Monday, October 30, 2006
Trophy Deserving Costume
We had a great time Saturday night with 28 people jammed into my little house. There was tons of food (though I only ate four bites all night, which would explain why my 4 glasses of wine did what they did to me), lots of noise and laughter. Basically: Awesome.As promised, here are photos, but you can see them all if you like.
I collected votes from people on their favorite costume (I forgot to vote) and guess who won? ME! Here I am with my prize (oh so klassy dracula goblet).
Fifi the French Maid
Fifi and the Stewardess
Corky St. Clair
Dead Hikers (hypothermia is a bitch)
Cow
Amelie and Fifi (or Sober and Not Sober)
Robert Palmer and his girl (she had a guitar)
Fifi and Prisoner (uh oh!)
Fifi and Catholic School Girl
Hand Ice Cube
The Spread (wish I had eaten more of this - looks tasty!)
Harry Potter
I Forget What They Were Supposed to Be
Misc.
I Carved Some Pumpkins Too
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Friday, October 27, 2006
Weekend Wishes
Have a great weekend everyone. I'll be rockin' it French Maid style tomorrow at our costume partay! Woop, woop!Pictures to follow. Don't you worry. ;) |
Photo Friday: Accident
Biting His Head Off
Yellow Glow (from hand shielding the flash)
Camera Hog (wherein she crawled off the window sill and onto my chest to sniff the camera lens)
Feline Apparition
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Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Dirty Laundry and a 5 Course Meal
This morning began with a fight. Yes, Huz and I actually fight, although you wouldn't know it from my blog (or from my personal conversations with you - I just don't really share dirty laundry very much. PMS stories, bedroom activity, and poop, yes, but marital discussions? Not so much.).Anyway, lately I am finding it hard to be married to an academic - someone who is extremely intelligent and passionate about a field that I simply don't get. Theology. Sounds noble and all, but I'm just not that in to it. And yet. I want to be actively, intellectually involved in my own life and in my husband's life, so I expect him to talk to me about his day and what he's studying and thinking about. And yet. I don't get it when he tries to tell me. Instead of feeling like I'm in an engaging conversation about big ideas, I feel small and I feel dumb. Our paths have really taken us far from where we began back in high school and we've been best friends the whole time, some how traveling paths that are parallel (if not parallel in career interests, then in support and love of one another and our respective goals and interests). That support and love is still there, but sometimes I fear that our paths are going very different directions and if I can't be interested in (or understand) what he's so passionate about, how can I really know him? I refuse to be one of those academic wives whose realm is just in the home or in the practical world, while the academician husband is rocking it in the university world. I'm smarter than that, damn it! I want to be engaged in the intellect too, not just talk about the cats and what are we going to do this weekend or why I am not ovulating! Blah. Herein ends the vent session - thanks for listening.
Surprising as it may seem (after the above), we just had a great weekend together. As you know, I got my hair done which made me feel like a hot momma (which I really needed as I was down and feeling ugly all last week). Then we went on a lovely fall day walk together around our neighborhood, followed by a movie, which was pretty good. Finally, we each enjoyed a five course meal at the Mad Platter - a lovely little place that was rustic, yet romantic. Here's the menu: 1. Soup - I had German potato and bacon, Huz had butternut squash bisque with cinnamon sour cream (his was better; I was jealous); 2. Salad - I had greens with goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and olives, Huz had an apple salad of some sort; 3. Appetizer - I had an awesome mushroom-stuffed ravioli with a rosemary cream sauce (I wanted to eat this for the entree, it was SO good), Huz had a quail dish with sweet potatoes; 4. Entree - I had pumpkin seed coated salmon steak atop smoked cheese mashed potatoes and roasted autumnal vegetables, Huz had a Cajun beef stew over grits; 5. Dessert - I had bananas foster which was really sweet but really good, Huz had the "Elvis" which was chocolate cake with various layers of chocolate ganash. All in all, it was a lovely meal and I'd definitely go again. |
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sneezealufagus
Guess how many times I sneezed before leaving my house this morning. |Sunday, October 22, 2006
Bad Mood Remedy
Spending a huge chunk of change at an Aveda salon to get a new hair cut and color. I got highlights (warm blonde) and lowlights (chestnut brown). You can't tell in this picture, but the bottom part of the back is all chestnut - kind of fun and different. What do you think?
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Friday, October 20, 2006
Bric-a-Brac
It's been a long week. I completely intended on calling in sick and taking a, you know, mental health day from work just because I'm tired of being here. But the insufferable guilt set in as my alarm clock went off and nary a muscle did ache, so how could I call in and feign ill? I couldn't. Damn it. So here I am. Nothing to do but to sit here and look like I'm working when really I'm counting the hours to 4:00. (Only 7 more hours to go. Great.)I'm telling you, the PMS this week has been a killer. I've been moody, irritable, weepy, and downright miserable. I wish the aunt would just hurry up and get here so I can get it over with and see what next month brings (uh, ovulation would be nice!). What a horrible blog entry. Sorry.
Here's some pictures to put you in a better mood.
Cambridge lounging.
Cat and mouse games.
Play time.
Eddie before he got lost 10 minutes after I gave him to Neville. (He kind of gets hairy after being batted all over my house.)
My smart husband.
The marathon this weekend is officially off. Huz's calf muscle is torn and can't handle a 26 mile race, so he looked up more marathons that will be taking place in the next few months and will try again then. We're going to make up for it by going to a nice, romantic restaurant this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. |
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Do Not Buy Products From e.l.f.
I have had nothing but trouble from this company. I made a substantial purchase ($47 is a lot to me) on 9/24 and was sent an email confirmation that my order would arrive in 7-10 business days. Two weeks later I sent an email (because there is no phone number listed anywhere) inquiring about my order that was supposed to arrive in days, not weeks and they responded with a general email that said it would take 3-5 weeks despite what my email confirmation said. I was not happy with this and emailed again asking for a refund - they ignored it. I looked at my bank account today and the deduction was made 2 days ago. Still no order in my mailbox. I emailed them this afternoon and they instantly resent the exact 3-5 week email, followed quickly with an "your order was shipped on 10/13" email. This company sucks. They are clearly seeking first-time customers only (or teenagers who can only afford $1 a piece cosmetics) and not repeat customers. They won't have my business again and I hope you don't give them any either. I'm fully expecting the product (if I ever get it) to be of poor quality, as I've heard as much after I bought it. Ugh. Live and learn. Do research on stuff before you buy it.[I finally received the order in the mail and it's all hosed up. I got duplicates on most things I ordered one of and am missing some big gift sets. They put a generic sheet in the order that said any missing items were out of stock, sorry for the inconvenience (blah, blah, blah), and that I won't be charged for them. But, hello? All $47 were taken out of my bank account on Monday. Where's my fucking $23, bitches? So, again, I had to email these fourth graders and wait to see what pre-generated email they're going to send me now. ARGHHH! Does anyone have a phone number for this company? Would the better business bureau have one?] |
Can You Believe The Difference A Week Makes?
Taken this morning by my Dad. |
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
This and That
Scene: Cold, drizzly afternoon. Driving through a bad neighborhood and the check engine light goes on...again.Wha? Oh, hello! I was just thinking about yesterday. When I got off from work I had an appointment to meet a friend. She teaches a creative writing class at a local recovery house for women. It's called Magdeline House and it serves women who have a history of drug addiction and prostitution, helping them to recover and teaching them some valuable working skills. I volunteered to take some photographs of the women who will be presenting their poems at a fund raiser next month. Needless to say, it was in a not-so-nice part of town and the engine light flashed on (third time in four months), which was a bit freaky but I survived. Some of the pictures came out really well - others were just okay. The lighting inside was really dim and it was raining out, so at first I did them all inside and wasn't too happy with them. Eventually I gained confidence and asked the women to go outside where the natural lighting would be far superior, promising to be quick so they wouldn't get too wet.
What else? I interviewed twice for a job the week before last. Nothing too exciting, but a job on campus that offers more room for growth than my current one (I'm at the top of my pay scale already). I had one interview and then an immediate call back with the Boss the next day, but then nothing for over a week. Not a confidence booster, that.
This weekend is supposed to be the big marathon weekend for Huz - something he's been working really hard on for the last few months, only the last 20 mile run left him with a calf that is less than ideal for a race. He's been in pain for almost 2 weeks and I'm so very sad for him. He's going to test it out on a run on Friday and decide if he can run his first marathon or not. (If not, I regret that I won't be able to meet you Lisa.)
It actually got cold here for a few days - going down into the 40s at night. This reminded me of how badly I want my house to have central heating and air. Instead, we have these horrible old electric heaters in the walls that turn bright red when on and are very dangerous. On top of that, they don't heat the house - just the wall they are on. So we went out and bought an oil-filled radiator to see if that would be better over the winter. Works like a charm!
Finally, I've been quiet on the conception topic. Basically, I'm stressing about it and need to stop talking about it for a time. While I have family support and enthusiasm, this can sometimes feel overwhelming as the expectations are that I'll be pregnant by the time I go home for the holidays. I also find myself in a place where 2 other couples very close to us are trying at the same time and while this could be a good thing, a community for all of us when it happens, it feels like a competition at times, intentional or not. I have been off the Pill for 6 months and because I've been charting, I know that I've only ovulated once during that time. I decided to stop charting last week because this has been a stressor for me too - each time the temp goes up and then crashes back down the next morning I get depressed. So, we will continue to try, but we're not going to talk about it with our friends and I'm going to stop obsessing over my temperature. Also, I'm starting a yoga class tonight to de-stress myself. Hopefully all of these things will create a relaxed and happy body so that it can do what it's supposed to do. |
Monday, October 16, 2006
Gearing Up For the Costume Party
Slutty french maid costume purchased? Check.Obnoxious gay theater director costume purchased? Check.
Both of these costumes were acquired this weekend at a local thrift store. I never in a million years expected to find a french maid costume at a thrift store; instead, I fully intended to shell out $40 bucks for this one online. But, no, there it was hanging on a small rack with some other costumes - mostly childrens'. It's not exactly what I wanted, but for $8.99 who can argue? We also saw a most extraordinary sight at the thrift store. A 6 foot something man in full drag shopping. He was wearing a bright purple satin gown, spike heels, and his long blond wig had flowers in it. He smelled like grandma purfume. Very interesting.
Ahem, back to the party checklist.
Latex gloves for the punch (picture frozen hands bobbing up and down in the punch)? Check.
Cambie's costume purchased? Uh, no. I don't think that's gonna happen.
Neville's? No purchase necessary. Tie a bandana on him and call him the grumpy cowboy.
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Friday, October 13, 2006
Sister Art
My sister, the crazy clown girl that she is, is an amazing girl. Look at what she made for my Dad. Incredible.
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October
Know what I do when I'm bored at work? I make a desk calendar like this one (thanks for the photo, Dad!).
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Thursday, October 12, 2006
Nashville: The Weather Freak-Outers
...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 AM CDT FRIDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A FROST ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 AM CDT FRIDAY.
AS CLOUDINESS THINS OUT OVER THE MIDSTATE THIS EVENING...RADIATIONAL COOLING WILL BEGIN TO DROP TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID 30S. THIS WILL MAINLY AFFECT RURAL AND OUTLYING SURBURBAN AREAS...PARTICULARLY THOSE AREAS IN RIVER VALLEYS AND OTHER LOW AREAS WHERE COLD AIR TENDS TO POOL. THIS WILL FORM A LAYER OF FROST ON PLANTS AND OTHER VEGETATION BY LATE TONIGHT.
A FROST ADVISORY MEANS THAT FROST IS POSSIBLE. SENSITIVE OUTDOOR PLANTS MAY BE KILLED IF LEFT UNCOVERED.
(Brought to you by weather.com) |Oh The Scandal
What's worse - looking at scandalous french maid costumes on work time or actually considering wearing one?The heat is on. We're having a costume party in 16 days and I need to find a rockin' costume!! |
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
After Fall
Remember how I said the fall season in Colorado is georgeous, but really short?
Unbelievable.
(Photo by my Dad.) |
Monday, October 9, 2006
84 Questions is A Lot of Questions (Testing Your Patience One Question at a Time)
I tagged myself on this meme from Sly Fox A.1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Closed. Sometimes I keep them open at home (but never in a hotel or elsewhere...creepy!), but now I have to keep them permanently closed because my dear little Neville likes to chew my SEXY LEATHER BOOTS! Damn it!
2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?
Hell yes. I paid for those bad boys!
3. Have you ever 'done it' in a hotel room?
Yes, but it's amazing how one of us seems to get horny when staying at hotels and how un-horny the other seems to get. What can I say? I'm a comfort creature and unless I'm home in my comfortable surroundings? It probably ain't gonna happen.
4. Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
No, but I always wanted to. There's a Victoria street (except it's my real name) in Denver and I always wanted to steal it and hang it in my room. Damn those morals that prevented me! (Or was it just the logistics of my having to shimmy up a big pole with tools in the middle of the night?)
5. Do you like to use post-it notes?
I suppose. I use them at work. At home, my lists are on note paper.
6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?
ALWAYS.
7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?
What an awful question! I guess a bear. It's a better story to tell (if I survived it, that is). Growing up in Colorado, you're always taught what to do when you see a bear. Thankfully I never got to test those lessons.
8. Do you always smile for pictures?
Yes. How can you not?
9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
That I have more than one pet peeve and can't ever pick the biggest one to share on a meme.
10. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Do you mean are the sheets tucked underneath the mattress and I'm somehow stuck in between? Or do you mean are the sheets hanging over the comforter or inside? If the first question: no. If the second question: the latter.
11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
No. But back in my OCD childhood years I probably would, seeing how I would click my molars together and count street lights and shit.
12. Have you ever peed in the woods?
Of course. I grew up in Colorado and went camping, yo! Bet I never told you about the time I went sledding and peed in the snow....unintentionally.
13. Do you ever jump up and down to make your privates bounce?
Um, I don't need to jump up and down to accomplish that, thankyouverymuch.
14. Do you chew your pens and pencils?
No. Cambridge does that enough for both of us.
15. How many people have you slept with this week?
Uh, one. How many people have I "slept" with my entire life? One. (I'm so pure.)
16. Do you like popcorn from those big tins?
No, but it doesn't stop me from eating it. CHEESE!!!
17. What is your "Song of the week"?
Don't have one. I'm not a huge music person.
18. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Yes, it's attractive for a man to be confident and wear whatever he wants to despite gender codes and all that bullshit.
19. Do you still watch cartoons?
No, but I would if I found a good one. 'Howl's Moving Castle' was pretty awesome.
20. Whats your favorite scary movie?
I hate scary movies. If Sixth Sense counts, I'll choose that one, though.
21. Where would you bury treasure if you had some?
Somewhere in the depths of the craft room. There's enough junk back there to hide anything.
22. What do you drink with dinner?
Water or wine.
23. What color is your cell phone?
Silver.
24. Were you a boy/girl scout?
Yep. I was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout. It was fun. We camped and stuff. Oh, and I made a corn cob doll that my cat ate.
25. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
No. But I'd take nude pictures of myself for a photography class and present them to the whole class. Hey! It's art!
26. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
Boy. That would be....gosh, I don't know. Does a thank you note count? I do that regularly. But a letter? It's been years - my middle sister probably got the last one and that was a loooong time ago.
27. Can you change the oil on a car?
No, but I can learn if you teach me.
28. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Yes, god damn it! That's one of the first welcome gifts Nashville gave me! My first one ever, too!
29. Ran out of gas?
Nope.
30. Favorite kind of sandwich?:
Hot roast beef and cheddar with lots of mustard and mayo. Yum.
31. Best thing to eat for breakfast?
Cherry blintzes, baby!
32. What is your usual bedtime?
10:30p.m. zzzzzzz
33. Are you lazy?
Just on the weeknights and weekends. Ha!
34. When you were a kid what did you dress up as for Halloween?
One year I went as an aquarium on a table. I wore a fish lips mask and made a cardboard box into an aquarium (cut out part was for my face) with weeds and stuff coming up the sides. The table was a rectangle over my shoulders with a long table cloth going down. As a teenager I got less creative and was a stripper.
35. Do you read the newspaper?
No. I don't like to throw away that much paper. NPR or nothing for me.
36. How many languages can you speak?
Sadly, one. I took four years of Spanish is high school, but would love a refresher course.
37. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
Yes: Bon Appetite, ReadyMade, and Domino.
38. Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs?
Hmm. I like both.
39. Are you stubborn?
Ask Huz. I think he'd say, "YES!"
40. Who is better...Leno or Letterman?
Jon Stewart.
41. Watch an opera live?
Yes, last year. I thought it would be boring, but I loved it.
42. Afraid of heights?
Eh. Not too much.
43. Dance in the shower?
Do I? No, but I'm all in favor...especially if I have a dance partner. heh, heh.
44. Dance in the car?
I can really shake that little Saturn when I'm in the mood.
45. Ever used a gun?
In Alaska my uncle took Huz and I out to shoot those clay pigeon things. I did it once and stopped. It hurts and I suck!
46. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
In 1995 for a church directory. I hate that picture and I hate that church.
47. Are musicals cheesy?
Uh, yes. 'Waiting for Guffman' is so funny because it's true.
48. Is Christmas stressful?
Just the travelling home part. After that, I love every minute of it (FAMILY, COLORADO).
49. Ever eat a pierogi?
Yep. Yummy.
50. Favorite type of fruit pie?
I'd have to say strawberry rhubarb.
51. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Marine Biologist, Marine Biologist, Marine Biologist.
52. Do you believe in ghosts?
No, but if I start thinking about it too much and it's dark, I get scared.
53. Take a vitamin daily?
Yes. Trying to have a baby will do that to you.
54. Wear slippers?
Yep. Those adorable knit mary janes I showed you a few posts ago.
55. Wear a bath robe?
Only sometimes.
56. What do you wear to bed?
Pajamas, which can consist of a lot of things: tank top and shorts, t-shirt, gown, etc.
57. First concert?
Michael Jackson's Thriller. Oh yeah!
58. Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart?
Target. The other two SUCK. (Didn't you ever watch 'Rain Man'!?)
59. Nike or Adidas?
Adidas.
60. Cheetos Or Fritos?
Both, but the latter needs to be dipped in cottage cheese.
61. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
Seeds. I only like peanuts if they're sprinkled on my ice cream (and, yes, Huz, they have to be salted peanuts).
62. Ever hear of, "gorp"?
Is that a booze of some sort?
63. Ever take dance lessons?
Yes. Huz and I took ballroom dance lessons a few years ago when we had 3 weddings to go to. It was a blast (for me anyway) and I'd love to do it again!
64. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
Absolutely - my current spouse will be a professor in a theology department some day soon.
65. Can you curl your tongue?
Like a taco.
66. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Yes. After Huz ran a race after taking many years off of doing so, I cried like a baby. I also cry after watching Baby Story or other tear jerkers, like clock work.
67. Own any record albums?
No. Just cds.
68. Own a record player?
No.
69. Regularly brush your teeth?
Twice a day. I try to remember to floss regularly, but I'm not too good at that one.
70. Ever been in love?
For a long time now.
71. What was your last concert you saw?
Wilco last year. Awesome.
72. Hot tea or cold tea?
Hot, but only in the fall or winter.
73. Tea or coffee?
Depends on my mood.
74. Favorite kind of cookie?
Chocolate chip with Heath in it.
75. Can you swim well?
Not well, but I can tread water for 30 minutes (or at least I could when I got my scuba diving license in high school).
76. Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose?
Yes. Can't everyone?
77. Are you patient?
No. (Are you? If you're still reading this then the answer is yes.)
78. DJ or band, at a wedding?
Band. I wish I could do it again and have a band and dancing and drinking...all the things a religious 18 year old bride can't have.
79. Ever won a contest?
I won a limbo contest in Honduras at age 13. I also got a photo accepted and printed in a work newsletter calendar, if that counts. No prizes won, though.
80. Ever have plastic surgery?
No way, Jose!
81. Which are better black or green olives?
BLACK! Green are disgusting!
82. Can you knit or crochet?
I taught myself how to knit. Haven't tried crocheting...yet.
83. Best room for a fireplace?
The bedroom. Rrraawwrr.
Recipe
Make this and enjoy. I did. |Sunday, October 8, 2006
The Things We Put into Our Mouths
I mentioned that we've been watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations thanks to TiVo magic (I am loosing all sense of when shows are actually aired and what channel they're on - I'm guessing this is a common side effect of TiVo ownership, no?). We watched a couple episodes last night - Quebec and China - and were brought to a new keen awareness of just how far Bourdain will go to experience cultures and their foods (and to make entertaining television). Now let me just say that I don't consider myself a squeemish, eat only what I've had before, kind of girl. I'm as adventurous as the next foodie, but...I draw the line somewhere.
I drew it at the moment Tony brought the bloody handful of freshly shot seal flesh to his mouth. I drew the line even thicker when he was offered the prize morsel of the seal: the bloody eyeball staring at him in newly blinded accusation. He was offered this favored piece by the poor Inuit family he was staying with and he, respectfully so, ate it.
I watched. I grimaced. I hid my face behind my hands.
I also grimaced last week when I watched him in India eating brains in their gooey, jiggly sauces, but nothing prepared me for the bloody carnage of the seal being devoured by the family on their kitchen floor. Apparently he's eaten the live, beating heart of a cobra too, but I have yet to be blessed with that hunger inducing episode.
All of this to say: I'm not as adventurous as I thought I was. Huz and I have a freind who went to China a few years ago with his wife and her family. While there, he decided to experience the culture through food, much like Bourdain. He went to a street-side stand and ordered fried grasshopper on a stick. The wings were spread wide open in crispy rigor mortis and he crunched right into it. I don't think I could do this.
What's the most adventurous food you've ever eaten? Me? I guess having dim sum in Chicago's Chinatown was the most adventurous of late. I tried duck feet (very fatty ankles) and baby octupi (texture=firestone tires). I went to Hong Kong once for a weekend with my mom (Yes, a weekend; you read right. We're crazy.) and was in a hotel restaraunt that rotated round and round (blech). I went to the dessert bar to get some yummy raspberry ice cream at the end of my meal. I brought it back to the table and dug in, only to discover that it wasn't raspberry. It was ube, a purple root which was nasty. The whole rest of the trip I complained about eating squid ink ice cream because that's the only way I knew to describe that awful flavor.
You? |
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Hugs
Wow. I love this. Bush needs to watch. |Home
I got the nicest email this week from my Dad. It was titled "We Miss You!" and brought tears to my eyes because he said he thinks of me more than usual when it's fall. And, as you know, fall is hands-down my favorite season. While it doesn't last long in Colorado, it sure is beautiful. Enjoy some photos he sent me from home. I miss it.Here are some blazing aspens by my old school bus stop. (Yes, I actually grew up on a dirt road. *Gasp*)
Entrance to the original part of the house.
Here's the back door and deck to the newer part of the house that was built on when I was just a wee one. Our yard is huge and just down from this shot is the creek that runs behind our house. The trampoline was always right beside it. I doubt I could still do back flips like I used to but I'm sure I could still crank out the "swivel hips."
Purty trees and sky. (No sky is bluer than a Colorado sky.)
Stone wall at one end of our yard.
Ahh. Wasn't that nice? |
