Category: Albuquerque

September 22, 2015

A rug hooker’s welcome to Albuquerque

My thanks to ATHA’s Region 12 Adobe Wool Arts Guild here in Albuquerque! I attended my first meeting Wednesday last and was welcomed graciously. It was a pleasure hooking with others again even if I was actually sewing twill tape for the day – prepping one rug and finishing another.

Unfortunately, I left my phone at home that day, so I have no pics to share. My bad! But imagine my surprise when I returned home and took a look at my ATHA magazine that had just arrived, forwarded from my old address in Massachusetts. On page 48, there’s a photo of Dagmar and daughter Fiona Byrd. Gene Shepherd wrote a piece about how my new guild has been admitting youth members for over a year. Fiona’s been hooking for two years. She’s even won a blue ribbon at the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta. How great is that? For Fiona, for the art of hooking, and for Mom Dagmar, Dagmar who I’d met just that day and even sat next to.

Coincidences – or perhaps “synchronicity” is a more apt word – didn’t start there. A gentleman and his wife from Santa Fe showed up at the meeting bearing antique rugs. He was interested in restoration work or possibly selling them. My thoughts immediately went to Jessie Turbayne back in Massachusetts who hung with my old Charles River Guild. “I know someone back at home,” I offered tentatively. But being 2200 miles or so away… And just like that, someone asks, “Anyone know where Jessie Turbayne is?” Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I passed her info on to the Santa Feans. Hopefully, she’ll be receiving an email and some pics soon.

So, I have high hopes for my hooking here in Albuquerque. The emotional pains of moving away from friends and family are somewhat ameliorated in this day of easy Internet contact. I can stay in touch with pretty much anyone with email or Facebook. But after almost two months here, I’m craving live-action friends and community. Last week was a good welcome and a perfect start.

Our new crib – come Wednesday. It needs some greening, flowers too, and definitely pumpkins, but all in good time.

This Wednesday brings us to our final moving hurdle; we close on our new house. The process of making it a home starts Thursday. I’ll be busy, but I’ll try to check in as often as I can. See High on Hooking’s Facebook page for updates. And if you have any tips (I’m talking to you, Deb!), please feel free to share them in the comments below.

September 15, 2015

Sighted in Albuquerque

One of the ubiquitous grasshoppers in the area.

Unfortunately, the arthritis is kicking my butt this week. Never even made it onto my computer yesterday. Hoping to be up and around more tomorrow. I better be! It’s my first day visiting with what should be my new ATHA guild here in Region 12, the Adobe Wool Arts Guild which meets here in Albuquerque. I’ll let you know it goes.

In the meantime, these are a few of the things we sighted in our travels this past week here in town. Enjoy the pics!

A very long horn steer relaxing at the New Mexico State Fair. — A very Long Horn steer relaxing at the New Mexico State Fair.

Soon-to-be Long Horn steer getting his baby-sleep.

The puppet parade at the 2015 Offcenter Folk Art Festival. — The puppet parade at the 2015 OFFcenter Folk Art Festival.

Vendor Ryan's (steelgardenart.com) "hardy" flower patch at the OFFcenter Folk Art Festival. — Vendor Ryan’s (steelgardenart.com) “hardy” flower patch at the OFFcenter Folk Art Festival.

We parked by this fabulous mural. No problem finding the car later.

PS – If anyone would like to tell me how to put two photos next to one another, I’d surely appreciate that. I had to do some wonky stuff just to do this. WordPress used to make it easier.

September 9, 2015

Playing catch up

Sunflowers along the RIo Grande. They've been bursting out all over given the (relatively) rainy summer. — Sunflowers along the Rio Grande. They’ve been bursting out all over given the (relatively) rainy summer.

It’s a slow week here in Albuquerque. That’s probably for the best. It’ll let me catch up on paperwork, write a few thank you notes, and read more of the slush pile for Fifth Wednesday once again. If you like good fiction, I suggest you head to the journal’s webpage and check it out. And I’m not saying that just because I’m an assistant editor there. Really!

Then there’s the resume I’ve got to update for the first time in a few years. When I left Massachusetts, I’d been running a food pantry. It was a job I loved. What to do now that I’m here in New Mexico? My Spanish is pretty rudimentary, pigeon really, so, even if there were a pantry job available, the language barrier would be substantial. Nonetheless, the resume is a place to start along with some gentle networking when I head to my first Adobe Wool Arts Guild meeting here next week.

Great sculpture we found along the Bosque, next to the parking lot, way atop a big boulder. — Great sculpture we found along the Bosque, next to the parking lot, way atop a HUGE boulder.

Another reason to sit back and enjoy the sun and quiet (soon Tom and the kid will be out looking for a car; she’s getting her permit today) is that my rheumatoid arthritis has been acting up lately. Not a surprise given the stress of the move and the purchase of a new house. I’ve heard from one other hooker with RA; anyone else out there? Have any tips for us? I’m lucky in that my hands aren’t affected as much as my hips and feet are. I can generally hook as much as I wish. Though I do cut my strips by hand. I’ll usually feel that the next day.

Lest you think my catch up week means I’m not out there finding inspiration, not so! I have an artist’s date with myself planned for later in the week. Saw a piece in the paper about a tapestry exhibit at the local Weems Galleries and Framing. A few of weaver Susan Klebanoff‘s pieces were included in the story; it’s a solo show. Looks fabulous.

Maybe someone knows what this plant is, but I'm calling it "magical fog grass." — Maybe someone knows what this plant is, but I’m calling it “magical fog grass.”

Lastly, Tom and I eschewed the mountains this weekend for some time down by the Rio Grande, the Bosque trail, specifically, that runs along the river. Fortunately, there was more water in the Rio Grande than there was when I was here two years ago; the drought’s abated some. Enjoy a few pics that I snapped while we were walking.

Where might you be headed for an artist’s date this week? Or do you self-inspire in some other way?

August 3, 2015

When you get what you wished for…

We made it. After logging about 2200 miles, the kid and I finally arrived in Albuquerque a few days ago. We killed a couple of nights in a cheap motel, did some touristy things, and got into the rental house late Saturday evening. Now we wait.

Home, sweet home in Albuquerque for a few months.

Tom’s still in Massachusetts, though not for long. The house closed today; the truck left with our belongings. Tom and the dog will head to my parents’ in Connecticut tonight, then begin their own long journey out here tomorrow. I bid them good weather and no traffic jams. Really, I can’t wait to see them.

As much as we’ve wished for these days to arrive (especially during last year’s endless winter), it’s been a tough couple of weeks: saying goodbye to family and friends; leaving everything we know, including the house; living out of suitcases; days in the car (particularly those few hundred miles slogging through the flat-lands of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas on a two-lane road); throwing out my back once we arrived…

The back yard. I'm given to understand that black widow spiders live under the deck and are plentiful in NM. Oh, my! — The back yard. I’m given to understand that black widow spiders live under the deck and are plentiful in NM. Oh, my!

But I knew these would be trying times, no matter how much we wanted them. Until we find a house to make into our new home, until we make friends and integrate onto communities out here, we’ll be on edge. Change is good — we want to challenge ourselves to grow — but it’s stressful too. Do you realize that the cable TV in this house doesn’t include HGTV, the Food Network, or the Travel Channel? What will I do without House Hunters and the Property Brothers?!!? I suppose I’ll thank goodness for the things that don’t change: hooking; reading and writing; family; and even social media that keeps me in touch with all of you.

Stay tuned for more of the adventure…

Love this rag rug I discovered in my bedroom. The owners of the house both have art degrees. And very good taste.