Why didn't I get here sooner!

 Had a little gift from God come my way today when I was feeling like I was going to go into a bit of a slump.  Talked the hubby into going to the botanical garden here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  We planned to bring the bikes, but last minute didn't, which turned out okay.  We got there and from the first second I was blown away.  It was an oasis in this desert that I really needed to know that I can go to whenever, just whenever.  So I became a member.  So now I can go to the zoo, the aquarium or this garden any day and I can bring a guest for free.  Yeah!

This was a great day.  I even had a good lunch of Thai curry in town.  Didn't think I could get that, but obviously I just hadn't tried hard enough. 

The garden had a nice butterfly area.  The kids area is GREAT.    My favorite spot would have to be the Japanese garden. It was honestly like being back in Portland and that's a nice thing to be able to go to when I want to.  Yet it will be sunny which is even greater. 

NM news - could you eat your best friend?

Woke up, turned on the morning national news show and New Mexico is in the news.  In Roswell there is a couple that would like to be able to slaughter horses and export to Europe mostly where they consider the meat to be a delicacy.  I love horses and I'm so excited that there will be two in the next yard where we are building, but I don't have strong feeling for this topic.  The opposing voice is that you can't eat your friend and horses are man's friend.  I'm assuming that no one is taking a person's best horse friend to the slaughter house without that person's permission.

Would I eat  horse meat myself... I don't think it would freak me out or anything.  I eat veal and that should freak me out, some say.  Would I eat my own horse that I had trained and raised and cared for, probably not.  But that's not to say that when the time comes for the horse to be put down - as happens - would I be opposed to sending the horse to be meat - I don't think that is a bad way to go.

I happen to have had the experience of watching a horse be loaded on a trailer after it died, and I have to say that that was not a particularly humane experience in itself, even though the horse died on it's own, in it's own barn.  Due to the size and weight of these guys, they hitch them up to a winch and drag them to the trailer.  I lived in the next lot, across the field and was painting a room when I notice the commotion outside.  The buddy, Shetland pony was having a complete fit that his pal was dead and it was pretty tragic.  The family who owned the horses had left during it, knowing it would be upsetting.  Wish I had got the memo.

This issue is piggy backed with my daughter coming home all excited from her anatomy class yesterday.  "Guess what I got to do today???"  No idea. "I got to look at a human cadaver, 60 year old woman, it was so cool.  I want to donate my body when I die."  So there you go.  Hundreds of people will look and poke and dissect my daughter for a year after she dies.  Then her body will be cremated and set to me in an envelope.  Is that humane...?  It's fine.  I never want to spend money on a casket, let alone a horse casket.

Spring Break Every Day

Today was one of those days when I got up and went for a walk before the shower.  I had the added fun of my recently returned college kid joining me and it was great.  The weather was perfect if not a little blindingly sunny, but I had my specs and hat, so I was fine.  After being raised in Minnesota and living a bit too long in Oregon, days like today need to be savored - like you would a family holiday.  Only it's not a holiday - well it is in much of Europe, but not here.  It's May day.

When the kids were little we made a big deal of May Day.  We made some sort of container - that would hang on peoples doors.  We filled them with candy and in the wee hours we delivered our May Day baskets.  We filled the red wagon and the kids loved it.  People suspected it was us - as we also were the organizers of the block party and anything else that happened there.  We made our baskets out of paper plates, or folded paper or cups.  Each year trying to think of something new.

Miss those days a bit.  Loved the young kid stage.  Now all they want to do is go shopping with my credit card.