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Daily gratitudes:
- A day at the Retreat
- The chile thermometer
- A new hummingbird feeder
- Music
- Sunshine
I’ve gone quiet. But I’m okay. It’s been a month of more losses for people I love. It’s been hot and dry, even here in the Wet Mountains. The Cozy House has been scraped to nothing, though I haven’t been back yet to see the nothingness. They did not tell me before they did it, as they were supposed to, so I didn’t have the chance to be there. I hadn’t decided if it would be good for me or not. And then they made the decision for me. We’re coming up on six months and some days, some thoughts, the pain of the loss is unbearable and other times, I forget that it’s real. I’m sure I’ll feel like writing about that soon.
But for now, I feel like sharing images, so I’ll share some from last month’s (kind of a shitshow) trip to lovely Albuquerque.

Daily gratitudes (I need to keep doing these):
- A cooler day
- Snuggly Pharaoh
- Minor indulgences
- Work
- Sunlight








Today’s gratitudes:
- Curious (and shorn) alpacas
- Room service
- Favorite trees







Daily gratitudes:
- MKL
- Do-overs
- That the wind has calmed a smidge

While I generally prefer cooking with fresh things, this is an easy, tasty vegetarian dish that I can throw together in minutes. It’s might spicy, so tastebuds beware!
Mexican Quinoa
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic (I use the bottled stuff)
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 c. quinoa (I use the stuff that’s already kind of cooked)
- 1 c. vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 15 oz. can corn, drained
- 1 can diced jalapeño peppers, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Diced avocado
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin and stir for about a minute. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, jalapeños, and quinoa. After about 1 minute, add the broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Remove pan from heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Add a half an avocado, diced, to each bowl when serving. Serves 4 as an excellent spicy comfort food.

Today’s gratitudes:
- Firefighters
- Having the end of MKL’s move in sight
- Almost two months with no sugar (because I’m sweet enough as it is, damn it)





Today’s gratitudes:
- Goats
- Grazing alpacas
- MKL
- Tulips blooming today



Today’s gratitudes:
- Lovely neighbors
- Horses
- Counting down the days
- A plane ticket in hand (even if it’s just to Dallas)
On Hwy. 12, somewhere between Weston and Segundo.






Today’s gratitudes:
- Lemon ginger tea









Today’s gratitudes:
- That K does not have COVID-19
- Sleep
- Lemon ginger tea
- A repaired stair
I’m really not traveling the county roads in numerical order – though that might be fun.








Today’s gratitudes:
- Dirt roads
- An annual State parks pass
- Meadowlarks
- Getting gas for under $4.00/gallon