Dear Life - rivers and tides

You rock! You seriously do!

I'm watching Food Network of course and I got inspired. Food is art. Food is life. I live and I love art. I love art that changes. Here I am with a BA major in graphic design, minor in fine art and I can't think of the name of that type of art. I'm sure it fits into a category. Like Christo and his fabric or the guy who makes eggs out of rocks and sculptures from ice cycles! HE'S AMAZING! Oh wait... wait..

Christo

Google time.... hold please... Andy Goldsworthy! Yessss. Enjoy...

Ok, if any of my fellow Flagler Art Students remember please tell me, what is this "type" of art called? Don't you miss the days when our noses were shoved so far up art books we could talk about this with ease and please and we sure were artsy weren't we ;) and we still are, but its different than being a student of art (and yes I know I'm forming a very long run-on sentence and I'm ok with that, see? because I can).

Happy September!

Rant-dom

I'm just going to write thoughts as they come and not try to edit them too much.

It's 8pm. Geof is on the sofa watching the first football game of the season - Saints vs. Vikings - and "exercising" with some weird giant rubber band he bought at Target in the $1.00 section. The Saints are cool, they are strong spirited people. Football is over-rated x 100. We had a light early dinner at Gallop Cafe today and the owner (or manager, I don't know) said he gave up on watching football 15 years ago when the "big strike" took place. He asked if we remembered. We did not, we were thinking about lifeguarding and the beach with friends since we were 14 and 12.

I do like making football food though. Nothing better than a crisp cool day to be in the kitchen and a happy full hubby who's beyond content. That is fall. Fall is my favorite season of the year. FAVORITE. Fall is a mixture of cool and warm weather - cool and warm activities - all swirled together in one big helping of yummy good-life!

Instert Quote: Geof:
"Watch, after this season I'm going to be jacked from watching football" (as he flexes with rubber band).

Amazing.

I order waters at restaurants but usually don't drink much of it. Denver Water would not be pleased. Sorry Denver Water, I like options. Like wine and water. Usually wine wins. But I like options.

I love to cook but I also appreciate good cooking so I like to go out more than we actually can afford to. Or maybe I want to because we can't afford to and if we could I wouldn't crave it so much. That isn't true because I get so inspired with the shows on "the TV" that I seek it out in real life. Its a part of the process.

I failed at a garden this year. BUT I did grow some basil from seed and we "harvested" some for caprese salads this summer. No basil has ever tasted better and that motivates me to REALLY get a garden going next spring. I think I'll buy starter plants instead of starting from seed though. You really need a grow light if you want to start from seed because their growth becomes stunted. We wasted a few months on that and I respect my own efforts, while thinking smarter not harder for the next go-round.

I'm getting all hooked up again with new design tools. I won't say too much about it other than I'M STOKED!

I hate starting my sentences with I because I think in high school I learned it meant bad writing. I...

I wonder if I'm pregnant?

This didn't really go as planned. I thought I was going to make a list - a list of things that inspire me, make who I am, make me think, those types of things. I like lists.

Do you remember when you would go to orientation night for school and get your supply list? That was always the funnest list EVER for me! It meant new pencils and markers and paper and bags to hold things and tools like a ruler or compass or calculator and A NEW BACKPACK.

Old Spice advertising is redic and I appreciate its absurdity.

My 28th birthday is coming up! I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!

Football is still on? This is going to be a long season... Better get cooking.

p.s. Does anyone know how I can create "buttons" for my blog pages and to share?

p.s.s. Thanks for reading :)

Getting personal

While I don't know who reads this blog, I've got 14 followers and since I have sort of substituted blogging for journaling, its time to get personal. Sorry if you don't like it. But not really. No, not so much.

My bod is doing some whack things this year! I've gained about 10 lbs since last summer and that is like, F$@#'ing no fun!!! NO FUN! I'm still squeezing into my size 4's but its kind of yuck - muffin top 'yo. I refuse to purchase larger clothing because I'm not having this extra cushion for long - I hope. I'm going to the gym 4 times a week or more, doing yoga 3 days a week, and going to start doing weights again. If any of you friends go to the Colorado Athletic Club downtown Denver let me know! Workout buddies wanted :)

I've stopped taking the pill back in April and then gave my body a few months to adjust. While in "adjust mode" we went on 3 week-long vacations so the timing of working out & being healthy & adjusting wasn't paired well. In any case, it seems as though things are back to "normal" but maybe just on the surface? Geof and I have been "trying" for bebes for three months now. No luck so far! When I say trying I mean we're having sex without protection - I'm not going crazy with charting, timing, temperatures, scheduling, etc. So I'm not super worried that we aren't prego yet but I was slightly disappointed and shocked when the first month was not a +. You spend your whole adult life trying to NOT get prego and so when you're ready you expect that to happen right away. I'll find out in a week or two if this month was the one :) There, now you know all about my female issues or lack there'of. Sweet.

The funny thing about all of this change with the physical ME is that the spiritual and emotional ME is doing fan-freakin-tastic! I'm so happy!! I'm so IN LOVE with my life! I'm doing yoga and staying grounded. I'm turning 28 in a few weeks! We're finally getting our home pieced back together after the break in. Everything is going well. I feel at peace. I almost feel like I'm not getting prego yet because God is giving me this ME time. Our lives are full of so many cycles, ebbs and flows. I feel the energy and creativity in my life swinging back around to me - coming inward - and maybe I should just soak this time up before I have to give it all back -send it out to our little family. I do tend to put myself behind others yet I'm aware of some selfish tendencies. Lately, I'm balanced and I'm thankful. Now if the physical me would just climb aboard this happy train and shed some lovin I would be a pillar of perfection! HAHAHA, that's rediculous, just a joke. ALL ABOARD!!!

To be - or not to be- a planner

So what does it mean when you're "not a planner"? I have a hard time with the concept because I love to plan things. It's essential! It's fun!It's so much a part of me I don't understand what it would be like NOT to plan things. It brings joy to my lil heart!!!

I planned my wedding but that seemed easy; I had a year and a half to complete the task(s). I plan all of our vacations. I have methods for researching and squeezing what I need to know out of the Internet. Trip Advisor is a valuable tool but I feel it is somewhat underused. I don't make an iternerary usually, just have handfuls of ideas on things to do, places to find, and where to eat. A tool box for our travels, if you will. :) I heart planning things, and I do feel sad for people who hate to plan or at least don't know how to go about it.

Geoffrey is not a planner. The funny thing is, he knows this about himself yet is still surprised when things don't go "as he planned". Yes, most rooms/campsites/cabins will be rented three weeks before hand. No, you can't just pick up the phone with credit card in hand and expect the exact room with the perfect view in the perfect place on your dates to be available! In his defense, you really have two options in Colorado as far as activities go (assuming you don't have family who own houses in Colorado Springs & Breckenridge & Golden ----> Mark Simon <----). Those options are 1) book things in advance. Way in advance. Want a cabin for next summer? Rent it now. Want to go on a camp trip? Maybe a few months from now you'll be able to book a site. Option 2) Pack your bags and go. Plan on sleeping in your car if you don't find a site, but have faith and an adventurous spirit and set out to find a camp site, you'll probably get lucky and fine something cool.

My 29th birthday is around the corner so I've been watching the hubs search for THE perfect place to no avail. When he asked me what I wanted the accommodations to be I said: cabin or something secluded'ish, fireplace/fire pit, red wine/hot cocoa/blanket, near Aspen. Unfortunately, cabins have been rented out for months because apparently, my idea of  a perfect Colorado weekend in the mountains belongs to many! I told you it was an enchanting time of year...

This morning begins our 3 day weekend and we are in bed still. Geof is watching tv, I'm watching my empty coffee cup and sending mental messages to the hubs >>> you WANT to get up in the 62 degree house ((fall is here)) and make us some more coffee with soy milk - yes you want tooooo-<<<< . We were just thinking what we could do today and I remembered its the first Saturday and the art museum is free. Free? Yes please!

September! The Golden month & time to celebrate MEEEE!

Holy Moly do I love this month! I feel like September is enchanted, especially in Colorado when the summer suddenly slams itself into full blown fall and then by the end of September it honestly could turn into winter with just one cold front! In fact, last year, we had a big snow storm in the middle of October - snow for 3 days straight and we even had snow days off from work! But that is nothing enchanting, not like when the Aspen trees change colors within a weeks time; when you drive into the mountains and see one thing, then drive out the next day and see something completely different.

The air gets crisp and cool but not cold and the sun still shines, shines, shines. Everything is golden in September. Leaves on the ground, the plains of grass, the aspen trees, pumpkins growing, September 29th I turn 28. I'm pretty excited about it and even though September is golden, its not my "golden" birthday yet; I turn 29 on the 29th in 2011.

This year the birthday plan is to go to Aspen to see the aspens! I've been to Steamboat, Glenwood, and Vail for my birthday before but not all the way to Aspen, Colorado. We're looking into little cabins or maybe a condo near town. It's going to be enchanting and oh-so-September!!! Just take a look at this place, yes, we're going to see the Maroon Bells :) Click it for a larger view. AHmazing!

Here's a photo of our house in the fall. Just look at all those leaves! Yikes.

Replacements & reflections (drafted last Saturday)

Without having to get into too much detail, we are finally at the point where we can buy new things after the break in. Replacements. One BIG expense will be my new laptop and the design software I need. I used to "share" any type of software in college and I always felt partially guilty for doing that. Also, you cannot upgrade your software if needed. For instance, looking at getting Adobe Creative Suite CS5 it is only $500 to upgrade but the full price is $1,300. If you every "share" software, you aren't eligible for a mere $500 upgrade. You must pay full price, like your a design virgin being christened for the first time. Maybe I am :) We are ever changing, aren't we?

I'm really looking forward to some replacements because I'm bored with board games! UGH. Enough already. Lets paint or something :)

The creativity and energy in my life is very high right now. Pretty awesome. I do feel some type of shift, I think it mirrors the changes in the seasons. All of the sudden I feel a shift in energy, a much welcomed one at that.

I like my sentences long, and cut in half with a comma. Ha ha.

Today we hiked up to Maxwell Falls, which is a trail near Evergreen/Conifer/Aspen Park. It was a lovely hike where we gained a bit of elevation and made it up to a treeline where we were exposed to the sun, surrounded by little trees. I love little things <3 It was a 2 1/2 hour round trip hike (without breaks). At the top of the falls we sat and I put my feet in the could mountain water, always a Colorado-hike-bonus! I had some fresh dark cherries, almonds, and walnuts packed. Oh, and Geof filled our camelbacks with ICE water. That was a pleasant surprise! It's all about the little things isn't it? Yessss.

For a post hike reward we had lunch at an outdoor patio place (patio comes first, food second) and had Mr. Collins with us. He was being chased by a King Soopers bag (think American Beauty) and was beyond spooked! He gets nervous sometimes. So do I, so I feel for the lil guy. On I-70 there was a grated section of road under construction and Collins scrambled (literally) into my lap in the front seat. He could not handle the sounds and bumps of the grated road.

Speaking of rewards, we were saying how cliche it is to say "the reward for the uphill is the downhill". Seems like a small reward for a big commitment to me. Using your core and agility to avoid blowing our your knee as you practically jog downhill for an hour on lose rocks and roots is not exactly a reward. Lets talk food, drinks, foot rubs, hot showers, and the like. That's my kind of reward!

One of many things I've learned from yoga these past few weeks has been to "enjoy the journey" not just the destination/reward. Reflect upon reflecting as you hike through nature is far more a reward than having say, a margarita and fish tacos. All the time you've taken to think, play, work, reflect, rest, push, praise is THE ultimate reward.

So lets enjoy the journey!

Yoga tomorrow at Sloans Lake.
Wine and candles and guitar for now.
Sweet dreams!