The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Grief is a sneaky beast. There I was, scrolling through social media mostly minding my own business, when it hit. It started out innocently enough. I was knee-deep in fancy... — Updated 2/28/2023

Our Christmas tree is still up. Neither one of us is in any great hurry to take it apart and put it in the duct-taped box. Clearly, since it’s February. In the wee hours each... — Updated 1/31/2023

Now that 2022 is in my rearview, I’m looking forward to whatever adventures 2023 holds. Nothing says “new year celebration” like sitting outside being sandblasted by intense... — Updated 1/4/2023

Christmas was simpler when I was a little kid. Maybe it was just that my wishes were simpler back then. I didn’t wish for world peace so much as I just believed it already... — Updated 12/6/2022

I blinked, and it’s November. Along with our usual flurry of activity with jobs and life and an eclectic crew of animals, my husband Wayne and I have had the added joy of serving... — Updated 11/1/2022

I need to hire a kid. STAT! I had the bright idea to get smart watches for us after seeing a news story about a woman whose watch alerted her to a dangerous medical condition. The... — Updated 10/4/2022

Growing up, we were taught to always do the right thing, no matter how difficult. We were taught that if we succeeded in something but did so by being dishonest or causing harm to... — Updated 9/8/2022

I’ve been thinking about my dad more so than usual. Probably because it’s August, his birth month. August has always been a time of celebration because of my dad’s birthday. I... — Updated 8/2/2022

Patchie, a beautiful white and black heeler, is our resident grouch. We’ve had her almost 10 years and she was probably about 2, give or take, when we found each other. Like so... — Updated 7/5/2022

June … it’s June. Usually by now, the toads and frogs are back.  It’s oddly quiet out here at Head Acres. I don’t know if it’s because it’s so dry or if there’s some... — Updated 5/31/2022

Hats off to new adventures. My husband Wayne and I officially began a new chapter, answering a call to serve as commissioned pastors of First Presbyterian Church in Tucumcari.... — Updated 5/3/2022

“Grace isn’t your middle name.” I heard that a lot growing up, mostly after I had landed in a messy heap doing something that ended badly. The nursery rhyme from the 1800s... — Updated 4/4/2022

Three weeks and counting. Spring 2022. It cannot get here soon enough. I’m ready to trade the darkness of winter for more daylight, more warmth. We can already see the ground... — Updated 3/1/2022

There’s quiet, and then there’s quiet. The first kind is expected. Really, I enjoy quiet like that because I can use the solitude to get a lot done before the noise of the day... — Updated 2/1/2022

So long, 2021. You went out with a bang, literally. The cacophony of fireworks and gunshots began about 8:30 and continued until well after midnight, sending the dogs into an hours-... — Updated 1/4/2022

I had a Charlie moment over Thanksgiving. Chef Charlie Broz was my go-to guy for all things “meat” (really, all things cooking). If I had a cooking question, I’d either shoot... — Updated 11/30/2021

Walking into November, I have been reflecting on gratitude. I give myself a gratitude tuneup a couple of times a year. This year, I’m finding that gratitude is much easier when... — Updated 11/2/2021

A not-so-funny thing happened on the way home from Walmart on Sunday morning. Heading down Wilhite, a teeny head popped out of a culvert. It was a kitten, white with gray tabby... — Updated 10/5/2021

“You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.” — Zig Ziglar Smart man, that Zig. I grew up with a version of that thought, long before I... — Updated 8/31/2021

And just like that, the orb weavers are back. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such an unpleasant … surprise … if there had been some sort of warning. A little “you hoo, I’m... — Updated 8/3/2021

Today is one of those days where “adulting” seems overrated. Loads of chores, loads of tasks, loads of laundry. The list is never-ending. It would be a lot more fun to ditch... — Updated 7/6/2021

At Head Acres, if I sit on the stoop long enough, all sorts of critters will make their way past my hangout spot. I’ve seen foxes, families of deer, badgers (not as friendly as... — Updated 6/1/2021

Gardening is going great so far. Out of the 60-80 bulbs planted, I have a whopping total of one dahlia peeking its head out of the soil. One. So, I wait. Truth is, there is a lot... — Updated 5/4/2021

As much as the time change messes with me, I love the extra daylight. My first thought, always, is that it’s time to plant, followed by “if you plant before Easter, you’ll... — Updated 4/6/2021

I’m being dogged by memories. Maybe it’s because we’re closing in on the three-year mark of Dad exchanging earth for heaven. Maybe we just snapped so many photos of him doing... — Updated 3/2/2021