A brief respite from the holiday rush

I was going a hundred miles an hour at home yesterday, cleaning, decorating, making long shopping lists, and generally being frantic, when my husband Wayne suggested a lunch "down the valley." There is an older part of town south of where we live, called the Lower Valley, that still retains a flavor of the past, with many small businesses, cotton fields, and several missions.

One of our favorite restaurants is El Mesón de Oñate on Socorro Road.

Outside view of El Mesón de Oñate 

The dining room was not crowded like many mall restaurants are this time of year.  Ah, the calm!

Interior of restaurant

We relaxed and dived into the complimentary basket of tostadas with red and green chile sauce. Yum.   Potato chips I can resist, tostadas I cannot.

Tostadas, red chile sauce, green chile sauce

Wayne's favorite dish here is a taco salad, served in a large fried corn tortilla shell.  I generally order the caldo de res, which is a special type of beef stew with carrots, cabbage. corn on the cob and zucchini squash, It is served with a slice of lime, Mexican-style rice, and warm corn tortillas. I put the meat over on Wayne's plate and then enjoy an (almost) vegetarian meal.

Caldo de res

Caldo de res  is a staple of Mexican restaurants in our area and is generally served for lunch. Several times I have arrived at a restaurant on a chilly day for a late lunch of caldo, only to be told "Ya no hay."  (It's all gone).

We were unfortunately too full to order a traditional dessert of flan, a special type of custard with caramel sauce. 

As we left the restaurant, I could see the Socorro Mission in the distance, reminding me of the long history and special character of this area.

Socorro Mission in the distance

Lunch at El Mesón de Oñate was a brief but welcome respite to the hustle and bustle of the season.  Bring on those holiday tasks. I'm ready now! 

A fun pre-Christmas Sunday

Around the first day of December each year, I start scouring the local media sources for inspiration to get into the Christmas spirit.  I'm one of those people (like Dicken's Scrooge) who needs a boost to reset my normally serious personality with the holiday spirit.

So when I read that Ardovino's Desert Crossing was holding their annual Christmas Fair on Sunday, December 7, I started anticipating the chance to add a little sparkle to life.  Ardovino's is a unique establishment located just over the state line from El Paso, Texas in the neighboring town of Sunland Park, New Mexico.

Entrance to Ardovino's Desert Crossing

Ardovino's is loaded with charm.  It consists of a comfortable bar, a gourmet restaurant with scenic views over the mountains, and several outdoor areas with plants native to our southwest area.  A windmill and an outdoor tiled pizza oven add personality to the grounds.  The Christmas Fair was held in a large outbuilding and tent on the property.

Patio at Ardovino's Desert Crossing

On days and evenings when the weather cooperates - and it often does in the Desert Southwest- diners can sit outside on the patio.  And if you are there at just the right time, you can catch a view of a train coming around the mountain, 

Can you spot the train on the left?

My husband Wayne and I decided to have breakfast before we attended the fair.  A wreath greeted us at the door of the restaurant.

Entrance to restaurant

The restaurant was lively, filled with diners of all ages and walks of life.

Ardovino's Restaurant

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I ordered a breakfast dish called"Trailer Park Biscuits and Gravy."  And it was quite a treat.

Fortified with good food and strong coffee, we were ready for the Christmas Fair.  And it did have holiday atmosphere.  Lots of cheerful people were browsing the vendors' tables for home baked goods, items for house decoration (many with  local themes), plants, clothing, soaps, and holiday gifts.

Although we came away empty handed, the Ardovino's Christmas Fair experience made me feel like the holidays are really here. Bring on the decorating, the card addressing, the cookie making, and the present wrapping.  I'm ready for you now.

Some bright spots in a gloomy day

Yes, it is definitely autumn in El Paso, Texas. Rain is predicted for today. The promise of precipitation has great significance in the desert southwest, where average rainfall is only about nine inches a year. Although the normally brilliant blue sky is now a monotonous gray cloud cover, the hint of moisture in the atmosphere calls a person outside.  And walking in the yard in the early morning about an hour after sunrise,  here are some bright spots I discovered.

Pomegranate tree

The pomegranate tree (or rather bush!) has put on its light gold fall colors.  Pomegranate trees grow well in our area.  We have the one pictured in a sheltered courtyard and another volunteer plant in the back yard.  They were actual trees until a severe frost damaged them several winters ago.

Pyrancantha bush

The pyracantha bush has put on a brilliant display of Christmas red berries just in time for the season. The plant was a tiny close-out purchase from a local nursery years ago for under five dollars. The bush does take some pruning from time to time, but when the cooler weather arrives, it is one of my favorite plants. 

Green cassia

The cassia has grown into a monster!  In early spring, it will have fragrant yellow blossoms.  My husband and I keep telling each other we need to prune the cassia back, but no one has volunteered to tackle that task yet.

The sage bush, where the outdoor cat Cry Baby has a hiding spot, puts on colorful purple blooms when the atmospheric conditions (details of which are still a bit of a mystery to me) are just right.  I'm going to check for color in a couple of days because of our rain chances this week.

Sometimes we try so hard to make a beautiful yard, when all it takes is accepting what nature has to offer. This desert plant volunteered to grow in a sheltered spot, and I find it quite attractive.

I have a special place in my heart for the hardy, undemanding plants in our yard. No pampering required here!   These plants certainly lifted my spirits while I was waiting for the sun to return to the desert southwest.