February 22nd, 2013
this i know for sure. there are many things i dream about, wish for, and would (will) (; do if tomorrow i wake up as the next millionairess lottery winner. but until then i know that luxury is a long hot shower, in our shower, the one that never runs out of hot water no matter how long i stand there, the one with bodywash at the ready that smells like coconut and makes me think of coppertone and the ocean and summer. this is luxury. it’s the everyday kind that if you don’t stop and pay attention to you miss out on. it’s my extra thin whiskey glass, it’s going to sleep next to my husband and him saying.. goodnight beautiful, it’s my latte in the morning, an email saying my next book is ready at the library, it’s my pillow. it’s mail like the surprise care package full of home baked goodies from my mom that came to our door yesterday. it’s the dream of the next adventure for him and i, and holidays, and a good movie. there is lots i’d love to have, to try, and to see, but nothing would ever make me trade these things, these everyday things that really make life the best. if you’ve been feeling a case of i wish… maybe making a list of some of your favorite everyday things will help, it helps me realize that i’ve always got more than i think.
Filed Under: porchtalk
Tagged: denver colorado blog, luxury, porchtalk
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February 21st, 2013
it snowed most of the day and night yesterday and just might snow all day today, it’s a long way from the maybe once a year snow in the south and that’s only if you live in certain high enough spots; in the deep and low south it can be an even rarer appearance. it’s of course very different here, snow doesn’t mean frigid, it can be mild as can be and snowing all at the same time. before we traveled i didn’t know where we would live, i certainly would not have guessed somewhere that snow is all over the forecast in late february.
last year was a hard adjustment (for many reasons, not so much weather), this year is already so much smoother, time and all that. it’s amazing the things that have changed in me already, all geographically inspired. in north carolina i wouldn’t have suggested going for a hike to save my life, here i jump at the chance. i always loved travel but now i dream of the desert and rock formations and mountain peaks and national parks, which are front and center on the when-can-we-go-there list. i didn’t not like these places before i just thought more about heading to the beach (which i still think of a great deal, oh the lure of the ocean).
i think about all of the different lives we lead wrapped up in one. high school and college and after college and early married years with first homes and first everything. all of these different lives making up one. this is a new chapter, a new life, full of blanks ready to be filled in. what can i do new, what can i start to learn, who will i and we meet and become thick as thieves with.
when i do mental checklists of things tried and accomplished, whether brilliantly or not so, i mostly think ok good and all that but what do i want to put on the list next, for today and tomorrow. tomorrow being the literal tomorrow not the long in the distant future one (although tomorrow becomes that of course). i know that to look back five or ten years from now on this time right now i have to make really daring and hopeful and reaching decisions so that i can be proud of the days spent. it’s a work in progress.. today i’m going to organize my closet and enjoy the snow.
Filed Under: everyday // bits & pieces
Tagged: denver colorado blog, snow
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February 18th, 2013
i think all bloggers (unless making exceedingly crazy amounts of money from their blog) wonder now and then if it’s worth the time and commitment, i know i certainly have had my moments. i started this blog when we left north carolina to travel the country in our airstream, it was my way of journaling (which i have never been good at) where we went, what we saw, life on wheels not to be forgotten. it has grown into documenting our extensive diy house renovations, current travels, and life at home one day at a time with a few frivolities thrown in here and there. in those moments when i wonder is it worth it i look back through the archives and am literally flabbergasted by how far our house has come (i most certainly would never have documented it so closely had i not been blogging); and the places we traveled, which i would have taken photos of for sure, but those photos would be on a disc or a virtual file, unorganized for the most part, and not so easily brought up by town/city/state to reminisce over. yesterday we went to redrocks for a hike (is this smart the first day of not feeling completely exhausted, maybe not, but it was so worth it) and without this spot on the web i might not have taken these photos, but because of it i stop more frequently to document our footsteps and now i’ll have this snapshot forever. for those of you who follow along with us, thank you, it’s nice to share a little bit of our life with people we might never have connected with if not for blogging, i’m glad you’re here with us. happy monday….
Filed Under: life in the fast lane
Tagged: denver colorado blog, life in the fast lane, red rocks denver co
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October 5th, 2012
we woke up to SNOW!! it wasn’t in the forecast and we were flat out shocked when we opened the door this morning. october 5th is sooo early (to a southerner). it is pretty, and you wouldn’t believe how crisp the air is these days. the leaf change is almost complete as well, and now seeing snow, this is no big surprise i guess. wasn’t it just summer? we’re going to a fall festival this weekend and drinking some hot cider (which will probably be the longest line since the high is 40 degrees tomorrow. yowzers.) what are you up to?
Filed Under: everyday // bits & pieces
Tagged: denver colorado blog, first snow 2012, friday
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September 13th, 2012
last week we snuck off to aspen for the day, and oh how we’re missing being on the road. but we’re so lucky to have so much close by, and the most beautiful scenery. aspen is a really ritzy little town, think cadillac golf carts for tooling around in, lots of boots, furs, and prada stores. it was cool enough for our first pumpkin spice latte of the season, gosh those things are addicting! this drive is our favorite so far, but i’ve got a roadtrip up my sleeve that i’ve been working hard to get the mister to go on for awhile now, it’s a little bigger, an overnighter, so hopefully i’ll be sharing that one sooooon. plus the leaves are changing fast in the mountains, the weather is getting cooler, it’s perfect timing.
p.s. this part of the drive took us over independence pass, one stretch is extremely narrow, at one point we might as well have been in the car with the people passing next to us, and no vehicles over 35 ft are allowed, but honestly that seems like it’s pushing it to me, i don’t think i’d want to be in anything larger than a van or suv.
Filed Under: travel
Tagged: aspen, colorado blog, denver co, denver colorado blog, independence pass, snowmass
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September 8th, 2012
here’s a peek at our visit to the botanical garden last weekend…. we’re busy busy here today, we’re doing a project for tinkernation (it’s a really good one.. wait till you see!), enjoying fall like weather and getting ready for a big day of college football. hope you’re having a good one!
Filed Under: everyday // bits & pieces
Tagged: denver botanical gardens, denver colorado blog
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September 4th, 2012
did you have a good looong weekend? we had a very full 4 days and one of the best parts was hanging out with this super cute couple (matt & lindsey) from chicago. visits just go too fast, you wait and wait, and then we blinked and they had come and gone. sigh. don’t you feel this way whenever you visit or someone visits you? the weather was iffy on sunday but we managed to squeeze in a visit to redrocks for a little exercise and a tour of the museum, the park is open 7 days a week for hiking, biking, etc. and the husband and i are going to start going at least once a week to stair climb because nothing shows you what kind of shape you’re in (or not) like tons of stairs going straight up the side of a rock. plus we went to taste of colorado, showed off our little town, ate dinner overlooking the lake and denver all lit up at night and started scheming and planning for next time. thanks for visiting m & l we had the best time!
Filed Under: life in the fast lane
Tagged: denver colorado blog, red rocks, taste of colorado
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August 21st, 2012
… lakes. for all of my chi-town best pals i had to make sure they were alert with that title. (; so not really chicago, but it felt like we could have walked there by the time we were through. and now the story. we started this hike on saturday but weather made us turn around and knowing what we know now, thank goodness. we went back on sunday, unawares of what lay ahead of us. the trailhead is not marked with any information, length, difficulty, nada. which is probably a good thing or we would have quite possibly turned around again.
the trail starts off with around a mile of downhill, steep, narrow, and lots of switchbacks, then levels out for a short bit, short being the key word. next is a road that is straight uphill for about a mile and is much harder than it seems. having a wide, flat surface makes your mind think it’s going to be no biggie. ha! at the top of this you end at what we are pretty sure everyone thinks is chicago lake, but it’s not, it’s the reservoir. on the upside, most people hike to the reservoir, enjoy the scenery, let the dogs swim and then head back none the wiser, saving themselves a lot of self inflicted torture, i mean fun.
but, if you go past the reservoir a bit you run into a huge sign (finally) pointing you on your way to the actual lakes, the map looks like it’s relatively flat with not too much of an elevation hike so we pursued. and at first, it’s flat, winding through tall grasslands, along mountain edges, completely lulling us into feeling like yes-we-can-do-this-no-problem. oh my dear lord. that feeling lasted all of about 3 minutes and the rest of the hike was a mother. straight uphill, so steep you wouldn’t believe. elevation rose from 9000 to 11,500 (zoinks) and took about an hour and a half. we never. (and never will again)
nothing made us happier (save arriving back at the car) than finally seeing the lake and it is a beautiful hike, i feel it’s necessary to point this out amidst this long tale, beautiful… at a price. anyhoo, we laid on a big rock, soaked in the scenery and started back before our muscles tightened too much. we were consoling ourselves along the hike in by saying that at least the hike back would be all downhill, and therefor easy, except for the steep one mile ending. oh if only this had been true. this was the first downhill we’ve hiked that was almost as hard as the uphill. it really is so steep that going back down required a lot of deep and tricky stepping, and navigating loose gravel/sand (slippage was frequent), but we made it. the last mile uphill wasn’t that bad, after the uphill getting to the lake, the uphill at the end seemed almost easy. at that point i don’t think anything would have fazed us being oh so close to the finish line.
if you are in amazing shape you’ll probably go and laugh at us, wimps! but we are in pretty good shape (not stellar by any means but…) and it’s a heart pounder. if you need a good workout, you’ll love it. we might have found some gold, did you see the sparkles in the water? he looked for a nugget but to no avail. and we don’t know about bears but the husband poops in the woods. twelve miles will do it to you, apparently. and what really kept us going, the thought of a cold beer and hot pizza at beau jo’s in idaho springs. ah-mazing. (anywhere that serves 320z beers in a southern mason jar, you know that’s a good place)
Filed Under: everyday // bits & pieces
Tagged: beau jo's, chicago lakes, colorado hikes, denver colorado blog, echo lake, idaho springs
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