Sunday

There have been lots of recent dramas among my friends and family, and I want to take this week to articulate all of the elements of my life for which I feel particularly grateful. Sorry if you find this boring or cliche, but I firmly believe in the power of sharing my gratitude and recognizing the blessings in my life. Here we go:

Women in my family have had a pretty rough year when it comes to physical health. In the wake of a double mastectomy, the replacement of a second hip, and the fusion of several vertebrae, I am more aware of my youth at this moment than ever before. Even something as simple as walking is challenging for many and may be for me someday. For now, though, as limited as they may be, I am grateful for my physical abilities and for my health.

This Glass Ain't Empty

There is a facilities manager who works in my building who is quite possibly the happiest person I have ever met. Our paths cross a couple of times a day, and he always waves and greets me, goes out of his way to politely hold the front door for me, and has even called the elevator for me. He always has a nice comment about the weather or the impending weekend, and emanates a positive attitude.

It was a challenge to drag myself out of bed this morning, and after pulling an outfit together and making some coffee, I reluctantly said goodbye to Bosco and drove to work lamenting the fact that it is only Wednesday. Outside the office I ran into Yuri. He stopped what he was working on and ushered me into the lobby, making the usual small talk about the beautiful sunshine, and sent me up to the second floor with a huge smile and a very sincere "Have a wonderful day!"

Less than a minute of interacting with him completely adjusted my approach to the day. What a positive way to influence other people around you!

What's Cookin'?

The kitchen has reached a stage of completion that has allowed some boxes to be brought back and the unpacking to start. Here is the view from the dining room into the kitchen.

This is mom's new cooktop. It's beautiful! Gas stove, two ovens, and a vented hood. Looking forward to all of the delicious meals that will come out of this kitchen!

Here's the new in-island touch-activated sink, and the HUGE workspace that is desperately in need of some bar stools!

This is "Joe's wine bar," which has since been lined with additional bottles to try or document. Also, Hazel has taken up residence in this corner, so the naming rights are currently being contended...

In Beauty May I Walk

I got to spend all weekend up in Estes Park with the phenomenal women of Sound Circle. Our fall retreat was very productive and my soul has been refreshed by the time spent surrounded by so many amazing people, and the breathtaking winter beauty that currently graces the Park. Our Solstice show this year is going to feature a piece we are composing that is called Requiem to Roadkill. The concept is to acknowledge the impact that we as human beings have on the environment around us, and to inspire respect for all of the creatures that we touch. We spent a lot of time talking about possible elements of the piece, and creating sounds that evoke those thoughts and feelings.

This was surprisingly a very emotional process for me. I internalize so many things, and the general ignorance and apathy of humanity towards animals is heart-wrenching to me. I have considered eating vegetarian before, and this weekend confirmed that at my core, I share those beliefs. However, I also understand the cycle of life and our dependence on protein in order to sustain ourselves. For me, the empathy I feel for animals that are injured or killed by humans is related to disruptions in that cycle. IE, not when an elk is hunted for a winter's worth of meals, but when a dog is beaten or a fox is run over and left suffering to die on the side of the road. So many times we cause interruptions like this and turn away, leaving a path of literal destruction in our wake. I am desperately saddened when I think about the world our generation's grandchildren will inherit if we continue to avoid acknowledging the damage we generate.

I have been inspired by another singers' mantra to First Do No Harm, and the knowledge that we must live the changes we want to see in this world.

Where the Bass and Back Beat Can Lock In

I haven't had a stellar year. I wouldn't even say that this past month has been very good. But this weekend was amazing!

First of all, it's the pivotal Autumn weekend when all of the leaves that turn bright amber and vivid ruby are in their full glory. To top that off we had a mini heat wave that left us three spectacular days in the 80's with perfect Colorado blue skies. Since it was my first time off and home in almost a month, there was much lounging around to appreciate!

There was no alarm set Saturday morning, and luckily Bosco decided he needed to sleep in too. We started off with pumpkin pancakes and then hit several restaurants in Cherry Creek for Brian's birthday culinary adventure, which was a lovely and relaxing indulgence. We finished the night off with games and pumpkin empanadas chez Gustin with some wonderful friends and a couple of bottles of wine. Sunday morning I accompanied the choir at church, and then got down to business on some of the household chores that haven't been done in three weeks. The terrifying tower of laundry was tackled, as well as the pile of donations that has been accumulating in the garage for a few months. Hopefully by the time snow comes we will be able to get both cars inside! I also made some progress learning music and movement for Sound Circle's Oct. 29th show, which has been heavy on my mind.

Aside from feeling relaxed and productive, I had several moments where I got to soak in everything happening around me and think, "Wow, I am so fortunate." In those moments, I find all of the things that stress me out to be trivial. I live in this breathtakingly beautiful place, with a handful of loving and loyal family and friends, in a very comfortable house that is always well-stocked. La vie est si belle!

Forget the Weights that Hold Me Down

I think over the past four days I may have gotten 15 hours of sleep. But it was worth it! Lanie and Will invited me and Jenny to come visit Albuquerque and experience the Balloon Fiesta. It turned into a whirlwind adventure that was full of bold southwestern flavors and tons of bright colors. I arrived with a list of must-try restaurants from the Johnsons, and we did our best to conquer them all. With Hatch Chiles abounding this time of year, everything had an extra kick to it. From coffee to taco salads, to enchiladas, it was all delightful. Our definite favorite was The Range - we liked it so much we brought the boys back for a second round later that weekend!

Saturday we got on the Balloon Fiesta shuttle at 4:30am. Ugh. We fought our way through the dark out onto the launch field, leaning on some fresh mini-doughnuts and hot coffee to keep us awake. Around a quarter to 6 the Dawn Patrol began to prepare for launch. Watching the balloons slowly rise and take on the horizon was absolutely stunning. We stood on the field and watched hot air balloons from all around the world inflate and lift-off for over five hours - 555 balloons in total. My photos do not capture the majesty and grace that these giants encompass. The designs are all creative, while some are more beautiful and thought-provoking and others are witty and amusing. Then there's the Darth Vader balloon...with a crew of Storm Troopers.

After extracting ourselves from the masses of spectators, Jenny, Dan and I went up to the top of Sandia Peak to check out the views. Our goal was to be up there to watch the sun

set and see the Night Glow. It turned out that there were plenty of other tourists who had the same thought - the wait for the gondola was 2 hours! We decided to take the scenic route and drove the 45 minutes up the mountain. We ended up on a very different trail head than the gondola, which we practically had to ourselves. The views were astonishing, and the Aspen trees were gloriously gold. We hiked around a bit, and watched the sunset, but realized that we were too far away from the launch field to see any of the balloons glowing. It was still an amazing day.

Sunday included a hike through Slot Canyon in Tent Rocks National Monument. Again, we had perfect fall weather, not too many other hikers around, and lots of photo opportunities. All four of us were all a bit slap-happy at this point due mainly to a lack of sleep(and partially to some white cheddar Cheetos), and we had a fantastic time. This is definitely an weekend I will repeat at some point in my life!

Good Day Sunshine

It's turning into my favorite time of the year again, and Heather and her munchkins got me out into the sunshine to enjoy it.  We wandered around Anderson Farm and picked out a pumpkin for the little man, and conquered one of the corn mazes.  The cows were enormous and very friendly, and the goats were tiny and talkative.  Isaiah connected most with the bunnies, though, and even made a valiant attempt to climb into the pen with them.  

So Happy!

Abigail was just thrilled to check out the colors and people, and fell victim to a nap somewhere lost in the corn.  I am loving having them close by, almost as much as I am loving this amazing Colorado weather!

Even though you have your own pumpkin carving kit, I think Mom's going to take this one on, buddy.