Jennifer Huard - It's All Happening...

Wellness Center Helps Vets With PTSD

2011-11-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/5/11

As we get older, and live through or alongside more and more wars over the years, we seem to develop a deeper respect for our veterans than we had when we were younger.

When I was young, I still remember my grandmother making me write letters to my uncle in Vietnam. She would enclose my little notes in the boxes she made for him, placing them next to the Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa packets and jars of Tang.

He came back, I was lucky to get my “Unky” Bill back. But like many vets I have met from that war, he didn’t talk about it. And I never understood why.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a terrifying event in which the person was physically harmed or felt threatened. Now there is a new healing center in New Mexico that addresses this issue in a way so successful it caught the eye of the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Aside from the clinical approaches used to help the veterans deal with PTSD, the National Veterans Wellness and Healing Center in Angel Fire uses complementary alternative medicine such as yoga, guided imagery, Reiki, massage therapy, acupuncture, equine therapy, group sessions and Native American ceremonies at their retreats.

“Moving and life changing,” as some vets have described the exhausting 58 hours of structured therapy that lasts 7 full days at the Angel Fire retreats. And although the Albuquerque VA is top notch when it comes to caring for our vets, it is not their mission nor are they funded to take on the families.

Corrales residents Jim Tritten and his wife Jasmine attended the spring session with 16 other couples including one vet from WWII, one from the Korean War, nine from Vietnam, and about 5 from current conflicts.

Thinking that sharing your own stories with vets from other eras would be cathartic, I asked Jim if there was much interaction taking place.

“Yes, we all shared,” he said. “The newer ones were less open than the older guys who have been dealing with issues longer. Some of the new ones are still into denial or think that they have been ‘cured’.”

Since vets aren’t the only ones who are affected by PTSD, their spouses were recognized during the retreat as well, in a very heartfelt way.

“What probably affected each individual more than anything else was at a dinner during which the vets presented a purple heart (not the military medal) to their spouses and made a speech in front of everyone,” says Jim. “I am sure that this will be on the documentary.”

Lisa Ling, host of the show Our America on the Oprah Winfrey Network was filming a documentary at the retreat last April. Invisible Wounds of War will air tomorrow night on OWN at 10/9c and again on Veteran’s Day, 11/11, 5/4c.

“Lisa and her crew were there the entire time,” says Jim. “They had total access except at one meeting of only the vets during which they wanted to speak freely and explore some very sensitive issues.”

Jim says the filmmakers got raw unadulterated footage of some pretty heavy stuff shared by the vets and their spouses and that the issues Lisa and her crew heard affected them greatly. “There were times she was in tears - but then again we all were,” said Jim.

How proud we should be to have the National Veterans Wellness and Healing Center here in New Mexico. But as any non-profit they depend on donations to stay afloat. Contact Karen Kelly at (575) 377-6555 for more information.

Quote of the Week: “My grandfather was a soldier. When he passed, there was no caisson, no flag draped casket, no salutes with rifles or by hand. No one passed the flag to his widow and thanked her for his service to his country . . . a silent witness to the passing of another forgotten soldier of a now forgotten war.” – Excerpt from Two Old Soldiers by Jim Tritten.

Jennifer Huard’s column appears each Saturday. She welcomes your emails at jhuard@abqjournal.com. Visit her blog at www.jenniferhuard.blogspot.com.

A Didgeridoo of a Different Color

2011-11-04T20:23:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/29/11

If you have followed this column over the summer, then you are familiar with the story line of Jennifer and her Beanstalk. My agave grew a 20ft stalk this summer and I most recently wrote about its threatening demise onto my lamppost or worse yet, my roof when the season’s first major winds blow through.

A few weeks ago a loyal reader contacted me and said he could remove it for me. You are probably thinking a junk hauler, or landscape maintenance company, or tree trimmer, right? So was I. But it turns out it was something much more intriguing, someone much more interesting than I could have ever imagined. And he is a fellow Michigander to boot.

“Would you like to have me take that stalk off your hands?” wrote Charles Eaton, PhD., of Corrales.

“It is probably, even as I write, yearning to be transformed into something of beauty in its next life, rather than decaying in some landfill,” wrote Charles.

My interest was piqued and I learned Charles, 78 is the didgeridoo instructor at UNM Continuing Education, and that I have one of the finest growing right in my front yard. I couldn’t wait to learn more so I invited Charles over, but not before I Googled “didgeridoo.”

A didgeridoo is a wind instrument, sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or drone pipe developed by Indigenous Australians around 1,500 years ago.

When Charles came to the house to chop down my stalk, he brought along 3 of the 23 didgeridoos that he has made, and played them for me and imparted his wisdom of how they are made and how they should be played.

This inexhaustible world traveler showed me the didgeridoo he found in Australia but assured me that agave Neo-Mexicana or agave Americana are capable of exceeding the quality of Aboriginal didgeridoos any day.

The instruments can be made out of wood, eucalyptus or agave and are hollowed out with drills and blow torches. Charles sands them down and coats them with $180 a gallon marine epoxy. He then adds his signature in the form of a strategically placed piece of beautiful turquoise.

The sound these instruments make is somewhat similar to the sound whales make, a low pitched hum. But once one can master what is known as circular breathing, breathing in through your nose while exhaling at the same time, you can also make animal sounds, barking and gargling noises.

“During the day, faster notes, but the evening and after breakfast meditation is when you are to blow a lower hum,” said Charles explaining in a Zen sort of way how to get the most out of this unique instrument’s soothing sounds.

This didgeridoo maker also plays the banjo and guitar, is a flintknapper, videographer and taught TV production at UNM for years.

Between Charles and his wife, Pauline Eaton, an accomplished watercolor artist, they have 3 master degrees and 2 doctorates. “My philosophy is on continuing education. You can eat an elephant- one bite at a time,” says Charles.

So, in the spirit of Charles Eaton, I invite you to take another bite out of your own elephants and sign up for his UNM Continuing Education class, Playing the Didgeridoo. You may just see the famous Jennifer agave stalk in its final transformation. Classes start November 7^th. For more information call 277-0077.

Quote of the Week: “My goal is to be wheeled into the nursing home at 85 and blow into that thing, and blow the top right off.” – Charles Eaton, 78.

Customer Service is a Blushing Matter

2011-10-25T13:40:00.003-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/22/11

Last week I found myself getting the seasonal car work done on the Altima. I clipped a coupon and drove over to American Tire and Service on Arrowhead Ridge in Rio Rancho for an oil change.

I presented my coupon to Roger at the counter and took a seat in the waiting room.

It was late in the day and I was the only one there. The smell of rubber, the sound of the rivet gun, and the black and gray theme décor reminded me this place was definitely geared toward the male population. The coffee table overflowing with sports magazines and two TV remote controls only proved my point further.

Luckily the movie Grease was playing on the DVD, and although not a favorite, it gave me something to watch while I waited.

I went up to the counter and asked if I could use my second coupon and get my tires rotated and a brake check too.

“We only do rotations only on Fridays,” said Roger.

“But,” I started to say.

“And brake checks are on Saturday.”

“But the coupon says they’re together,” I said trying to claim my coupon. I looked up at Roger and his sidekick Russell only to see smirks on their faces, which broke out into full on belly laughs. Yes, they got me.

The battery in my key fob was dead and I thought these guys, being car guys, would know how to change it. I explained that I looked it up online and found that it took a special battery that cost $87.00.

“This just takes a watch battery,” said Russell. “Go to Walgreens.”

But before I knew it, Russell came back with an Energizer double back of watch batteries. Talk about service. “I’ll just put it on your tab,” he said as he popped open my key fob and installed the battery for me.

“Do you want the old one,” asked Russell.

“Ah, no thanks,” I replied.

“I meant me,” he said howling. Oh, he’s on a roll now, I thought.

“Why are you blushing?” he prods me, snickering in delight.

I didn’t think I was blushing, but pointing it out only makes me blush more. I hate the fact that I blush so easily, something that I have done ever since I can remember. Just like a dog that can’t hide his happiness with its wagging tail, I can’t hide my shyness. I keep hoping I will outgrow it, but so far no luck.

Oh sure, it’s all fun and games until someone needs a new battery.

“With the days getting colder, you may wake up one morning and it won’t start,” Roger says informing me my battery didn’t pass the computer test.

“How much are batteries?” I cautiously ask.

“I’ll print out a couple options for you,” he says.

I go back to my seat and now the TV in the waiting room has gone to blue screen because the toddler who came in with her family picked up both remotes and pushed as many buttons as she could before throwing them on the floor. I push all the buttons trying to get Grease back on but to no avail.

They pull my car up to the front door and call me to pay my bill. One oil change, free tire rotation and brake check, and one pack of Energizer watch batteries.

I tell Roger and Russell they were great fun and that I write a column in the Rio Rancho Journal and I was going to write about my visit to their shop, which at that point both men turned bright red. Gotcha boys.

Quote of the Week: “When a girl ceases to blush, she has lost the most powerful charm of her beauty” –Pope Gregory I.

Copyright 2011 Jennifer Huard.

Autumn Can Bring Behavioral Changes

2011-10-09T11:56:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/8/11.

Fall is in the air, and I am not sure I like it.

Of course, I couldn’t wait for it back in July when the swamp cooler was going 24/7 and it still wasn’t cool enough in the house. But the change of seasons brings change within. I feel like I have spring fever all over again the way I’ve been cleaning the house lately.

Does the change of seasons have an effect on you? Are you cleaning more? Cooking more? Things like chili or stews?

Are you cutting your lawn for the last time of the season? My friends back in Ohio did just that, cleaned the mower and tucked it away in the shed next to the snow blower, which won’t be sitting dormant for much longer. Doesn’t that make you feel good, especially us snowbirds, knowing our sun is still going to shine and we can usually use a broom to get rid of our snow.

The cooler weather has me tending to my landscape, that’s for sure. Tidying up the grounds before the leaves begin to fall doesn’t really make any sense, it must be instinctual.

I have been pulling weeds and sweeping my xeriscape, and wondering when my agave stalk is going to come crashing down on my lamp post, or worst yet my house. Yes, the near 20 foot stalk is still standing, but becoming a little hollower everyday. I am just hoping the big gust of wind that will eventually knock it down blows from the north and not the west.

And I will take credit again for the rain we had last Wednesday; I washed my windows on Tuesday. No kidding. I’m 3 for 3. You’re welcome.

One cool weather tradition that I have recently started is making Buckeye candy, packaging it up and mailing it back to my dad in Ohio.

Buckeye candy looks just like a chestnut type Ohio buckeye. But the candy is a round ball of peanut butter and powdered sugar mixture, dipped 2/3 up the sides in melted milk chocolate.

Trial and error proved this treat cannot be mailed during warm months and get there in the small round shapes it was so meticulously created. No, it ends up in one heaping mound of melted goo. So, last week I made my first batch of Buckeyes and shipped them back to my dad to kick off our chocolate candy season.
Even my cats feel the winds of change, my male cat is eating all the time now. I’m afraid he is going to turn into one of those really rotund felines waddling on 4 skinny peg legs underneath. How do you say no to a cat? How do you take the cat chow away and try to explain in English that he’s had enough food to feed all the animals in the house? Is he just bulking up for winter? Do they do that even when they are indoor cats?

Fall is in the air. It’s sweater weather. It’s crock pot dinner time. Its change your oil and switch over to the furnace time. What particular things do you find yourself doing now?

Quote of the Week: “To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” -George Santayana, American Philosopher, 1863-1952.

The Float of Your Life

2011-10-01T16:47:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/1/11

Your first time leaves your utterly speechless. It is a feeling unlike anything you have ever experienced in your life. It is one of those items you have to put on your bucket list. What am I talking about? Flying in a hot air balloon.

I have had the opportunity to fly in a variety of aircraft in my life. Back in the 80s my job took me on every commuter plane and jumbo jet the airlines had to offer including 747s, Learjets, Falcons and helicopters. I have been strapped into a roller coaster seat flying 85 miles per hour down a 255 foot drop. But nothing compares to the unique thrill and awe of flying in a hot air balloon.

The company I worked for had two hot air balloons of which I was responsible for scheduling around the country to promote its retail stores. And my first ride in the balloon was etched in my mind forever.

I had many questions on that early morning of my maiden flight in Maryland’s countryside, but wasn’t prepared for the ambiguous answers I was given by the pilot.

“How fast will we go,” I inquired. “As fast as the wind is blowing,” answered the pilot. “Where are we going?” I asked. “Wherever the wind takes us,” he replied. Yes, I was a newbie to ballooning but I didn’t care.

As the balloon stood up five stories tall, I hopped into the waist high wicker basket; no seat belts, no safety bars, no gas pedal, no brake, and waited for the golden moment when we would finally become lighter than air.

Without realizing it, we were hovering 2 inches off the ground. The crew members were nonchalant at this incredible feat, but I was having an unbelievable experience just four feet off the ground and rising. The most surreal one-of-a-kind feeling there is; to be quietly rising into the sky with no motor, no propeller, no rope, nothing. Another blast from the burner and we are at 20, 50, 100 feet and beyond.

As I was processing this new sensation, the pilot asked, “Want to do a little tree-topping?” Just as I began to wonder what he was talking about, we skimmed over the top of some big beautiful oak trees and I plucked a handful of leaves right off the top. There’s nothing like getting a giraffe’s perspective on life and nutrition. Simply incredible.

We floated along a few hundred feet above the ground watching the world wake up. We are just high enough to annoy every dog in every back yard along our path as we surprised the people in their driveways out picking up their morning papers.

Unfortunately, our ride came to an end some 25 miles away from our starting point and we gently return to earth with a gentle plop.

The 2011 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta begins today. Get out there and catch a ride on one of these gentle giants and cross a hot air balloon ride off your bucket list.

Quote of the Week: “And he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.” – Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw.

No Pun Intended

2011-09-27T07:16:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/17/11

As I look around my house, I am putting things on a mental list of what I want to sell, keep, giveaway and just plain have to throw away.

After never getting past 2 end tables, I realize I can’t do the mental list anymore, and have reverted to writing everything down.

But before I can post my things on Craigslist or ebay, I have to first write an inviting description like everyone else does who wants to sell something in the paper or online.

Unrehearsed and unintentional as they may be, the intricacies of human language may have fouled up the writers of the following classified ads, or perhaps it was just a case of pure ignorance on their part. Either way, below are some actual lines from past classified ads, and I guarantee at least one will make you smile.

-"Georgia peaches, California grown - 89 cents lb."

-“2 female Boston Terrier puppies, 7 wks old, perfect markings, 555-1234. Leave mess."

-“Great Dames for sale."

-"Lost Cocktail."

-"Free Yorkshire Terrier. 8 yeards old. Hateful little dog."

-"Free ducks. You catch."

-"1 man, 7 woman hot tub -- $850/offer"

-"Amana washer $100. Owned by clean bachelor who seldom washed."

-"Snow blower for sale...only used on snowy days."

-"2 wire mesh butchering gloves: 1 5-finger, 1 3-finger, pair: $15"

-"Shakespeare's Pizza - Free Chopsticks"

-"Hummels - largest selection ever. 'If it's in stock, we have it!'"

-"Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 - $9 per hour."

-"Get rid of aunts: Zap does the job in 24 hours."

-"Save regularly in our bank. You'll never reget it."

-"This is the model home for your future. It was panned by Better Homes and Gardens."

-“Wanted. Hunting rifle, suitable for teenagers."

-"Christmas tag sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person."

-"Wanted: Hair-cutter. Excellent growth potential."

-"Wanted: Preparer of food. Must be dependable, like the food business, and be willing to get hands dirty."

-"Mother's helper -- peasant working conditions."

-"Buy your new bedroom suite from us, and we will stand behind it for six months."

-"Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00."

-"Government employer looking for candidates. Criminal background required."

-"His and hers bicycles, $25 each or both for $55."

-"For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers."

-"We'll move you worldwide throughout the country."

-“We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand."

-"Tattoos done while you wait."

-"Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children."

-"Stock up and save. Limit: one."

-"For Rent: 6-room hated apartment."

-"Wanted to buy: fishing net, must have no holes."

-"To let: 4 bedroom house close to town. No poets."

-"Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first!"

-"3-year-old teacher need for pre-school. Experience preferred."

-"Our experienced Mom will care of your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included."

-"Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again."

-"Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary."

-"Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating."

-"Semi-Annual after-Christmas Sale."

-"We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $1.00."

Quote of the Week: “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.” -Mark Twain

Smack Dab in the Middle of a Male Bonding Experience

2011-09-27T07:15:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/10/11

This one goes under the category of live and learn.

I’ve been to professional football games, I went to all the Ohio U. football games when I was in college, so it’s not like I just fell off the turnip truck. But you would have thought that last Saturday when I went to my first UNM football game.

I had a reason to go other than for the sport. No, I am not particularly a football fan, but I was caught clapping, cheering and yelling, “run, run, run” by my youngest daughter more than once during the game I’ll admit.
It was the Lobos season opener, but more importantly, it was my eldest daughter’s first time performing with the UNM Spirit Marching Band, and as a parent I couldn’t miss that. But I came close.

First of all, I wish someone would have told me that you have to be at the stadium for the pre-game show. I didn’t even know what a pre-game show was until 2:45pm my daughter texted me and said, “You’ll be here at 3 for the pre-game right? You can’t miss that.”

I finished blow drying my hair, put the dryer down, texted her back and said, “Almost there.”

I was planning on getting to the stadium at 3:30, that would have given me a half an hour to park, get tickets and find my seat. Plenty of time I thought until I got just below the Big I and found myself inching my way down the highway because it seemed everyone else in the world was going to the same game.

It took an hour to make the trip, it took another 20 minutes to park, another 10 minutes to walk to the stadium, and another hour to wait in line to buy our tickets. I should have known better when a friend asked me earlier in the week if I had bought my tickets yet.

As my youngest daughter and I waited in the ticket line with parched throats and soar feet, all I could wonder was why would women wear 5” heels and mini skirts to a Saturday afternoon football game and would we even make it inside to see the halftime performance?

Once inside, little did I know we were about to sit smack dab in the middle of a Saturday afternoon male bonding ritual.

My daughter and I found our seats behind the goal posts and tried to fit in amongst the screaming men dressed in red and foaming at the mouths. Whenever the Lobos made a good play and God help us a goal, all the men high fived each other, nodded in agreement and acted like they were best friends who all came in the same car. How can 37,000 men all know each other?

The marching band was great, the cheerleaders were great, oh and yes, the football game was great, even though we lost. Next time I will buy my tickets in advance, leave the house much earlier and wear red. There’s nothing to this college football stuff.

Quote of the Week: “Everyone’s a Lobo, woof, woof, woof.”- Lobo spirit chant to be screamed with accompanying hand motion.

Just Call Me Deborah

2011-09-27T07:13:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/3/11

As working women, we compete with men and that infuriating glass ceiling. We aim for degrees in fields that we’re told are higher earning, like nursing or physics so we can be sure to support ourselves.

But what gives one woman more earning potential than the next? An advanced degree? Friends in high places? Luck?

In honor of Labor Day and all the hard working women out there, past, present and future, I think its time to get down to the nitty gritty and tell the real reasons that make some women more successful than others.
Joyce Wu compiled research statistics together in her article The Women with the Highest Earning Potential and explains why a blonde, Asian, non-smoking pharmacist named Deborah is probably making more than you.

The women with the highest earning potential share similarities that may surprise you.

Deborah. The top female CEO names in ranked order are Deborah, Sally, Debra, Cynthia and Carolyn.
Keep your name. Women who keep their maiden names tend to earn $500,000 more over their lifetimes than those who change their names when they get married.

Asian. Asian families earned a median income of $73, 578. White families rank second at $65,000, Hispanic families at $40,466 and black families at $39, 879.

Birthplace. 36% of U.S. children who are born into families in the highest income tax bracket will stay in that bracket as they become adults. Westlake, Texas tops the list as the most affluent neighborhood in the U.S.

Beautiful. Beautiful women earn about 5% more than average looking women, and women with below average looks make 9% less than their ordinary girl friend.

Left-Handed. Left-handed people earn 5% more per hour than right handed people. This effect is more pronounced in men.

Non-smoker. The net worth of non-smokers is $8,300 higher than heavy smokers.

Eldest Child. The eldest child in the family is the most likely to earn a six figure salary.

Pharmacist. Female pharmacists have the highest median weekly earnings among women, earning $1,647 every week.

MBA. A woman with a professional degree will earn, on average, $4.4 million over a lifetime, compared to $1.2 million for a high school graduate.

Blonde. Blonde women in the UK make more than their brunette counterparts or red heads.

5’10”. Tall people make more money. Every extra inch is worth an extra $1,000 per year in wages.

Assertive. Mean girls earn more, on average about 5% more a year than those of us who just want to get along with everyone.

Drinker. According to a study by the Journal of Labor Research shows women drinkers earn 14% more than teetotalers. Oh, waiter?

Thin is in. Women considered “very thin” (25 pounds less than average) make $22,000 more every year than their co-workers of normal weight.

Does this mean that an agreeable mid-western, right handed, middle child doesn’t stand a chance against a tall, beautiful, bitchy, boozing woman from Texas? Can’t we talk this over? I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding.

Quote of the Week: “I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. It will not always get you to the top, but it will get you pretty near.” -Margaret Thatcher.

Here Comes the Rain Again

2011-09-27T07:11:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 8/27/11

Everyone is talking about the thunderstorm last Wednesday night just as much as the people on the east coast are talking about their earthquake. No surprise there, rain in New Mexico is almost as rare as an earthquake in Virginia, isn’t it?

Our storms of late remind me of this story I first told you about in July 2006 during that summer’s monsoons.
Being from the Midwest, I was raised with weather. After spending many years under serene Californian skies, I grew to really miss these wonders of nature.

My grandmother taught me, my brother and sister how to predict the weather by the way the leaves on the trees blew in the wind. I thought that was the neatest thing. I didn’t have to wait for the radio reports on the transistor anymore.

We would watch the storms roll in off Lake Huron. “Alright, its time to get out of the water and come inside NOW” my mother would shout out to us. “Why?” was always our inane response as we would surface from the 62 degree waters of Saginaw Bay. It wasn’t but minutes once we were inside the back door, all three of us kids huddled and dripping on the 2’ x 3’ mat that the first lightening strike would hit.

One lazy summer day while looking for things to keep themselves out of trouble, my brother and his buddy built a fort on the beach. These two twelve year old general contractors scrounged up some old rusty nails and hammered my grandmother’s wool blankets into a fallen birch tree branch. In its horizontal position, the limb made a perfect master beam for the tent. They secured the bottom of the blankets in the sand by strategically placing rocks around the edges. It was as cool as my puka shell necklace wearing brother.

With afternoon came that day’s thunderstorm. Chris begged my mother to stay in the tent during the storm. “Why not, we’ll be IN the tent, we will be safe”, he argued. “Besides, I looked at the sky, this storm is just going to skirt us” he reported in his best meteorologist-in-training voice. Being ten years old, I thought he had a great point and couldn’t see how anyone would disagree with this ingenious idea. In fact, I asked if I could go too.

“No one is going to be in that tent when this storm hits” insisted my mother. End of conversation.

The leaves started to blow “that” way. The storm had arrived. Then one blinding flash and deafening clap of thunder hit simultaneously.

“Do you think it hit Klepser’s cottage?” my little sister, the youngest meteorologist-in-training gingerly inquired. Couldn’t tell, but no one was going outside until Mom gave the all-clear.

In our after-storm survey of the immediate beach area, we came upon the infamous tent. It was in a heap on the sand. The lightening had struck the tent dead on and all the nails that had been so meticulously pounded into the trunk were now red hot, strewn amongst the debris. The master beam that had held the structure so safely together was split in two lying on top of the blankets. The once thought safe haven was practically smoldering with the after affects of the lightening bolt. Mom was right once again.

The advice never goes out of style: When the weather is threatening, stay inside.

Quote of the Week: “Here Comes the Rain Again” by the Eurythmics.

They Grow Up So Quickly

2011-09-27T07:08:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 8/13/11

This week my eldest daughter and three nieces all go off to college and the rite of passage synergy has put a vapor lock on my house that only Dr. Bombay from Bewitched can remove.

I’ve been discussing this with my sister and brother for the past few weeks as they try to prepare their daughters for college as well, making sure the clothing, bedding, and all the essentials have been purchased, packed and labeled.

As parents we may be guilty of over-preparing our kids and then they end up with dorm rooms full of stuff they don’t need, but hasn’t that always been our job? Who is going to remind them to take a sweater, eat something for breakfast, study everyday and don’t talk to strangers?

Through all of this I have found websites with helpful tips to prepare kids for college. There are articles like the top 20 things you forget to bring to college, how to construct a loft bed, and how to get along with a roommate. I’ve also learned that it is cheaper to buy text books online now than in the bookstores. Times sure have changed since the best advice for buying books was ‘buy used.”

While discussing the topic of “they grow up so quickly’ with a friend back in the spring after my graduation column, I was able to commiserate with her since she went through it with her son. And although he has long graduated, her feelings of when he left the nest and headed to college were still fresh in her mind.

I told her I thought shopping for the dorm bedding would be when it would hit me. But I was wrong because we did that last week at Target and no tears were shed, other than from my youngest daughter who wanted a pillow pet for her bed too.

“Oh no,” said Cheryl my friend. “The shopping isn’t what’s emotional. Its not when you take them to campus, and get them unloaded in their dorms. It’s later when you return home and see their empty bedroom in your house. That is when it will hit you that your child has grown up and flown the nest.”

My 7 lb. 11 oz. baby girl leaves on Monday morning to pursue her nursing degree at UNM, starting bright and early at band camp. The UNM Spirit Marching band is getting a great tenor sax player from Rio Rancho and I know where I am going to be for every Lobos home football game this year.

College is the most exciting time of your life. My dad gave me that advice when I went off to school. He was right. Enjoy your college years you crazy co-eds. It really is the best time of your life.

Is it too early to pack the electric blanket?

Quote of the Week: “However painful the process of leaving home, for parents and for children, the really frightening thing for both would be the prospect of the child never leaving home.” – Robert Neelly Bellah, American Sociologist.

Enchanted Gifts from the Land of Enchantment

2011-08-03T19:04:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 30, 2011
The other day I was packing up my eldest daughter to go and spend the weekend with her aunt, uncle and cousins in Nevada. As I was reminding her to remember her manners, and to pack a sweater, even though it is summer, I started to think what sort of thank you gift I could send along with her, something that says “New Mexico.”

New Mexico Piñon Coffee in the bright red package is many people’s favorite coffee around here. Having earned the title “Best Selling Coffee” at the New Mexico State Fair seven years in a row and “A Top 24 Gourmet Food Company” by the New York Times, well, I can’t be the only one who loves this morning brew.

El Pinto salsa is always a great idea. Famous and delicious, there is the chipotle salsa, the fire-roasted green chile salsa, or even their enchilada sauce would make a great gift. But with the strict airline regulations, I wasn’t sure if salsa was considered a liquid and would it be confiscated at security and put on display with the bottles of shampoo and mouthwash? I pressed on for the perfect gift.

There’s nothing like a cool Santa Fe evening with the smell of fireplaces burning in the air to scream New Mexico.

That is why my favorite local gift has to be piñon incense. Available at many stores around town, they even sell the little kivas to burn the incense in for the full effect.

I didn’t have time to drive all over town, and the one store I went to didn’t have it, so I pressed on.

Another favorite scented gift worth mentioning is the cedar wood scented incense and spray from the Hyatt Tamaya Resort. Yes, the scent you smell as you walk in the front door is available for purchase in their gift shop. I bought some once as a birthday gift for a friend who lives back East as a little reminder of how beautiful the sunset was from the patio.

A book of ghost stories by Albuquerque author Antonio R. Garcez always makes a great gift. “New Mexico Ghost Stories” is a collection of first-hand recollections of ghostly encounters that happened in different parts of the state. His newest, “American Indian Ghost Stories of the West” is by far the most chilling of them all. I warn you: Do not read it alone at night.

I ended up buying the old standby: candles. But these came tied in raffia ribbon with a Mexican tile and scents that were named Jemez morning and purple sage. I think that little touch of the Land of Enchantment will be just fine.

Did I miss any? What is your favorite gift to send to out-of-state friends and relatives?

Quote of the Week: “Casey also saw this same shadow walk from the bedroom to the bathroom one night. In the kitchen, knifes would be removed from the wood knife block, and in the morning, I would find them spread out in the sink!” – excerpt from “New Mexico Ghost Stories” by Antonio R. Garcez.

America’s Fascination With Space Won’t End

2011-08-03T19:02:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 23, 2011
I remember where I was when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969. I remember where I was when the Challenger disaster happened on that fateful morning in 1986.

I would bet we were all a little melancholy Thursday when the Atlantis space shuttle’s landing marked an historic end of NASA’s 30-year-long space shuttle program. Seems Americans have a fascination with space, and rightly so.

NASA’s Apollo program ran from 1961 until 1975. The shuttle program ran from 1981 to 2011.

President Obama has now ordered NASA to focus its resources on sending people to an asteroid by 2013 and to Mars by 2030. Onward and upward we go.

The shuttle program milestone this week was a good excuse for me to dig out the column I wrote two years ago marking the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s moon landing, and which I submit in honor of the closing of another chapter in NASA’s book.

Where were you when you watched Armstrong’s boot touch the lunar surface? I was sitting with my mother on our couch in the living room. I still remember to this day feeling so nervous for the astronauts wondering if they were going to sink into a quicksand-like surface or land safely on hard ground. But that’s an 8-year-old girl for you; a mother in the making even then.

Landing on the moon made us one with the world, and it was like magic. But watching the space geeks at Mission Control in Houston riding an emotional roller coaster had to have been one of the high points. These young baby boomers brought home the human element. When they looked worried, we were worried. When they threw their arms up in the air in victory, we cried.

Apollo 11: The Untold Story, an article on www.popularmechanics.com, is filled with quotes from the young men who were part of history; sleepless news correspondents and operations engineers, flight directors and even astronauts themselves telling their personal tales of those historical days in the summer of ’69.

Robert Sieck, spacecraft test and launch operations engineer, Kennedy Space Center: “Since I was the backup engineer, I was not out at the Cape. I could watch the launch with my wife and my 1-year-old daughter. The highway was absolute gridlock, and the cars and trucks weren’t trying to move. Everyone was there to watch history. The vendors were sold out of everything — no more T-shirts, caps, buttons or pins. People were pulling plugs of grass from the side of the road and stuffing them in zip-lock bags as souvenirs,” Sieck said.

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed,” Armstrong announces, breaking the tension in the control room as a controller tells the crew, “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.”

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would spend two hours on the moon July 19, collecting souvenirs and leaving a few of their own; an American flag and a plaque that reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

I would be fortunate enough to see two of the souvenirs in my lifetime: a moon rock at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry and the actual space capsule at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Much smaller than I expected, I might add.

Quote of the Week: “There is a photograph that shows splashdown inside the control room. There’s a guy standing by the console with a huge piece of paper. That’s me. I got the signatures of everybody in that room and in the back room. Every time I did that I would ask them their age. Well, I sat down and ran it out. The average age the night we had splashdown was 28. When Space Shuttle Atlantis left Earth on May 11, 2009, the average NASA civil servant’s age was 47.” — H. David Reed, a flight dynamics officer during Apollo 11.

Potter Premiere Was Way Past My Bedtime

2011-08-03T18:47:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 16, 2011
Pottermania came to town Thursday night, and I was smack dab in the middle of it, having been dragged to the midnight premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ by my two daughters.

This was the final installment in J.K. Rowling’s magical Hogwarts franchise and those who were much younger were at fever pitch. Oh sure it’s bittersweet, if you know what Dumbledore means. But for the rest of us, it was a late night out that could be spent in bed. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun to be out with my girls and I’m glad they wanted me along.

We knew we had to get to the theater early since my eldest had been to the midnight premiere of one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and knew the ropes. We arrived 2 1/2 hours early to a costumed crowd of Potter fans all eager to see if Harry lives or dies.

I’ve been to three midnight movies in my life: Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same,” the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Now if that doesn’t date me, nothing does.

We followed the line as it snaked down the parking lot and up the other side to the end ready to begin the wait. But before I could reprimand any kids for cutting in line, the security guards told anyone who had tickets to Theater 8 could go inside. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

We were whisked inside to the air-conditioned theater and got to wait for the show sitting comfortably in our recliner seats.

I had seen a few of the other Happy Potter movies and thought I was with it and up on the characters until I tried to clarify something with my eldest.

“Is the snake going to be in this one?” I confidently asked.

“Oh, mother,” was her response. You would have thought I asked if the Wicked Witch of the West really was going to take Toto to the river and drown him.

I didn’t ask any more questions after that.

Prior to midnight, I knew I had better get a cappuccino from the concession stand so I wouldn’t fall asleep.

Either the cappuccino was spiked with brandy or the film was in another language or it was simply past my bedtime, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open until the last half hour of the movie.

No spoiler alert here, I won’t give away any secrets other than to say the movie was great; people snickered, giggled, cried and cheered at the end.

We laid our heads down on our pillows at 2:45 a.m., when the coffee finally kicked in and I watched infomercials until 5 a.m.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has sold more than 400 million copies and her books turned into 8 feature films. All I know is that I wish I had the imagination and vocabulary that J.K. Rowling has. Oh, and the money wouldn’t hurt either.

Quote of the Week: “I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It’s totally for myself.”- J.K. Rowling.

Mom Is Great For News, Gossip

2011-07-09T18:56:00.002-06:00

Luca sitting on the floor of the car, looking tired,
and very grateful a lone Toyota 4Runner happened
by that hot summer day. Photo courtesy of Jake Quinones, NM Backroads.

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 9, 2011

Telephone conversations with my mother back East are always guaranteed to be enlightening and irreverent as we try and solve the world’s problems, along with Florida murder trials and whatnot. And, of course, when we get to gossiping about the family, well it’s downright juicy.

Turns out the other night’s conversation had us telling similar stories from each other’s corner of the world.

“Did you hear about the kitten that was thrown off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York?” she asked me.

“Heavens no,” was my response. “What happened?”

Apparently, someone in a moving car threw something out of the passenger’s side window on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge last Saturday.

What looked like trash began to move after it hit the retaining wall on the bridge. It was a 5-week-old kitten.

“Wouldn’t you know the car right behind the culprit was an animal control officer who pulled over and rescued the kitten before it stumbled over the edge and into the water below,” my mother said.
The New York animal shelter named the kitten Verrazano, and has had dozens of calls from hopeful adopters.

Well, after hearing that I knew I could top her story with another animal tale from right here in New Mexico.

Jake Quinones of New Mexico Backroads, a southern New Mexico-based backcountry vehicle exploration guiding and photography service, is always out driving the desolate and deserted roads in the uninhabited areas of our state.

He recently wrote on his blog about something he happened upon while driving the winding Indian Route 12 along the New Mexico/Arizona border.

“I passed dead horse after dead horse. Some lay on the embankment while others made it a bit further into the scrubland before dying,” Quinones wrote. “The third dead horse I passed provided surreal scene. A black puppy was playing in the grass tufts behind the massive carcass.”

Quinones said the black puppy fled in fear as he approached, but there was another puppy too injured to run.

“Her belly and paws were riddled with spines and goat heads,” Quinones said.
Not only that, it appeared the puppy had been rolling beneath the dead horse’s ruptured belly for days.
“I picked her up and held her to my chest; her tail started to wag,” he said. “The spines and goat heads embedded in her skin made holding her like embracing a cactus.”

The final picture on the blog shows the dirty puppy, which looks like an Australian shepherd mix, sitting on the floor of the car, looking tired, and grateful a lone Toyota 4Runner happened by that hot summer day.

“Oh, that is a great story,” my mother said. Not missing a beat, she continued, “Did you see that hotel maid case in New York was dismissed? You know she was a hooker.”

Quote of the Week: “If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.” – Erma Bombeck
Read Jake Quinones full story on Luca the puppy here.

Former Ohioan Keeps Making Music

2011-07-07T08:11:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 2, 2011

Last week’s column on my trip back to Ohio had more than a few people write in commenting on Ohio, old friends and Ohio University. I knew there were some Ohio transplants in Rio Rancho, and one in particular stole my heart.

“I read your column of Saturday, June 25th and I enjoyed it very much. Why? Because I was born and raised in Cleveland — 91 years ago,” Richard Kolda wrote in an email.

Turns out Richard and his wife moved to Rio Rancho in 2007 to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law.

Small world you say? It gets even smaller.

Richard Kolda went to Ohio University, like I did, and got his bachelor’s degree in education, but it took him a little longer than he had expected.

“It took me 8 years to get my degree. Some guy by the name of Hitler interrupted my education,” Richard says.

After teaching instrumental music in the Cleveland Heights School System for 30 years, and playing in the Cleveland Orchestra, among other bands and orchestras, Richard retired, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing his trumpet.

“I joined the Rio Rancho Symphonic Band a few weeks after the move,” Richard says. “I love the association with other musicians.”

The Rio Rancho Symphonic Band is an adult community band, says John Emory, the band’s director. He founded the band in 2005 to provide an outlet for adults in Rio Rancho and surrounding communities to continue making music after high school and college.

“As a result, we have a wide range of ages from high school age to our most experienced player, who is 91, which would be our own Richard Kolda, by the way,” Emory says.

Currently the band seats around 40 musicians at any given concert. There is no audition process for membership, rather Emory allows prospective members to attend rehearsals and decide for themselves if the band is a fit for their skill level.

The band rehearses every Tuesday at Cibola High School and plays free concerts about eight weeks apart all year; inside Cibola Auditorium during the winter months and outdoors in parks during the warmer months.

“Our goal is to increase our regular performing membership to 60,” says Emory. He is looking for wind or percussion players to join the band. If interested, John would love a phone call from you at 250-1773.

The Rio Rancho Symphonic Band will perform live before the fireworks show around 7:30 p.m. at Rio Rancho High school on the Fourth of July. I know I will be there; I have a fellow Bobcat to meet.

“I sit in the trumpet section, second-to-last chair,” Richard says. “I can’t decide what to wear; my O.U. hat or Indians.”

This O.U. bobkitten votes for the green and white O.U. hat, Richard.

Happy 4th of July Rio Rancho. Stay safe, and leave the fireworks to the officials.

Quote of the Week: “My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn.” — Louis Armstrong, American leading trumpeter, 1901-1971.

Midwest Trip Was Heaven on Earth

2011-06-25T22:50:00.003-06:00

Cedar Point Raptor

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section June 25, 2011

Last week my daughters and I flew back to Ohio to see my father and some old friends I haven’t seen in over 25 years. Yes, I had been working out – in the pool – for weeks and of course I had been lathering on the tan-in-a-can for days to make sure I had that natural Southwest glow. I wasn’t about to look like a pudgy middle-aged frump.

Our first stop was in Columbus to see my dad, who continues to struggle with Parkinson’s. A little slower, he was amazed to see how tall the kids had grown, and glad to have the company. We went to his favorite place for dinner, Hometown Buffet, and gorged ourselves as everyone does at those trough-style restaurants.

My college roommate just happened to be in town that same week, so we met up for a night of laughter and fun, just don’t bring up politics. We first met when the computer matched us up our sophomore year at Ohio University, roomed together again our senior year, and have stayed close friends ever since. Fate can be a wonderful thing.

After saying goodbye the next morning, we piled into the car and headed north on I-71 to Cleveland. But no one could sit still because the next day was to be the greatest day in a teenager’s life. We were going to the best amusement park in the world, as voted by the magazine Amusement Today for the past 13 years.
We awoke early, packed sandwiches, put on our walking shoes and headed for Cedar Point to ride all 17 roller coasters, including three of the top 10 steel roller coasters in the world.

No, not all of us went on the big ones, but between us we managed to hit the Corkscrew, Blue Streak, Gemini, Maverick, Millennium Force, Raptor, and Top Thrill Dragster, just to name a few.
An afternoon shower forced everyone to seek shelter for a half an hour while the rides were shut down. We ended up in Frontierland at the Red Garter Saloon for some nachos, beer and pop; finally a place where I am not the only one who uses that three-letter word.

Saturday night brought a cookout with friends I hadn’t seen since the mid-’80s. On one hand, it was like we hadn’t lost touch at all. And on the other, the wrinkles on our faces, the marriages, the births, the divorces and the deaths along the way reminded us 25 years really is a long time. We were young and relatively innocent then, and now a little wiser, a little mellower and a lot more appreciative of our precious time and who we should spend it with.

A little shower during the night gave us a misty Sunday morning and a Father’s Day classic car show. I found my usual favorites, but was excited to see my grandmother’s gold 1967 Bonneville; I instantly recognized the dashboard, the radio buttons I used to push and gold cloth seats where I used to sit. A sudden downpour had the old guys scrambling for tarps to cover their roadsters and dragsters and tricked out ’61 Impalas.

The daily humidity level was at 60 percent and all I wanted was to jump in Lake Erie for relief. Instead, I settled for two showers a day.

Did I have good weather, someone asked me? Yes, it was overcast the entire week with isolated thunderstorms. Heaven on earth to this transplanted Midwestern girl.

Quote of the Week: “They say if you get far enough away, you’ll be on your way back home.” – “Blind Love” by Tom Waits.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-25T22:44:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section June 18, 2011

Father’s Day is tomorrow, and although some of you fathers out there feel it is just another holiday invented by the greeting card companies, the rest of us feel just the opposite.

You can’t be all bad when your sons want to grow up to be just like you, and your daughters want to marry someone who is just like you. Father’s are important to their children.

Many men are of few words, yet when opportunities present themselves, they seem to rise to the occasion and speak words of wisdom in low, genuine loving tones. Fathers, whether you realize it or not, you have all the power in the world and your children are listening.

You are teaching your children life lessons all the time, values that only a father can instill in his children. And usually at the times when you least realize. Here are some lessons my father taught me, and he probably doesn’t even know it.

Seeing my dad drive 6 hours in the car to spend 36 hours with his three little kids in a Howard Johnson’s motel room for years taught me you have to put yourself out there when it comes to your kids, even if you live in a different state.

Seeing the look on my dad’s face, and the tears in his eyes as he waved goodbye to his kids after spending the weekend together, not knowing the next time he would see them taught me that life isn’t always the way you imagined it, or wanted it. But if you deal with it the best way you can, everyone will get through it.

Waking up your child from the backseat after riding six hours in the car to witness the odometer turn 70,000 miles together taught me you can find joy in even the smallest things in life.
Finding a tiny black and white picture of my mother in my dad’s jewelry box taught me it’s alright to hold someone in your heart forever, even if you were only married to them for 7 years of your life and went though a heartbreaking divorce.

Watching my dad go on rollercoasters when he was in his 50s taught me you’re never too old to act like a kid.

Working in the family business until 2 in the morning packing donuts into boxes for delivery at 6am, and then coming back at 6am to drive the delivery truck instilled a strong work ethic in me, and taught me that nobody goes homes until the job is done.

Being forced to go to boring family reunions with my dad taught me family is important, whether you even know which people are blood relatives and which ones married in, it’s important to know where you came from.

This is your purpose in life, men. Be there for your children. Love your children, whether they are 9 years old, 18 or 50. You have all the power in the world. Use it with tender loving care. Happy Father’s Day Dad.
Quote of the Week: “I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time.” - Bill Cosby.

Someday You, Too, Will Be ‘That’ Old

2011-06-11T20:17:00.003-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section June 11, 2011

They say the first step to overcoming a problem is to acknowledge it. My problem is age. Staying in shape has always been easy for me; walking was my answer to keeping my schoolgirl figure. But I have come to the point in my life where walking, and I mean power walking, isn’t cutting it anymore. As unfortunate as this is, I acknowledge it.

The second step to overcoming a problem is to treat it. I started seriously treating this problem over a month ago by returning to an activity that I know all too well: swimming.

Growing up on the water in Michigan, everyone was a swimmer. I was on swim teams ever since I can remember. I was even a valley champion in high school, as well as being the captain of my high school girls swim team my senior year.

I say this not to be boastful or conceited, but rather the back story is important. Starting swimming again after too many years out of the water was a very humbling experience to say the least.
You would think performing an activity that you used to be very good at would come naturally to you some 30 years later, like riding a bike. But was I in for a rude awakening.

About five weeks ago, I stopped in Big 5 to get a new Speedo swimsuit so I would at least dress the part of a true swimmer. Goggles and a towel and I was off to the aquatic center early Monday morning last April.
Upon arrival, the girl at the desk asked me if I was there for the class or the lap swim. I know one day I will probably be in the class where all the women stand in a circle, bounce in the shallow end of the pool and gossip, but not yet.

Before school let out, there were always plenty of open lanes. In fact, there were many times when I was the only swimmer the lifeguard had to watch. Now I get to watch the teenagers on the swim team practice and remember what I once was, so far away and long ago.

They don’t know that I used to do 6,000-yard workouts, weights and what have you, too. No, all they see is some woman slowly swimming down a lane holding on to a kickboard because she has no clue what real swimming is.
Yes, all of us old-timers take our time going up and down the lanes on our backs, sides and some of us even put our faces in the water. As tempting as it is to do the sidestroke, I refuse to. Yes, my grandmother taught me how to do the sidestroke in Lake Huron. Yes, I am proud, but in a pool full of young people, this would categorize me as an old lady. Wait a minute, I am sure they already think of me as one of the old ladies. What do I care?
Your day will come, you young whippersnappers. When you are the elder in the pool, recounting great memories of all the hard work you did, the friendships you made along the way, the great shape your body was in, all the food you could eat without gaining weight, and how you thought that you would never be “that” old.

Quote of the Week: “The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven’t changed in 70 or 80 years. Your body changes, but you don’t change at all.” – Doris Lessing, 2007 Nobel Prize winner in Literature.

Signs of the Rapture Growing in My Front Yard

2011-05-21T18:37:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Sat, May 21, 2011

I hate to be the bearer of bad news — and unless you live under a rock, I am sure this won’t be the first time you hear it — but reports are the world will be ending today at 6 p.m.

At least according to Harold Camping, a pastor out of Oakland, Calif., who is scaring the bejeezus out of people by suggesting they better say their goodbyes and eat all the food in their refrigerators because they will soon be going away for a very long time.

Camping is an 89-year-old retired civil engineer who founded Family Radio Worldwide, an independent ministry that has broadcast his prediction around the world. He says Jesus Christ will return to earth today, May 21, to gather the faithful into heaven. Most Christians aren’t buying it, but I still wonder, does this mean I don’t have to pay May’s electric bill?

As you can imagine, people are finding ways to capitalize on poor innocent souls who believe the apocalyptic prediction. Bart Centre, an atheist from New Hampshire, started Eternal Earth-bound Pets in 2009. He offers insurance for $135 to take care of your pets after the Rapture. I don’t see the need. I thought all dogs go to heaven.

The Rapture, the belief that Christ will bring the faithful into paradise before a period of tribulation on earth that precedes the end of time, is quite a daunting concept, one that is hard to grasp. But for the last two weeks, I’ve been watching signs of the Rapture in my own front yard, and according to the Internet, the end is definitely imminent. My big beautiful agave has been growing its life-ending flower stalk, and I’m not kidding, it grows by the hour. It’s now 6 feet tall. We are the talk of the neighborhood.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” I heard one neighbor say as she passed the house on her morning walk. Another walker joined her and chimed in with her bewilderment. Then another. I finally looked out the window and there were five people and three dogs all staring at Jennifer and the Beanstalk’s beanstalk.

Watching this thing grow literally inches every day is exciting, I have to admit. But its pending demise is bittersweet to say the least. Agaves bloom once in their lifetime, usually between year seven and 40. I know my house was built about 12 years ago, but I am not sure when the agave went in. All I know is there are numerous babies that have popped up in my yard on their own, and two neighbors adopted one baby each in their yards. She’s done her duty, and now her Rapture has come. Sounds a little like Charlotte’s Web revisited, I would say.

“An agave plant will divert its energy resources into producing a towering flowering stalk at the expense of its life,” according to fireflyforest.net.

Yes, it’s my agave’s last big hurrah, and that makes me sad. Not to mention it will leave a big hole in my front yard. And how am I supposed to get a cactus the size of a baby rhino to the dump in my Nissan Altima?

I am not sure of the agave’s Rapture, but personally, I think we will be OK.

I’ve made plans for next week and will pay my electric bill on time. But just in case, we better clean our houses, do all of our laundry and wear our best underwear today. See you next week.

Quote of the Week: “Due to the lack of experienced trumpeters, the end of the world has been postponed for three weeks.” — Author unknown.

Some Advice For The Class of 2011

2011-05-14T20:48:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section May 14, 2011

It’s that time of year again, graduation time for high school seniors, undergraduates and grad students. Both Rio Rancho high schools will be graduating their seniors this coming week. This will be V. Sue Cleveland High School’s inaugural graduating class.

There are many people who are celebrating the closing of one chapter in their lives and the opening of a new and exciting one. A new chapter filled with uncertainty, confusion, excitement and joy.

At this major crossroads in their lives, we try to give our children the best advice possible and hope they listen. Advice that will ease their stress, give them hope and point them in the right direction.

For me, it was the poem titled “Don’t Quit,” that my dad introduced me to back in the ’70s, which has given me strength throughout my life.

Since one person doesn’t have all of the answers, I asked some people if they would share their best advice for the graduating Class of 2011

“Never be afraid to doubt and to question. It can be summed up in the enlightenment motto: sapere aude — dare to be wise.” — Kurt Schmidt, director of bands, Rio Rancho High School.

“My best advice came from my dad, who always said, ‘If it was easy everyone would do it.’ He followed this up by a lecture about hard work, perseverance and goal setting for life.” — Scott Affentranger, principal, V. Sue Cleveland High School.

“Congratulations, now keep going! You’re not finished. When you wait to go to college you become a lazy radio guy who needs to finish his degree.”— Donnie Chase of “The Jackie, Tony & Donnie Show” on 100.3 the Peak.

“Don’t be afraid to fail. The world’s most successful people have failed before, and you will too … at times. When it happens, learn your lesson, get up as soon as possible, dust yourself off … and try again. You are never ‘a failure’ unless you give up. Do your very best, and life will take care of the rest.” — Steve Stucker, KOB-TV co-anchor and weatherman.

“The world we live in is only as good as we make it. Use the momentum of receiving your degree to propel you to reach your potential. By doing this, you will inspire others and have a lasting, positive impact.” — Mayor of Rio Rancho Thomas E. Swisstack.

“Follow your dreams with passion, commitment and vision.” — Debbi Moore, president and CEO, Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“Don’t just work for a job. Discover over the next several years what you are passionate about. Dream a little. What would you really enjoy doing? You’ll be happier and more productive there.” — Don Schlicte, president, Rio Rancho Public Schools board.

“ ‘Do today what others won’t do, so that tomorrow you can do what others can’t do.’ I don’t know where this quote originated but it’s a motto I lived by even before I heard it. Sometimes hard work doesn’t seem that fun at the time, but there comes a time when it pays off.” — Jimmy Wagner of Wagner Farms, Corrales.

“Know yourself and always be true to yourself. Develop high ethical and moral standards, and do not allow your integrity to be questioned.” — Beth Miller, interim executive director of Rio Rancho operations, UNM West.

I dedicate this column to my firstborn who will be graduating from Rio Rancho High School next Thursday. I love you, Lili. As always, you make me so proud.

Quote of the Week: “And you never can tell how close you are. It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit. It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”—– “Don’t Quit,” author unknown.

The Perfect Mother

2011-05-08T11:11:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 5/7/11

There is nothing like looking through the Mother’s Day cards rack at the store to realize just how many different types of mothers there are in the world. Each one unique and perfect in their own way, with strong points in areas when you most need them.
What would it be like if you could take all of the best traits and build the perfect mother, one that takes a little from here and a smidge from there and voila- the perfect mother?
To start, I would add one cup of Martha Stewart for her epicurean abilities and knowing her way around a kitchen. I would love to eat pork chops with tomato chutney, and I know some of her cooking can get a little rich. My mother runs a close second with her Fisherman’s Stew with Crunchy (undercooked) Carrots, or Sweet and Sour Tuna Fish; canned tuna, no kidding.
When it comes to house cleaning, what better than to add a smidge of Hazel, the attentive maid in the light blue uniform from the 60s TV series of the same name? Technically, I don’t think Hazel was a mother, but she was a female presence in the Baxter home. The house was always spotless, her attitude perky and not a hair out of place or a spot on her apron.
I’ll take a half cup of Jane Jetson from the cartoon series for her fashion and shopping expertise. If you remember correctly, her favorite store was Mooning Dales and Jane could squeak money out of George like a pro. Jane and daughter Judy wore all the latest trends and used the latest gadgets at home.
For night time story telling, I will take 2 cups of Erma Bombeck, America’s humorist and newspaper columnist from the 80s and 90s who was able to find the funny in everyday life. From “Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart,” to “The grass is always greener over the septic tank," Erma was a great story teller. Having published 4,000 newspaper columns and 15 books throughout her career, it would be a joy listening to her.

Add a pinch of Shirley Partridge for any musical assistance and a dash of Samantha Stevens from Bewitched. She can twitch her nose and get you out of any situation.

I know my kids like me just the way I am. And one way they show it is by the note they put on our refrigerator of something I once said. Is it an endearing, “I love you, honey?” Or an inspirational, motivating quote that makes them feel so loved? No. It seems that I said something so prolific when I was on ebay one time searching for a particular item for the bathroom, that they couldn’t let it go unnoticed. So, held tightly to our freezer door with a lady bug magnet is my captivating quote for all to see, “All the good toilet seats are in Europe.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderfully unique women.

Quote of the Week: “You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.” - William D. Tammeus, journalist.

Treasures at Resale Shop Aid Animals

2011-05-01T18:42:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Sat, Apr 30, 2011

How much is that doggie in the window? And that window? And that window?

Where could I possibly be, you ask?

Well, I am not shopping for another dog — two is plenty for me. I’m looking for a bargain treasure in Rio Rancho.

Give up yet?

Going to the Dogs (and Cats) is Watermelon Mountain Ranch’s newest venture, a resale shop and pet adoption center located in northern Rio Rancho at the former Petland location. They opened their doors just last week and, by all accounts, it’s already a huge success.
I dropped by Going to the Dogs (and Cats) last Thursday to see what new treasures I could find and the place was packed with people who had the same idea as I did. I was sure I could find a Depression glass vase or a little oriental rug for the entry way, so away I went scouring the aisles.
Walking through the store, it is impossible to not say hello to the puppies in the windows. What a perfect fit for Watermelon Mountain Ranch, the state’s largest no-kill animal shelter to move right into this location already built to display puppies and dogs. Someone even had a pooch in one of the socialization pens getting to know their new best friend.
Manager Terri White and volunteers staff the shop seven days a week, taking in donations and selling the trinkets and treasures at a steal.
“The inventory is always rotating,” White said. “We just got in a sleigh bed and more beautiful jewelry. You can be sure to find something new every time you come in.”
As I walked through the shop, I found items on the lower end of the price range, kitchen glasses and such for less than $2. Then there are beautiful antiques priced higher than what you would find at a thrift shop, yet much lower than your typical antique shop.
“We are so excited about this new venture,” said Sophia DiClemente, co-founder of Watermelon Mountain Ranch. “The sluggish economy has really hit the ranch hard. The animals keep coming, but the donations have dropped off. With the shop, we are able to showcase our animals conveniently for the public, and generate income though the resale shop.”
On this particular day, the kennels were full with extra friendly puppies fresh off the van from the Las Cruces shelter. “These guys were on the euthanasia list,” DiClemente said. “Now they have the chance to find loving homes. And as cute as they are, they won’t be with us long.”
Watermelon is helping the city’s shelter pets find homes as well. “Rio Rancho Animal Control will be bringing some of their animals here soon,” DiClemente said. “We are so glad we are able to help get their animals adopted too. This location and the set up inside gives potential parents a nice, quiet and clean place to see the dogs and get to know them.”
The store is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
There’s nothing like second-hand pooches, and second-hand clothes.

Watermelon Mountain Ranch and other rescue and shelters will be participating in the PetSmart National Adoption Weekend at the PetSmart on Coors Bypass in Albuquerque today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Quote of the Week: “Father has a business strictly second hand. Everything from toothpicks to a baby grand. Stuff in our apartment came from father’s store. Even things I’m wearing someone wore before” — “Second Hand Rose” sung by Barbra Streisand.

Passed-Down Recipes: Comfort Food

2011-04-09T14:03:00.000-06:00

As seen in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, April 09, 2011.
Copyright 2011 Jennifer Huard

It's not always clear who decides these things, but April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Do you know any good recipes?

My mother's twist to this widely popular kid's lunch entrée was placing an unopened can of soup on top of a saucer on top of a grilled cheese sandwich while it cooked in the pan. I don't know why she did that, I achieved the same flattening result with a spatula. But it is just one of those things that sticks with you your whole life.

In the day and age of the Internet and cable television, one doesn't have to look far for a recipe for tonight's dinner for two or a Thanksgiving feast for 12. Tune into Rachel Ray every weekday, and you can watch her whip up a 10-minute dinner right on the spot. You want to get fancier? "Top Chef," "MasterChef," Paula Deen, "The Barefoot Contessa" are just a few of the shows you can catch at any given time and get more recipes than you could ever want.

But what about in the days when television offered only four channels and you most likely got your recipes from Julia Child on PBS? She was a hoot, but I am not sure how many recipes were actually scribbled down during her show.

In days gone by, exchanging recipes with friends and relatives was the norm, and I bet every one of us can find one in our drawer titled Mom's Brownies or Grandma's Meat Balls.

I pulled out my grandmother's recipe tin from the 1960s, the one that held her 3-by-5 index cards that she wrote down the recipes to all of her favorite dishes. As I leafed through it, I realized Mimi's old recipe tin with the copper top held much more than a good chicken dinner recipe. It held seven.

Mimi had a unique way of saving the recipes she collected from her friends and relatives. Written in her own hand was Mary Wilson's Chicken and Rice, Margaret Nunn's Chicken, Helen Curtis' Chicken Dinner, Ellen's Sherry Chicken, Doc Child's Baked Chicken Sour Cream Surprise, Window Washer's Chicken, and Carla's Window Washer's Chicken. I can only imagine where the last two came from.

I quickly realized each recipe was as unique as its name. My grandmother named all of her recipes after the people she got them from.

The next two recipes caught me off guard, and I had to laugh. Nestled among Emma's Molasses Sugar Cookies, Jean Draper's Hello Dolly Bars and Shirley's Turkey Balls was a recipe for Lois' Wallpaper Paste. Who knew that 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and 1/2 cup of boiling water will save you a trip to Home Depot? Followed up by a recipe called Furniture Polish, which called for equal parts of denatured alcohol, gum turpentine, olive oil and lemon juice.

Mimi liked to cook, she liked to paint, and she had a lot of friends who did, too. Seeing her handwritten recipes she named for people I knew well too brought back memories of a life long gone by. And if I can't have her, I will take those any day.

Be sure to leave handwritten notes or recipes for your own children. They will cherish the intimacy of them and the time in their lives when you were there.

Quote of the Week: "To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root."

— Chinese proverb

You Won't Regret Reading This Column

2011-04-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 4/2/11

It's said that you should live your life to the fullest, take reasonable chances, travel, explore and don't look back. Have no regrets, is what I have always heard. Be proud of your accomplishments, walk to the edge, work hard and just keep swimming (to quote "Finding Nemo").

When you look back on your life, is there anything you wish you could change? Some of us would say yes, and a new survey out of Northwestern University ranks the top 10 life's regrets that Americans harbor.

One interesting fact the study found was that twice as many women (44 percent) had a love or family-related regret, whereas men were slightly more likely than women to have a career or education-related remorse.

Get out your woe-is-me hankie; here we go in order of popularity:

What else could be at the top of the list but love? Eighteen percent of people surveyed put a romantic relationship as their biggest regret in life. Did you break someone's heart? Was there an affair that never should have happened? And what about the one that got away? All there is is love, folks; no surprise that this tops the list of regrets.

Coming in at No. 2 is family-related regrets. Sixteen percent of people surveyed said family issues in the past should have been resolved much earlier than they had. Let's see a show of hands on this one — who remembers last Thanksgiving?

The third-highest rated regret was school-related. Thirteen percent of the respondents regretted not studying harder, not pursuing a different major in college, and not going to grad school. Which leads right into the fourth highest regret, career choices. Twelve percent of the participants regretted the career path they chose.

Next up with 10 percent, put money mistakes at the top of their regret list. What with Bernie Madoff, Doug Vaughan and the economy, making smart financial choices these days is like walking through a mine field.

Anyone who's been there knows parenting is the hardest job in the world, molding little people into productive, compassionate grown-ups. Nine percent of the people in the survey regretted something related to their kids. I'm surprised it's not 100 percent; don't we all have parental guilt about something we did and didn't do?

Six percent of people surveyed most regretted something about their health, such as not visiting the doctor more often, eating poorly, and not exercising. This one is preventable; the weather is beautiful now, put on those sneakers and get moving.

About 4 percent in the survey had friendship regrets. Letting a close friendship fade is common, given the relocating and career changes people do nowadays. I can happily report I have had my same best friend for the last 38 years. And we finally live in the same state again.

Spiritual regrets were top of the list for 3 percent of the people surveyed. Either not going to church or making choices that they later considered immoral seemed to weigh heavy on their hearts.

Wish you'd worked the polling places on Election Day or graded more papers in your child's classroom? Then you're among the 1.5 percent of respondents whose biggest regret was not volunteering more. Get involved. Volunteer.

Woulda, shoulda, coulda: What is your biggest regret?

Quote of the Week: "At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent." — Barbara Bush

College Life Isn't Quite What It Used To Be

2011-03-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

As appeard in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section Saturday, March 26, 2011

I was looking through some boxes in the garage the other day and getting caught up in old photographs for way longer than I had planned. You know how that goes, five minutes turns into half an hour, which turns into two hours, which makes you late for getting dinner on the table.

As I was going through a box of old letters and postcards, I came across a letter my dad wrote to me in March of 1979. It was my senior year in high school and we had been discussing colleges for the coming fall.

"Did you get the information I sent you on Ohio State," said the letter. "I still haven't received your application to Ohio University that you said you mailed. Are you sure you mailed it?"

I couldn't believe I still had the letter, written more than 30 years ago to a high school senior getting ready to take the next big step in life. I remember the time well, the anxiety of where I would go to college that fall. And my dad, who made sure I was going to college even when I insisted that a job at the mall would be just as fulfilling.

The timing couldn't have been better, as now it is my turn to push my high school senior out of the nest and into her next adventure in life.

High school seniors across the country are on pins and needles right now, awaiting word from the many colleges and universities they've applied to, hoping for that one magical word, "WELCOME."

Last week my daughter, her girlfriend and I went down to University of New Mexico and took the campus tour for potential students. After a short slide show and very informative grad student speaker, we all hopped on the little red trolley and headed for the main campus.

With each building we passed, I could see the anxiety in their faces slowly turn to enthusiasm as the girls began to see that this new experience in front of them just might be doable. But not living with a stranger in a tiny dorm room; that obstacle needed more reassurance.

"Why can't we just get an apartment together?" they asked.

"Because an apartment costs much more than living on campus. Besides, you need to get the full college experience, and that includes dorm living, cafeteria food, learning to do everything for yourself and bonding with other freshmen who don't have a clue either," I said.

My niece will be starting her junior year at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall. She told my brother she was done with the sorority house and wanted to get an apartment for next year. They have actually been considering establishing residency in Colorado so as to avoid paying the exorbitant out-of-state tuition, so the idea wasn't so off the wall to my brother.

"That sounds good, honey," said my brother. "We can get back early next year and go to the used furniture store."

"Used furniture?" said my niece, in shock. "I am not buying used furniture. That's what I have now."

Whatever happened to milk crate book cases and wooden utility spools for coffee tables? Not anymore. Just add it to the list with books, clothing, food, and all the other expenses involved when it comes to college.

Meanwhile, how much did you say tuition was?

Quote of the Week: "College is the best time of your life. When else are your parents going to spend several thousand dollars a year just for you to go to a strange town and get drunk every night?" — David Wood

Too Much of a Green Thing Can Backfire

2011-03-17T06:01:00.004-07:00

As appeared in the Albuqueque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, March 12, 2011

"I hope there's not a corned beef in that bag," said my eldest daughter last week as I was carrying in the first load of groceries from the car.

"Of course there is, honey," I said, knowing full well that even the smell of the celebratory roast is enough to evoke her gag reflex.

"I also bought the cabbage, carrots and potatoes; it's St. Patrick's Day next week," I twinkled. I gave up on the "just one bite" years ago when I knew it was more than a casual dislike with her, as is pot roast.

St. Patrick's Day brings many tricks and innocent pranks on the children in your house; just ask mine, who have lived through everything from green milk at breakfast to green mashed potatoes at dinner.

Green milk and mashed potatoes, yes, I may go overboard on this holiday, but with names like Cochran, Smalley and Rafferty in my family tree, and my mother calling me Guinevere (a Welsh variant of Jennifer) my entire childhood, the holiday is rather hard to ignore. Or maybe I use it as an excuse to celebrate.

One of the coldest St. Patty's days I've ever spent was down in the Flats of Cleveland. The name reflects its low topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River, and in mid-March you can bet the breezes weren't balmy. Fagan's, a local Irish pub near the water, was the place to be on St. Patrick's Day in the early '80s. And although the winds off the lake were enough to make your teeth rattle, the company inside was warm enough to make up for it.

When my daughters were little, St. Patrick's Day was a day of fun and mischief in our house. They woke up one year to the amazement of green painted fingernails on their little hands. Once out of bed, they followed a trail of lucky pennies out of their rooms and down the stairs to the kitchen where green shamrock-shaped pancakes awaited them.

The innocent pranks left an indelible mark on my little one, though, for the following year she remembered the little elf's antics and would not go to sleep in her own bed for fear of the "green leprechaun man" who would be coming into her room that night. Note to mommies: Too much of a good thing can backfire.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. It will take us all at least a week to recover from the time change. At least it's another step bringing us closer to spring.

Quote of the Week: "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand." — traditional Gaelic blessing

Too Much of a Green Thing Can Backfire

2011-03-17T06:01:00.001-07:00

Caution Thrown to the Wind for This Column

2011-02-26T18:12:00.002-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section Saturday, February 26, 2011

Has the warmer weather brightened up your days lately? Just to feel the warmth of the sun on your back, and breathe in 60-degree air brings back memories of last summer, pinkish sunsets, burgers on the grill and Gordon Lightfoot on the stereo.

But don't let this springlike weather fool you; it's just the calm before the storm. March is such a changeable month: We can see warm temperatures or late season snowstorms. We are turning on the heat in our cars in the morning and the air conditioning in the afternoon. I say March is going to live up to its reputation by coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb.

An idiom is a figurative expression, word or phrase. How many idioms did you notice in that previous paragraph?

There seems to be a significant amount of idioms having to do with weather. The majority of idioms characterize either very low or very high temperatures. And extremely high temperatures, for instance, are described as hot as in hell, right?

I threw caution to the wind and tried to find as many weather related idioms as I could, and courtesy of usingenglish.com, I had it made in the shade. May the following weather related idioms take you by storm.

If something happens unexpectedly and suddenly, it is a bolt from the blue.

If someone chases rainbows, they try to do something that they will never achieve.

If you are on cloud nine, you are extremely happy.

If a cloud of suspicion hangs over an individual, it means that they are not believed or are distrusted.

If you can see a problem ahead, you can call it a cloud on the horizon.

If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren't being as successful as they normally are.

A fair-weather friend is the type who is always there when times are good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems crop up.

If you get wind of something, you hear or learn about it.

If something or someone moves like greased lightning, they move very fast indeed.

If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas.

If you hit rough weather, you experience difficulties or problems.

If you're in a fog, you are confused, dazed or unaware.

Into each life some rain must fall. This means that bad or unfortunate things will happen to everyone sometime.

When it rains it pours, means that when things go wrong, they go very wrong.

If everything has frozen in winter, then Jack Frost has visited.

If someone rains on your parade, they ruin your pleasure or your plans.

If someone is seven sheets to the wind, they are very drunk.

When you shoot the breeze, you chat in a relaxed way.

If someone steals your thunder, they take the credit and praise for something you did.

When people throw caution to the wind, they take a great risk.

If you are feeling a bit ill, sad or lack energy, you are under the weather.

If you weather a storm, you get through a crisis or hard times.

Quote of the Week: "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: When it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." — Charles Dickens.

Make Your Pledge To Walk for This Good Cause

2011-02-20T08:54:00.003-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section, Saturday, February 19, 2011

It has been said that Donald Trump, the New York real estate tycoon, suffers from more than a bad haircut; his known extreme cleanliness makes him more than a germaphobe. His behavior supports a mental disorder diagnosis called OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The recent tragedy in Tucson brought mental illness to the forefront once again. Reports surfaced that the suspected gunman was acting erratically the weeks before he killed nine people outside of a Safeway. An extreme difference from Donald Trump's excessive hand-washing, yes, but both are mental illnesses nonetheless.

Anxiety, attention deficit disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, autism, bulimia, anorexia and schizophrenia; all very common and all categorized as mental illnesses.

It is well documented that poet Sylvia Plath, author Charles Dickens, playwright Tennessee Williams and President Abraham Lincoln were all known to suffer from depression. Depression has touched my life in a number of ways, with relatives and loved ones suffering from this devastating illness.

If you have not been afflicted with any of these mental illnesses, chances are you know someone who has. Maybe it is the word "disease" that throws people off. When they think diseases, they think of infectious diseases like measles, meningitis and tuberculosis. And when someone says "mental illness," well, then surely they must be talking about someone who is really "crazy." Not true, my friends.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 26 percent of Americans 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The nation's largest grass-roots organization is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. It is gearing up for its only fundraiser of the year, and it wants your support by walking 3.7 miles to prove it.

According to Marilyn Salzman, president of NAMI Westside Affiliate (2010-12) and the 2011 N.M. Walk manager, 90 percent of the money raised here stays in New Mexico. "The money we make from the 5K is used to help fund our programs, which promote awareness, anti-stigma and advocacy for the mentally ill community and their families," Salzman said.

Last year, NAMI Westside received almost $4,000, which went to aid recovery, support and education programs right here in town. According to the NAMI NM website, the current total pledged for this year's walk is already up to $38,187. And with 85 days yet to go, they are hoping to meet their goal of $150,000.

The NAMI walk this year is Saturday, May 14, at Albuquerque Academy. Don't we all go out for our walks, jogs or bike rides on Saturday mornings anyway? Why not walk for a good cause instead of around your block this one time?

Get a team together, or get your family together and sign up at www.nami.org/namiwalks/nmd. Then send your friends and co-workers to the website where they will find you and make a donation in your name.

The stigma is slowly dissolving as awareness of mental illnesses grows. People are slowly becoming more accepting and supportive of programs like NAMI. Like the slogan says, NAMIWalks — Changing Minds ... One Step at a Time.

For more information, call 505-203-7179 or visit www.nami.org/namiwalks/nm.

Quote of the week: "In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it." — Marianne Williamson, author.

Caveat Emptor Should Be My Middle Name

2011-02-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section Saturday, February 12, 2011

It all started over a year ago when I was trying to sell my Jeep Commander. I was told I would get more money for it if I sold it myself rather than go through a dealership. And since the goal is always to make smart money decisions, I was going to go with that.

I cleaned the Jeep until it sparkled like new. I spent the money to fix all of the chips in the windshield, something I wouldn't do if I was going to a dealership. Plus, I even changed the oil. And then my mother called. "You don't know how to sell a car yourself. What if they come to your house and steal your car? And how will you handle the paperwork," she questioned.

With my mother pointing out the obvious, I then drove down to a dealership and traded the Jeep in for a lesser used car. It took me weeks to get over feeling like an idiot for spending over $200 on an oil change, chip repair and a full tank of gas, just to give it to a dealership. Live and learn. Unfortunately, this scene would play out again and again in the months to come.

I am sure this one has happened to others; I simply can't be alone. How many times have you taken your whole family out to see a full-priced movie, and a week later the movie is showing at the dollar theater? I would have gladly waited a week and cut the tab had I known "The Social Network" was in its last week at the cineplex. Live and learn.

When it comes to buying airline tickets, does it matter when you make your purchase?

I have to head back to the Midwest soon and have been watching the ticket prices fluctuate daily, even hourly. I was just about to click BUY when my sister called me. She said she had heard that the best day to purchase airline tickets was Tuesdays at 3 p.m. So, I waited until Tuesday and paid more than I would have on Sunday when I wanted to click BUY originally. Just shoot me.

My favorite has to be what happened to me last Wednesday. I had to get my and my daughter's driver's licenses renewed, so I decided to try the new express place on Southern Boulevard.

When we walked in there were only two other people in line. I noticed a sign on the wall that stated they were not a state agency and there might be a fee up to $24.95. I figured that fee would surely be for something big like a commercial driver's license, handicap placard and a couple of truck registrations; mine would probably be around $3.

Upon taking our pictures and the vision test, the very friendly clerk asked us the pertinent questions, processed our paperwork and ran my total. "That will be $89.17," she said.

"What?" I asked in shock. "How much were the licenses?"

Turns out the licenses were the normal $18 each. But there is a "convenience fee" of $24.95 per transaction. "Well, that must be why you are not busy," I said trying to keep my cool. "Oh, we get very busy," the friendly clerk said.

I left feeling like I had a sign taped to my back with big letters that read: KICK ME.

Caveat emptor my friends. But sometimes timing and convenience are everything.

Quote of the Week: "There are more fools among buyers than among sellers." — Proverb

Chilly Reception to Deep Freeze

2011-02-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section February 05, 2011

Casa Vieja, Corrales

The frigid weather we have had this past week has been rather enjoyable. Why, you ask? Because one, we don't get subzero temperatures very often in Rio Rancho, and isn't variety the spice of life? And two, unlike the marathon winters in the gray Northern states, we know it is not going to last.

I found it rather curious that we would have a natural gas shortage this week, a rather substantial one, bad enough for Gov. Susana Martinez to declare a state of emergency the other day. Gas and electricity shortage? I think too many people are cooped up in their homes running their heaters and doing too many loads of laundry at the same time.

It doesn't take long for cabin fever to set in, especially with three consecutive days of no school, and I am not talking just the students. Let's face it, we are running short on more than just natural gas and electricity.

I would venture to guess the grocery stores are running short of El Paso refried beans, El Pinto salsa and Albuquerque Tortilla Co. tortillas. The cold weather and slick streets have kept us confined to our homes and forced us to cook for ourselves rather than enjoying a meal out. There's nothing like roasted mushroom soup and fish tostadas from Casa Vieja in Corrales. When will life get back to normal?

I can vouch for this one, since I have been there three times this past week, but Hastings has been short on its new releases. Seems everyone had the same idea for passing the time at home by watching movies. Having been stuck inside, what better than to snuggle up and watch some good movies with your main squeeze? Come to think of it, if there is a shortage of movie rentals, there must be a shortage of popcorn and good red wine, as well.

And not that I am making any connections here, but when school is closed for three days, the extended togetherness of personalities can sometimes lead to a shortness of senses of humor. For some reason a simple request like, "Will you feed the dog," all of a sudden gets you scathing glares as if you had said, "Will you wash the car, shampoo the carpet and weed the backyard before you make me lunch?"

In the Southwest, the freezing temperatures and snow-covered streets are few and far between compared with our neighbors to the north. I can remember my school days in Michigan when I had to walk a mile to school, in 3 feet of snow, uphill, both ways.

What there isn't a shortage of is bored kids, and parents worrying if they will come home from sledding with a broken arm and a chipped front tooth. Let's get them back in school where the only shortage is in free time.

Quote of the Week: "Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery." — Bill Watterson, American author of the comic strip "Calvin & Hobbes."

I Want To Be Fly, But Not G6

2011-01-22T08:29:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 1/22/11

If you follow this column, then you know I have a thing about words, colloquialisms, dialects, slang and the misuse of words. I have some new words I found are being used in unacceptable ways, and it's driving me crazy.

While on the frozen food aisle at the grocery the other day, in particular the Stouffers section, I noticed a new product I hadn't seen before: Stouffer's Cheesy Spaghetti Bake. Now the last time I looked, bake was a verb, something one does to food. It is not a noun, as referenced in this case. Why don't they call it a Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole? That's what it is according to the picture. Why doesn't anyone use the word casserole anymore? Does it scream June Cleaver and black-and-white TV sets?

I continued searching for my turkey tetrazzini in the Stouffers section and came across their Steak and Swiss Stuffed Melt, right next to the ham and cheese melt. Melt, being the word in question here, refers to the condition the cheese is in. Once again, a verb is being used as a noun. The term tuna melt has always bothered me. Actually it doesn't bother me as much as patty melt. I can eat them; I just can't say the name without flinching.

My favorite has to be the term "drive safe." Your friends are wishing you well, and describing how they want you to drive away. Words that describe verbs are adverbs. Adverbs end in ly. Therefore, the correct term is "drive safely." Put an "ly" on the end of it.

For us parents out here, it is a constant struggle to continuously sound hip to our kids. There is a song my 12-year-old likes that says, "feeling so fly like a G6." It's a catchy song and one day I said, "I want to be a G6." My daughter gave me the look like I was 100 years old and said, "You better know what a G6 is before you say that."

I panicked and thought, What if a G6 is a tart from the wrong side of the tracks? Turns out "feeling so fly" supposedly means feeling cool, and G6 refers to the Gulfstream 650, the fastest and longest-range business jet available, made by Gulfstream Aerospace.

I took the Test Your Teen Slang quiz on Goodhousekeeping.com just to see if I was missing out on anything. I learned that sick means delicious, tool means stupid, and bounce means to leave in a hurry; that one I could have figured out on my own. I got most of the answers correct, and earned the title of Coolest Mom Ever.

But don't worry, I'm not about to use any of this lingo in conversation. Nothing embarrasses a teenager more than a parent who is trying too hard.

The English language is fascinating. I now know that I don't want to be a twin-engine jet airplane. But I do want to be fly.

Quote of the Week: "English is a funny language; that explains why we park our car on the driveway and drive our car on the parkway." — Author unknown

Are You Ready for Super Bowl Sunday?

2011-01-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

As appeard in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section January 15, 2011

The Super Bowl, the single greatest sporting event known to mankind, will be upon us in three weeks. The Super Bowl is more than a game; it's more than a football world championship. It's the Oscars for advertisers, it's payday for bookies, and it's, well, the Super Bowl for those who are actually going to the game in Dallas.

With a career in marketing and advertising, I have always found it fascinating just how much money a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl goes for every year. According to Reuters, this year's Super Bowl commercials will set you back a measly $3 million, up $400,000 from last year. Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Doritos are all expected to make an appearance. Pepsi is projected to run at least six spots. And after a two-year hiatus, GM is expected back. Now that's what this Chevy girl likes to hear.

Does anyone care about the actual game, though? I think what a lot of people care about is the carnival happenings that take place because of the game. For instance, how many of you are in an office pool?

I realize this sort of gambling is hush-hush and supposed to be on the q.t., but a lot of times it's the president of the company who is the one organizing the whole thing, am I right? And isn't it always the case that the winner of these betting circles turns out to be someone who doesn't even follow football at all? Little Tina down in human resources, who was coerced into putting her dollar in just so the last square on the page could be filled, turns out to win everyone's money. Ouch.

On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will hold more parties in their homes than on any other day of the year, surpassing even New Year's Eve. We'll eat more food than on any single day of the year except Thanksgiving. Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for snack food consumption.

According to Sandy Moyer, cooking editor for BellaOnine, consumers spend more than $50 million each year to stock up on snacks for Super Bowl weekend. "On this unofficial National Day of Snacking, they'll typically eat over 8.5 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4,000 tons of popcorn and 14,500 tons of potato chips," says Moyer.

If you're planning a Super Bowl party, be sure to have plenty of food. How many of you are making a football-shaped meatloaf? Why not? Don't you make a heart-shaped one for Valentine's Day and a bunny for Easter? Remember to use shredded cheese to make the laces after it comes out of the oven.

I talk about the Super Bowl this weekend because if you are a true football fan, you will agree that this weekend, with four playoff games going on, is better than the Super Bowl, or so I've been told. The nonfootball person talks about the recipes; the football person talks punt, pass and kick. Can you tell which one I am?

The halftime show this year is Black Eyed Peas. Good, but they're no Bruce Springsteen.

This week's survey question: Are you going to a Super Bowl party?

Quote of the Week: "We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it." — Broadway Joe Namath, three days before the Super Bowl game, 1969.

Turkey and Couch Potatoes

2011-01-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 1/1/11

Happy New Year and welcome to 2011. It is going to take some time to get used to that number. I know this year is going to be great, if we could just get going.

I know the snow we had Thursday doesn't even compare to what the East Coast is dealing with, and I am sure cabin fever there is at peak levels. Just because we are capable of getting out of our houses, doesn't mean that we are.

Once again, with the kids home from school, and many people home from work, the television, in all its glory, is on all the time, giving us a sampling of what is passing for entertainment these days. And I've had about all I can take.

Did you know the Maury Povich show is still on the air? I thought that show was canceled in 1985. How many times are we going to find out who's the daddy, a common segment where men submit their DNA to prove they are or are not the father of their girlfriend's baby? Paternity pandemonium persists as the daddy cam follows the boyfriend backstage to witness his pain when he finds out he isn't the baby daddy. I am watching too much TV, aren't I?

My 12-year-old daughter's favorite show is "Judge Judy," which can also draw you in because it's like watching your mother catch your brother in a bald-faced lie. "Who dropped the smoke bomb out of your bedroom window during my Garden Club luncheon today? I don't know Mom, not me." Go get 'em, Judy.

I've watched "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" a few times, too. I like her; she gives cars and money away to people who really need it. But how many times can one watch her dance across the stage? I am watching too much TV, aren't I?

And who can forget Oprah? She is launching her own network today, OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. I used to like Oprah when she was one of us and rich. Now she is one of them, and mega rich.

I've started watching "Family Guy" now, the cartoon for adults. Although my brother has been quoting this show for years, it took this last week for me to get hooked. Why am I watching Brian the talking dog date older women when I would rather be reading my new book, "Growing Up" by columnist Russell Baker? What is going on?

The marathons are the worst. There are "House" marathons, "CSI" marathons. The networks are even running movie marathons — I mean they are showing the same movie over and over. I've watched "Uncle Buck" three times now.

The local news programs have their "B" teams on the air, giving their "A" teams some vacation time. I get edgy when they fiddle with my regular anchors and weathermen. Steve Stucker, where are you?

Happy New Year, everyone. Now let's get back to work.

Quote of the Week: "I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts." — Orson Welles.

Some of Our Favorite Memories

2010-12-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas, dear readers! Whether your day will be busy and filled with lots of commotion and children's laughter, or a quieter grown-up version of coffee in bed reading your favorite columnist, no doubt love is abundant today.

I hope there are no stockings with lumps of coal to report this morning; just lots of sparkly jewelry, good friends and delicious food all day long.

They say Christmas is for children, and that may be the case. The best memories of Christmas are usually from our childhood. Speaking of gifts, I would have to say my favorite childhood gift was the time my grandparents drove from Ohio to Michigan to surprise my brother and sister and me on Christmas. They brought brand new bikes for us, too, and I can't remember what they looked like. But the memory of my grandparents, the happiness and love has stayed with me for over 40 years.

I put out the call for favorite Christmas gifts. Many of you responded with wonderful stories to share, and I thank you. Here are a few of your responses.

• "In reality, every Christmas at my house was special. All seven (yep, seven) kids would sit at the top of the stairs until Dad went down to make sure Santa had come. Then it was a mad dash to see who got what. Of course, every pile held exactly the same number of gifts, and were usually the same size. Santa couldn't play favorites!"

— Kathy Colley, deputy mayor of Rio Rancho

• "When I was 34, I received a blue-denim shirt from a former girlfriend. The message was that despite how our relationship ended, she wanted a part of her image/persona to stay with me. I still have the shirt. Still fits, too."

— Ray W.

• "My own favorite was the year Joel and I spent weeks working on a gift for the boys. They were about 3 and 4, and we thought they might like a play tent ... We got carried away, and I ended up cutting out a huge circle of canvas, Joel stripped some 8-foot spruce poles, we had special grommets and stitching put on the front and voilá — an authentic miniature Sioux teepee that we still have and put up at times! It was a huge hit, and they spent many an hour playing 'buffalo hunt' and having sleep-outs."

— Tris C.

• "My favorite holiday gift that I will never forget was getting something called "Fighter Jet." I must have been about 8 years old and got this item, which resembled a fighter jet cockpit. Brings back happy memories of my parents."

— Richard B.

• "I'd have to say my favorite gift would be either my Daisy Red Rider BB gun when I was 6 (didn't shoot my eye out!) or my Sting-Ray bike with banana seat and racing slick rear tire when I was 8. How can a boy ask for anything better at those ages? If you were to ask (my) best gift as an adult, it would have to be sheepskin slippers that I get every year. Judy calls them elf slippers because they cover my ankles."

— Steve Shaw, Rio Rancho City Councilman, District 4.

I hope you receive the present you wanted most this year. Merry Christmas.

Quote of the Week: "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other" — Burton Hills

Holey Christmas Tree Just Right for Oz Ornaments

2010-12-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, December 18, 2010

With all of the seasonal rushing, I somehow got behind this year and didn't get our Christmas tree until a couple of days ago.

This year we bought our tree from Boy Scout Troop 1974 next to St. Thomas Aquinas here in Rio Rancho. What a great group or people they are. We pulled in about 7 p.m. Wednesday and were greeted by smiling faces who were ready to match us up with the perfect tree.

"What kind of tree are you looking for?" asked one of the den mothers, as two helpful Scouts stood by ready to assist.

I told her I only wanted to spend around $40, as I glanced at the tickets on the trees for $65 and up. I was informed their rates were about $8 a foot, which was better than many of the other lots in town. With the most convincing tone of voice, I told my daughters that the shorter trees are just as festive as the big ones, but they weren't buying it.

"How about this one?" my oldest daughter said as she stood next to a towering beauty like a "Price is Right" spokesmodel.

"That's pretty, how much is it?" I asked. "Ninety-five dollars," she sheepishly answered.

"Ah, let's keep looking," I said.

We continued to scour the rows of trees, and when I turned a corner, my daughters had found a 9-foot piñon with branches grown specifically for hanging Christmas ornaments.

"That's a good one, how much is it?" I asked. "This one is $36," said the den mother.

"Why so cheap?"

"It's from in state. The ones from Oregon are more expensive," she said.

After giving it some thought and careful examination, we all voted it was the prettiest tree on the lot and it wanted to come home with us.

The Scouts trimmed the bottom and put my stand on the tree. I paid my $36 and as I turned back to my daughters, who were now chatting with a den dad. I hear him say, "Someone has to buy the Charlie Brown trees."

What? Was the tree that took half an hour to pick out, the tree that I just paid for, really that bad? Sure, it had some bare spots, but that's where the Wizard of Oz ornament collection goes. I had never picked out a Christmas tree at night before and I felt like I was about to find out why.

Once we got the tree home and hung all of the decorations on it, we all agreed it was the most beautiful tree we ever had. Sure, it was lopsided with gaping holes. I did have to tie it to the wall, and it was lying against the television the next morning, but it's back up now. Go ahead, call it a Charlie Brown tree, I can take it.

And at Walmart, the stock boy told me the Valentine's Day merchandise arrived on the dock last week, and will be going on the shelves the day after Christmas. One week of this wonderful holiday season to go, my friends. Enjoy it before it's gone.

Christmas column next week: Write and tell me the best Christmas gift you ever received and how old you were when you got it.

Quote of the Week: "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love." — Linus from "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

45s and Fluffy Found When Decluttering Garage

2010-12-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 12/11/10

The walls in my garage had finally closed in so far that it was a tight squeeze getting out of my car.

That is one car in a two-car garage, mind you. I couldn't take it anymore; I could see myself on a segment of an upcoming "Hoarders" episode if I didn't do something fast. It was time to clean the garage, words that make grown-ups bristle and children run for their friend's house.

The process actually started last weekend when my daughters and I started sorting through boxes and bags of old clothes, toys and art projects. Get rid of the stuffed animals. Keep the preschool hand print artwork.

While going through some drawers, my oldest daughter found a stack of old 45 vinyl records and held one up.

"Wow, how old is this mom?" she asked.

I took a look at it and saw that it was "Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk Railroad. "That's from around 1974," I said.

"Cool," she says, "how many songs can you fit on one of these?"

Good Lord. She thinks it's a CD, which can hold around sixteen songs. A 45 is almost the same size as a CD I suppose, but black instead of silver, and with a big hole in the middle.

"One. It has one song on it," I tell her.

"One? You're kidding," she says, laughing. Talk about feeling old. Where's my turntable, Walkman and Easy Bake Oven?

Having sorted and bagged and swept, I moved our donations to the curb last Thursday for pick-up. The garage looked much better, but Fluffy the 4-foot stuffed animal was taking up too much room. He went out to the curb, too. I figured I was safe doing that ever since my daughter relegated Fluffy to the garage during her last room makeover six months ago. No such luck.

To my dismay, the donation truck hadn't been down my street when I arrived home from school with my daughter. As we pulled into the driveway, she saw the pile of donations neatly at the curb. But upon further analysis, she saw Fluffy tucked in on the backside of the pile.

"Fluffy?" she screamed as she opened the door before I could stop the car, running to rescue Fluffy from the deathly grips of the Salvation Army.

"How could you give Fluffy away?" she demanded.

I knew I couldn't win this one, so I allowed Fluffy back into the family. He is back in the garage sitting safely between the vacuum and the bikes, taking up too much room.

Just a reminder: Don't miss the Rio Rancho Winterfest parade this evening at 5:15pm beginning at Golf Course Road and Southern Boulevard. Come out and enjoy this hometown tradition with marching bands, decorated floats and, of course, Santa himself.

Quote of the Week: "It even makes you happy when you're feelin' blue. So, come on, come on, and do The Loco-Motion with me." — The Loco-Motion

Readers Share Holiday Traditions of Thespians and Depression

2010-11-27T20:41:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/27/10

'Tis the season to be thankful and I am thankful for my loyal readers. I love hearing from you, and I always get a great response when I pose a question to you. Last week I asked you to tell me some of your family holiday traditions, and you didn't let me down.

Thank you to all who wrote to me. I enjoyed learning about your traditions and what is important in your families. Here are four letters I received from readers, sharing their holiday memories. I think you will like their stories as much as I have.

Thanksgiving is over. Let the traditions begin.

"Our favorite family Christmas tradition started many years ago when my nieces and nephews were young. I would go to the public library and select a Christmas play with a number of characters and the rest was PURE enjoyment. The family would have to find costumes and props and put their best thespian foot forward." — Marian D.

"Our family consisted of six children with our two loving parents. We had very little money, but we had lots of love and respect for each other. Thanksgiving was a day for us to remember how thankful we should be for living in this country and for what we had. We often went to church for a service. Of course, we had no TV, so we were not interrupted with that. We always had a very good meal.

"Our Daddy's birthday was Dec. 16, so we usually did our Christmas decorating on that day. We left them out until Jan. l. We carefully saved the wrapping paper in order that we might use it the next year. You might guess that I am a "Depression kid" and am 86 years old." — Irene J.

"My favorite tradition when we were kids (there were four of us), was that none of the presents were put under the tree until we had gone to bed. The anticipation was intense. We practiced for days getting down the 24-some steps so we could sneak down without making noise. There was also an unwrapped present from Santa left on the hearth or under the stockings for us. My first trip down the steps Christmas morning was usually around 2 a.m. One particular Christmas, when I was very small, I came down to discover my sister and I both had dolls under our stockings. Hers was a bride doll in a beautiful dress. I wanted that doll — I can still see that lace dress with the silver threads. I thought long and hard about switching the dolls. After all, only Santa would know. Sometimes I wish I had done it; Mom and Dad would have had a heck of a time dealing with that situation." — M.J.

"For Christmas, we have a Nativity scene on the fireplace — year round. But, being that our new home has no fireplace, the piano will have to do. From Thanksgiving until New Years' Day, a porcelain Santa Claus welcomes the shepherds and the Magi to the stable. We have the tree up for a very short time and for one reason only; my 12-year old cat still thinks it's her personal plaything.

"Since fatherhood, my son and I have been observing the Nguzo Saba (or Seven Principles) of Kwanzaa, and try to attend at least one celebration during the week. I think I get more out of it than he does, but we are both learning." — Ray W.

Quote of the Week: "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." — Hamilton Wright Mabie, American essayist.

Ready or Not, Christmastime Is Upon Us

2010-11-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/20/10

There they were, right in the middle of the living room, right where my daughters had left them upon dragging them in from the garage: the blue boxes, aka the Christmas decorations storage boxes.

The lids were removed and there it all was: the Santa candleholder from 1991, the blinking glass tree that plays a montage of the top five Christmas carols, the umpteen strands of gold garland, and of course, the stockings. But this was Nov. 15, not even Thanksgiving.

Wait. Stop. Are you kidding? I hadn't put away the witch lamp yet. And I am still picking up candy wrappers from Halloween, but nonetheless, someone hung the door knocker with the rustic bell, fake evergreen branch and red bow on the front door knob. Was there any turning back?

They had been begging me since the day after Halloween to start decorating for Christmas, so why should I be surprised? I remember seeing the first Christmas TV commercial on Halloween day. The stores have had their decorations up for weeks. And I was shocked to see Santa in his chair at the mall last weekend. I know they say the older you get the faster time goes by, but this is ridiculous. I know it's not just me.

Getting back to the decorations, I was actually considering putting out a couple of decorations, what could that hurt, right? No, no, no. Some traditions cannot be messed with. Christmas lights are hung on Thanksgiving weekend at the earliest. Decorations have inched their way up to this same time slot, which used to be about the middle of December, just to ward off the claustrophobia that can occur come late December.

Remember the retail tradition of no sales until Dec. 26? Everyone had to buy their gifts at full retail markup.

Do you have a shopping tradition? Do the women in your family go shopping on Black Friday, while the men sit back and watch football?

It's time to embrace the holidays, whether we are ready for them or not. Focus on your family, and be thankful to be with the ones you love.

What are some of your family traditions for the holidays? E-mail me and they might just find their way into a future column. A column tradition I am starting this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Quote of the Week: "Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world." — Susan Lieberman

Chapman Elected on Vision and Tenacity

2010-11-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/13/10

I am sure you are all familiar with the name Dave Bency, Sandoval County District 3 commissioner who just stepped down from office due to term limits. Don Chapman won the recent election and will be stepping in, ready to hit the ground running.

Don and I served on the board of directors for the Chamiza Estates Neighborhood Association in the Unit 17 area a few years back; he as president, and I as secretary. Our major issue at the time was the after-effects of the summer 2006 flood. Our area was mostly dirt roads, and Don fought with legislators in Santa Fe and Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority here in town until changes were made so the roads wouldn't become impassable again, should another "500-year flood" happen. This sort of vision and tenacity is what got him elected.

Married for 26 years and a father of two grown girls, Don Chapman was a sales and marketing executive for years before moving to Rio Rancho in 2003 and becoming a commercial real estate broker.

When I asked Don what were some of the concerns voters in this election were voicing he replied, "They are concerned about taxes and how they cannot handle more of the same. The challenge is to operate the county's business, not cut any current programs," he said. "But at the same time control taxes, which translates to controlling spending."

Since Don's political profile was published in the Journal during the campaign, we know where he stands on the issues. But that profile didn't ask the really important questions, like: What's on Don's personal bucket list?

Q: Why did you run for the office of Sandoval County commissioner for District 3?
A: Because I believe I can make a difference.

Q: If your house was on fire and all of your family and pets are safely outside, what is the one thing you would go back and get?

A: This is a tough question, but if the family and pets are safe, then there would be nothing worth going back in for, I would have all I need to move on.

Q: What is your greatest extravagance?
A: My wife would say our motorcycle; guess I would probably agree.

Q: What is your favorite getaway spot in New Mexico?
A: We like going to the Sandia Crest, by motorcycle of course, and it is such a short ride away.

Q: At what Rio Rancho haunt are we most likely to spot you?
A: We frequent Federico's quite a bit; the green sauce and mini-tacos are the best.

Q: If you won $10 million in the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
A: I would first buy a new (larger) home for my wife.

Q: Name one thing you want to do before you die.
A: Go to the Masters in Augusta in April and watch all four rounds.

Q: What word or phrase do you overuse?
A: Not sure, bet my wife could tell you.

Q: If you had to impress someone from out of town, where is the one place you would take them
A: I would take them to one of the three: Season's, Savoy, or Scalo's.

Q: Red or green?
A: Definitely green!

Quote of the Week: "If there's a golf course in heaven, I hope it's like Augusta National."— Gary Player.

Keepers Hold Special Meanings in Our Lives

2010-11-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section November 06, 2010

I posed this question to a friend of mine recently: "Looking back on your life, name some of the high points and tell me why you remember them?"

Maybe it's the change of season, or maybe it's birthdays, or maybe it's just because all of the hate ads are gone from the TV and peace has been restored that puts me in this mood. But actually, the Christmas ads have started already and that's a whole new ball of wax, but we will save that for a future column.

High points, or keepers as I call them, can happen at anytime; sometimes they are planned like vacations or special occasions, and other times they are spontaneous moments that remain in your heart forever, like souvenirs.

Career high points is a category unto itself. Your first job, I mean your first real job where your paycheck came every two weeks and it covered the rent. Maybe during that job you landed a big client, brought sales up 45 percent or produced the best radio commercial the company had ever heard. Whatever career highlights you have, they usually left you with a great feeling of pride, accomplishment and happiness.

Personal high points in life are definitely in a category of their own and vary greatly among everyone. Time with the people we have loved, family reunions, birthday parties all carry souvenirs for us. I still have a birthday card my brother gave me for my 12th birthday with a 1972 quarter taped to the inside. Simple pleasures are the best. Sure, I suppose the rich have very different keepers than the rest of us. Do you think a trip to Carlsbad Caverns would be a keeper for Mick Jagger?

Souvenirs seem to involve travel or special people, or both. When I was in college, my boyfriend and I sneaked off to Niagara Falls for a weekend. My father found out about it afterward and was convinced we eloped. It took me months to convince him I was still single. The drive up, the raincoats we wore on the Maid of the Mist boat, the little cabin we stayed in, all keepers.

My great-grandmother was a quiet, unassuming woman from southeastern Ohio with little money. I never knew my great-grandfather; he died before I was born. They lived in the same small house their entire lives, raised their children in it, and it was where I would go back to visit her into my early 20s. My dad would tell me the story of the trip they would take for their anniversary every year, which must have been in the 1940s and 1950s. It was the highlight of the year for them, driving from Ohio to Virginia in the fall to see the colors changing in the trees along Skyline Drive. When I first heard this story, I didn't understand how something as simple as that was so memorable to them. Now that I am older, I get it. Keepers.

As we get older, the keepers, the souvenirs, become more and more special. I guess that saying might be true, that you know you are old when all you talk about are your memories. I'm not quite there yet, but I feel it coming.

The aspens in the Jemez are at their peak color this weekend. Get your loved ones and drive up for the day. Take a good long look out your car window. I promise the yellow leaves against the blue November sky above and the red rocks below will stay with you forever.

Quote of the Week: "Memories, they can't be boughten. They can't be won at carnivals for free. Well it took me years to get those souvenirs. And I don't know how they slipped away from me." — "Souvenirs" by Steve Goodman.

2010 Copyright Jennifer Huard. All Rights Reserved.

Free Car Wash an Answer to Low Voter Turnout?

2010-10-30T11:49:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/30/10

"You better not be voting for her," said my 12-year-old daughter after watching the latest scathing political commercial on television. She warned me with such conviction, as if she had read every interview, watched every debate and attended every rally of that particular candidate.

"Why not?" I asked. Why did I even ask? She's 12 and the only thing she knows is what the latest ads tell her and how much a Sham Wow costs. "Just wait for her competitor's commercial, honey; she'll make the other one look just as bad," I told her.

Have you decided who you're voting for? Do the commercials sway you in any way? I already know who I'm voting for; the ads don't sway me. No, I don't vote a straight ticket like I used to, but I made up my mind back in the primary. Still, I know there are some people who wait until they get into that almighty booth to make a decision. Those people bug me.

It's been election season for a long time now (Calgon, take me away). Is it me or are there more postcards in my mailbox, commercials on the TV and radio, and more signs in the yards than ever before?

If that isn't annoying enough, the telemarketers have to call to find out which way you are leaning: red or blue? Did you vote yet? Do you plan to vote? If so, then for whom are you going to vote? The calls seem to only apply to land lines. I ditched my land line last year so at least for now, I'm safe. I'm sure by the next presidential election we'll be getting hounded on our cell phones.

Think about this: With all of the canvassing, hand-shaking, signs, stickers and tag lines, voter turnout remains dismal. We need to make voting day more of a celebration, more significant than just scoring a small oval sticker.

I have voted in every major election since I was old enough to vote. It's in my blood, and I think that's where it starts. If your parents instilled the importance of voting in you, chances are you are more likely to carry that with you in every election thereafter. Teach your children well, my friends.

But for those out there who are apathetic about voting, it just might take some incentives to get you to punch that chad in the voting booth on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

If we really want to turn the table on low voter turnout, we need to make election day more of a public celebration, not less. How about a free car wash when you vote? I could use that right about now. Or the city could waive your water bill for a month if you show the clerk your "I Voted" sticker. The small red, white and blue "I Voted" sticker is good enough for me; I'll wear it proudly all day and then stick it on the roof of my car until it falls off. Vote on Tuesday, my fellow New Mexicans.

Quote of the Week: "Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote." — William E. Simon, 63rd U.S. secretary of the Treasury

Parents, Get Creative With Kids' Games

2010-10-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section, Saturday, October 16, 2010

This tradition started a long time ago, when my brother and sister and I were out for dinner with our relatives in Florida on Easter vacation. How do you pass the time with children when you are waiting for the food to arrive and kids can't think of anything but the French fries they just ordered? As loving parents, we play games to get their minds off of their grumbling stomachs.

Parents get creative when it comes to entertaining their kids, hoping to ward off their hunger and those pesky ants in the pants they seem to suffer from before a restaurant meal is put in front of them. Some parents build forts with the sugar packets on the table. Some restaurants have the children's menus printed on coloring pages and hand out packs of crayons. I Spy is always a favorite for the very young.

My daughters and I went to Dion's the other night and while waiting for our food, my youngest suggested we play Geography, our traditional game to pass the time. This was met with groans and was quickly dismissed to talk about more current topics, such as bone fractures and treatments that my eldest is learning in her sports medicine class. Whatever works is fine by me. Geography has been a table tradition in my family since my days in Florida, and one I fear we may be outgrowing.

To play Geography, the first person names a city, state, country or continent. The next person has to name a city state, country or continent beginning with the letter that the previous word ended in. For example, the first person says New Mexico. An "o" to the next person, who could say Oklahoma. An "a" to the next person, who could say Anchorage. An "e" to the next person, who could say Egypt. And so on.

Car trips call for different games for some reason, like the license plate game. Try to spot an out of state license plate; the one who spots one furthest from home wins. Hawaii plates are triple score.

Then there is the challenging game called Just Questions. You haven't heard of that one? Would you like to know how to play? Are you a witty person? Can you keep a conversation going by only asking questions of the other person? How long do you think you could go without drawing a blank? Who would think a game like this would be so fun?

We have a game going on in our home right now. Somehow the three gnomes from the backyard got inside and are turning up in the most unexpected places. No one is claiming to move them; therefore the 12-inch inanimate objects must be moving around the house themselves. Gnomes do have that sneaky reputation, but I got the last laugh when two of the gnomes went to school in the backpacks the other day and weren't discovered until first period, at least. Nothing says I love you like a three-pound garden gnome stuffed inside your already heavy backpack.

Quote of the Week: "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." — Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher.

Rail Runner the Restful Way to Santa Fe

2010-10-09T21:32:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/9/10

Last weekend I did something I've never done before. Something touristy, and with some trepidation since our little town has multiplied exponentially now that the balloon fiesta is in full swing. No, I didn't hit the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Fair, or make it down to the field for the mass ascension. My 12-year-old daughter and I embarked on a Saturday afternoon adventure New Mexico style: We took the Rail Runner to Santa Fe.

Now, I will admit in this column over the years when describing things I have been accused of getting charmingly descriptive and even been being told that I "watch too much of the Travel Channel." All I can say to that is, sit back and enjoy the ride again today.

After checking the train schedule online, we read it wrong and ended up at the Sandoval County/US550 station in Bernalillo one hour early. No problem, it gave us time to run across the street to McDonald's.

As the train's arrival time got closer, the crowd grew and I began to wonder if my daughter and I would even get a seat together, knowing for certain that everyone from the balloon park had the same idea we had and was already sitting comfortably on the upper level enjoying the view. The doors opened, and we all pushed our way in to get the best seat, as visions of the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland flashed through my head.

Doors close, and we were northbound on our one-hour trip up I-25 to our capital to do some weekend shopping and ice cream eating.

Riding the train is another one of those great people-watching activities, and since the seats face each other, the friendship factor is rather high. We happened to be in a car with what felt like one big happy family. The quiet newlyweds sat across from us, the four little girl cousins sat in the seats directly to my right, looking anxious, eager and ready to get off at every stop. Grandpa sat behind me, quietly taking his seat like he had done this a thousand times before. And Grandma sat at the opposite end of the car, never tiring of telling us all just how bad a workweek she had. I hope her boss gets the boot after making Grandma's life so miserable with his lies and smirks and unfair favoritism he is showing toward Juanita.

We relaxed and watched the countryside go by as we pulled into three stops along the way. Wild horses, cows and sagebrush dotted the scenery, and all I could wonder was, where was the bar car, I could use a spritzer right about now.

Upon arrival at the Santa Fe depot, our train tickets got us a free two-minute shuttle bus ride into the plaza and there we were. No driving around to find a parking place. No dodging tourists with shopping bags. And no parking fees. We hit our favorite shops first, then some new ones until we found the perfect birthday gift for my pen pal back in Michigan, a good luck three-legged pig from Chile.

We caught the shuttle back to the depot and waited with the crowd for the southbound train. The skies were threatening, and the rain began to fall just as we took our seats on the upper level and pulled out of the station. People were quieter on this leg of the journey, some spoke softly; some admired their purchases, and others simply slept.

After a day of walking, laughing, eating and shopping, relaxing on the Rail Runner beats driving, parking and getting lost any day.

Quote of the Week: "The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." — G.K. Chesterton, writer.

Corrales the Place To Be Next Weekend

2010-09-19T07:10:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section September 18, 2010

CHF Official Poster
by Barbara Clark

You know it's fall when ... the evenings are cooler, the chiles are a roastin', and the Corrales Harvest Festival is a happenin'. It's the biggest little festival of the fall, and its right here in our own backyard.

Next weekend is the 25th anniversary of the Corrales Harvest Festival and according to Chip Babb, the festival director, it is slated to be the best one they have ever put together.

"The pet parade on Saturday morning is one of our most popular draws," said Babb. "We are expecting over 200 entries this year: dogs, cats, horses, llamas, even guinea pigs. The pet parade committee has worked really hard this year and was able to get a lot of sponsors, making the winning even better. Nicole Brady, news anchor at Channel 4, will be leading the herd down Corrales Road as this year's grand marshal."

There is still time to enter, just decorate your pet and show up at the Rancho de Corrales Event Center next Saturday morning at 8.

Right after the pet parade, head on over to the Topform Arena for the Horse Extravaganza from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. A variety of horses will demonstrate and show off their unique qualities: Andalusians, Appaloosas, Arabians, Dutch warmbloods, Haflingers, minis, Morgans, mules, mustangs, paints, paso finos, quarter horses, Rocky Mountain horses and Tennessee walkers. It's what Corrales does best.

Phil, Grif, Glenn and the boys will be hauling festivalgoers on their hay wagons between the Recreation Center and Casa San Ysidro Museum near the Old Church throughout the whole weekend. A definite must at the festival, a tractor ride is the only way to get around.

My favorite part of the festival has to be the arts and crafts fair. Located in La Entrada Park, this year there will be more than 60 local and regional artists and craftsmen displaying and selling their art and jewelry. Remember, Christmas isn't that far off. But before you go in, be sure to get your official festival poster, a beautiful watercolor painting of a signature Corrales scene by Corrales artist Barbara Clark. Her other entry, a colorful watercolor of a tractor on a tree-lined road, was chosen for the festival T-shirts.

Runners, don't miss the Corrida de Corrales, a 5K or 10K run Sunday morning. If you haven't walked among the giant cottonwoods in Corrales, you don't know what you are missing. A run through the flat, shady, dirt trails along the tree-lined acequia in the heart of beautiful Corrales is a must. I may skip the Reeboks and put on my moccasins, grab a latte and enjoy a laid-back morning stroll. Walkers are welcome too, you know.

After your run, what better than a Chef Jim White breakfast burrito at the Corrales Growers Market? Stop by the grassy field by the Rec Center and get some homegrown fresh greens, vegetables, herbs and fruits, as well as flowers, honey, jams, baked goods and salsas.

The village is the place to be next weekend. Hop aboard the Corrales Rapid Transit, aka a John Deere tractor, and make your way to La Entrada Park for the funnel cakes, brats and burritos. Do some shopping and enjoy the beautiful fall weather in shady Corrales.

Quote of the Week: "You love this town. You've been all over. And it's been all over you. It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away. It's a beautiful day." — "Beautiful Day" by U2.

2010-09-12T11:08:00.002-06:00

Alarming Video Offers Crash Course in Cruises

2010-09-12T11:02:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section September 11, 2010

There is a viral video that has surfaced on the Internet this past week showing the inside of a Pacific Sun cruise ship as it hits extremely rough waters. The Australian cruise ship was hit with huge waves about 400 miles off the coast of New Zealand in July 2008, and if any of you have ever been on a cruise, you're aware that these things can happen from time to time. This particular video, I have to believe, is of a rare and extreme case. And if you have a tendency to get queasy on the high seas, this video just might do it to you on solid ground.

At first the expressions on the faces of the passengers and crew are that of amusement, obviously because they think it's just typical turbulence at sea. But very soon, not only forks, knives, spoons and plates are flying across the room, but tables, chairs, food carts and bodies; it's like watching a tennis match in slow motion.

The video is amusing until one woman is seen hitting her head on a pillar and collapsing. Reports indicated passengers suffered broken ribs and limbs, a fractured pelvis and cuts. Many of the worst injuries occurred when gambling machines crashed on top of people. The ship, on the other hand, was not badly damaged.

My 12-year-old daughter saw the video and asked, "Can boats really do that?"

"Yes," I snapped. "Haven't you see 'The Poseidon Adventure?'" Flashbacks of Shelley Winters and Gene Hackman filled my head as I remembered the 1972 movie and the S.S. Poseidon capsizing under a 90-foot tidal wave.

All I got was a blank stare and a "What are you talking about?"

I've been on two cruises — three if you count a three-hour whale-watching tour off the coast of Maui. People did get seasick on that one, as I recall.

My first real cruise was the southbound inside passage along the Alaskan coast. Cruising close to shore kept the waters just as I like them: calm. My only worry was that a glacier might break apart in Glacier Bay and possibly create one big ripple. That I could handle.

My second cruise was along the Mexican coast from Long Beach, Calif., down to Mazatlan, Mexico and back. For the most part, we stayed close to shore, venturing out into the ocean only one day, where the waves were a little rougher but nothing like the Pacific Sun video.

What amazes me is the fact that videos like these can be seen around the world by everyone now. Only a few years ago our kids wouldn't have known the force of Mother Nature and that a cruise ship and its passengers have the capability of rocking so violently. Take that, Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Quote of the Week: "Joe, what the hell's going on down there? Is there nothing more you can do with those stabilizers?" — Captain Harrison, "The Poseidon Adventure"

So Many Colors, But So Few Rooms

2010-09-04T10:18:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/4/10

Hello? Is anyone still in town this Labor Day weekend? Those of us who didn't get away for the last hurrah of the summer are staying home and catching up on work around the house, am I right? Fix the leaky shower, paint the trim or re-grout the kitchen floor.

In my house this weekend, that means painting. I have been contemplating painting the white walls of my house ever since last September when I moved in.

The cornflower-blue carpet in this house has thrown me for a loop, and although I wouldn't have chosen the color myself, it is growing on me. But as far as choosing a paint color to complement blue carpet, I still have that deer-in-the-headlights look on my face when I try to make a decision and "pick one already." This explains the hundreds of paint sample cards in my drawer that I just stare at, tape to my walls at various light angles and accumulate more with each trip to Lowe's.

It's the fear of picking a color that is too boring or too "what-were-you-thinking?" that keeps me from confidently walking up to the paint counter, sample card in hand and asking for 2 gallons of Mexican Moonlight in an eggshell finish.

I used the red rocks of Jemez as inspiration for my bedroom paint color, or so I like to think, depending on the hour. I vacillate between a rich burnt orange color like Ripe Tangerine or Peach Fizz, or a totally opposite hue in a subtle vanilla like Fortune Cookie or Soft Cream.

It took me weeks to narrow down my family room paint choices to four very different, very comfortable beiges. With my sample cards proudly propped up on the fireplace, I asked a friend which one he thought would look best. "None," he says. "They're not you. Those colors are too boring." So much for that.

Everyone is a critic, and everyone is a decorator. And speaking of critics, can you believe the fuss everybody is making over the revamping of the Oval Office? The taupe and beige colors seem reserved and muted, and the furniture styles are somewhat understated. Surely they couldn't have come out looking like the Bellagio Hotel with the economy in the state that it is. Imagine the flak they would have taken for that?

I've seen the Oval Office in person, having had the opportunity to visit the White House when my uncle was head of the Situation Room a few administrations ago. It is a roundish room, OK, oval. But still, with Obama's new stripes on the wall, I can't help but get the feeling of a merry-go-round in there, which I am sure sometimes it does.

The Oval Office has a new carpet, too, like most administrations do. But unlike past presidents, Obama chose to weave his favorite quotes right into the rug: quotes from Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy and King.

Interesting idea, I thought. So, for my rug, I would weave this quote attributed to Mark Twain: "Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

But I can't weave quotes into a carpet, for the same reason I can't get a tattoo: It's too permanent. Which reminds me, paint is not. So why am I vacillating? Peach Fizz it is.

What quote would you weave into your new carpet? E-mail me your favorite.

Quote of the Week: "Women are made to be loved, not understood." — Oscar Wilde

Hey, How Did that Get There?

2010-08-29T11:44:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, August 28, 2010

You know they say when you die, you are taken to a room. And in that room is a huge pile of everything you have ever lost in your life: money, jewelry, car keys, pets, socks, computer files, and definitely a few pairs of very cool, very expensive sunglasses.

When you lose things, if you're lucky enough to find them, they always turn up in the most unusual places.

Did you hear about that mysterious boat that was found on Madeira Beach, Fla.? Local residents were amazed when the 48-foot yacht, unmanned with the motor running, washed ashore last Wednesday just south of Clearwater.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that the vessel is registered to the federal government, according to CNN. Given this information, I wouldn't necessarily say it was lost, but a boat turning up without a captain, with the lights glaring and motor running is something more than your typical find at a beach — much more interesting than sea glass, that's for sure.

Speaking of discovering things, finding messages in bottles is fascinating and more common than you might think.

One bottle sailed the ocean currents for eight years, traveling thousands of miles from Port Everglades, Fla., across the Atlantic to Bordeaux, France, where a Frenchman found a note dropped into the ocean 23 years earlier by a young girl at summer camp.

Another bottle was filled with letters written by a grieving family to their son, a casualty of the war in Afghanistan. On vacation in Barbados, the family sipped sambuca in their son's honor, then filled the empty bottle with goodbye notes and tossed it into the water. The bottle was found off the Mississippi coast by a Gulf oil spill cleanup crew some 1,300 miles away.

Sometimes things are just as special, but lost much closer to home.

We have a new kitten in the house and last week at about 8 o'clock on Tuesday night, she was nowhere to be found. After I convinced myself there was no way she could have escaped out the front door when I went outside to water the roses, we tore the house apart looking for our lost kitty. My daughters and I thought for sure we would find her cuddled amongst the socks in her usual dresser drawer, but no such luck.

With the stress level approaching nuclear meltdown, the only thing to do was the obvious: make popcorn. I opened the cupboard to get a bowl and there was the kitten curled up in the colander, fast asleep. Seems she must have gotten inside when I was making the salad for dinner. A collective sigh of relief swept through the house, to say the least.

The next time you lose something, just remember to cross your fingers, hold your breath and say the magic words: St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something has been lost and cannot be found.

Quote of the Week: "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." — Mark Twain

Eat, Love, Pray Close To Home

2010-08-14T17:03:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section Saturday, August 14, 2010

There is a lot of hoopla out this week about the new Julia Roberts' movie "Eat Pray Love." It is a story about a woman who embarks on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India; and, finally the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

I read the book by Elizabeth Gilbert and wasn't a big fan, so I doubt I will be seeing the movie. And besides, I don't have to go around the world to have this same experience. I did it all right here in Rio Rancho over the summer.

The "eat" portion of my journey just happens to be my favorite, and with my favorite people. My daughters and I celebrated the end of summer with a dinner out last Wednesday, the night before the first day of school.

Somehow our dinner conversations always turn to subjects that we wouldn't discuss in front of anyone else, let alone a waiter. We usually end up laughing so hard that people start to stare.

On the subject of music, one question I got was what did those Aerosmith lyrics really mean. I claimed ignorance and got away with it.

Another question I got was prompted by something my daughters saw on the Las Vegas strip last month. Obviously captivated by a billboard with shirtless men wearing signature white cuffs and collars, I was asked why was the all-male strip group Chippendales named after the cute and cuddly Disney chipmunk characters Chip and Dale? After getting over the shock that they knew what Chippendales was, the seriousness of the question had me in tears.

The "pray" portion came in the form of a municipality project in my own neighborhood.

I prayed all summer that the city would finish the construction on the three major roads leading to Rio Rancho High School before Aug. 12.

I don't live very far from the school, and back in June was interested to see the start of a new roundabout at the entrance to the student parking lot. I became slightly concerned when three other roads in the area were torn up at the same time, because there is no way the single lane and detours could handle school traffic.

As July rolled around, I began to wonder if the work was progressing as fast as it should, and sure enough, RRPS put calls out to all of the parents asking for patience and explaining the detours wouldn't be in place very much longer. I am still praying.

The "love" portion of my journey has to be the easiest, given the vast quantity of things that are happening right now that put a smile on my face.

I loved it last week when JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater quit his job in a most entertaining way. Having had all he could take in his 28 year career of waiting on people cramped on airplanes, he grabbed two beers and slid down the emergency slide of the airplane to freedom, aka unemployment.

Reports said he had thought about it many times before but never actually acted on it. Hasn't everyone? Of course, the higher-ups at the company didn't approve of his actions, as can be expected, but Slater gained support as fellow worker bees could relate.

Every workplace in America should have an inflatable emergency slide from a second story window for disgruntled employees who wish to take their jobs and shove it. They might want to consider installing two in neighborhood post offices.

Eat. Pray. Love. No need to go any further than your own backyard.

Quote of the Week: "Don't wanna close my eyes, don't wanna fall asleep." — "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," performed by Aerosmith.

Huard's column runs each Saturday. She welcomes your e-mails at jhuard@abqjournal.com. Visit her blog at www.jenniferhuard.blogspot.com.

RRHS Alumni Set the Bar Quite High

2010-08-08T17:53:00.000-06:00

As appeard in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section August 07, 2010

For all of the students who are complaining that school is about to start next week and think it's a waste of time, I've got some good news for you.

For all the kids who have had Advanced Placement summer reading to get through and say the subject matter was boring and useless, it is understandable that you may not be able to see the forest through the trees right now. But all that hard work will pay off.

There are many students from Rio Rancho who have graduated and moved on to promising careers, like Ford Carty, a 2010 Rio Rancho High School graduate who is now at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

And Kara Babb, a 2005 RRHS graduate who got her bachelor's in 2009 in Global Business and Asian Studies and is in China now studying for her master's degree.

Is it the teachers, the classes or the individual kids that inspire success? A good guess would be it is a combination of all three, or so says Linda Babb, Kara's mom.

"Kara played varsity soccer at RRHS under Uwe Balzis," Linda Babb says. "She credits the AP English and History classes she took with preparing her for college work. It definitely helped her writing ability."

Sometimes the pieces just fall into place. Kara's interests were sparked by a professor's suggestion.

"Kara went to the University of Redlands in Southern California, not knowing, of course, what she's going to major in," says Kara's dad, Chip. "Come her second year, one of her professors recommended she take some classes in Global Business, which had a foreign language requirement, so she signs up for Mandarin — not easy."

When she was a junior, Kara spent seven months in Beijing studying at Peking University and doing an internship with a Chinese business development company.

Currently pursuing her master's degree in Asian language and literature from Ohio State University, Kara will be writing and defending her thesis in Mandarin. Now that's what I call impressive.

As if those credentials weren't enough, Kara just finished sixth out of 118 students worldwide in an "American Idol" style competition sponsored by the Chinese government and the Confucius Institute in China and the U.S.

I asked Linda Babb how her daughter liked living in China and if she was assimilating into the culture.

"Kara was always pretty outgoing," she tells me. "We never imagined she'd do this, but she constantly surprises us."

Besides her studies and work, there is always time for socializing and meeting the locals. "The people are very friendly and welcoming. In fact, if they invite you to their home for a meal, it becomes a banquet," says Linda Babb. "At one event, Kara was toasted about 10 times (after each course) and then was asked to sing 'The Star Spangled Banner' in front of everyone."

We knew Rio Rancho schools produced some extraordinary graduates; we just didn't know how far they would go.

Quote of the Week: "Kara ... you thought Spanish was hard!" — Chip Babb, Kara's proud dad.

End Is Near - for School

2010-08-02T10:48:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 31, 2010

Why is this line so long? Did you bring the bus form we have to turn in? Why can't I get the gold parking pass now? My registration fee is how much? I really don't remember there ever being a line this long.

There I was last Wednesday morning, standing in line to register my daughter for her senior year at Rio Rancho High School. A line that at 8 a.m. I thought would be nonexistent, but instead snaked its way from the cafeteria across the campus into the parking lot. As I looked at the people around me, it was easy to pick out which kid went with which parent; there was a sea of mini me's, all looking like their parents did 30 or so years prior. I wondered if the melancholy of my child's impending graduation milestone was going through the heads of the other parents like it was mine. Yes, I am projecting, but that's what I do.

I already know that I will be holding back the tears through every school event this year, knowing it will be my daughter's last "everything" in high school. And the first test I had was making it through the taking of her senior pictures. Talk about coming full circle. Since parents usually are not with their kids when their class pictures are taken, the last time I was witness to my daughter having her picture taken for school was in preschool when she was 4 years old. Here I was now watching her pose in a cap and gown for her high school graduation. I didn't make a scene; I didn't cry or walk out. But inside I was dying.

Where did the time go? All I did was blink and she grew up. My brother warned me this would happen but I didn't believe him. Now I am looking down the barrel of senior year and I have to keep my composure through it all.

I won't cry at the last football game when her marching band takes the field for the last time.

I won't cry when she picks out a dress and goes to her last Homecoming dance with her friends and then comes home to tell he how much fun they all had, dancing in the rain to ACDC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."

I won't cry when the marching band wins a trophy at Zia Marching Band Fiesta at the University of New Mexico and the drum majors do their special salute and the band and crowd go wild (yes I will).

My biggest hurdle will be having to sit through the video at the band awards banquet next spring when they show a baby, child and senior picture of each graduating senior. I've teared up at this sequence since the first time I saw it four years ago, and I didn't even know the kids who were in it.

I remember seeing my mother cry when I left for college and not understanding her tears. She spent my whole life teaching me independence, common sense and how to stand up straight. I thought for sure she would be happy to see me spread my wings and fly the nest. Now I understand her tears. Heaven help me. Thank goodness I have one more daughter.

Quote of the Week: "Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as parents. They come home as contemporaries. After 22 years of child-rearing, they are unemployed." — Erma Bombeck

On This Trip, Destination Is Well Worth the Journey

2010-07-24T09:35:00.002-06:00

For those of us who aren't taking a big vacation this summer, I've discovered another day worth sharing. If you have taken the Turquoise Trail to Madrid, then you can sing along with me. If you haven't, you are in for a real treat.

There is a much easier and faster way to get to Madrid, but who's in a hurry on this recent bright and relaxing Sunday afternoon? Not me nor my faithful tour guide, so we head up Sandia Crest Byway, a national scenic byway heading east on Route 165 out of Placitas, and right into the Cibola National Forest. Las Huertas Canyon welcomes us as the trees begin to canopy over the car and the asphalt road turns to a narrow, winding dirt road. We rattle over washboard sections that remind us we're a far cry from Interstate 25.

Although it seems like the road is taking us deep into the dark and forgotten woods, I feel like I should be dropping bread crumbs behind us. But it seems we're not the only ones to know about this place. Yes, once again I am the last person in New Mexico to discover this popular destination for day campers and picnickers, given the pickup trucks, Jeeps and what-have-yous parked amongst the trees and packed with coolers, hibachis and folding lawn chairs.

I am enjoying the beautiful view as I begin to identify the junipers and piñons and the occasional wild flower. I get caught up in the moment and say to my tour guide, "I hope we spot a bear," which gets me a sideways glance because he knows I only say this from the safety and security of a locked and moving car.

This is the wild adventurous part of the trip, 8,000 feet now, and we are glad it is summertime. A sign reads "Road Closed in Winter — Proceed at Your Own Risk," reminding travelers that in January the snow can get as deep as 6 to 8 feet here. The beautiful aspens start to appear all around and the view is worthy of a few clicks of the camera.

We make it to the top and hit paved Route 536 and the Sandia Peak Ski Area. OK, now I know where I am. It's only a short drive up the Turquoise Trail (N.M. 14) to Madrid for lunch and shopping.

Once an historic coal mining and ghost town, Madrid is a small community with quaint and quirky shops that line the main drag, while tourists and an occasional golden retriever wander by. Shopping here is a treat, given the variety of Gypsy shops, antique stores, art and jewelry boutiques, restaurants and ice cream shops. I think I will have to make a return visit for some holiday shopping later in the year.

It's BLTs for lunch at the Mine Shaft Tavern, another biker bar complete with the quintessential outdoor porch for standing and strutting your bandana, tattoos and tank-topped biker chick. The place is packed, so we grab two seats at the end of the bar and place our order. The sign in the lobby sums up the town's cast of characters and feel-good ambience: We don't have a town drunk, we all take turns.

A cloudburst cooled off the afternoon as the locals prepared for a bluegrass music festival later that evening. We hit the road, taking a secret short cut back and shaving off half the time it took to get there. If you want to take this shortcut to Madrid rather than the Turquoise Trail, head north on I-25 and take the Santo Domingo Pueblo exit at the water tower, heading east until you reach Route 14. But remember, it's the journey, not the destination, so go slow. Enjoy.

Quote of the Week: "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Want to Cool Off? How Old Are You?

2010-07-18T21:36:00.004-06:00

As Appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 17, 2010

Dog days of summer? You say that like it's a bad thing. We may be smack dab in the middle of July, 90-plus degrees on the thermometer and barely a breeze at times, but heck, you waited all winter for this; now you finally got your wish.

It's a good thing we are living in the Southwest at this altitude, because I know many of you out there are transplants from the East Coast, Midwest and the South and are well aware of what 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 percent humidity feels like. Can you say pea soup?

Here in the Southwest and at an elevation of 5,469 feet, Rio Rancho sits high enough to stay dry, and cool enough to make Money magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live."

In 2005, we ranked 83rd on this list. In 2006, we moved up to 56th place. This year we bettered our score, ranking in at 51. While one might surmise it might be due to the new roundabouts the city is installing around town that earned us our best score yet, when actually, according to the survey it was criteria such as jobs, schools, public safety and features that make a place great for raising a family that got us our high marks.

So how do the citizens of the 51st-ranked Best Places to Live City cool off during a scorching summer? That depends on whom you ask.

If you ask the tween set, that would be kids between the ages of 9 and 13, what they do to cool off, their answer would be The Big Flush Water Coaster at Cliff's Amusement Park. And not just once, but as many times as their parents will allow them to go.

Ask a teenager what they do to cool off and you will get a variety of answers. The mall is always top of the mind for this age group. But a favorite and probably the coolest place to be is at Blades ice skating rink on Loma Colorado for brushing up on triple toe loops and flying sit spins. After, there is nothing better than hitting Sonic Drive-In and not ordering anything, but just hanging out and hoping some interesting boys pull up in the space next to yours.

Moving on to the age group that is most likely reading this column in the newspaper today, I offer up some options for you. For the homebodies, how about a delicious new recipe for gazpacho, that chilled summer soup that tastes best right about this time of year with a cold glass of mango iced tea.

For the wanderlust souls in the crowd, we are lucky Rio Rancho is so centrally located; the choices are many. Remember the temperature drops 5.4 degrees for every 1,000 feet you climb, so I say head for the hills. Possible day trips to cooler locales include Madrid (elev. 5,997) or Santa Fe (elev. 7,000). But for those really looking to cool off head on up to Taos (elev. 7,249) or even Angel Fire (elev. 8,379) to really get away from it all. Remember to take your sweater.

Stay cool, my friends. Before you know it we will be switching the furnaces on, putting the big comforters back on the beds and wishing it was summer.

Quote of the Week: "Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity, doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city." — Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City."

Jemez Loop Leaves Day Tripper in Awe

2010-07-05T10:32:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 7/3/10

In another installment of my day tripping columns, I have to admit, and to the surprise of my tour guide, that having lived here for five years, I had never ventured up US 550 to explore the natural beauty of this part of our state.

I recently took a day trip and did “the loop,” mainly Route 4, Jémez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway that started out through the beautiful red rocks of the Jemez Valley.
We ventured off the beaten path to pay a visit to the Ponderosa Valley Vineyard and Winery, where on this particular Sunday afternoon every seat at the tasting counter was taken as the connoisseurs swilled their chardonnay and chatted it up with owners Henry and Mary Street. We grabbed a bottle of Summer Sage, put the dog back in the car and continued on our way.
Sitting on the tail gate of the parked car between the red mesas, I must say the colors are enough to leave you in awe. The mountainsides are a rich, dark reddish orange color that contrasts with the green of the brush and the blue of the sky. Where’s my camera? At home on the counter where I left it, of course.
Before continuing up Rt 4, another quick side trip on N.M. 485 lead us to the Gilman Tunnels; man made in the 1920s for a logging train passage. The tunnels frame out the waterfall and vertical rocks making for a beautiful picture, if only to be saved in my mind this time.

It was a beautiful cool, sunny day and although we were in a yellow Honda Element, a more open means of travel proved popular as seen by all of the motorcycles parked outside of the Los Ojos Restaurant & Saloon in Jemez Springs.

Nevertheless, I rolled my window down in the Honda and stuck my arm out the whole way; next stopping at Soda Dam, a natural phenomenon formed over time. My inner geologist was marveling at the mounds of calcium carbonate deposited over millions of years by the hot springs that made the rocks smooth in appearance, while my inner child likened it to melting scoops of ice cream.

The red rocks gave way to Aspens and pine trees as we continued north into the Santa Fe National Forest and passed Battleship Rock, a sheer cliff that rises suddenly above the river like a land locked lost ghost ship. Another picturesque moment.

We lunched on green chili Reuben sandwich and chicken fried steak in La Cueva at the Ridgeback Café where Animal Amigos was holding a yard sale in the parking lot to raise money for their dogs and cats.
Being the only New Mexican to not know about this, the 89,000 acre Valles Caldera National Preserve caught me off guard. We pulled off the road to take in the beauty of one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, now a breathtaking expanse of mountain meadow and forest. Through the binoculars we saw herds of elk and cows grazing in the distance. This was definitely my favorite stop on the trip, as was it for Wayne, a full time RV’er who wandered over from his parked motor home to make friends with us and talk about the natural beauty of the area and how he surprisingly still had cell phone service.

Continuing the loop, we drove through Los Alamos. The damage can still be seen some ten years later from the 2000 Cerro Grande fire that burned 48,000 acres of lush forest and over 400 family homes. The blacked hillside is a sad reminder just how vulnerable life is.

Rounding Santa Fe, we continued down the home stretch on I-25 south and back to Rio Rancho in time for sunset. A day trip worth doing for visiting guests or your own family.

Quote of the Week: “It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was drivin’. Trees flew by, I was flyin’,” – Tom Petty, Runnin’ Down a Dream.

Time Sure Flies When Your Kids Are Growing Up

2010-06-26T19:23:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 6/26/10

I have a friend who just had her second baby. She now has two little ones and she has stepped down from her high profile job in journalism ready to embark on what she calls a “slower paced” life at home.

I remember those early days when my two daughters were very small. I worked part time from my home office after they went to bed at night. I was never so tired in my life. Oh, sure at first I was bored to death; the laundry was always folded, the floors were always scrubbed and the meals were always on the table on time. And then they began to have birthdays.

First birthday parties are usually small with immediate family in attendance. I ironed my light blue smocked dress with the itchy crinoline petticoat that tied in the back that my mother had saved all those years. Here I was thirty-three year later putting it on my own daughter on her first birthday. Time sure flies.

By the second or third birthday kids are brave enough to walk into a Chuck E. Cheese and not jump out of their skin when the big stuffed animals walk up to them and try to give them a hug. By the time they are 5 and 6, the only goal is to win 25,000 game tickets so they can buy the red yo yo and a Chinese finger trap, eat a piece of pizza and go home slung over dad’s shoulder. Time sure flies.

As parents we work so hard to make the birthday parties perfect and something our kids will treasure in their hearts forever. Like the time when my mother made a special coconut elephant shaped cake for my brother’s fourth birthday because his favorite animal was elephants. She slaved over a hot oven all day making the masterpiece from scratch; mind you this was 1963, plus she had two younger children at her hip. She spread the white whipped frosting all over the elephant, carefully placing a maraschino cherry for the eye. Upon presenting the birthday boy his cake at the table, he took one look at it and proclaimed, “I don’t like coconut.” He didn’t eat one bite.

The moon bounces and water slides are a big hit for the summer birthdays. By the time the kids are old enough for these, parents are still young enough to partake of the recreation as well. “Do it again, Mom. Please? C’mon, one more time” Time sure flies.

But soon they outgrow the pony rides and jumpies and it’s on to bigger and better activities. My youngest turns twelve this week and I surprised her with a bowling party with four of her closest girlfriends. I thought this would be a new and exciting way to celebrate a birthday, besides girls this age love being together just about anywhere.

What do twelve year old girls do at a bowling birthday party? Well, they don’t bowl. After an hour they were still on frame number four. They don’t eat the pizza either. They don’t talk to their mothers. What they do is stand in a tight group as if they haven’t seen each other in years, giggle, look at each other’s cell phones and talk about boys. Time sure flies.

Quote of the Week: “May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine.” -Frank Sinatra.

Readers Let Us Know Why Dad Was Special

2010-06-19T08:48:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 6/19/10

We pay tribute to our fathers tomorrow, and for those of us who are grown up, a good way to do that is to recall our dads in special moments and milestones that have cemented in our memories to cherish forever.

Many of you wrote to me with your own tales of your fathers, and I wish I could include all of them today. You told me stories that brought tears to my eyes, as well as joy. What better way to pay tribute to dads everywhere than to keep the love alive with stories of their love for us. I thank you all for sharing.

"I was a freshman at Drake University and had never been away from home. Dad drove me to Des Moines, Iowa, from Minneapolis, Minn. We brought all my clothes up to the third floor (no elevators) and finally it was time for Dad to leave. I was crying so hard and hugging him so tight, that the poor guy had to unwrap my arms from his shoulders. Later that week, I received a handwritten letter from my dad, explaining how tough it was to leave me, but if I was to continue on the course God had for me, I would have to stand tall. And then he said, 'Good Morning for all the mornings and Good Night for all the nights and remember your Dad loves you.' I've carried that message with me all my life, and thank you for letting me share it on Father's Day. My father passed 20 years ago and this warms my heart." — Marion D.

"When I was learning to drive, I had the experience of driving the family car — with the entire family of six in it — into a 'Keep Right' sign at the entry ramp of an interstate. This episode earned me an immediate trip to the back seat, not to mention the embarrassment of having to surrender the keys to my brother. The very next day when my dad came home from work, I was outside and came over to tell him something. He just nodded and then spoke softly, 'Look, about yesterday.' He folded his arms and continued, 'I know you feel bad about everything. But you got to realize, too, that all of us have done things we wish we hadn't. Last year, I remember steering Ken (my brother) out of an accident. You just got to put this behind you and get back at it.' " — Ray W.

"When my dad was mad at me, I could make him laugh so he would forget to be angry. He rarely got very angry with me. However, there was this one time. My older brother took a two-year break between high school and college, and my dad wasn't happy about it. I was a consistently good student and got a college scholarship. But I really wanted a break, too. Just before high school graduation, I told my dad that I didn't want to go to college yet, that I wanted a year break. He got this look on his face that I hadn't seen before. He started advancing on me and shaking his finger at me. He said in a dead calm voice, 'Young lady, you are going to college and I don't want to hear another word about it.' As he was advancing, I was backing up and saying, 'I'm going, Daddy, I'm going.' I never mentioned a break again, and I went to college as I was supposed to." — Gloria S.

"I am a very lucky 'son' because I have had the opportunity to be special in so many people's lives, and it doesn't matter if they sired me, adopted me, provided for me, coached me, or even guided or bossed me ... but it is because of them, I am who I am." — Steve G.

Quote of the Week: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." — Anne Sexton, poet.

Remember When Dad Saved the Day? I Do

2010-06-14T11:29:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section June 12, 2010

With Father's Day a week away, we all think of our dads and the memories we hold of them. As we age, negative memories tend to fade somewhat, leaving mostly happier ones to ruminate over.

Some people have memories of their fathers they wish they could forget. For others, their dads can do no wrong. Either way, the stories that have been told about the family patriarchs in our lives could fill volumes.

My father owned a bakery in Columbus, Ohio, in the early '80s, where I worked when I was home from college. One Saturday after the cake decorator had gone home, my dad discovered a cake order for that evening that had not been filled.

"Jennifer, go decorate a white cake in the shape of a truck, red icing, black wheels, and write on it, 'Happy Birthday, Timmy,'" he said.

Now I had become rather crafty at writing the names on the cakes, but decorating a special shape for a party was intimidating, to say the least.

My dad was pretty good at decorating cakes, even making the roses, but he was too busy to do this one. I have to admit I was excited to try my hand at sculpting a red Peterbilt out of a vanilla half-sheet cake.

I remember taking too long on my slightly slanted, Picasso-esque masterpiece. The party was starting, and we promised to deliver the cake. I finished up with the fluted piping around the edge and away we went.

I stayed in the car as my dad walked the cake up to the front door. Timmy's mom opened the door with a smile, appreciating the special delivery. I watched as my dad opened the box for her inspection, but instead of approval, her face sank in disappointment. She shook her head in rejection at my masterpiece.

With cake in hand, my father turned and walked back to our car.

"What happened?" I asked.

"She doesn't like it," he said. "I have to go make another one."

My heart sank with failure as we drove back to the bakery, where my dad whipped up a perfect red Mack truck cake with yellow wheels.

We drove back to deliver the second cake, and this time when Timmy's mother opened the door and lifted the lid on the cake box, her face lit up with excitement. It was perfect.

My dad got back in the car and we looked at each other and he gave me a simple, "Glad that's over." Traumatic and embarrassing at the time, but funny and endearing now.

So, for all the young dads and dads-to-be out there, remember this: It isn't the paid memberships to the country clubs. It isn't the summer camp away from home to teach independence and maturity. What's important to your kids is making good memories together — memories they can keep deep in their hearts their whole lives.

Send me your stories about your dads or granddads. I'd love to share more fun on Father's Day weekend in my column for next week.

Quote of the Week: "Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children." — Bill Cosby

Rio Rancho's Mayor Likes Make A Wish

2010-05-29T15:41:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section 5/29/10.

You think you know our mayor, do you? Most of us know Tom Swisstack as the coat and tie figurehead behind a microphone. He is the politician who can be seen presiding over city council meetings, town hall meetings and as the host of Conversations with Mayor Swisstack, a talk show where he discusses current issues and projects pertinent to our city. Swisstack is also Director of the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.

In my series of everyday-questions-for-the-not-so-everyday person, I subjected Mayor Swisstack to my introspective queries so that we can get to know the man behind the title. Because inquiring minds want to know if Tom Swisstack won $10 million in the lottery, what is the first thing he would buy?

What's the most recent movie you've seen?
Iron Man 2

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Making the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center one of four national model sites in the country, and serving my community.

What is one thing you wish Rio Rancho had that is doesn’t?
More retail shopping opportunities that includes things like a men’s store where you can purchase suits.

Your house is on fire and all of your family and pets are safe outside. What is the one thing you would go back and get?
Family pictures to preserve memories of growing up.

After previously serving as mayor, why did you want to serve as mayor again?
I wanted to bring systematic change that would ensure the city’s future.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Cars.

What is your favorite getaway spot in NM?
Santa Fe, because of its diversity, history and romantic environment.

How does your day job -- director of the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center -- help you as mayor?
It helps me stay grounded and reminds me that every person is important and should be treated with respect no matter what walk of life they come from.

What is the trait you most dislike in others?
A sense of entitlement

If he could change one thing as mayor without having to go through the city council, etc., what would it be?
Making the mayor position in Rio Rancho full-time, but continuing to have a strong city manager structure.

At what Rio Rancho haunt are we most likely to spot you?
Exercising at Defined Fitness on High Resort Boulevard.

If you won $10 million in the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
I would first try to make the dreams of 100 children come true through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and then make the dreams of my family members become a reality.

Name one thing you want to do before you die?
Visit every state in our great country and experience the best of what each state had to offer.

What is your favorite restaurant?
There are many I like including Turtle Mountain, but the one I most frequent is O’Hare’s because of its great food and quality service.

If you had to impress an out-of-towner about this area, where is the one place you would take them?
To an event at the city’s Santa Ana Star Center that provides a great experience.

Red or green?
Green…on almost everything.

Quote of the Week: “I have one more year of chemo, but because of people like you who have given generously to Make-A-Wish, this last year will be a lot more bearable for me. I’m gonna make it!” –Casey, from the Make-a-Wish Foundation website.

Is It a Wonderful Life Without Digital Signs?

2010-05-22T07:43:00.000-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 5/22/10

There is a new online survey on the city's website. This time it's the Sign Ordinance Task Force looking for a little more input from the residents of Rio Rancho.

I suggest you take a minute and voice your opinion.

It seems this committee has been busy at work since last July, and now they are seeking the public's opinion once again. I sat on the Aesthetic Quality of Life Task Force last year, and we covered many topics on how to raise the score on our city's eye candy scale.

The city's Sign Ordinance Task Force was formed last year and is in its final stages. To finish its task, they are seeking public input on allowing what they are calling off-premise advertising in Rio Rancho.

What is off-premise advertising, you ask? Have any one of you driven down the Vegas Strip in Sin City? Times Square in New York? Those are off-premise, digital billboards.

Yes, the Santa Ana Star Casino has a nice big one flashing bouncy hot dogs at you as you drive down N.M. 550. Even Jiffy Lube has their red LED signs on N.M. 528 blinking their messages of "No Waiting" or their reference to your oil looking like "number 2."

Is that where we are heading? The Vegas Strip? What comes to mind is the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," when George Bailey is frantically running down the street of skanky Pottersville looking for his beloved Bedford Falls. I swear those were digital lights flashing outside of Nick's bar.

I went online and took the survey, which happened to be the same day I voted at City Hall, gladly fulfilling my civic duty with honor. Have you voted yet?

There are only six questions in the survey. The first question is: "Would you be in favor of allowing off-premise advertising i.e. digital billboards throughout Rio Rancho?" I cast a No vote for Pottersville.

The next question asked if I was in favor of digital advertising if the size and location were limited. Well, I really can't see a Star Casino-sized sign on Southern Boulevard, so who wouldn't be in favor of limitations?

The next question asked that if I would consider off-premise advertising if I was a business owner. I would have to say that, since the signs grab your attention — and at the moment, there are not a lot of blinking signs in the city — my business would probably stand out from the others. Therefore, yes, I would consider it. I drank the Kool-Aid, call me a traitor.

Let's consider this: We are the City of Vision. Doesn't that mean we should be on the leading edge of technology? Shouldn't we be using fiber optics, LEDs, digital and lasers on every street corner in town?

The final question asked how far from a residential area would off-premise advertising be appropriate. I can't help but feel like these signs are coming. Sure, it starts with one little LED "OPEN" sign in an oil change shop. Next thing you know, Smith's is flashing flying loaves of bread on a 20-foot beacon in big red letters flashing "HOT. HOT. HOT."

Quote of the Week: "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?" — Clarence from "It's a Wonderful Life."

Mark Wood Rocks Middle School

2010-05-15T20:47:00.001-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section 5/15/10

If you think middle school orchestra concerts are dry, screechy with subdued kids struggling through Au Clair de la Lune, have I got news for you.

Last Tuesday night Cleveland High School concert hall was rocking out at the RRPS middle school spring concert with special guest Mark Wood. I realize that name may not ring a bell for many of you; it didn’t me. But there is a good chance you have heard him play.

Mark Wood is the inventor of a patented 6-string fretted electric violin, the Viper. If you are trying to imagine what an electric violin sounds like, think Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Looking like a cleaned up Alice Cooper without the makeup, Wood was the lead violinist and string conductor for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has played on stage with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Roger Daltry, Billy Joel and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

What was he doing with a bunch of adolescent fiddle players in Rio Rancho you ask?
Wood has developed a program called Electrify Your Strings. He travels to schools around the country, where he teaches students how to incorporate the principles of rock ’n’ roll into their musical repertoire.

The kids have been practicing their material for months but only last Monday and Tuesday did they get to play the songs with Wood. He didn’t stop with just getting the notes right, Wood taught the kids how to put on a show, and they were eating it up.

The Beginners were up first. Wood walked onstage, turned on his drum machine, queued the kids and We Will Rock You began. Foot stomping, bow waving and clapping accompanied the piece as the parents were aghast in delight. Who were these kids? I didn’t see that during practice time at home? Were we at a Queen concert? Given the volume level and stage lighting, it was a close call. If I hadn’t seen Queen with my own eyes in 1976 I may not have been able to tell it was just middle school kids on a high school stage.

The Intermediate kids took the stage next as the Beginners strategically took their places around the auditorium. When the kids played Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze, a hazy purplish light was cast on the stage. The next song was a recognizable rendition of the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby. Wood had just finished telling the audience that Sgt. Pepper was a huge influence on him in his youth and he recently had the opportunity to tell Sir Paul McCartney that when he played with him onstage.

And here Wood was teaching our kids how to play a Beatles song, feel it and become the music. He didn’t teach them how to play the notes but how to put on a show. The kids waved their bows in unison, swayed back and forth in their chairs, did the wave while strumming their strings, ran down the aisles during a song encouraging us parents to get up and rock out.

I thought I was at a Bruce Springsteen concert, except after the show instead of partying on into the night; we stopped at Baskin Robbins for hot fudge sundaes before heading home. After all, it was a school night.

A big thank you goes out to the middle school orchestra teachers who made this incredible experience possible for our kids: Karen Ginther of Eagle Ridge Middle School, Ms. Blackston of Lincoln Middle School, Christine Hernandez of Mountain View Middle School and Eric Walters of Rio Rancho Middle School.

Quote of the Week: “Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!” – Dewey Finn, School of Rock the movie.

Jennifer Huard’s column appears each Saturday. She welcomes your emails at jhuard@abqjournal.com. Visit her blog at www.jenniferhuard.blogspot.com.

The Perfect Mother

2010-05-09T08:20:00.001-06:00

As seen in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 4/8/10

There is nothing like looking through the Mother’s Day cards rack at the store to realize just how many different types of mothers there are in the world. Each one unique and perfect in their own way, with strong points in areas when you most need them.

What would it be like if you could take all of the best traits and build the perfect mother, one that takes a little from here and a smidge from there and voila- the perfect mother?

To start, I would add one cup of Martha Stewart for her epicurean abilities and knowing her way around a kitchen. I would love to eat pork chops with tomato chutney, and I know some of her cooking can get a little rich. My mother runs a close second with her Fisherman’s Stew with Crunchy (undercooked) Carrots, or Sweet and Sour Tuna Fish; canned tuna, no kidding.

When it comes to house cleaning, what better than to add a smidge of Hazel, the attentive maid in the light blue uniform from the 60s TV series of the same name? Technically, I don’t think Hazel was a mother, but she was a female presence in the Baxter home. The house was always spotless, her attitude perky and not a hair out of place or a spot on her apron.

I’ll take a half cup of Jane Jetson from the cartoon series for her fashion and shopping expertise. If you remember correctly, her favorite store was Mooning Dales and Jane could squeak money out of George like a pro. Jane and daughter Judy wore all the latest trends and used the latest gadgets at home.

For night time story telling, I will take 2 cups of Erma Bombeck, America’s humorist and newspaper columnist from the 80s and 90s who was able to find the funny in everyday life. From “Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart,” to “The grass is always greener over the septic tank," Erma was a great story teller. Having published 4,000 newspaper columns and 15 books throughout her career, it would be a joy listening to her.

Add a pinch of Shirley Partridge for any musical assistance and a dash of Samantha Stevens from Bewitched. She can twitch her nose and get you out of any situation.

I know my kids like me just the way I am. And one way they show it is by the note they put on our refrigerator of something I once said. Is it an endearing, “I love you, honey?” Or an inspirational, motivating quote that makes them feel so loved? No. It seems that I said something so prolific when I was on ebay one time searching for a particular item for the bathroom, that they couldn’t let it go unnoticed. So, held tightly to our freezer door with a lady bug magnet is my captivating quote for all to see, “All the good toilet seats are in Europe.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderfully unique women.

Quote of the Week: “A man never sees all that his mother has been to him until it's too late to let her know he sees it.” -William Dean Howells, author.

Spring Gardening in a Top 100 Fun City

2010-05-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

There is another city ranking survey out this week. This one is by Portfolio magazine and it ranks the Top 100 Fun Cities in the US. Albuquerque made the list at number 80, beating out places like Modesto, California, McAllen, Texas and Provo, Utah. It doesn’t say much for beating out those cities, does it?

Surprising cities that beat out the Duke City? Youngstown, Ohio, Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. The top ranked city for shopping, gambling, entertainment, culture, food and drink, high and low impact sports went to none other than New York City. I could have guessed that one. I guess our tram, green chile chicken stew and pink sunsets can’t hold a candle to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building or Broadway. But we like it.

So when spring hits the eightieth most fun place to live in the United States, what do we do? We batten down the hatches, turn our sprinklers back on and head out to the garden supply stores for some new plants to spruce up our yards. Since the neighbors are doing it, that means I’m doing it too, and so I went.

I wanted new plants, the kind I’ve never owned before, but once I got to the store, my eyes glazed over. At first I was like a kid in a candy store, wanting one of everything. Then I realized that the trees weren’t going to fit in my car, and did I really want another rose bush? I was good with geraniums, but how many can you have?

I had to call an expert and find out what the trends are this spring for making our yards better than our neighbors. Mike Dooley, owner of High Desert Gardens in Rio Rancho is a friend of mine who I go to from time to time when I need answers to questions like “what is a good tree to plant in my little yard?”

“The plant market on the retail end, I don’t know,” said Dooley, who has been in the landscape design business for over thirty year. “I suspect it is doing ok. But the installation market is still down. People will spend some money to put in some plants, but because of the maintenance involved, they are not doing full blown landscape jobs.”

In my quest to keep up with the Joneses, I had to get the inside scoop on what the neighbors were doing this spring. “Surprisingly hardscape is the popular thing; walls, stone walks, outdoor grills,” said Dooley. “And I think it’s associated with the fact that nobody can get a home loan. They are staying where they’re at and taking their money and upgrading their house, including their outdoor living areas. There seems to be a greater appreciation for hardscape because it is considered a home improvement and they will be able to get their money back at some point.”

What about us people who are scraping by but still want to have a nice yard, I wanted to know what the smartest way to spend my money was.

“Your maintenance dollar goes along way,” says Dooley. “You would make sure your yard is properly maintained including fertilize your lawn and scrubs, trim perennials, and check your irrigation system.”

But maintenance isn’t exciting. I think I’ll go back for another geranium.

Quote of the Week: “Did you ever think how a bit of land shows the character of the owner?” - Laura Ingalls Wilder.

19 Questions - Steve Shaw, Rio Rancho City Councilman

2010-05-05T21:31:00.002-06:00

Rio Rancho is full of interesting people, some you know and some you don’t. Even the more prominent residents in town who are in the news all of the time, we still don’t really get to know who they are.

I am kicking off a new series of my column, it is called 19 Questions. I created a survey of deep, as well as lighthearted questions that will give us a small glimpse into the lives of some of our fellow Rio Ranchoans. I ask 19 Questions of people you probably have heard of but never really knew anything about other than their job title.

Today Councilor Shaw has kindly agreed to go under the microscope and give us all a peek into what his favorite food is and the one thing he wishes Rio Ranch had.

Councilor Steven Shaw has called Rio Rancho home since 1985.He and his wife, Judy have been married for more than 25 years and have three daughters and five grandchildren. Shaw was elected to a four year term on the City Council in March 2008, after retiring from the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety in 2006 as Deputy Chief.
Shaw has served on many boards including the New Mexico State D.A.R.E., the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce, Haven House, and the Leadership Sandoval County Advisory Board. But did you know he’s a biker?

What's the most recent movie you've seen?
Clash of the Titans.

Your house is on fire and all of your family and pets are safe outside. What is the one thing you would go back and get?
My retirement scrapbook made by Mom.

What are you most afraid of?
I am most afraid of dying before my grand kids are grown and married.

What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance is my motorcycle.

What is your favorite getaway spot in New Mexico?
My favorite getaway spot is Ruidoso.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is home made enchiladas, red with an egg.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Chicken; what else could lay the egg?

How many pets do you have?
2 turtles, 6 pond gold fish.

What is the trait you most dislike in others?
Dishonesty.

At what Rio Rancho haunt are we most likely to spot you?
The Fat Squirrel.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Marrying my wife and raising three wonderful daughters.

If you won $10 million in the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
Disney’s vacation for my family (daughters, spouses and grandchildren).

What is one thing you wish Rio Rancho had that is doesn’t?
A large, retail center.

Name one thing you want to do before you die?
Take my wife to the Grand Canyon.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Joe's Pasta House, Rio Rancho.

What word or phrase do you overuse?
“Yes.” I have a hard time saying no when asked to volunteer for anything.

If you had to impress someone from out of town, where is the one place you would take them?
Santa Ana Star Center for a concert, show or game.

Red or green?
Red. Homemade, of course!

Quote of the Week: “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.” -Herman Melville, American novelist.

Microchippng Your Dog Can Save Their Masters Too

2010-05-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

“He was missing for most of that day and all night. I thought he was gone.”

Those were the words of Dorothy DeBuck, her voice cracking over the phone when I asked her to tell me how she felt when her husband, Jack went missing two weeks ago.

Jack DeBuck, who suffers from the early stages of dementia, went out for his usual walk with his dog, Sheena. According to his wife, Jack knows his way around town. “He’s always walking around. He knows directions,” Dorothy said. “I think he knew exactly where he was going.”

But Jack must have gotten side tracked and didn’t return home that day. The series of events that reunited Jack and Dorothy prove a story can have a happy ending when all the right pieces and people fall into place.

Apparently Jack left his home in Albuquerque on a Friday afternoon two weeks ago and ended up at The Range Café in Bernalillo almost 24 hours later and 12 miles from his home. Noting his disorientation, the people at The Range contacted the police to help Jack, and Bernalillo Animal Control to help the white Shepard mix dog.

“My theory is that he walked to where we used to live in Placitas,” said Dorothy. “He is good with directions, just not very good at communicating.”

Indeed he wasn’t. The authorities took Jack to UNM Hospital for observation. Meanwhile, Sheena was taken to Watermelon Mountain Ranch in Rio Rancho and scanned to see if she had a microchip that might identifier her.

Sheena in fact had a microchip and Jim Putnam, office manager at WMR made some phone calls. “I found that it was a Home Again chip and I called the company,” says Putnam. “I got lucky and got Dorothy's old address in Placitas and two phone numbers. One apparently not good, one still good. Putnam got on the horn to Dorothy and told her her dog had been found.

Putnam then called Melissa Middleton of UNMH and told her the last name of the gentleman she had was Debuck.

“When I told her the last name was DeBuck, she echoed it with a little excitement,” said Putnam. “I asked her if that rang a bell and she said that the man had muttered ‘debunk, debunk’ but they didn't know what he was saying.” She was thrilled to receive the information and identified Mr. Debuck.

“Watermelon Mountain Ranch took really good care of Sheena and they brushed her,” says Dorothy. Jack and Sheena were really happy to see each other when we got there to pick her up. I want to give credit to Jim for finding her chip that lead to us.”

When I asked Dorothy if she lets Jack go out anymore, she was cautious. “He’s still walking the dog,” she said. “He just goes for shorter walks now.”

Not only is the need to micro-chip your dog a smart way to identify her should she get lost, but in some cases it can identify its master as well.

Quote of the Week: "In my life's chain of events nothing was accidental. Everything happened according to an inner need." - Hannah Senesh

Dan Aykroyd -So Close and Yet So Far

2010-05-05T21:28:00.001-06:00

I was going to write this week’s column on meeting Dan Aykroyd last Thursday. Think Blues Brothers, Ghost Busters and Saturday Night Live; that Dan Aykroyd. He was in town promoting his Crystal Head vodka and had a meet and greet at the Walgreens down on Coors. But even arriving 45 minutes early, the line was already out the door, around the side and all the way to the back of the building. I had a choice to wait with the die hard fans for a once in a lifetime chance to meet this celebrity, or get home and get dinner in the oven for two starving children. I hope he comes back again.

So, instead today I offer up some very interesting anecdotes for you to ponder. The kind of information that gets forwarded in emails everyday but no one has time to read.

Statues of soldiers on horses are in many parks across the country. Some horses are rearing up, some only holding one foot up. Do you think the horse’s pose was at the discretion of the sculptor? As a matter of fact, if the statue of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Sayings have interesting origins, should one ever take the time to research them. In the 1400's, a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. This is where we got the phrase “the rule of thumb.”

How about the phrase, “Good night, sleep tight.” In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer and more comfortable to sleep on.

They say the happiest days of a boat owner’s life is the day they buy it and the day they sell it. And of course it is bad luck not to name your boat. And what is the most popular name for a boat? Obsession.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. In old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would tell them to “Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.” Hence the term “mind your p’s and q’s.”

Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. Having been born in Huntington, West Virginia, I am in the other half and so are most of the people I know.

Who was the first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV? Fred and Wilma Flintstone. But I swear they had twin beds with Dino’s bed on the floor next to them.

With the body scanners, luggage charges and terror threats, how many people are still flying the friendly skies everyday? On average, the number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour is 61,000.

What was the first novel ever written on a typewriter? Tom Sawyer.

And my favorite: 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321

Quote of the Week: “They're not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God!” – Dan Aykroyd as Elwood from The Blues Brothers, 1980

How big do you feel? Pretty small......

2010-03-07T18:05:00.002-07:00

The White Mountain from charles on Vimeo.

Woman Missing in Maui Was the "Greatest Teacher"

2010-03-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 3/6/10

"Mom, I have the greatest teacher this year."

Middle school years are not the easiest of times. Girls can be mean, boys can be indifferent, and the curriculum is more challenging. School is not necessarily a kid's favorite place to be. To hear those words coming from your teenager can be music to your ears — and a reason your child wants to go to school at all.

My oldest daughter said that to me two years ago during her first week of ninth grade at Rio Rancho Mid-High. She was talking about Laura Vogel, the science teacher whose room at the end of the hall had a different kind of energy you could feel the moment you walked through her door. Not because of the beakers on the tables or the fuzzy experiments on the shelf, but because of the magnetic teacher at the front of the room.

Vogel's reputation preceded her. Everyone wanted her, and you were lucky if you got her for a teacher.

I met Vogel at back-to-school night that August where the regular drill consisted of a five-minute speech on what was expected from your child that semester.

Not in Vogel's class: The parents were paired up in teams, given a pile of wood blocks and told to follow the directions on the board and prove E equaled MC squared, or something to that effect. And you were timed. What a blast for a parent — just imagine how much fun their kids had during the day.

"We had a lot of our classes outside," said Lili, a former student of Vogel's. "We used to drop old appliances off the roof to study the effects of gravity. Oh, and our class adopted an ape. She was into a lot of animal causes."

Hamilton, another former student of Vogel's, had similar fond memories. "She was the teacher who made you smile about science. Her energy for what she taught and her care and nurturing of her students earned her the respect she very well deserves. Not to mention she was an awesome tree hugger as well."

Vogel coached girl's soccer at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces and science in Rio Rancho prior to moving to Hawaii to tutor. She disappeared Feb. 21 while camping near her home in Maui. There hasn't been much luck in finding her, and her family and friends are worried.

A candlelight vigil was held Thursday night in Rio Rancho for Vogel, and I would say close to 100 people showed up to pray, share their stories of her and just be together. We shielded our candles from the wind and took turns remembering special things about this outdoorsy, athletic, kind-hearted soul.

Someone remembered how Vogel wouldn't miss a Sunday steak barbecue with friends but would proudly bring a bowl of squash; she was a staunch vegetarian. Someone else said she was probably the only person to have ever surfed Cochiti Lake in eastern New Mexico (she was an avid surfer, no matter the body of water). Someone else remembered how much Vogel loved Bob Marley and would often play his music in the classroom. There was laughter, tears and warm wishes for her safe return.

If you have a memory of Laura Vogel you would like to share, please send it to me. Join Find Laura Vogel on Facebook or visit www.findlauravogel.blogspot.com for updates.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Laura and her family.

Quote of the Week: "Rise up this mornin'/ Smiled with the risin' sun/Three little birds/ Pitch by my doorstep/Singin' sweet songs/Of melodies pure and true/ Sayin' ( This is my message to you-ou-ou:)" — Bob Marley, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"

A Few Slip Ups to Cheer You Up

2010-03-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section, February 27, 2010

As we try to schlep our way through February and keep the winter doldrums at bay, all we can do is worry about how high our next PNM bill is going to be, and how we are going to pay the credit card bills from Christmas. We need some cheering up.

And when looking for a laugh, where better to turn than ourselves, or shall I say the authors of regrettably phrased classified ads found in newspapers around the world. Unrehearsed and unintentional as they may be, the intricacies of human language may have fouled these writers up, or perhaps it was just a case of pure ignorance on their part. Either way, here’s a little sunshine breaking through your gray Saturday.

-"Georgia peaches, California grown - 89 cents lb."
-“2 female Boston Terrier puppies, 7 wks old, perfect markings, 555-1234. Leave mess."
-“Great Dames for sale."
-"Lost Cocktail."
-"Free Yorkshire Terrier. 8 yeards old. Hateful little dog."
-"Free ducks. You catch."
-"1 man, 7 woman hot tub -- $850/offer"
-"Amana washer $100. Owned by clean bachelor who seldom washed."
-"Snow blower for sale...only used on snowy days."
-"2 wire mesh butchering gloves: 1 5-finger, 1 3-finger, pair: $15"
-"Shakespeare's Pizza - Free Chopsticks"
-"Hummels - largest selection ever. 'If it's in stock, we have it!'"
-"Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 - $9 per hour."
-"Get rid of aunts: Zap does the job in 24 hours."
-"Save regularly in our bank. You'll never reget it."
-"This is the model home for your future. It was panned by Better Homes and Gardens."
-“Wanted. Hunting rifle, suitable for teenagers."
-"Christmas tag sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person."
-"Wanted: Hair-cutter. Excellent growth potential."
-"Wanted: Preparer of food. Must be dependable, like the food business, and be willing to get hands dirty."
-"Mother's helper -- peasant working conditions."
-"Buy your new bedroom suite from us, and we will stand behind it for six months."
-"Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00."
-"Government employer looking for candidates. Criminal background required."
-"His and hers bicycles, $25 each or both for $55."
-"For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers."
-"We'll move you worldwide throughout the country."
-“We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand."
-"Tattoos done while you wait."
-"Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children."
-"Stock up and save. Limit: one."
-"For Rent: 6-room hated apartment."
-"Wanted to buy: fishing net, must have no holes."
-"To let: 4 bedroom house close to town. No poets."
-"Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first!"
-"3-year-old teacher need for pre-school. Experience preferred."
-"Our experienced Mom will care of your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included."
-"Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again."
-"Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary."
-"Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating."
-"Semi-Annual after-Christmas Sale."
-"We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home for $1.00."

Quote of the Week: “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.” -Mark Twain

It's So Easy To Fall in Love With Olympians

2010-03-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, February 19, 2010

With a malfunctioning torch-lighting arm at the Opening Ceremonies, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games began last week in Vancouver with high hopes and dreams. The athletes have been battling the elements as they try their best to win a gold medal while we sit back in our living rooms learning their back stories and picking our favorite underdogs to cheer for.

Americans love an underdog and when it comes to the Olympics, we don’t discriminate. Oh sure, we prefer to cheer on our red, white and blue-wearing homies, but when there are no American flags in the top three positions, there is always another sweet face with a heart wrenching background we can cry for when they fall.

There are always athletes who stand out for us, individually and as a country. Remember Olga Korbut from the 1972 Munich games? This 17-year old gymnast from the USSR with the scraggily pig tails and crooked smile stole hearts all over the world when she showed uncharacteristic emotion and tears after her success on the uneven bars and balance beam.

I fell in love with Mark Spitz that summer. An American swimmer with a big smile, big mustache and seven gold medals made cheering for this record setter as much fun as cheering for Michael Phelps 36 years later. I have forgiven Michael Phelps for breaking Spitz’s record because well, records are made to be broken.

My next crush came in 1976 when Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for decathlon in the Montreal Summer Olympics. That final victory lap he took around the track, all out of breath and waving the American flag is burned in my memory forever. Mark Spitz was now history.

For the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, speed skater Dan Jansen stole our hearts. On the day of his race he received a phone call saying that his sister, Jane was dying of leukemia. She died later that same day.

He went on to compete that night in the 500 meters, but fell early in the race. A few days later in the 1,000 meter race, he began with record-breaking speed but fell again. He left the 1988 Olympics with no medals. Then in a final chance at Olympic gold in 1994, he won; setting a new world record in the process, and dedicated his gold medal to his late sister. Pass the hankies.

We fell in love with Oksana Baiul in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. After losing her mother to ovarian cancer when she was 13, Baiul was alone sleeping on a cot at the ice skating rink in her home town in the Ukraine. A mentor took her in and taught her the techniques that took her to the top; a gold medal. And the world couldn’t have been happier.

There are plenty of Americans at the gold medal level this year, so who has your heart this time around?

At 6’ 1”, men’s figure skater Evan Lysacek is considered much taller than typical skaters. For that and his black feathered gloves, we hold our breath for his success.

Who can’t not cheer on speed skater Apollo Ohno and hold their breath around the curves when he skims his hand along the ice? Speed skater gold medalist Shani Davis? Snow board gold medalist Shaun White? Downhill gold medalist Lindsey Vonn?

Does anyone else have Olympic fever this week?

Quote of the Week: “A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” - Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

A Translation of What She's Really Saying on Valentine's Day

2010-03-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, February 13, 2010

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I hope all of you men out there aren't waiting until tonight to go out and get a card and gift for your lovely ladies. Remember, we women are sentimental things who buy into this romantic stuff, even if the holiday was invented by greeting card companies.

If you bought jewelry and flowers for your loved one, you have nothing to worry about. But if you are questioning your choice of Valentine gift, chances are, you may hear a tone in her voice tomorrow morning that does not match the words coming out of her mouth.

Women are quite different than men, so as not to leave any confusion after the opening of the gifts tomorrow, allow me to translate some words you may hear.

1. "Fine."
If you find yourself defending the nifty rod-and-reel combo you gave her for this summer's vacation because she can catch lots of fish off the boat and cook 'em up real good in the frying pan, you may hear your darling girl respond with "fine." This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. "Five minutes."
If she is getting dressed for Valentine's brunch at the Hyatt Tamaya, you may end up waiting half-an-hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. "Nothing."
This is the calm before the storm. You asked, "Why the long face?" when she opened the fishing equipment and got this answer: "Nothing." Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine."

4. "Go ahead."
As in, "Go ahead and go to Steve's and watch the game. The kids and I will eat the heart-shaped meatloaf I made all by ourselves." Go ahead is a dare, not permission. Don't do it!

5. "That's OK."
This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. "That's OK" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for thinking a fishing pole would be the perfect gift for her on Valentine's Day.

6. "Thanks."
When a woman says thank you, do not question it. Just say you're welcome — unless she says, "Thanks a lot," as in: "Thanks a lot for the rod-and-reel combo. It's just what I always wanted." That is pure sarcasm, and she is not thanking you at all. Do not say, "You're welcome." It will bring on a "whatever."

7. "Whatever."
Whatever is a woman's way of saying, "End of discussion; I've had it with you."

8. "Don't worry about it."
Another dangerous statement meaning she is thinking she will buy her own Valentine's present next year. The retort may have a man asking, "What's wrong?" For the woman's response, refer to No. 3.

Good luck, men. Women may be very different than you, but we really aren't that difficult to understand. We know it's the thought that counts. Valentine's Day is tomorrow; you still have time to be her knight in shining armor. Don't worry about it.

Quote of the week: "If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." — Dave Barry, author, humorist.

Pet Store Changes May Prompt Partnerships

2010-01-31T20:48:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 1/30/10

Change is never easy. Mix that with a passionate subject like animals, and you get a nuclear bomb.

The Rio Rancho Animal Welfare Task Force has spent 18 months working on a proposal to improve the lives of animals in our city. I hear there are many suggestions on the proposal that are sure to create some uproar, and one in particular takes on pet stores.

In this town, that means Rio Rancho Pets and Critters Pets. No dog or cat sales allowed. Pet stores can still sell rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles, fish and such, just not Fido or Fluffy.

Mike Davis, vice chairman of the Rio Rancho Animal Welfare Task Force, reminds us there are plenty of pet stores in Albuquerque that have survived on not selling dogs and cats since the HEART (Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment) ordinance went into effect in 2006. And that the new changes, if any, may not happen soon or ever.

"Our proposal sets strong guidelines on how your pets should be treated," Davis said, referring to microchipping and sterilizing, among other things. "It will probably be a yearlong process, and we put in a timeline that allows store owners plenty of time to comply."

Keep in mind, like all task forces the city assembles, proposals are just that: proposals. They are well thought out suggestions that the mayor and city council consider taking action on.

Eric Newsome has owned Rio Rancho Pets for just five years and wants to keep his pet store for at least another five years.

"I quit my job at Intel because I enjoy this," Newsome said. "Like Critters and me, if we don't sell dogs and cats, we won't make it."

More than ever before, people have become aware of the need to take care of abandoned, abused and homeless pets, and that is music to Sophia DiClemente's ears. The owner of Watermelon Mountain Ranch said there is a way for rescues and pet supply stores to partner together and help everyone involved.

"I know many rescue groups would welcome the opportunity to hold adoptions of their rescued dogs and cats at the pet stores in Rio Rancho," she said.

Rescue groups like PACA and Watermelon Mountain Ranch hold dog and cat adoptions at the PetSmart store on Coors inside and out. In fact, the PetSmart store on Eubank Boulevard is getting ready to open a brand new permanent dog adoption center inside the store. Watermelon Mountain Ranch is the lead organization that will make available up to 18 dogs and puppies full time in the new facility.

"We are so excited," DiClemente said. "I think the pet stores in Rio Rancho would benefit greatly by teaming up with rescue groups. What goodwill it would be for the community."

When one door closes, another opens.

Quote of the week: "Think of what you're saying. You can get it wrong and still you think that it's all right. Think of what I'm saying. We can work it out and get it straight, or say goodnight." — the Beatles

Tell Your Loved Ones How You Really Feel

2010-01-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho section 1/23/10

A friend of mine once told me how much she regretted not taking the time to tell her father what he meant to her. He died before she could tell him what a great dad he was and how much she looked up to him. And now he would never know how she felt.

She reminded me that while our parents were alive, we shouldn't miss this most important opportunity to let them know how we feel about them. Not only parents, but friends, siblings and children are also just as significant to be open with.

But some people don't get the chance. Their loved ones pass unexpectedly, contact is lost, or the courage just wasn't there at an opportune time to share our love. There is a chance to say whatever is in your heart to whomever it is on a new Web site, www.wouldhavesaid.com. The site is anonymous and this allows writers to be completely open and honest about their feelings.

Whether the intended person ever hears your words, the mere act of writing a letter is therapeutic. Take the letter from a woman whose husband died in a car accident: She said she wished she'd "laughed at his jokes more."

There is a letter from a 76-year-old woman to the nanny from her childhood in Vienna during the Holocaust.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you how much I admired your courage and appreciated your love. Having contact with Jews was forbidden, and taking a Jewish child into a public place could have resulted in the arrest of everyone in your family as well as dire punishment for yourself. I would very much like to thank you for giving me the only really good memory of my childhood days in Vienna and restoring my faith in humanity."

Rebekah, 31, writes to her elderly grandmother whose mind seems to be slipping away and conversations are fragmented.

"The one question I never had the guts to ask you was if heaven seemed more real the closer you got to it. That is really my one regret. I want to know because I look forward to the day when we are there together. I love you, and I wish this wasn't your foggy reality."

A few of the letters are heartbreaking, like the one from a woman to a former lover who had died. She said she wished she'd written to him while she had the chance because she'd loved him her entire life.

And then there is the letter from 15-year-old Madee she wrote to her father who apparently suffers from something too scary for a young child to talk about.

"I don't really know how to tell you that I don't want to see you because I'm scared of you. I know you wouldn't even understand why I'm scared of you because you don't remember the last time. I wish that this time you'll get treatment."

And sometimes the person you are too proud to confess to is in the bedroom next to you. Luis, 10, wrote to his little sister.

"Amanda, you're very special to me because of your kindness. Like yesterday when there were no Kit Kat candies left and you gave me your own. I feel very thankful for that and I don't say that enough. So thank you for all the things you've done and I love you very much."

Say it now my friends. Tell the people in your life how you really feel. And if you can't tell them, then write it in a letter. Tell them now while you have the chance.

Quote of the week: "Shower the people you love with love. Show them the way that you feel. Things are gonna be much better if you only will." — "Shower the People" by James Taylor

A Peak into Middle School Life

2010-01-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 1/16/10

For parents of elementary school-age children, there are many opportunities to volunteer in the classroom and in turn, observe the class and see what a typical day is like for your child.

For that age, kids are very much alike in the grand scheme of things: cute, chatty, silly, eager to learn and please their teacher. But once your child moves on from fifth grade, the volunteer opportunities decrease tremendously and the kids grow up.

For the parents of middle school-age children, we don't get the opportunities to help out in the classrooms like we used to. No more grading papers, chaperoning field trips to Bandelier National Park or working the cake walk room at the fall festival. No, times change and kids grow up. And the hormones kick in.

The whole middle school existence is a microcosm unto itself. This "tween" world of little people revolves around tall girls and short boys, and who said what to whom and what did she say back and did he say anything about me?

My younger daughter's sixth grade class is currently having a fundraiser, and last week, I volunteered to sell Dilly Bars at Rio Rancho Middle School during lunch period A. I thought this may be my one and only chance to get an inside glimpse into the daily life of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, albeit only a quick 30-minute lunch period.

Wasn't that the best time for observing the crowd? Sign me up.

Team 6A is raising money to take the students on a field trip to see "The Lightening Thief," a movie which is based on Greek mythology.

"The students are learning about Greek mythology in both social studies and language arts," said Jessica Makin, math teacher and part-time balloon pilot. "We are also using the money to get snacks and waters for the students during the New Mexico Standard Based Assessment testing at the end of March."

Thanks to Tony Otero and the crew at Dairy Queen, there was plenty of ice cream. The Dilly Bars came in chocolate or cherry, and that was my line as I stood behind the table looking at the long line of kids in front of me.

First up was a short, innocent looking mop head boy with glasses and a backpack bigger than he was.

"Two chocolates, please," he asked politely.

As I handed him his ice cream, I couldn't help but wonder if in six years, he would become captain of the chess team or the big man on campus with 15 girlfriends, or both.

Next up was a shy, quiet girl, taller than most everyone else and waiting patiently in line. She bought a cherry for herself and a chocolate for her best friend. I couldn't help but wonder if one day she would grow up to become a newspaper columnist writing about her school days.

In addition to Ms. Makin, the other 6A Team teachers who dropped by to see how sales were going were Ms. Krueger, Ms. Knight and Ms. Ridout.

"Sales are going very well, and we think we will hit our goal by the end of January," Makin said. "We want to thank the parents who have volunteered their time and energy to come help us raise the needed money."

Middle school equals drama to the 10 power — squared. The cat fights, the hormones and awkwardness of it all can be rough. But with good teachers and a little ice cream, things seem to work out just fine.

Quote of the week: "I hear those ice cream bells and I start to drool. Keep a couple quarts in my locker at school." — "I Love Rocky Road" by Weird Al Yankovic

Jennifer Huard's column appears each Saturday in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section.

On the Road Again - Washington, D.C.

2010-01-07T17:33:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 1/2/10

I write this week’s column from Washington, D.C where my daughters and I are spending a week visiting our east coast relatives. I lived in the nation’s capital throughout the 80s and was vey excited to show my daughters my old stomping ground. Granted, I was a single girl in my mid twenties the last time I lived here and my old stomping ground consisted of yuppie after-work bars, neighborhood hangouts and local malls for buying dresses with big shoulder pads; not something a mother or two teen daughters would be interested in today.

Our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial. We walked the steps up to the top to see the marble statue of Lincoln sitting in his chair larger than life. As we turned around our cameras snapped the view of the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool. I found myself explaining the view by referencing the scene from Forrest Gump when he and Jenny splashed through the pool and embraced to the crowd’s applause.

Next, we walked to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This black granite wall with 58,261 names of the dead or missing soldiers of the war accomplishes its goal of being a somber and sobering memorial. We watched one family find the name of their loved one and pose for a picture by it. Talk about a lump in your throat.

The Air and Space Museum was every bit as spectacular as you can imagine. Seeing the Apollo 11 space capsule, Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, and Space Ship One, among the other notable space-related exhibits was incredible.

The bones of the dinosaurs, Woolly Mammoths and sea creatures at the Natural History Museum were incredible. But, I have to say the Hope Diamond was my favorite. The 45.52 carat blue diamond had a swarm of people around it snapping pictures and drooling. And wouldn’t you know it; they were all women and little girls.

Our next day took us on the Metro, Washington’s subway, down to Ford’s Theatre to see the site where President Lincoln was shot. I had been here before when I saw Cats on stage in the 80s. The relics from Lincoln’s fateful night are housed in the basement museum and we couldn’t wait to see them. When we arrived we learned the museum was closed.

On recommendation of a friend, we visited the International Spy Museum. Dedicated to the craft, practice and history of espionage, this was a treat. Upon arrival we assumed our cover names; Greta, Gloria and Jane and proceeded through the tunnel of rats to learn the old tricks from KGB, FBI, CIA and many more. I wanted my name on their wall too, the underground life was intoxicating. But, alas, my name will never be on that wall; I am too cleaver to be found, too loyal to defect and too shrewd to speak up. There was a video on 911 and the twin towers coming down, and how spies now are threatening to break America’s security codes in cyberspace. How do I get a job application to the CIA?

Tomorrow is the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Jefferson Memorial and Arlington Cemetery to see the eternal flame. What a great trip this has been.

Quote of the Week: “Crossed the desert's bare, man. I've breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel I've had my share, man. I've been everywhere.- Johnny Cash, I’ve Been Everywhere.

Family Traditions

2010-01-07T17:32:00.002-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 12/26/09

The holidays are steeped in family traditions. It wouldn’t be Christmas or New Year’s without them, everyone knows that. But besides the obvious traditions like decorating a tree or hanging up lights, what are some of the traditions that make the holidays special in your family?

My brother Chris called me the other night as he was heading out to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for Tom and Jerrys. “I haven’t made them in fifteen years,” he said. This traditional Christmastime drink dates back to the 1800s in the United States, but since my grandpa made them every Christmas season since I was born, it is in my blood. Every year growing up my brother and sister and I would spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s with my grandparents in Ohio. As kids, we would get a virgin Tom and Jerry; warm milk, powdered sugar and eggs minus the Brandy, 151 Rum and Jack Daniels. I could hear the pride in Chris’ voice when he told me he was going to show his son how to make the drink this year, passing down a family tradition that probably started even before Grandpa. Learning this tradition my grandfather taught me in the 1960s, to watching my nephew discover it in 2009 is heartwarming. And so it goes.

A Mexican-American tradition in many homes is making tamales on Christmas Eve. Recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, tamales are central to many families’ night-before-Christmas rituals. My best guess is nobody gets to eat the tamales until after midnight Mass.

Some Italians and Sicilians have a tradition of the seven fish dinner on Christmas Eve, some say seven to represent each day of the week. Each family and each sect of the Italian culture is different and the number of fish varies accordingly. Sometimes it’s three; representing the three wise men. Others serve thirteen different fish representing the twelve apostles plus one for Jesus. Either way, it’s pretty clear that no meat is eaten on Christmas Eve in an Italian home.

Baking is essential to many family traditions. Everyone usually has particular recipes and processes for making cookies. Frosted or not frosted? Made from scratch or prefab from the store? Skickerdoodles or chocolate chip? Or both? Whatever happened to that wonderful hard candy covered in powdered sugar? I haven’t seen that in thirty years. Baking doesn’t just mean cookies either. My sister-in-law has her own tradition of making cheese balls for everyone. Yes, Diane, you are Queen of the Cheese Balls.

One Christmas Eve tradition we started in our family when the kids were little was to drive down the streets and look at all the decorated houses. Do you have a tradition of taking your family to see the River of Lights in Albuquerque every year?

New Year’s traditions are pretty serious too. I mean, you don’t want to do anything to jinx the entire upcoming year? Besides the shallow resolutions, does anyone else eat pork and sauerkraut for good luck on New Year’s Eve or am I the only German in town?

Whatever it is, keep your family traditions alive and even adopt new ones. Make it special so that your children will learn them and want to continue with them when you are gone. The fact is that it’s really about family, about being together. Traditions are the threads that weave one generation to the next. They create family pride and give your children a sense of belonging.

May you all have the merriest Christmas ever and a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.

Quote of the Week: “Tradition does not mean that the living are dead, it means that the dead are living.” - Harold Macmillan (British politician, 1894-1986)

Christmas Pet Shopping

2010-01-07T17:30:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 12/19/09

With the shopping season in full swing, everyone is buying presents for their friends, children, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents. My question today is how many of you are going to buy a Christmas present for your pet?

According to the American Pet Products Association 2009/2010 National Pet Owners Survey, 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.4 millions homes. Compare that to 1988 when 56% of the households had either a litter box or pooper -scooper on the premises. The trend is growing and more and more people are adding pets to their families. Just take a look around at the PetSmart and Petco stores and the specialty pet stores that have popped over the last few years.

Let me put it right out there on the table, I do buy Christmas presents for our pets. Each pet even has a stocking hanging next to the people stockings over the fire place. I have never bought an outfit for any of them, but they do get stuffed animals, squeakers and raw hide chew bones. And in our house, the pets give us presents every Christmas too. I know I am not spilling the beans here, because they give the same gift every year: The dogs come through with socks for everyone and the cats always give new underwear.

Dog toys that move fast during the holidays are plush animals, oversized rawhide bones and pet fashions such as sweaters and coats. Many new pet fashions are so stylish, you might end up wishing they had one available in your size. The fashions seem to be limited to the dogs mainly. We all know what happens to a cat when you put a sweater on it – it falls over sideways, stiff as a board.

Fancy dog and cat beds are big sellers around the holidays too. With styles ranging from orthopedic dog beds to cat condos, there is sure to be an option that will make your pet happy and not break the bank.

This practice of giving pets Christmas presents has so intrigued me that I had to ask around and see how other people felt about it.

I called my sister in Maryland to ask if she buys her Wheaton Terrier, Maddie anything for Christmas. “I just get her an oversized bone. She doesn’t know any differently,” she said. “But our neighbor dog sends Maddie Christmas cards signed ‘your furry friend, Rosey.” Also, she said the kennel where she boards Maddie gives a fancy dinner with people food to all the dogs that stay over Christmas.

Next I called my friend Chalisa to see if she does the present thing at her house with their two dogs and a cat. “We usually give the dogs a large bone or special treat. And sometimes we even do the rats,” she said. When I asked what one would give a pet rat for Christmas her reply was “a yummy kind of rat-food thing.”

My best friend in Santa Fe owns her third French Bull Dog, Miss Puff. The dog goes to the art gallery where she works everyday and sleeps on a fluffy cushion in the main room. I thought I knew what the answer would be but I had to hear her tell how spoiled the dog is on Christmas. “No, I am not buying her a present; of course not,” she says blindsiding me with her answer. “She is a dog, not a human. I give my dog a gift everyday. I love her with all my heart but I am not buying her a gift.”

For anyone looking for a pet, Watermelon Mountain Ranch is holding their last adoption event of the year this weekend in the PetSmart parking lot on Coors Bypass. If you don’t want another pooch but want to have its picture taken with Santa, you can do that too. You know you want to.

Quote of the Week: “While I was Santa last week at PetSmart, a gaggle of dachshunds came in all at once. How was I supposed to hold all of them?” – Michael Howland-Davis

Christmas Shopping 2009

2010-01-07T17:28:00.005-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 12/12/09

People are getting in the Christmas spirit around town now that the big day is less than two weeks away. The houses look like gingerbread cottages all decorated with lights, candy canes and mechanical reindeer. We put our tree up last weekend and had to wire it to the wall…again..

With holiday shopping in full swing, I hope you are making progress on your lists and finding great gifts for your loved ones.

Like many of you, I have spent much time contemplating the gifts for my children to ensure lots of happy smiling faces on Christmas morning. There’s nothing quite as deflating as watching your child’s disappointed face as she opens a gift you were sure she would go crazy over. This happened to me last year. The item on my daughter’s wish list was a pair of purple Converse high-tops. But instead of buying these at the store, I went online to the company’s website, where you can design your own shoe, and created a one-of-a-kind pair she would love. I spent over an hour deciding on colors and prints for the outside body, tongue, lining, stitch, heel stripe, laces, rubber sidewall and a racing stripe. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t add her name to the heel stripe. For goodness sake she’s in high school not pre-school. And why the long face on Christmas morning you ask? They were the wrong color purple.

I have shopped local in Rio Rancho, but I don’t have to tell you the selection is limited. I would like to know if that retail survey the city put out last summer gave them any direction as to what the residents wanted to see in Rio Rancho and if we were any closer to getting a Mimi’s Café, Best Buy or local boutique style shop in town.

As far as the hot gifts for this year goes, if you don’t have one yet, get a Wii. If you do have one, get Rock Band 2. This is a game the whole family can play together. Don’t leave anyone out – if you have more kids, buy an extra guitar.

Tween girls love Webkinz. This is a stuffed animal that comes with a secret code which lets your daughter create a Webkinz World online. Depending on whether you get a fish, a bird or a land animal determines what kind of world they can create for their new pet.

Lazer Tag would make a great gift for any boy. Much like the old-fashioned “war” we used to play where your brother would arbitrarily yell “you’re dead.” You could easily dispute it by proclaiming, “You missed me” because there was no proof you’d been hit. Unlike paintball that leaves bruises, Lazer Tag comes with two guns that vibrate to let you know you were hit.

Another hot gift this year for older kids is the Flip UltraHD Camcorder. This pocket-size movie maker captures120 minutes of HD video, which is much longer than what their cell phones can.

And for the kitsch lover in your life, get them a Life Size Garden Gnome with a Solar Lantern. My neighbor has fifteen gnomes in their front yard. I only have three. Not that this is a competition mind you. But you can never have too many gnomes.

Along with your shopping, cookie baking and home decorating don’t miss the Rio Rancho Winterfest parade this afternoon. The parade will start at 5:15pm at the intersection of Golf Course Road and Southern Boulevard, and conclude in the parking lot where the new CVS drugstore is going up on Southern. Come out and enjoy this hometown tradition with marching bands, decorated floats and or course, Santa himself.

Quote of the Week: “He wore a scarlet tunic, a blue green hood, it looked quite good. He had a big adventure amidst the grass, fresh air at last.” – The Gnome by Pink Floyd

Car Buying

2010-01-07T17:28:00.001-07:00

The story you are about to read is true. The names were changed to protect the guilty.

Car buying is not my favorite thing in the world to do; in fact it ranks right up there with colonoscopies, pap smears and mammograms. I’d rather pull my nose hairs out with tweezers than listen to one more car salesman swear on his life he is not making any money on my trade-in.

I have bought many cars in my lifetime and been with my dad when he bought his many moons ago. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. Unfortunately, I now find myself in the same uncomfortable situation again, this time all I am doing is trying to get out of my 2006 Jeep Commander and into a lower monthly payment. Let the games begin.

My first stop was a Toyota dealership on the eastside. I thought I would get a good used Toyota that got 36 miles to the gallon at a low monthly payment. Stepping into a Toyota dealership went against every American bone in my body, but desperate people take desperate measures. I knew I was in luck when I met “Seth,” a 15 year veteran in the car business who could answer my questions without having to going to the pit manager. He promised me it would only take 5 minutes to calculating my trade, but in the meantime why didn’t I walk the lot and see what I liked. He was a non-stop talker who was convinced he could make me fall in love with a ‘07 Corolla and agree to any deal because it was just so cute.

After an hour the manager came over and told me he could give me $3,000 less than what Kelley Blue Book said. And then Seth chimed in with the clincher: “If you were my wife, you would have already bought this car.” Red flag, red flag, where are my keys?

I had never been to Carmax, the used car superstore, but had heard many good things about it. The vibe at Carmax was much more straightforward. “Gary” didn’t give me the runaround and when we looked at the cars, he didn’t ask me what color I liked best. Yes, I have heard that one before. He told me he would give me $1,200 more for my Jeep than the Toyota dealership offered. Close but no cigar.

Next, I thought I might have better luck at the dealership where I bought my Jeep from, so off I went for a third opinion. Third? More like my twenty-third at this point if you throw in my dad, my brother and countless friends who “just want to be helpful.” I am grateful to them; because the more stories you hear, the better you are at smelling rats.

The Jeep dealership did turn out to be a good idea, well as good as I was going to get if I was crazy enough to sell my car to a dealership. They offered more for the Jeep than Carmax but no one can really expect to get their money out of any dealership. Finally, the manager came out and the numbers were revealed. Not good enough, although if they would have had a MINI Cooper Clubman in the lot, the temptation would have been irresistible.

The Commander is in the classifieds today. This smart cookie is selling it herself. Now the only red flags I have to worry about are the ones flying at Sandia MINI.

Quote of the Week: “Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels. I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels.” –Running on Empty, Jackson Brown.

Pina Coladas and a Bar Called O'Malley's

2010-01-07T17:26:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/28/09

Ok, we made it through another Thanksgiving. But have we fallen into the same old dull routine? We enjoyed delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, our visiting relatives and lots of TV.

Next came all the hype about Black Friday, and then came Black Friday. Sounds just like a worn-out recording of a favorite song. It’s already too much stress and the shopping season and holidays have barely begun. Clip the coupons. Shop online. Shop local. Make the cookies. Put up the lights. Go back to the store and buy more lights. We are feeling just like most of the country right about now who are looking for a brief getaway to save their insanity and want to plan an escape.

If you like Pina Coladas but can’t find a bar called O’Malley’s… then escape to your favorite place and order up one of these sweet tropical treats. Made with rum, coconut cream and crushed pineapples, a Pina Colada will take your mind off of your busy life if only for a half hour or so.

If you like getting caught in the rain…may I suggest the touristy tram ride on the world’s longest aerial tramway? The Sandia Peak Tramway takes you on a 2.7 miles ride above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain to the observation deck atop the10,378 foot Sandia Peak in the Cibola National Forest. How better to escape that getting lost in the 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley. I’ve been there in the rain and it is so peaceful. If you have visitors or haven’t been up to the top in awhile, its time to go.

If you’re not much into health food, but you’re into champagne…then have I got the place for you? Rio Rancho’s newest wine bar, the Black Olive Wine Bar and Grill serves seven varieties of champagne from New Mexico, California and France and a menu I wouldn’t necessarily call “health food” but rather mouth watering. Prime rib, filet mignon, lobster tail and king crab legs are just three items of this vast menu of enticing entrees. They also serve old-fashioned deviled eggs, hearty minestrone and chicken Caesar salad. Not a bad escape.

If you're not into yoga, and if you have half-a-brain…then escape to the Museum of Natural History and Science and see Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs. This movie will take you through the royal tombs of Egypt. According to the museum’s website, the movie follows explorers and scientists as they piece together the archaeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies, and provides audiences with a window into the fascinating and mysterious world of the pharaohs. If you have school age children, this would be a great treat for them as well.

If you like making love at midnight…but have Uncle Billy and Aunt Agnes in the guest bedroom next to yours all week, chances are you could use an escape with your own lovely lady (or man). There’s everyone’s favorite Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa just up the road. But if you are looking for a little entertainment too, Johnny Rivers will be at the Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder on December 11. Do-do-do-wa-shooby-dooby. Willie Nelson is on the road again at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino on December 13. And for you hippies out there, Steppenwolf will be there on January 22, 2010.

Remember, although it may be the season to go shopping, its not that hard to plan your escape.

Quote of the Week: ""If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain. If you're not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain. If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape. I'm the lady you've looked for, write to me, and escape." -Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

Be Thankful for Our Troops

2010-01-07T17:24:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/21/09

We’ve all seen the footage of returning troops at the Sunport coming home from war. Waiting for them is a special group of people waving American flags, saluting and cheering as the troops walk through the terminal. The welcoming group is not necessarily relatives, but loyal Americans grateful for what their fighting soldiers do and don’t think the soldiers return should go unnoticed.

I think they speak for most of us in our gratitude to our troops. I know we would all be down at the Sunport if we could, hankie in hand, greeting each and everyone one of them with a big hug and pat on the back. I even had the chance to witness one of these events first hand when I was at the Sunport over the summer. I watched, with a lump in my throat, as the single-file line of camouflage-dressed soldiers walked past the small group of smiling supporters; made me proud to be an American.

And if that isn’t enough to tug at your heart strings, have you seen the videos of the men returning home from duty and reuniting with their dogs? Each dog in every video goes crazy upon seeing their master for the first time in many months. People aren’t the only ones who miss their soldiers.

The Blue Star Mothers of America organization was started in Flint, Michigan during WWII and is a national organization created to support the men and women serving in all branches of the armed forces and the families they leave behind. The Blue Star Mothers of Rio Rancho is a busy chapter and will definitely be missing their sons and daughters this Thanksgiving

Pearl Trowbridge, who is in charge of care packages and Welcome Homes for the Rio Rancho Chapter of Blue Star Mothers, is also the proud mother of son, Aaron who is serving his second tour in Iraq. “We have assembled 241 care packages already,” says Trowbridge, “and we just adopted 144 from the 920th (NM National Guard) so we can surely use more.”

The Blue Star Mothers of Rio Rancho’s website gives a long list of items that have been specifically asked for by the troops themselves. As far as food goes, some suggestions are individually wrapped tuna pouches, beef jerky, coffee, tea and crackers make great gifts. Just think of things you would pack in your child’s lunch if you were sending him off to school. Did I mention candy? Yes, send that too.

As far as the non-food items go, the wish list is extensive. Troops are asking for everything from beanie babies, small mouse traps, panty liners (to line helmets to keep sweat out of their eyes) to small funnels for pouring Crystal Light and Gatorade powder into their canteens because the water “tastes nasty.”

According to the website, the troops have also requested entertainment items to help them keep their sanity while all hell is breaking lose around them. When thinking of a care package, consider music CDs or movie DVD, hacky sacks, playing cards, crossword puzzles and pencils with erasers.

I am asking everyone to please consider donating something to our troops. Check out www.rioranchobluestarmothers.org for the complete wish list. If you cannot afford any of the items maybe you can afford a Christmas card, or a thank-you card to let our troops know that Rio Rancho has not forgotten them this holiday season. Call Pearl Trowbridge at (505) 892-1593 to arrange a drop off time before December 6 so that your gifts will reach the troops in time for Christmas.

May everyone have a happy Thanksgiving and may you have many things to be thankful for this year including our deployed troops.

Quote of the Week: “There is no question that these multiple tours have put enormous strain on the force, absolutely. ... Our troopers do an extraordinarily good job, despite the enormous strain that, clearly, they and their families have experienced over the course of the last number of years.” – General David H. Petraeus.

SAT or ACT?

2010-01-07T17:23:00.001-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal 11/14/09

Remember your senior year of high school when your thoughts began to turn away from biology quizzes and homecoming dances to what the heck am I going to do after graduation and how am I going got get there? Future plans that for many included preparing for college, a.k.a. taking the standardized college admissions tests SAT and ACT.

According to the RRPS website, there are basic differences between the SAT and the ACT and they should help you determine which test is best for you. For example:

-The ACT focuses on science reasoning, whereas the SAT does not.

-There are 4 trigonometry questions on the ACT and none on the SAT.

-Vocabulary is less important on the ACT and emphasized on the SAT.

-There is no guessing or wrong answer penalty on the ACT, but the SAT will dock you a quarter of a point for guessing and getting a question wrong.

I can’t decide which is the lesser of the two evils. Who wrote these rules?

I can still remember that cold Saturday morning in my senior year of high school driving out to the community college to take the SAT. Back then there was no preparation offered for the daunting four hour timed ordeal. You packed your lucky No.2 pencil and calculator and hoped for the best.

Nowadays kids have a better chance of doing well on the test. There is help everywhere including test tutors, preparation classes and even sample tests online that one can take to better acquaint the student with what to expect.

My favorite prep method has to be the “The Official SAT Question of the Day,” that www.collegeboard.com sends out. Once you enter your email address, a sample test question arrives in your inbox everyday; a question typically found on the SAT that familiarizes you with what to expect on the big day. I wish every high school teacher would put the question of the day on the board every morning to challenge their students and help them grow.

I signed myself and my oldest daughter up to receive these brain teasers. I thought it would be helpful to her so that she wouldn’t be caught like a deer in the headlights on test day. And for myself, I thought it would be fun to see the easy questions. Now that I was so much older and wiser, I was sure it would be a snap. The questions range in subject from math and critical reading to writing and vocabulary. Here was the mathematics question from last Wednesday:

In a community of 416 people, each person owns a dog or a cat or both. If there are 316 dog owners and 280 cat owners, how many of the dog owners own no cat? 36? 100? 136? 180? Or 316?

It’s a trick question, right?

And one of their critical reading questions went like this:

The show’s host was usually genial, but he had a reputation for turning ------- when provoked by guests who challenged his opinions. Surly? Intrusive? Lenient? Convincing? Or giddy?

A snap? Well, that one was on the easy side compared to others they’ve sent. You will feel as smart as a whip or dumb as a doornail, depending on the question. I think I will stay on the mailing list and continue with the questions long after my daughter takes her test. For two reasons; one, it’s a good way to sharpen the mind, and two; for the life of me I don’t get Sudoku.

Quote of the Week: “Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know.” - Daniel J. Boorstin, twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1975 until 1987.

Halloween May Be Dying But Day of the Dead is Rising

2010-01-07T17:20:00.004-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho Section 11/7/09

Having put Halloween in the rear view mirror, I have to say the steady stream of trick-or-treaters at my front door last Saturday night was more like a trickle. And that goes for what I saw on the street as well. Where were all the little ghosts and goblins? While trick-or-treating with my youngest daughter and our usual group of friends, it was quite obvious to us all that the numerous decorated houses with multiple jack-o-lanterns, spider webs and 2D witches clinging to the trees in years past were few and far between. In their place were deliberately dark porches sans decorations.

I know I am not alone on this observation; my friend, Dave in Florida said this was the first Halloween that he had candy left over. As I called dibs on his remaining fun size Almond Joys, a sense of sadness came over me. Is the act of going house-to-house begging for candy on October 31 becoming a thing of the past just like pet rocks, Red Ball Jet sneakers and disco? Life has changed dramatically in the last thirty years and the world isn’t as safe as it once was.

But where there is a yin, there is a yang. Whereas Halloween may be losing its popularity, another timely tradition continues to evolve more prominently every year. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration of deceased ancestors which occurs on November 1 and November 2 and coincides with the similar Roman Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Day of the Dead celebrations are gaining popularity proven by the many parades and parties that now take place about this time every year. Many artists find this spiritual celebration captivating and reflect that in their highly whimsical and colorful art that is found at craft shows, gift shops and museums. This weekend you will find a plethora of folk art commemorating the Day of the Dead at the Arte de Muertos Expo at the Santa Ana Start Casino.

Hank Estrada is the creative energy behind Arte de Muertos Productions and although the event is relatively new, it’s already a sell out. “Just within its first year the Expo has grown to become New Mexico’s largest assemblage of Day of the Dead artists ever,” said Estrada. “Our artists come from all over the state. We have even now attracted artists from the neighboring states of Texas, Arizona, Colorado and old Mexico.”

I attended their summer event and ended up spending more than I had planned on a couple of folk art pieces that were not Day of the Dead inspired. “We pride ourselves in featuring both traditional and contemporary examples of art,” said Estrada. “Among this year’s Expo, artists will be representing the art forms of paper Mache, carpentry, glass, jewelry, masks, mixed media, feather craft, and even a local woman who makes authentic coffins,” gleamed Estrada. I saw this artist at the July event, and if you can get over the shock of seeing coffins at an arts and crafts fair, the artwork is really beautiful.

One of my favorite authors, Antonio Garcez will be at the Expo today signing his collection of ghost story books including his latest book, Colorado Ghost Stories.

“The Expo has a great atmosphere, a real sense of family and fiesta,” said Estrada. “We have lots of music and today we have numerologists, Ouija board psychics and tarot card readers.”

Honor your ancestors or just get a jump on your holiday shopping and check out the Arte de Muertos Expo today or tomorrow. I’ll be the one with the skull painted face with too many shopping bags to carry.

Quote of the Week: “The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.” - Stephen Ambrose, historian. 1936-2002

If Halloween Is Fading, Day of the Dead Is Rising

2009-11-07T19:29:00.002-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 11/7/09

Having put Halloween in the rear view mirror, I have to say the steady stream of trick-or-treaters at my front door last Saturday night was more like a trickle. And that goes for what I saw on the street as well.

Where were all the little ghosts and goblins? While trick-or-treating with my youngest daughter and our usual group of friends, it was quite obvious that the numerous decorated houses with multiple jack-o'-lanterns, spider webs and 2D witches clinging to the trees in years past were few and far between. In their place were deliberately dark porches, sans decorations.

I am not alone in this observation; my friend Dave in Florida said this was the first Halloween that he had candy left over.

As I called dibs on his remaining fun-size Almond Joys, a sense of sadness came over me. Is the act of going house-to-house begging for candy on Oct. 31 becoming a thing of the past, like pet rocks, Red Ball Jet sneakers and disco?

Life has changed dramatically in the last 30 years, and the world isn't as safe as it once was.

But where there is a yin, there is a yang. Whereas Halloween may be losing its popularity, another timely tradition continues to become more prominent every year.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican and Mexican-American celebration of deceased ancestors that occurs on Nov. 1 and 2 and coincides with the similar Roman Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Day of the Dead celebrations are gaining in popularity, proven by the many parades and parties that now take place about this time every year. Many artists find this spiritual celebration captivating and that's reflected in their highly whimsical and colorful art that is found at craft shows, gift shops and museums.

This weekend you will find a plethora of folk art commemorating Day of the Dead at the Arte de Muertos Expo at the Santa Ana Star Casino.

Hank Estrada is the creative energy behind Arte de Muertos Productions, and although the event is relatively new, it's already a sellout.

"Just within its first year, the Expo has grown to become New Mexico's largest assemblage of Day of the Dead artists ever," Estrada said. "Our artists come from all over the state. We have now even attracted artists from the neighboring states of Texas, Arizona, Colorado and old Mexico."

I attended their summer event and ended up spending more than I had planned on a couple of folk art pieces that were not Day of the Dead-inspired.

"We pride ourselves in featuring both traditional and contemporary examples of art," Estrada said. "Among this year's Expo, artists will be representing the art forms of papier mache, carpentry, glass, jewelry, masks, mixed media, feather craft, and even a local woman who makes authentic coffins," gleamed Estrada.

I saw this craftswoman at the July event, and if you can get over the shock of seeing coffins at an arts and crafts fair, the artwork is really beautiful.

One of my favorite authors, Antonio Garcez, will be at the Expo today signing his collection of ghost story books including his latest book, "Colorado Ghost Stories."

"The Expo has a great atmosphere, a real sense of family and fiesta," Estrada said. "We have lots of music, and today, we have numerologists, Ouija board psychics and tarot card readers."

Honor your ancestors or just get a jump on your holiday shopping and check out the Arte de Muertos Expo today or tomorrow. I'll be the one with the skull-painted face with too many shopping bags to carry.

Quote of the Week: "The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future." — Stephen Ambrose, historian, 1936-2002

Some Candy Little Ghosts Won't Touch

2009-11-01T20:17:00.012-07:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 10/31/09

I hope everyone survived last night's pranks during Devil's Night, or as they say in the north, Gate Night, and no one has to clean eggs off of their windows or smashed pumpkins off of their front walks. With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, I can only imagine how many parties filled the night. My loyal readers may remember last year's Halloween column, in which I explored the truth about what your costume says about you. So, all you French maids, Tarzans and witches, we know what you are really trying to tell us.

Besides pumpkins, costumes and pranks, the most important part of Halloween has to be the candy, and we all know it. Haven't we all sneaked Mounds bars and Almond Joys from our children's stash when they weren't looking?

Yes, Halloween begins that time period that goes through Jan. 2 when temptations like candy, stuffing, pumpkin pies, Christmas cookies, pecan pies and champagne are ever present and our willpower is put to the test.

I thought one's sweet tooth is supposed to subside as one gets older and mine has, to some extent. But there is just some candy I still cling to. Huffingtonpost.com has come out with "The Nine Grossest Kinds of Candy No Adult Should Give out on Halloween," and I take issue with some of them.

In clarifying their study, they mean gross as in "no one wants to eat them" not gross as in, "I can't believe I let my child put that in their body." The article goes on to say that Pixie Stix are gross in the latter sense but kids love them, so they didn't make the list. Here are the ones that did:

• Wax Bottle Candy: Just bite off the top and suck out the artificially colored and flavored water sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, then chew on the wax for the rest of the afternoon. Sold by the pound on amazon.com, I don't see a problem here.

• Necco Wafers: A roll of flavored, multi-colored wafers that some may say have a chalky taste and texture, (much like original Tums, but thinner). Who cares? These babies are fat-free.

• Pumpkin Candy Corn. This one I have to agree with. The pumpkin shapes are too much for one bite and tend to stimulate the gag reflex.

• Fruit-Flavored Tootsie Rolls: I agree with this one. You don't mess with the original.

• Circus Peanuts. This one hits too close to home. I will agree Circus Peanuts have an indistinguishable chemical and/or paint aroma, which is really sugar, corn syrup, coconut, gelatin, salt and artificial flavors. I have yet to outgrow this one.

• Bit-O-Honey. I never liked this one — not so much for the flavor as it was just a boring piece of candy. A conservative, tan-colored piece of taffy with crushed almonds just says yawn.

• Root Beer Barrels: I am just stupefied about why Root Beer Barrels made this list. This is one of the best candies ever. I dare anyone to e-mail me and tell me you don't like Root Beer Barrels. Nobody can eat just one.

• Gumdrops: Or dare they call them "spice drops," this old standby really should be relegated to grandmother's candy drawer and gingerbread houses only.

• Sesame Crunch: I have to admit this is one candy I have never tried, nor do I want to. Peanut butter, honey, corn flakes and sesame seeds just sounds too healthy.

It's Halloween, and I hope everyone has a safe and happy day, and may you get all the candy you every wanted.

Quote of the Week: "But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. He lived happily ever after." — Willy Wonka.

Volunteering

2009-10-22T21:37:00.002-06:00

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/12/09

Much like the volunteers who erect houses for Habitat for Humanity, the same sort of house building took place yesterday in the form of temporary dog kennels at two PetSmart locations in town. Volunteers started turning out Thursday evening to unload trucks and put together makeshift kennels for a three-day dog and cat adoptathon.

Events like this don’t just happen by themselves. And they don’t happen by hired laborers who get down on their hands and knees to build cages, fill water bowls or drive animals hundreds of miles and reverse the whole process on Sunday. They happen by the dedication of volunteers who don’t expect anything in return other than finding loving homes for the stray, lost and abandoned animals of our state.

New Mexico’s largest no-kill animal shelter, Watermelon Mountain Ranch (WMR) is hosting a fall adoptathon this weekend at two PetSmart parking lot locations: Coors west side location just north of the Cottonwood Mall and 350 Eubank Blvd., NE. This adoptathon promises to be a big event with lots of purebred and not-so-purebreds coming from dozens of shelter and rescue groups from around the state including Espanola Valley Humane Society, Siberian Husky Rescue of New Mexico, Rio Rancho Animal Control, A.I.M Rescue, Raton Humane Society, Enchant-MUTTS Rescue, Animal Amigos, Northern New Mexico Humane Society, Clovis Animal Rescue, Hobbs Animal Services, Arizona Animal Welfare League, Colfax County Pet Rescue, SPOTS, ANEW and Santa Fe Pit Bull Rescue.

It's interesting to see how a large number of shelters & rescue groups from all over the state converge under one tent with their animals and work so well together to accomplish so many adoptions in one weekend. A well oiled machine is what it takes to get 300-600 puppies, small dogs, big dogs, cat and kittens into new homes in one weekend.

Connie Kuresman knows what it takes to put together adoptathons like this one, she is the Mobile Adoption and Special Event Manager at WMR. Connie and her volunteer crew are out every Saturday in the Walmart parking lot at Southern Blvd. and Unser with a new group of homeless dogs looking for warm homes. It takes a team to run the WMR mobile adoption unit, a team of volunteers who take their precious Saturdays and dedicate them to helping the animals. “I have a very close team and we are all friends. I couldn't do it without everyone who faithfully shows up every Saturday to help me,” says Kuresman. “It is so wonderful to see these dogs go to their new homes with their tails wagging,” says Kuresman, who is always looking for new volunteers. If interested please call (253) 951-0207.

Whether it’s riding a bus up to Denver with the RRHS marching band or building kennels for WMR or making sure an insurance binder is intact for the Corrales Harvest Festival, volunteers are as essential to our community as water is in the desert.

Word is there will be loads of puppies and small dogs out there today and tomorrow. You might find me in the tent cuddling the cats, walking dogs or filling water bowls. And please, if you see me standing in the adoption line with another dog in my arms, remind me I already have two at home.

Quote of the Week: “Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” -David Thomas