Adventures in Colorado

Time really flies!

2011-10-22T12:10:00.001-06:00

Another marching band season has come and gone- and thus explains one of the reasons I have been remiss in posting here...

The Columbine Rebel Marching Band finished its season yesterday up in Fort Collins at CSU; they competed in the state quarter-finals and though they had the best performance of their year, they didn't make it to the semi-finals. No one was disappointed though. They have a largely young band and so they really did well overall.

This year was especially fun for me, since both girls were in it together for this one and only year. Chloe entered Columbine this fall as a freshman and Heidi is a senior, off to college next year. Both girls have been really involved in music since their school days at Toniata, in Brockville, Ontario.

Heidi started in marching band playing the flute. She played flute for the remainder of the year in band class. In her sophomore year, she played mellophone (the marching version of the French horn) in marching band, then went back to flute for band class. Last year, her junior year, Heidi played mellophone in marching band, but switched to tuba for band class. This year, she marched with the sousaphone (the marching version of the tuba) and will play tuba for band class. From the smallest instrument to the biggest! Heidi is so tiny- just a little over 5'2" and 100 lbs- carrying an instrument that is half her weight!

She had a little solo in the show this year where she played and danced around a little- it was a huge crowd pleaser!

I'm a little sad that she is done with it all. Marching band really saved her when we moved here. She knew no one, had to start high school all alone- but joining marching band gave her a community, friends, and instant belonging. It's been great.

Here are some photos of Heidi:

Tucked inside the sousaphone

Playing flute at the mall during a Christmas fundraiser for the band

Marching with the sousaphone during the Western Welcome Week parade here in Littleton

Heidi performing her solo in the field show (she is the one on the right)

Playing mellophone, Heidi is right under the One Way sign

Playing tuba during a band concert- she is the tuba on the right

Chloe has been active in music too, since moving here. At Normandy Elementary, Chloe played clarinet, tried her hand at oboe, and also was a member of the bell choir, which was very cool.

At Ken Caryl Middle School, she started off on clarinet, but switched to French horn soon after. She seems to like playing French horn, so maybe she will stay with that...

Looking all serious as the band prepares to start in the Western Welcome Week parade (Chloe is right out front)

Warming up before the Arapahoe Invitational at Littleton High School

Playing the field show (Chloe is directly behind the blocks)

Marching in the Grand Junction parade. In this competition, they had a full inspection, and they were being judged during the parade and the field show. So, full-on serious! (Chloe is on the right)

A little break from the sombre... (Chloe is in the middle)

Warming up before the field show at Grand Junction.

This is the first Saturday that the girls haven't given up the whole day for either a band practice or competition since the beginning of August. And they were forced to get up mid-morning to help with leaf raking and cleaning.... ahhh, gotta love autumn!

Kids' Visit

2011-08-12T07:57:00.001-06:00

I say kids, but they really aren't anymore, at 22 and 20.

Holly and Ben spent ten days here, after we got back from our trip to Sweden and Denmark. We had a lot of fun shopping, hanging out, and just talking.

No visit would be complete without the obligatory photo shoot, so here are some photos for you to enjoy. Click on any photo to view it larger.

This time, the location was the trampoline. Which apparently Heidi doesn't like. Who knew? lol

Love those mid-air shots!

And everyone having fun!

A pretty good photo of all four, no small feat!

Holly, 22

Ben, 20

Heidi, 17

Chloe, 13

At the end- and Heidi's face pretty much sums up how she feels about being on the trampoline... lol

Oh boy.

2011-07-20T20:19:00.000-06:00

Has it really been THAT long since I posted something????

I don't even know where the time has gone. But I DO know that next week, I am catching up!

I actually have lots of fun things to share, and lots of updates to post.

Next week, my time is back to (mostly) my own and I will be here! :)

My BIG day!

2011-05-05T15:16:00.003-06:00

If you visit my blog on any kind of a regular basis, you will have noticed that I have not been posting much.

I do have some pretty good reasons, though- the new baby in our family and the trips involved with that, spring- and the work that our lawns and gardens demand, kids (need I say more?), a daughter having oral surgery, and of course the event I have been working towards and preparing for for months:

I became an American citizen yesterday!!!

I am very fortunate that being married to an American meant that my wait was shorter than some others have to go through.

Still, we have been at this since January 2007- four and half years! I have been fingerprinted and photographed (passport-style) more often in that time, than most people are in their entire lifetimes!

Mountains of paperwork, many interviews, lawyer's meetings, and endless submitting documents- it's all done!

And being in the Denver area means that everything is done the same day- I had my test and interview yesterday morning and was sworn in after lunch!

This is a very happy event for my me and my DH- who can now stop worrying that I will be deported.

What he thought I might be deported FOR- well, that's never actually been clear...

I learned a lesson a long time ago from my Grama- and I was thinking of her too, yesterday when I took my Oath of Allegiance to my newly adopted country.

My grandparents emigrated to Canada from Holland in 1952. They had six sons and Europe was still war-torn and struggling to get back on it's feet. They wanted their sons to have opportunities and lives that they knew wouldn't be possible in their home country.

They left all of their family behind, they were not able to speak English, and literally had almost nothing when they arrived in Ontario.

What they did have was love, a desire for a better life, and a determination to learn what it meant to be a Canadian.

Grama said they believed right down to their soul that choosing a different country to live in meant you had to truly love your new country and make it your own- that the "old country" ways were meant for the old country.

Both of my grandparents learned read, write, and speak English in a relatively short time, and they didn't spend any time sitting around saying "things aren't done this way in Holland...". They became Canadians in every sense of the word.

They were required to renounce their Dutch citizenship to become Canadians and they did. I bet it wasn't easy, but they wanted to be true Canadians and were willing to do whatever it took.

I am fortunate in that I am able to retain both Canadian and US citizenship. On the way to my test and interview yesterday morning, I thought about what I would say if I was asked to give up my Canadian citizenship.

I moved here for a better life- a life filled with love and joy and peace and contentment, shared with the man I want to be with for the rest of our lives.

I have always been proud to be a Canadian girl, and that won't ever change. But I am thrilled to be an American now, to be able to fully enjoy- and give back- to a country has been lovely and welcoming to me since I crossed the border!

Day Without Hate

2011-04-29T08:19:00.001-06:00

It bears repeating- we need less hate and violence and much more love in our world.

Today is the Day Without Hate here in Littleton, Colorado. The kids are all wearing white t-shirts to show solidarity and remembrance for the victims of school shootings. This is a county-wide project now, started a few years back by Standley Lake HS in Westminster, CO. It was then adopted by Columbine HS and the rest of the county.

Here are some past photos, to show you an example of what the high school looks like leading up to today. I am hoping to have a chance to get up to the high school today to take some photos of this year's event.

You can- and should- click on any photo to see it larger- then you can read what it says. This first one is a list of school shootings. There are so many... it just makes me cry.

But the kids and this whole community- and communities across this country and Canada- are all working at stopping this madness. Raising awareness, focusing on being a little kinder to each other- just small changes in everyone's attitude and behaviour can make a huge difference.

So today, why don't we all share a smile, do a random act of kindness for someone, be extra nice to someone who seems to need it.

And while we're at it, why don't we keep this attitude going not only today, but every day.

Let's make EVERY day, a Day Without Hate!

She's here!!!

2011-04-15T17:52:00.002-06:00

Look who's here!

Aria (Ar'-ree-ah) was born this past Wednesday morning (April 13) at 10:01, weighed in at 5 lbs 4 oz and is just the sweetest little bundle of joy! She has been officially voted the cutest member of our family!

She and mommy are doing just great. We are all very excited to go and meet her as soon as she and mommy have a little time to rest and gear up for company.

Here she is, just a few hours old. Isn't she a sweetie?

All of a sudden...

2011-04-09T15:34:00.000-06:00

Just a little over a week ago, I was looking at snow and ice on the newly formed blossoms of my plum tree and my tulips out front.

I was worried that the cold and ice might harm or kill them- but it seems that the moisture has just been enough for things to start bursting forth in my gardens and yard!

I have an herb garden out back and already have usable chives and thyme. Parsley is poking up through the ground, as is another herb I planted and can't identify... I need to check my chart from last year! lol

My plum tree is full of blossoms and the bees have been quite busy there. It always makes me laugh a little that the full blossoms are out before you can really see the buds of the leaves- that seems backwards to me! It kind of looks like little tufts of snow on an otherwise bare tree.

Out front, some tulips are blooming and some of the rose bushes are greening up and budding leaves.

Things I didn't plant, like grape hyacinths and daffodils are out too, though the daffodils are pretty nearly finished.

I recognize the iris leaves and the thick stalks of peonies. And daisies, I believe, but I will have to see what blooms there to see if I am right or not! lol

Unfortunately, with this nice warm, spring weather also come the snakes. I am sure it won't be long before I see the little writhing mass in my front garden, and I have to say, I am dreading it.

My garden plans for this year are less than in previous years, as I have done plenty of work with little payoff and decided I need to be realistic for the time being. My soil needs a lot more amending before it will support a garden that sustains us throughout the summer.

Right behind the garage, I will again plant lettuce, spinach, and peas- they grow well there and require very little from me.

In the small raised bed, I will again plant my herbs, moving things around a little.

In the small fenced area, I will plant some tomatoes and beans, both of those do well here. Maybe some cucumbers, I am not sure. I do LOVE cucumbers and could eat many of them a day!

I will not be planting much- or anything in the large garden area that I have previously used. The soil is nowhere near soft enough for root vegetables, and other things I have tried just didn't grow well. I may put some melons or squash out there though, there is lots of room for them to grow. I will think about that.

It's much too windy to plant today, but the next nice morning we have will find me out there in my garden hat and boots, trowel and seeds in hand, getting ready to enjoy a new season of fresh food!

About my sister

2011-01-20T08:48:00.001-07:00

Just as this new year was getting underway, I got the sad news that my sister, Heather, passed away. She was just 43 years old.

My sisters and I are all spread out: I am here in Colorado, my youngest sister Becky is in Saskatchewan, my middle sister Sandy is in Quebec, and Heather was in our hometown in Ontario. Life circumstances and geography kept us from spending a lot of time together as adults, but we were the four musketeers when we were little.

I was fortunate to be able to travel to her service, and more fortunate that my thoughtful husband was able to come with me. Becky and her husband were able to come too, and we descended on Sandy and her family- though she took it all in stride like she has a houseful every day.

It was the first time I have been back in Canada since I moved here. I still didn't feel ready to go, I didn't want to have to think about the past life that I left behind. And I wish more than anything that I had been making the trip to see Heather while she was still with us.

Heather was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and through her whole life dealt with a myriad of impediments and health issues as a result. She had excellent doctors at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, and other than a few operations in her childhood, was able to live a pretty normal life until her mid-twenties. Adulthood brought out a host of new physical challenges and seemingly random illnesses.

She married as a young adult and had a wonderful little boy, Dan, who was her pride and joy. That marriage didn't work out as she had hoped and she later married another man who loved her dearly and was a good helpmate to her. They were still married at the time of her death.

Her son Dan, is now a strapping 20 year old man, and a proud member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. It was such a relief to us, his aunts, to know that he is not only in charge of his life, but is happy.

We were just in Ottawa for two days (the other two days were traveling back and forth), and it was busy so I, like many of us when trying to manage our way through a difficult situation, focused on the things that had to be done and the people we had to see, etc. I didn't let myself think too much about what we had lost.

But now I am back at home and normal life resumes. Only it resumes with a little piece missing and that hurts.

I decided to go through my measly pile of old photos (I used to have a lot more, long story) and scan what I have to share with my sisters. I wish I had done it sooner so I could be making Heather a copy too. Years ago I did make her a little scrapbook with photos of the four of us sisters, and her husband told me at her funeral that it was one of her most prized possessions. I don't even remember what photos I used in it- and who knows, if I was making her one of these now, she might be laughing her head off at me for getting old and forgetting that I had already given her those photos... lol

Heather loved to laugh and always had a smile for those she cared about, no matter what she was struggling with at the time. She loved to visit with family, and she loved to sing.

She and I were less than a year apart in age and so only a grade apart. We both sang in the school choir (she was a soprano and I was an alto) and we would come home and teach the younger two sisters the songs and we would sing in harmony. We must have been pretty good, at least for our ages, because my father used to have us sing for visiting family members. Heather is the only one who kept singing in her adult life, she was an enthusiastic member of her church choir.

When she was able to, Heather volunteered her time knitting and crocheting for the homeless, and baked anytime someone in her church lost a loved one. Maybe that is how she managed to stay cheerful despite her disabilities, staying focused on others when she could.

It makes me really sad to see her smiling face in a high school photo and to know I won't see her smile in person again. But I will remember her smiling, and I will be thankful that we had her for the time we did. I will be grateful that she is no longer in pain or struggling with physical constraints.

I will remember her joy in some of my work and be comforted knowing she is now looking over us all.

Christmas 2010, round two!

2011-01-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Holly and Ben finally arrived on January 2nd, to celebrate Christmas with us. This post covers their four day visit, so you might want to read it in pieces! lol And clicking on any photo will bring a bigger copy up for you to see.

When we got home from the airport, we went straight to opening presents:

Here is a painting of an octopus that Heidi did for Chloe:

and hamburger earmuffs!

Ben got his PS3 and was a happy guy!

Heidi got Holly some hot pink furry mittens!

And Holly got Rich a Canada trivia book. Just what I need: my husband to know more about my country than I do... lol

Chloe made her siblings tiny photo scrapbooks. They were so cute when they were little!

Holly also got Rich a Roots sweater- Rich loves to wear Canada things when we go out, and especially when we travel.

And the winner of our Christmas photo prize for this year is: Holly!

We surprised her with the entire Little House on the Prairie TV series on DVD.

Holly made me this to hang in my studio. I love it!

This is the inside cover of a lyrics book Ben gave to me- he is writing the lyrics and music for a CD.

We finished the day with a great turkey dinner and all the fixings! I would have liked to stretch out the Christmas stuff, but for such a short visit, we just didn't have the time.

Monday we did a little shopping, as another of Holly's gifts was a Macy's gift card. Ben and I dropped the girls off at the mall and went to a guitar shop so Ben could play me a couple of the songs that he has written. Here we are in one of the local shops:

We picked the girls up, went home for lunch, and headed in a different direction after that, we had a little more shopping to do.

Tuesday we took the light rail in and spent the day in Denver. What fun! We started the day at the Tattered Cover, we all love to read. The kids all had fun choosing something to buy and I was good, I didn't buy anything for myself- I have new magazines coming in the mail soon!

At the very end of the 16th Street Mall- I thought we could get somewhere walking but it was way further than I thought- so this is our turning around spot!

This sculpture is called "Cowboy Pajamas". I like it. I don't understand the pajamas part, but that's okay.

I HAD to order the Local Legendary Burger- which turned out to be a 13 oz. Bison burger, topped with mashed potatoes and gravy (hey, I AM Canadian!!!), cheese, and french fried onions. It was BIG. And yummy!

Our waiter took our picture before we left. The kids were very excited to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe! They did have some very cool memorabilia.

Another quickie picture before getting back on the light rail- we have more bags and stuff, everybody found something to buy.

Our last day was last minute shopping, and an eye appointment for Holly and Ben. Neither of them needed glasses and so were able to choose a good pair of sunglasses instead. Aren't they cool?

I should have gotten a few photos of Ben with his new guitar, but I forgot. Hopefully he will send me one.

Then we did the obligatory photo shoot. I try to remember each time the four of them are together, to take a whack of photos and I have to say, my kids are very obliging. Of course, the deal is, we get some serious photos, then they get to be goofy and I have to take those too. Easy trade off!

So here is one of the good ones- when there are four of them, it's hard to get them all looking good in one photo!

And here is one of the goofy ones. I don't listen, I just click... lol

And then, before we knew it, it was over. Already. Took the drive to the airport yesterday and Holly and Ben were home safe and sound by around 11 pm their time.

Heidi and Chloe are back to school today, and the holidays are officially over now.

I will take today to relax with Rich (his off Friday) and catch my breath from all of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, preparing, and running around I have been doing pretty much since Thanksgiving. Speed wobble, indeed.

My new year will officially start on Monday. Just so you know.

Christmas 2010, round one continued

2010-12-30T17:14:00.004-07:00

Each Christmas is different here, I guess that is the way it goes when most of your children no longer live at home.

In 2008, our first Christmas in our new home, our kids' visits overlapped, with Rich's kids coming first and mine second. It was new and a little awkward, but fun just the same. And so lovely to be in our new home, TOGETHER.

Last year, we had all seven kids at home for the holidays and it was a bit of a madhouse! lol But good just the same.

This year, Rich's boys were here for the actual Christmas celebrations and his daughter couldn't make it. We hope to see her in January sometime. Christmas was quiet and nice. No snow or even cold weather.

Holly and Ben will arrive on January 2nd for a whirlwind belated Christmas celebration. That will be round two!

In the meantime, here are some photos from our Christmas 2010:

Feather trying to find the squeaker in her reindeer toy.

My girls, Heidi and Chloe reluctantly posing- nevermind that the light stinks, I was lucky to get both of them smiling in one photo... lol

Rich's boys, Zach and Ben

Molly getting in the middle of things- she was either under the tree or in a box

Rich trying out one of his new toys, an RC plane (they are apparently not as easy to fly as it looks!)

We didn't cook a turkey since Thanksgiving here was so late; we cooked a ham and a duck. A l'orange. A la Julia Child. Ahem.

NOT a good idea to cook a brand new dish on Christmas when you have company. Just sayin'.

It did turn out well, but I don't think it was worth all of the babysitting I had to do for it, nor was it worth the amount of stress it caused me over whether or not it would turn out! lol

Lesson learned.

The girls and I did the HUGE Thanksgiving cleanup, so we decided that the Christmas cleanup should be for the boys, and we hopped in the car to look at the neighborhood Christmas lights. Some of our neighbors really go all out- check it out!

There is another house that decorates every single square inch of their house and yard, and I took a little video. I will post it as soon as I figure out how to get it off of my camera!

As seen above, I got Rich an RC plane and here we are, out with the boys, trying to figure out how to fly it!

Lesson number one: Planes need a level place to take off from, and a bumpy lawn isn't it... So off we go from the park, over to the elementary school.

Notice how we are dressed? Does this look like Boxing Day weather to you? Not to this Canadian girl, it doesn't! But I'll take it! 60F at the end of December is pretty nice, I have to say.

Rich got it going! Flew it around for a bit, and then landed it in the tennis courts next to the elementary school lot we were at. lol There were some nice people playing tennis that caught it and gave it back.

Lesson number two: controlling one of these things IS a lot harder than it looks!

But I think he likes it. YAY!

Christmas 2010, round one

2010-12-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Hope you had a merry Christmas with your loved ones and are looking forward to a wonderful upcoming year.

This is our third Christmas here in Colorado. This year Rich and I held an Open House a week before Christmas to visit with our neighbors and co-workers and also to give the many workers who put our kitchen together an opportunity to come and see the completed job. We all enjoyed ourselves very much, and intend to make it a yearly thing.

Waiting for our guests to arrive

Starting to put the food out

The punch and goodies and other beverages

Rumaki and baked brie in the oven, sweet & sour meatballs on the stove top.

Let the festivities begin!

Stay tuned for more Christmas news!

Inspiring giveaway!

2010-12-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey- for a really inspiring woman to read about and follow (on her blog), why not go to:
http://cathybueti.blogspot.com/

Cathy wrote a book about her journey through breast cancer and is giving a signed copy away to one lucky winner!

I haven't read the book yet myself, but am looking forward to it- we women can always benefit from hearing that no matter how tough or impossible the road directly ahead seems, there is a way to get through it.

And while you are at it, if you like art, why not check out Cathy's art blog:
http://artsybutterfly.blogspot.com/

I love both of these sites, and I think you will too!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T21:37:00.000-06:00

HALLOWEEN ART

Just had to show you the pumpkins that Chloe carved. There is an art to this- even if you are following a pattern!

The patterns were in an old folder; you tape it to the pumpkin and poke a bunch of holes around the design- then remove the paper pattern and set to cutting all the little pieces out.

It's weird- this child has very little patience for much, but for the past three years, pumpkins have commanded her full attention- and certainly command the attention of the adults taking their kids from door to door!

If you click on them, you can see a larger photo of them.

This is pumpkin number two- Heidi didn't want to carve hers, and Chloe didn't have a lot of time, so she chose an "easier" design... wouldn't have been easier for me, but compared to the first one she did this weekend, I guess it is easier...

Where does she get the patience?!?

I wouldn't even have considered it... and it even has a hanging spider.

She actually spent more time on these pumpkins than on her costume- because it isn't cool to have mom's help any more... but she was happy with how she dressed- and even more so because she was able to wear her footie pajamas underneath! lol

I had to cut her little friend off (she was dressed as a voodoo doll and looked great) because I don't publish other peoples' kids' photos without permission. You know.

Hope you all had a happy Halloween!

Day in Denver!

2010-10-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

My sweet hubby and I spent Friday in Denver and had a fabulous day!

We took the light rail and got off at the Theatre, ready to walk. It was a really warm day, I think the high was 85F!!! In OCTOBER!!!

We wandered around the 16th Street Mall and the surrounding streets, before caving and ducking into Taki's for an early lunch. BEST Japanese food I have ever had. MMMmmmm. I will have to take the kids there when they are here over the holidays.

We had purchased tickets to see the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, but we were plenty early and thoroughly enjoyed walking around, soaking in the lovely sunshine.

We ended up at the Capitol Building. I have only ever seen it while driving/riding in a car, and really had no idea how big or grand it was. One one set of steps is a brass marker that shows were 5,280 feet is- one mile- for the Mile High City.

We went in- and wow- what a place!Our intent was to go up to the cuppola and walk around to see Denver from up high, but alas, the balcony was closed. They did have some doors open to allow photos, and here is what we saw:

The Cathedral

The Scottish Masonic Center (round roof)

The Denver Art Museum and Public Library (center of photo)

Denver Courthouse with the beautiful Rockies behind it

Closer up- trying to see Red Rocks, a popular outdoor amphitheatre, which is northwest of where we live (Denver is northeast of where we live)

Office buildings? Not sure, but it was a nice view anyway!

More office buildings and that ultra blue sky we see so often!

I didn't know if I was allowed to take photos inside, so I didn't. But next time I will ask, because if I am allowed, I would love to show you the grandeur of this beautiful building.

Then it was time to head over to the Art Museum, as the King Tut tours were timed. We headed up to the exhibition, and I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. You know all the stuff you see in the ads and publicity about Tut- the golden caskets and all that? None of it was there.

They had some pretty interesting things from different pharoahs, and some odds'n'ends from King Tut's tomb, but I didn't want to see just his golden finger and toe coverings and sandals- I wanted to see the GRAND stuff!!!

The most impressive thing there, in my opinion, was a gigantic seated statue of Akhenaten. Even though some of the left side of his face was missing, it was beautiful. I was simply in awe of how detailed and how large it was.

The whole display was smaller than I thought it would be and really crowded. Too bad, really. Just a good example of hype I think.

When we visited the Museo Egizio in Torino this past summer, the beginning of our tour of the museum was kind of like that- but it ended much differently!

The Egizio is the largest collection and museum dedicated to Ancient Egypt outside of Cairo. They have many rooms of things and very cool things, including ancient textiles and real mummies. As we got to the last room, we thought: "Is that it?" Because it was raining heavily outside, we decided to go and look a little more, and went into a room that we thought we had been in, but hadn't- there were two enormous rooms of HUGE Egyptian statues, and they were breathtaking. Anyway, I digress.

After the tour, we went to see the 3D movie about the secrets of mummies and it was interesting.

Our tickets were good for the day anywhere in the museum, so away we went! I love me an art museum!

We saw a lot of beautiful work, a lot of things I didn't understand, a lot of thought-provoking work. It was great!

And I got a some of cool photos from there too- they had windows in random places. Of course there are a few that aren't fit to put here- some of the windows were so dirty, you can barely see what I was taking a photo of! lol

Panoramic view of the mountains

A small part of the Art Museum

View of the Capitol Building from the Museum

By the time we saw all we wanted of the museum, it was time to catch the Light Rail again- or wait till after rush hour.

A couple more shots on the walk back to the station:

Tribute to Christopher Columbus at Civic Center Park

The "gateway" from the park to the street- I would have liked to get some photos of Civic Center Park, but they were setting up for the Rock and Roll Marathon over the weekend, and it was a madhouse there. Next time, I promise!

Look who's peeking into the Denver Convention Center window! It's quite something to see- and you see him as soon as you walk out from the Light Rail, if you get off at the Theatre/Convention Center (the station is just past the bear)

He's 40 feet tall, 10,000 lbs, and I think the sculpture is titled "I See What You Mean", though he is known affectionately as the Denver Blue Bear.

We had a great day. I love Denver. I love the people, the city and all it's surrounding smaller cities, I love our community which is just a short 20 minute drive out of the city. It's a place I am happy to call home.

Done, but not done- and a really good read!

2010-09-21T09:14:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted pictures of the kitchen lately, because there is nothing to show... :( For all intents and purposes, the kitchen is done- but NOT done.

Many of the cabinets are still missing the pulls.

A few shelves are still awaiting the little shelf supports- we either didn't get enough of them or they were inadvertently thrown out.

My stove, which technically arrived in town last week, was damaged in the move and is now sitting in the warehouse awaiting a new part on the front.

So though the room is basically finished, I am really only partially able to function.

I was warned that things can go wrong and get delayed, and I am not being grumpy about it. I just really want to get back to our normal routine.

While we are in the waiting stage, Rich helped me put the sitting room back to its former glory, and we started getting things on the shelves and hung up again.

Thankfully, I have had some good books to read while waiting for the kitchen transformation!

Before we went to Santa Fe a couple of weeks ago (posts & photos to come), I went to the library to get a couple of books from the ongoing book sale. I don't like to take borrowed books out of the house, so I always buy two or three to take with me when we go away.

One of the books I got was "The Expected One" by Kathleen McGowan. I don't know how many of you are familiar with this book- I surely wasn't until I brought it home. But I believe it caused a bit of a stir when it was released, as it challenges a LOT of what traditional religion has been based on.

I am not a religious person, though I do consider myself to be a spiritual one. And this book has really made me re-think not only what I was taught in church and Sunday school, but in school from my history books.

Though the story is specific to the Bible, it also brings up the question of the validity of all of the history books we learn from.

Most, if not all, of the history books were written by men of high social and economic standing with their personal slant. AND let's face the fact that traditionally (and still today in some societies and situations) women are considered to be unimportant and therefore have been left out, ignored, or made to look bad in some way, in those accounts.

I am not on a man-bashing mission here, and I am not explaining myself very well... I guess what I got most out of this book was the need to question things more, rather than just accepting someone's version of it.

I will put my latest reads at the bottom of my blog, on my bookshelf. I have been remiss in doing this lately... feel free also to recommend good reads to me in your comments- who doesn't love a really good read?!

Plumbing and cabinets and tile, oh my!

2010-09-03T10:38:00.000-06:00

LOL Couldn't resist- The Wizard of Oz is still one of my all-time favourite movies and that line... you know the one... seems to stick in my head! Anyway, onto the renovation update.

Yesterday was busy here too. The plumbers came to hook up my sink- YAY!!! We now have a working sink again and thank goodness for that.

I really love the sink, but I never would have chosen it based on any photos that the company has online. The photos they have are downright poor- I happened to see it in a showroom and didn't take a photo of it myself. When I tried to show Rich, he wasn't sure it was a great as I said it was, but trusted me. He agrees, now that it is in. Whew! lol

I like how the front and back edges are beveled in, and the divider doesn't reach the top. Plus I LOVE the undermount; it just looks sleeker and will be SO much easier to keep clean!

A closer view. Rich likes the racks on the bottom- that means no more ugly dish racks on the counter!

The cabinet guys came in just to set the remaining cabinets so that the tile guy could do his work. They only set them and drilled the necessary holes- the trim and crown moulding will go in next week.

Lastly, the tile guys set up the mosaic on the counter so we could all make sure we liked it. Boy, that is a job that could take all day, if you let it. You could keep changing your mind over and over... But between four of us, we got it so that everyone thought it looked good and we let the guy get to work.

You can see some of the stackstone tile behind the sink here, I think it is very cool.

Starting on the mosaic tile layout for the backsplash behind the stove.

And here it is, up and finished. I wish the stove would get here already!!!

A longer view of the tile- I will get a not-so-orange photo of it later today, when the sun moves!

It's so hard to believe this is even the same room- we didn't change the actual layout, just moved the appliances around a bit and streamlined things. So how does it seem SO much bigger????

The painter is here today, working on a few things, but everyone will be taking the long weekend off, so I won't have anything to show you till next week.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and fun weekend!

More paint and countertops!

2010-09-02T08:27:00.000-06:00

It's finally starting to look like a kitchen again, with the addition of countertops yesterday.

Most of the paint is now done, though the painter will be back to do a couple of sections of the eating area ceiling and to touch up the bookcases and window seat. We have decided to keep them white, at least for the time being. We figure it is easy enough to paint them brown later if we change our minds. Right now, we are enjoying the airiness of the room and letting the red really shine!

The tan colour wraps right around the room, and into the kitchen. We do have a tile backsplash going in, right up to the bottom of the cabinets, so there won't be a lot of paint in the kitchen. But it's the continuity thing, you know? The tan really makes the fireplace pop!

Early morning photo of the sitting room- I think it is dark enough in the early (and late) times of the day. I really like the red to stand out.

First view of the installed countertop! It just looks gorgeous, I am so happy with it!

And how incredible is it that this is ALL workspace! Woo-hoo!!! This photo was taken late afternoon, and it shows a different light than the photo below- it IS all the same... lol

The piece of counter on the right side of the range. I just LOVE this granite!

This morning the plumber comes to hook up the sink, the cabinet guy comes to set the last two cabinets (they sit right on the countertop because of the appliance garages), and the tile guy comes to start on the backsplash. Another busy day.

We are having a fun backsplash section behind the range, a mosaic-type of stone with some random coloured glass tiles mixed in. We chose a red (of course), a root beer colour, and a really light brown glass tile for this and I think it will be really pretty. I love glass tiles- but in the mix, not as a whole backsplash.

Stay tuned, I will post photos of the (hopefully) working sink later today or tomorrow.

It's weird; not having a sink has really been the biggest challenge. That and blowing outlets in the garden room... lol

Time for paint

2010-08-28T17:54:00.001-06:00

Once the granite guys have the template, it takes about a week to cut, so Amy has the painter coming in.

He started with my red wall. I LOVE IT. At night you can see more of the orange in it, but it is a lovely, rich, warm colour, and I am really happy with it. It is a custom colour of paint, the colour that my new stove will be. And the stove will sit on the wall right opposite this one. Also on the long wall will be the couch, the filing cabinet/end table, and my computer desk (on the unseen right side of the door here).

Waiting for a second coat

Second coat finished

How it looks coming into the kitchen from the hall. Beautiful, I think!

Next the base colour went on the walls, a tan colour which we chose to go with the tile backsplash, the cabinets, and the granite. I really like this colour too. It goes really well with the red.

See how it looks more orange at night? I took this last night so I could see how the red and tan go together, and I like it.

A little closer so you can see the bookcase and window seat.

Now we have a decision to make. I thought we had already made it (brown), but then the painter comes in and makes suggestions to Amy & I, and we have to really think it through.

Our designer, Amy, thinks we should paint these bookcases and window seat dark brown, to make them look like built in furniture, to warm up the room, to echo the chocolate brown of my wonderful chair that will sit across from it. And as Rich and I use this room mainly in the fall and winter to sit in front of the fire to read and relax, we don't need the space to be really light. The large window gives lots of sunlight during the day (it's a south-facing window), and we have good lighting for reading in the evenings.

The painter thinks we should leave the bookcases, window seat, and fireplace mantle and showcase it in the white, to match the ceiling beams, to accent it as woodwork. He and Amy both agree that painting the mantle will mean losing its detail.

Rich thinks the white is nice, now that we can see the red, tan, and white together, but he thinks it is too contemporary for the house, and he is favouring the brown.

I do think the white is sharp, and it would keep a light, airy feel to the room. But I love the thought of cozying up the space, considering what we use it for.

I know it is just paint, I know we can re-paint if we make a mistake. I just really want to get it right the first time, because once this is all done, I know I am not going to want to be put out of the space again for a good long while! lol

Granite template

2010-08-28T17:40:00.000-06:00

So the guys were here to template the granite.

The first thing the guy said was that the iron supports that we were planning to use instead of corbels were nowhere near good enough- they were far too short. Where they end would push up on the middle of the countertop and possibly cause cracking. I would cry like a baby if that happened! lol So they have ordered longer ones, ones that will go right across to the front of the cabinet and properly counterweight it.

They made the template out of balsa wood, all stapled together.

Just getting started

Figuring out where the seams will go

Done and ready to carry out

One of the three slabs we have on hold

It's hard to imagine how this will look on our counter. Both Rich and I wanted large movement in the granite as opposed to the smaller, more uniform types. I love it and can't wait to see how it looks next week!

Most of the cabinets...

2010-08-28T17:34:00.000-06:00

I haven't had any time to post this week, but it has been a flurry of activity here!

Most of the cabinets have been installed and I am really pleased with them!

This is where the stove and hood will go.

And the microwave/convection and fridge. There will be a small pot light in that space over the fridge. What I will put there, I haven't a clue.

This is a little butler's pantry- attached sideways onto the pantry wall and will be handy as it is on our way into the dining room.

And my workspace, the dishwasher, and sink. The two large cabinets on the floor behind can't be installed until the granite goes in, as they go right from the counter to the ceiling- the bottoms of them are appliance garages, to store and tuck away my heavy stuff.

A closer view of the crown molding. Is that how it is spelled???

The shelves are all adjustable and I won't put them in till I move back into the kitchen. Which will be at least a couple more weeks I imagine. Thankfully we are able to enjoy eating outside, shopping at the Farmer's Market, and out of our garden. If we have to be put out of our kitchen, this is the ideal time to do it!

Over the weekend reno update

2010-08-23T11:17:00.000-06:00

Friday and Saturday were busy reno days here too.

Most of what was done was drywalling and wall/ceiling texture.

The sitting room is going to be painted as well, I think I mentioned that. We took off the chair rail (if you remember, it was dark green below) and the top was white knockdown. That's a kind of texture- which I didn't know the name of till just recently! The bottom of the wall was done in the same texture, and once it was dry, you couldn't tell the difference.

The knockdown- I don't know if you can see it well enough- if you click on the photo, it will display larger.

Not quite dry, but the green is gone and the whole wall is textured.

The drywall is all done and the texture on the kitchen walls and ceiling too.

The light beam is done and will be wired like a track- without the track.

So, lots of work, but not lots to see. And LOTS of mess, holy cow. I feel like we are eating dust! When people warned me about it, I had no idea... it gets everywhere!!! lol

My biggest challenge has been my lack of ability to get into the fridge at will. I need to plan better...

We are very excited- today the cabinets are being put in. They are beautiful! I will be back later today or tomorrow morning with another post to catch you up!

Western Welcome Week 2010

2010-08-23T11:06:00.000-06:00

The Western Welcome Week parade marks the end of the summer for the kids and the beginning of the official marching season. If you follow my blog, you know that this is Heidi's third year with the Columbine Rebels Marching Band- and Chloe will likely follow in her footsteps next year. I guess that means I will be sticking around with the band too... lol

A view of Littleton downtown, looking west.

The Columbine High School Rebels Marching Band!

That's my girl right in the middle of the mellophone section! (second girl from the left of the photo)

And again, going right by me. I'm not proud or anything. lol

These kids are so talented and dedicated- they work SO hard! They practice two nights a week for 2.5 hours each time, and all day every Saturday- in addition to having practice/class every school day.

It was blazing hot out there and they must have been melting. But you would never have known it- they looked and sounded fantastic!

Looks like the Rebels are off to a great start!

Renos updates

2010-08-20T15:02:00.001-06:00

We are nearing the end of the first week and have made some progress!

The beam we thought was load-bearing and wasn't, has presented us with another challenge.

To build it back up with a 2x4 makes it too narrow to match the wall it attaches to, and it is too narrow to attach the pendant lights the way we planned.

To build it up with a 1x6 would accommodate the pendants but require us to build up the opposing wall to match, pushing all the cabinets down the wall.

Thankfully I am married to an electrical engineer who suggested using just one transformer for the three lights, instead of trying to accommodate for one for each. It will work, and the details- well, I don't really get it. What I have explained is about what I "get"... lol

The drywall has been replaced and patched, outlets and switch boxes put in, the sitting room wall has been sanded and patched where the chair rail was removed.

You can see the red on the walls here- the paint store matched the colour of my new stove and we will paint that long wall red. We have chosen a taupe colour for what of the kitchen wall will show, and a chocolate brown (to match my chair) to paint the bookcases and fireplace mantle.

It's looking so much better with stuff patched and sanded.

Amy and I had to take another trip up to the granite place yesterday to choose the slab I like best to put on the island portion of the counter. The granite is called Golden Ray and is gorgeous- I can't wait to see it installed!

This photo makes it look like there is some greenish colour in it, but you don't see that in person. In any case, there is lots of movement and interest in this, and I am sure however it gets laid out will be beautiful.

They have started patching the floor where necessary and tomorrow is set aside for finishing the drywall- plus whatever else crops up, I guess.

The cabinets were delivered this morning and the garage is full of huge cardboard boxes! They are due to be installed on Monday and then they will template the granite on Wednesday, assuming that everything goes according to plan... lol

I will keep you updated- in between trying to stay on top of this horrible dust mess that is EVERYWHERE!!!

Days 2 & 3 of renos!

2010-08-18T08:20:00.000-06:00

Monday saw the kitchen completely emptied out, except for the dishwasher, which we are keeping. It looks so much smaller- hard to believe all of those cabinets came out of that space!

Monday afternoon, Amy came with Eddie, the cabinet guy, so they could draw all over the walls and floor, marking where all the new cabinets will go.

Monday evening Amy came again, this time with Ron, the electrician, to mark out where we wanted switches and outlets. That took a lot more time and discussion than I would have thought. I let the three of them talk and ask me questions about what I do in the kitchen and where- and where I was planning to put things that need electricity.

You can see that the nice hardwood floor has been installed on at least two previous floors- and it is raised throughout most of the main floor- the kitchen, DR, front hall, and main floor bath. The sitting room is significantly lower- I would guess because they didn't go over top of anything...

We also discussed fixing the switches by the garage door (there are two separate ones now, and not straight or lined up which drives me crazy! lol) and installing the new fan we bought on the weekend for the sitting room. I think we covered everything. I think.

Tuesday (yesterday) saw the plumbers here for a good portion of the day, replacing old pipes and making sure everything is set up for moving the fridge (which has water & ice in the door).

The vent was put in for the new hood that will go over the stove. Previously, there was just a hole in the ceiling. It worked a little, but not well enough. And with a big six burner gas range coming in, we needed to make sure we got a proper hood with it.

In the afternoon, Ron came and started on his part, roughing in the electric. He is scheduled to be here all day today as well.

I can't say that I see what happened yesterday for the most part, but I know there was a flurry of activity all day!

My new sink is sitting in the garage, and the dishwasher has been moved out there now too. I still can't really picture how it will all look, but I am very excited!

Vent for the new hood fan

The holes cut- not sure for what... electrical maybe??

New pipes installed for the sink and dishwasher

What used to be the laundry chute, looking down into the basement

And the top part, looking up towards Chloe's room. She says she will miss the laundry chute- but how do you miss something you rarely use??? lol

Down in the basement; either electrical or gas line for my new stove. Or both. lol

The demolition begins...

2010-08-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday marked the first official day of the demolition in our kitchen. YIKES! lol

The guy just got a start, taking out most of the upper cabinets and stacking them in our garage. They will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, along with anything else they want (once I know what all we have that is worthwhile!).

In the meantime, Rich and I met with our designer to choose the pendant lights to hang over the island portion of the counter. We settled on some nice ones, ones that I think will accent the elegant feel of the whole room.

Rich said he thinks it is a little weird, to choose all of these components, but have no idea of how everything will look once it is all put together- and it's true!

Tomorrow (Monday), they will finish taking everything out and the rest of the week will be a slew of jobs going on: roughing in the plumbing (we are moving the fridge), roughing in the gas lines (we are moving the stove), roughing in the electrical (we are moving around switches, outlets, and pot lights), removing tile and drywall and replacing drywall, finalizing all the roughed-in stuff, and getting ready for cabinets.

The cabinets are due in on Friday, and IF everything goes according to plan, the job shouldn't take more than three weeks. But coming from a family that was in the construction business, I know all too well that many things can crop up unexpectedly, so I am prepared for that.

I have more than 30 meals in my freezer, either fully cooked and ready to warm up, or partially cooked to where I can easily finish with very little prep work. It might be a little repetitive but it is better than having to eat out too frequently or having to live on cold food for the whole time. Don't get me wrong- I love to eat out! But when you HAVE to, it loses some of it's appeal to me, and it can get kind of pricey.

So here are a couple of before and after photos from yesterday- the first ones are from before the demo guy showed up and the last ones are what it looked like when we got home.

Other than the lighthouses up on the border, this is a nice kitchen right now (well, not anymore, since they have banged holes and taken out cabinetry...lol But as I love to cook and bake and make preserves and such, the space really isn't workable. The oven is tiny, the cooktop is problematic and a pain to keep clean, there is hardly any usable workspace, and the sink and counter are just counter-productive, being white... it started out with such a simple idea of improving things, to THIS. lol

When the job is completely finished, I will put in before (when we moved in) and after photos to see. I am anxious to see it myself!

This side of the counter is where we sit- Rich uses his computer, the girls do homework...

Behind them is usually where the kitchen table sits, and my computer desk.

A better view from the sitting side. You can't see the appliance garages, since they are rolled up in this photo. Handy, but they leave you with hardly any space out in front.

The door beside the fridge leads out into the hall, towards the front door. The door to the right of that leads into the dining room.

A bunch of cabinets and overhead filler gone- it's starting to look bare!

It's really happening- no going back now! lol

I wonder why they left so much space at the top when they put these cabinets in? The new ones will go almost to the top- just leaving enough room for wiring and such. I want to use every inch of space I have!

This island area will be ALL workspace in the new kitchen! We chose some granite that we LOVE- and I can't wait!

And so it begins...

2010-07-08T10:11:00.000-06:00

With our vacation over, and Holly and Ben back home safely, we are back to our normal (and I use that term loosely! lol) routine.

Only our routine is about to disrupted in a pretty big way: we are renovating our kitchen.

We have hired a kitchen designer to oversee things and we have been busy this past week or so deciding where everything should go to suit me best, meeting with cabinet guys, and heating guys, and tile guys... lol It's been a flurry of excitement for the past few days!

I have already lost track of all of the names and who will do what!

Yesterday they put giant holes in my kitchen! Looks pretty ugly, I have to say. But as the kitchen had a drop-down/soffitt/bulkhead thing over the upper cabinets, they had to look inside them to see what they were dealing with. So, you know. Pound away!

The good news is there is nothing up there to contend with.

Late last week I met with Amy to look at granite and tiles. I chose a few granites I liked and got samples to bring home. I also made a tentative decision on how the backsplash behind the stove should look and what tiles to put around the kitchen.

Then we went again with Rich on the weekend to finalize our decision, as Rich wasn't fussy on the samples I brought home (they are too small to get the idea). Thankfully, we found a couple of slabs that we are both in love with! YAY!

And double YAY! Rich likes the tiles I chose, so we don't have to think about that any more either.

We also looked at appliances, because if I am to get a red stove, that is custom- and custom takes longer.

I really like the Bertazzoni red stove, it's really lovely. But after looking and thinking, we decided- or should I say I decided because I had final say since I cook the most- on a red Blue Star. It's 36", six gas burners, huge oven- and tons of easy clean things about it. The reviews say it isn't the nicest looking stove out there, but that it outperforms many high end stoves. I know Wolf is supposed to be the best, but honestly, they aren't that nice looking (and they only come in stainless steel), and they are so much more expensive, probably largely due to the name. In any case, I am happy with the reviews and information I have read about Blue Star and I am sure I will love it!

Last night the cabinet guy came to show us preliminary drawings and talk with us about how we really want to use the kitchen. I thought it was pretty cut and dried till we started- then we had all these options that were a little overwhelming. We did make some decisions, but we still need to think about a couple of things.

I have kind of a tight deadline in mind, which is the reason we have been so busy in such a short time. I want everything completed by the end of September. Amy assures me it can be done, and personally, I think the more time Rich and I have to think about and decide on things, the more times we will change our minds. I like making a decision and sticking with it- I don't want to keep adding things to the mix.

Besides choosing things to go IN the kitchen, I now need to be thinking about planning meals that I can manage without a stove for a time. No problem! I thrive on challenge!

Summer fun!

2010-07-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy summer for all of us so far.

Heidi and Chloe got out of school on Wednesday, June 2, and used the rest of the week and weekend to pack for their trip to Ottawa, to spend time with their siblings, Holly and Ben.

They flew out first thing on the Monday morning for their three week visit.

Rich and I flew out the next evening, for our trip to Italy, which I will be starting a new blog for soon...

Rich and I were gone for two weeks, came home on a Wednesday night, and the following Monday morning, all four of my kids flew here from Ottawa.

Usually the only time I get to see Holly and Ben is at Christmas time, when they fly in for a week or so.
At that time of year though, there are nine of us in the house, which means lots of cooking and cleaning for me, and lots going on at any given moment- translating into very little time to spend visiting and talking with my kids.

So this year, we planned for Holly and Ben to come and stay for a week when it WASN'T a family holiday...

We had SUCH a good time! We shopped off and on, we talked, we worked in my studio... all of my kids are artistic, and they enjoyed spending time creating things.

The kids had a day at Elitch Gardens, the amusement park in Denver, and Rich and I took them to the Colorado Renaissance Festival over the weekend. Despite the rain we got in the afternoon, it was a fun day.

We celebrated Canada Day with a nice steak dinner and poppers that we bought at the store. We were at the Renaissance Festival on the fourth- we came home and grilled burgers (with homemade fries too, of course!), and then the kids had fun setting off the fireworks that Rich had bought for them. What a guy, that Rich. He's a keeper!

They all walked up to get ice cream a number of times from Baskin-Robbins, where Heidi works. They bought copious amounts of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for home, as we have flavours here that they can't get in Canada.

There was lots of Beatles Rock Band, lots of ice cream eating, lots of laughing and teasing, lots of joy in us all being together as a family again.

Last night we had to take them to the airport to return home to real life- and NOT, as Holly hilariously pointed out to me, the G-rated version of their lives that they were living while Heidi and Chloe were there... lol

There are just some things that a mother doesn't need to know.

Garden, garden, garden!

2010-05-23T12:57:00.000-06:00

Now that the snow SEEMS to be over for the time being, and it has warmed up significantly, I have been working like crazy to get the main garden planted and going.

A few weeks back, I planted our early garden in a small bed behind the garage. There were a number of Columbine plants there starting to poke through the ground, and I moved all that I saw to the front of the bed, in a row. I say all that I saw- because I obviously missed a number of them- they are spread out all over! I will move them in the fall.

Anyway, in that bed along with the columbines, I planted snow peas, shelling peas, lettuce, and spinach. Everything is up and starting to grow!

When Chloe and I were digging weeds and starting to prep the main veggie garden, we transplanted the chives and thyme that had sprung up into a bed beside the patio. I want all the herbs together and for the perennial ones to have a safe place (from the tiller and pitchfork) to pop up next year. I still have a number of herbs to plant this week.

I have some fruit plants and bushes along the back fence, but that "garden" is very underdeveloped. I will work on that this summer when we are back from holidays.

And the veggie garden. Ahh, what a space. Approximately 400 square feet of mostly clay soil. I have soil envy! My next door neighbor has this soft, beautiful soil, the kind you could lay in and just inhale... But they have lived here for many years and so have quite a head start on me! lol

Yesterday I added my composted manure and fertilizer and, using the pitchfork only, turned the soil six inches deep. I got a ton of blisters on my hands (even though I was wearing work gloves!), I have sore muscles everywhere today, and I was absolutely exhausted as it was a huge job. But I got a huge satisfaction from a job well done. Next year though, I am either going to talk my husband into buying me a little rototiller, or I will hire someone to do it.

Today we laid out the soaker hoses and are watering the space and I am putting the final touches on where I think everything should be planted. I try to write it all down so I know what is where... and I am still learning to recognize plants from weeds- good rule of thumb is to wait a bit if you are not sure... lol

So that is where we are at right now. I will post updated photos as soon as there is something cool to see!

Happy Mothers Day!

2010-05-09T09:02:00.000-06:00

First of all, I wish all of my family and friends who are mothers, stepmothers, caregivers, and who spend time "mothering" anyone they care about, a Happy Mother's Day! Hope you are spoiled and appreciated for all you do!

As usual, I am in the running for Worst Mother of the Year- not sure if I have done enough to win or not- but hey, I have won it many times before and so maybe it's good to let someone else have the title for a while! The problem is, I haven't figured out how to stay OUT of the running! lol
Ahhh, parenthood.

Holly sent me an e-card and will be calling when she gets home from work.

Ben called yesterday as he will be at work all day today and we had such a nice, long chat!

Heidi got me that lovely bunch of red tulips and a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake.

Chloe isn't speaking to me, and I don't expect that to change just because it's Mother's Day. She will be celebrating her Pyrrhic victory while I get spoiled by everyone else.

Well, three out of four ain't bad, right? lol

Meanwhile, my poor hubby is still recuperating from his surgery. He is having quite a lot of discomfort and I will use my outstanding caregiver skills to make sure he has a full (and I wish speedier) recovery.

Have a great day all! xo

Spring has sprung! (and I have the tulips to prove it!

2010-04-14T22:37:00.003-06:00

Finally we have gotten a few nice days in a row (without snow) and the tulips are starting to bloom.

It looks so lovely and colourful out front again, with the fiery colours of the tulips, the freshly washed flags, and everything greening up!

My little snake "friends" have even decided that they don't need to spend every daylight hour right in my garden... YAY! lol

It has been pretty windy out though, and I haven't been out to work in my garden since the weekend, only out to water.

BUT I do have peas, snow peas, lettuce, and spinach planted in the bed behind the house, I have my fences up and repaired. I have all of my seeds and tools ready to go.

I have seedlings starting in my garden room, complete with grow lights and everything- though it is a pretty makeshift set up at this point. The original plan was to install hooks in the ceiling, but... long story. I figured it out- that is one of the things I do best. Improvise. lol

My little chippy

2010-03-31T07:38:00.002-06:00

Poor Heidi.

It is Spring Break, and she is spending her week on the couch, after having SIX wisdom teeth removed first thing Monday morning. Her appointment was 6:45 am and so she didn't even get to sleep in.

The surgery went well. She had IV sedation like I did, and was pretty darn loopy when I sat with her in the office. In fact, she was pretty darn loopy a lot of the day. Chloe was great about changing out the ice packs, thought we might have a bit of a chance to minimize the swelling. The surgeon said she would have some big swelling because the two extra teeth were WAY up there. And he was right. She did develop some major chippy cheeks yesterday, but they did go down a little by bedtime. Hopefully it will be a little better again today.

Thankfully she was prescribed painkillers which we keep on top of. Her jaw is pretty tender but the incision sites seem to be doing well. She is rinsing with the salt water and though she doesn't like the taste, I happen to know it helps a LOT. Not just because it was in the list of instructions or because I did it last month when it was my turn- but because it was a big cure-all in my Grama's repertoire of home remedies.

I hated to get a sore throat because I knew it meant two things: rinsing and gargling with salt water and having an old sock of my Grandpa's pinned around my neck! lol But I must tell you Grama, if you are listening: it did work, you were right. (Not only about that, but about a lot of things!)

Anyway, yesterday morning when I got up with Rich at 6 am, Heidi was awake and feeling miserable. This morning she was still asleep when I got up, and is still sleeping now. So hopefully this will be a better day for her all around.

I would post a photo but she won't let me. When Heidi was little, she was all eyes and chippy cheeks. So she has reverted for a couple of days...

Spring?

2010-03-30T17:10:00.003-06:00

We have had some absolutely lovely days lately here in Colorado. Today was almost 80F!!

The calendar says it is spring. But when we have 75F one day and a snowstorm with temperatures of 30F the next- it's a little hard to tell! lol Apparently, this is typical Colorado!

Anyway, those of us who have southern exposure at the front of the house have daffodils and crocuses blooming and no snow.

And let's not forget the signature sign of spring for our house- snakes. Yuck.

I know they won't hurt me (they are just garter snakes) and I know they are amazing creatures (according to some) and I know they are beneficial (though I am still not clear on why).

BUT they startle me, they creep me out a LOT, and I really wish there weren't so many of them in our yard... there is a nest of them under my front porch, and possibly under a bush in my front garden. (Said bush is where the snake in this photo keeps coming out from under)

Would it be mean to consider digging up said bush to encourage them to move elsewhere????

The year we bought the house, Rich was able to come here a lot in the spring and I wasn't. That spring the ground was FULL of snakes. I didn't see a lot of them last year, but we had a weird winter and that could have had something to do with it.

So, how will I manage to do all of my gardening and getting things going in the beds if I am continually frightened away by slithery, moving things????

I hope they get going soon, that's all I can say.

Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child!

2010-02-18T13:39:00.004-07:00

I realized I haven't been posting much about my cooking adventures lately. I guess that is because we have been busy with lots of stuff; kids, planning our summer vacation, planning our kitchen renovations, planning various surgeries... it's all never-ending! And in between, I am trying to squeeze in an online portrait class, which I am absolutely loving every minute of.

Anyway, after watching Julie & Julia, my loving (and food-loving) hubby decided to order me both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I wasn't really surprised when the books arrived at the door... I have lived with Rich long enough to expect the unexpected- to know that he loves to order things online- to know that he loves to eat- and to know that he loves to make sure I have everything I need in order to deliver tasty dishes to the table! lol

They are really nice books. They just arrived last week, so I have only had a chance to glance through the first volume, but I have seen enough to know what our first dish should be (and will be on the table tonight!): Boeuf Bourguignon. It is nearly ready for the oven and it smells just heavenly in my kitchen, I have to say!

*Here is a photo- it doesn't look nearly as good as it smells or tastes, and the leftovers were even better!

My first mountain (time warp) hike!

2010-01-17T17:02:00.003-07:00

Holy Cow. I don't know where to start!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent a fair amount of time last week getting us prepared for a proper mountain hike. No matter what time of year it is here, there can be snow and storms up high in the mountains and you don't want to get caught unprepared.

So Rich chose a route for us and programmed it into the new hiking GPS I got him for Christmas. We are still fuzzy on how to use the thing fully, but we are working on that... lol

The route he chose was the Tanglewood Trail in Pike National Forest. We went to the Deer Creek campground in Bailey to the trailhead. We were aiming for the Pegmatite Points.

We were dressed well, packed well, and excited. When we got out of the car, the first thing I noticed was that our present altitude was close 10,000 feet- where we live is 5460 feet, so already a good jump upwards.

We started off and the trail wastes no time in ascending. Before long I was huffing and puffing- and shortly after that I had to stop to catch my breath. I am an embarrassment to high-altitude hikers... We had to stop really often to catch our breath, and I couldn't believe how hard it was to go just a short way!

It was cool to hear the creek bubbling away under the ice and snow and I am sure it was a beautiful sight all around me, only I couldn't really look, and often didn't want to, as the trail kept going upwards and I was wondering how on earth I was going to make it!

There were some icy spots and we had to really work our way around them so as not to slip and fall.

Here is where the time warp reference comes in. We stopped to check how far along on the trail we were and I was SHOCKED to see more than two hours had passed since we left the car! NO WAY! I just couldn't believe it. No wonder I felt so hungry!

Of course we stopped a couple of times to switch our clothes and such, being greenhorns we haven't gotten it all figured out just yet. We were both very thankful not to be with a group, we would have hated holding others up. But as it was just the two of us, it was no big deal. AND it gave me yet another chance to slow down my pounding heart and regulate my breathing again.

We kept thinking we were getting close to our goal of the saddle where we could see both Rosalie and the Pegmatite Points, but we really weren't. We finally had to stop to have some lunch and assess whether we felt fit enough to proceed.

Our lunch stop was less than 20 minutes because it was really cold, colder than I had realized when I was moving. I had my gloves off only for part of my lunch time and to visit the bushes (lol) but I was really sorry that I had them off at all, they got SOOO cold that I could barely manage my poles. Thankfully we had brought along our really warm gloves too, and I put them on along with my warm layer, and we got ready to head back. Neither of us felt up to ascending any further, which is a shame, I really wanted to see the peaks. But honestly, I couldn't have made it! My fingers ached and burned for a good twenty minutes.

I figured the trip back would be easier and I guess going down IS easier, but I also found out that going down on icy patches is MUCH trickier than going up on it. I will say that I enjoyed the scenery more on the way down though, because I wasn't having any breathing difficulties.

Going up we were traveling much more slowly because of the air and the incline. Going down the steep decline and momentum made it a lot harder to travel slowly where we needed to. This is where the trekking poles became VERY handy. I can say that I learned how to use them really well today! Still I did slip and almost go down on a knee. Tomorrow will tell if I actually hurt it or not, I suppose.

The ascent took us over two hours, the descent just an hour and ten minutes. Going up I was so busy trying to breathe that it didn't feel as though we were getting much exercise for our muscles. But I can tell you now, I was much mistaken. I am feeling stiff and definitely that today's hike was a thorough workout.

Today was a great day, and I learned a LOT. I learned that there are good reasons for all the stuff they tell you are "essentials" on a mountain hike.

I also learned that some things are well-worth spending some money on to ensure comfort, like boots, a backpack, and clothing.

Most of all I was reminded that there is so much beauty around us if we will just go out and spend some time in the great outdoors!

Here are some photos we took today. Like the ice patch? Me either! lol

Lovely hike at Deer Creek Canyon

2010-01-17T16:30:00.004-07:00

Last Sunday we went for a nice hike just outside of town here, at Deer Creek Canyon. We had a lovely day for it, so the visibility when we got higher up was great! We could see Denver downtown off in the distance; sometimes I don't remember it is that close...

After our hike we went to get fitted for our backpacks. Who knew you had to be fitted??? Well, the people at REI, for one! lol

They have this board you strap on (like a backpack) so they can tell you what size and length you should be carrying. Then they take you to the racks, find one in your size, load 10 lbs of weight in it, and make you walk around the store with it on to see how it feels. I felt a little stupid doing it at first, but then figured since I didn't know anyone in the store except Rich, why worry? lol And it made a whole lot of sense to really be able to try it out.

So we both found one that fit pretty well and we brought them home. Rich ordered me a set of trekking poles; we have a set but discovered that in the slippery ice and mud, having two might be better. Plus we want to do some snowshoeing and they will help with that too.

Then later this week, I compiled my shopping list from the Colorado Mountain Club site to set us up; first aid supplies, fire-starting stuff, etc. It was so fun!

We wanted to be ready (or as much as possible) to go on a more challenging hike this week. Here are a few photos from the Deer Creek Canyon hike, enjoy!

Our anniversary weekend at the Stanley Hotel

2010-01-11T07:17:00.004-07:00

Last weekend was our third anniversary, and we celebrated by going away for the weekend. Every year so far, we have stayed at the luxurious Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver, and I could never get bored staying there! It will always be my favourite hotel. But this year we decided to do something different and so Rich made us weekend reservations at the Stanley Hotel up in Estes Park.

The hotel is rich in history and we really enjoyed the (ghost) tour we took before checking in. Mr. Stanley was a famous Easterner who came to Colorado for his health and ended up being responsible for really developing the town and area around it in order to build and support his hotel. The hotel was elegant and used the Stanley Steamer cars to pick up their guests in Longmont or Lyons, as the train didn't go to Estes Park.

The Stanleys are best known for their Stanley Steamers, steam cars, but Mr. Stanley and his brother made their fortune back east. Here is a blurb I found on "Infoplease" that briefly explains their story:

"Francis and his twin brother Freelan formed the Stanley Dry Plate Company in 1883 to manufacture dry plates for the photographic process invented by Francis. They sold the company to Eastman Kodak in 1905, as their interest had turned to steam-powered automobiles. They had invented the “Stanley Steamer” in 1896, the first steam motorcar in New England, and formed the Stanley Motor Company to manufacture them. Francis served as president of the firm. The pair actively competed in auto races, pitting their steam power against gasoline-fueled engines and often winning. Using one of their steam cars, they set a world record in 1906 for fastest mile, 28.2 seconds (or 127 mph [205 kph]). The brothers sold the business in 1918, having manufactured more than 10,000 “Steamers.” Francis died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident that same year.

Freelan, or F.O. was the Stanley brother that built the hotel.

Now there is more to the hotel- and what it is known best for now- ghosts. The hotel is said to be haunted by both Mr. & Mrs. Stanley, the swindler of a man they bought the property from, Lord Dunravin, and a maid who hangs around room 217. Stephen King stayed at the Stanley back in the early 70's and reportedly had so many spectral experiences, it inspired him to write "The Shining". The original movie was not shot there, but the miniseries that was filmed in the 90's was filmed at the hotel.

Part of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" was filmed here too. Jim Carey had room 217 for a night- but apparently came down in the middle of the night, asking the desk to make him reservations at the Holiday Inn- and then he waited outside for the car to get him... he has never publicly said what happened to him in that room... hmmmm....

I am no ghost hunter and am pretty sceptical about the whole supernatural thing, but I did keep hearing a music box playing and I could never tell where it was coming from. Our room was over the music room and we heard lots of piano and cello-playing as there was a wedding both Saturday and Sunday- but the music box sound was sometimes over top of that and I could only hear it in our room, no where else... (play Twilight Zone music... lol)

Anyway, here are a few photos. It's a lovely location and we had a really nice, relaxing weekend. Just the perfect thing to start off the new year!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:47:00.004-07:00

To all who visit me here, my wish for you is a happy, healthy, fun new year! I don't make resolutions, I am continually trying to learn things and be a better person ;) But a new year is a great time to improve things, change things, try new things, and so that is what I will do!

The holidays are quickly coming to a close. Rich is always off this week between Christmas and New Years and so we get a nice long time to be together and a little time to wind down after the hustle and bustle of having all of the kids home for a few days.

Of course, with our wedding anniversary on January 3rd, we get to end the holidays with a private celebration. In past years, we have spent some time at the Brown Palace in Denver as our getaway. This year, we will be going to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. I have never been to that area of the state and am very excited to go there!

Till I have photos to post from there, here are a few from Christmas at home with all the kids.

The gang's all here!

2009-12-24T08:09:00.003-07:00

The kids arrived from Canada on Monday- a day late, but safe and sound. We are all very thankful that the delay only meant an extra night at home, not being stranded in an airport...

We have been keeping very busy with last-minute shopping, cooking, and outings. Today is reserved for tomorrow's preparation and lots of eating!

Yesterday the kids and I went into Denver for the day. We took the light rail in and spent a couple of hours at the 16th Street Mall. None of us had ever been there, and we enjoyed looking around, despite the wet-ish snow that fell persistently all day.

We checked out the shop at the Hard Rock Cafe, had lunch at Einstein's, and browsed (not for long enough) in the Tattered Cover's flagship store.

Then the girls and I headed up to the Buell Theatre to see "Little House on the Prairie- The Musical", starring Melissa Gilbert, while Ben stayed downtown to wander and explore.

The show was FABULOUS! All of us enjoyed it immensely! I even brought my bonnet (yes, I actually own a prairie bonnet! lol) with a Sharpie to get autographs if that was a possibility, but it wasn't. No matter. We all had a great day.

Fortunately, I kept myself pretty organized this year with everything- gifts, menus & cooking, cleaning... so though I have things to do every day, I am keeping the stress (at least the stuff I can control!) to a bare minimum. It was such a treat to be out having a fun day two days before Christmas!

Now Rich is off too, his boys are here, and Becca will arrive sometime today. It is busy and much more crowded than we are used to, but it is very cool to have everyone here together for the holidays.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The tree is up!

2009-12-06T12:01:00.002-07:00

Yesterday after we got Chloe from riding, we headed over to the tree lot to choose our Christmas tree.

It's a beautiful Noble fir- so full and perfect, it's hard to believe it's real!

I helped the girls put the lights on and then they went to work decorating it- though it really didn't need much, it was gorgeous with just lights on it!

Now I need to start wrapping and filling up the space below it!

Date Night!

2009-11-13T11:38:00.003-07:00

We went out to dinner last night to the 9th Door, a tapas restaurant in Denver. The food is just SO yummy there! We have been there before and it never disappoints. We had some lovely red wine with it and it was such a great evening. I am so lucky to have a husband who not only loves to eat, but loves to take me out.

I love any excuse to get dressed up, and we even remembered to take a couple of photos before leaving (well, Chloe took them). We used to take photos all of the time, now we hardly ever take them of ourselves. We must get back into that.

The girls stayed home because they had their outing last week, going to see Wicked with me and our neighbor, Elizabeth. That was a great show! Next will be Little House on the Prairie with Melissa Gilbert in December- Holly will get to come with us. YAY!

Look what I did!

2009-11-03T15:45:00.004-07:00

Today I took another class at Wild Heather, and it was SOOOOOO fun!!!

The class was called 3D Photo Imagery, and it involves printing a photo on both cotton and organza (I believe the product is called Extravorganza), then layering the two with a frame.

I chose a photo from our holiday in Portugal that you are all likely familiar with- the Templo de Diana, in Evora. I just loved our whole holiday and every photo brings back wonderful memories, so I am starting to use the photos to decorate our still mostly-bare walls in our home.

The project took less than two hours, start to finish (not counting the printing), we got to use tools to bang and staple, and best of all, I just love the way it turned out.

A BIG thanks to Heather for being so patient with me, and for helping me choose the colours of fabric. I have not developed my "artist's eye" for colour yet, and really appreciate Heather's touch. She suggested that when we do another one of these, we try out the fabrics we might want to use, to see which ones wash out the photograph and which ones make it pop out. I am only beginning to understand colour, but the more I learn and watch, the more sense it makes, the more exciting it is.

I wish the store wasn't closing, but I do understand and wish Heather all the best in the world, she is just a peach and darn inspiring to be around! Did I mention how much fun I had???!!!

I wish I knew how to photograph it so that you could see the 3D effect, but sadly, I don't. But you can see how nice it is anyway! (the off-center look is my photography, not the finished product!)

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T21:15:00.004-06:00

Well, Halloween is over for another year. We got approximately 30 little ghosts and goblins at the door inside of an hour and that was it for the night. They seemed very excited about the treat bags!

It's still pretty nippy when the sun isn't out, but a lot of the 2+ feet of snow we got this week has melted away already. This is a strange place to be weather-wise sometimes... today we were wearing snow boots for the drifts and puddles and t-shirts because it was just too warm for anything else while the sun was shining! lol

Heidi, Brandon, and Chloe went out together and were gone a long time. They didn't get a whole lot; many people just don't participate in shelling out anymore. So many places do the Trick-or-Treat Street or parties, going trick-or-treating seems like it is becoming a thing of the past.

Chloe carved us another cool pumpkin (she likes the intricate designs and is very patient about doing them) thankfully- we didn't decorate outside because of the abundance of snow.

Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Dietz, and the hippie girl seemed to have a fun night anyways!

Two snow days in a row, more snow...

2009-10-29T09:30:00.003-06:00

Hard to believe this is OCTOBER. But it is, and here we are with a ton of snow!

They cancelled school last night, didn't even wait till the morning, as reports still predict a bunch more snow and high enough winds to blow it all around and make it nasty out.

Right now, and since Rich and I got up this morning, the snow is just lightly falling, so we will see what happens.

For now, I get another day to bake and quilt and I can't think of anything better to do in this weather!

First Snow Day of the 2009-2010 school year

2009-10-28T06:40:00.004-06:00

I will add a couple of photos later- right now it is pitch black outside! Well, NOW it is later.... and here are the photos.

At 5:30 am, we got an automated call from the school board advising us of the snow day. I dragged myself out of bed to let the girls know so that they could sleep in.

There isn't actually much snow on the ground, but there is a storm warning across much of the state for today and tomorrow, so I suppose they are being cautious.

This is our third time getting snow this month. I don't mind snow, nor do I mind snow days- it just seems a little early in the
year...

**** Wednesday evening- this just in- schools are closed tomorrow too!!! It must be some storm that they are expecting if they aren't even waiting it out till the early morning!!! ****

Wintry day in Littleton!

2009-10-21T08:17:00.003-06:00

This is our second snowy day so far this month! The first time was a week ago Saturday (Oct. 10), and we opted out of a marching competition because of it. Over the weekend (Oct. 17) we went to a competition up in Longmont, wearing t-shirts and all of us got sunburns! Crazy weather in this state, that is for sure!

Marching season is almost finished; this Friday is State Quarter-Finals and those that move on will compete Saturday. Then it is done. Seems like we have been going non-stop on it. Of course, this year I am working in more official capacities than last year...

Chloe's band has their first concert tonight and I have heard great things about this band, so I can't wait to hear them for myself.

I am busy in my studio dyeing silk scarves, quilting my Pumpkin Pie quilt, and starting work on a self-portrait series. I am so inspired by the local shop I haunt, Wild Heather in Englewood, (http://www.wildheatherdesigns.com/) and our quilt guild, the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. (http://www.artquilters.org/). This month the featured artist was Denise Labadie, and she does incredible, realistic quilts based on photos she has taken in Ireland. You can check out what we saw here: http://labadiefiberart.com/

I just don't have enough hours in a day to accomplish all of the things I want to! I have been keeping a quilt journal though; it contains not only information and photos of what I have done, but ideas for things I want to do too. I have WAY more ideas than time or talent at this point! lol But it is fun to dream of what I want to work on next or in the future.

Here are a couple of photos I took this morning. Now I am off to bake cookies for lunches and work in my studio. It's the perfect day to stay inside and create!

Columbine Homecoming 2009!

2009-10-03T22:35:00.004-06:00

Short post- here are some photos of Heidi and her date, Brandon, and Heidi's friend Kim and her date, Matthew.
The girls got ready here at the house and then all of the parents showed up to take photos.
The parents left and the kids stayed here to play Beatles Rock Band since it was still early. Next on the agenda was dinner out, then onto the Homecoming dance!
By the way, the Columbine Rebels football team trounced the Arvada West Wildcats in the homecoming football game last night, 34-10. Woo hoo!

Oh. I nearly forgot. Or should I say, I TRIED to forget... lol Did you check out Heidi's shoes????

Fall and all that!

2009-10-01T06:57:00.003-06:00

I have to second my friend Christine's sentiments of last week- where did September go??? Today is October. Which means in just four days, my son will celebrate his 19th birthday. I9! Seems like only yesterday he was such a little boy, playing contently with his Thomas the Tank engines and friends...

September was a whirlwind, that is for sure. Of course, I have a couple of new volunteer positions that are keeping me on my toes. I am the uniform chair for the marching band at Columbine as well as the new VP of the Booster board. As we are just now in the competitive season, it has been a busy job getting everyone properly outfitted and looking spiffy!

Heidi had an exhibition up at CU in Boulder on the weekend and then the first competition this past Tuesday night. Ken Caryl middle school attended the competition to cheer Columbine on, which is a tradition. Chloe is in 7th grade, but is in the 8th grade band and so she was invited to attend as well- only she was already on the list to help, so she got to show off a bit to her friends. And anyone who knows Chloe knows how she loves that! lol

The leaves are starting to turn around here and it is lovely. We don't have the variety of colours like I am used to from Ontario, but it is nice nonetheless. I will have to remember my camera the next time I am out. We haven't had frost yet thankfully, so the garden is still growing. But the cool air is more prevalent than the warm now and fall has definitely arrived.

Silk Scarf Party!

2009-08-27T07:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I went to my first class at Wild Heather, the Silk Scarf Party. What a blast!

We started our first project with a slightly damp white (blank) silk scarf. Using Dye-Na-Flow paints with water and silk salt, we were encouraged to create on the spot, using colours that blend nicely. That one is my yellow-orange-red one.

The next technique was Shibori; we wrapped our pre-dyed scarves on a pole, tying and scrunching in increments, and then over-dying them. That one is my blue-green one.

The last technique was also Shibori, but this time our resists were tied and stitched. That is my pink-purple one.

I haven't had so much fun creating something in a long time! I think the girls and I will do a bunch as Christmas gifts- they are so fun to make and we can personalize them to the receiver.

Another one done!

2009-08-25T11:05:00.003-06:00

Heidi and I just got back from the orthodontist. She has had braces since July 2007 and today they came off!

I will have to search my photo archives for an OLD braces photo- but for now, here is the before and after from this morning.

In Full Swing!

2009-08-19T07:18:00.001-06:00

Well, the Columbine Rebel Marching Band is off and running- or should I say marching!?!?! lol

Last Saturday was the first event they participated in, the 81st Annual Western Welcome Week Parade here in Littleton, Colorado.

They are largely a new band this year- almost HALF of the band graduated last May! The largest number of them are sophomores like Heidi, and there are some newbies of course.

They had a full week of band camp, practicing all day for three days here at the high school, then the whole group went up to Mount Evans and stayed from Saturday to Tuesday afternoon, starting to learn the show they will perform in competition this year.

I am the uniform chair this year, and so it has been a busy time, but I think the biggest part of the job is over for now. Whew!

The band sounded great in the parade, they looked good, and it is always fun to see them perform.

Heidi is playing a new instrument in MB as you can see here- she will play mellophone for marching season then return to flute for the remainder of the year. We are at a turning point with the braces too; they are due to come off soon and that will impact her playing... Heidi is the short one in the middle of the photo.

Another good thing: my friend Joan, who is in charge of the Pit Crew, is happy to put Chloe to work as well! You can see Chloe kind of tucked behind everyone, pushing the water wagon. I couldn't get a better photo, they were all walking so close together and moving at a good clip.

Sprucing up the front

2009-08-11T07:21:00.003-06:00

Everyone knows how much I LOVE my house. I love every single thing about it, and love to make it look inviting and pretty, both inside and out.

Many of our neighbors have been living here for many years; some have been here since the early sixties when they were just building the houses. So those neighbors have the most beautiful yards, full of big, gorgeous trees and lush perennial gardens, full of blooms and colour, and incredible landscaping. I see it, and that is what I want to see here in our yard too!

Last year, I planted perennials out front like a crazy person! I bought rose bushes in every colour (all beautifully scented of course- I can't have a rose that doesn't smell good!) and I filled the space with things I thought would give us lots of variety and colour.

It was a good plan. But I realized that plan depends a LOT on the weather. Our January and February were so mild, that the plants and trees thought it was spring and started too early. Having cold snow and ice in March and April messed the cycle up, and many of my flowers just didn't come up this year.

Being a new gardener, I have decided to wait it out another year before digging the failed plants up. I will keep my fingers crossed- I am hoping that this coming year brings more cooperative weather.

I have some vision for our front yard and am planning to do some landscaping before next spring- but I will need a little help and guidance with that... lol Rich gets a little nervous thinking about me digging up sprinkler heads and such!

So, in the interest of keeping things looking nice in the meantime, I thought I would add a few little details to the front to dress it up. I went to a little antique shop in Littleton, called Vandel Antiques. It has the most wonderful variety of things for sale, and is a terrific place to go when you need garden things! The owner, Sandy, is a friend of my next-door neighbor, and just a sweetheart. I found JUST what I was looking for!

I got a little bistro set for the front porch, a couple of small chair frames to hold flower pots, a sweet little birdbath, and a wind chime. I was so thrilled! We have a hummingbird theme going on now... lol While I was at O'Tooles, the best garden center in the city (and great supporter of the Columbine Music program), I found a daisy tree that just finished off the porch perfectly. I hung new flags (the old ones were faded after hanging outside for three years) and added some new mulch to finish things off.

Now I am content to wait; and I have a lovely place to do it!

Day in Manitou and Colorado Springs

2009-07-26T12:21:00.006-06:00

I forgot all about our day trip last week! Rich and the girls and I went to Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs and had a fabulous day.

Our first stop was at the cliff dwellings (here is the link: http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/)
It was cool, but we didn't spend a lot of time here- it isn't too big and it was really crowded.

Next stop was the Cave of the Winds. We LOVE caves and fancy ourselves as spelunkers... we have been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and Wind Cave in South Dakota before this. Here is the link for the Cave of the Winds: (http://www.caveofthewinds.com/)

The tour was fun and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves seeing the underground world.

We hadn't eaten and it was mid-afternoon, so we stopped and had a bite to eat before heading over to the Garden of the Gods.

I had seen a brochure of The Garden of the Gods- but was astounded at the size of these monumental rocks! I guess I thought they were much smaller. Here is the link for that: (http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm)

We got lots of wonderful photos despite the rain at the start of our visit- and we need to go back and spend a half a day doing the park properly. We didn't have a lot of time because the girls had a babysitting job that evening.

For the time being, enjoy the photos here and check out the websites for more information if you want. Now- doesn't any of this make anyone want to come and visit me here in Colorado???

My newest art quilt

2009-07-25T11:54:00.003-06:00

I have finally finished my art quilt! I had it done in time for my Art Critique Group last week- they had seen it in progress and had made some suggestions. I took one of the suggestions and it did improve the overall look.

But this concept and its construction was something that I had come up with a few months back. I have been keeping an inspirations journal for my quilting; every time I have a thought or idea, I make notes and sketches.

Now the weird part is that even though this finished wall hanging is somewhat what I first imagined, it is quite different overall. I did step by step, leaving it hung up on my design wall in between. Sometimes an idea of what to do next just came to me, other times I took ideas from other quilts I saw at the guild or in a magazine- not exactly of course. Just that seeing others' work helps me to imagine more widely what I could do in my own work.

This piece is called "Reborn" and is full of symbolism, which I love. I played with textures and machine quilting, there is a little embroidery and beading, and most of all, I let myself out of the pattern box and into the unknown territory of my imagination.

There is already another work in progress on my design wall, and I have been making notes like mad this week! Of course, this has been a big week, with the Front Range Contemporary Quilters Guild meeting, our Art Critique Group, and then our ATC trading group just this morning. (More on that later). LOTS of creativity and exceptional talent being shared with some brilliant techniques I can't wait to try...

Storm in Littleton

2009-07-21T08:54:00.003-06:00

Well, after an unusually rainy period here in Colorado, we have finally joined the ranks of those in this state and many other places as well, who have been hit by freak hailstorms this summer.

We have enjoyed the rain, it has been really good for the vegetable and flower gardens, and it has made everything so nice and green. A few of the rainstorms have been hard ones, forcing the plants to bend over in submission.

However, last night's hailstorm not only bent the plants, but beat some of them to shreds! I guess some things might recover from the barrage of wind and ice pellets, but there are some poor plants that will not. It's a little sad- all that time and work, now just pummeled into the ground. You can see in the photos here; the amount of ice that was coming down last night, the melon plant ripped apart, and the amount of ice still in the garden this morning.

That will teach me! I hadn't even taken any photos of my little backyard garden yet; every time I went out there to work proved a longer job than I first counted on and by the time I finished and got cleaned up, I didn't go back out. Now I have no proof or satisfaction of seeing what my labours first brought me.

Now we wait for things to warm up and dry out. Then I can see what- if any- damage control I can do on my end. We can't control the weather and so lamenting about it won't help. I am very thankful that the only damage we incurred was to the veggies- with the hail and 60 mph winds, some people around the area lost power, had trees come down, or had damage to their homes.

JOAN BAEZ!!!

2009-07-17T07:56:00.004-06:00

Well, I came as close to a lifelong idol of mine last night as I guess I will ever be.

Rich and I went to the Denver Botanical Gardens and saw Joan Baez in concert. JOAN BAEZ!!!

I have listened to her and loved her and her music as far back as I remember listening to music... in fact, her album, The First Ten Years, is the one I remember from when I was around 3 or 4 years old. It's the first music I remember listening to and knowing.
And so it feels like it has always been a part of me somehow.

And of course, way back, when Rich and I were first getting to know one another, he sent me a CD in the mail- Joan Baez. The CD was Any Day Now- Baez sings Dylan. In his note accompanying the CD Rich wrote: "... it doesn't get any better than this". And he is so right.

There was a HUGE line to get in and so we ended up having to see Joan mostly from the back (that is a dumb setup if you ask me), but we were pretty close and she was great about turning around occasionally and acknowledging us back there... ;)

Her band is great, and I feel lucky to have seen her son, Gabriel Harris, on stage with her too. What a treat! They did a good mix of old and new stuff. Joan didn't take a break at all, instead performing just with her guitar during the time the band took a break. First she sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" for Odetta, and she talked about meeting Odetta for the first time. Joan's voice is just as beautiful and strong as it always was.

She spoke about and sang for the people in Iran who are on the cusp of great change. Joan is still speaking out for those who need extra voices and it is amazing to think of what she has done in her lifetime, both through her music and her actions.

Later, she sang a Dylan song, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright- and did a PERFECT Dylan imitation towards the end of the song, it was so cool and fun.

She is just a tiny thing, not too tall, slim, elegantly dressed- and she has this light about her. I was honestly just in awe, being in her presence. When she smiled, you could just see her glow.

The tickets had clearly stated that there were to be NO photos or video and so I didn't bring a camera. But people were taking photos all over the place and they weren't stopped by anyone. So I did attempt to get a couple on my phone. They are poor quality, but better than nothing I suppose.

When I got home, I hastily did a sketch in my quilt journal and wrote down some details I will need- seeing her, a wall hanging came to my mind. I have to document this momentous occasion!

I never in a million years thought I would get an opportunity such as this- and seeing this wonderful woman in concert was definitely something that was a dream come true for me.

Quilters!!!

2009-07-08T07:00:00.004-06:00

Last night, my friend Elizabeth and I went to see the musical, "Quilters" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We just LOVED every minute of the show and I am SO happy I didn't miss out seeing it!

This play originated in Denver more than 25 years ago and has enjoyed great successes. There is a synopsis of the play on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts website: (here is the link in case you want to check it out: http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Quilters/Synopsis.aspx)

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love that particular period in history and I have read many books about it. But I still learned things, and these actresses really brought the joy and the sorrow of that time to life. I cried when they did- and felt the happiness they showed over the little things.

I think the hardest part of pioneering women's lives must have been children. Miscarriage and still births were common, but more dangerous was the sheer number of pregnancies most women endured in their lifetimes. I knew that these women must have felt- but had never read about in any detail- the fear and struggle over getting pregnant yet again, the worry they had of not surviving another pregnancy or birth, and leaving behind many helpless children. Some risked asking a doctor to help them- some resorted to homemade folk remedies to terminate the pregnancies. How horrible it must have been to know that you are expecting another mouth to feed when maybe you can't feed the ones already around your dinner table, or knowing that the last time around you nearly didn't survive, or were laid up for a long time, putting much stress and strain on your husband and family, but having no choice whatsoever in the matter.

Hands down, the best part of not only this play, but of pioneering women, was their spirit. Life was unfair and hard and sometimes downright cruel, but they endured. Not only did they brave through it all, but they managed to do it with a fierce spirit and joyful heart, creating homes for their families and art through the quilts that told the stories of their lives.

Made me want to come home and go straight into my quilt studio!!!

Catching up

2009-06-23T07:48:00.004-06:00

We have been home from Portugal for 3 full days now, and I am finally feeling myself again.

Traveling overseas is very tiring! It took us 19 hours to get there and 24 hours to get back- that is real hours, not time change stuff. That time zone thing is very strange. No matter how I look at it, it mixes me up. I understand it in principle, just not beyond that.

We did as suggested and tried to assimilate our schedules to where we were/are as quickly as possible and I think that was good. We were able to fully enjoy our two weeks in Portugal- and we had the weekend at home to get back into the swing of things slowly before Rich had to go to work.

Yesterday I spent almost all day outside, weeding my vegetable garden, cleaning the patio, trimming hedges, and preparing another bed for planting- I am hoping this will work as a perennial herb garden... we shall see.

I will have to take some photos of my little garden today. I know that the soil has not been amended enough to yield anything beyond a few dinners here and there, but I will work on that this fall now that I have figured a few things out.

For today, here are a few vacation photos. The top photo is me at the highest point of a Moorish Castle in Sintra, with the Palacio Nacional da Pena in the background (we went there next); the middle photo is Rich and me at the Roman ruins in Conimbriga; the third photo is a view from the top of the castle we stayed in our first night, in Obidos. It was a fantastic trip!

I have started a new blog about our trip if you would like to see a few more pictures, the link is: http://happytravelergurl.blogspot.com/

It was hard to choose just ten photos of each day- we did and saw so much- and I took more than 2300 photos. I am currently trying to figure out what to do with them all... lol

Small update from Portugal!

2009-06-14T15:42:00.001-06:00

Look where we are tonight!!!

Can't seem to upload much, our Internet connections are not like at home- but I will do a blog about this wonderful trip when we get home!

Now I understand what John Denver meant...

2009-06-03T16:44:00.003-06:00

I have honestly felt like my life has turned into a John Denver song; I could quote you so many things from his songs that describe my new reality... but I digress.

After leaving the Pawnee Buttes, resolving to return properly equipped for a great hike, we stopped and had dinner in Fort Morgan.

We opted to take the scenic drive west home instead of highway the whole time. And boy, oh boy, what a drive it was.

In the song "Rocky Mountain High", John Denver says this: The Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky...

Well, if these sunset photos didn't show exactly that, I don't know what would. It had been a drizzly sort of day, so as we drove into the sunset, there were clouds in the sky with the light burning through. I have to tell you, it was an awe-inspiring sight. I know the photos at this size don't do it justice, but if you can view them larger, you might see what I mean. Especially the bottom photo. I am planning to enlarge this for our wall- it really looked like fire.

And now I know what John Denver meant. In more ways than one.

p.s. I will post the rest of the photos in an album on Webshots and my fb page

Pawnee National Grasslands

2009-06-03T16:36:00.003-06:00

A couple of Sundays ago, Rich, Chloe, and I went for a drive; Rich wanted to see Pawnee National Grasslands. Well, it was miles and miles of flat, and no houses for as far as you could see (and that was pretty far) in any direction.

We finally saw a small sign for it and turned onto a dirt road, where we drove for miles and miles more of flat- though along this route we saw the weird sight of leaning power lines... the only explanation we could come up with was that they are being replaced by the straight up ones. Who knows? But it was very startling.

We also saw three missile stations- I guess that is a good place for them, way out in the middle of nowhere.

At some point we saw a sign that said: Pawnee Buttes. Rich told me buttes are small rock formations, kind of like mesas, but smaller. I don't even know how far we drove before we saw them... a LONG way, according to Chloe!

FINALLY we saw them, and it was well worth the drive. Turns out there are some nice hiking trails there, which we weren't prepared for, but we are planning to go back.

While Rich checked the grass for birds' nests, I took the opportunity to take some close up photos of little flowers, and of course a bunch of the buttes.

Colorado is a very beautiful state.

The kids have arrived!

2009-06-02T19:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday morning, Heidi and Chloe left for Ontario. As Heidi is 15, they are old enough to fly together without anyone else and so they did.

I heard tell of a minor fiasco in Chicago; the girls inadvertently passed their seats while boarding the plane and had to fight the "traffic" going back the other way... only to sit in the wrong seats still and have to move! LOL That was the worst of what happened to them, so that is pretty darn good!

They didn't get to Holly's till quite late in the evening but as Holly's and Heidi's birthdays just passed, they made time before bed to do birthday presents.

Our presents to Holly were a pair of hot pink Doc Martens and a psychology dictionary. The girls each got Holly a MLP tin lunch box- inside of one was a cupcake/muffin t-shirt and inside the other was a pair of cupcake tea towels which Holly says are too cute to use as tea towels!

Holly got Heidi an LA Ink book signed by Cat VonDee (no idea if I spelled that right and not being a fan... well, I don't much care). But Heidi is a huge fan and was quite thrilled by the gift. Sigh. I just don't get tattoos and I never will.

Anyway, here are a few photos that they took at Holly's last night. I told Heidi and Chloe that they need to post things on their blogs too, so I can follow along. We will see if they do...

Chloe's Continuation

2009-05-27T08:09:00.004-06:00

Not GRADUATION because they are just "continuing" on- but a ceremony because they have to change schools.

Chloe has finished elementary school with straight "A"s and I am so proud! I have really seen her grow by leaps and bounds in every way this year. I know she is nervous about going to middle school, but I think she will positively thrive in the environment. Being the youngest, she has never cared for being treated like a baby and has always tried to prove her capability in whatever way she can. That is why I think middle school will be right up her alley! lol

Here are a few photos we took last night- check out the neon green leggings! Chloe also likes to make a statement whenever possible... lol

DAY WITHOUT HATE

2009-05-08T07:14:00.005-06:00

Today a Day Without Hate is being observed by all local schools. The idea originated last year at Standley Lake High School, when a group of students there, after hearing about the tragedy at Virginia Tech, decided they had to do SOMETHING to help bring awareness to school violence. They hoped that the awareness would bring about new ideas on how to stop it.

This year, two members of Columbine High School Senate organized the event for their school, and called in the support of all the elementary and middle schools in the area. White t-shirts with a message have been sold with the proceeds going to the Never Forgotten fund, scholarships that have been set up in the memory of the thirteen victims of Columbine. The front of the shirts shows a hand print with A Day Without Hate on the palm, and on the back it reads: Hope "learn from yesterday, unite for today, live for tomorrow." Anyone without a purchased t-shirt is asked to wear a white shirt.

White shirts are to symbolize not only peace, but solidarity. All of the schools have events set up to add impact to what they are doing- but other than the posters I have seen, I will have to wait until the girls get home to report on what they did today.

Many local businesses and community members will also be wearing the shirts- this whole community is dedicated to safe schools and neighborhoods. It makes me proud to be a part of such a great community.

I am blogging this for one reason- this Day Without Hate should be EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY. Unfortunately, that is still impossible but we have to start somewhere; maybe today, you could join us in sharing a bit more of yourself today through smiling at others, performing little random acts of kindness, remembering that we are all here with the same mission- to have a good and peaceful life. If you haven't left the house yet, why not put on a white shirt and tell others why. THANK YOU!!!

If you want to see a few more photos, I have them posted on my facebook page. If you want to read a couple of articles on this, here are a couple of links:

http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Stories/News/General-News/Story~609500.aspx
http://peacejam.org/blog/?p=335

My hardworking girls

2009-05-07T14:43:00.004-06:00

This morning I had the pleasure of attending the awards ceremony at the high school. All awards were handed out with the exception of Instrumental Music, which will be done at the banquet on the 18th.

Heidi was recognized for her excellence in both Math and French. Many of her friends were recognized as well- those band kids are really high achievers! You can see how pleased she is to shake Mr. D's hand in congratulations. I am so proud of Heidi, she has worked very hard this year and has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout the year.

Before the ceremony started, Mr. D'Angelis, the principal, had a few words for us all. He thanked the teachers and parents for their support of the students and then thanked the kids for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

One thing he said struck home with me, and as I LOVE good quotes (ask anyone who knows me! lol), I wrote this one down.

He said we all basically have three choices in life: Give Up, Give In, or Give it Your ALL. Don't you just LOVE that??? I believe it with all of my heart. He pointed out that the students being recognized are those who definitely give it their all. No kidding!

While I am bragging about my kids, I have to mention Holly too. She just finished her second year at Carleton in the Psychology program and got four "A" and one "B". She too has worked her behind off this past year, both going to school full-time and holding down a part-time job during the school year. WAY TO GO, HOLLY!!!

I am so very proud to be the mom of these hardworking girls who deserve every bit of back-patting they get!

Riding at Waterton Canyon

2009-05-05T07:35:00.002-06:00

One of my very favourite places to go bike riding is Waterton Canyon. There are just so many reasons to love riding there!

First of all, it is a private road. It is wide and the only traffic on it is walkers, runners, fisherman, and bicycles- except for the odd truck driven by someone who works there (maintaining water stuff). So there is plenty of room for Rich and I to ride beside each other and chat a bit if we want.

Second, the road is pretty good. A little rocky or soft in a couple of places, but relatively decent riding the whole way.

Third, it is just over six miles to reach the dam. At that point you have to turn around and go back unless you have mountain bikes (which we don't, our bikes are hybrids) to continue up the Colorado Trail. The road up to the dam is at a slight incline which means a good workout. And the way back is at a slight decline which means a bit of an easier ride when you are tired. And all in all, we get in a guaranteed 12+ miles which is a fine workout for the two of us.

Lastly, and best of all, it is a BEAUTIFUL place to ride. The road follows a portion of the South Platte River and there is often wildlife along the trail. We have seen bighorn sheep, deer, and last week we saw a Great Blue Heron come in for a landing on a rock quite close to us. Didn't have the camera though, darn it!

I guess when we are in better shape, we could ride our bikes TO the canyon, do the trail and then bike home- but we are far from there yet...that would add an additional 16 miles to the trip! For now, I am happy to strap the bikes to Rich's car and go from there!

Remembrance and Hope

2009-04-22T07:02:00.004-06:00

This has been an important week for remembering tragedy and those lost to it. But the biggest message that came from both services we attended was that of hope. Hope. As long as we keep that, all is not lost. Rich and I and our kids certainly know that firsthand.

Monday night Heidi played in the band that was asked to perform at the Columbine 10th Anniversary Memorial Service. The band played "The American Elegy" by Frank Ticheli. This quote is on the composer's web site: An American Elegy is, above all, an expression of hope. It was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors. It is offered as a tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible tragedy. I hope the work can also serve as one reminder of how fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected we all are as human beings.

The service was lovely and moving. You can see clips of it online almost anywhere if you like; it was very widely covered. I am really glad we went. Columbine is a very close-knit community and I love it here.

If you would like to see more about the Columbine Memorial, here is a link: http://www.columbinememorial.org/

Last night, Chloe and I attended the Governor's Holocaust Annual Remembrance program in Denver. Chloe is a part of an advanced reading group at her school and they have been reading first-hand accounts of survival stories from the Holocaust. The speaker at the program last night is the last surviving member of a group of people that lived in the sewers of Lvov, Poland, for more than a year to escape being sent to the extermination camps. Having read many books of this nature myself, nothing I heard Ms. Keren say was something I was unaware of, but hearing it out loud, first-hand, certainly made it more real than anything I have read. I think reading books about the survivor experiences is vital to our generation and all who follow us. But I realize how lucky we are to still have these live opportunities to be affected by those who have suffered and survived. We need to hear these things, our kids need to hear these things, in order to be impacted enough to bring about change for the better.

If you want to read more about this personal account, here is a link that gives a great overview of the book:
http://www.ijn.com/columns/view-from-denver/510-the-girl-in-the-green-sweater-lived-in-lvovs-sewers-for-14-months

Speakers at both events pointed out to the audience that we still have so far to go; in gun control, in tolerance of others' differences, in keeping awareness alive, in countless other ways. But they also reassured us that no matter how horrid the circumstances, the human spirit is a wonderful and miraculous thing! That we can overcome any obstacle with love, faith, and HOPE.

So what should we take from these reminders and memorials of past tragedy? Be kinder to one another whenever you can. Don't take your loved ones for granted- always tell them that you love them and how much they mean to you, and do it today. Act with moral courage whenever you can, standing up against what is wrong and helping those who can't help themselves at the time. Be willing to take a stand for what you believe in. Most of all, never lose hope. No matter how hard life gets, no matter what you have to deal with, you can get through it, learn important lessons, and become a better person because of it.

The Greatest is LOVE

2009-04-20T08:26:00.002-06:00

This wall hanging quilt was a stretch for me in so many ways!

Before I moved to Colorado, I lived in a little town in Ontario, Canada, where I was employed at a lovely quilt shop. The owners were and are dear friends of mine, and always volunteering their time and other things to the community.

One of the events held in the quilt shop each fall is the "The Quilt: 30 Hour Quilt Marathon" which raises funds to provide emotional, informational and physical support for people living with cancer, their family and friends. This is sponsored by Northcott's Quest for a Cure. Here is Northcott's Link: http://www.northcott.net (then click on Quest for the Cure, bottom right)
Here is the link to the site if you would like to learn how you can help your local quilt shop participate in this fabulous event: http://www.thequilt.com/

Anyway, since I moved before the event was to take place, I decided to send something they could put in their Silent Auction, which was running concurrently with the marathon.

For inspiration, I started with what I had learned from "Simply Stunning Woven Quilts" by Anna Faustino. I loved the look the quilts she made! Then I chose an array of batiks (which I LOVE) and a lot of pink... with a fat quarter of "love" fabric for the middle. When it was all finished, I attached the pink ribbon and a heart.

I say this quilt was a stretch for me because I had never really taken a pattern and just used it as a starting point. Once I got the fabrics chosen, cut, woven, and fused, using Word on my computer, I printed (backwards) the words I thought most inspiring to surround the most important theme- Love. I traced them onto fusible web, cut the letters out of black, attached them and sewed them on.

For the quilting, I used a zigzag stitch to reinforce the wavy connector lines, and around the border I did free motion- with the word "love" on every side. We can never get enough love!

I don't think there are any of us who haven't been touched by cancer in some way, but these inspiring words can remind us all of what to hold onto when adversity strikes- no matter what face it is wearing.

The wall hanging has not yet been auctioned off, but hopefully it will bring in a good amount to help with the total that the store is able to raise.

So that was my first taste of stepping out of the box in quilting, and I had so much fun. Now almost every project I tackle has more of my personal stamp on it, and that is fun!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T09:14:00.003-06:00

Another Spring ritual is over and done. Our Easter was kind of spread out over two weekends, as Rich's kids were all here last weekend rather than this past one.

The girls were very disappointed to hear that I wasn't planning a treasure hunt for them, so I relented and did one anyway. I used song titles (an idea from my sister Sandy, who is always very inventive) to lead them from one clue to another. Some they got quickly, others they really struggled with. Rich and I enjoyed watching them and I think they had fun.

I am eager to get my garden ready and get some things planted! I have a number of seedlings started in my garden room and just need the area to be tilled in order to get out there and plant some seeds and plants. Hopefully that will be this week.

My tulips out front seem to have weathered the snow and cold of late and though they are small, most of the bunches seem to be alright. Some haven't come up at all, but they may be later blooming ones. I hope.

We are seeing some nicer weather again, at least till mid-week when temperatures are supposed to drop again. Certainly the biggest adjustment to our move has been the climate. Oh, and the language barrier. lol

We have SNOW!

2009-03-28T09:07:00.003-06:00

For all of you who have been suffering all winter with terrible snow and cold weather, you will be happy to know we got hit the other day.

Honestly, I don't mind. I am a hardy Canadian girl, after all! And though the weather has been lovely here most of this winter, it has been a strange experience having no snow or cold.

My neighbors have told me that most of the trees around here will put out a second set of leaves if the first ones (which have been out for a while) get damaged by cold and snow. THIS is normal around here- snow after you think spring is safely underway.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that my flowers and bushes make it through this okay, that it just serves as a darn good dousing that we desperately needed.

Heidi was happy about it too- she left for California this morning in shorts, even though it was mighty cold this morning. Now, Heidi says, California will feel like a double getaway- excitement AND warm weather!

Rough trail

2009-03-24T08:28:00.003-06:00

Last weekend for our bike ride, we decided to go to Waterton Canyon. It is a 12 mile ride- 6 miles up to the dam all at a slight incline, and then 6 miles back, whoopeee! The slight decline makes it fun!

But NO. As always, though Rich says he wants me to pick where we go, it gets amended at the last minute. We went to the parking lot alright, but instead of taking the usual road through the canyon, Rich decided that he wanted us to try the trail on the other side instead.

I have one thing to say about that: mountain bikes. We have these hybrid bikes which are a cross between road bikes and mountain bikes, very light to carry when you need to and pretty sturdy. But the tires are not nearly big enough for that trail we went on, and some suspension would have been EXTREMELY nice.

We did it, but it was a workout alright! The trail was so skinny that sometimes our pedals were hitting rocks on the side of the dip (which was the actual trail) and it was so bumpy, full of rocks and tree roots and the like. Gave me a bit of a headache by the end.

BUT I will say that it was a beautiful, scenic trail and I wouldn't mind one bit doing more of those, once we have the right equipment.

We really wanted to try snowshoeing this year, but we have had no snow to speak of. We really have been able to ride our bikes most of this winter, and we do enjoy it a lot. Maybe next year for the snowshoeing...

Spring Clean-Up

2009-03-21T18:08:00.003-06:00

We are TIRED.

Now that spring is here, it is time to get things growing again. We are supposed to get rain tomorrow and so we really needed to get the raking done and the garden area cleaned out.

All of the dried leaves and pine needles will hopefully feed my compost bin along with the kitchen scraps for the whole summer.

I had to shovel all of the mulch material off the area that I want to use for our vegetable garden this summer. And I had to dig up a big bunch of irises that were growing in the middle of that space. I know it isn't the best time to transplant irises, but I am doing it anyway.

We have a few bushes that are flowering- I must look up what they are. And I have things moving right along in our front-facing front yard.

Here is a photo of one set of the tulips that came up- but the weird thing is the stalks haven't gotten very tall. See how the flower is nested right in the leaves? I love the colour of them and am happy they are blooming, but I am guessing that our lack of winter has messed things up a bit. It will be interesting to see what else happens. I guess as long as nothing dies on me, I will take what I can get.

Here also is a photo of one of our "friends" that are around our yard and garden. I don't exactly like snakes so when I garden I wear tall boots! lol

I will post photos as the garden progresses.

Rich made CAKE!

2009-03-21T16:48:00.002-06:00

For St. Patrick's Day, Rich likes the (American) traditional dinner of corned beef and cabbage. As I have only cooked it once before and he is an old hand at it, I convinced him to help me make it last weekend- and then we would have the leftovers on Tuesday, the actual St. Patrick's Day.

So that is what we did. The corned beef went into the crock pot and at the end, the onions, cabbage, and carrots with it. Accompanying it was Champ, which is mashed potatoes with scallions, cream, and butter- yummy!

The piece de resistance was the dessert: Chocolate Stout Cake. Holy cow, what a cake! Here is Rich frosting the cake (the frosting is bittersweet chocolate with cream!), and here is the three-layer masterpiece!

Rich is not fond of cooking, but makes a pretty great job of it when he does it.

News on the ATC front:

2009-03-14T17:49:00.003-06:00

Mona and I and Mona's daughter Shawna went back to Monument today, to the Wild Heather quilt shop for the ATC trading group.

This was the last time that this group will meet there- Wild Heather is relocating the store to Denver at the end of this month.
While that is exciting for Mona and me, most of the other ladies live in Colorado Springs which is south of Monument, and many of them might not want to drive all the way to Denver.

BUT Mona, Shawna, and I have agreed to drum up "customers" for a new ATC trading group to meet at the new Denver location and kind of run it- though there really isn't a lot for us to do, just send out emails and such, and be there I guess. Liz Kettle, designer extraordinaire and current group leader for the group, has kindly offered to send us all her email info and once things settle down for her, perhaps join us when she can.

Instead of meeting on the second Saturday of each month, we agreed to the fourth Saturday instead. That way anyone from the current group can join us, and we can also join them once in a while if we choose.

This may sound really silly, but I really feel like I belong here now. I am managing to make my life here outside of the house, and that is important to me. You women get it- we need creative outlets, and we need the company of like-minded women.

Here is a photo showing a sampling of the cards I brought to trade today, only missing the "Sassy" one (the set in pale pink with the vintage photos and lace), and photos of the cards I received. It is SUCH a fun hobby!

And not only that, I am inspired and filled with ideas for things I want to make. Just have to get my "homework" for that masochistic paper-piecing class I signed up for...lol If I didn't have to go back, I am pretty sure I wouldn't finish it. I will post a photo of it when it is complete.

Look what I did!

2009-03-14T17:19:00.003-06:00

FINALLY our doors are stained, polyurethaned, and re-hung! It took a whole week for me to finish them, but it was worth it. I think they look so nice!

Here are before and after photos so you can see the difference. The before photo is facing our front door, and the living room is to the left. The after photo is taken from the front door which showed the new doors better. I didn't take a photo of the doors hung by the contractor guy- they were hung unfinished and the finished effect is so much better.

I have never stained or finished anything before and there is a bit of a learning curve, but I am happy with how they turned out. I had to paint the new doorframe too. I can paint but am not overly fond of it... lol However, Rich was happy to let me give it all a go and he seems happy with it too.

Thought-provoking

2009-03-11T15:19:00.005-06:00

I was on someone's blog and came across this amazing video. It is a speech by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the bestselling book, "Eat, Pray, Love".

It is a 20 minute speech about the creative process and though she is speaking more specifically about writing, I think what she says applies to all of us who try to nurture the artist within us- whether we express ourselves in words, music, or other mediums such as fabric.

She suggests that artists tend to be too hard on themselves and suffer too much for their craft. She believes that we need to change that perception, not only in ourselves as the ones who are creative in some way, but in those that have come to expect that all artists are a little "touched".

She wants us to consider that those moments of greatness that some creative people experience- like a bestselling novel or award-winning quilt- comes not only from ourselves but from something greater than ourselves. I am not religious, but I do believe that there are powers out there bigger than we are, and it is a pretty great thought that they may step in to help us if they choose.

I will watch this again too- and think long and hard about what she says. Maybe the next time I am inspired to make something and it doesn't come out exactly as I pictured it in my mind's eye, I will be able to be a little easier on myself. After all, when we set out to make our homes, our lives, our world a little better with what we do, shouldn't the thought and the process count for at least as much as the end product?

What do you think?

Neighborhood Jaunt

2009-03-03T08:11:00.004-07:00

As the weather has been so cooperative lately, we went for another bike ride on Sunday. Rich was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I still don't find it quite warm enough for shorts, but I was plenty warm without a jacket. Hard to believe the "winter" we are getting this year. Don't worry, all of you who are suffering through snow- Colorado DOES get snow, and from what I have seen here in the past, this is NOT a typical winter.

Anyway, we started out wanting to find the bike path that took us under Wadsworth, a major street west of here. Long story short- we didn't find it till the end of the ELEVEN AND A HALF MILE (thats 18.5 km) ride. Rich has a GPS thing for his bike and it showed that we did a total ascent of over 600 feet. That is a LOT of hills, let me tell you!

Of course, this whole city is hills- if you want flatter rides, you stick to the bike trails- but even those have their moments!

Here is a photo I took about 3/4 of the way through the ride- I don't know if you can see how high up we are, but it was a little scary going down that hill! Oh Rich. He does have a talent for choosing the most punishing routes when we are least in shape for them... lol

Last up for this week...

2009-02-28T08:39:00.002-07:00

For our final dinner of this official Restaurant Week adventure, we went to the Barolo Grill in Denver.

Rich and I agreed that this was our favourite of the three; we had a simply wonderful evening. Though the place filled up while we were there, it was never noisy.

Rich started with prosciutto with shaved fresh horseradish, and I had arugula with toasted pine nuts, shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, olive oil & lemon juice. Both were delicious.

For the pasta course, Rich ordered spinach tagliatelle served with bolognese meat ragu and I ordered the risotto with fresh crimini mushrooms, which I thought was just divine. We switched plates partway through as we often do, and we both liked what we ordered the best.

The entrees were delicious too! I had the seared salmon with lentils, spinach, and micro fennel salad. The fennel gave the dish a slightly licorice-y taste, and it was sublime. Rich had the beef short ribs with polenta, carmelized onions, and swiss chard which he raved about. He let me try the polenta but he didn't part with even one tiny bite of the beef. It must have been good! lol

Dessert was the same for everyone; a vanilla bean panna cotta with apricot passion fruit tapioca. The panna cotta was so smooth and creamy- with intense vanilla flavour, and the tapioca was citrusy and tart, a perfect complement to each other. We ate it in the tiniest little bites to make it last!

We both had the wine pairing to go along with everything and all the wines we tasted were really good.

Besides the food, what stood out for me was the service. The servers flitted between tables, always around, but never intruding and they were so friendly! They genuinely appeared to like their job and it was relaxing and lovely to eat there.

So. Overall, The Barolo Grill wins in our book. Great ambience, great service, sublime food- what more could you ask for? We will definitely go back.

PHANTOM!!!

2009-02-26T20:49:00.002-07:00

Yesterday Rich and I took the girls to see "The Phantom of the Opera" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We bought the tickets months ago and it seemed then that the day would never arrive.

WOW. We all just loved it! It was truly spectacular. The singing, the costumes, the orchestra- the whole experience was just incredible. There is nothing like live theater, that is for sure. It's too bad we couldn't take photos, but we are not likely to forget the details for a bit...

We took the light rail into the city and it was such a nice day. We stopped and had pizza on our way home. A great day all the way around!

Here are a couple of photos we took in front of the theater. Not as exciting as Phantom photos would have been, but oh well! lol

Up next: Il Posto

2009-02-26T18:31:00.003-07:00

We went out again last night (Wednesday) for a go at another new restaurant, this time Il Posto in downtown Denver.

I was going to rant a bit, but decided I will just list the good and bad, starting with the good. I am no restaurant critic, but I know what I like and what I don't.

THE GOOD
1. The food was delicious- Rich says better than Opus, but I disagree
2. The servers were really friendly and knowledgeable
3. Once they let us move to the window, we had a nice view

THE BAD
1. They made us wait for almost half an hour, even though we made reservations (which they called to remind us of)
2. Too crowded- the servers had barely enough room to move around- which means service wasn't very attentive
3. Too noisy

Rich laughed at me when I threw his own observations of dining out back at him! When we go out to a nice dinner, attentive service is part of the experience, and I didn't enjoy being so crammed in. I DID however, enjoy Rich's company very much, as I always do. And so any time we are together, is a darn good time!

The food really was good and I guess we will go again sometime to see if the overall experience is any better.

Spring?

2009-02-24T15:43:00.005-07:00

I was just out watering my front garden- yes WATERING- because according to my friends/neighbors, this is what we do this time of year when we haven't had enough snow. That's the small price we pay for having a light winter. Thus far at least. Everyone keeps saying March will be winter. That's okay by me.

But somebody had better tell that to my plants out front... they seem to think it is spring! Things are starting to turn green! The early tulips and daffodils are up a few inches. I have had crocuses blooming for almost two weeks. And I did this watering in a t-shirt and jeans- and felt grateful for the misting of water the hose was throwing at me because the sun is so lovely and warm. What a change from what we are accustomed to. Wow. I have to tell you, I really love the weather here!

I guess because our house faces South and it gets the best of the warmth from every day, it would be easy to confuse those poor little plants. And I can't think the ground is even that cold, we haven't had any snow last more than a couple of days at most. We have only rarely pulled out our winter coats and boots, as light jackets- or no jackets- are usually enough. Colorado natives insist that this is an unusual winter, even for them, but I for one am very happy to have been broken in so nicely to our new climate.

We have seen neighbors landscaping and much of today's talk (I went out to lunch with a ladies' group that my neighbor invited me to accompany) was about gardening, birds, and the coyotes we have out back. I guess I had better get a move on and get planning what I am going to put where. And then, dang it, it will be time to go out back and clean out the space I want to use for all the veggies I think I am going to grow. Well, it will be well worth it if I can grow even a fraction of what we bought at the market last summer. WOO-HOO!

We are Foodies!

2009-02-23T06:49:00.005-07:00

Every year at this time, Denver has Restaurant Week and this year we could finally go!

This is what the web site says about it:

"Denver Restaurant Week is a seven-day celebration of the culinary scene in Denver. For one week, participating restaurants will offer a multi-course dinner for the fixed price of $52.80 for two". 5280 is the number of feet in a mile- and Denver is the Mile-High City, for those who wouldn't know that (like me, before I met Rich). 5280 is also the name of the Denver magazine. We get it and it is a great resource...

Last night was the first night, and we chose Opus in Littleton. We have been there for lunch, back in the summer, but wanted to try it for dinner. Opus was chosen by the Denver Post as one of the top ten places to try during this event.

When we eat out, we usually try to get different things so that we can both try more. Rich had French Onion Bisque which came with toasted brioche in the bottom of the bowl, topped with goat cheese and chive oil. I started with a salad of leafy greens with walnuts, brie "croutons" (delicious!), topped with white balsamic. We also went with the wine pairing that was offered, so we got champagne- oops- sorry- sparkling wine with this course. I love sparkling wine! lol

For the entrees, Rich got Braised Beef with Celeri Potatoes, exotic mushroom sauce (and darn it, we forgot to ask what kind of mushrooms they were, they were so good!), red wine cabbage, and black pepper pumpkin seeds. I got Pacific Salmon stuffed with barley, shallots, and spinach, over persimmon butter sauce and with shaved fennel. Absolutely delicious, all of it. Rich got red wine of course, and I had a choice between red and white. I chose red, since I prefer that.

Dessert was a Granny Smith Apple crisp in an oat crust with vanilla bean ice cream (I LOVE homemade ice cream! Good thing we have an ice cream maker!), and caramel sauce drizzled on the plate. There was a candied burnt caramel garnish on top that was very elegant and tasty. We got a dessert wine with this that was divine!

The restaurant was packed and so it was a little noisy, but all in all, an outstanding dinner with terrific service and we would definitely go back another time.

We have reservations to eat out twice more this week- and two out of the three we have chosen were in the top ten to try. So stay tuned for more reports on our foodie experiences.

More music!

2009-02-21T20:01:00.013-07:00

Both girls had a busy music week.

Tuesday night, the advanced elementary school band (of which Chloe is a member), the middle school bands, and the high school band all played a concert at Columbine.

Each band played a couple of numbers and then they all combined at the end to play "America The Beautiful", and it sounded really great.

Thursday night, Normandy had their combination Knight Ringers/Troubadours concert at the elementary school, and it was a tribute to Colorado. The hand bell video has them playing "Where The Columbines Grow". The Troubadours choir sang a lot of John Denver songs and I enjoyed it very much. I love John Denver- always have. And since my life is basically a John Denver song, well... lol (I could even give you specific song titles that describe various aspects of my life!)

I am trying to remember how to post videos on here...I have two videos: one of the combined bands and one of the handbells- you can actually see Chloe this time! I apologize for the shakiness- I have to videotape using my camera and zoom lens and it is pretty touchy about picking up movement on my part- but I like to try and zoom in a bit on the girls so you can see them, since you don't know where they are in the crowd.

Enjoy!

A New Quilting Journey!

2009-02-15T08:30:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was SO FUN!!! My new friend Mona and I went down to Monument to a quilt shop called "Wild Heather" to meet with the ATC trading group- and what a blast it was!

The group is run by a local designer, Liz Kettle (co-author of Stitch Journeys), and the store owner, Heather (who is a pattern designer as well), is also a member of the group. We were warmly welcomed by all, and so inspired by all of the work we saw on the cards we traded. We each had to talk a bit about how we got the idea for our cards and what mediums/techniques we used. It is an incredibly talented group, and I just want to try so many things now! lol

The quilts on the wall and the fabrics in the store were also awe-inspiring, and I have a idea now for two wall hangings- a series I think that will include more than two- that I can't wait to get started on. I have been sketching and all night I dreamed of thread and what elements I want to have in these quilts. I'm not kidding!

However, I am going to start with the Stitch Journeys book; I bought it yesterday at the shop. Liz is delightful in person and when I got reading the book, I found that her co-author is from Newmarket, Ontario- and the threads they feature are Canadian. Unfortunately, that means I can't get most of them around here. But that is what ordering online is for! lol

I will learn how to use all of these threads and the techniques that go with them, and then I can start my quilt. No patterns, no rules- just my creative juices flowing. Let's see if I can transfer what I see in my head onto fabric. (That hasn't worked so well for me in the past...but I will think positively! lol)

For now, here is just a sample of the beautiful cards I got in the trade yesterday. The theme was "words" and everyone saw it a bit differently. To see the collection of what I made and all of what I got yesterday, you can go to my Webshots album (link on the right side of this page).

Did I mention?

2009-02-14T17:23:00.003-07:00

Did I mention that Friday the 13th is among my favourite days of the year?

It was on a Friday the 13th that after so long of only "knowing" each other by phone and e-mail, that Rich and I first laid eyes on each other- the day we met for the first time in person.

And seeing how my life has turned out so incredibly- how can any Friday the 13th be considered anything but the best of luck days for me?

(photo taken on our honeymoon in Quebec City, May 2007)

So far...

2009-02-13T07:58:00.003-07:00

Well, I have managed to make a couple of things from the Beatles fabric, and am working on a third.

Heidi wanted a tote bag (she refuses to carry a back pack). I wanted to showcase as much of the fabric as possible, which is why both sides are different. I used a Laurel Burch for the inside as it was one of the only fabrics I had enough of- I don't tend to buy big pieces of fabric unless I am working on something specific. And I found great rainbow tote strap to make it sturdy enough to lug around books.

Chloe just wanted a little purse, and since she loved the "cutie cubie" as she renamed the Treasure Box pattern- I amended it a little to make it bigger, and she seems pretty happy with it. It is lined with a vivid batik.

Holly wants a wallet, which I have cut and am working on right now. I have made this pattern before too, but hopefully I will do a better job on this one- I misfolded the last one, though I did manage to make it work in the end. **Hey- while I have been waiting for the girls to get up so that I can get photos of their bags- I finished the wallet! I hope Holly likes it.**

I will still have a bit of fabric left over and I think that I will use it to make a little wall hanging for my studio.

Progressing along

2009-02-12T16:55:00.003-07:00

Well, Chloe has been to three lessons at Coventry Farms and just loves it. They put her on a bombproof horse for her first lesson- Symphony- and found that she was a little beyond that.

The second week she rode Chocolate Chip and found it a little more challenging. Of course now she is learning to ride while standing in the stirrups and she is learning to post without stirrups. This girl will have some MAJOR thigh muscles before long! lol

They are still pretty much tacking up for her, even though she could do it herself- even the saddle. At Tina's, she couldn't lift the heavy Western saddle by herself, but now that she is using an English saddle, it isn't a problem. The English saddle is so much smaller and lighter. I told Chloe to ask politely next week if she could try tacking up by herself and letting them check once she is done. I know they mean well, but she wants to do it and won't learn properly unless they let her try.

This past week she rode Smokey, and will again next week. I guess Beth has found a good fit for Chloe. We didn't stay too long, just long enough to get some photos. If the weather cooperates on Saturday, I will be away and Rich will be taking Chloe to her lesson- but I am sure I will hear all about it in great detail once I get home!

Well-fed wildlife!

2009-02-09T21:25:00.004-07:00

There is no shortage of wildlife here in the suburbs!

Rich is a bird-lover (and so am I), and he just got new feeders over the weekend for the squirrels and the birds both.

The backyard is always full of cheerful chatter even on horribly windy days like today. We get so many varieties of birds it's hard to believe. The birds and squirrels are downright FAT! lol

Saturday while Chloe was at riding, Rich and I walked the trail along the South Platte river and got some great photos of pairs of ducks. I wanted to get some photos of the Canada Geese that seem to be EVERYWHERE... everywhere except there, apparently! lol

Sunday morning as I got out of bed, a bit of movement caught my eye in the east window. It was a coyote. There is a pretty good-sized pack of them just back of here- we have green space behind our back yard- and we have all been warned to keep a track of our pets, especially at night. Many neighbors have had their cats disappear. Such is life when you live side by side with wild animals, I guess.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to see if I could get a picture, and ran out back with the camera. Good thing I have a decent zoom lens, he was a good piece away and looked right at me. There were three of them, and Rich said they were the healthiest looking coyotes he has ever seen. Up in the hills he saw them a lot, but they were much skinnier.

I think it is very cool living so near to so much life outside!

Quilters ATCs!

2009-02-05T19:02:00.003-07:00

The latest rage in my sewing room is Quilters Artist Trading Cards (ATCs for short). What a blast I have had taking a foray into this particular arena!

I have experimented with a few techniques that I have hesitated to try on my quilting, like thread painting and embellishing with a variety of fun things.

I have made a new friend right in town here and she was the one who invited me to go along with her to a quilt shop she likes to trade these cool little treasures with a group of ladies she has taken some classes with. I can't wait!

I will put the entire collection of cards on my Webshots page (link at right) if you are interested. Here is a little something to pique your interest...

Fabric Adventure!

2009-02-05T16:09:00.002-07:00

I had a GREAT day! I met up with my friend Joan who lives in Denver, and we went to the Rocky Mountain Sew Expo in Denver.
What a show- so much to see and touch and drool over. So many choices about what to buy and what not to buy.

I hadn't met Joan in person before today; she and I belong to the same online fabric postcard trading group and she nicely offered to go with me to the show, knowing I don't know a lot of people around here yet. We started out by having a leisurely breakfast first and then spent the next three hours wandering from booth to booth. Joan brought me a gorgeous moose pincushion as a "welcome to Denver" gift. Isn't it cute? Joan is a sweetheart.

I really didn't intend on buying any fabric, but the prices were so good and I saw some stuff I knew my girls would LOVE. They are bag-a-holics just like I am and any time I get cool fabric, they want a bag of some sort out of it. I have lots of bag patterns and I love making bags... so it's all good!

Next week my adventure continues when I will go to an artsy quilt shop with a friend I have made here in the neighborhood. We will be trading quilter's ATCs, and I have been working feverishly on them for the past couple of weeks. I will post later today or tomorrow and show you a little sample of my "art".

In the meantime, check out the cool fabric I got today. I am so excited!

Another hike

2009-01-30T09:19:00.005-07:00

Well, we have been out hiking again, and this time we saw lots of footprints in the wet clay.

I am including a photo of what I believe (after looking it up) to be mountain lion tracks- they were ALL over the trail we were on. We saw deer and bunny tracks too, but my camera battery was pretty low and I couldn't take as many photos as I usually do.

It is so cool to be able to hike in light clothes in January! But the ground is a weird texture this time of year. As our soil is clay, the water/snow doesn't get absorbed too far down, and so even the grassy areas are slippery to walk on. You definitely have to watch your step. It would be so easy to slip and fall or twist your ankle.

We didn't go out much last weekend, Colorado actually had a cold snap and it was a bit too chilly to be out long.

Chloe started riding lessons at Coventry and loved it. Learning English will be a bit of a challenge, but she is up to it!

Other than that, I have been keeping busy with housework, quilt classes, and volunteer stuff- I have to do something to stay out of trouble! lol