Los Poblanos

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Who does not thank for little, will not thank for much.--Estonian Proverb


Sometimes it's hard to notice the "little things" in life to be grateful for... until something happens to them. For instance... taking the dryer for granted until the heating element suddenly quits working... and then you realize how very much you use your dryer... and how nice it is to have one that works. Just an example... but it happened to us earlier this year... and now every time I do a load of laundry... I am thankful for my washer and dryer and the fact that they work.

And so... here are FIVE "little things" I am grateful for today:
1. heat. I am grateful for a working heating system in my house... and in my car.
2. adequate plumbing. Toilets that flush... sinks that drain... faucets that shower me with fresh water.
3. electricity. Lights that allow me to work late at night... a refrigerator that keeps my food from spoiling.
4. fresh air.
5. fresh foods available at my local stores... many of it organic. I am so grateful for the farmers who provide me with great local produce.


And so... the top photo is from Los Poblanos... where tons of fresh produce is gently farmed and gathered for local people to buy. And the bottom two photos are from Trader Joe's... a local (fantastic) chain of shops where I can get lots of fresh, organic... healthy, whole foods.

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

ABC Wednesday





*all photos by Elaine A. Russell


ABC Wednesday is a blog posting with a twist. The host (Mrs. Nesbitt) hails from Great Britain... and there are participants from all over the world. Each week, people focus their post on a letter of the alphabet. They started with the letter "A" --and each week you post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. It is a fun, imaginative exercise... and it is great to see what everyone comes up with. This week's letter is, "O".

Today there were just soooo many choices.... organic, ochre, orange, omnipotent.....olive, opalescent, owl, ozone, ort.....

In the end, my word choice was:
Oratory: Etymology: Middle English oratorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin oratorium, from Latin orare. Date: 14th century
: a place of prayer; especially : a private or institutional chapel

To go with this word, I decided on photos I took at the Los Poblanos Ranch this weekend. It is a totally organic farm, inn, shop, heritage house, and lands located here in ABQ.
To me.... this garden area is an oratory. It definately feels like a sacred place of prayer to me... enveloped in gorgeous cottonwood trees, falling golden leaves, peaceful winds, and the sound of songbirds.

To see more on this fabulous place: http://www.lospoblanos.com/

Los Poblanos Ranch


This weekend, I went to the Los Poblanos Ranch with a couple friends. I have never been there before.... wow... what a shame. This is the kind of place that you could spend years at, and never get tired of. ((http://www.lospoblanos.com/)) While there, we saw the poultry area, the lavendar fields, a gorgeous sitting area amidst the cottonwoods, the farm shop... there was even a plein air class going on.(http://painting.about.com/od/landscapes/a/plein_air_paint.htm). Words cannot adequately express how beautiful the place is... so I will leave you with some photos. I will show more photos over the course of the next few days.




*photos by Elaine A. Russell