A Cliffie Experience

At the Page One Bookstore last Saturday, I was browsing the other writers' tables and saw a book titled, "A Cliffie Experience, Tales of New Mexico 1902-1940". That sounded interesting, so I turned to the back cover and read this: "She lived in the Log House that was built by the same architect who designed both the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque and the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon".

I know that house! It's the Albuquerque Press Club where my writer's group and Sandia Lite Roastmasters meets! A 103-year-old log cabin on the National Register or Historic Places and beloved by me. This book was written by the daughter of the woman who owned the house for 50 years. At the Press Club, we tell the story of how a man asked her to marry him and she said, "If you buy me that house, I will marry you." And he did. And she did. And the writer's friend is telling me that story right now!

The author was not there, although she had signed some of the books. I had to have one. I've been reading it since Saturday and it is a great story and makes me love the house even more than I already did. And it's a fascinating description of life in and around Albuquerque back then.

Tonight, I was at the Press Club with our writers' group. In fact, I was telling Judy about the book and showing her some of the old pictures of the Press Club, when a woman walked in with some companions and started talking about the room and how things used to be there. So, I held up the book to compare the picture on the back cover to the woman before me and realized it was her! The writer, Mary Lou Heaphy.

So, our new member Max and I joined the tour and got to hear all about the Press Club from Mary Lou, who lived there herself 30 years. It was fantastic.