Snow!

Finally some substantial snowfall has arrived.  It began slowly around 8 a.m. and by 10 a.m. it was sticking and everything was blanketed with white.  Mark and I ventured out to do some shopping and then Mark took me out to lunch.  The boys called us to let us know that we were not going to be able to make it up the hill.  They were right, we only made it part way up and had to park and walk the rest the way up.

I can say that this year I am more used to the snow and the cold.  I enjoyed the soft powder-like snow beneath my feet as I walked in it.  I enjoyed the quiet and beauty it brings.  Now ice, well, I am not a big fan of ice as it brings too much danger for my taste.  Slipping and sliding about is not my cup of tea.  Here below are pictures of Daisy kitty's first snow.

Brandon took this picture of Daisy on the deck in the morning when the snow first started actually blanketing.

Here Daisy decided to taste the snow. 

This was taken in the afternoon when the snow was deeper.  Daisy watches the flakes coming down.

Celestial Seasons Tour

Well, today we took a family day trip up to Boulder to take the tea tour at Celestial Seasons.  The moment I arrived I was excited.  The plant is in a beautiful location and as we walked up to the front of the building we could smell the wonderful aroma of herbs & spices.  We signed up to take the tour and for tickets they give each person a sample packet of tea.  The tours run every 15 minutes and each tour group is given a different pack of tea.  Our tour group got packets of Sleepy Time tea.  We were also given a small cup with which to sample different teas they had set out in the lobby.  I was in heaven!

Here I am with my "tea" ticket and my cup to sample tea.

On the tour we saw huge bins full of herbs, spices and teas.  All of those bins last at most 4 months, after that they are refilled.  We got to go in the tea room and learned about black tea, green tea & white tea.  Green tea has the least amount of caffeine, black tea has the most and white tea is in the middle.  Green tea has the least because the leaves are steamed.  Black tea has the most caffeine because the leaves are dried.  Then we went on to the "mint room".  As soon as our tour guide opened the door we were all hit with the aroma of mint.  It was so strong that it cleared our sinuses and made our eyes burn.  It was fun though.  After our tour we then went and had lunch at the Celestial Seasons Cafe.  The food was reasonably priced and very tasty.

The walls of the cafe are painted with artwork from their boxes of tea.

Here I am outside the Tea Shop.  There were so many pretty things and every kind of tea.  I picked my favorite Mandarin Orange Spice and trying a new one Sweet Apple Chamomile.

Winter Walk

Mark is off this week and we are getting to spend some special time together.  We went out to lunch, did some shopping, went to Starbucks to get a hot drink and then we went to Crown Hill Park for our winter walk.  Here are some pictures from our walk.

Me with the sun setting in the background.  Mark liked the reflection on the water.

The color of the foliage.  The deep rust with golden grass in back is striking.

Can you make out the bird amongst the branches?  It is a Magpie.

The Canadian Geese have come back to Colorado.  Here some stand while others float as only part of the lake is frozen.

In the distance you can see the Rocky Mountains are covered with snow.  So far there has been very little snow in our area.

Here is my dear husband on the trail.  We had a wonderful day together.

Looking across the lake toward the bell tower in the distance.  Winter has certainly arrived.

Colorado Christmas

Well, our Christmas came and went.  I missed my family back in California quite a lot.  The four of us had a very relaxed and quiet Christmas.  We heard from friends and family via phone which was very heart warming.  Here below are a few pictures from our first Christmas in Colorado.

Brandon on his 16th birthday with his traditional gingerbread cake.

Here is Daisy kitty under the tree.  It was her first Christmas and she loved the presents.

Here I am with Eric on Christmas morning.  Eric is getting after me for posting this picture, but he looks handsome even though he says his hair is messy.

And here I am with Brandon opening his present to me on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas!!

I finally got around to baking some cookies...Snowballs...my favorite.  I have so much cooking ahead of me I am overwhelmed.  In California we go to my sister's for Christmas dinner where my brother in-law prepares prime rib and then all of us other family members pitch in by bringing a dish.  I always brought the Christmas salad with cranberries & apples.  Everyone loves it and I am the only one who knows how to make it.  Oh, how I will miss Christmas dinner with family.

We are maintaining some of our old traditions as well as making new ones. One old tradition is to have Christmas Soup otherwise known as Root Soup on Christmas Eve.  It has beets in it so it turns a lovely red color.  I serve it with a dollop of sour cream in the center.  It reminds us of our Savior, whose blood makes us white as snow.  Since Christmas Eve is Brandon's birthday we have gingerbread cake.  I always decorate the cake like a gingerbread house.

Here is my little Brandon when he was in Kindergarten with his gingerbread birthday cake.  This birthday he turns 16 and he still wants his gingerbread cake with all the goodies on top.

Also, I am continuing to keep my tradition of watching my favorite Christmas movies.  I watched the Christmas List with Mimi Rogers.  And then I watched The Nativity Story.  Oh how that movie moves me to tears when I watch it.  I can't help telling the Lord I love Him when I watch it.

We all have happy memories of Christmases past and traditions that bring warmth to our celebration.  These are the things that make the present full and rich.  May your Christmas be blessed with many happy memories and much love as you celebrate our Savior...Jesus.

Haven't Been Myself

This Christmas I am homesick.  I am not my usual holiday self.  My mind is flooded with memories of Christmas at The Little Blue Cottage.  Sometimes tears come to my eyes and roll down my cheek.  I miss the comforts of The Little Blue Cottage.

Hearing about the buckets of rain that California has been receiving makes me feel like I am missing out.  I love the rain in California!  Here in Colorado it has been very dry.  There has been very little snowfall in the Denver area.  This is not a typical winter for Colorado, even so, we are enjoying the lack of snow because it reminds us of California.  However, there is no lack of static from the dry air.  I loathe my fine hair sticking to my forehead. I can't even pet my kitties without either of us getting shocked.  We have to run a humidifier to get relief. 

Sometimes I find myself asking "Why am I here?"  I guess that is not a good question to ask because it doesn't really matter...I am here.  It is normal and natural to lament for the familiar, but then I think on the children of Israel and how they wanted to go back to Egypt.  The Lord had something better for them up ahead they just had to believe, but they doubted.  Abraham left his hometown, he believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.  Trusting, moving forward, believing these are all powerful tools in faith.  As 2010 comes to a close and we move ever closer to our 1 year anniversary here in Colorado, I have every reason to believe that He has something wonderful for us up ahead.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Oh Where, Oh Where Have I Been?

Hello, is anyone there?  It has been so long since I lasted posted no wonder I am hearing crickets.  We just recently celebrated Eric's 17th birthday.  I cannot believe the little boy I received into my home when he was 2 years old is now 17!

 My little Eric celebrating a birthday at The Little Blue Cottage.

The past two days we have gotten a bit of snow, thus the new header picture.  I have been busy with Christmas cards and shopping.  Plans for the boys' birthdays and a few days of not feeling well thrown in as well.  I made my famous Christmas peppermint bark which was quite an accomplishment..  I have continued to keep an eye out for a home.  Recently many short sales hit the market, however, we have decided that we do not want to go that route (if we can help it).  Many homes have come and gone and here we are stilling waiting to find our home.  I never thought finding our first home here in Colorado would go the way it has gone.  Even so, we keep plodding down the path.

As I said before, I've had some times of not feeling well.  Unfortunately, it seems that part of this time of year involves illness. A flu bug is going around and I finally caught it.  I had to cancel an appointment and Mark came home from work to take care of me.  Spent all day in bed and slept despite a road crew in front of the house putting in a new water line.  Also, memories of all our Christmases at The Little Blue Cottage have been coming to mind.  My mom wants me to come home for Christmas, but Mark is saving up for us to go to California to celebrate my 50th birthday in the spring.  So we will stay here and enjoy our first Christmas in Colorado at House on the Hill. 

Hubby buys Diamonds and a Christmas Tree!!

The awaited gift finally came today...my new ring!!!  Mark took me shopping at Jared.  ;-)  Even though white gold is the popular choice...I chose yellow gold.  There were not many settings in yellow gold so I only had a few choices.  I chose a simple setting as I think anything else would be too flashy on my little finger.  The setting has 7 diamonds just like my old setting had.  When we got in the car Mark put the ring on my finger and said "With this ring I thee wed."

The lady that helped us at Jared was wonderful.  She found that my diamond was chipped from getting run over in the parking lot at the grocery store.  She showed me in the microscope, (the other jeweler I had gone to said it was fine).  Even so, it makes it all the more dear because I got it back.  I will always know that God gave me back my diamond, because when I realized it was lost I said out  loud that if I ever got it back it would be because of HIM.  Well, I got it back and now I will wear a constant reminder on my finger that HE loves me!  I am so happy with my new ring that it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

Here below is our Christmas tree here at House on the Hill.  I went to Bible study last Saturday and when I came home Mark had bought a Christmas tree.  As you can see in the pictures below Dusty and Daisy love the tree.

Quietness

In times of waiting there is quietness.  I can hear His still small voice speaking to me.  Unfortunately, my flesh keeps tugging at me.  I grow so weary at times.  Here are a few verses that inspire me:

Isaiah 31:15:  "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength..."

Isaiah 30:21:  "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, this is the way; walk in it."

Thanks!!

Dear Friends, thank you so much for your wise counsel and your prayers.  Because of you I finally can see clearly that the Lord wants us to wait.  I sort of knew this, but sometimes in the thick of things I doubt.  Both Mark and I are in complete agreement.  This morning the Lord spoke to me through his word and gave me this verse:  Habakkuk 2:3

"But these things I plan won't happen right away.  Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.  Just be patient!  They will not be overdue a single day!"

Below are some pictures from the past few months at House on the Hill.

Autumn moon as the sun rises.  Taken by Mark.  He also took the new header picture.

Brandon getting his haircut at an old barber shop downtown Golden.

Daisy and Dusty lounging on my bed.

Christmas lights at House on the Hill put up by Eric.  He did an awesome job!

Need Advice

Okay, I need some friendly advice.  Mark and I have been looking for a home for a couple months now.  We have seen lots of homes.  Some homes are very nice and others not so nice.  We have considered 3 homes thus far.  One we decided was too expensive, another we decided was not for us, and the third home we lost to other buyers.  Now we have come upon a 4th home that is very nice, but we cannot bring ourselves to make an offer.  This lovely house is in a city called Lakewood, but Mark and I have fallen so in love with the city of Golden (where we are renting) that we do not want to leave it.  So should we listen to our heart and shoot for a home in Golden or should we listen to our pocket book and take the home in Lakewood?  How do we know what the Lord wants us to do?  Any advice?   

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!!!

We have been in Colorado 9 months now...soon to be 10 months on December 3rd.  I remember coming to Colorado in December last year to look for a place to live.  I remember feeling terribly upset about having to move, but trying to stay on track with the Lord.  I remember we came back home in time to celebrate Christmas with family.  It felt so good to be home.  That Christmas we all felt a bit of sadness knowing that we would be moving away.

So here we are in Colorado celebrating the holidays alone.  I am thankful for a warm and cozy house in the mountains to celebrate Thanksgiving in.  I am thankful that we are together.  I am thankful for our friends and family.  God has blessed us tremendously and I have seen His work in our lives.  I am so thankful for His love and care.  Wishing each of you a blessed Thanksgiving day.  ((hug))

Crown Hill Park on a glorious autumn day.

Eternal Weight of Glory?

Well, here I am trying to write a post.  We are going to view two houses today with our agent.  You could rightly say that I am a bit burned out on this real estate trek.  The past few weeks have been a struggle.  Things have been going on with our family.  The boys are not keeping up their grades at school, the 12 week grade cards came out and they did not look good (I am saying that nicely).  Can you hear me sighing heavily?  I know this might sound unkind, but my older son has "another" girlfriend.  This is the 10th relationship in a year.  I am a bit worn out on the girlfriend front.  My younger son doesn't want to study and when the subject comes up, well he just changes the subject.

Then comes hubby, he is having trouble working out his emotions about his job, moving, life!  Looking for a home to call our own has brought out a lot of issues for the both of us.  Things really hit the fan when we came across this house that we called The Utah House because it is on Utah Street (pictured below).  Hubby just had to see this house, so we did.  We had a few reservations because it has a partially finished room in the downstairs that we would need to finish and it has some apartments nearby.  We talked and talked about this property.  It has a new furnace, new siding and roof, new windows, perfect garage, great kitchen, laundry on the main floor, and more.  The pros outweighed the cons, it was completely affordable...an awesome deal!

I wanted my hubby to make an offer, he said no, he wanted to wait.  For what I didn't know.  So I waited and we kept talking about it, and then one evening I found out that it went under contract.  I got upset of course.  Through all of these trials I know that the Lord is working an eternal weight of glory.  Of course, sometimes it is hard for my flesh to see that.

Writer's Block and a Movie?

It has been a week since I last posted.  I do not know where I have been.  Life has been on the challenging side and a blur.  I have not wanted to write about my difficulties.  All I can say is that the Lord has been encouraging me to lay my difficulties at His feet and rest in Him.  Recently I was speaking to a friend and relaying this information to her.  I told her that I wonder why it is so hard let go and let God.  I have actually asked the Lord to show me how to give my troubles to Him.  Today in church I asked the Lord to help me really believe.  I think part of really believing is taking all those troubles to Him.

Okay, now to the movie...I treated Eric to dinner and a movie.  We saw the movie Secretariat.  I highly recommend this movie.  The movie actually starts out quoting a verse from the book of Job.  It was an amazing movie and we both loved it.  So go to the movies and see Secretariat, you will be glad you did.

Slowing Down

"But God was patient with them forty years, though they tried His patience sorely; He kept right on doing His might miracles for them to see.  But, God says, "I was very angry with them, for their hearts were always looking somewhere else instead of up to me, and they never found the paths I wanted them to follow."  Hebrews 3: 9-10

The other day while I was out shopping I noticed a sign that said "19 days till Thanksgiving".  Looking at that sign I wondered where had I been that I wasn't even aware that Thanksgiving was coming; especially when Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  Obviously, this was an indication that I had been caught up in a whirlwind.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I write this post.  With our landlord deciding that he is not serious about selling the house we are renting the Lord has provided us time...I have found rest from my weary travels down the real estate road.  We will keep our eye out for a house, which we believe the Lord wants us to do.  However, Mark and I believe that He has told us not to rush.  I knew that, but some how I couldn't stop myself from rushing.

Spiritually speaking, the bait that led me into the whirlwind is my desire to feel settled.  The morning before we met with our agent to view the house we were thinking we should put a bid on, I looked at the cross on the wall next to my vanity.  The cross says:  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.  As I gazed at those words I said out loud, "Lord, I am acknowledging you."  You see, I laid my fleece out for the Lord.  My fleeces are always laid out in silence, the only one who knows is the Lord because He is the only one who sees my heart.  The fleece was simply that if He did not want me to go forward that He would place obstacles in the way.  Quietly the Lord spoke to me.  He said "What if I use your husband as the obstacle?"  I admit, sometimes I have trouble being in agreement with my husband.  I acknowledged it and I told the Lord I would let go.

So we went to our appointment with our agent and the Lord was with us (me).  Obstacles, arose.  The boys pointed out things about the house I did not notice.  Then at the end my husband was an obstacle, he told our agent he needed more time to think it over.  On the way back to House on the Hill  I felt a sense of relief and peace rushed over me.  I realized I did not need that house nor did I really want it.  I realized I had been caught up in a whirlwind.  It can be hard to hear the Lord's voice in a whirlwind due to tension, stress and confusion.  However, I am very happy that I was able to acknowledged the Lord in my whirlwind and that He led me to the green pasture beside the still waters.

Decided to Wait

Well, today we took the boys to look at the house pictured below in my last post.  Our oldest son Eric has a good eye and the boys tend to notice things that we adults miss.  After looking at the house again and with the boys' input Mark and I decided to let go and wait.  Also, another thing happened just this week, Mark had written to our landlord and we finally heard back from him.  He said he has changed his mind about selling and we can stay as long as we like.  So now that we have that pressure off of us we can keep looking for a home we really love.  I really feel a great deal of peace about our decision and that is a good thing.

This Might Be It

This is the house we are thinking of making an offer on.  It has that cottage look about it which I like.  It has hardwood floors, a pretty backyard, skylights and a jet tub.  Last night we got word that someone was making an offer on this house.  I was bummed, but tried to remember that if the Lord wants me to have the house He will work it all out.  Well, this afternoon I went out house hunting with my agent.  He let me take a second look at this property.  The second look cleared doubts I had.  We went and looked at some other properties, but nothing looked as good to me as this house.  While we were driving back to my agent's office he got a call on his cell that the sellers did not accept the offer that was made for this house.  I was thrilled.  I came home and told Mark, however, another house just came on the market that he wants to see because it is in an area he wants to be in.  I am a nervous wreck and have been for a few weeks.  Please pray!  Thank you so much.

Too Much Stress

Well, it has been a week since I last posted.  Where have I been?  I have been house hunting.  We considered one house, but then changed our minds.  Then we settled on another house, but I needed a 2nd look at it because the counter space in the kitchen was not working for me.  I arranged for a second viewing with my realtor, but got a call that someone else is making an offer on it.  Mark doesn't want to rush into anything so we are going to let it go.  The Lord has impressed on me that I need to avoid rushing.  That the pressure to rush is not from Him.  Riding the the roller coaster called real estate is not my cup of tea.  So we continue to seek what the Lord has for us.  We have gone back and forth about where we are to settle.  We both feel led to settle in the area we currently are, but there is not much choice of housing right now so I have been looking in neighboring cities.  I am going out to look at more houses tomorrow, but after this I think I am going to take a break.  I am going to receive the the listings I get from my realtor and see if anything pops up.

One of the reasons I need to slow down is that my gland problem has returned.  I am going to try and see my friend who is a nurse practitioner.  She went out of state to visit her brother in-law who is dying of cancer.  I am hoping she is back so that I can see her for this problem, otherwise I am going to have to go back to my GP and tell him I am still having problems.  I guess the Lord will lead me to who I should see.  I do not know what is wrong, but whatever it may be it is very uncomfortable.

Time Flies

I am staring at this blank page trying to think of what to write.  I feel like the days have been flying by with great speed.  When I try to remember all that has happened it seems a blur.  I've been doing my best to keep up with my Bible studies.  I am going to two.  One meets every week and it will be over in a couple of weeks.  The other meets every other week till summer.  I love both and the women that I fellowship with.  Also, the ladies holiday tea party is coming up and I am going to help with that which I am excited about.

The rest of my time is spent keeping up with my homemaking duties and looking for our new home.  Mark and I went out looking at homes again this past Saturday.  We did not find anything that we fell in love with.  Each home had something we liked, but then there were things we did not want.  I do not know if my expectations are to high, but I just want to be able to walk into a home and say, "yes this is the place".  I expect that there may be a few cosmetic things that I will want to change, but that is no big deal.

When we told our friends at church that we are going to buy a home here in Colorado, they were excited for us.  They are glad that we have decided to stay.  Everyone tells us to look at homes near them.  It is so sweet.  However, something interesting has come up.  I was talking with a friend at church who is getting ready to put her home up for sale.  She and her husband want to move to a smaller place.  I have been to her home once for coffee, but did not see the whole house.  She told me more about her house and it sounds absolutely amazing.  She invited me to come on Friday for coffee and she is going to show me around.  We are both looking forward to it.

The Wedding Ring

Okay, here is the story of my wedding ring.  I was sitting in my car waiting for my son to get out of class at the technical school.  As I was waiting I decided to put some lotion on my hands.  So I took off my rings one was my diamond wedding ring and the other was my grandmother's simple white gold wedding band.  For some reason I set them in my lap.  I usually set them in the ashtray, but this time I didn't.  My son showed up at the car and he was upset because the guys in the class had pranked him.  As we talked I forgot all about my rings.  I put the lotion away and drove off to the grocery store.  I got out of the car went in the store purchased my groceries and went on home and made lunch.  I went about my day and went to bed.

In the morning I went through my usual routine.  Got my breakfast, shower and got dressed.  Then I went to put on my rings and saw they were not in my jewelry box.  I immediately felt I was going to faint.  I realized I never put the rings back on after putting the lotion on.  I picked up my son from the tech school and told him about the rings.  I searched the car, he searched the car...nothing.  I went back to the grocery store and I parked near where I parked before.  While I went into the store to ask if anyone had turned in the rings my son searched the parking lot.  The clerk at the courtesy desk checked in the back, but there was nothing turned in.  I was disappointed as I made my way back to the car.  I told my son that no one turned them in.  Just then, amazingly, he looked down and found my wedding ring!  He found the setting and the diamond sitting next to it.  The setting is crushed, but the diamond is fine.  However, my grandmother's wedding band was not found.  I am heartbroken.

It is a blessing of the Lord that I was able to get my wedding ring back after 24 hours of it being lost.  In the afternoon I took my poor ring to a reputable jeweler.  She told me that the diamond is fine, however the setting is in bad shape after being run over by a car.  Add on top of that 27 years of wear the gold has worn thin.  Her husband (an award winning jeweler) can repair it, but it looks about time for me to get a new setting.  So sometime Mark and I will be going to view settings together.

Good News and More Autumn to Share

Well, today we got good news from our loan agent.  We are in good shape and qualify.  I can hardly believe it!  So we will be looking at more houses and waiting on the Lord.  We have been looking at homes that are near my favorite park.  It is a very pretty area.  Here below I am sharing more pictures from my autumn collection at Crown Hill Park.  Enjoy!

Autumn on the Prairie

Well our house hunting went well.  Mark really enjoyed viewing the homes that I picked out.  We saw 7 homes and we liked 4 of them.  There were two that we liked very much.  There are still other homes we would like to view, but we are saving that for another time.  Right now we need to work with a loan officer to see what the numbers look like for us.

This afternoon I decided to go to my beloved Crown Hill Park and take a walk.  Autumn is in full swing on the prairie and I was able to get some gorgeous shots.  I took a lot of pictures and it is hard to pick which ones to share with you all.  I will share some now and others later.

Looking across the lake at the mountains and the beautiful autumn trees in the distance.

Another view of the lake with autumn colors.

See the reflection in the water.  Isn't it gorgeous?

The cottonwoods in autumn splendor.

House Hunting

Mark and I met a very nice gentleman that is a real estate agent.  He has been sending us listings for a few months.  I finally decided it is time to hook up and do a bit of house hunting, Mark agreed.  We are on the same page about what we want in our next property.  Both of us are willing to endure a tight budget for a place we really love.  We know the Lord has something wonderful for us.  Here below are a couple of houses that we are going to view.

This house is in a very nice neighborhood with lots of trees.  It is at the end of a cul-de-sac.  The surrounding area is park like, to me it is dreamy.  By the way, we like ranch style houses best.

This next house is also at the end of cul-de-sac.  It is on a street that is like a secluded country road.  It has no fences, everything is open.

This is a picture of the backyard.  The property backs to a running brook which is beyond the trees. 

Chicken Soup

Since I have been sick, chicken soup sounded like a good thing to have.  A friend I used to hang with in California taught me how to make her chicken soup.  She is Thai, so I now make Thai Chicken Soup.  It is very easy and she never wrote down anything for me to follow.  She just told me how to do it.  Now I am going to share it with you.

Put a whole chicken in a large pot big enough to fit the chicken and cover it with water.  Then you simply boil the chicken and add stems of cilantro (you can also add Thai lemon leaf and/or Thai basil).  When the chicken is cooked through, remove it to a bowl and let it cool.  Set some white rice to cook on the stove.  I generally use a cup to a cup & a half of dry white rice.  When the meat is cooler start shredding or chopping it up (which ever you prefer) and put it back in the pot (which now contains your broth).  You may not need to use all the the meat, just add what you think is enough.  I generally save some meat for other uses or a good chicken sandwich.  Okay, back to the recipe.  Add in more cilantro stems, salt to taste and the rice.  Cook a bit to heat through and let sit for a bit to let the rice absorb the broth and make a thicker soup.  When serving the soup garnished with chopped cilantro leaves, a bit of Asian chili sauce and a squeeze of lime.  It is absolutely delish and so healthy.  Leftover soup can become very thick because of the rice...it becomes more of a porridge.  Adding some good store bought chicken broth can help loosen it up again.  Happy eating!

This is a picture of the soup leftover.  See how thick it has gotten.

Here are the condiments, lime, chili sauce and chopped cilantro leaves.  When added to the soup it is so yummy!

Just Talking

Well, here I am blogging when I should be resting.  Is blogging considered a restful activity?  Yes, I need to rest  because I have been sick.  Ugh.  I caught a virus and even though I was sick, I did not slow down much.  Well, my body went into defiance.  Last weekend I developed a swollen gland.  Ouch!  I went to my doctor on Monday and unfortunately he did not think the swollen gland was any big deal.  Probably because I just look so good (Ha!).  He told me to go home and put a hot pack on it and take OTC pain reliever and wait "two weeks".  I just looked at him like "You are kidding!!!".  Well, the hot pack did not do much at all for the pain.  I gave it a couple of hours chance before I decided that it wasn't going to work.  I am talking bad pain here.  Not only was the pain constant and unrelenting it was sensitive to touch.  So laying down on a pillow was uncomfortable as well as putting a hot pack on it.  To top it off the lump was getting bigger.

Grouchy and feeling sickly, I crabbed about my doctor.  Yes, I've decided I need to find a new doctor, I don't feel I am getting my needs met by this doctor.  I could have gone to the urgent care clinic, but I did not feel like leaving the house again and on top of that paying $50 and waiting in the waiting room.  So, I decided to dig through my unfinished prescriptions and low and behold the Lord blessed me with some antibiotic.  That has helped a lot.  The swelling is down, the pain is nearly gone, but I feel washed out. I need REST.  Being a busy mother with a full schedule sometimes I don't think I know what REST is.  Well, tonight I decided to give up going to my Ladies Bible Study.  Wah!  I so look forward to it, but I have to admit, it feels good staying home to REST.  Yeah, I am going to go do that now.

Autumn in the Rockies

The boys went to scout camp giving Mark and I a weekend to ourselves.  We have both been sick, but even so we took the opportunity to drive into the mountains to see the aspens.  The autumn color in the mountains starts in September and ends about mid-October.  We were blessed to catch the tail end of autumn in the Rockies. 

A patch of aspens near Nederland.

More aspens near Estes Park.

Loved the orange colored aspens.

Colored leaves against a brilliant blue sky...gorgeous!

My dear hubby with autumn aspens in the background.

Estes Park with golf course in the distance.

The elk decided to come to the golf course.

 This is looking toward Rocky Mountain National Park.  Click on the picture to make it bigger.  See the snow on the Rockies.  Isn't it gorgeous?