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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Land of Enchantment


While traveling back to Arizona from Austin, I found the west Texas landscape quite stunning...stunning as in hit by a baseball bat to the side of the noggin til your head is buzzing and each mile is deja vu all over again.

If we hadn't had this fun book to listen to, we might have given up and died on the lone prairie with Cheeto stained fingers and bladders full of Diet Coke.

As we neared the border of New Mexico I asked my husband to pull off the I-10 to drive around Lordsburg.  Now, this request alone is a positive diagnosis of delirium, but hear me out.


When our first little baby was a few months old, my husband was assigned to work on a flood control project on the Arizona/New Mexico border.  Lordsburg was the closest place with available "housing"
So we lived in a dusty little town with nice people and no sidewalks, broken glass and wind. The first time I tried to bake cookies I discovered my oven/range was a mouse condo, full of tunnels and droppings.  Since cookie baking was out, there was little to do but breathe clean desert air, and occasionally eat dinner at the truckstop.  I was so desperate for entertainment that I began watching a soap opera (Santa Barbara) and running in the evening.




But I also had all day to enjoy my sweet baby. 







We occasionally dressed her up in our efforts 
to provide her with a stimulating creative environment.  
 In spite of the tumbleweeds and no movie theater, it was an idyllic time.

After wandering around last week looking for landmarks ("I could swear it was by a broken down windmill") we found the old homestead.

 If I moved back, I bet I would start watching soap operas again.





 

10 comments:

RoeH said...

My mom was here once and we rode down to Benson where they lived in the 30's just newly married. She finally found the apartment they lived it ....well - in Benson would it have been hard? But it was fun. I wish I'd taken a picture of her in front like you did.

Connie said...

Ahhh, trips down memory lane. That is some kinda happening town there. Why did you move????

Susan Anderson said...

I can see from the baby photos that your sense of humor was still in full swing.

Reminiscing with you was fun AND funny!

=)

just call me jo said...

You were into plaid in those days I see--you and hubby. That house looks vaguely similar to some I've lived in, but we had dirt in front instead of concrete. I love your dressing up of this innocent child. I assume she turned out OK though and was not irrevocably scarred by your antics. You tickle my funny bone which sadly needs tickling right now.

Laurel said...

Loved, loved, loved seeing those pictures from your youth!

Glen and I were stunned to find one of our first homes just a pile of rubble this month. So glad that this one was still there for you to find.

Vero said...

I found so nice to see pictures of people in theirs begginings. Thank you for sharing those moments, you looked as lovely as you are today.

karen said...

If you moved back there I bet you'd take up with a lot more vices than watching soaps. GAH - amazing the things we're able to survive, isn't it?

Unknown said...

Ha ha, how funny we both make "stunned" jokes on the same day! Anyway,that was a fun walk down memory lane, and I think you were way ahead of the times with those baby mustaches, as they seem to be taking over the world these days.

http://pinterest.com/pin/340092744/

http://pinterest.com/pin/342833769/

http://theberry.com/2011/10/20/putting-smiles-to-faces-one-mustache-at-a-time-28-photos/mustache-much-0/

Have we gone too far?

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Oh, this is wonderful, Laraine! It sure doesn't look like there was much to do. Not many trees in that there town.

Your baby was a doll!

Kathy M.

Grammy Goodwill said...

hahaha- loved the pictures. My daughter had a similar baptism dress.