WEEK ENDING JUNE 17TH

     This was an awesome week. Hundreds of authors, historians, publishers, one lone agent, University Presses representatives were in attendance. There were a few unpublished hanger-ons like me, Nancy. We went to our room one afternoon and Charles walked over to his computer and said, "Now I want to sit down and write."

     The panel of publishers and agents was informative. They each spoke on several questions and all asked for manuscripts. The panel was followed by evaluations of writers as they signed up and had a sample of their work.

     We did find time to explore Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Santa Fe is not the little New Mexico village that I remembered from the 60s when I lived in Albuquerque. The new buildings, and the old, must follow a strict building code since all were adobe in the same terracotta color. We saw lush patios and potted plants everywhere; charming, and yet we could almost see how Santa Fe would have looked a hundred years ago. I know, I know it would not have been so clean and there would have been horses. We visited the New Mexico History Museum Campus and attended another panel after a tour of The Press at the Palace of the Governors. The old press tour was a taste of the work involved with printing books and notices years ago.  Our guide was a professor, Thomas Leach who still uses the presses to publish as he printed us bookmarks with the exhibit’s hand press.  His commented that the difficulty of the presses and obtaining type influenced the way writers wrote.  Sometimes, words had to be changed, as the original could not be set since the required type was not available.

    We had lunch at the La Fonda where we shared a huge plate of Mexican food, and visited the old Loretto Chapel just off the square with the miracle circular staircase and some very life like statues at the Stations of the Cross.

     After a short break at the museum with tea and cookies, we had an extra hour on the square where we stocked up on refrigerator magnets. We lost most all of our pictures and magnets awhile back and it is beginning to look nice and cluttered again. Charles bought a huge, wiggly crab magnet in Port Arkansas and it looks a little scary. I call it a diet aid.

     Back in Albuquerque, we had one afternoon free so Charles drove me around my old neighborhood to look for my house. I could not remember much except the big lotus tree in the front yard. Since that was about 50 years ago, the tree would have to be really huge now or dead and gone. I thought I remembered the address, but it was not there. My kids were in kindergarten or so about then. On the way, we found the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History and had to stop and browse. I found a nuclear hat (no it was not radioactive, just a red ball cap) and he got a math cup with the formula for mass, velocity, time, and energy. It was interesting. It is no longer a Sandia Corp venture and has other funding now.

     We did try to find Old Town but it seemed to be lost in a canyon of building towers. Saturday, before the final meeting we armed ourselves with maps and directions and found Old Town right where it always was. I did not find the cooking in the square with mutton stew and fry bread. We ate at the La Fiesta. When our sopapillas were served, I commented that I missed finding the fry bread they used to make outside. Our waitress said, "But that is the sopapillas you have here." Well, and I have been eating them all the time.

     We drove to Albuquerque from Charles' house at the beginning of the week and found it an easy drive, which we shared, and drove back Sunday, Father's Day. As we were driving through Lubbock, we called Vanessa, Charles' granddaughter who works in hospice, to invite her to lunch to help us celebrate the Day. Our GPS found a good China Star. We drove the rest of the way home on full.  We were home before dark even after stopping to pick up a few fresh things and material for two prayer quilts at church.

     We had a good trip and thank you God for keeping us safe. My grandson Clifferd was also blessed as he had a bad accident Saturday when he was stopped for a light.  A truck tail ended him going about 50 miles an hour and knocked him into another lane where another car hit him in the side. He has a concussion and is stiff, sore, and safe. No car left, it was totaled.  He had only two more payments, and was starting a week of vacation at the shore with friends. So, he is stuck at home, hurting and bored, with no car, and following the doctor's orders.  About the only fun thing is looking for a new car on the internet.

      It is good to be home.