A Summer Full of Memories...

The fires were absolutely devastating....

It's been a wild and crazy summer, full of events....some very expected and wonderful and some not anticipated and not so wonderful.  Some made us laugh while others made us cry out loud....

Our beautiful blue Colorado skies were filled with thick dark smoke and it lasted for most of the summer.  The sky is still not perfectly clear as there are lingering fires whose smoke still fills our skies.

But the community was so thankful

 We had some REALLY FUN TIMES, too.... like shucking corn with my granddaughters....

Here, the youngest one gets her first full ear completed

My middle and youngest daughter at the pool....just like when they were little

A lemonade stand to help raise money for the humane society

And a certificate received by my granddaughters when they brought the $50.00 to the humane society

Fishing and being outdoors

and celebrating my birthday at a lovely teahouse in Boulder, CO

taking a painting class with all of my daughters

and showing off our 'almost identical' paintings!

taking my granddaughters to a local farm to feed beans to the chickens and turkeys

and getting them matching hats to wear in the sunshine

going to Red Rocks to hear James Taylor sing live and sitting in the 5th row

and visiting my youngest daughter at a local vet clinic and seeing her ON DUTY as a real doctor for the first time

and having tremendously hard good-byes as she moved away from Colorado

and watching that big truck pull away

and cleaning out the place where she lived and re-lining shelves

and redecorating her home with finds that we painted and refurbished

and flying to Ohio for my 40th class reunion

and going to my favorite fair from my childhood and seeing all the farm animals

and visiting family in Virginia and driving in 'the old car'  ah....ooooga!

and having 'girlie' week in CA with two of my daughters while the 3rd went with her husband and daughters to Disney World in Florida

and enjoying my favorite spot on the beach....and enjoying the emptiness of the beach in September

and having to say good-bye again and leave the youngest in CA while daughter #2 and I flew back home to CO

I am back home and looking back on my summer, it was quite wonderful.  I still don't have a home to call 'ours,' and I don't have a b&b or a tea shop or an idea of what to do next....but I'm full of love and thankfulness for all that I do have which makes me feel tremendously blessed....

Thank you for reading and being there with me along the way.... xoxo

Two Years Ago

I'm melancholy....  My youngest daughter is moving away and I've never been away from her.... she has traveled; has done coursework for her degree in veterinary medicine, but NOT moved away, bought a home in another state, and packed up and left....and yet, that is what's happening...

I'm very happy for her, for all of her success and for all of the joy in her life.... I know I will get used to it, but right now, I'm just a bit melancholy....this is her last weekend in Colorado....for well, who knows? 

So...looking back, in 2010, right about this time of year...I wrote this in my blog, so instead of just writing sad stuff, I want to think about all of the good....and I'll get back on track in a few weeks, so please bear with me.  My middle daughter and I are going to have to get used to this...we hang out with her a LOT.

so here goes.... 

Amanda and a fellow Canadian vet student with... yes, a SNAKE!

My youngest daughter is in her 3rd year of vet school here in Colorado.  It has been a lifelong dream of hers to go to Africa.  She has wanted to study the environmental impact of man on the environment and animals and the causal effects of each on the other.  Her dream came true with this acceptance.  Mid June and she took off--backpack, exofficio underwear, and rain gear in tow.  She returns Aug. 11 in the evening...and she is getting married on Sept. 2!  Needless to say, a LOT has been going on this summer!

Amanda and Chad

The EnviroVet program takes veterinarians, doctors, and veterinary students to places they could only imagine.  Amanda has learned how to use a blow dart, dissect a snake, do things I can't even pronounce! I learn through her, and it's a journey of a lifetime. 

Here she is working on a brown pelican

Here, they are doing a dissection of an alligator

 Her wonderful guy and I are painting and prepping their townhouse, I'm cleaning and organizing her closets ( I know, I know....she's going to 'freak' out when she comes home ) and I'm making LOTS of things for the wedding, including the favors, table decorations, parts of the wedding clothes for the little flower girls...and of course, the cupcakes!

Here's a few of the decorations and things we've been working on:

Boxes of favors are completed, each filled with organza bags filled with organic lavender

seeded papers to help plant wildflowers instead of weeds...

Boutonnieres for the groomsmen and significant male folk

And of course....the little flower girls....here's the youngest....in her 'dress' rehearsal.  I don't want to give it ALL away.....but I'll post wedding photos and such after the wedding....love to all!

She is wearing little 'glass' slippers with butterflies on them So, I'm SO HAPPY to hear from you Amanda!!  We're all waiting for you to come home and walk down the aisle!!

Amanda...you make me unbelievably proud and you've shown me, your sisters, and everyone else around you that to dream is to be....and that when we want something badly enough, we must persevere!

Now, two years later, this young woman, my daughter, is married, has graduated from vet school and is now a doctor...and she's going to go on to pursue a PhD at another university in another state....she wants to teach other veterinarians at the University level AND she wants to do wonderful things to save and protect our wildlife and planet....she would truly like to be the next Jane Goodall.  She and her husband are planning to start a family.... and I'd just love to have you all with me to wish them both all of the best and to send them off with blessings of good health, joy and love.... 

                                          this mom has got to pull it together here.....

Is Organic Worth it? YES and be sure that THAT is what you're getting

When I think about REALLY getting REAL.... I have to look at everything I do, say and think...

This past weekend, we went to the Boulder Farmer's Market, which is an amazing collection of foods, produce, and handmade items. It is colorful, musical, delightful. 

The earthiness of the event made me stop and think about everything that is in our stores and shops that truly isn't good for us.  It made me angry that there are many more products sold that are NOT good for us than ARE good for us.

So, I want to rant a bit...

Walk the Talk...if you believe in eating whole foods that are healthy and nutritious, then you need to know what you're eating and so many companies are falsely advertising with claims that they are 'all natural' when they truly aren't. 

If you want to be healthy, you need to take the extra steps to get yourself in a healthy place.  And believe me, I'm talking to myself here as well. 

"If you can't eat it, it shouldn't go on your body."  Learn about ingredients and CARE about what you buy, where it comes from, and how it's made. 

And if you aren't sure, you can check out a company name below to find out. 

No one is going to do this for you....CARE ABOUT YOUR LIFE!

TO SEE IF A COMPANY IS TRULY and REALLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC CLICK HERE

so sorry for the rant....but I'm just angry with all the products and services out there that are NOT good for us.... I want to do more to take care of myself and my family, so this rant is for ME, too. 

Thank you for reading.... I wish you all the BEST of health!

Not all the farm stands were organic, but I certainly favored the ones that were

these were HUGE zucchini

they had such a beautiful display of fresh carrots

flowers, too, were everywhere....and typically not available this soon in CO, but the warm Spring led to an earlier harvest

I brought home a large bunch of gorgeous onions...

Hope you enjoyed the tour of the Farmer's Market.... I thought of you all! 

xoxo