S H E L L Y!!!

 "Shelly" ate lunch on the project table in the shop. 

Yesterday morning I was leaving to do some errands and saw a shell in the middle of the road. Not a sea shell (I'd need more than coffee to see that in the desert), but a turtle shell.  I pulled over. Indeed, it was and I stopped traffic to pick it up.  A head popped out and looked me in the eye.  "Hello there.  You shouldn't be crossing such a busy street kiddo."  I swear the turtle opened and closed it's mouth.  I released traffic getting thumbs up from two drivers.  I set  it on the floor of the passenger's seat and drove back home.

"Look what I found on my way to the store" I said to Bob.  The one thing about Bob is that he is an animal lover too.  He has welcomed every beast brought home by me or the kids.  He got a big grin on his face.  There wasn't even a discussion about keeping it.  I put he/she in the walled back part of the yard.  I'd deal with food and such later. I did put a saucer of water next to the turtle.  I knew it's name would be "Shelly"...very androgynous because I don't know how to sex a turtle.  "Shelly Turtleman."   The internet would provide answers, but I had to get those errands done.  I even posted on Facebook that I'd found Shelly.

Shelly likes my tomatoes!

I was standing at the sink near the window that faces the mountains.  A black cloud darkened the window and I looked up.  It was no cloud...it was a hawk.  So I grabbed my camera and walked outside to try and get a photo of it. It was perched in a tree.  It saw me and flew away.  I could see Shelly in it's clutches.  The same shape I saw in the road, but this time flying through the air!  "Shelllleeeey!"  I yelled.  The hawk and Shelly flew out of sight.   Very sad.  :-(   I again posted Shelly's plight on Facebook.  Getting lots of support from friends.  Bob and I woke the next morning, both having dreams about turtles and hawks. 

Is this the cutest face?!  Shelly's belly.

I was out watering, as I do almost every morning.  When I came back through the gate...who was sitting there?  Yes, Shelly.  Tucked in his/her shell, the dog giving Shell a good sniffing.  I picked Shelly up and probably scared the reptile out of him: "SHELLLLY!"  I trotted into the shop and exclaimed:"look who I found when I was out watering?"  Again a grin.  Bob and I examined Shelly.  He has many marks on his top shell that look like a beak had tried to get in.  I gave him more water, carrot and lettuce.  Then he went and hid.  Smart Shelly.  I posted again on Facebook that Shelly had returned! Also Shelly's head shot.

Shelly looks concerned...as the dog is very close.

Later I got a call from a friend who said:   "It's a tortoise!!!"  Oh, uh, yeah...sure.  I don't really know the difference.  But the internet will provide.  I am off to look up what a tortoise eats. Tomatoes are on the list.   What will Shelly do when winter comes?  I have such a great visual for a story of "Shelly the flying tortoise."    I have wood and lathe laid out to make Shelly a porch to eat in safely.  No jokes about using the tortoise shell for a knife handle.  What a face!

Shelly's new view from our yard. The "Sandias" (watermelon).

I sent Shelly's photo to a turtle lover in Albuquerque who said Shelly is
a garden variety Desert  Tortoise.

Thanks for reading.  Each day is a gift...open now.

xo
Suz

Indian Market 2010

2010 Poster

On Saturday morning Bob and I will get up at 5am, make coffee in go cups, and drive north to Santa Fe. We will be heading to Indian Market. As the sun comes over the mountains in Albuquerque, we will be on the plaza in Santa Fe.  There aren't many reasons I would get up before the crack of dawn. Indian Market is like Christmas to me.  The energy is high, and the vibes very good.  Plus...by 10am it's packed with people.

I've been going to Indian Market since long before I moved to New Mexico.  Every year I buy something.  Which means a jewelry box full of gorgeous Native Jewelry.  I always try to seek out a new artist and purchase something.  When I look at my jewelry now...I have to laugh, as I couldn't afford to buy it.  Most of the artists I have purchased from have become quite famous.  Who knew?

This year Bob traded a knife for a painting by Mateo Romero.  Mateo was the chosen artist for the Indian Market poster last year.  Every year there is one artist among the hundreds chosen.  I loved Mateo's work long before he ever called Bob about a knife.  I have been visiting THE BEST Native gallery in New Mexico: Blue Rain Gallery.  They originated in Taos.  Now they are off the plaza in Santa Fe.  Tony Abeyta, Mateo Romero, Preston Singletary, Tammy Garcia, Randal Lagro, Marla Allison are among the many fabulous artists at Blue Rain. Mateo's painting hangs in our front hallway.  I walk by it 25 times a day...it always makes me feel happy.  Recently we went up to Mateo's studio on Canyon road.  He's an amazing person, as well as an awesome painter.  We have Tony's colograph "Night Fertilization" in our living room.  If I were rich...the place would be packed with these artist's work.

 The "unveiling!"

We had a dinner party to celebrate Mateo bringing the painting.  We had met Pat Pruitt and Marla Allison at a knife show.  So we invited them, and the man Lucas who introduced us.  Marla and Mateo had been doing some work up in his studio with their friend Ryan Singer.  So he came too.  We made a big Italian dinner, and all had a great time.  Mateo is also a printmaker and I believe we could have talked about printmaking all night.  I was honored and warmed by our guests.  We have to do it again soon.  We will see them all at Indian Market.  Every time I walk by Mateo's painting I think of that evening together.

"Butterfly Dancer" by Mateo Romero

I don't know the name of this piece or who Mateo is standing with!

Tony Abeyta

Above Tony's recent black and white piece, and Indian Market poster.

Marla Allison

A painting of Marla's Mom by Marla

Ryan Singer

Ryan Singer juxtaposes and places known characters in Native settings.

Ryan gave me a button with this image on it.
I have it pinned to my work bench.

Pat Pruitt at his CNC machine

A kick ass bracelet of stainless steel
  made by Pat Pruitt.
Wait till you see his stingray
and stainless concho belt!

Presley LaFountain sculptor.
His son Saige is a very close friend of

Bob's son Dan. 

These are just a few of the artists that will be up in Santa Fe this weekend.  If you are local, please go.  The Native artists and craftsmen come from all over the country.  It's a feast for the eyes.  

See you there!

Thanks for reading, I'm still amazed you do.  Each day is a gift.

xo

Suz

Back at the Ranch

Green chili, tomatoes, and basil

We don't have a ranch!  But we refer to our acre as the "ranch." As summer days wind down, and "monsoon" hits New Mexico: we are harvesting tomatoes and green chili from the garden.  I try to balance the garden, jewelry biz, and visitors.  Some days better than others.  We had 4 friends from Milano visit last weekend.  Such fun! With the doors to the shop open, we've had butterflies, birds, and lizards visit.  The dogs next door have gone from barking crazily at me out in the garden, to digging their way out under their fence and visit.  Buddy guarding me, has not been pleased to see those hounds in "HIS" yard.

 A Thrasher baby perches on the hose line to the compressor. 

A yellow swallowtail seemed to want Bob's company!

I decided that pictures would tell it all.  The B & W photo taken with a new App from Apple called "my hipstamatic photos." It's amazing.  Different lenses can produce different effects.  The digital look of photos gone back to the past  of analog photography.

 "My Hipsatmatic App in black and white" Only small photos work well.

Monsoon season is here. This is one minute of rain on our front porch.  The ground is so hard that is does not soak in. Just runs off and down to the Rio Grande River.  Arroyos that are normally dry ditches fill in minutes. 

 A watermelon with black "sugar bites" which are a true tell that the watermelon is ripe. The sugar leaks out forming these black clumps. 

Our friends from Milano 

Serena and Libe Model my raven pendants!

Night time or "vampire gardening" as I refer to it. Tomato Alley, a spider helping with pest control and my new head lamp from True North Knives!

Pesto to go in the freezer.  My husband Bob matched up all the lids of the plastic I have

been saving all year for garden goodies. 

My pesto recipe you have been asking for:

2 cups packed basil leaves washed and dried

1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pine nuts

1 cup cold press olive oil

1 cup parmesan cheese grated

1/4 romano cheese grated

4 cloves garlic

squeeze of fresh lemon (1 teaspoon)

lots of ground black pepper

Put basil, garlic, nuts in food processor making a dry paste.  While on, drizzle olive oil into paste.  When creamy add cheeses, black pepper and a bit of lemon to keep it green.  Toss in hot linguini, or any hot pasta.  Makes about a cup...use 1/2 cup pesto to one pound of pasta.  Enjoy!

Sunset from the Ranch.

Thanks for reading!

Each day is a gift!

xo

Suz

Knives For The Columbians

My husband Bob wrote this on his knife forum.  It's such a tale, that I thought I'd share it with others.

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So here is a story from my Guatemala days, when I first started making knives as a serious venture.

I was the general manager of a Jade jewelry shop in Antigua Guatemala in the early 80's. I set up the shop and taught the people there how to work Jade: carving, polishing, etc.
I started making knives as a hobby since much of the machinery for working Jade was similar to knife making tools. Naturally, some of the knives would have Jade handles since I was surrounded with the stuff in great quantities and a good variety of colors.
Somehow, an electrical contractor in Miami, "John", saw my work, liked it and would order knives, with Jade handles, from time to time.
One day in early 1982, "John" called from Miami and said that a friend of his from Colombia had seen the knives I had made and wanted me to make him a set of three knives, large, medium and small, all with black Jade handles and sterling silver pins, in a fitted case. I said I would do them and quoted a price which I thought was exhorbitant at the time, $3500, (1982 dollars). He agreed and I started on the project
A week later, "John" called back and said, "make two sets, identical".
I worked on those knives for about two months. The Black Jade I had cut from one single stone was the hardest of all the Jade varieties, a type known as Chloromelanite Jadeite. The Maya had prized this material for its toughness and used it to make "celts", an archeological term referring to hatchet shaped tools used for carving limestone on their temples and monuments. A Black Jade, Maya celt can sell today for upwards of $5000.
But I digress.
I called "John" when they were finished and asked if I should ship them to him in Miami as I had done before.
He said no, the Colombians wanted to meet me in person and were sending me a plane ticket so I could hand carry them and join them in Miami when they made their next visit from Bogota, which they apparently did about once a month.
Sooo, on the appointed day, I packed my bags and the two sets of knives and off I went to Miami, where I made quite a splash with the customs agents who all wanted to see the knives and called their buddies over for a looksee. No problem they told me, they just wanted to admire the work. Apparently, one of them recognized my name and hoped I would have some goodies to check out.
I arrived at the motel they had set up for the meet, without incident.
It was a small, very "Miami" motel. Clean, painted pink with fake flamingos on the neat, trimmed lawn. A well dressed gentleman showed me to my little cabin right off the road, asked me to wait there, (in Spanish) and left, leaving the door open.
I got some clean towels, set them on a sideboard and laid the two cases of knives out as a presentation.
After about 15 minutes, a long Limo pulled up to the cabin and out stepped two of the most well dressed, handsome men I had ever seen. Tanned, coiffed, manicured with Armani suits, polished Italian shoes and silk ties, one pink, the other purple. They wore several gold rings, gold cufflinks and I noticed that each had identical Rolex "President" watches: solid gold and ringed with diamonds. They were obviously brothers, possibly twins.
They greeted me warmly, told me how much they admired my work and we spent a few minutes chatting about this and that, all in Spanish, which they said I spoke very well. Their Spanish was very Colombian: clear, unhurried, educated and melodious. It is an old world custom to greet, chitchat and exchange pleasantries before proceeding with business.
At last, they turned to the knives on the sideboard and became almost giddy with joy. They loved the knives, fondled the Jade tenderly and were embarrassingly effusive with their compliments.
After about ten minutes of this, they packed up the knives, thanked me again for my work, hugged me warmly, and left.
Just like that without ever mentioning payment !
By now, I had guessed who I was dealing with and held my peace as they glided into the Limo. After all, a trusted customer had vouched for them.
As they got in the car, the driver stepped out and walked into the room offering me a crumpled, brown paper bag. He said that they were very pleased and that my work had made them happy. He doffed his cap to me, got back in the Limo and off they went.
Inside the bag were rolls of used, $100 bills. $7000 in total, just as agreed.
You could almost smell the Cocaine on those bills, or maybe I imagined it, who knows?
I never saw the Colombians again, nor the knives until one set surfaced in the hands of a dealer/collector/ entrepreneur I had known for years.
I think both sets are in the U.S. now but I am not sure. I believe they were acquired through a Customs/DEA auction but I am not sure of that either.
The one set that I know of is now in the possession of Larry Brahms who was kind enough to send me the attached photos . Maybe, if you ask him nicely, He will show them at the Gathering, coming up.
Hope you enjoyed this little bit of history.
BOB

 "Knives for the Columbians" 

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Thanks for reading.

Every Day Is A Gift!

xo

Suz

When Did I Become a New Mexican ??

 Sunset from my garden

Nine years ago this summer I moved to New Mexico.  I packed my jeep to the top and drove by myself from Chicago with 2 cats, one golden retriever and a tarantula.(sounds like the old song "Sweet Betsy from Pike)  My son was at camp, and would meet me in a few weeks at the Albuquerque Sunport.  The movers would arrive within a week.  I moved here because there was a private school for my son that taught dyslexic kids.  At 12 he was not reading...and I had had enough of Illinois Special Ed.  He had to learn to read and write, and time was running out.

My parents called me constantly while I was on the road.  They rung their hands and shook their heads about their daughter, "a woman all by herself" crossing the county, and moving to a state they knew little about.  We had driven through New Mexico on our "Route 66 Tour" when I was 8.  I guess I was asleep, as I didn't remember a thing. I had one acquaintance in Albuquerque.  When I drove through Oklahoma it was over 100 degrees.  When I arrived at my rental house is was 107 at high noon.  I thought to myself: "I've really done it this time!"

 We face the Sandia Mountains

Faith eventually over came my panic attacks and I settled in.  My son arrived sooner than later, and began his 18 month term at the year round school.  On a hot August morning I went to the local Albertsons.  When I got out of the car I smelled the most incredible smell.  A mixture of smoke, sweet, and spice.  Like a cartoon character  my nose followed the white trail of smoke to a man in the parking lot turning a black cage over a fire.  In this screened cage were green chilies roasting.  "This smells AMAZING!" I exclaimed to a man who was roasting himself on black pavement over a fire. "Mmmmhmmm" and a nod was all I got.  I went into Albertsons and could smell  the roasted green chilies on my shirt.  I ended up buying an entire burlap bag. Hovering around them as they roasted like a dog at feeding time.  I had no idea what I would do with these roasted beauties...and I didn't care.  The internet provided me with the answers and recipes.

 I can't eat a cheeseburger without a roasted green chili on it.

Recently we have had lots of visitors who are here for their first time.  One said: "I feel like I have landed on the moon!"  My response was: "this place grows on you."  I can say that goes double for me.  Albuquerque is sunny most of the year.  Rain coming only in summer, and occasional snow in December (although we did have a 24" once).  There is no sense of urgency here.  Some call it: "the land of manyana."  I call it the "land of whenever."  There are arroyos that are dry ditches most of the year. When it rains they flood, cross main roads, and close many.  Within hours the water is gone. There is nothing like the smell in the desert after a hard rain.  I swear you can hear the plants drinking!  A few days later cactus bloom, and wild flowers seem to pop out of nowhere. There are O'Keefe paintings everywhere I look.

I had to take this photo at 8 am...the snow melts in an instant, once the sun comes out.

Double rainbows are almost a daily occurrence  in summer.

I came from a city known for it's architecture, and lake front views.  Where gray overcast skies are a way of life, and beg for Prozac.  I now live in a place where there is almost no architecture, and little water. I don't seem to mind it anymore.  Because I am looking at the Sandia Mountains that change color and texture all day long.  I feel like they are looking back at me.  From my front porch I can see the Bosque along the Rio Grande river, and 50 miles past that.  From my deck I can see even further, and need binoculars to see the horizon.

Blue skies, humming birds, road runners, painted horses, and red chili ristras are an every day event.  Even though I still move at lightening speed...it's slower lightening speed.  Slow enough to watch the sunset show every evening. Slow enough to notice cloud formations.  Slow enough to stand out in the rain and smell that wonderful aroma.  Sandia means watermelon in Spanish...the mountain turns watermelon  pink just before the sun slips into the west for the night.  Our  house turns pink inside for about 5 minutes.  As I type this, the mountains are in back of my screen...almost a distraction.

 Red chili ristras

When did I start to love hot and dry?  When did I begin to crave the taste and smell of green chili?  When we travel I get a claustrophobic feeling when I can't see the horizon.  When did the landscape become more important than the buildings in it?  I look forward to Spanish Market,  Indian Market, and Balloon Fiesta like they are Christmas. When did I cross the line and become a New Mexican?
I can't say.  All I know is that I'm here now, and I'm not going back.  I don't mind that my blonde hair and blue eyes say to all:"she's not from here."  I'm here now.  That's all that really matters.

Balloon Fiesta

Spanish Market in Santa Fe

Poster from Indian Market. Artwork by Tony Abyeta

 Mateo Romero's Painting

Thanks for reading.  

Every day is a gift!!!!!!

xo

Suz

PS. My son learned to read and write. :-)
PSS The name of the school in Albuquerque is DLD. They use other neuropathways to teach reading.

Yes I Can!

I've been busy doing things around the house all week.  My business is slow.  I "should" be getting ready for the Gathering Show in Las Vegas.  Instead I am canning peaches and tomatoes from last year that have been frozen.  I have to make room for this year's haul.

On the kitchen table above are 12 jars of peach jam...I left it chunky.  Also a UFO peter pan squash that was hiding and got larger than edible.  Bob helped last night with the hot water bath.  He had never canned before.  He said he remembers his aunt canning with parafin wax.  I have no memories of this from my childhood.  Women on the North Shore of Chicago didn't can.  When I moved to the farm, I did a lot of canning.  Bob and I plan to do pickles next, then dilly beans.

This photo is the inside of the canning pot.  It has a rack to put the jars on. This pot is HUGE!

Somewhere out in the universe are my canning tools from the farm.  When I bought this pot a few years ago, it could only be found at Walmart.  I called around.  Believe me, NO ONE knew WHAT a canning pot was! In Walmart  I was holding it my arms waiting in line to pay...a man came up to me.  With tears in his eyes, he said: "I love a woman who cans.  I suppose you have a significant other?  My late wife and I used to can together before she passed away."  How sweet was that?  We shared some of our canning favorites, and some disasters.  People around us could hear, and looked stymied.  I mean really...who cans anything today?  

You'd be surprised.  Many of my Etsy sisters commented on a canning treasury I created.  So there are closet canners.  :-)  Ball published a book that is the easiest guide to canning: "The Blue Book."

Thanks for reading. I'm still amazed that you do.

xo

Suz