Tea Party

Mom had just purchased a new car.

 It was Gram's old car.  Gram drove down to Albuquerque and Mom and I flew down to ABQ to pick up the car  and drive it  back to it's new home.

It was the perfect excuse to get together with with the Aunts, cousins, and Gram.

Aunt Jeri booked us a spot at the St. James Tea Room.

We got all dressed up in our fancy hats and had us a grand ole time laughing, eating, sipping tea, exchanging gifts, and being together.

Gram had a diamond ring made into three necklaces and gave each daughter one with a poem she wrote.  Very nice touch to the evening.

I love these girls and wish I could see them more often!

The Backyard Leaves of Fall...

 I was not prepared for the hours I would spend gazing out these huge kitchen windows enjoying the vibrant colors of fall.  I would find myself on several mornings whipping up a batch of coconut milk hot chocolate and then settling into a kitchen chair that faces out to the backyard.

I was mesmerized as the leaves on our Ash trees turned bright yellow and orange and would dance to the ground when the gusts of wind would break them free from the branches.

At times there would be hundreds that would helicopter twirl in a sea of yellow across the yard and as much as I enjoyed watching the leaves my favorite was when the boys would grab a rake and start piling giant masses of crunchy leaves together.

I loved watching them gallop towards the piles and at bursting speeds they would leap up and fly into their leaf mountain.

It was if someone pressed the repeat button and they would re-rake up the pile, run, and jump.

Indeed it was a happy morning and down it went into the books.