quite a few Texans, loading up their Suburbans and Tahoes with supplies before heading to Cloudcroft for Spring Break.  I paid attention to the heavier traffic on my way home and noticed the cars mostly had white (TX) plates.  This is common during hunting season, school holidays, and the summer.  While God did bless Texas, he did not bless them with mountains.  He planted them firmly in New Mexico, but gave them visitation rights.

 

In any case I got back to slathering painted mud on my walls, or more importantly, prepping them for that.  I let the boys help me rip out some of the moulding and put some mud on the cracks.  When that started to get out of hand, I decided to clean up and head back to moms.

Z said he wanted to walk home.  I told him No, and to wait, he went out the door to play.  I swear it couldn' t  have been more than minute while I finished rinsing the putty knife, but he was no where to be seen when I walked outside.  I got frantic.  I couldn't see him in the pasture or on the path we usually walk by the watertower.  I threw Max in the car and was started  looking for him.  Did he head for the pasture? the highway?  How could he got of sight so fast?  I found him on the next road by my mom's house.  Two trucks were stopped on the shoulder and a saw Z and a lady walking with him.  Of course I was excited and she told me that she had seen him walking along the highway and thought he looked to little to do that and stopped.  He told her I was busy working and he was walking to Nonies house.  She said she didn't know where Nonie lived but she was going to walk with him.  I was trying to explain how we walk back and forth all the time but not near the highway and she laughed and said she had 4 kids, she understood.  I explained to my son very excitedly about how he was never ever to go near that highway again.  (Which by the way would be the longest route between houses.)  Talked to my dad about this gate he was going to get so the kids could transvers the pasture eaiser which is far away from the highway!  Then I colored my hair, strangely it had a big shock of gray after that!

 

Did I mention those trucks had Texas plates.  See it's a friendly rivalry, we still help neighbors in need.

 

God Bless Texas.

Chile 101

Since I may have metioned we love chile in New Mexico (NM) I thought I should explain what I am talking about.

While the country is nice I hear, I am not talking about the country of Chile on the west coast of South America.

Nor I am a speaking of chili, the dish of ground meat, tomatoes, chile powder and beans depending on your stance. (I have noticed most Texans take addition of beans very seriosly.)

I am however speaking of the dear chile plant, Capsicum annuum, which may be the same genus and species of bell peppers, but that is not what I speak of here.  Long green chile pods that turn red as they mature.  Sometimes they are called Anaheim chiles but that is not always a correct term, especially when speaking of the New Mexican varieties.

Many people of heard of Hatch chile, and some mistakenly beleive that it is a particular kind.  Generally it s a reference to chile grown in Hatch, New Mexico, north of Las Cruces.  They grow many varieties in hatch and a true chile afficionadio knows to ask for the variety the love best.  I won't buy chile if I don't know what variety it is.  I am a snob I know.  (Hatch is also a brand of chile products, they are pretty good.)

So since I mentioned it, what are my favorite varities?  Sandia, Big Jim and my ultimate favorite that is super hot is Barker or AGCO Hot, same variety, just a different name.  Barker is very hot, Sandia is pretty hot, and Big Jim can vary but it does produce long thick walled pods great for rellenos.  For less heat but plenty of flavor I recommend Sonora, NM 64 or Joe Parker.

Seeds of these varieties are not generally packeged and sold, although there may be a few more available through specialty orders.  I have my sources, one of which is the seed suppliers to the farmers, but they usually sell it by the pound.  If you are really interested  let me know and I'll see if I can help you out.  However, at least in NM, you can usually buy the transplants at local garden centers.  Notice I said local, your neighborhood walmart probably does not! 

So back to the important stuff,  how do you eat a chile?  In the summer as they ripen, some of us are known to give it quick rinse and eat it whole with our scrambled huevos in the morning.  Traditionally they are roasted in the green form, the tough skin peeled off and then either used right away and then canned or frozen.   The chiles can be used to make rellenos, enchilada sauce, salsa, topping for hamburgers, or whatever, I know a frozen custard chain, Caliches who will sell you a green chile sundae.   It's really not that unusual for some us to have chile at every meal.  Yes you heard me right.  If I don't have it once a day I feel deprived. 

Red chile is just the further ripening of the chile pod.  (This  

is true of bell peppers too by the way.)  It can also be roasted, very good. Traditionally it is dried in long chains called ristras. 

 It was a method of preserving the chile before canning or freezing, still used today.  Preparing red chile from ristras requires that you first boil the chiles to soften them and then once rehydrated you then chop and process them through a food mill.  Then it can be cooked and seasoned for use in soups, stews and sauces.  It is a a lot of work and luckily now in our modern times, I can go to my local supermarket and buy the puree frozen.  Just for reference, you cannot make good red enchilada sauce from the powder, I don't care what the back of the package says.  I have discussed this with lots of people, who feel the same.  It does not compare to the sauce made from the puree.

 

Chile does seem to be a mostly New Mexican phenomenon, Texans don't really eat it the same, nor do Arizonans and Californians.  Now before all the Texans, Arizonans, and Californians get upset, I am not dissing your chile, but it is not the same.  I have lived or visited all three on multiple occassions and while you can usually get red chile, most have no idea about green.  Even less make it very hot.  The same can be said for the states of Mexico that correspond.  I have found chile to much more predomint in Chihuahua than Sonora or Baja.  While I do love it hot, I also just love it and eat it hot or not!

Now it is 6:30 a.m. I hear huevos and chile calling me!

 

 

 

 

Bienvenidos (Welcome)

Wow,  I guess I am featured this week.    As usual, I was clueless.  For my non former MSN friends, MSN spaces where I have my mirror blog features readers every week. I don't know why but I am being featured and sp therefore I gave everyone a quick into and Welcome to my blog.

 

I feel bad, since I feel like I have a million things to do getting the "house" ready to move into, and my blogging time is limited. I stll need to paint the rest of the house and put stuff away.  We are still bunking with my rents and while it is all okay, I don't want that to change! We dug trenches to hook in the water and septic today and everyone is beat tonight. A few steps closer to getting moved in.  Tia grande not only watched the boys for me today, she bought everyone dinner too. 

 

In any case, I will be getting by to visit everyone that comes and leaves a  comment.  That is the real fun of being featured, meeting new people!  Last time I was out of town at my MIL house, with only dial up and I was worried everyone would think I was a snob, since I couldn't return visits quickly.  It may take me a week or so, but I'll be around to see you too.

 

Well if you are dropping by for the first time, let me give you a quick recap.

 

We just moved to a yet unnamed location in New Mexico from another town in NM.  It's my hometown, small, around 10,000 people.  As we have been going around town about our business it is a lot of catching up with people we haven't seen in a long time, some since high school.  While I would like to believe it was just a couple of years ago, the reality is it was 16 years ago this year.  We have been doing a lot of catching up.  There are a lot of people that look familiar that I can't place or that I remember their name after I leave.  Yesterday we saw a guy that I thought looked familiar and I couldn't think of his name for a minute and spit out that he was my junior high boyfriend, my husband thinks it is funny.

 

I am the mother of two boys, 4 and 2.  They keep me busy, very busy!  I think there a few funny stories in the archives about them. 

 

I have been working outside the home until our move and while I applied for jobs and have interviewed, I have not been offered anything yet, and not sure I will accept one even if they do.  I am considering staying at home again, but working on my own business part time.  I just don't know if I have the guts to do it!

 

My other big blog topic has been my marriage, we've had a rough patch this past year.  I think we may make it, and I feel very lucky, and I give all the credit to God, because this hasn't been easy.  I mention it because if you look under past entries you might a few that are, uhmm, well, kind of frank.  However blogging about it helped me get through it, and I am not ashamed, I was just being honest.

 

Last, but not least I like to talk a bit about my home state, New Mexico.  If you don't know where that is, please check your map, we sit squarely between Texas and Arizona.  Since it is early spring here, and quite windy, I'll explain the geographical reasons for the wind.  Arizona blows and Texas sucks.  ; )  Just kidding you Arizonans and Texans, I love you too!   We love to eat chile, not chili and the hotter the better.  I'd love to tell you we have other interests in NM but really it's all about the chile, green or red.  Did I mention chile?  Because we really love that here.  Just in case you didn't know. 

 

Oh yeah, I am a bit of a smart alec.  That seems to be common around NM too.  Have fun and thanks for stopping by! 

 

Identity Crisis?

So I mentioned that we moved to my hometown, but I haven't mentioned the name.  Why?  I don't really know, but it seems prudent.  I was careful to not mention the actual name of where I lived before in my blog, until right before we moved.  Originally I did it for anyonymity, then later I realized someone might google the name of the town and come up with me.  To that end I didn't want to mention the town, although I know a few of you know where it is, because you know the area well enough to figure it out, or I told you at some point in the past.  So it's really not a secret, but I am not sure if I should just put it out there.   I bring this up mostly because I'd like to blog some about the town and the area, without inviting stalkers or the ire of the small town.  (I hate if they ran me out of town with pitchforks, again.)

 

Blogging can be and is often an intensely personal thing.  Much like any sharing we do.  I have often wondered if I have shared too much info, especially about my marriage.  I have pondered that quite a bit, where do I cross the line of getting things off my chest, but not defaming my husband, my marriage or marriage in general.  While my husband and some of my family know about my blog, and I don't go to great lengths to keep it secret, I am not promoting it either.  Some of my friends know about and others don't.  I feel strange about the compartmentalization of my life.  I notice others out there are open to friends and family and some are not.  For instance, I have never mentioned my myspace account on here, and yet I have at least two people on my friends list who are from MSN blogs.  I guess I wondered about the prudence of possibly leading them back to here.  (I wonder if it is prudent to use the word prudent so many times in one entry.)

 

If I have talked about someone like in the case of Dr. Y, I  have tried to protect his identity by not directly naming him or where he works.  I don't think I said anything he would disapprove of, yet I'd hate for that to come up on a search hit for him either.  While I think those qualities are endearing, someone else may not.  (Cowboys chewing chaw, chaff computer users.)

 

When I think about all this secrecy and compartmentalization of my life I wonder if I don't have some sort of deep seated psychological problem.  Even as a teenager when I dreamed of being a writer, part of the fun was having a pseudonym so that no one would know that awesome writer was me.  Of course at some point my real identity was discovered and everyone loved me.  (There you have it, my deep seated desire to be popular.  Please stop laughing about the "awesome wirter" comment now, you might hurt yourself.)

 

I ramble on because I wonder:

 

Do you keep your blog from family and friends?

Do you keep your location secret?

 

Please share your reasons why, I swear not to blackmail anyone in the future.

 

 

 

 

Moving

I guess I forgot to post a couple over here. Here is what has been going on....

February 22

Moving??
Well the box packing is in full swing and I really should be getting back at it since the truck is coming tomorrow.

Since it may be a few weeks before we are in our own home, my blogging will definately be sporadic. The trailer home is moved and set, my front tooth was pulled, and there are some old cars on block in the back of the pasture. I am a few dogs under the porch away from being a bad redneck joke. : )


February 25
Moving -- Part Dos
Whew we are here and okay. I'll spare the gory details of moving, except that I had given away boatloads and we still have way too much CRAP!

I guess I gave the impression we were moving far away. It was just a three hour drive, to the town I grew up in. A good portion of my family lives here including parents, grandparents, brothers, aunts, cousins, great aunts & uncles galore. (Okay it's a small town and you had to check to make sure you weren't related before you started dating.)

We are staying with my parental units until we can get all the utilities hooked up to our mobile home we are going to live in while remodeling the house. It is out in the country, and very near my parents, but not within sightline, which I think is nice. A large watertower and some trees are blocking the view and we plan on making a path for the kids between the houses.

There was only one casualty of the move so far... my car. I guess the freeze thaw cycle has been cracking the mountain up a bit, and there was a debris field off one cliff wall on the way up to Cloudcroft. I was following the hubby in a Uhaul and he was able to clear a large rock fine, but it took out something on my transmission. At that point I didn't have a good option to miss it, with a cliff on one side and another car and a dropoff on the other side, luckily we made it to the next "stop" of High Rolls. So we have to go get the car picked up tomorrow. I hope the tow and the repair don't cost an arm and leg. I'd hate to have another car on blocks in the yard.

We've been joking about the redneck thing. The house that we are going to remodel is adjacent to the land my grandparents own. Some time ago, the lady living there was moved to a nursing home and afther her death a few years ago the family sold the property to my grandmother. She bought it mainly for the mineral rights and they have never done anything with the house. There were a few cars parked there and my dad was going to have the salvage yard pick them up but we don't have titles since they came with the property. So until that is resolved he moved them to the back of the five acres, but the reality is they are there. Along with the mobile home. The hubby is going to take the redneck analogy all the way and paint "White Trash" on the garbage receptacles. (I guess to really get the joke you should know our last name translates to Blanca in Espanol.)

In any case, this poor house has since fallen in disrepair. We had gone over to look at it a few weeks ago to see if we thought we wanted to try and salvage it. It needs to be totally gutted. It's wierd to go in this house with a leaking roof that it looks almost like someone just moved out of. The calender from the local western wear store hanging on the wall is dated December 1987. There are dishes in the cabinets, decorative plates on the wall, clothes in the closet and various stuff littered around the house. To me it felt like a bit of a wierd intrustion the first time we went in.

Z on the other hand I guess enjoyed it, because the next day he asked me, Momma, can we go to someone else's house that is really messy when they aren't home?

Sure, in a small town how else are you going to be able to enjoy your Sundays?