I forgot to mention that en route to Buena Vista yesterday, we stopped at the Sasquatch Outpost in Bailey, CO. Apparently Bigfoot has been seen many times in the Rockies - who knew?  Just another crazy adventure with Tina and her daughter Ashley, and a good prelude to my potential visit to Roswell, NM next … Continue reading 12-29-18 →

My friend Tina is visiting her daughter and son-in-law in Littleton, CO. I drove down to meet them for a day trip to Buena Vista, a hub for Arkansas River sports and a gateway to Colorado's Collegiate Peaks and other 14ers. Sadly, it's being "discovered" (see upscale hotel/restaurant interior). We soaked in creekside pools at … Continue reading 12-28-18 →

My friendship with Diana blossomed during my three years at UNC and has continued to grow over the 17 years since. Today's recipe for a great day in Boulder, CO: tour the Celestial Seasonings factory; visit the Leanin' Tree outlet shop; explore the exotic merchandise on Pearl Street Mall; return to Greeley for home-made spaghetti. … Continue reading 12-27-18 →

Most of the gifts I'm thankful for this year can't be quantified. First pregnancies. First baby boy. First newlywed Christmas tree. New puppy. New homes. New jobs. All within my older sister's ever-changing family. My younger sister's family is blessed with career wins, travel, and college successes. And of course for me, a sense of … Continue reading 12-26-18 →

We are all about the eating! Each person made a dish for this fabulous Christmas dinner. Just enjoying each other's company was a gift, but there were a few under the tree as well. Pictured here: a backup phone battery, car phone mount, bike bottle and Chapstik. Hmm...apparently my family doubts my ability to stay … Continue reading 12-25-18 →

These two handsome guys owned the kitchen on Christmas Eve! They took the lead on preparations for the late-evening meal that dates back to my childhood, when we needed "fast food" to work around our full church schedule. The menu features coldcuts (now pimped out as "charcuterie"), crackers and cheese, chips and dip, clam chowder, … Continue reading 12-24-18 →

Povitica is a delicate, crazy-complicated pastry from Eastern Europe. That makes it the perfect challenge for my nephew Ryley, a college senior who is also the family chef. He spent the better part of a morning creating his second annual povitica for Christmas brunch. The process requires precise mixing and rolling (and somewhere in the … Continue reading 12-23-18 →

Speaking of lights: the "Greeley Grizwalds" are something of a phenomenon in this town, displaying nearly 200,000 lights that sync to Christmas tunes on their own radio channel. They were featured this month on ABC's "Great Christmas Light Fight" - they didn't win, but not for lack of trying. Almost better than the Grizwald house … Continue reading 12-22-18 →

Today launches a sort of astronomical trifecta. A full "cold moon" is coming on the heels of the winter solstice, with a meteor shower as a bonus. The moon has been brilliant this week in the clear Colorado skies - skies that have been sadly free of snow this season. But even with a backdrop … Continue reading 12-21-18 →

This week includes visits to the Nissan garage, the dentist, the hair stylist, and the eye doctor. I'm especially pleased with my optometrist (who also happens to be my sister), now celebrating 25 years of successful practice in Greeley. Naturally I'm grateful for free cleaning solution and discount eyewear, but I'm most appreciative of her … Continue reading 12-20-18 →

I've spent Christmas in Colorado for most of the past 20 years. This year it's just me and my sister's family, which means less chaos and more time for baking, movies, and quality time. Like celebrating an early Christmas with Luke and Kenzie, who gifted us with the fruits of Kenzie's first solo winemaking effort: … Continue reading 12-19-18 →

Christmas shopping! I set aside a budget last summer in anticipation and managed to spend it all. These photos represent the extremes of the holiday shopping experience. At Target, it looks like a hurricane passed through - woe to those still shopping a week before Christmas! At the other extreme, earlier in the week I … Continue reading 12-18-18 →

I jumped down to Denver this afternoon to see Luke (nephew) and Kenzie while they were both off duty. Luke is a fireman/EMT (soon to be lieutenant), currently with Denver West Metro. Kenzie is a winemaker at Carboy Wineries - and the two of them are expecting! They decided to expand the family early with … Continue reading 12-17-18 →

I may be hard pressed to create unique daily posts during the holiday season, but my compulsive side has kicked in so I'll give it a run. It's nice to be "home" in the familiar territory of Greeley, CO and my sister's densely decorated house. She even bedazzled me a stocking (oddly, it didn't occur … Continue reading 12-16-18 →

So. Today marks the end of what might be called "Sabbatical: Part 1." The sight of the Rockies rising over a hazy Denver is welcome, but also a bit melancholy. I've crossed or dipped into 20 states this fall, and along the way have explored big cities, college campuses, tiny towns, and remote rural areas. … Continue reading 12-15-18 →

Jadyn and I spent last night in Abilene - a mid-Kansas prairie town where Arby's was the only dinner option at 7:00 pm. But it held surprises - like our Holiday Inn Express, where every window was lit by a Christmas candle! We scoped out two more hidden gems before leaving this morning - the … Continue reading 12-14-18 →

I am an excellent packer! I can work miracles with a few Target bags, some old duffles, two twist ties and a roll of packing tape. The pictured pile was delivered to be stored at a friend's office; the rest was miraculously wedged into my Xterra on top of my own year's worth of belongings. … Continue reading 12-13-18 →

My nephew Jadyn is riding with me from college in Nashville to Colorado for Christmas. While he finished his semester exams, I packed his room - half to bring home and half for storage while he's abroad next semester. He gave me an extensive tour of the Lipscomb University campus. Note the modern, naturally-lit, well-equipped … Continue reading 12-12-18 →

With one day to explore Nashville, I chose the tour of Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. His legacy includes acceptance of slavery and removal of Indians, but also victories in the war of 1812 and commitment to a unified nation. His plantation and presidency offered more revelations about my limited knowledge of history. I also got up … Continue reading 12-11-18 →

Traveling to Nashville offered two unique glimpses of history. In Tupelo I paid a brief visit to the two-room house and church where Elvis had his humble beginnings (I'm not a fan, but come on, it's Elvis). From there I drove the Natchez Trace, a historical path between Nashville and New Orleans that is now … Continue reading 12-10-18 →