Adios El Paso

Oh my! I haven't had THIS much fun in so long. There's nothing like reconnecting with friends after, what? 30 years to get the laughter going, the facial cheeks hurting and the beer a flowing. We had a FABULOUS time in El Paso, thanks to my hosts, Terry and Screwy Lewie Wright and fellow travelers and friends, Jeanne (Nelson) Ireland and Arlys Reyes. Is it scary that I can't remember Arlys' maiden name? As four women in their 50s will tell you....that's just normal. Oh yes, Lopez!

Here's a recap of the fun.
    Terry picked me up at the El Paso airport (BTW - beautifully done in the region's cultural colors and styles) and we immediately went to the bar to have a beer and wait for Jeanne's plane to arrive. After two beers and the customary chips and salsa, Jeanne joined us at the table for more gabbing. Who cares if her luggage was circling the carousel!!! Now, all we had to do was find Arlys, who mind you, was already in El Paso and was SUPPOSED to meet my plane. Turns out Arlys was locked inside a friend's house and they were trying to figure out a way to break OUT of the house! She eventually made it to the airport but missed the beer, chips and conversation!

    We all four climbed into Terry's car and went to lunch at Carlos and Mickey's. Terry and I were already over-served (Arlys was driving) but that didn't stop us from having the Texas margaritas (three shots of tequila). We sat there catching up til the Happy Hour crowd started pouring in. The nice thing is, that we were NOT rushed, asked to leave or even made to feel guilty about taking up a table for the whole afternoon. I LOVE EL PASO!

    Having never been to the city, Arlys gave us a tour of the city. We found it hysterical that Arlys, who lives in San Antonio now, still knew more about the town than Terry does. Being right on the edge of New Mexico and Mexico makes the city so interesting. There's even a mountain peak that has a cross on it where the two states and the two countries meet.

    We drove up to the top of a scenic overlook and they showed me where the Rio Grande was supposed to be. I say "supposed" to because the water is MIA...all that was there was the river bed! Can you say DROUGHT? My first and last impression is that El Paso is BROWN! The mountains are brown, the yards are brown, event the cactus are brown! I think I did see a bit of green but it was few and far between.

 Arlys then insisted that we visit Bowie's Bakery. Now if you have ever tasted Mexican pastry, well, it's not what we Americans have a hankering for. It's typically dry, bland and tasteless.  Sorry but it is! Arlys swore we just hadn't tried GOOD Mexican baked goods yet. Well, she was right! Man, everything we tasted was awesome. We ate just a little too much but it was fun trying all the really good  treats. A fun fact to know and keep to yourself...President George W. Bush had Bowie's delectables flown in to Washing DC for his inauguration!

   













   We finally made it to Terry's home and she gave us a tour of her very cool and colorful Adobe style home with a very sweet back patio. Now, for those of you who don't know Terry, she is an art teacher and a pretty incredible mosaic artist. Her work is on buildings all through El Paso! We even stopped and posed in front of one piece of her work at a children's center. One of the reasons for having this reunion in El Paso was so that Terry could teach us how to do mosaics.

      After the tour, we drank some more beer and wine and headed to a little pizzeria for dinner. Lest you think we are all pigs, I want you all to know that all we ate was salad. We were full, full, full but poor Lewis hadn't been with us during the day and was hungry so we needed to feed him.

      Saturday morning we woke up early and went to work on the mosaics. It was so much fun and I have to say that each of us did a pretty good job despite the fact that we were all novices. Learning to nip the bisque tiles was an art but we managed to conquer our fear of the nippers and possible eye damage and throw down some pretty nice artwork.

     We then cleaned up and headed out to do a little shopping in Old Messilla, New Mexico. I'm pretty darn sure I don't have the spelling right but does it really matter? What TRULY matters is that it was cool! Adobe houses, BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY (sorry Tom but I did overspend!) and some wonderful Mexican artwork captivated us until sundown. Then we headed over to a really cool restaurant called the Double Eagle that was an old historic home with "to-die-for" old chandeliers, tin ceilings, stained glass, etc. After more beer and margaritas, we talked and talked through an entire dinner service and AGAIN, no one rushed us. I love the mañana attitude. Even after a couple of hours, we still had to ask for our bill! (BTW - thank you Arlys.)

    Sunday, we woke up and Terry and I went for hike (boy did I need it after the amount of chips, guacamole, beer, margaritas and Mexican food and pastries consumed).  Then we came back and finished up the mosaics. She taught us how to grout and I have to say, our mosaics became even more beautiful.

Lewis made us a phenomenal lunch of fajitas and then it was time to go home. Too soon, too fast and a sad farewell with promises to not wait another 30 years til the next get together.

   What I'm struck by is how many years can pass between real friends and how you don't even skip a beat when you're back together. Terry's art students asked her "how do you know you'll still like them?" That's a question that only a teenager, who hasn't lived, can ask. Despite the different paths our lives have taken, there is a bond that is unbreakable by the mere passing of time.

    Jeanne is a witty and intelligent mother of two girls and one set of twins -- one of which is autistic. She has and continues to only see the bright side of life. She shared a great philosophy passed on to her by a developmental specialist who first diagnosed her daughter's autism...."she's not going to die of it" which puts it all into perspective when it comes to our kids. Terry is a wonderfully talented, creative and funny woman who has raised three great sons and taught them a rare gift...self confidence. She is a mosaic artist, creates beautiful rugs (THAT's our next art lesson), and has the uncanny ability to put a wild range of colors together and make it work. She is a great teacher and is just someone you want to hang with. Arlys is a wonderful, kind and generous mother and speech pathologist who works with children and can coax them out of their shells.  She has a wonderful life in San Antonio and a beautiful family grown from her incredible spirit. Soft, sweet and kind, she is the woman we all want to be!
 
  These women are incredible and I can't believe it took me 30 years to make a trip to come see them! Despite the passage of time, it's like we were still dorm friends getting together in one of our rooms and having an incredible time. That my dear teenage student is WHAT true friends are all about. I can't wait for you to discover that for yourself!