My husband John 1945 - 2011

My husband John died on May 5, 2011 after being healthy his entire life and then experiencing the brief illness that took his life. He was only 65 years old when he died. We thought we had many years left, and had many plans for adventures in the future.

He was a good man. Quiet, thoughtful, generous, and patriotic. He loved me and his kids and grandkids, and he loved the rest of his family and his many friends. He loved this country. I think he had a good life, and accomplished many things.

He spent many years as a research chemist at Midwest Research Institute and was always very busy on projects and business trips. Many of his research studies added to the base of knowledge of water and air pollution in this country.

In 2008, he retired and we moved to New Mexico, and I think the best part of his life began. He really blossomed as a community activist, a member of the Republican Party, and was chairman of the Santa Fe Tea Party. He worked on various local and state issues. He learned to speak in public, and to testify at the State Legislature. He gave his first interview to the press on April 16, and did a good job. He was committed to working for his country until his last breath, and he did just that.

He had two grandchildren, Victoria and Alessandro, whom he adored. They brought a new dimension to his life and brought out the playful kid in him. I regret deeply that he will not see them grow up and that they have lost a grandfather.

His funeral mass was at the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica here in Santa Fe on Tuesday, May 10, followed by a military ceremony at the Santa Fe NAtional Cemetery, where he was buried.

Oh, I will miss him! We were married for 42 years, and I never dreamed his time would come so quickly to be called by God to Heaven. I envisioned many wonderful years together, growing old here in New Mexico.

I have already learned some lessons: Do not wait a moment to tell the people you love how much they mean to you and express to them the good things they have done in your life. They need to hear while they are alive what impact they have made on you and the world around them.

And remember, life can be extremely fragile. Do the things you are planning to do. Make every single day and moment special in little ways and in big ways.

Rest in peace, my beloved husband. We will see each other again.

Santa Fe Tax Day Tea Party 2011

The Santa Fe New Mexico Tea Party held our 2011 Tax Day rally on Saturday, April 16 at the Plaza in Santa Fe.

It was a perfect spring weather day, we had excellent speakers and an enthusiastic crowd.

Got a few pictures, but not as many as other years:





Our veterans:



Suzanne J speaking:



Todd Hathorne speaking:



Brigette Russell speaking:

Up on Rowe Mesa

Rowe Mesa is located in San Miguel County, southeast of Pecos, New Mexico, just south of the tiny town of Rowe. The mesa climbs to a height of 8,048 feet.

The top of the mesa is ranchland, with piñon and juniper studded hills rising to pine trees at the higher location.

At the peak of the mesa, you can look out over miles of the Pecos Valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

We drove up to Rowe Mesa on my birthday on Easter Sunday. It was an unusually cloudy day with scattered showers around northern New Mexico, which were dropping rain in the valley and snow up on top of the mountain peaks.

The views were excellent. Here, take a look:

Scenery at top of the mesa:




Fresh snow on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the north:


From the top of the mesa, views to the north looking across the Pecos Valley to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains:

HAPPY EASTER!

A blessed Resurrection Day to all of my blogger friends and all the readers of my blog!

We're brewing up some tea in Santa Fe

Tomorrow is our third annual Tax Day Tea Party here in Santa Fe.

We're assembling on the Plaza at noon, to petition the government for the redress of our grievances.

If you are in or around Santa Fe, and you see this, we invite you to join us. It will be a good time bringing our smaller government, lower taxe and less spending on all levels of the government, personal responsibility and free market capitalism message to the public arena. We are a non-partisan grassroots organization, and everyone is welcome to join us as long as you aren't there to disrupt our party.

We have a great slate of excellent speakers, partiotic music, tea party signs, U.S. Constitutions available for a small donation.

Wear your patriotic clothes, bring your flag and a sign (or get one at our table up by the bandstand), your camera, and a chair if you will need one.

The event will last from noon - 1:30 p.m.

LET'S RALLY!


Tea Party 2010

New Mexico State Representative Jeannette Wallace

We just received word that New Mexico State Representative and our friend, Jeannette Wallace, died this morning, after being in poor health for several months.

Jeannette served the NM legislature from District 43, which included Los Alamos County, and parts of Sandoval and Santa Fe County, since 1991. Among the committees she served on was the important Legislative Finance Committee. She was a whiz at assessing the stte government and how to improve it.

We knew Jeannette for several years, since moving here and getting involved in state politics. She was smart as a whip, such an interesting person, and just as feisty as they come. In 20 years, her enthusiasm as a legislator did not seem to have diminished. She worked hard to make our state a better place.

In 2010, she was in a tough race for re-election, and we worked hard to get her re-elected to the NM House.

I really liked her personally, and enjoyed the times I got to converse with her. She will be missed greatly in New Mexico.

Rest in peace, honorable lady and my friend.

Hydrangea year three

My hydrangea plant is still alive. This will be the third year, and we didn't think it would survive the first summer because it is so dry here and the hyrdangea loves moisture.

It's been hibernating inside all winter, and putting out new growth and is waiting the move to outside in a couple months.

I guess the woman at the florist shop knew what she was doing when my daughter requested a plant that would do well in Santa Fe's climate.