In the post "Library Card" I misidentified a shrub by the entrance to my apartment as lavender. It's actually Russian Sage. There is giant lavender here as well, and I'm looking forward to planting some in the spring. There's a lavender festival in the summer which I'll be sure to visit. The herbs here grow so much bigger than in NY and there are so many different varieties that I have a lot to learn.
In the post "Apartment Life" I briefly wrote about what it's like to live in a small apartment. We have lived here for two and a half months now, and it has worked out extremely well. I'm very thankful that Stephen's company provided us with such a nice place to live while we looked for a house. Advantages: It takes me about 20 minutes to clean the entire apartment. It's super convenient to take your garbage and recycling to the bins. The gym is great, but there are also plenty of places to go for walks. Disadvantages: Annabelle can't go outside, she's a little bored, and having a litter box in the apartment is not my favorite thing. I scoop constantly. I still don't love hauling groceries up 4 flights of stairs, although I have learned to shop more frequently and buy less at a time.
I came here with a few instruments, maybe half of my clothes, my computer, 2 cookbooks, a very few kitchen things, and the cat. I miss the rest of my instruments, my bike, my kitchen, and my books/music. Oh yeah, and my mattress. I really miss my garden and all the produce I would have frozen by now. I'm looking forward to moving into our new house with all my stuff. But all things considered, apartment life has been good to us.
In the post "A Little Hike" I mentioned that Stephen has never been an outdoor person. I am absolutely thrilled to say that he actually looks forward to our weekend hikes, and suggests new places to hike. He is also considering getting a mountain bike so we can ride the trails near our new house together. Wow! What a bonus for me.
The house hunt was successful, and we're planning to close on Dec. 4 and move in Dec. 10. We have a few projects planned, but mostly the house is ready for occupancy. I want to strip wallpaper and paint the master bathroom, and I would like to change some window treatments. Stephen is going to put up a wall between the laundry room and a space he will use for extra garage storage. One of these days we'll take out the dining room carpet and put in a wood floor, and a wet bar will be converted to a pantry. Oh, and we are going to convert the fireplace from wood to gas, seeing as how we don't have a backyard full of trees anymore!
We have close neighbors but are separated by stucco walls. However, behind our back garden wall is open space, and at the end of the cul-de-sac is the trail head. I took this photo standing in our driveway. We can hike to the mountains you see in the distance.
This photo is the walkway from the street to the front entrance. Guests can more conveniently access the house from the driveway, though.
Professionally, I am starting to substitute teach although I haven't been called for music yet. I am teaching about 24 lessons per week at the New Mexico School of Music, a private lesson studio in Nob Hill. And I'm enjoying playing in the percussion section of the Albuquerque Concert Band. I do have a new appreciation for the percussion section, particularly right now as I'm sporting a lovely purple bruise on the top of my foot from dropping an orchestral triangle on it. There really IS extra gravity back there! I always suspected as much.
Stephen continues to love his job and the city of ABQ. The excellent adventure continues...
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