Right Now-September Recap

 RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to- nothing special.   Seriously- how can that be?     I have nothing queued up in my audiobooks or podcasts.   Must fix that ASAP- my 20 minute commute isn't long-and some mornings I am greeted by this type of beauty as I pull into the lot at work.  However, I find that a good audiobook helps me start the day out right.   As someone just shared "start your day the way you want it to end"...and of course, in the company of a good book is the perfect way to end my day.    Any suggestions for good audiobooks are greatly appreciated.  

I'm loving- 

the arrival of all things pumpkin...

well, not all things, but at least pumpkin flavored coffee

an addition to my collection- 

the sweet little Hummel is from my aunt's collection...

joining the trio of angels that had once belonged to my maternal grandma.

Just the sight of these figurines take me back to my childhood-

Construction Crews that had been hard at work since an August rock slide 

made I70 a challenge to traverse through Glenwood Canyon.

As a result, our trip to Palisades could go on as planned..

with only about 30-40 minutes extra added to the drive. 

Not bad considering the delays were initially slated to be an extra 2-3 hrs!

A Milestone birthday that called for a special location...

Palisades Colorado- where life tastes good all year long..

We toured 5 different vineyards...

sampling products along the way...

we stayed at a charming B&B (Dancing Moon in Clifton, CO)

with the pool still open..

and the views spectacular...

it was as if the place was custom designed just for us!

I'm feeling better.    I'm just now pulling out of an RA flare that seemed to crop up after my weekend away.  Not sure what set it off- too much good eating and drinking, too much windshield time, or just the random cyclic presentation of my chronic disease.   But this one was a rough one- it took all my energy to make it through work, only to totally collapse when I got home.

Owen channeling how I felt...   

Naps on the weekend have been my saving grace..

But with a new month- comes a new attitude (or is that cattitude) to be a little more curious!

Until next time....

Right Now- August Recap

RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to  the start of the day chatter here at the office.   Doors opening, phones ringing, greetings of Good Morning.   A little more joyous- knowing it is a Friday on a Holiday weekend.

I'm loving the return to normalcy in the work setting.   Sure, it's been a little chaotic at times, and like most years- as we round the corner from August to September-I hit a wall-as I start to question my why-so much front-loading of paperwork and policies- wears me down the older I get.   But slowly my"why" comes drifting back and the year falls into a regular routine.  

Last year was so odd that I really am enjoying seeing our kids back in school, interacting with each other.   Shucks, I even went to a retirement party yesterday afternoon for a colleague- and GASP- we had a pot luck.   Something that was forbidden all last school year over COVID concerns.   

  What else happened this past month?   Well- I saw an opportunity to join my hubby for a quick camping adventure just west of the metro area.  While not the perfect campsite (our exact site backed up to a highway so there was some persistent road noise), the cooler temps and the feeling of "getting away" was a very welcome treat.

I hosted a farewell open house for a neighbor friend who has moved "home" to Texas.  It too felt good to gather with friends that I don't see as often as I did when the Things were younger.   Not to mention- hosting always provides a good motivator to give the house a good cleaning.

My extended family gathered to say goodbye to my aunt.   The timing just wasn't right for me to take off from work- but I was there in spirit.   Phyllis was always so kind in remembering birthdays and staying in touch- it has been sad to see her steady decline in her health.   

We also learned of the sudden and unexpected passing of Uncle Al- a treasured family friend. 

 I will be forever grateful for how helpful he was in my dad's recovery a few years ago- helping craft the "just right" type of lift for my dad's favorite chair so he could be independent while his body healed.  Al was just that handy-kind of guy- tell him what you need, and he got the job done- on time and under budget.  He has left a huge hole in the heart of his partner, Carol and his niece (my cousin) Angela.

And of course, life is not complete without a regular dose of BAGs Shenanigans

 Gotta love these ladies and how they are always finding new and creative ways to celebrate one another.   As I'd been gone most of the summer- they turned my birthday into a "Homecoming" event complete with a very lovely dress, bouquet and wrist corsage.   

I'm feeling at peace.   It was last year at this time that I thought I'd hang up my blogging habits.   And while I no longer feel the stories of the Things are mine to blog about, I do enjoy spending some time at the keyboard- reflecting on what I've done, where I've been and where I want to go next.  Not just literally but figuratively too.  

 For this school year- it is my intention to stay in my lane- not borrow trouble that is not mind to sort through- focus on what makes me happy- the kids...which oh how I wish I could snap their pictures and share their sweet faces.   They really are the light of my professional work day!

Until next time...

Stay curious...

Summer of Fun- Weeks 8 & 9

 SAW-HEARD-DID

Week 8:   7.17-7.23       Week 9:  7.23-7.30

SAW: Like most summers, this last half of my summer just flew by.   Here I sit trying to play catch up, trying to remember what happened when. I got to admit- it is all sort of blur.    Thankfully- between my hubby's more real-time blogging and google-photos sorting my pictures by date- I think I can piece together the final days of our travels.  

HEARD:   Without a doubt, I heard in my heart- loud and clear- how important friendships are to both Dom and I.    For the first half of this great adventure, it was just Dom and I.   Which was of course, lovely and went way better than either of us ever could have imagined.   But these final two weeks would center on time with our dear friends Jane and Larry.   

Both proved to be gracious and generous hosts...

DID: Before we reached our final destination of Williamsburg- Dom and I opted to take a few extra days before re-connecting with the Halls.  Maybe it was just me projecting, but who wants houseguests showing up just as you yourself are returning from a week's vacation.    

Our first stop after leaving the Bourbon Trail was a small national forest campground called Twin Knobs.   While the campground itself was filled (weekend camping, Hello-what does one expect) the sites themselves were rather secluded and the vibe of the campground was very relaxed.  

I found myself settling in with a good book

and savored the solitude of Cave Run Lake

Being road weary- we decided to break the remaining miles up into two more stops-

For a one night stand at Hampton Summer Wind RV park..

Where we found ourselves unwinding with a little moonshine

and catching up on laundry-

My last night of camping would be at Misty Mountain- just outside of Charlottesville Virginia.   A dear friend had just moved from CO back to VA to help her mom out...what a surprise to discover she lived just 10 minutes from our camping location.   

Thanks Tracy for a wonderful dinner-

and a chance to formally wish you good luck on your new adventure! 

We arrived at the Halls on 7.20- which left us with plenty of time to explore the area.

Of course, no trip to Williamsburg is complete without exploring "the Big Three" historical sites of this region.

Jamestown-

Colonial Williamsburg

and Yorktown...

with their new and very well curated museum...

This was not the first for us to visit several of these iconic historical locations, but at every stage in one's life, you look at things through a different lens.   

My first trip to Williamsburg was as a kid, and a lasting memory was  how the re-enactors stayed so true to their characters.   This had not changed- and we enjoyed a lively conversation with the Marquis de Lafayette-

General Washington...

and Mrs. Washington were also out and about on this very humid day

Some memories were a little less vivid- and I found myself wondering- how did I possibly forget the impressive collection of arms inside the Governor's Palace?  

And I had no recall of ever visiting Jamestown- but pictures I found when I got home proved otherwise- as Dom and I had visited there together back in July 1994.   I suppose one can forget things over the course of 27 years...Fortunately- we've never lost the connection we formed with the Halls...

and spending time with them was indeed the highlight of our time in Williamsburg.

We enjoyed some time on their back deck...

Being charmed by Boomer- the best behaved black lab

Savored some tasty meals from brisket 

to smoked ribs..

The guys also checked our Larry's new toy--

with a little adventure to Kitty Hawk, NC

celebrated a birthday

and mostly had a fabulous time..

Until next time...may you find yourself with an opportunity to explore this great country we are so fortunate to call home...

Time to head home...