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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Albuquerque & Branson Vacation Report

I've decided...I prefer green over brown and hills over flat! It had been YEARS since I was in the southwest (like 1976!), so I was excited to go to Albuquerque and hoped to slip in Santa Fe as well. Sew..the Annual Conference of the American Sewing Guild where I taught and had a booth was a wonderful opportunity. My hubby and I have worked shows for all of his vacation time since 2005 - so we decided it was long overdue to take (for the first time) a 2 week vacation!
Venturing out with prayers that Barney the purple Club Van would get us there - outside Missouri the "Check Engine" light went on. To Autozone we go - and that fixed it for a bit. Then in the middle of Oklahoma on a Sunday morning - it comes on again - but God showed up again providing an open place that fixed it right off the highway.
Onto Santa Fe we go - and it comes on AGAIN! I'm not technical enough to share what was wrong - something about mix of oxygen and gas - but there we went to a great guy at the Auto Angel - right down the street. I DO know to always look for ASE as a designation of an honest good mechanic - and each of these were just that!
Santa Fe was great - though lots of stucco and hot! Dry hot? Doesn't make much difference to me - hot is hot and I don't like it! Certainly got our dose of art! Wish there was more fiber art - but there just wasn't. Were excited to schedule a cooking class with some other couples - but then it got cancelled. If you go to Santa Fe, be SURE to take in the Loretto Chapel with the winding un-supported miraculous staircase. Another God thing...
The Conference went fine - but by this time my foot that I must have fell on in some way during a fainting spell (over site of blood!) at my home 3 weeks earlier got aggravated - puffed and hurting like crazy.

Onto Branson, MO. Ahhhh - rolling hills and GREEN! Yea.... Loved it, loved it. SIX was our favorite show - 6 brothers that make absolutely every sound - no orchestra, recordings or anything - definitely our favorite show. Saw old friends lucky enough to live there - and it was goot to re-connect with Marth and Ken. Even looked around at places to buy - move to - a definite possibility in the future!
Went to a DR. regarding my foot - a broken toe! PUt me in a splint up to my knee and crutches - which I quickly determined was medical overkill - I'd have broken my neck on those crutches.
The other thing we loved about Branson is that it is true AMERICANA - patriotic, Christian, plain, simple, down-home: my definition of America. EVERY show gave tribute in some way to our veterans and those currently serving.
Can't recommend Branson, MO highly enough..... go!

1 comment:

Dena said...

While on a short-term field assignment in El Paso, Texas, I ventured into New Mexico. Being from the state of Washington, it was quite different to see red clay hills and no tall evergreens. Sorry to hear about your broken toe. Having broke my ankle in December and still recovering from it, I empathize. And you're right, you might have broken your neck using those crutches. LOL