Smooch wishes I'd listen to something else

It's the summer of Springsteen and Smooch is a bit jealous.

Four more reasons to drive to Albuquerque

A few years back, I found three reasons to drive to Albuquerque 

(more specifically, to Trader Joe's): 

Meyer Lemon Cookies, Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread, and French Roast Coffee. 

I've since broadened my horizons and added four more reasons 

to make the trek to my favorite store:

The Key Lime Tea Cookies are a seasonal item, available only in summer, 

which is a tragedy because I could eat them every day of the year. And then some.

Don't judge me because I buy wine in a box. This stuff is very drinkable.

For those of us who do not enjoy the convenience of curbside trash pickup, 

the box is infinitely easier to dispose of than the equivalent four glass bottles. 

I should also mention that it costs a whopping $13.

A sommelier would likely turn up their nose at it but not me.

The boxes come in three varieties: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

I'll interrupt this paragraph to recommend a book about wine:
"Cork Dork" by Bianca Bosker. It's very entertaining, 

highly educational and often hilarious.

Then there are the spice blends...oh my. I put the "Everything But the Bagel" blend

on everything (including the bagel) except for margaritas.

For those, I use the "Chile Lime" blend to salt the rim of the glass. Tasty!

 

 

 

Three reasons to drive to Albuquerque

My treks to Albuquerque are few and far between. Until last weekend, I hadn't driven there since ... I can't remember. It may have been when I went to the airport in December. Now that medical appointments have ceased whoo-hoo! and Morning Bray Farm has relocated boo-hoo!, there's simply no reason to go there. Unless, that is, I can no longer live without three of my favorite things, which happened last weekend. I had no choice but to make a pilgrimage to the big city ...

... to Mecca ...

... to Trader Joe's.

For it is at Trader Joe's that I buy these three things: Meyer Lemon cookies, 

Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread, and bags and bags of their French Roast ground coffee.

Ethel and I were in Trader Joe's in October to buy coffee, and probably wine, when we happened upon a woman in the frozen food aisle who was loading box upon box of Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread into her cart. I looked at Ethel, Ethel looked at me, and we both said, "It must be good." So we loaded a few boxes into our cart. And holy stinkin' moly, was it ever. So now when I go to TJ's, I always pick up a few boxes, unless the lady who buys them by the cartload has been there first and they're out of stock, which mercifully was not the case on Saturday.

I'm the lady who buys this stuff by the cartload. Seriously. I brought home 10 bags this trip. I would have bought more, but the freezer is still full of green chile and I didn't have room. This is one of those great taste/great value discoveries that makes me scream every time I run out and have to pay $8 or $9 for something comparable in quality but smaller in size at Walmart. This 14 oz. bag of caffeine from TJ's? $5. I've got enough now to last me through June. Surely someone will fly in to visit me by then so I'll have to go to the airport and make a detour to TJ's to get more?

Then there are these – Meyer Lemon Cookies. JaneK brought along a box when she visited last spring. You might remember that Danni was also here at the time. You don't want to know how quickly they disappeared. But at 14.5 calories per melt-in-your-mouth cookie, there was very little guilt involved.

Did you know there's an entire website devoted to What's Good at Trader Joe's? I don't think the author has reviewed my favorite three things, so I'll do it for him. I would rate each of these 10 out of 10 golden spoons.

Another kindred spirit

A few of you noticed the prints hanging around the corner from the feathersphere yesterday and inquired as to their origin. 

Well, you don't have to ask me twice to show you the work of my favorite artist. 

All of the prints you see on that wall are by Marjie Bassler. 

She humanizes animals in their actions sort of like I humanize my animals with words, 

only she does a much better job of it and makes her living that way.

I discovered Marjie's work at an art festival back in 1998 or so, and it was love at first sight. 

This print, titled "Bouncers," is probably my favorite. Clearly she understands exactly what happens

when we humans leave the room and our pets are left to their own devices.

If I took my equines to the beach, you just know Hank would grab the best lounge chair 

while Alan and George froliced in the water and Lucy sailed a boat so she wouldn't get her feet wet.

I've never let Smooch ride Hank, but if I did, I'm sure she'd wave at y'all while I took a picture.

Would you look at the expressions on those rabbits?

 The only reason I don't have more of Marjie's prints is that I've run out of wall space.

Recognize anyone in this painting? Marjie also does commissions, and back in 2002, I sent her photographs of all of my animals at the time, along with a short description of their personalities. This is the result, and it's the first thing I'll grab if the house catches on fire. From left to right, we see Hank, teaching youngster Lyle how to be a good horse. Then there's my yellow lab Annie, who never met a tennis ball she didn't like. Waylon and Willie are standing on the back of the couch, mirroring each other's actions, except Willie has a Corona in his hand because he loved to lick the lime juice off the side of a beer bottle. Dusty is in her favorite state of repose on the couch, with her friends Rosebud and Princess Daffodil by her side. Wynonna is enjoying a bath and another meal, while Snapper is flying about the house stealing my stuff. I love this painting so much it hurts. And now that I'm thinking about it, it might be time to send Marjie another batch of pictures. The current cast of characters needs to be immortalized as only Marjie can do.

Up in the feathersphere

I've been collecting feathers for as long as I've been collecting bones. Every time I find one, 

I have to pick it up and keep it. Over the years, small piles of feathers have accumulated throughout the house 

and on the dashboard of my truck. I've never known what to do with my feather collection other than keep it...

...and let it collect dust. A practical person would figure out how to make a feather duster, but that's not me. 

As luck would have it, longtime reader, friend, and kindred spirit Anne Boleyn recently posted on her facebook wall 

what she does with her feather collection. I saw the photo and was instantly inspired.

On my next trip to the Walmart, I picked up a styrofoam ball and proceeded to stick my feathers in it.

Most of the feathers are from hawks, ravens, owls, and doves, with a few contributions from my chickens. 

I have no idea who these orange feathers belonged to. I remember picking up a whole bunch of them on the back 40 

and running into a tarantula in the process. I don't think the tarantula dismembered the orange-feathered bird – 

he just happened to be in the vicinity. Like the bones Lucy and I collect, I can remember the origins of many 

of the feathers in my collection. Yeah, so maybe I've got too much time on my hands and need to get out more.

Anyway, my "feathersphere" – as Anne has coined the term – now hangs from a beam in the living room. 

I had to laugh at one of the comments Anne received on the picture of her feathersphere. It said, 

"I sometimes think that when Mike and I are both gone, whoever gets stuck disposing of our personal possessions 

will do a lot of standing around with something in their hand, shaking their head." 

Yep, there's gonna be a lot of head-shaking around here, too.

Thanks for the great idea, Anne!

Prayers on the Wind

See those flags hanging over Wynonna? Betcha don't know what they are. 

(And if you do, why have you never told me about them?!)

A friend sent them to me when she learned of the passing of my beloved cats Rosebud and Snapper.

They are prayer flags.

Now don't be getting sad and teary – that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to tell you that if you know somebody whose beloved pet has died and you want to do something to help them through their grief? This is what you send them – pet prayer flags. 

And nobody is paying me to say this. I just happen to think that they're the coolest thing ever.

These are from a place called Prayers On the Wind. 

This is what I learned from the card included with my flags: Tibetans believe that prayers are carried on the wind 

and become a permanent part of the universe as the flags fade from exposure to the elements.

As I look at my flags every time I walk to the barn and think of Snapper and Rosebud and all of my animals who passed before them, 

I imagine my thoughts and prayers being carried to them on the wind.

And I smile. And I feel better. Which is the whole point.

Thank you, Amy!