A long, cold winter....

It's been a moment, frozen in time....

The Garden Harvest Begins!

The garden has always been a haven for me...since I can remember, spending time with all my grandparents, my aunts, uncles, parents...living off the land and appreciating nature's bounty is engrained into my very soul. My grandparents on both sides of my family had fields and fields of garden as well as various orchards planted each year.  We never went to the grocery store for produce, fruits, etc. It's a concept I return to again and again now later in life how to keep that self sustainability going.  The plants may have been modified to spruce up my plates but the staples remain. Good, fresh produce & berries which, on many occasions are eaten on the spot (you know this happens! and it's a good thing!).  I am forever grateful for the lessons from my elders in self reliability and tending to nature not merely for survival but for enjoyment, too.  

'Purple Rain' at Red Rocks

A musical and cinematic feast for the soul at Red Rocks Ampitheater, Morrison, Colorado.  This spectacular evening our event "Film on the Rocks" summer series opened with multiple Prince tribute bands (they didn't 'normally' necessarily play his music but learned a song or two in tribute to the recently deceased artist Prince), followed by the outdoor feature film, "Purple Rain" (which, much to the surprise of those around me, I never had actually seen yet). The sunset held hues of purple in honor of our festivities.  Red Rocks is one of THE BEST venues in the world for music, film, art, what ever.  One could gaze at these monstrous, amazing red rocks for days...really, it just never gets old to look at them, watching as the light plays in the shadows.  If you ever get a chance to visit Red Rocks just go.  Don't worry if you think you'll like the event/act there or not. The atmosphere, the rich history and the stunning views are MORE than enough to entertain!

 

 

The Magic Of A Moment

I herald from a long line of creative, practical, innovative, resourceful folk, many of which were gifted with talents of designing, creating masterpieces of thread and cloth.

Every princess has her dream to be swept away by the man of her dreams and walk down the isle in a dress such as this, right? There is a tale to be told behind this dress...fractured fairy tale it may be...It is my wedding dress...a dress which I never wore in my wedding...never will wear for it's time for me has long since passed...A long tale of love, an epic saga of travel here and abroad...best told in jovial company over a roaring campfire with a delicious libation in hand.

As with many dreams and paths in life, events change as time progresses.  So it was with me, in the end I was married by a Justice of the Peace in secret (in a light blue taffeta dress I designed and had a seamstress sew for me).  This spectacular dress has been tucked away in my old room at my Parent's home for more years than I care to think on! As you can see it's still as beautiful as the day it arrived.

She had to grow up many, many years to wear it but my niece Hillary models it so very beautifully, isn't she simply stunning? And to think, she wasn't even a twinkle in her father's eye when this dress was created. Today, however, we bask in the winter sun shimmering thru the livingroom windows.  The afternoon winter sun illuminates a dress of disappointments, of broken dreams and waylaid plans...(for the Prince & Princess divorced and went their separate ways in my sad fairy-tale)...There is hope, too, though...as the remnants of a chaotic storm sometimes do settle such and radiate all the more for having been broken.   

Epic journey up to a Lunar Eclipse...hot springs, a breath taking wilderness...oh what a conundrum!

Ahhh, what an epic view! The Conundrum Hot Springs.  Not for the faint of heart for many reasons.  Almost 20 miles hiking round trip up about 2400 feet elevation gain has left my poor feet in a state of recovery.  Watching the super moon lunar ecplise as it rose above the Castle Mountain peak whilst bathing in the hot springs at around 11,500 feet lent comfort to both body and soul...left me breathless in more ways than one...le sigh! This photo is a mere glimpse of that wonder...Love the Colorado wilderness! :)