Winter's Wonderland

Pictures of our Snowshoeing adventure:










It was a beautiful, cold day. I fell only twice! First over a tree branch...yes I said branch, and the second I just lost my footing and tossed myself down the hill. My wet pants show where the wet snow and I met up. Obviously I need to invest in some nice snow pants next!
Afterwards I asked my husband how is it that I always end up in such a mess? His response was quite to the point, "only when your outside, babe."

"But I do wonder if a down-Easter, sitting on a nylon-and-aluminum chair out on a changelessly green lawn slapping mosquitoes in the evening of a Florida October - I do wonder if the stab of memory doesn't strike him high in the stomach just below the ribs where it hurts. And in the humid ever-summer I dare his picturing mind not to go back to the shout of color, the clean rasp of frosty air, to the smell of pine wood burning and the caressing warmth of kitchens. For how can one know color in perpetual green, and what good is warmth without cold to give it sweetness?"
- John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley

A Christmas update....

The last week has just flown by. It has been an amazing Christmas and holiday. Having Larry home has been a complete joy. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together. Eve was spent with my Aunt a step cousins that were visiting from Istanbul. It was fabulous meeting with them and dinner was amazing. The Eggnog overfloweth along with too much food. I almost didn't make my family's Christmas Danish on Christmas morning because we were still so full from the night before. Around noon we finally decided we could partake of additional calories. Santa filled our stockings with many gifts for us to enjoy. We also managed to get a true White Christmas. It must have been one of the best Christmas's on record (at least my record)!

Today we are off to brave the elements to go snowshoeing!

Christmas Aftermath


Cats got their presents too...


Christmas Day at Sugarhouse Park

Let it Snow and Snow and Snow

Here is a little winter story for ya. This is based on a true story that happened...oh....about 6 hours ago.

Last night while visions of sugarplums danced through my head, the snow came down and came down, and kept coming down until the sky had no more to give and had depleted all snowflakes from its reserves. Suddenly out of my slumber I awoke to a fright, the sound of my phone ringing at 6:00 a.m.. As I blindly followed the sound of the ring, I heard my neighbor's voice calling to tell me I was about to lose power. "What?" I exclaimed! Then suddenly a click and my power was gone. "How could this be," I wondered to myself? I grabbed my glasses, my husband's bathrobe, pulled on my snow boots and raced out doors to see what was the matter.

I looked to my right and to my left, and standing next to a big truck was a man from Rocky Mountain Power. He grumbled and muffed, and let out a low "hello." "What has happened?" I inquired. "The pole has snapped and I had to cut your power line or else it might catch on fire." "How will it get fixed?" I said with concern. "You will have to call an electrician to come fix it, and we will put in a new pole and hook up new wires." "Oh my!" I exclaimed. "Who is going to pay to fix it?" "You are," he replied matter of fact.

What the young man didn't know was that I had called good ol' Rocky Mountain Power last summer to have that exact poll check for safety because it sure didn't look good to me. We were having new electrical work done and figured now would be the time to have the poll replaced. The "poll inspector" gave the poll a clean bill of health even with splinters and chunks of wood missing.

I, standing in an over sized bathrobe and boots with laces untied, looked at this worker from RMP dead in the eyes and said, "hell if I'm paying for this, you guys inspected this poll in July and told me I had wasted your time because this poll had at least one more decade in it!" By now my voice was becoming louder and louder. See all this could have been avoided if someone had just done what I had asked them to do last July. I'll be damned if I was going to pay one dime for any repair. He gruffed and grunted at me. "Now you tell me how am I going to get an electrician out to my house for a job like this the Friday before Christmas?" I barked. He left and went back into his truck to call his supervisor. Upon his return, his tune had changed suddenly. "I have trucks on their way here to replace the poll. Here is a claims adjuster for you, and he will take care of you," he stated as he handed me a business card.

Seems like my story may have panned out, and the "inspection" done last July was still in the computer. Now they were the ones responsible. A sense of relief was beginning to flow through me. I came inside after he left. I searched around in the dark, and using my flashlight, found the business card of the electrician that did all the original work for me. I looked at the clock, it read 6:36. "I can't call someone so early," I thought to myself. But as I saw the snow still coming down outside, I begin to think I probably wouldn't be the only person that would need an electrician today. I decided to go ahead and call him. I first apologized then proceeded with begging. I begged and kissed ass until my lips began to chap and callous over. He finally gave in and told me he would come by soon. My neighbor came over and offered me her company and a cup of hot coffee. Anything to keep my mind off what I expected would be a frozen fun weekend.

To my surprise at 8 a.m. my grumpy old electrician showed up...again I succumbed to groveling and more callous development. He also grumbled and grunted (must be an electrician trait) about having to go out into the snow and get some parts. He left and I began the arduous task of digging out to find sidewalks. Afterwards, as my fingers began to form into ice crystals, I decided I should take a shower before the water in the water heater cooled. A few minutes later, while my hair was still wet, a Foreman from RMP showed up to my surprise. "I have a crew on their way. We should have this all fixed up by noon," he said with a smile. "We have it covered." A smile began to form from ear to ear. "Who is going to pay the electrician?" I asked softly. " We will," he said. My heart began to grow believing that all was not lost. I will have heat again, my food won't go bad, and Christmas will be saved!

Within moments, 6 large trucks pulled out in front. I couldn't believe they were working so fast! Amazing what a little liability will do to light a fire under some one's butt! They ripped out the old post, dug a new hole, put up a new pole, hooked everything up, and within 2 hours....Voila!...I have heat and lights and humming sounds once again! Yippee!

I finally got a hold of my husband. As I was sharing my story, I could hear blood vessels starting to pop in his forehead. I think he wanted to take someone by the neck. He thanked me for being his wife and for my ability to take care of it. There are a few moments when being a yeller does pay off. If I had not given that guy a serious talk'in to, do you think any of this would have been done, and all on their dime? Nope. It was my being a "Bitch" that got some action.

So now here I am at 12:38, on my computer, writing this lovely little ode to winter in my warm home being grateful that throughout my life I have learned enough to take care of myself and my home. It is adventures such as this that make one learn and become stronger. It may sound strange, but I am grateful for my challenges. Because of those challenges I am confident in who I am and what I am able to do.

Merry Christmas! May your homes be filled with warmth and gratitude, and of course.... electricity.

P.S. I know I started this out with a little "Night before Christmas" and then I tossed in a little Grinch, but in the end it was just me. What can I say...at least I tried to add a little Christmas to my story!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well I manged to get the tree up, the decorations are finished (minus the tree ornaments. I decided to wait until Larry was home for that), the shopping is done, and now I just have to clean up and do some grocery shopping. I may try and get some more lights up outside if I find I want to. The weather has turned very wintry and I am hoping for not just a white Christmas, but a snowy Christmas (I bought a sled).
Larry is due in on Sunday morning and I have a million plans flowing through my head. Sunday night will temple lights followed by an evening of ice skating and hot chocolate. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing followed by a soak in the Midway Hot Pots, movies, visiting with family and friends, sledding, a lot of relaxation time, The Nutcracker on the 28th followed by an anniversary dinner at Bambara, and to top it all off..... many, many kisses (not just the chocolate kind).
I have struggled this year to get into the Christmas spirit. I think it must be because I am missing a big part of my life. We have spent many Christmas's, Thanksgivings, birthdays, etc... apart, but this year it has been hard on me more so than past separations. I don't know why.
Good thing then, that in a few more days the separation will be over, if only for a week or two.



Have a very Merry Christmas and a Fabulous Holiday Season!



*This is one of those all encompassing passion filled pieces of music that I love.*

Oh my Passion

I make no bones about it, I run on passion. It courses through my veins and makes me who I am. I am passionate about everything I do, how I spend my time, what my work means to me, the books that I love to read, and the people I love to love. Once I asked my husband to find one word that described who I was. He actually came up with two, the first being passionate, the second being curious. Sounds like a dangerous mix. It is not easy living with such a passionate person. I honestly don't know how he does it, but apparently he likes it otherwise I think he would have bailed out a long time ago. God knows there are easier women to live with. My husband used to call it "my spice," but now I think he knows it is just who I am. Just in case your were curious, my word for him was "loyal," which probably explains a lot.

For a long time I spent my life trying to undo the passion in me, and to not feel so much. I wanted to be "normal." Don't ask me what I thought normal was, but obviously I thought is was anything that wasn't me. I think I learned early on to not let myself feel too much. It was just too dangerous. When one feels a lot of passion in their heart, it also opens them up to be hurt. Pain becomes the obvious by-product.

Having experienced a good chunk of pain in my life, I thought the best thing I could do is just close myself off. This would allow me to function better in this life, so my thinking went. The result was that I lost myself in all the disguises. My heart became small, and my soul was distancing itself from God. When I moved back to Utah, I started to see what I had done was nothing less than suicide. I made the decision to take myself back, which included opening myself up to the pain again. I decided it was worth risking some pain to be myself again.

Yesterday was an example of my changing self. I love animals. If you know who I am, or have spent any amount of time with me, you would pick up on this pretty quickly. I have supported many animal shelters and rescue organizations. When I say support, I mean donate supplies and cash. I haven't always allowed myself to get in and do the dirty work, the stuff that would make the abandonment real as well as the sadness. Yesterday, a friend was volunteering for No More Homeless Pets doing an adoption drive at the Taylorsville Petsmart and invited me to help out. I wanted to do it, but felt resistance coming from within. Those old attachments of not wanting to feel anything made their presence known. I fought with myself and kicked myself in the butt to go. Once I got there I couldn't wait to dig in and help out anyway I could. I cuddled and played with the kitties, took all the dogs for walks, and met with perspective adopters. All the while I had to keep constant vigilance to stop my heart from coming up. I fell in love with all of the little guys especially one little puppy (the guy at the top of this post who almost came home with me, but was adopted into a real good home). It was hard to stay focused on just providing them companionship and compassion and not load them all up to take them home. When I came home I just sat down and cried. Not that I wanted to, but because I had to. I had no where else to put it all.

As I left the adoption drive, I talked with the volunteer coordinator about doing more work for them. I cannot imagine not doing this no matter how hard it is on my heart. I am meant to be this person. I may not always want to be who I am, but I have no choice...not anymore. With great passion, great love, great compassion, and a desire to help those that are in need, comes pain, sadness, loss, and heartache. Just like everyone else, I am here for a reason. God put all this passion inside of me that allows me to give and help those that are in need, and I fully intend on doing exactly what He has asked me to.

"Your just an empty cage girl, if you kill the bird" - Crucify

A Question for the Ages

Can a man and a woman just be friends? This is a question that has circled in and out of my life on more than one occasion. I have drifted in and out of friendship with boys, guys, and men. They have all ended for one reason or another. The most common reason being that I find out their intentions were not to "just be friends."
I usually find myself in these predicaments not because I look for them, but because I seem to find I get along better with men, and enjoy their conversation. I am not saying that I don't enjoy my girlfriends, but most of the time when I meet men, they usually discuss issues that I have more interest in. Women can be hard on one another, very judgmental, and gossipy. Men just tend to be more "in your face" and less "in your back."

Last night this question popped up again. Jed, my male friend whom I met through my husband, called me yesterday to see if I wanted to head up to the mountains. I was fairly bored and didn't have much going on, so I jumped at the opportunity to go see some beauty and for some good conversation. Later on, we decided to grab some dinner at a local Barbecue joint. He also found out what was wrong with the truck (I didn't have the wires hooked up properly) and charged the battery for me. Afterwards, I invited him in, put a fire in the fireplace, and we talked until 1 o'clock in the morning.

I have zero "other than friendship" feelings for him. Not to mention I am married and am still in love with my husband after 17 years together. However, that didn't stop the question from coming up, "can a man and women just be friends?" Earlier in the evening, Jed had shared with me a story about a woman he recently met at the gym. She was beautiful and friendly. He immediately started with the chit chat, and apparently she seemed interested in conversation. He was thrown when she kept bringing up her husband this and her husband that. He noted the lack of a wedding ring and figured she was separated or divorced. As he started to leave, his perception was that she seemed to want more from him. After he told me this story, I said matter-of-fact, "well how do you know she just wasn't looking for a friend? I hate to say it, but I don't wear my wedding ring all that much, I am friendly and flirty with people. I laugh and joke. Doing so doesn't mean I am looking to get laid. Sometimes it just means a woman is being friendly. I have been known to met men here and there and converse with them. I will usually bring up my husband in conversation and that is usually when I find out what his interest is in. Unfortunately, it usually ends up with a 'see ya'. " I told him this and suggested maybe she does the same. Maybe she was just testing the waters to see if he was "friend" material. He told me that was just naive. If a guy sticks around after the mention of "the husband" that doesn't mean he is interested in a just a friendship and nothing more.

His response shocked me as I was sitting in the seat next to him in his car after just sharing a meal with him. I immediately asked, "so does this mean you don't believe a man and woman can just be friends?" He suddenly realized what his statement had meant. "Well... sure they can. I have lots of female friends." But for me, the change had already happened. I suddenly felt as if I had to be on my guard, that maybe his intentions were not what I had thought they were. I still don't believe that he would ever come on to me as he knows that would end in a complete disaster. But now there are questions. Are the desires there? Does he not see me as just a friend? I no longer am certain I can answer these questions the same way I might have prior to this conversation.

I do enjoy his friendship as we have a lot in common. I talk to him as a friend, just as I do to my girlfriends. Is it naive of me to believe that the sexual aspect between a man and a woman could be eliminated for the sake of a good friendship? I have to believe it is possible. Maybe just the knowledge of unavailability puts the monster to sleep and allows the friendship to become more important than any other action between two people of the opposite sex.

I guess that is just the way I think. Call me naive or stupid, but I have to believe that people, no matter the sexual nature of the human being, can be more than just male and female. They can actually be really good friends.

Woman's work...HA HA

I live on a fairly traditional street, in a fairly traditional city, in a very traditional state. When I say "traditional" I mean that the husbands do the men's work and the wives do the women's work as traditionally done since the dawn of the suburbs or maybe it's the Victorian era, which ever. I, on the other hand, do not have the fortune of living a traditional role. No, I do not get to sit inside sipping hot cider while watching my husband shovel 12 inches of snow. I do not get to watch him wheel out the garbage to the curb every Monday night while I do the dishes. I do not get to watch him rake the piles of leaves every October, all while I dust and vacuum. No, this would be a luxury for me as I get to do both jobs, male and female, wife's and husband's.

I am the only women I know that can tell you where all the repair manuals are located for the major appliances, or how to wire a light switch. Last year for my birthday in addition to backpacking equipment my husband bought me a cordless drill. Yes, I do know how to use it, and actually I use it rather often. Most of the time I find joy in not having limits to what I can do and what I can learn. Being self sufficient is a big plus. I will say that in comparison to most of my MALE neighbors, I am very handy and will take on most any task or project if I find I am interested in doing so, or if it is needed.

Today, though, I would have thoroughly enjoyed being traditional. A few days ago, I drove Larry's truck because I needed the 4-wheel drive. It was snowing and the roads were a mess. When I came home I pulled into the garage, turned everything off, and parked. The next morning I got into the truck to move it, but unfortunately when I turned over the ignition, I found the truck to be dead. This posed a problem because I really needed to move the truck so I could access the attic space above to get out ornaments. I retrieved my battery charger (I say "my charger" because I bought it when my car battery died on me when I left the lights on), cleaned off the posts, and set about charging the battery. Try as I might, the battery wouldn't charge because the battery is DEAD. I decided I would try to go about removing the battery from the truck and take it to the auto parts store to have it tested, but quickly found out that the damn thing must weigh about 60 lbs! I quickly changed my mind. I'm strong, but not that strong, not from that angle. Then I had the thought that I didn't want to think, "I could really use a man right now." Gasp!

After I put my tools away, I decided to embark on some outdoor illumination. I had purchased some grapevine creatures (angel and deer) and wanted to put them up in the yard. I should have seen what was coming when the 5 foot tall Angel was in a 3'x2' box. What a fricken nightmare! Here it is about 25 degrees outside, and I am out piecing together a jig saw of parts with instructions that say, "suggest put right arm in first, do other after." What the...? I got so frustrated at one point I almost starting tossing limbs, but couldn't because everything is connected by a damn electric cord. Later, I emailed my husband with my frustration. Here is an excerpt:

I set up the %#&DAMNSONOFB$&%*'N yard ornaments up outside. Those F*$&'N things were a pain in the ass! They are up an plugged in, now lets see if they actually come on or if they just fall over when I fart!


Love you
ME


Finally after TWO hours and freezing my ass off, I finally put the final touches on the deer and plugged everything in. Just as I plugged them in to test the lights my neighbor across the street came home. We had small talk which was followed by her saying she needed to get on her husband to get the lights on the house! Oh how nice it must be to be able to nag to your husband into getting it done.
After all was said and done, I cleaned up my mess and came back inside to warm up. After my blood had warmed to human temperatures again, I went out front to get the mail. As I shuffled through the letters and junk, I peered over at my lawn ornaments to make sure they were still upright. Sure enough I found my deer over on its side. And no, just in case your wondering, I didn't fart.

Days like this are common for me, and as much as I might complain, I do enjoy the satisfaction of doing it myself. But if I had the choice, I would have my husband home in a heartbeat. Not so I could nag at him to get it done, or to have someone else to do this work for me, but just to have someone to warm my hands up when they get cold, or to laugh with when frustration sets in and things start flying. Those are the roles of life that I miss on days like to day.

*This song is just one of the greatest ever. Its alright if you start to shimmy in your seat, or do a little of the white man's over bite. That's right, go ahead, no one is watching.*

The Final Final

Well that's all she wrote, at least for this semester. I find myself already with too much time on my hands. After returning from my exam, I decided to stop off at my favorite taco place and get a salad for a congratulatory dinner. Once I got home, I changed over into my flannel p.j.'s and scarfed down my salad down (I had only had a protein shake all day, so yes I scarfed). I followed it with a big, cold glass of milk and 3 chocolate chip cookies.
I know it doesn't sound all that exciting, but I think more than the food, I felt the deep satisfaction of a job well done. That made the salad, the milk, and the cookies taste like a nice, juicy steak and a tall glass of chilled champagne.

Here's to the future!

Lungs, Larynx, Lateral Lingula Swellings Oh My!

"The first rudiments of the larynx appear at the cranial end of the laryngotracheal tube, bounded ventrally by the hypobranchial eminence and laterally by the ventral ends of the sixth arches. Two arytenoid swellings appear, one on each side of the groove, and as they enlarge they approximate each other and meet the hypobranchial eminence, which will develop into the epiglottis"
" In the glandular phase, the bronchial division are differentiated by the epithelial tissue resembles glandular tissue. In the canalicluar phase, the respiratory segments and other parts are delineated and establish a relationship with the expanding vascular system."

I had my anatomy final today, and can now understand such statements as above. If you would have asked me what all this was 4 months ago I would have told you it was a foreign language. I worked my butt off in this class. I managed to earn either an A or A-. I won't know until Thursday what the final grade will be.
I enjoyed this class because of the content and because of the challenge. The final was somewhat comprehensive in that it took all the information we have been stuffing into our brains for the last 15 weeks and put it all together in the developing fetus; from conception to about 12 weeks. The learning was truly fascinating for me. I was like a sponge, wanting to learn more and more.
The only problem I had with the class was the lack of a lab. I would have loved to have been able to dig around inside a brain, a lung, or a spinal column.
The above statements were out of my notes for this final. As most could probably dissect the words, the first statement has to do with the development of the larynx, and the second has to do with lung development. One of the hardest aspects of a course like this is learning the location of parts, and the vocabulary used to describe those locations (dorsal, ventral, medial, rostral, caudal, etc..). All parts correspond to other parts based on their location. It is all very intricate, and at times made me insane.

I am happy to be done with this class, but I know it will follow me for the entirety of my schooling and career. No brain dumping allowed here!

Now on to the next final......

My Shame

Today was cold and windy. Fresh snow had fallen, and it was the perfect day to stay in, stoke a hot fire, and munch on crackers and cheese (one of my weakness's). As I sprawled out on the living room floor warming my toes by the fire, I decided to succumb to my shame. I am not proud to admit this, after all a woman like me should know better than to waste my time and brain power participating in such an activity. Afterwards I always feel dirty and mildly brain dead, but something about it always keeps me captivated and coming back for more. It almost becomes an addiction and I find I am unable to stop myself. I just keep going for more and more until I run out and no longer have anything left.

I guess you might be wondering what on earth I might be talking about? I can't believe I am going to admit to this. It is so embarrassing, but one should confess their sins, right?

Today..... well......while I was all alone in my house, bundled up on a blanket keeping my body warm while the beautiful light from the fire flickered around the room, I.......I........God help me......I watched 6 hours of Desperate Housewives!!!!!

Whew! I suddenly feel like a burden has been lifted. I no longer have to hide my shame and embarrassment. What a relief!

Free at last

I never really knew how exhausting my mother in law could be until today when I dropped her off at the airport. As she pulled away with her luggage, I jumped back into the car and sped off like I was in a NASCAR race. I know that sounds awful, probably because it is. I find myself utterly pooped and empty. She is a loving person with good intentions, but she cannot communicate well with others, demands all of your time for her own needs, and does not care whether or not you have an opinion or a thought that you may want to express.

My husband called me this morning with hope in his voice that we had a jolly good time together. My sweet adorable husband somehow convinced himself that his mom can change her ways. I, on the other hand, have come to conclusion that most people do not change their behaviors. Only your perception of who they are changes. I come from a long line of dysfunctional family ties (who doesn't?), and I have come to the conclusion that there is only one absolute truth for all of us. That truth is love; unconditional, beautiful, cleansing love. That is the only truth that I believe connects us all in our messy, imperfect lives. It is simple, and at the same time it is also the most challenging concept for most of us to understand. My mother in law is who she is, in all her glory and her pain, she is the person she is. I can either be frustrated that she doesn't change and overcome her flaws, or I can just decide to accept her and love her. I went through the same thing with my own mom. After all, who am I to demand perfection from others when I am imperfect in so many ways?

As I shared some of the happenings that took place over the last 48 hours, I could hear real anger coming from him, something that doesn't happen too often. I tried to explain that I did not have any expectations, and that I have come to accept her even if it is exhausting. But he still wants his mom to be all that he envisioned for his adult life. He also sees her as still perfect and lacking flaws. She is mom, not human. I tried to convey compassion to him, understanding where he is and the pain he must feel. It isn't easy letting go of expectations rooted so deep inside.

In the end, I did everything I could to make her stay comfortable and enjoyable. This was my choice to do even if it nearly killed me (okay so that might be a little dramatic). I have to live with myself and she with herself. Knowing I gave as much as I could is all I need to do. Accept and love, then move forward.
I once told my husband as he was becoming frustrated with a homeless person that was haggling him for money, "give if it is in your heart to do so, without judgement or need of control. What he does with the money is his burden, not yours." I think that same statement fits with the last couple of days. I did the best I could, and gave what I could. I can live with that.

*This song is one of those songs that I have loved for a long time. It is a very special song for me. I find the lyrics deep and meaningful, and he manages to ever so beautifully put music to the feelings in my heart. As I get older, the words carry more meaning for me. The comfort of knowing you are not alone and are loved no matter what you had to start out with.*

Taking a breath

The last few days I having been running around with my head cut off. It feels as if my life just went into overdrive. I have been spending a lot of time at the library studying so that I might end the semester with a bang. In addition, my friend Jed asked my to go over one of his big impressive MBA papers that he was submitting. This took much more time than I expected due to his inability to stay on track with the subject matter. The content was all over the place and needed some serious chopping. I gave him some focus and format suggestions. I am hopeful that he will implement some of them.

Somehow through the course of all my studies I have managed to be able to write and write fairly concisely. I did fairly well, actually very well on the writing part of the GRE. I say this not to brag. If you could have seen were I started out my first semester at college (dumb-bell English) to where I have manged to take myself, it paints a picture that surprises even me. So when someone asks me, little ol' me, to help write a paper, I have to remind myself that I can indeed write and that I am not the idiot I used to think I was.
My husband even asked me to do all the formatting and grammar for his papers at Naval Post-Graduate School. I cannot take credit for the content, but I did help him set out a purpose for his paper and to try to give it good direction. He pulled very good grades, and the feedback he received on one of them was, "this is one of the best papers I have read, excellent format." Gold star for me!! Oh ya, and for him (smirk). As I said, he wrote the paper, so he deserves all the credit, but it is nice getting some feedback even if it is through other people. I have actually thought about tutoring people on writing and research papers. I remember as a Graduate Assistant reading and grading freshman/sophomore papers, I was often appalled at the quality. I guess we all start from somewhere, and it is possible to surpass our own imposed limitations. This I have learned in spades.

I must let it be known that this blog is not what I remotely consider my finest work, so please don't consider this thesis quality writing (see.... that's me covering my ass). This blog is my free flow journal. I don't think about it too much, which is a nice break from my critical mind.

Anyway, as I have done exactly what I counseled Jed not to do, go off on a tangent, I shall return to my original reason for writing this post. Actually I have no real reason except that my mind seems like it is traveling a million miles a minute. I only wanted to take a moment and write to clear my head. My mother-in-law has stopped in for a few days to visit, and that has been extremely exhausting. I love my mil, but she is a psychologist.....need I say more??
Thank goodness it is only one more day, I don't think I can handle much more of this constant analyzing of EVERYTHING!! She is actually taking a nap right now, so I have managed to hide away.
I also did ALL of the Christmas shopping this week. I just need a few stocking stuffers' for Larry, and I am done! It has been a whirlwind of shopping, but I am so happy not to have to worry about it anymore.

I must depart and head back to reality. This isn't the whole story, but I have got to go do one more review before I start dinner. I think I will be turning in early tonight. My soft, warm pillow sounds soooooo good to me right now.

The calm after the storm

This morning I awoke to one of the most beautiful mornings I have ever seen. Picture a perfect, uncluttered blue sky, fresh white snow covering each and every limb of beautiful Maple trees, and the sun cresting over the top of the mountains revealing the beautiful light bouncing off the ice crystals. It is so perfect, I am in awe.





I picked a perfect song for a perfect morning....enjoy

Let it snow, Let is snow....

As I awoke this morning, I stretched and yawned, cleared the gunk out of my eyes and reached for my glasses so my eyes could register the time on the digital clock. It read 7:10. I stood up, said good morning to the kids (my cats) and wandered over to the window. I pushed the leaver upwards on the plantation shutter and what was revealed to me was a winter's wonderland.

Snow and snow and more snow. I started taking pictures early this morning, and have since taken a few more while I was out shoveling all the stuff.





I believe we have had over a foot here at my house, so I can only imagine the joyful sounds coming from the ski resorts in the mountains.

I have to say that in the 4 winters I have been back here I haven't seen it snow this much at a single event. This reminds me more of the winter storms back in high school.






I love how snow just sits on the tree limbs. I think it must be the contrast between the light and dark in such fine detail. Each branch and limb perfectly covered with white powder until the snow builds too high and can no longer balance itself.

After I sweat to death shoveling all the snow (the driveway was extra heavy because a slush layer had formed underneath the powder), I decided the best thing to do was a snow angel:

It is kind of hard to see because water droplets got on my camera while I took it. Unfortunately, I am going to have to go back out there and shovel it again in a few hours. But until then, I am going to put on the kettle, sit back, and enjoy a nice hot cup of apple cider. Happy December 1st!