Never to old to rock and roll

A couple of weekends ago, Nick and Nicole suggested we go to a street party downtown.  The Automobilia Moonlight Car Show was a lot  bigger and a lot more fun than I expected it to  be.  Everyone in the family went down.  It was hot, but we all managed to sweat our way through it.  One of the bands playing was the Boogie Brothers.  Three of the members are a family we have known since Andrew was in first grade.  The two son's have recently returned from a tour with another band they had been playing with.  The separation of that band was the usual financial and maybe a little creative differences.  Andrew and Dan Weaver are talented, and are just happy to play music.  We sat through most of the evening listening to them and another musical group play on the stage.  We also looked at cars, bunches of them.  The Buick was Andi's choice of auto,  but her first pick was the tricked out bicycle.
Ray and I don't usually get into the big crowd scenes, but this was a good one.  I also decided since Ray has been talking about a regular type car for his daily use that he should get a Mini Cooper, but I don't think I have him convinced yet.

July 4 2012

      Another great 4th of July has been celebrated at the Brown house.  Traditions get started in small ways.  For several years we went out to my sister's house in Augusta.  Chris lives in the country and there were fewer restrictions on fireworks.  For a while, we went to Tenkiller Lake and camped.  Then the lure of staying home, swimming in the pool, I don't care for lake water, and simply walking across the street to watch the city fireworks won out. This settled in permanently when the kids became teens and our house was the location of July 4th parties.  This year was the first year for Theresa here. I really like it.
there were fewer people this year was a smaller celebration, but the food was good as always.  Andrew exercised his experience in munitions by making a few custom fireworks.  Those were very loud and colorful.  The grand kids and grand parents loafed away the afternoon in the pool.  In the morning, we went to the parade.  The adults get to visit with all sorts of politicians running for office.  The children have permission to run out in the street to gather the candy tossed out by the politicians.  I believe the candy memory is what is impressed into a child's mind and subconsciously drives the desire to attend parades as adults. My memory is a bit more starchy, the bakeries used to thow miniature loaves of bread.  My mom would try to collect all she could.  She was a frugal woman in many ways.
      This is the first year Wyatt was allowed to light any type of fire works.  He did very well with the smoke bombs.  I have a photo of just his feet as he leaped into the air after lighting one.  However, he didn't pay attention to his father's instructions to lay a fire cracker on the ground to light it.  He tried one by hand and got a scare when he released it more slowly than he should have.  No burns, no broken skin , just a little boy realizing that fireworks are serious as much as they are fun.  His mother obliged him by wrapping his fingers in enormous bandages, they lasted about an hour then came off as soon as the shock wore off.
      Every year I take photos of the fireworks show.  This year I did pretty good.  It took a while to get the setting right, but I am satisfied.  Now to improve next year.  Non of them beat the fire picture though, so that one stays as my header for a while yet.

Ray's 50th High School Reunion

We went out to Montezuma last weekend.  The town was having its centennial celebration and his class of 1962 celebrated their 50th year.  Eleven of the eighteen graduates and one former student came.  A couple of them were for the first time.  Gayle Fry and Judy Bruington did most of the work in setting it up and Gayle opened her home to us to escape the heat.
There were almost as many activities for the centennial as there are for the all school reunions.  The parade was fun.  Dan League was fascinated by the big farm equpment.  I admit it, I love looking at these monsters too. 
On Saturday night the group went to eat at Eva's, the local cafe.  The food is very good and the pies are amazing.  I suspect it is because the cooks are all Mennonite ladies.  Those women can cook better than the rest of the female population can imagine. 
Montezuma is a great little town.  I think it is probably a stronghold of the best of old style small town living with modern conveniences.  Ray and I have always said we could never go back there.  However, there are a number of people we know who have.  After this trip, it is easy to see the appeal.

Jam, Glorious Jam!

Nicole, Theresa and I made jam today.  Theresa and I went out yesterday and picked sand plums and blackberries at Sergeants Berry Farm.  I found strawberries on sale today at Walmart. Nicole brought some peaches that we added to those.  After an afternoon's work, this is what we have.  Fortyfour jars of wonderful gooey sweet fruit jam.  That is fourteen jars plus to each of us.  I am thinking that we will be set for the year.  Theresa made some sugar free and the rest are high cal.
It was so hot outside today and we did our best to make it hot inside today.  I remember my mother and grandmother canning in the heat of my childhood summers.  It must have been miserable, but there is a great satisfaction looking at the results of our work.  Nicole and Theresa didn't have the same memories I had, but now they know how to make jam and if they want, the kids will have canning memories of their own.

Seeing Stars

We will be making this layout Saturday July 14th at Across Time and Page at 21st and Webb Rd.  I used We R Memory Keepers July Fourth paper and I really was super happy with the layout when it was finished.  There is a good mix of shiny and pleats for very interesting texture.

Fun Times

The water line is being replaced today. The water bill had been a lot higher the last couple of months.  We checked every thing we could think of, but couldn't find a problem.  When we got back from vacation, Ray found the it, a very soggy spot in the front yard.  The plumber ran a temporary water line for us last week, since he couldn't schedule the new line until today. The work went very quickly, the hole was dug and the line laid in a couple of hours. Just another one of the responsibilities of home ownership.  We hope this is the last time we have to see the plumber for a long time.

It Rained Today

Today is our last full day in Ruidoso.  We head back to Kansas tomorrow.  We never are here long enough, but I suppose that is good.  We always have things to look forward to the next time we come. 
The good news though is that is rained today.  According to the weather, it was over an inch which answered many prayers around here.  I haven't heard yet if it stifled the fire, but the rain did start some concerns about flash floods.  I can see how it could happen, we were out at Conley's Nursery when it started to rain and in less than half an hour it had hailed, lots.  Driving back to the condo, the streets were flooded.  Water runs off fast around here. 
Ray  wants to leave early, so we are almost packed now.  All we have to do in the morning is stuff the last bits in and take off.