July 29, 2014

Stacked Against Us

Well, the washing machine saga continues to churn! The delivery came this morning ( while I was in the shower) and the first words out of the installer's mouth was that he couldn't stack my old dryer on my brand spanking new washer. Apparently all the progress our society has made with diversity and tolerance has not reached the washer/dryer world. One brand washer cannot be stacked with a different brand dryer - period. So I was left with my sparkling new appliance blocking any hopes of using my experienced dryer to tackle my Mt Everest sized pile of laundry. The gloom was lifted tonight however, when Don and Alex found a way to do a quick remodel with the shelves so the dryer could sit beside the washer (apparently that's allowed in the restrictive appliance culture) and be usable. Meanwhile the soap opera continues...will Donna conform and get a new dryer that matches the new washer?...will Don fight the norm ( while saving a few bucks) and create a way to join our two mismatched pair of machines?...will the laundry ever get done?  Stay tuned....

PS. We will be going on our last camping adventure tomorrow where we will be totally off the grid. I will still be writing every day in order to meet my goal of blogging daily for a year but I will not be able to post them until we get back. Watch for a whole passel to come your way Aug. 5!

July 28, 2014

Thoughts to Ponder

My sister shared a great article today on Facebook. The title is:

So you're not up at 5am to work? What's wrong with you? Nothing. By Libby Fordham

As I slowly get ready for re-entry into another school year, I thought this article had some wonderful points to remember. I constantly worry that I'm not doing enough, or should work day and night. The author addresses people like me -

"Design a life that suits what you need. Don't be guilted into doing what the media or the internet tells you is the 'right thing'. Run your own race. Do the things you love, with the people you want to spend time with. Take a moment to reflect, to pause and to smell the roses. You're not lazy like the articles say. You're just taking it at a different speed.

Somewhere in your day set aside time to fulfil something that nourishes your working life. It can either be directly related to your work or something entirely different which captures your imagination and makes you feel, simply, 'good'."

How often do we take the time to remember why we chose the profession that we're in? Too often we get caught up in what is wrong with the profession.....something to think about. Thanks for sharing Lori!

Click on this link to read the entire article:

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140727234557-13610262-so-you-re-not-up-at-5am-to-work-what-s-wrong-with-you-nothing?_mSplash=1

July 27, 2014

TV Time

I'm not going to lie. I am going to really enjoy having Alex home for a couple of weeks before he heads to Florida. Yes, I'm going to have to go to the grocery store- cheese, crackers and wine might suffice as dinner for his parents, but I know he would like a little bit more! 

I have some projects for him but just having him around is fun. For instance, TV is always an adventure. With 5 million channels ( it seems like) I can never find that much to watch besides my usual shows. Alex, however, has a knack for finding great movies and shows and can tell you about the directors, actors, etc. that are in it. Now, will I have the self discipline to get all my work done instead of watching the best of Hollywood? Probably not!

July 26, 2014

It's a Parade!

We're moving Alex this weekend. He has been working hard on getting everything packed for two locations: storage at our house and what he is taking with him to Florida for a year. Alex will be attending the University of Southern Florida - Tampa to work on a Masters in Science. 

We still had a lot to do on the condo in Fort Collins today so we didn't start heading back to Arvada with the first load until 9pm. We like to take Highway 287 home and I was following Don's truck in my car. As we went through Longmont, I was listening to my audio book, just cruising along when I started noticing all the people that were lining the streets and sitting in lawnchairs. It was after 10pm and I couldn't figure out what was going on so I called Don. "Are you waving because we're in a parade!" he replied.  What!? I looked around me and sure enough, many of the cars alongside of me were classic cars or sooped up cars. We weren't the only "regular" cars but we kind of stuck out like a sore thumb with furniture in the back of Don's truck and my car filled to the brim with boxes! I didn't wave but I fixed my hair a little! These people take dragging main seriously!

July 25, 2014

Tarzan!

Tonight we attended Tarzan the Stage Musical at the Arvada Center. As always, the set was wonderful and the costumes amazing, especially how they created the gorillas. The musical was based on the original book, Tarzan of the Apes written by Edgar Rice Burroughs which surprisingly was published in 1914! I remember watching the Tarzan movies as a kid starring Olympic athlete Johnny Weissmuller. He always had a nice haircut and was clean cut- just like you would be if you lived in the jungle!? The Tarzan tonight was portrayed a little differently. You see the child version first and then the musical flashes forward to Tarzan all grown up - HELLO! This Tarzan works out at the local Jungle gym and has Amazon Abs! He also has dreadlocks and looks like he would be a little odoriferous which is way more realistic than the 1930's Hollywood version. It was entertaining and the main characters were beautiful singers. I recommend it for a fun night out with great scenery!

 

July 24, 2014

Karma Check

They say that things come in threes. In our case it seems like things are happening by the three dozen! It's not anything serious like illness...thank goodness...but just little annoying things. Washer breaking, pond leaking, roof damage, and today I find out my car tires need replaced! Is bad Karma knocking at my door? Besides lying about my weight, I can't think of any major transgressions that I need to atone for. Whatever it is it makes me appreciate all that we do have, to never take it for granted and keep everything in perspective. A running toilet is better than no toilet at all!

July 23, 2014

Oh Baby!

I had a fun time today with my good friend Colleen who is in Denver babysitting her grandson for a few days. It is so hard to believe that we are at the age where it is possible to have grandkids! Well, this little boy is the apple of his Grammy's eye and for good reason- he is adorable! And busy - At 7 months there is a lot to explore! He was even a good sport when our walk turned into lunch at a nearby restaurant.

 Colleen not only has been my friend since Junior High but has always been my mentor in life - she was the first to get married, the first to have kids, the first to have a child married and now the first to have a grandchild. She is my go-to resource for advice. Thanks Colleen!

A happy little guy!

Selfies with a baby is not easy!

July 22, 2014

Wishy Washy

Some of you may remember a previous post of mine when I was lamenting about having to do laundry. Well, be careful what you wish for! My washer decided to break yesterday so I couldn't do laundry! Fortunately, I found a repairman that could come by and look at it today. Unfortunately, the  prognosis is not good - a $500 cure to be exact for a nine year old machine. Why is it that my mom's washer and dryer has been humming along for 30 years? I spent the afternoon researching new washers - Consumer Reports online is awesome! I was able to watch a video about how they test washing machines! Can you imagine going to work every day to do laundry? Well, I was disappointed that the washer I wanted -it would have communicated with my smart phone(!)- was too big for my laundry room. So I had to move down a notch or two and settle for your average washer that just cleans clothes. In the meantime I went on an adventure to the laundromat this afternoon. I had to actually Google where the local laundromat was - that's how spoiled I have been for the last 28 years! 

July 21, 2014

Balance

Life is a balancing act. We have to balance work with family and fun. Balance family time with alone time. Balance hobbies with house chores.....and on and on. It's always hard to balance everything perfectly-we usually teeter back and forth and sometimes we are way off balance! My goal this year is to keep a steady balance between work and my personal life. To pay attention to taking care of me- eating right, exercising, hobbies.....I'm thinking this will last a week...tops...but I hope I'm wrong!

Another example of balance- salad and a beer! 

July 20, 2014

Square Peg

We are unable to store our trailer in our yard so we had to get a spot at a RV storage facility. It's kind of like open enrollment to get your child in the school you want. The first facility we had for our Tajma-haul did not give us a good feeling. We were unsure how safe it was there. We were on the waiting list for a closer place that had a better reputation and were recently notified that a spot opened up and we were in! The only problem is that it is not a pull through spot so we (Don) has to back it in. To make matters worse, we are at the end of a row so Don has to back our 36 ft. trailer down the entire row. To make it even more challenging, we now have a motor home on one side and a tremendous beast of a 5th wheel on the other side! It is like putting a square peg in a round hole! I have to brag on my husband. He kept his cool and got that camper in the spot like it was no problem at all! I hope we get that pull through spot soon...I can't take the stress! 

We're the middle trailer- my husband is a parking genius!

July 19, 2014

Landlords

We hauled the Tajma-haul to Loveland today so that we could have a working weekend in Fort Collins. This was a spur of the moment decision and I was lucky enough to get the last RV spot in the Fort Collins/Loveland area!

Alex is moving out of the condo next weekend so we decided that this would be our opportunity to do some maintenance before the August renters move in and to help Alex pack. The dogs got to hang out with Paige at her house with the air conditioning! 

After dinner, Paige took us over to the new Biomedical Engineering building on the CSU campus  where the lab that she works in is housed. The ironic thing is that it is built on the exact spot where my freshman dorm used to be! She impressed us with all the experiments and machinery she gets to play with every day. I was nervous about all of the Warning!  Hazardous! scull signs everywhere! 

The best kids ever!

Our trio of scientists 

July 18, 2014

Life

Today I attended a memorial service for someone I didn't know. I went to support my friend who lost her son-in-law. It was a beautiful service and I learned many things about the deceased who died too soon at age 33. It was amazing to hear all of the wonderful things he accomplished in his short life and the contributions he made to society. Of course it led me to remember...again....how I need to enjoy life every day and look for ways to make a difference. I need to practice what I preach to my kids - life is too short to be unhappy- if you're not happy do something about it..I hope you have a terrific day tomorrow!!

July 17, 2014

Gone Fishing ..Eh!

Don returned tonight from a four day fishing trip in  Saskatchewan, Canada. He fished in a remote area surrounded by lakes that can only be accessed by slow boat or pontoon plane. He chose the plane. The fishing lodge is owned by an American family and the guides were Woodland Cree  Indians who live there year round. He had a great time and caught a lot of fish including a 39 inch Pike! There was no cell phone service and they only had Internet one hour a night. The only way I knew he was alive was through a navigation device called a Spot that the kids and I gave him for Father's Day. This device connects to a satellite and when he "checks in" it emails me the coordinates where he is located. Every day I could see on the map exactly where he was fishing. I love technology! 

July 16, 2014

Paws and Reflect

I always wonder what my dogs are thinking. When I'm home they are my constant companions- never too far away. If I go anywhere in the house, they follow me. I have an entourage wherever I go- even the bathroom! Do they think they need to protect me like the Secret Service or do they follow me because they hope I will drop food at any moment? Sometimes I think they are worried that I'm going to leave them forever. They are so excited when I reappear even if I had only been gone for 5 minutes! If my two could talk they would answer these questions. But since they can't,  I will continue to try to be the person they believe me to be and enjoy the company!

July 15, 2014

Handy

The dogs and I made the trip to Fort Morgan today. It is always nice to come home and the dogs seem to like "grandma's" house and the big backyard. Between Debby and mom's quilting supplies they were able to find almost everything I needed to start hand quilting. I received some great instruction and tips - they make it look so easy! One obstacle that I encountered was that I had no idea the needle would be so little- I'm going to have to get some stronger cheater glasses! I also now understand the real purpose of a quilting group. Once you get the stitching down, it is really easy to have a conversation while doing it and we got a lot of visiting done tonight. Alas...It looks like I have adopted a new hobby....

Mom organizing the supplies I need.

July 14, 2014

I did it!

Under the great direction of my Obi-Wan Marie, I completed my first quilting project - well part of it anyway. I have two log cabin pillow tops done - one under Marie's tutelage, one on my own. I'll let you decide which one turned out better....Besides holding my hand as I entered the world of quilting, Marie also got my gently used sewing machine up and running and purring like a kitten. I have never had such a positive sewing experience! Thank you Marie!

Tomorrow the quilt project continues as I drive to Fort Morgan to receive training from my mom and sister on the art of hand quilting. Also, I heard there's a new quilt shop in town.....what a coincidence! The clock is ticking - summer vacation is coming to an end so I need to squeeze every minute out of it!

July 13, 2014

Lochness Dogsters

Paige and I took the dogs on a long walk today and ended up at a nearby lake. I usually avoid the lake because once Scarlett gets a whiff of it all she wants to do is go swimming. She is a Boykin Spaniel which are bred to be small so that they can jump out of a boat to retrieve the duck for the hunters. Scarlett has never gone on a hunt but she loves water! Maggie is not a water dog but she is competitive. The first time we threw a stick out into the lake for Scarlett, she jumped right in to get that stick and then realized that she didn't really know how to swim! Her instincts took over and she finally figured it out before I had to go in after her. Well, today was no different. As soon as Scarlett hopped in, Maggie followed and a game of get the stick began. After we finally ended the game, Scarlett picked up the stick to carry it home. She always does this. Like all the times before, 

she carried it home- a mile and a half- and then dropped it in the driveway and went into the house. I guess this falls under the category of "finders keepers, losers weepers!" 

July 12, 2014

I brake for Garage Sales!

This morning Paige humored me by going with me to a few Garage Sales. Garage saling is in my genes. It's like treasure hunting. You never know what great finds you may encounter! Also, for my green friends, this is recycling at its finest! You also can tell a lot about the people who are having the sales - whether they are organized, have children, what their hobbies are, their taste in music, types of books they read, etc. Once I bought an old sewing box from an estate sale and I felt the contents told the story of the woman who had owned it. 

 Garage saling also helps me with my Christmas shopping. My side of the family is so big that we draw names for Christmas. Also we have a rule. All gifts have to be homemade or purchased at a garage sale or auction. Not only is this more economical but it forces you to put more thought and creativity into the purchase. Believe or not, there have been some awesome gifts exchanged! Last year my sister-in-law found a framed article about Westy the burned cat that included a picture of Don holding the cat.  Kind of creepy that it was framed but I hope the person who framed it did so because of the cat- not Don! Also last year my niece who is a very talented artist, drew a caricature of me and Don. It was such a thoughtful and special gift! 

So next time you're out and about and you see the sale signs, stop and see if you can find a treasure!

July 11, 2014

Quilt Quest

My friend Marie and I ventured to the Rocky Mountain Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival at the Douglas County Fair Grounds today. Marie is an accomplished quilter, knitter, seamstress...and any other craft that you can think of. On a whim, I thought it would be fun to go to this festival and she just happened to have free VIP passes! 

Right when we walked in we were attracted to a booth showing how to make toothbrush rugs. No, they're not made out of tooth brushes but strips of fabric using a special needle. Simple enough to add to my "some day" collection! Then it was sensory overload with all of the booths selling all sorts of items that were foreign to me. A smart entrepreneur would have had a booth just for beginner quilters to educate them on everything they need to enter this creative world and then box it up for an easy sale! But it wasn't that simple and I relied on Marie to educate me. I decided that I probably didn't need to buy an $8,000 sewing machine to begin with but instead we decided that I should start with a simple project- a pillow using my "like new-except-for-the-occasional-Halloween-costume"machine. Even with all those vendors I wasn't able to find the fabric I had in mind so we stopped at a quilt shop on the way home!

Marie has agreed to take me on as a student so we will have our first class on Monday. I'll let you know how it goes......

July 10, 2014

Conquering a Mountain

Many people have been posting that they have successfully hiked to the top of a fourteener. I have never accomplished that feat and am doubtful that I will since it involves walking uphill for four hours and starting early in the morning- two scenarios not high on my list of fun things to do. So today I did my own version. I tackled the mountain of Donna' inbox! The items in my basket where I throw everything I don't want to deal with was as high as a fourteener- inch wise-probably higher! The threat of an avalanche was getting greater so I thought today was the day I would tackle the task. Flyers, junk mail, coupons, magazines, photos, invitations, other people's mail(oops!), and various letters plus much more was sorted, filed and recycled. I was exhausted by the time I was done but didn't have any blisters. I do have enough magazines,however, to fill every doctors office in Denver! So if you need a little reading material let me know!

July 9, 2014

Yoga Revisited

Today I went to a yoga class with my friend. We went to a new studio that I have been admiring from afar and I wasn't disappointed. The studio is beautiful and the class was very good. They have a really cute gift shop too...but I digress ...I used to go to yoga weekly back when I worked part time. Last year I went to a few classes at a restaurant by day- yoga studio by night place but it was more athletic/ contortionist than peaceful stretching and it was hard to concentrate when smelling the lingering odor of bacon! Today's class was just right and reminded me how much I love yoga  and my body reminded me how much I need it! I will definitely be going back..as soon as I can walk again!

July 8, 2014

People Watching

I love to people watch. I think it stems from my psychology background. Before I went the education direction, I majored in Human Development and Family Studies. I loved all my classes about human behavior. So tonight at the Rockies game I found myself watching the crowd more than the game. Luckily our seats are not in prime foul ball territory so I don't have to worry about catching one with my face! 

Tonight the grandparents in front of us fed their grandson a dangerous amount of hot dogs. I spotted just dating couples, fighting couples, and been-married-a-long time couples. There were outfits I admired and some that were umm.. unique. Some people spend all of their time walking up and down the stairs for food and beer. Kids of all ages were represented and lots of babies. The best conversation I overheard was a father talking to his little girl who was crying. She was upset because her brother was picking on her so dad was giving her a pep talk.."the more you cry, the more he wins.." Go dad! 

During all this I did watch most of the game..Rockies won...hallelujah! 

July 7, 2014

What the Hail!

Well, I guess it was our turn..all the bad hail storms have passed by us this season...until tonight. When we got the emergency phone calls that the storm was on its way, our skies were not dark at all so we poopooed it- that was a mistake. The storm came sideways with pea to big marble sized hail. The flowers that I took the time to fertilize today are gone. On the positive side, our trees are OK and our roses were protected and some planters were tucked in enough. Also, we just lost decorations. We didn't lose a whole field of crops like some local farmers have this summer. Once again we are reminded to not underestimate the power of a mother....Mother Nature!

July 6, 2014

The Long Way Home

We made a new Ostwald record this morning. We were packed up, hitched and on the road by 7:35am! We had two choices: leave late and not get home until after dark or leave early and try to hit the I70 traffic before it got really bad. It was smooth sailing until the Eisenhower tunnel and then it was slow traffic but always moving. Living in Los Angeles after we were first married, Don and I learned to be patient in traffic and that it is bearable if you keep moving and it's not a dead stop. The plus side is that we were able to finish our mystery audio book! There is nothing worse than getting home before you learn who dunnit!

It was so nice to be with the kids on this trip. Of course I had a pity party after they left but I will just have to plan more trips! 

Going "bye bye" again!

Until next time.....

July 5, 2014

Exploring Colorado

Today we made our way over to Paonia in search of the Cherry Festival. On our way we encountered Eckert, Hotchkiss, and Orchard City. There were some beautiful valleys to admire and many orchards and vineyards. Paonia is a combination of Fort Morgan mixed with the free spirit of Boulder. We finally found the city park where the Cherry Festival was but there was not a cherry in sight! We got to talking with a local man and he explained that the cherry harvest was slim this year due to an early frost. But I think this festival is similiar to the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival (no carnations) and the Arvada Harvest Festival (how many Arvadans harvest?) It is just a great chance for the town and vendors to get together and create a shopping experience for me! Yes, I did find some baubles! 

We stopped at the Black Bridge Winery on the way back and Don fell in love with the place. It was on the North Fork of the Gunnison (great fishing) with a vineyard that grew Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Reisling grapes. The only thing missing in Don's opinion was a For Sale sign! I told him that we were too old to run a vineyard and he disagreed...uh oh! Promise me friends that you will visit me if we move to the middle of nowhere and would be willing to pick a grape or two!

Another "had to" stop for Don was the confluence of where the North Fork of the Gunninson and the Gunnison come together...stunning!?....

I have lived in Colorado for all but six years of my life and I am still amazed that there are so many places that I haven't seen. I guess that is why we bought the Tajma-haul!

Don found some cherries...and wine...at the winery!

Enjoying the North Fork of the Gunnison after wine tasting...except for Paige....being only 20 she had to dog sit!

July 4, 2014

Happy 4th of July!

We celebrated the 4th by visiting Pioneer Town in Cedaredge. Pioneer Town is an outdoor museum made up of 23 buildings from the 1800's arranged to look like a town of that era. All the buildings were restored by volunteers of 

the Surface Creek Valley Historical Society. Volunteers still oversee the museum and the maintenance. It was fun to walk through the "town" and see the schoolhouse, saloon, barber shop, etc. - as well as many artifacts of the time. The dogs were allowed to go with us too! To cool off a bit, we drove up into Grand Mesa National Park and hiked around one of its many lakes. Of course we had a 4th of July BBQ tonight along with our traditional American Flag cookie dessert. Later, Don and I went over for the tail end of the RV Park social. Paige thinks I am driven to social functions because I suffer from FOMO syndrome - Fear of Missing Out. I just think we were being neighborly! Anyway, we had a nice visit with the RV Park owners and some long time residents. We now know much more about Cedaredge and its residents than we ever would have learned from a brochure!

The school library - very manageable!

Hikers

July 3, 2014

Welcome to Cedaredge!

Alex and Paige worked out their schedules so that they could go Glamping with us this weekend! Alex hasn't experienced life in the Tajma-haul yet and by the way he is sprawled on the couch, I think he approves! 

Cedaredge is a small little town at the base of Grand Mesa. We got here later in the evening so we haven't been able to explore yet. The RV park is small and most of the occupants are here for the summer. The owner is super friendly and everyone gets together every night to visit. We missed the social hour tonight since we were busy setting up

and making dinner. I can't say my kids were disappointed since they are by far the youngest people around!

It is wonderful to have the whole family together again. However even in their twenties   we had some back seat squabbling and heard the infamous "are we there yet? I'm hungry!" Just like old times!

July 2, 2014

Keurig Coffee and Crafting!

My sister brought me this necklace that she bought at a market near her home in Italy. 

Look closely... The flower and round decorations are made out of squashed Keurig type cups! Some people are so creative! Coffee and crafting- they go together! I have never made jewelry but this might be fun to try. Can you tell I'm on vacation? One day I'm going to make a quilt, the next I'm a jeweler! Extra time is a wonderful thing!

July 1, 2014

Partial to Pinochle

My parents and older siblings played the Pinochle card game growing up. They frequently played with my Grandma Murt, who I guess was quite the card shark and was known to cheat once in awhile! Unfortunately, there were so many kids by the time I came around, they switched to playing Dummy Rummy. Dummy Rummy always starts out friendly enough but usually ends ugly with some swear words. The last two nights my sisters and mom have taught me how to play Pinochle. This card game is way more civilized than Dummy Rummy and did not cause any name calling or a bad case of stink eye. It even sounds classier! Coincidentally, I had previously downloaded a Pinochle app (just in case I might need it sometime and it was free!) so now I can even practice! At our upcoming camping trip with my kids and husband I am definitely introducing them to this game in the name of fun and family harmony.