Did I mention it's the LITTLE things that make life so wonderful?

Of COURSE I did.  It's what this blog is all about after all.  Simple pleasures.  Life's little gifts.  Things that make me/you/us smile, laugh, snicker, ponder, wonder, cry, shout, question and just generally appreciate the seemingly diminutive moments and things that make every day worth living. 

So the subject of today's little thing?  Arugula.  

You heard  me right Arugula is the source of my joy today.  Wanna know why?  (Here's another thing that's great about blogs.  You can answer the question above any way you see fit but no matter what you say or think, I'm gonna keep right on typing.  So it's a win/win.  Navigate away or keep reading....we all get what we want.)  

Oh lord - I can tell digression is going to be central to this posting.  It's been WAAAAY to long.  So here's why Arugula keeps making me grin.....

My sister and I (and any number of other family members who shall remain nameless) were recently thrust into a very emotionally tumultuous event.  While tugging on each other's bootstraps in the midst of a number of melt downs and frustrating moments, my sister and I shared not one...but several moments of bliss centered around a humble little edible plant -- arugula -- also known as eruca sativa, rocket plant, rucola, and  rocquette. 

Let me back up just a bit so that I can confess a total lack of knowledge regarding the vast variety of leafy bits that make up our salads.  I eat A LOT of salads and generally speaking, before now, I could really only point out a couple them by name: iceberg, romaine, cabbage, etc.  Every Saturday I go to the market across the street from our condo.  One particular Saturday not too long ago, I picked up some very large leafed (is that even a word?) arugula.  I felt confident I had arugula prior and it looked innocent enough -- but really, who puts a taste value on leaves?  I mean, don't we all judge a good salad by the OTHER things on the salad?  Nuts, chicken, dressing, raisins, eggs, etc?  Well, no more my friends!  Because now I know the greatness of arugula and have started what seems to be a cult....of two.  

I enjoyed my salads so much the week after I picked up the arugula at the market (oh, btw, try arugula in a rice wrap....AH-MAZING!), that when my sister and I were shopping for some groceries for our mom, we bought a HUGE case of baby arugula.  That afternoon, my God-fearing sister became a worshiper of a new God....the God of lettuce everywhere.....ERUCA SATIVA (or to us simpletons...arugula).  Yes, I've gone off the deep end and no, I don't mind if you come with or visit occasionally.   I tell you what though -- I think my sister was way ahead of me in the "gone off the reservation department"....talking about eating it by itself as a snack...and how fabulously nutty it is.  I think she told her poor daughter no less than 17 times how great arugula is and how central to her life it had become in just a few short days.  Preach on sister! My niece? NOT impressed with our new found devotion to the leaf.  We will have to work on specific initiation rituals before she is allowed into our cult.  Perhaps arugula-laced banana shakes???

For my sis' benefit and anyone else who gives a whooey, here are some wunnerful qualities of arugula.  One point of contention though, the below article describes the taste as peppery but I'm with sis on this one....nutty...through and through.

Health Benefits of Arugula

And if you really want to annoy people with your expansive eruca sativa knowledge, take a looky loo at this: 

the language chef - arugula

Road Trippin and the Tinkertown Museum

Last year was a VERY busy year for us so you'll, I hope, forgive that I am just getting around to posting some 2012 tidbits.  Some things I'm sure I'll never get around to but there's at least one thing that I have to spread the word about or I won't be able to live with myself.  See, last May, husbear and I rented an RV (we'll call her "Bessie") and drove a sorta upside down horseshoe through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico then through Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee to get back to Northern Virginia.  It was a fantastic trip and I'm so so glad we did it.  I hope to share more of our adventures in the NO SHIT wild wild west but first and foremost, I need to let you in on a little secret.

Should you ever be in the neighborhood (and trust me, you won't ever be....so just drive there on purpose ok?), you should stop by this little museum/curio/roadside attraction/junkyard/all around awesome venue: THE TINKERTOWN MUSEUM.  It was the ONE damn thing I really wanted to do on this roadtrip that didn't involve majestic scenery, hiking until we were purple in the face, or eating BBQ (we did all that too and yes....it was equally awesome).  Er...maybe not equally.  Because if you're me, the Tinkertown Museum pretty much epitomizes everything that is right and good in the world of road trips.

A sign found in Tinkertown that puts into words why RVing is still so popular and why we did this instead of a European vacation.

My husband had a moment's hesitation where he almost insisted we keep driving because we we needed to "start covering some ground" but a quick look at my face and I think he knew it was a fight he ever had a chance of winning.  In any case, he did right by me and indulged my inner child (thank you dear) by stopping at this relic.

There have been many articles written and interviews given about this place so I won't bore you with the history.  If you want to know more, you can do so by clicking here, here, or here. 

And here's a video of Tinkertown with possibly the worst flute music I've ever heard:

What I will say is that almost everything in Tinkertown was MADE BY HAND over a 40 year period by one guy, Ross Ward (the dearly departed).

I think, in my case, I'll just let the pictures tell the story.  Here are just a few snapshots from the museum that was made "while you were watching TV"....

I can't remember how much we paid to get into the museum but it was worth every damn penny so cough that shit up if you find yourself in Sandia, NM.

 

Wish this picture did justice to the scale of the place and the work that went in.  I mean, one guy carved ALL that stuff!  Sorry, I know it's a crap picture - I was TOO excited!

Even Mary Poppins makes a visit.  How very superkalifragilisticexpialidocious!

PBR me ASAP

This was one of my favorites though I can't say I understand it.  The Rusty Wyer Band is jamming out (you can see the whole band here) but what's that scary little ol' lady doin?  I don't know but it makes a great photo op.

Seriously?  How freakin' cool is that?? Who needs to drive all the way to Tombstone when you can have THIS experience at Tinkertown?  Um...no one.

This is one of the many "automated" displays.  There's a little switch you can turn that makes the chicken run away from the chef.  If you look close, you can see the chicken there....and the chef running after him with a meat cleaver.  Can you imagine?  The chicken alone must have taken him a full day to carve.  Crazy when you think about it!

This one makes me think he may have had a wee carving....problem/addiction.

Forgive the poor picture quality but this was pretty neat too.  He did a scaled Big Top circus and up top were real photos of circus performers.

The deets:  Tinkertown is open from April 1st through October 31st, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week -- last admission sold at 5:30 pm

ADULTS: $3.50
GEEZERS (62+): $3.00
KIDS 4-16: $1.00
KIDS Under 4: Free

121 Sandia Crest Rd  Sandia Park, NM 87047


And one more thing, I think I have to thank my parents for instilling in me the ability to appreciate things like this.  This place truly is a simple pleasure in a complex world and I'm glad we went just a little bit out of our way to visit.  The dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point in Utah was another great example of this but I guess that's a story for another day.  Anyway, thanks to mom and dad for all the quirky road trips - makes you appreciate the little things. 

Stupid pride and grocery bags!

I am SO disappointed in myself right now!  On the way home from the gym today, there was the most fabulous picture taking opportunity and I failed!  I have no excuse really.  I was carrying one (not terribly heavy) grocery bag and was in a (not really at all) hurry to let Cassie out.

I actually thought to myself, "Don't worry about it Lindsey.  If you don't take a picture, SURELY you'll be able to find something on line that helps people understand."  Seriously, that's how lazy I've become?  It's not even laziness - it's pride.  Every good blogger or photographer (not that I'm claiming to be either) knows that you MUST have your camera at the ready at all times because you never know when that perfect moment will appear.  And I did! I did have my effing camera and I could have easily stopped. But I always have a twinge of guilt when taking photos that I think are fascinating but that are just status quo for the subject.  It's as if I fear they think I'm mocking them which isn't the case at all...it's just fascinating.  Asians don't have this problem and hell, I've had about 5 people ask to take a picture of Cassie and I don't flinch so I really SHOULD know better.  But I suck...nuff said.

Point is, no one would have cared!  And if I'd just taken the picture,  I'd be able to share with you the most genius contraption I've seen in the recent (and maybe even distant) past.

There were several work trucks parked alongside the hotel next door to us and some workers were milling about on the sidewalk.  Sitting or leaning or smoking - whatever...blah blah blah.  The day had just taken a turn for the oppressive.  Earlier it had been dry and relatively cool with a breeze but the afternoon showers were making their way in and so was the moisture -- making for a pretty uncomfortable time to take a break on the sidewalk.

So, I was walking by them all, smiling, attempting to be respectful and sympathetic but so so so glad that my cool hotel room was just yards away.  And then I saw it, someone had found the perfect way to beat the afternoon heat - or at least catch a comfortable siesta.  This guy had rigged a full size hammock INSIDE the cabin of one of the work trucks that was parked in the shade.  And he was zonked.

It was perfect but words will never do it justice.  Perhaps a diagram??

 

 +

      


argh, I can't even make a good diagram!  Anyway, you get the idea.  Thing on the left plus thing on the right=awesome. 

And I missed it all....
Mission not accomplished.