photos by Elaine A. Russell

We have lived in ABQ for almost 15yrs. We were able to afford this house because the previous owners had gone thru a major domestic battle... and had trashed the place. Since then, we have done mostly structural things....removed carpet, put in tile flooring ...new roof... new stucco... re-enforced walls around the property... new water treatment system...new furnace... new swamp cooler...stuff like that.

For the past several years though.... we have had barely functioning bathrooms and kitchen. Today is the end of that. Today I have 4 guys who are seriously demolishing the main doors to our house... tearing apart the bathrooms, and soon will be tearing apart the kitchen.

Buffy and Genghis are "holed up" in my daughter's room... breathing heavily on the windows where they can see people coming and going. Sabrina is at my feet... not liking the sound of reciprocating saws much at all.

But it is all good. I think the chaos in the house is reflective of the way my life has gone for a long time now... and the change is good. Soon the house... and I... will be "up to par."

Yesterday, I spent part of the afternoon strolling around Old Towne. It was wonderful. It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of people enjoying the area. There was a mariachi band playing near the gazebo. I got a few fabulous beads at NM Bead and Fetish. I stopped at the beautiful San Felipe de Neri chuch. http://www.sanfelipedeneri.org/

And I also stopped at a small grotto-like chapel in Old Towne called The Our Lady of Guadelupe Chapel. ... with thanks and prayers said for the work ahead.

Photos for today's post are from my visit yesterday afternoon.