Merry Christmas!

Catching up with my weekly grateful pictures:

December 19th - A 3:00 Caramel Brulee Steamer to pick-up my Monday afternoon. 

December 20th - I love that the city decorates its artwork for the holiday.

December 21st - My boss got Crack Brownies as gifts for the board members, and oh my my, are they delicious!!  Made by a gal at moderndrygoods.com. 

December 22nd- With all the snow outside, I love that my geranium is blooming inside.

December 23rd - Delicious pizza in Larkspur with my family. (My nephew ran out of the picture at the last second, but he's there. )

December 24th - Mom and I took Corinne to the Children's service where we each got to hold a candle while singing silent night.  No picture of that because I decided holding a 3 1/2yr old with an open flame steady was more important than a photo of the moment.

December 25th- I know it's only 365 pictures, but I'm including my Christmas day pictures here too.
I was up at 2:30 this morning so excited, and managed to fall back asleep around 4:00 am, to get up at 5:30 and go up to my brother's for Christmas morning.  We don't know how to do a "small" Christmas. 

 A family of deer joined us this afternoon. 

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Oh my pancakes!

Dec 12th - So grateful for my bed after a very long Monday.

Dec 13th - Books! I found a great new used bookstore where all paperbacks are $2.  Hooray!

Dec 14th - I like hearing the chimes from this historic clock tower near my office.  It makes 8:00 sound a little better. 

Dec 15 th  - I discovered champagne mangoes and LOVE them!

Dec 16th - My boss and I were invited to a school to see skits the kids did about different philanthropists.  They were great! Meet Oprah Winfrey below!

Dec 17th - Through skill - or just being the only other Harry Potter fan besides the person who brought the gift - I managed to hold on to the last Harry Potter movie at my friend Maura's Secret Santa party.

Dec 18th - I had brunch with my friend Becca this morning and was so excited when the food came (after the standard 40 minutes wait) and that my favorite was back on the menu that I forgot to take a picture.

Grateful For Beginnings and Ends

This week's grateful pictures:

Dec. 5th - The first day of the Penny Harvest went off without a hitch, thanks to volunteers like Tami. 

Dec 6th - I had the opportunity to help a blind woman today, after watching her try to navigate a snow-packed sidewalk, and it really gave my eyes a new perspective.

Dec 7th - I am so grateful for Brownies - particularly a leftover edge piece from a plate of thank-you brownies for my neighbor.

December 8th - I am very thankful for very helpful and supportive advisory board members.




Dec 9th - I have never been so grateful to see the back-end of something. Today it was leaving the UHaul I'd been driving around all week for the Penny Pick-Up.

December 10th - I have the privilege to work with a great bunch of kids and adults with the Young Philanthropists Foundation's Impact Factory.

Dec 11th - Making pink pancakes with my two of my all-time favorite people, my niece and nephew. Babysitting them overnight has set me up for smiles for the next two weeks till I see them again.

This Week's Pictures

In my second week of my 365 picture project, I've discovered in the little bit of extra effort it takes to pull out a camera or phone that I am grateful for things I might have otherwise missed.


Nov 28th - This was the view on my way to a business meeting on Monday, pretty tough to take.

Nov 29th - Every couple of weeks I help kids with homework before school at Colombian Elementary.  The little guy I worked with this morning made me smile - though I didn't take a picture of his face for privacy reasons. 

Nov 30th - This is my view each morning going in to work, and lit up when I leave -though those pics came out too blurry. 

Dec 1st - Came home and my angel of a neighbor had shoveled my drive and walk - something I was truly grateful for.

Dec 2nd - This is one of those moments I was so grateful to have my camera.  I see things all the time that would be great to capture on film, but rarely have the time to stop or a camera on hand.  Today I had both to capture these little birds trying to warm themselves in the sun.

Dec 3rd - We were supposed to go cut our Christmas trees today, but it was too cold and snowy.  So this is my alternative for a tree, and it makes me happy.  (Hint, it's on a mirror.)

Dec 4th - Making Gingerbread houses with a good friend.  My house had some serious structural issues.

I'm looking forward to seeing what pictures this next week will bring. 

Where is Your Dental Floss From?

A while ago, I noticed that my dental floss is made in Ireland, of all places.  That got me on a kick to go around the house and see how many countries are represented without looking at souvenirs and gifts specifically from a country.  In other words, how many things do I have around the house for regular use from other countries?  I was surprised by the results! Of course every other thing is from China or Taiwan, but there were quite a few things from the USA, like all my thread for sewing.

Here is my list with 37 countries.  How many do you have?

Ireland - Dental Floss
Spain - Buttons
Luxembourg - Dishes
France - glass cereal bowls
Scotland - Mugs
England - Perfume
Italy - House Key
Germany - Wet Wipes
Romania - Guitar
Denmark - Scrapbooking tape squares
Austria - Buttons

Nicaragua - Shorts
Brazil - Bandaids
Mexico - Light Bulbs
Honduras - Underwear
El Salvador - T-Shirt
Argentina - Wine
USA - Water Bottle
Canada - Gum

Japan - Biore Strips
Philippines - Chandelier light bulbs
Indonesia - Side Table
India - Pillow
Bangledesh - Underwear
Sri Lanka - Underwear
Thailand - Body Wash
Cambodia - Jeans
China - Every Other thing
Viet Nam - Candle
Taiwan - Music Box
Hong Kong - Buttons

Australia - T- Shirt
New Zealand -Wool Yarn

Turkey - Sheets
Pakistan - Wash Cloth
Jordan - Sweat Pants

Tanzania - Beaded Necklace

Taking a look at how many things are manufactured here versus another country was a real eye opener, on many levels.


For my Grateful pics I have the following:

Thursday Nov 24th - Dad and I went to the Western Slope to check my 90-year-old grandmother out of the hospital and discuss her future.  While parts of the trip were stressful, and unpleasant, Grandma was so appreciative that we could spend Thanksgiving with her that I was grateful to be able to make her happy.

Friday Nov 25th - The scenery on the western slope is beautiful - these are the Draperies at the base of Grand Mesa.

Saturday November 26 - Road trips with Dad are always good, no matter where we're going or what we're going to do.

Sunday November 27th - Occasionally I'm at my folks for Sunday morning tea, and it is always a great way to start the week, with philosophical discussions over the editorials and life in general. 

365 Pictures

Since September, I have been writing down 3 things every day that I am grateful for.  These grateful tidbits have ranged from working out to Buffy the Vampire episodes in the morning, to gratefulness for my family, hot chocolate, being born a woman in America, new shampoo, etc. 

Another friend of mine alerted me to a very similar project started in Australia called 365 Grateful where the bloggers have started movements for not only writing down the things they're grateful for, to not complaining for a week, to taking a photo a day for the things they're grateful for.  That appeals to me on a major level.

Starting Thursday, Thanksgiving, I will start my 365 photos of gratefulness, taking a picture each day of something I am grateful for.  I am excited for the challenge and the creativity that will come out of this, and the opportunity to share it with you. 

Things That Make Me Go Mmmmm....

I was going to post about the blatant inconsistencies I have seen recently in our judicial system, from the sticker on the gas pump that states you'll lose your license if you pump and go without paying  - (while if you drink and drive, they'll just ticket you three or four times till you kill someone, and even then, you may get to keep your license), or the 164 years a bank robber got sentenced to, versus the child molester of multiple children getting 40 years, or the man forcing a minor into prostitution getting 9 years.  I was going to post about there seeming to be an obvious disconnect between our judicial system's priorities, but I decided not to because it's Monday and I'd rather focus on something good. 

So instead, I'm listing some of the little things that make me smile.  Any of these familiar to you?

* Finishing, then starting a new journal.  All those fresh pages waiting for the possibilities!
* New flavor of body wash!
* Listening to my 3 year old niece talk.
* The earthy summer smells on my morning walks.
* Catching a glimpse of a fox or coyote on those walks.
* Jello
* Marking off lots of things on a to-do list.  (Sometimes I add things I've just done so I can mark them off.

* A really good cup of hot chocolate, with real whipped cream.

Ritz and Bikers

Continuing the bare-pantry food challenge from last week, I discovered that Ritz crackers make all the difference in a ho-hum meal.  I had fresh chopped garlic, butter, eggs, cheese, and fresh sliced mushrooms.  Not bad, but not great, until I crumbled in a handful of Ritz crackers and voila! Instant yumminess! After that little dish, my fridge was severely depleted and I have since restocked.

Yesterday while out on a walk on the Highline Canal, I continued a little social experiment I've been conducting and decided it is time to report my findings.  I am a friendly person (a little too friendly some might say) and say hi to folks on trails.  Over many walks and hikes I have noticed quite a difference in the kinds of people that would return the greetings.  In counting 40+ walkers or runners, only 6 did not say hello.  Of those 6, 5 were plugged into head phones with eyes down.  I counted 28 bikers, and of those, only 7 said hello.  Of those 7, all were recreational bikers or families.  If a biker was wearing a biking shirt, forget-about-it!
Colorado is a very friendly state, and a big biker state, but somehow, the two aren't connecting.  I'm not willing to chalk up the brush-offs to hard work, as the older runner who looked like he was running through at heart attack managed to give me a little wave - twice.  With all the push for more biker-friendly roads and attitudes from drivers, I think there needs to be a little PR push for bikers themselves to be more friendly.  The trails don't need to be a place to meet-n-greet, and maybe I have been overly friendly to prove my point - which is - we're all sharing the space, ditch the above-it-all attitude and at least give a smile.  Your heart-rate will benefit overall.

Deliciousness on a Dime

I am a big budgeter and try to stick to my budget guns, even if there's a week left and seemingly nothing to eat in my house.  Tonight though, I stunned myself even, by creating a really yummy meal out of the very literal odds and ends in the cupboard and fridge.

I had a box of mac and cheese - pretty standard, frozen peas and a can of tuna.  Ok, tuna noodle casserole, nothing new, but not delicious.  I upped the yum factor by mixing a handful of oyster crackers with a couple table spoons of left over feta chese and Gillmates roasted garlic and herb chicken seasoning.  Spread that crumbly goodness over the tuna/peas/mac&cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 350 and voila! Much more upscale deliciousness! 
My challenge this week is to see what other gourmet dishes I can come up with without going to the store.  I'll be working mostly with canned, frozen, boxed, and condiments.  The challenge is on!

The Water Is Wide

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I went to Steamboat and had a fabulous time despite the weather.  The rivers were raging and had overflown in many places, washing away footbridges in along the trail in a couple spots.  We took in the farmer's market, the rodeo, and Strawberry Hot Springs (our favorite part!).  Unfortunately on Sunday, the weather wasn't cooperating for the balloon launch, so we got to see a few go up, and then had to take a nap for lack of other indoor options, (another one of my favorite parts!).  We hiked down to Fish Creek Falls, (next time we'll try to make it to the mythical lake up top,) and to the botanic gardens on our way out of town.   We had a great time and we're already planning for our return trip next summer.  That, and moving there in 20-30 years. 

Scrambling and Gathering

You know it was a good day when the next morning you can hardly move.  That was how I felt after last Sunday's Denver Scramble.  The Scramble is a scavenger hunt around downtown that was absolutely a blast!  Some of the clues led us to 'event' stations, where we had to do things like build a Denver icon out of marshmallows and toothpicks, do some field day events like a water balloon toss, sing along with a piano man on 16th, etc.  The registration fee was split between two organizations - mine being one of them - so it was truly all for a good cause, and I have the blisters to prove it!
The next day, I was so achy, sore, and done with walking...except I had to go to a site tour at The Gathering Place.  I got over myself toot-sweet when I saw how amazing this place is! It is not a shelter, but a safe place and resource center for homeless women, children and trans-gender people to go to during the day.  From showers, lockers, laundry facilities, mental and physical health resources, a food pantry and dining room, to GED classes, daycare and an art program called The Card Project, this place blew my socks off!  This is truly one of those programs that not only do I feel proud that Denver can claim, but also that I get to interact with through my new job.  Take a look at The Gathering Place and feel free to pitch in, whether it's donating used books for their quiet room/library, gently used clothing for their 'closet' or volunteering on a larger scale.

Happy Birthday To Me!

I had a fabulous birthday weekend!  I got a couple pieces of art from my brother and mom, a new bike from my boyfriend! And a very fabulous balloon from my 3-year-old niece!  I had hardly made it in the front door of my parents house before my niece came bounding at me beaming with a giant lady bug balloon in tow. 

Corinne picked this balloon out for me, and a freesia plant.  She was so proud and excited to give them to me, and (amazingly for a three-year-old) understood that they were going home with me, not her, and that was ok!  I have been smiling since about that little wonder and her gifts of love!

And here is the very cool painting my brother did of a picture of me and dad on the beach. 

I don't have a picture of the piece my mom did yet, as it is getting the finishing touches before being handed over.  This has been one fantastic birthday of very loving and thoughtful gifts.  Thanks to all!

The Break Up

I haven't written on my novel since December, when I handed over a draft to both my folks and my brother at Christmas for feedback.  I just recently got said feedback from my brother and the gist is...he likes some of my writing, but the whole story needs to change.  And the worst part is, it's not an unfounded critique, so I can't blame it on just his subjective take.  I had actually suspected I'd get some of the criticisms I did. 

So now I'm mulling, and stewing, and figuring out just how to break up with some of my favorite characters, and bulk up the others.  Did Twain ever go through this? Steinbeck? (Hemingway should  have.)  When does the editing stop?  My friend and fellow writer Mike White - Laughing Under Water Looks a Lot Like Drowning showed me his book, printed and bound, that he was still making edits to. 

So, back to the drawing board I go, and I'll leave you with a picture from Grand Lake.