tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37269636125233014922024-03-13T19:45:35.494-07:00Last Day AgoHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.comBlogger523125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-8332790757996331442019-07-21T19:04:00.000-07:002019-07-21T19:04:38.415-07:00Lavender Festival<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">We went somewhere pretty yesterday. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342448751/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342448751_55d00cccf3_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">We woke up and hopped in the Volvo and drove to where my parents live, southwest to Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342624687/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342624687_522b51f1b6_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">I'd heard they were having their Lavender Festival--sorry, one day only--and it sounded pretty and I love pretty things. We picked up Grandma Erickson on the way. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342623402/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342623402_b91c5d427d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">We stopped to smell the <strike>roses</strike> lavender. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342622427/in/photostream/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342622427_df82d77eee_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">It smelled of Provence.</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342480376/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="800" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342480376_69781b7bb4_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">I love fresh, real lavender </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">and also <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Monin-Lavender-Cocktails-Lemonades-Gluten-Free/dp/B000T6AHW6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=lavender%2Bsyrup&qid=1563760064&s=gateway&sr=8-1&th=1">lavender sodas</a>. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342620807/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342620807_7236c581d0_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Lavender does well in Colorado--thanks to our 300 days of sun and dry climate--and so lavender and I are quite simpatico. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342478466/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342478466_0df404603f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Do you know the one thing harder to photograph than kids? </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342619037/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342619037_4ba65cb7f7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Hummingbirds. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342477311/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342477311_e4a0b76f57_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">While we've been to the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield before, it's been to their corn maze/fall harvest festival, and that's on the other side of all this lavender business. So we had no idea there was so much more to this place. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342614742/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342614742_34a5fbf41a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">If you don't like getting lost in corn mazes, you can try their labyrinth garden instead. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342474451/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342474451_16853d0a9c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">{Not to brag, but my kids are really sweet about taking posing for all my photos.}</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">{And when they aren't, I may or may not remind them how, <i>I gave birth to you, so you can pose for a photograph for me.</i>}</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342476021/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342476021_aae71eac5b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342471991/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342471991_887f50d99f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">They have historical farm buildings to peek in, as well as a dye garden. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342469456/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342469456_2531065b79_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">I might do a painting of this:</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342612202/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="800" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342612202_0c6fb2ec71_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">You can walk through the historic Hildebrand home. Here is a view of the pantry.</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342470211/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342470211_fa2f453f77_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342467671/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342467671_084aa74388_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Anyhoo, the dye garden shows you how they can get so many beautiful color dyes from nature.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342607937/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342607937_8a60ba4a2b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">The dye garden was one of my favorite parts. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">A carpenter bee palace:</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342602382/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342602382_26cc1c1819_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">We are city folk, we <i>think </i>this was an ox.</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342600632/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342600632_ee77c8caaa_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Despite being a lavender festival, it wouldn't be a Colorado summer without our famous Palisade peaches. {Sorry, Georgia, your peaches have nothing on ours. It's our little Western Slope secret.}</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">{Don't be salty 'cause we're juicier and sweeter than you.}</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342458521/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342458521_fdff26309d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">There were a ton of food trucks. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">This was the prettiest one. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342457151/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342457151_1ee409d377_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Of course, we had to have ourselves the </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">lavender lemonade. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342452701/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342452701_b468187580_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">My kids posed as their best awkward-homeschooler-selves for a photo of our picnic in the shade. </span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342593057/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342593057_cd8c0532c3_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Now here was my favorite part: the grass. Back when I did A Paris Street Market with my craft business, during the summer shows we would bake on the asphalt. How lovely to have this grass to shop booths on instead!</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342592037/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="433" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342592037_d39ccb493a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">It almost makes me want to start doing shows again. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">{Somewhere out there right now, my husband just had a heart palpitation.}</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342591002/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342591002_998eac553f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">This was the prettiest, most Instagram-worthy festival I've been to yet. </span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Feeling cute, might go back next year, idk.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342453831/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342453831_3ccf9e66a9_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Fact: Violet & I both have names of purple flowers. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342447746/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342447746_9437180919_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Fact: We should have named Eisley 'Iris'.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342446951/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342446951_ec88579a67_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">There was a barn with art vendors and real music played by real musicians, and this trippy twig tree house to explore...</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342585767/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342585767_f51f88b8e1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342583027/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342583027_a0062049e0_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">We cracked corn to take home to our chickens!</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342581772/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342581772_02c276e103_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">{But no one cared.} </span></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342439646/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342439646_67e5563553_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342579232/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342579232_9c4c5e6345_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">I just love this photo of little Iris and her brother.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342578007/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342578007_eaaf68f220_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Anyway, I'm sorry you missed out. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Make sure to go next year, my love. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/48342435556/in/dateposted/" title="Lavender Festival"><img alt="Lavender Festival" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48342435556_60a1ab2516_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-36515005287560994992019-03-04T21:55:00.001-08:002019-03-04T22:34:14.871-08:00Slow to Anger Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">NOTE: This post is best read in a British accent. {In your head, especially if you're in public, don't be awkward.}</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>I just wanted to share a parenting moment from today.</b></span> It turned out to be a good reminder of why it is wise to be--as the Bible says--slow to anger.<br />
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We've lived in this house for five years and a few days now. Hard to believe! We've only recently completed replacing the last of the appliances too. When we moved in all the appliances were either original or vintage. It's been nice to be able to gradually update each appliance, one-by-one, and two of those have been our washer and dryer of course. A few years ago we purchased a pair of LG laundering machines from Best Buy and we've enjoyed them ever since. Even if the washer drum is so large and deep that I have to use my kids' robot arm grabbers to get the socks out of the bottom. #trexproblems<br />
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I was not paid to say I love Persil. We used to be Tide loyalists, but then this 100-year-old brand from England appeared on our grocer's shelves and we love it even more now. But I digress. Always with the digressing. {Are we sure we want the blogging back?}<br />
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Today I headed down to our basement with a load of dirties to throw in for a wash and tumble when I spotted something odd. As I approached the machines--<b>and can we go back to England for a second?</b> When I visited there as a teen and stayed with host families, I was surprised to see how they all had their washing and drying machines in the kitchens. Which is weird to Americans. We have newer homes and thus the space for "get a room" when it comes to our laundry business. And I'm not sorry that I don't throw my knickers to be washed in the same space that I make my toast. Just saying.<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>I digress. </b></span><br />
<br />
Still digressing, can I just say that space is a commodity in jolly old England the way it will never be here. {I mean, have you even <i>been </i>to Idaho? Eastern Colorado? South Dakota? Heck, <i>North</i> Dakota??? America has <i>room</i>. Our roads know how to <i>manspread</i>, y'all.} So over there they wash and dry in the same machine. Yep. They've invented that. It actually exists. Of course, you can only have one load going at a time, so there's that. But sometimes I hear people say, "I wish my washing machine could also dry!" Because who hasn't forgotten to dry a load only to find it a couple days later smelling a little corpse-flower-on-bloom-day? Well, the machines exist! England has them. Here in America, however, they are more concerned about getting paid for you purchasing TWO machines than they are saving you space. #conspiracytheoristhere<br />
<br />
--as I was saying, the odd thing that I spotted today was a new color on my washing machine, and dryer. Bright pink?! What??? <i>What's this?!?</i> I got closer and inspected...<br />
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Someone had used a PINK ballpoint pen and scribbled all over a few select buttons...on BOTH machines!<br />
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This is the kind of surprise that can make a stay-at-home mama's blood boil in an instant. We spent good money on our TWO wash drying machines!! How dare someone mar them with pink scribbles?!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Here is what I knew...</span></b><br />
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The oldest child did not do this.<br />
The pink pen was Violet's.<br />
The boy probably was responsible for this.<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>What I didn't know...</b></span><br />
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<i>WHY!?!?!?!</i><br />
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So I called my suspects into the laundry room and did what any FBI agent would know to do: psychological warfare. I didn't ask, "Who did this?" That's something a rookie parent of an only child might ask...wait...no. Those lucky punks only ever have one suspect. That's something a less-experienced parent might ask.<br />
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I am not an inexperienced parent. So I know while the weapon was likely Violet's, the culprit was likely Paxton.<br />
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Like a game of Clue, I was certain my answer was this:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Paxton. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">In the laundry room. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">With the pink pen. </span></i><br />
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So I pointed at the pink and eyed him first and asked, "Why did you do this?" I felt awfully proud of myself for knowing not to ask <i>which </i>one of them did it, because they always blame the others, kids do. Also, acting like I already knew who did it was more likely to get an early and easy confession.<br />
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To my surprise, before Paxton could tell me why, Violet said, "It's just tape."<br />
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Huh? I turned and inspected closer. It was true. She had taped on the scribbles, not scribbled on the buttons directly.<br />
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I started picking at a piece to remove it immediately. So she hadn't marred my machines, I wouldn't need rubbing alcohol after all.<br />
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"But...why would you do that???" I was now thoroughly confused.<br />
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"So I know which buttons to push."<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>I stopped picking off the tape.</b></span><br />
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It was unsightly, it wasn't pretty. But it was what she needed to remember which buttons to push on the machines to run them. Suddenly it made sense, and I wasn't angry at all. {And to be fair, the girl has a point. There are far too many buttons on ALL appliances these days. Back in my day there were two buttons: ON and OFF. There was no button for when you want your BRIGHT WHITES pre-washed with afternoon tea and a touch on honey. Or something like that.}<br />
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This touched me. While I had been on the verge of anger over yet another, "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!!!" rant, she had reminded me why it is so good to be slow to anger. Which today I was, thank God. I'm not always.<br />
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Without going into detail--because my kids deserve some privacy and I'm of the generation that is pioneering raising kids with social media and blogs and oversharing--Violet creates excess laundry for us pretty much daily. And we know she isn't proud of that.<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>So here she was trying to help by learning to do it herself. </b></span><br />
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So I learned--as I pieced the story together--she had asked her daddy to show her how to run the machines, and then when we weren't looking she "highlighted" the buttons he showed her to use so that she could do it independently.<br />
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Bless.<br />
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I mean, and the whole tape use thing was stinking smart, making her marks non-permanent. So, well done of you, Violet! She has always been my smarty.<br />
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And shoot, but lately I've been trying to make a point to teach my kids "adulting" things like how to cook eggs, what types of cleaning supplies to use and when, and how to do their taxes. Well, we'll get to the taxes. But here my kid was taking it upon herself to adult her own laundry. And I'm really glad that I didn't immediately respond in anger before I knew the <i>whole </i>truth and made the fool out of myself.<br />
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Which I have done before.<br />
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When Sander got home from work I told him this story not unlike how I'm telling you now. You know what is funny? He patiently listened to me as if it was all new to him and then said, "I had the exact same experience last night when I saw the pink pen marks."<br />
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Turned out, no discipline needed. No need to go restock my rubbing alcohol for removing pen ink.<br />
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The scribbles stay.<br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Cheers,</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Heather</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-81914530652571208192018-11-29T15:06:00.000-08:002018-11-29T17:05:21.872-08:002018 Christmas House<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/46107445661/in/dateposted/" title="2018 Christmas House"><img alt="2018 Christmas House" height="458" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/46107445661_6442d57e8f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>Merry Christmastime! </b></span></div>
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We've decked our {outdoor} halls and done something really big and fun and different this year. My inspiration came from the incredibly talented Christine McConnell, who recently became famous for her new Netflix show, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80201868">The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell</a>. The show isn't for everyone, but if you're a fan of both Martha Stewart and Tim Burton--as I am--then you might like her too.<br />
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I was charmed by her new show, which features vintage Pyrex, amazing craft and baking tutorials, 1950s style dresses, puppets, macabre jokes, and an adorable set. I wanted to know more about her, and after a quick Google I found she started to gain fame when she did <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/halloween-decorations-parents-house-christine-mcconnell/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic">her parents' house up for Halloween</a> a few years ago. Then I saw she also did her parents' house for Christmas--<br />
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<a href="http://www.sortra.com/stunning-christmas-house/">>>CLICK HERE<<--and take a look! </a> It's amazing.<br />
I was so charmed and inspired by her holiday house.<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>I had to try it myself. </b></span></div>
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Not only was her Christmas house my inspiration; you'll see I directly lifted her ideas for my own Christmas house.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44291478240/in/dateposted/" title="PB296185"><img alt="PB296185" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/44291478240_efa02d3a2f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was so excited to do something different than your classic string lights or inflatable outdoor Christmas decor.<br />
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So, I've spent the last two weeks carving and painting <span style="font-size: large;">46 </span>foam insulation pieces.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/46057495342/in/photostream/" title="2018 Christmas House"><img alt="2018 Christmas House" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/46057495342_fc7ca17d99_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And while I would have added another 46 pieces of decor if I could, one has to stop somewhere, and I'm pretty happy with the way my little yellow gingerbread cottage turned out.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/46107436261/in/dateposted/" title="2018 Christmas House"><img alt="2018 Christmas House" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/46107436261_31248ac72d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I never want to see a paintbrush again. But I did it.<br />
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With the help of my husband--who grew more supportive of this project as it became clear he would be involved in wiring and installation projects--we have it spotlit at night. But what is nice about this sort of decorating, is that it is just as visible during the day. Christmas light displays can't do that.<br />
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I did fret that some neighbors might think it was tacky {which is silly because <i>all </i>Christmas decor is inherently tacky, if we're being honest} but so far I've heard only compliments and talk of "Santa's village" and such.<br />
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The Merry Christmas sign has been the biggest challenge. It is 14 feet long and I cut and painted it by hand. My husband originally installed it elevated above the roof, but a winter storm came through and it was obvious we needed to lower its profile. It's been great since then.<br />
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While I'd like this all to be an investment I can put up year after year, the truth is we don't know how it will hold up. So far, so good!<br />
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Maybe I'll even be able to add more pieces each year?<br />
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Keep reading to see how we constructed all this and got it up...<br />
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But first, a snowy shot. {This was taken before I put some final touches on.}<br />
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So, I took all the info I could get from Christine's Instagram posts. She used this type of foam insulation. It runs about $12 a sheet at Home Depot. We used six sheets total.<br />
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Also at Home Depot, I purchased a two-pack of snap-off razor knives in the tools aisle. The two pack was only about $1.97. I recommend the narrow razor knife for cutting curves easily.<br />
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It helped to make cardboard templates. These frosting pieces for the windows I copied from Christine's design; I love the scrolls and scallops.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>{Free child labor}</b></span></div>
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I started out with acrylic paint from a craft store {bad idea} which hasn't held up as well and chips in the cold. Early on, I found that a gallon of outdoor white primer paint from Home Depot and a roller brush was faster and better.</div>
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I worked outside when I could, but it's been so cold here on and off, so unfortunately my house got pretty messy from working a lot inside.<br />
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The most intimidating part for me was the 14-foot Merry Christmas sign!<br />
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I found it helpful to print big letters off and used a graphite transfer paper to trace them onto the foam. The letters aren't perfect--in fact a lot of the details are iffy. But the beauty of this is that most people see it from a distance, from the street. It looks good from there!<br />
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The biggest question, and I've seen a lot of people begging for hints from Christine on her Instagram page asking this same thing--though she is a celebrity so I understand how she can't answer everyone--was HOW in the world to attach it to the house securely?<br />
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We brainstormed this for days and had all kinds of ideas but that all seemed problematic in one way or another. Then Sander finally went to Home Depot just to browse and came home with this: Industrial Strength Velcro that just sticks on. Holds up to 10 lbs., package says.<br />
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It's worked wonderfully. We cut small pieces of Velcro and each foam decoration has only required two or three small pieces of Velcro. Since it is cold here, we found it helpful to heat up the adhesive with a hair dryer as we were applying.<br />
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This is how we originally had the sign before we had to lower it. Oh well, all's well that ends well, yes?<br />
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Merry Christmastime and thanks for visiting! I hope you leave inspired. I have been inspired by Christine McConnell to continue to try bigger and more challenging projects. I'm already looking forward to what's next!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cheers,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather</b></span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-64793679435905283742018-11-25T20:59:00.001-08:002019-07-21T19:05:15.630-07:00Thanksgiving 2018<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>I'm back on the blog. </b></span></div>
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I know, I've been bad this year. I've really stepped away from the old bloggophone which, by the way, just turned 11! I've been blogging for 11 years, although I slowed way down this year sadly. But a lot of friends, and even people I barely know on Instagram, have mentioned missing my blog. And you know what? I do too. </div>
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So here I am, playing catch up in November--of all times--with this Thanksgiving post. </div>
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On Wednesday, I'll have another post up about my Christmas decor, as we did something big and fun this year. So stay tuned. </div>
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Thanksgiving 2018 was truly lovely, <span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>despite my crooked, cracked candles.</b></span> </div>
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I stayed up until 2 a.m. the night before {night owl powers} just to get all the sides made ahead of time. It was so worth it. All we had to do when we got up was clean the entire house {I wish I were kidding, but the Christmas decor project I mentioned earlier meant our house was a wreck}, put out appetizers, and set the table. </div>
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This year Sander spatchcocked and smoked our turkey. Isn't she beautiful?!<br />
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I made plum wine spritzers for a fun fall cocktail.</div>
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True story: When we were kids, mom started making Watergate salad for Thanksgiving dinners. You know, the pistachio pudding/Cool Whip/marshmallow/fruit blend? It's called Watergate salad. </div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>Except we didn't know that. </b></span></div>
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So my mom asked my sister and I one year if we wanted her to make it again--of course we said yes, it's like candy at dinner--but she didn't know the name of "that green marshmallow salad" and so my sister and I agreed that it should be named Francis. </div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>This is one of the few things we've ever agreed on. </b></span></div>
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<i>Francis </i>has now been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for a good 25 years. We know now the name is Watergate salad, but we still just call it Francis. Every year someone says, "I'll make the Francis." </div>
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Here is a picture of this year's Francis:</div>
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We really stuck to the classics this year for Thanksgiving.<br />
Francis. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Sweet potatoes. You get the gist.<br />
I made a great stuffing! So good that I left it sitting in the microwave during the entire meal. </div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>And then there is green bean casserole. </b></span></div>
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Can we talk about GBC for a minute? Does <i>anyone </i>really like GBC?<br />
{Not sorry for shortening it to GBC because green bean casserole is a pain to type over and over.}</div>
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The typical GBC is made with cream of mushroom canned soup {yuck} and French's fried onions on top, right? </div>
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In our family, we all admit no one really likes it--besides mom--except it is such a traditional dish. So I wasn't going to make it this year. </div>
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But then I realized our menu was: turkey, starch, starch, starch with marshmallows, Francis, starch gravy, and pie. No greens. And what, with Romaine being deadly right now...</div>
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So I started looking for what might be a decent GBC. And I found <a href="https://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/thanksgiving-dinner-green-bean-casserole/">this recipe I'd bookmarked for Thanksgiving 2016, over on the Pioneer Woman website</a>. It uses fresh green beans that you blanch, you make your own gravy sauce with sauteed mushrooms--no canned stuff that jiggles--and you even fry your own SHALLOTS instead of that canned crunchy onion topping. Also, bacon.<br />
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Now, you give me a recipe card with shallots and bacon on the ingredient list and I'll make it! Doesn't matter what it is. Shallot bacon ice cream? Sure. Shallot bacon iced coffee, I'd give it a whirl.<br />
Same goes for any soups with booze in it and recipes that combine butter, wine, and mushrooms. Sold. </div>
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It was the most laborious of all my Thanksgiving dishes. But was it worth it?</div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>YUM, YES.</b></span> </div>
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I mean, UM, YES. </div>
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Not only were Sander and I up at 1 a.m. washing dishes and sneaking finger licks off the pot I made this stuff in, the whole family had multiple servings of THIS DISH! Green bean casserole, the star of the show?! Who knew? Everyone loved it. </div>
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I will absolutely make <a href="https://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/thanksgiving-dinner-green-bean-casserole/">this GBC</a> every year from now on. </div>
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{Games in the homeschool room, a good way to occupy kids and keep them out of the kitchen.<br />
So nice to have a space like this.}<br />
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Then it was time to sit down and feast, but I wanted to remember the moment, so I told everyone to <span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>close their eyes and look away for a nice photo</b></span> to remember the day. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/45125958505/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="391" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/45125958505_a4cf9f0fc0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
As you can see, photography perfection, as always.<br />
<br />
I did not make these <strike>Christmas</strike> Thanksgiving crackers, I got them at Marshall's.<br />
{Fun Fact: It's best to pronounce Marshall's like a Kennedy, for example,<br />
"Maaashuls" or "I got it at Maaashuls." Try it. You're welcome.}<br />
They had woodland animal ornaments inside, and paper crowns.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/45125946855/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4909/45125946855_a7b28a711a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And all my favorite people were there, so I had a lot to be thankful for.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/31098808767/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/31098808767_7a1832c15c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I also made a killer Thanksgiving playlist, if I might brag, that included songs such as <i>In My Life</i> by the Beatles {my favorite Beatles song}, <i>Turn! Turn! Turn! </i>by the Byrds, and <i>Forever Young</i> by Bob Dylan...to name a few. {I was feeling hippie vibes this year!}<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/45313371694/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/45313371694_cc3e3c34cf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
My beautiful nieces sure are all grown up.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/45125934905/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="240" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/45125934905_2ff3ee3125_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/45313368264/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="240" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4822/45313368264_77fbe381b0_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Eisley scored a turkey leg and was pretty proud of it.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44221884790/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4905/44221884790_ae17b572e9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And finally, of course, the traditional post-feast conga line.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>Even the Indians and Pilgrims celebrated with a conga line </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>at the first Thanksgiving. </b></span><br />
Pretty sure.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44221882670/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/44221882670_9034f106b1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I'm not a huge fan of classic pumpkin pie.<br />
The last few years I've been opting for this<br />
rum pumpkin chiffon pie.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>More like YUM pumpkin chiffon pie. </b></span><br />
*wiggles eyebrows*<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/32166893038/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/32166893038_e2c2a8de90_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Then it was all over.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/32166890788/in/dateposted/" title="Thanksgiving 2018"><img alt="Thanksgiving 2018" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4906/32166890788_87c4333e04_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
<br />
The guests left.<br />
The dishwasher was running.<br />
The leftovers were chilling.<br />
The children succumbed to their tryptophan.<br />
The husband went to bed.<br />
I realized my candles were still burning, and I observed the lonely and used 'Turkey on the Table' and suddenly it occurred to me...<br />
<br />
Well, shoot.<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;"><b>It's officially Christmastime. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cheers,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-23185537599375741452018-02-28T13:23:00.000-08:002019-07-21T19:05:32.891-07:00Violet is 7!<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562284970/in/photostream/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="439" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1868/42562284970_85c3162b1f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Violet turned 7 this year! What a fun age for a kid to be. Fortunately for me, this was one of the easiest themed parties I've ever pulled together, thanks to Violet choosing a theme that is super easy to find supplies for. Hello Kitty!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/29434029427/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1899/29434029427_0e0c23af4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello Kitty merch is pretty much everywhere so it required very little creativity on my part. I always feel bad about Violet's birthday being in winter, so we can't throw the big outdoor parties like we do with Eisley & Paxton, nor can we go to Lakeside or something fun like that. We have to keep it indoors and warm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44321593462/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1850/44321593462_00ee1c7f72_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello Kitty decor fits pretty well in my "sugar coated candy land of a house" {as my dad once called it--ha!} very cheery!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/29434038377/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1878/29434038377_80e9d4950b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">While my usual problem is finding party decor to match what my kids pick for birthday themes {Eisley with her tiger themed 5th birthday party, for example}, I had the opposite problem with Hello Kitty. We had to <i>choose</i> which of 5 different Hello Kitty paper plates to go with.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/43653539914/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1856/43653539914_18207bf175_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then there was H Mart! We <i>love </i>H Mart already, but it was an especially fun resource for Hello Kitty party supplies, such as the Ramune Soda. Whatever that is. Here kids, I have no idea what this drink is made from, but it has Hello Kitty on it. Drink up! The novelty of these bottles is half the fun, as you open it by shoving a glass marble into it. Somehow it is not a choking hazard, however, because the marble stays trapped inside, much to the disappointment of the children.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562289040/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1872/42562289040_bca12fddc4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I think this is the <i>only</i> crafting I did for this party, aside from the cake. Super easy Hello Kitty head lanterns.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44321636732/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1890/44321636732_98004d841b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">More H Mart goods. H Mart is more than just a place to buy Korea's best selling instant ramen by the pallet and chicken feet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/29434050827/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1855/29434050827_8f1a75ca48_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They also have Hello Kitty cookies in Hello Kitty tins. If you haven't been to H Mart, do go. It's so much fun to shop there. I recommend stopping by the bakery for a waffle fish--filled with either melted chocolate or bean paste.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Need sea urchin for your Pioneer Woman casserole? H Mart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Need all the Asian noodle types ever made? H Mart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Need a 500 lb bag of rice? H Mart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's short for Heather Mart. I think.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562287270/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1850/42562287270_2c51d3bb44_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I digress. Back to the party.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44370277951/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1852/44370277951_6e76b5b5b0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">With our house decked out in the Hello Kitty decor, we ordered some friends and invited some pizza over.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562262150/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1841/42562262150_3a0288f969_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Ramune was a hit. No one could figure out the flavor. But who needs flavor when you have exciting glass marbles?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562258090/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1882/42562258090_ba048e0eea_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Per American tradition, we lit my cake creation on fire and sang a traditional folk song to Violet in recognition of her 7th birthday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/42562274860/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1853/42562274860_daab1e9bde_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Violet blew out the candles and the children fought over all the candy on top.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/43463730855/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1882/43463730855_551d4ff367_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But seriously, this was one of <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/p/cakes.html">my favorite cakes</a> {< click to see more} ever. It was so fun to throw together. Sometimes cakes turn out <i>exactly</i> as I envision, which is super exciting for a cake decorator. It happened with this one!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a data-flickr-embed="<a data-flickr-embed=" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/43653593714/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party" true=""><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="633" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1881/43653593714_ba855ae331_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was my pleasure to make a birthday cake for this seven year old sweetheart of mine! We love you, Violet! I can't believe you're already 7!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/43463617515/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1851/43463617515_bf742a67f6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was a sleepover, so they all settled in with their sleeping bags to do what kids of the 2010s love to do most: cat video montages on YouTube.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/43653575784/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="480" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1862/43653575784_834ed63fdb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was probably the most simple themed kids birthday party I've thrown! But it was great and we had fun. And it's good to be scaling things back toward simplicity these days.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/44321636162/in/dateposted/" title="Hello Kitty Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Hello Kitty Party" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1842/44321636162_3de14cc89f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY, SWEET VIOLET!!!!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">XOXO</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-91205570827071773272018-01-27T22:08:00.003-08:002018-11-25T21:00:57.767-08:00New Orleans?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769720046/in/album-72157672558686253/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5703/30769720046_82e9fbd7a1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade Falls, Orcas Island, WA: I'd have never have seen if I hadn't traveled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>One of the promises</b></span> that I made myself at the beginning of the year is that I would blog more consistently in 2018. It's the 27th of January now and here is my first post of the year, so obviously that's going great. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">{My blog just turned TEN years old too!}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But I am keeping my house nice and clean {these last couple days, ha} and yesterday, as my girls were at homeschool school, I spent most of the day working my tail off cleaning the house. I wanted to earn the right to veg on the couch and binge watch all the shows I needed to catch up on {Grey's Anatomy, American Housewife, Superstore, to name a few}. My house was spotless by the time the kids went to bed, except their rooms {obvs}, and so I flipped on Grey's...although still folding a load of Paxton's laundry. It never ends. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I had fantasized all day about my kids' bed time and how I'd spend those blessed few hours between their nodding off and mine. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So when Eisley got up to use the bathroom after about 40 minutes, and then came out to me, you'd think I'd have been irritated. Except she had tears in her eyes so I asked her what was wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"I've just been talking to Jesus about how I don't want to grow up." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Oh bless!
First, that she was talking to Jesus. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Now about the growing up anxiety, while I'd love to blame that on Peter Pan, that's actually my fault. I've said things in the past about my kids needing to stop growing up so fast. I mean, you know what I mean if you're a parent yourself. It's so very bittersweet. But my girl Eisley has her mother's anxiety. And I've apparently given her a complex about growing up. She frets. I very much get that. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">I know all too well how anxiety especially loves to mess with you at bed time. I have planned everyone's funerals in the late night hours, through tears. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">{</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">I keep meaning to blog about my life with anxiety, but it'd be doozy best done in parts. But I want to say this: the last couple of years have been much more comfortable as I've pressed into God and turned to praying myself to sleep rather than worrying myself to sleep. Fewer heart palpitations and zero anxiety attacks for a couple years now too. My best advice if you suffer from an anxiety disorder? Prayer and magnesium.}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But here's the good part about Eisley: she came and talked to me about it. And we cried together and hugged several times and she went to bed feeling better. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Because when I was a kid, from 7 on, I also struggled with anxiety and crying myself to sleep. Except I was too ashamed, and worried it'd be labeled "crocodile tears" or brushed off to dare and talk to anyone about it. So I'm <i>so </i>glad--and consider it a good sign--that my Eisley girl seeks me out to talk about it. Because talking about it is important and helpful, and I only started learning that from the age of 32 and on. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Speaking of my anxiety, I have a question for you... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Say my husband is going on a business trip to New Orleans for a convention later in spring. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Say the room at the Hyatt, rental car, and his airfare will be paid for. And say he has enough points with the airline to get me a ticket at no cost. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I should go with him...right? The hotel is in the historic French Quarter. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I should go...right? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Because I get anxiety about leaving my kids. Specifically, what if something happened to both of us and our kids were left orphans. We have family, but no legal will regarding your plans for orphaned children will ever be ideal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">At the risk of sounding morbid, I sort of find it ideal to travel with my entire clan. Because if we go down in a plane together, hey, at least everyone is taken care of and no one is left behind. Jesus-bound. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm a homebody at heart. My sister and father are both wanderlusts, but I'm a homebody. I'm cool seeing pictures of your vacation, but even the Ritz Paris couldn't hold a candle to my very own IKEA bed and my <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2016/02/our-bathroom-remodel-before-after.html">claw-foot soaking tub</a>. No thanks. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">My bed and bathtub are my most favorite places in the universe. Confession: sometimes I actually consider the benefits about being agoraphobic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But remember how in 2016 I let Sander talk me into a <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2017/02/visiting-seattle-again.html">Seattle</a>/<a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2016/11/orcas-island_13.html">Orcas Island</a> trip? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I had the best time. It was <b>amazing</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So once again I'm considering pushing myself to travel without the kids. I am not scared of death, I am scared of my kids being left behind without a mother and father. {Something I regularly cried myself to sleep worrying about myself as a kid.}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Also, New Orleans doesn't have a reputation for being a particularly safe city. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Today I even read a few different articles that have said that if someone approaches you on Bourbon Street and says, "Bet you $10 I know where you got your shoes." {And thanks to the guy at King Sooper's who bags my groceries and likes to tell jokes, I've long known the proper answer is "On my feet."} Apparently you'll get stared-down until you actually hand over a tenner for their "cleverness".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm not even kidding, multiple articles on travelling to New Orleans warned about this. You're either supposed to tell them, "I'm a local." Or keep walking and keep your face straight. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So now you know, I'm not much of a traveler or wanderlust, and New Orleans hasn't been on my bucket list of travel spots {unlike Hawaii, Sweden/Finland, and Israel}. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But I should go...right? I'll have fun...right? My kids will probably survive without me and I without them.............right? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">He was right about Orcas Island. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you been to New Orleans? And what is worth seeing? I'm already thinking staying in the French Quarter will be the most safe. I definitely want to see that graveyard. {You know me! #taphophile #findagravevolunteer} </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Beignets. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">{Speaking of, great place for legit beignets and Creole brunch in Denver is <a href="https://www.luciles.com/">Lucile's</a>, definitely try it.}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Also, keep in mind, we're not the voodoo or Mardis Gras types. My husband and I are pretty vanilla, I suppose. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So considering that, is it worth going? And what is important to see in and around the French Quarter? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I still partly think we should save the airline points and work toward a family trip to either Seattle/Orcas Island again or California/Disneyland, where many of our family members are. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">But...free...so tempting.
Tell me what you think! I want to hear about your New Orleans adventures.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Homebody Heather</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-80281825229395477892017-12-22T22:01:00.001-08:002018-08-30T13:24:48.668-07:00Julbord & Christkindl<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #93c47d; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Season's Greetings!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's the most wonderful time of the year! Or so they say. This Christmas, my family is all back in Denver again. All 11 of us. So we decided to cross off a couple bucket list Christmas events. <i>European style.</i></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171571541/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="460" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4639/39171571541_9032a98743_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So last Friday we headed over to IKEA for their annual julbord. A julbord is a Christmas buffet they do in Sweden. We are very Swedish in my family {Justin is more Norwegian, but we don't like to talk about it.} Our last name is Swedish. We're pink-skinned blondes with blue eyes. Papa Erickson always called us "my Svenska flickas" growing up {"his Swedish girls"}. Also, we all drive Volvos. Yep, all of us. You'd think they'd have given us discounted tickets, but they didn't. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171570751/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="481" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4685/39171570751_40e5b50b65_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were lots of salmon dishes to choose from, or their classic Swedish meatballs. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27394768019/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4596/27394768019_0405a9fe83_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">All kinds of Swedish treats at the buffet. The potato dish is called Jansson's temptation. It was really good. Also cucumber salad, cured salmon, eggs with shrimpy things, all of it was really good and/or interesting to try. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27394771499/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="427" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4726/27394771499_3ecf100910_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Christmas ham. And all those IKEA treats and desserts to choose from.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311249937/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="197" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4726/24311249937_864fec64be_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311250267/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="180" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4687/24311250267_b1a795c07c_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311250997/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="180" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4684/24311250997_3bdefb7331_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311249257/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="180" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4735/24311249257_5d835f4060_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The princess cakes went fast. Luckily, I've had them before. They're really yummy and you can buy them in their food area. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311251337/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="463" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4725/24311251337_9367d1dfd7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">IKEA does a really nice job. They had a table reserved for our party of 11. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They hire Swedish singers and young ladies to be Santa Lucia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were toddlers in Swedish folk attire, little caps and aproned dresses, all the way up to the elderly Swedes in traditional Swedish dress. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171568121/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4600/39171568121_4f7faa3b7c_z.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Would we go again? I'm not sure I'd spend money on it <i>again</i> since we've been to it once. {Even though my parents paid for it.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But I am definitely glad we tried an IKEA Christmas julbord. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They have a very similar event for Easter, so buy tickets early if you want to go. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311243657/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4688/24311243657_81c40c93d7_z.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Santa Lucia procession was adorable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">St. Lucy was a 3rd century martyr who--as folklore goes--brought food to the Christians in hiding via the catacombs. She wore a crown of candles--they say--so that she could carry more food with her arms and still see the way through the dark. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">{I'm not sure I believe it, as candles on the head don't seem like a great idea to me, but whatever.}</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171572361/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4738/39171572361_5318464280_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They entertained us with song and Swedish folk dance.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25306934548/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4693/25306934548_b71c2dd4ba_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The <i>next </i>evening we decided to honor our German roots by heading downtown to the Denver Christkindl Market. Not only do we love European stuff, but both my family and Sander's family are pretty much mostly Scandinavian and German. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sander and I took Deutsche together in high school. Our old German teacher loved him {old ladies always do} and so he never got in trouble for harassing me {he couldn't keep his hands to himself, whereas I hated being the PDA couple in the hallway} but she sent home notes to <i>my </i> mom about "Heather won't leave the Sander boy alone in class." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What?! Other way around, lady.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">{I think she had a thing for my future husband.}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">{Most old ladies do.}</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we do German accents with each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gotta keep the spark alive somehow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We decided to take the Light Rail downtown. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171566901/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="426" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4601/39171566901_42177f83d6_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">{Thanks for the great photo, Eisley.}</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25307008378/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="433" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4728/25307008378_84a9b3401f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We'd never been to the Christkindl Market, but we've all wanted to go for years.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311309497/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4637/24311309497_9847bc9fb7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was a big tent with tons of people, all jolly and beer-filled. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27394791429/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="474" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4726/27394791429_176b381d61_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And lots of little booths open with so many European-style Christmas goods. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171605781/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4735/39171605781_61a33a1c30_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I could not get enough of these beautiful glass ornaments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to take them all home.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171608551/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4642/39171608551_c1337bcc54_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now this, the Christkindl Market, I will definitely go back to year-after-year. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39144901112/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="426" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4679/39144901112_6c72488c42_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It was so very European. All the food was Bavarian--they had Hungarian-style goulash, German dumplings, gluhwein {mulled wine}, beer, pretzels, latkes...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All the things our Swedish and German Lutheran ancestors would have enjoyed at Christmastime. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38295618665/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="445" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4592/38295618665_d25c0e32ee_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As well as really neat Christmas gifts to shop for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27394851879/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4589/27394851879_fa56d445aa_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think it's open most of the day, for multiple weekends in December. </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311257447/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4686/24311257447_48a1092725_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171608551/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4642/39171608551_c1337bcc54_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I bought the kids some handmade mittens. Just $15/pair or 2 for $25. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Which I didn't think was so bad for handmade, and they're lined in soft warm fleece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311255637/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4636/24311255637_6ac6267d74_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you want to try goulash, <a href="http://www.czechcookbook.com/beef-goulash-hovezi-gulas/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I've made this recipe at home and it was almost identical to the one they served at Christkindl {and everyone who tried my goulash thought it was the best} so try it out</span></a>. My whole family loved it. {But you have to make her amazing dumplings too, it goes with it.} </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38464554744/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="433" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4647/38464554744_667518e27b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Christkindl Market makes for such a lovely winter night out in Denver. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you can make it next year, if you haven't already been yourself.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25306931798/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4638/25306931798_97e47b0745_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38464613494/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="1024" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4692/38464613494_550a22dea4_b.jpg" width="576" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">{Imagine the hum of a crowd against a live Bavarian band--all accordion and polka style--when you look at this photo.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311288007/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="1024" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4595/24311288007_f013492fd0_b.jpg" width="768" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My mom bought my sister and me each a Matryoshka doll. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I chose a Santa one. Because I thrifted two Santa Matryoshka's before, <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2014/12/decked-out.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">as seen in this post</span></a>, so now I guess I have a collection. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38295624625/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="1024" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4641/38295624625_51b2894f0d_b.jpg" width="670" /></span></a></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25307002988/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4689/25307002988_6343762ba6_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Did I mention the smell of the market? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It smells like winter, baked goods with yeast, and those candied roasted almonds. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/24311227947/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="1024" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4643/24311227947_9bfd37dd83_b.jpg" width="576" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">{This was my favorite booth, for obvious reasons.}</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38464547844/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="537" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4592/38464547844_8334815ab2_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So I know I haven't posted much this year--it's been a doozy--but here we are ending it on a high note with a very Scandinavian Bavarian Christmas with all our family together. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So. Pretty good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38464611554/in/dateposted/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4587/38464611554_5fd76af88f_z.jpg" width="480" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Goodnight, Denver. </span></div>
<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/39171566091/in/album-72157667662020479/" title="Julbord & Christkindl"><img alt="Julbord & Christkindl" height="456" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4590/39171566091_511873854d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cc0000; color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;">Merry</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cc0000; color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;">Christmas!</span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-47800839068360038272017-12-07T11:07:00.002-08:002018-08-30T13:25:00.892-07:00Kids Corp Christmas!<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27024198799/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4554/27024198799_129d0dd764_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Sander was recently hired at the company he's been working at for two years.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Confused? Me too. But not about that. Two years ago my husband took a new position at his company's biggest-ever commercial job, as a contracted employee. Meaning, he's been employed by the company he's been at for 8 years, but the last two of them he was actually working at a client of his company's. Confused? Me too. About everything.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Anyhoo, I guess they liked Sander so much, they decided to bring him on board into their IT department. He's doing slightly different work, but with all the same people he's been working with for two years now. Except now he's not a contracted employee there, he's a legit employee there, with all the amazing benefits that come with a large, happy, healthy-even-through-the-recession company. While his previous employer was so good to us over the years, this was a very happy step forward for our family and Sander.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Especially since now--as he's no longer a contractor with the company--we get to enjoy all the benefits that come with being an employee there, such as the kids Christmas party!! {And this spring, also Take Your Kids To Work Day!} My children had previously not been able to enjoy these things at daddy's work since it wasn't technically daddy's work. Still confused? I give up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">He got hired by the bank, and now we get to have a kid's Christmas corporate party! Get it?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Me neither.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38083364844/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4515/38083364844_bfa377ca96_z.jpg" width="457" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The new employer, Sander's previous employer's client turned employer {am I making things worse?} is like a credit union for the farming industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For the last two years, they've been as good to us as they could be, given that Sander was not a legit employee.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been to plenty of "regular" company Christmas parties, this is the first time we've ever been invited to an employee Christmas party for the kids!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They invited Santa too.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Even though he's not a kid of an employee.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">{How is that fair?}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27024197239/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4574/27024197239_f3cb7646f2_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And Santa was a really good Santa, if you know what I mean. Cracked down on tooth brushing and the room cleaning while still giving warm hugs, a toy elf, and a candy cane. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27024196589/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4522/27024196589_8c2458757b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh dear, look at my 9-year-old. She's looking like this might be her last year sitting on Santa's lap.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38799063851/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="458" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4538/38799063851_0eb8f0a203_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was a professional photographer, but I have yet to see those photos. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27024195669/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4558/27024195669_3b5bd3740c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then we got to see daddy's cubicle. This building is very lovely--if you can call an office building that--as it was built two years ago. {Sander's previous employer was picked to install all their TVs, conference room stuff, fancy Crestron equipment...and that was his previous job, maintaining that $ystem for the bank.}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38799063411/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4560/38799063411_8d2dba5120_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now I can actually visualize the space he's working in when I call him at work because there's a spider, or the internet is down, or if I need to rant about the kids' behavior that morning. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/27024194849/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4559/27024194849_07da576e69_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">AND we're totally jealous of his views. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38799062411/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38799062411_2dc4b16272_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You have to keep in mind, this was the first time in two years we were allowed into his building, so it was kind of exciting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Next, we headed to the cafeteria, where the bank's chef had prepared a breakfast for hundreds. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38083364274/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4574/38083364274_d2a619d77d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There was a hot cocoa bar, a coffee bar with baristas, French toast, pancakes, and even the chef's own pop tarts with whatever toppings the kids desired. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38799061271/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4549/38799061271_ff73802f5d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">From now on, we can also come have lunch with daddy when we feel like it at the bank's restaurant. I hear they have good breakfast burritos.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll be the judge of that. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38083362024/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="456" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/38083362024_044f7c7b54_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Without going into much detail, this new position and job at the bank for Sander is the answer to many prayers. Things had been feeling up in the air, and uncomfortable for the last several months. We weren't sure what was in store for the future, but we did know he wanted a permanent position at the bank and that our family would really benefit from the benefits. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38083359764/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="456" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4540/38083359764_29b9716cb5_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If I can be perfectly frank, 2017 has been a bit of a hellish year for my whole family. Okay, so none of us were diagnosed with terminal illness or anything, yes, we're keeping it in perspective. But everything from my dad's car accident and subsequent surgery and long recovery and the time that took out of my parent's lives, to my sister's family being uprooted from New Mexico suddenly and plopped back here in Denver--which we're thankful for, but it wasn't the way anyone had planned. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sander and I had it easier than all of them this 2017, but it's been rough for all of us trying to carry each other's burdens. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, can I offer a praise report? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Out of my very small family here in Colorado {6 adults, 5 kids}, FOUR adults are starting great new or better jobs they wanted this Nov/Dec. Sander included.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My dad also got hired by a company that made the top 25 WORLD employers in 2017.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In a very similar fashion to how Sander was hired, he'd been a contracted employee of sorts and they liked him so much they brought him on as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">How 'bout dat? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38083358084/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4576/38083358084_9f8a5aeb28_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All that to say, while 2017 has been a somewhat rough year in surprising ways, we're tying up 2017 with a pretty tidy bow, after all. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37913229535/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4517/37913229535_e35448fca9_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Back to the kids Christmas party, after breakfast we headed to the Elf Academy in the conference room. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37913229125/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4534/37913229125_a4073624c6_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;">They sang a carol, they made paper airplanes, an ornament, and each got an Elf Academy certificate with assignment to any given country around the world. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We'll be sending Paxton off to Thailand pretty soon here.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Eisley, Belgium. Violet, I forget...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">{It's a middle child thing. You forget a lot.}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37913228535/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4572/37913228535_c121e24d4c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, they rode the train. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37913226695/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4585/37913226695_be5d3f0f36_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sit down, Paxton!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37913224825/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4559/37913224825_bbd4fb35f9_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wait, I mean, lastly we waited in line for balloon artists who'd just spent the last 3 hours making balloon animals for hundreds of kids. They totally looked like they needed a spiked eggnog by the time we got to the front of the line. Bless them. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/38768748962/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38768748962_341fda0497_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, consider this part of our Christmas letter 2017. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sander has a new job at the place he's worked at for two years. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It's a definite good thing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We have the balloons and elf dolls and new health insurance to prove it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">{Fun Fact: At his previous employer, insurance for our whole family cost more than our mortgage. Which meant our kids were on CHP+, which the government might be axing soon anyway. So this came at a good time for us. But many aren't so fortunate, so consider reaching out to your local congressmen?}</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/23934761947/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4515/23934761947_da55c95129_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And I won't be resentful about Take Your Kid To Work Day in 2018, because apparently that's a pretty impressive event at the bank too. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/23934760477/in/dateposted/" title="Kid's Christmas Party"><img alt="Kid's Christmas Party" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4578/23934760477_faf2fa3a5c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, the "adult" corporate Christmas party is in early January, in the ballroom at the Denver Center of Performing Arts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I really hope those balloon elves are there.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We hope your employer treats you well this Christmas too. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-66475953781112358512017-09-24T22:15:00.004-07:002018-01-27T22:09:42.236-08:00Colorado Autumn<div style="text-align: center;">
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36631161313/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4395/36631161313_0fb4c223e4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We decided to head for the hills today because we wanted to see some fall colors </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443455245/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4453/37443455245_53cbc13dff_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">so we packed the kids and the dogs in the car and drove up 285</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37045106340/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="470" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4334/37045106340_0e560d7b19_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">we stopped at the iconic Coney Island for a late lunch</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36631174253/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4412/36631174253_62c31f4955_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">of cheese fries and hot dogs</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443470995/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4446/37443470995_5db73cb906_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">then we drove up 285 some more and stopped here</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36631161313/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4395/36631161313_0fb4c223e4_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">where we decided to cross the bridge and take a hike </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37300832911/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4480/37300832911_9032855393_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">along the river</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37300851921/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4443/37300851921_c077112032_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">to see all the pretty aspens</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36591217564/in/dateposted/" title="leavesandriver"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="leavesandriver" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/36591217564_80e2ea710c_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">we went off the beaten path a bit</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443465975/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4465/37443465975_5ba7784281_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">to get close to the river again</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36631180033/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4433/36631180033_1579cfbf0e_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">even though the trail up the hill was just as pretty</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37300879321/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4445/37300879321_49cf9b2ee5_c.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">and we gained a guy on our hike</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36591209034/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4396/36591209034_190b909372_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">then we piled back into the Volvo and headed up Guanella Pass</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443514285/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4499/37443514285_0c27d1ec0d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and I spotted this ferruginous hawk along our way</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">{I have a deep love for birds of prey}</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37045924330/in/dateposted/" title="hawk2"><img alt="hawk2" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/37045924330_cbe8cf945b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and as we approached Georgetown via the switchbacks, it got colder and even snowed a bit</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443479445/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/37443479445_00e16fc319_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and the foggy low clouds made it look enchanted up there</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37443458085/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4425/37443458085_30874a4ce8_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and even though most people try to see the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">aspens turning on a beautiful sunny fall day,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm really glad that this year we saw </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">them with the clouds and fog </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37253583226/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/37253583226_81420f016c_z.jpg" width="457" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">aren't you?</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/37253604186/in/dateposted/" title="Sunday Drive in Autumn"><img alt="Sunday Drive in Autumn" height="457" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4453/37253604186_48867b94c5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">Ch</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">ee</span><span style="color: #e69138;">rs</span><span style="color: #e06666;">,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">He</span><span style="color: #ffd966;">at</span><span style="color: #e69138;">he</span><span style="color: #e06666;">r</span></span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-15046893912772712742017-08-21T22:27:00.003-07:002017-09-25T12:18:01.453-07:00Total Eclipse .<span style="font-size: large;">Video of our eclipse experience below. But first...</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/36682091086/in/dateposted/" title="totaleclipse"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="totaleclipse" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4435/36682091086_910f4e3421_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the start of Thursday, August 17th, we had no plans for this weekend. By the end of Thursday, August 17th, we'd planned an entire trip for 11 people and 3 dogs that involved travel in 4 states.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My sister wouldn't stop talking about the upcoming total eclipse on August 21, 2017. The first many mentions I sort of went, "Uh huh." But I didn't really give it much thought because here in Denver we could still see 92% of the eclipse. That's pretty good, eh?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But my sister wouldn't shut up about it, which piqued my curiosity. Next thing I know I've watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxZ4H3gJ8c&t=631s">this Ted Talks titled, "You owe it to yourself to experience a total solar eclipse"</a>. Among other articles I read, I learned that a partial eclipse and seeing a <i>TOTAL</i> solar eclipse is like comparing apples to oranges. Except, seeing a total eclipse includes all the partiality, but then you get <i>so, so much more.</i></span></span><br />
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I'm sorry, friends. If you watched the eclipse today, but only partially, you and I had an entirely different experience and take away. It's not the same. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/annie-dillards-total-eclipse/536148/">Read this amazing piece by Annie Dillard if you're up for it</a>. It is long, but beautiful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So yesterday we borrowed the RV and piled our family in and, followed by my parents and their dog, drove 4 hours northeast to Alliance, Nebraska. This was our choice of town, it was right next to the dead center of the line of totality. The line of totality is the only place you can see a total solar eclipse. Go outside that zone, and you're partial. Sorry, but that's just not the same experience. I didn't know until this week either. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQtjvjG9fehyphenhyphenOUCstyCaWLQKfH9IL6_h50FDn3Gs3zCNx34ahyphenhyphen1z7wBY5LzG84eTNeS-yE7DUQFsKR3oNSMKW3grFYfnDi38RiU94CahWVhc3JoaXmv-RFlCXs7gSnw9Jj19MWnLneHA/s1600/NElineoftotality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQtjvjG9fehyphenhyphenOUCstyCaWLQKfH9IL6_h50FDn3Gs3zCNx34ahyphenhyphen1z7wBY5LzG84eTNeS-yE7DUQFsKR3oNSMKW3grFYfnDi38RiU94CahWVhc3JoaXmv-RFlCXs7gSnw9Jj19MWnLneHA/s640/NElineoftotality.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On Thursday, we had reserved an RV spot and a tent spot in the field belonging to St. John's Lutheran Church. We set up camp. My sister and her family had a much longer drive, from Santa Fe--about 10 hours--but she was the one who wanted this so bad. So there we all were, hoping there wouldn't be too many clouds in the morning. All piled into an RV and a tent with 11 hopeful people and three confused dogs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We woke up in the morning to a lot of fog in the sky. It made us nervous, but people said it'd quickly burn off with the sun and it did. We sat around snacking and drinking and enjoying the company, watching the clouds, hoping they'd leave.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then the eclipse started. We could use our eclipse glasses and see a tiny "bite" taken out of the sun. Here it comes! We were starting to get excited, but had to wait a good long hour and then some before totality.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then, about 20-30 minutes away from totality, we started to noticed the temperature drop and the light changed. It is very difficult to say how the light and your surroundings look different. Hard to put words to it, but we said it looked like we were looking at film or a movie instead of real life. Shadows became extremely contrasted and sharp. The only time I've experienced something like this is when we have huge forest fires in the summer here in Colorado, and the smoke causes the light to be filtered in this strange way. I can tell if there's a fire just by looking at the light on the pavement outside my house. It's not exactly like that, but it's the only thing that compares.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The world around us was growing darker, but more vivid thanks to the contrast, and it <i>felt</i> like dusk but there was no sunset.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we hit about 2 minutes to totality, all of the above became even more dramatic. It was chilly, dark, and strange out, but you still couldn't look at the sun without eclipse glasses, it was as intense as always!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Very suddenly it's not dusk anymore, it's twilight, or even night if it weren't for the 360 degree sunset {yes, the whole horizon has a sunset}. I watched for the shadow from the northeast but I didn't catch it. People were hooting, howling, and cheering. I knew it was time, finally safe to look without my glasses so I turned to see what I expected to see because I've seen so many photos lately of what total solar eclipses look like.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, I'd expected to see what I saw. How is it possible that I was expecting to see this, but it still took my breath away? I hate the sound of my own voice, but in the video below you can hear me exclaim, "Oh my GOSH!" and it is quite genuine. Just know that. I was moonstruck. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have seen a million skies. But I had never seen <i>this</i> sky. With logic and reason I understood that I was watching a total solar eclipse in real life, but what I was seeing still made no sense to my eyes. An inky black hole where there shouldn't be one, with wisps of silvery hairs forming a wreath around it. At the cusp of the black hole were sparkling stars shimmering. It was otherworldly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was not what we know is the sun. It was not what we know is the moon. It was completely foreign in our sky. The sun and moon had cooperated for once to show us something glorious. I felt like I saw something sacred. Six buses of Sioux kids and their chaperones had joined us shortly before the eclipse. They were chanting something pretty in their Native American tongue that made the moment even more surreal.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A pink star formed on the side where the first "bite" had been taken out of the sun, and we knew this brief moment--all of two minutes and thirty seconds--was all we would get of this most beautiful sight. This thing that was both sun and moon and also neither of those things, you want to beg it not to leave. Frustratingly, cameras don't capture it as large and lustrous as it is in real life. Cheers and howling resumed as the totality ended. We didn't want it to end. Ever.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But I suppose if this were something I got to see all the time, it might not have been as gorgeous. I have seen thousands of pretty sunsets and tens of shooting stars. I've seen blood moons and full moons rising bloated and yellow over the eastern horizon. I have viewed the sun through a telescope, and have been fascinated by coronal mass ejections. {I'm a big fan of the cosmic stuff, actually.} But I had never seen <i>this</i> sky until today.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I realized I'd just crossed something off my bucket list that I hadn't realized was written on there. Because I don't usually put science fiction experiences on my bucket list. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, if you know me then you know I've very effusive like my mom. Not everyone reacts with the same gusto. Like my husband, who said, "That was cool." And that's about it. But all reactions are valid. Effusive or not. But if I've even made you second guess how you spent August 21, 2017 even just a <i>little</i>...then please start making plans for 2024 right now. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now I'll share this video of our eclipse watching moment.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few notes:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">1. It was much darker in real life than my smart phone camera shows. My camera--as you'll hear me start to say in the video but not finish--"does a good job" of adjusting to the dark lighting. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. My family can be heard yelling things like, "get him off the car!" and "yes!! NOW is the time to look!!! LOOK!!!" and such. Don't be alarmed. That's just how we are. We're not angry people. We're just loud.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">3. My camera is first faced northwest because I was hoping to see/catch the shadow that moves 1450mph over the earth. You can see it best on a hill, and it happens in a flash at the moment totality occurs, and it sometimes makes people scream if they see it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AzXQ6kfuoNg" width="640"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This video was also taken by the news in Alliance, Nebraska. Yes, we did visit Carhenge on our way out of town. But this video does a better job of showing how dark it gets. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HAlKNPur4UA" width="640"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Was it worth it? Was it worth the last minute scramble to get to Nebraska with 11 people? Yes. It was worth the 4 hour drive there and the 8 hour drive back through Wyoming. I could also wax spiritual about how God hung the moon and the sun and set them on this schedule and how blessed I feel to have laid eyes on this solar phenomenon before I die. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The sunset over the Rocky Mountains on our {long stop-and-go} drive home was pretty lovely too though. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-71516411207532769472017-08-11T23:13:00.001-07:002017-09-07T16:54:17.924-07:00Garden of ChaosHeihei survived a fox attack, now she takes nobody's flak.<br />
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This is King Snow. He has to go.<br />
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Oh, but he is handsome. On his head, there is a ransom.<br />
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Eggs every day, cooked every way.<br />
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Wisteria finally climbing, such peculiar timing.<br />
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Morning Glory vines compete, wants to cover fence complete.<br />
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In back, thanks to soil so loaming, every which way squash are roaming.<br />
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Squash blossoms curled like fingers, soon suddenly zucchini lingers.<br />
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Mother says, "Quick! Go on, now pick!"<br />
Before too big, get that squash!<br />
We'll take it in and we will wash."<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35468068824/in/dateposted/" title="Garden of Chaos"><img alt="Garden of Chaos" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4323/35468068824_b92ee19e21_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hidden deep we then find, a pure white pumpkin beneath the vine.<br />
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When it comes to all our carrot, we're not so sure we want to share it.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35908793400/in/dateposted/" title="carrots of chaos"><img alt="carrots of chaos" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4318/35908793400_a75b2972bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But zucchini we have way too much, best give to friends for soup and such.<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35908790770/in/dateposted/" title="zucchini bowl"><img alt="zucchini bowl" height="474" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4315/35908790770_4eb25253b8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And now so patiently we wait, for tomatoes red enough to plate.<br />
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And sometimes we all start fights, for who gets carrot-picking rights.<br />
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Oh, here is something I did sprout, to make our beloved sauerkraut!<br />
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The dog looks up and says, "No beef? In this garden full of leaf?"<br />
<br />
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But look! I grew onions right from seed. They have been a pain to weed.<br />
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<br />
Finally tomatoes blush so red, canning salsa lies ahead!<br />
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Infant in all the flora and fauna, buds future eggplant parmigiana.<br />
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<br />
Here a pretty cabbage grew, I captured it with pretty dew.<br />
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If plump and orange this pumpkin plan turn, he will be our jack-o'-lantern.<br />
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Now see how grows our morning glory, this the end of our garden story.<br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cheers,</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><i>Heather</i></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-22212740013872550902017-07-16T21:27:00.001-07:002017-09-25T12:19:19.438-07:00Jalapeño Puff CornAre you ready for the most addictive, amazing, easiest snack you've ever tried?! It's like puffs of toffee with a hint of heat on a melt-in-your-mouth texture.<br />
<br />
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35890339796/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4294/35890339796_0acc376d3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The jalapeño is optional. You can make this without any heat, and it will be just as addictive. There's even a few variations I'll list at the end, because you can really do so much with additional flavors.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So we were visiting a friend at his work recently and we toured a nearby boutique with him because he knew I'd love it, the kind with all the crafty vendors, and on sample was the most AMAZINGLY ADDICTIVE snack I've ever had. I bought two bags. Then we went back a few days later and bought two more bags. But they weren't cheap, and so I realized that if we were going to keep enjoying "crack corn", that I needed to learn to make it myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But believe it or not, this is one recipe that Pinterest hasn't kicked around the world five times over yet. It was a little hard to track down the right way to do it, and no one had recipes that included jalapeños. I had to trial and error it and figure it out myself. So here I go...here's my recipe:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35091448084/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4323/35091448084_2bb988ae1a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even finding the puff corn was a bit tricky at first. This is NOT popcorn. It's like what Pirate's Booty is made out of. But you want to get either plain unflavored, or butter. Either will work just fine. But I couldn't find it at regular grocery stores around here, like our Kroger store. I eventually found two varieties at Walmart. Either Great Value or Chester's. Just don't buy the cheese flavor. Unless you're into that kind of thing...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Also needed is baking soda, butter, jalapeños*, corn syrup, and brown sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35799239071/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4325/35799239071_b650d86b16_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's easy as pie, you just melt 1 cup of butter with 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1 cup brown sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35091444104/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4255/35091444104_8f97325fc8_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you like a hint of heat with your sweet, chop up two jalapeños (seeds discarded of course) and toss that in there too.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35799229891/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4299/35799229891_e7a3bf42c7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This will give you MILD heat. Trust me, it's not much at all. You can even add more pepper flavor by tossing a bit of a green hot sauce in there. It's up to you. I like a lot of heat, but my kids are still sensitive to it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35542755230/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4329/35542755230_0ee698424c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Bring it to a boil and boil for two minutes. When two minutes is up, add in one teaspoon of baking soda and stir it in. It will foam up on you, this is good. This is what we want.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35931315455/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4306/35931315455_7e9362acdd_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Pour it all over the puff corn, which you should have ready in a roasting pan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35799224011/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4299/35799224011_308fe0fa38_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And toss it really well to coat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35890350616/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35890350616_dfce3111e8_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Pop it in the oven at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. IMPORTANT: toss it every 10 minutes or so until it's done. The caramel will drip to the bottom a bit, and pieces left up at the top heat will become darker with a toffee-like finish if it's not well tossed occasionally.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35091428494/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4231/35091428494_5df419043d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When it's done, immediately turn it out onto wax or parchment paper on your counter. It cools quickly, so break up any large pieces stuck together pretty quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35091425974/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4258/35091425974_e537d133fd_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And then watch it disappear.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35122001833/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4254/35122001833_8a9edac82f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;">Or, before it has a chance to disappear, bag it up cute to give it away. I gave it as teacher's gifts at the end of our homeschool enrichment program year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35091451334/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4292/35091451334_a4fa79abc5_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It makes a great gift. In fact, it's better to give it away before you can inhale it all yourself. Because you will, if given the chance. You will.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35799255681/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="360" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4239/35799255681_eb7f6a855b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I mentioned flavor options so here are some I've seen that might be just as yummy as jalapeño!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">- Sea salt, lightly sprinkled on at the end while cooling</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Sriracha, a squirt or two into the melting butter and sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Cinnamon sugar, tossed on at the end</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Maple, syrup or extract added during the melting butter phase</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Toffee, let the stuff bake a little longer, tossing a little less</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Peanut butter, google this, because I know I saw it somewhere</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">OR, just go plain old caramel flavor! It's delicious either way. The crunch combined with the melt-in-your-mouth puff corn is such a treat.</span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-size: large;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35799246011/in/dateposted/" title="Jalapeno Crack Corn"><img alt="Jalapeno Crack Corn" height="480" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4312/35799246011_e2d44e960e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">RECIPE:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">8 oz puff corn {Great Value brand is 4.5 oz/bag, so just shy of two bags is perfect}</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup corn syrup</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2 jalapeño, diced (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">DIRECTIONS:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Pour corn puffs into roasting pan or large oven safe dish.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Melt the butter, sugar, and corn syrup together in a saucepan. Add the jalapeño while melting, and any additional desired hot sauce. Bring to boil and boil for two minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Add baking soda and stir in until combined and foamy. Immediately pour foamy caramel all over puff corn. Toss well to coat as much of the puff corn as possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Bake puff corn in oven for 30 minutes, tossing every ten minutes until done. Pour out onto parchment or wax paper and cool, breaking up large pieces stuck together.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-28038373233111289522017-06-15T23:35:00.000-07:002017-09-07T16:56:23.815-07:00Photography Ambitions<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I am a portrait photographer wannabe.</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34493365474/in/dateposted/" title="Lark & Lola Photography"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Lark & Lola Photography" height="458" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4272/34493365474_0bd8489057_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After our trip to Orcas Island last fall, Justin decided it was time to update our camera. We replaced our trusty old Nikon with a more compact, mirrorless Olympus E-M5MarkII. Three lenses is all I have to work with, but I have my heart set on another one, a Panasonic 42.5mm I tested out last week at Mike's Camera. Doesn't everyone want more bokeh in their life?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34526501153/in/dateposted/" title="Lark & Lola Photography"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Lark & Lola Photography" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4203/34526501153_cb8c2f0cf5_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other day my girlfriend's daughters came to stay with us for a sleepover, and since said girlfriend recently had a birthday, and since I'm always looking for cute kids to hone my photography skills on, I sneaked them over to the Museum of Outdoor Arts at Fiddlers Green to shoot them. With my camera.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hope you don't think it's pretentious of me to add watermarks to my photos already. But I've had people steal my photos and reproduce them before, so for photos going on my blog like these, it's a small deterrent. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34526635933/in/dateposted/" title="violet headshot"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="violet headshot" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4234/34526635933_66c5335065_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not those kids, those kids above are mine. These pretty girls below.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35222571635/in/dateposted/" title="Sisters"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Sisters" height="457" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4274/35222571635_5859c0b597_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I keep looking at their photos and thinking how I could have done more in Photoshop to perfect them. I suppose photography is very much like painting, you can mess with it until the cows come home, but there has to come a moment where you decide, <i>I've done enough</i>.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35222575575/in/dateposted/" title="Sisters"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Sisters" height="457" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4245/35222575575_2c59f2592c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These girls are my kids' besties. And they were SO GOOD about being dragged around and photographed. I say it was a gift for my friend, but really it was a treat for me. I love photographing babies and kids. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35092686891/in/dateposted/" title="Sisters"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Sisters" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4230/35092686891_f255689e88_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, after Justin got our new Olympus, I've been slowly accruing other photography supplies. I have a basic lighting kit. I got Adobe Creative Cloud {basically, ALL the Adobe programs, from Photoshop to Lightroom to Dreamweaver} for an affordable monthly fee {thanks to them recognizing homeschooling families as educators}. I would still like to get some backdrop kits, a light meter, and a couple other lenses, but...</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35092682631/in/dateposted/" title="Sisters"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Sisters" height="457" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4282/35092682631_6f37f074be_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All this to say, I sort of love photography. I have for a while.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35336929495/in/dateposted/" title="Lark & Lola Photography"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Lark & Lola Photography" height="457" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4243/35336929495_0493119531_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But as of now, I'm considering working toward making a little bit of a career out of it. Maybe.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/35297331756/in/dateposted/" style="text-align: left;" title="P6092860"><img alt="P6092860" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4214/35297331756_f277ef689d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Above is the unedited JPEG version of this photo that my camera does automatically, and below is the edited version of the RAW format after I photoshopped it. What do you think? Too much blur?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34493349364/in/dateposted/" title="Lark & Lola Photography"><img alt="Lark & Lola Photography" height="457" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4267/34493349364_bc8bb0c0ec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I just have to master camera settings {I am so left-brain-dead} and more photoshop skills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, finding a decent printer, because Walgreen's and Mike Camera's print services aren't cutting it. I'm thinking of taking classes, if I can find an affordable one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Any tips? Do you think anyone would pay me a beginner's fee for photos like these? <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I do worry about things like colors being off. I just calibrated my computer screen. You should too. Make sure you're seeing things right, you know? That first one at the top is one of my <i>favorites.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy Spring,</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">{Did you know it's still Spring?}</span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-86424921877918718962017-05-17T21:58:00.001-07:002017-09-25T12:19:41.578-07:00Luther<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O_01_Bmn9FA-_2mo9HICweQw93ii-sV5qTDWxQtRDUk9GzxySXJz7qxn2ff4bvNxWpuQ5LtXSxkuQ-HDAU_Ao9S2WksEs0LZ5vb8p4hIzAFm66WO4ZDXcmW3RcTwqgH96irhjf86wTc/s1600/20170517_165224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O_01_Bmn9FA-_2mo9HICweQw93ii-sV5qTDWxQtRDUk9GzxySXJz7qxn2ff4bvNxWpuQ5LtXSxkuQ-HDAU_Ao9S2WksEs0LZ5vb8p4hIzAFm66WO4ZDXcmW3RcTwqgH96irhjf86wTc/s640/20170517_165224.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This morning while the kids were entertaining themselves, I found myself drawn back to my bed to finish waking up {the struggle is real} while I checked out the news and weather. My cat, Luther, was there on the bed. He is pretty much every morning. And night. And day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As I passed him, I reached out to pet him. My heart sank. He was bony skinny, and so suddenly. I swear two days ago he wasn't like that. His collar was loose, his vertebrae protruded and he was weak. The most troubling part, if you know my Luther, is that his meow was pathetic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luther was born almost 13 1/2 years ago to my cat, Luna. I watched him be born in my bedroom. He was in a litter of 3. The other two were blah gray tabbies. But Luther was a dark, almost black tabby. He was huge compared to the other two. And he was LOUD. Right from the start. While the other tiny blind kittens gave pathetic "mews" Luther was alerting the neighborhood with his loud "WAAAH!!!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">He still to this day has a loud, grumpy, whiny "WAAAH!!!!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of the three kittens, I kept Luther. Gave him a fitting name, after the theologian, based on his temperament, and he's been a part of our family ever since. Never gave us a bit of trouble other than a bad attitude and demands for pets every morning. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ8NmrVqrMFVdQ9Bxj1AJqqX7f_JFTFNsJbssFIAP-zxgM91tmTIaNguYavQSBGLa7ppuzozNRKlsLs7mfgUaRPr35Koq2_Ub_H5KktTfEu0RIQzLRVbOjsJZm9AjmfcWu9ZdFdRULD4/s1600/20170322_125939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJ8NmrVqrMFVdQ9Bxj1AJqqX7f_JFTFNsJbssFIAP-zxgM91tmTIaNguYavQSBGLa7ppuzozNRKlsLs7mfgUaRPr35Koq2_Ub_H5KktTfEu0RIQzLRVbOjsJZm9AjmfcWu9ZdFdRULD4/s640/20170322_125939.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I called Justin and told him Luther was wasting away all of a sudden. Justin thought it was because he'd moved their food dispenser up to the counter in the basement laundry room so the dogs would stop raiding it. Maybe Luther hadn't been able to find it for a few days? Sounded reasonable enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So Justin stopped home on his lunch break with fattening wet kitten food and Luther did eagerly eat some and I thought, well that's that! Poor guy was just really hungry and hasn't eaten a proper in a couple days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But as the day dragged on, I began to feel in my gut that something wasn't right. Calories weren't perking my Luther up. Feeling a little silly, I finally did the kids hair and loaded Lu up in his cat carrier and headed off to a new vet everyone has been recommending on Nextdoor. {Our regular wasn't returning my calls.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was pleased with the facility and that they take walk-ins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I won't beat around the bush. The vet asked the basic questions while he palpated Lu's tummy. He then told me he felt a mass in his belly about this {he held his hands up making a baseball sized circle} big and thought it'd be wise to x-ray. I agreed, x-ray away!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj04OA9DnVwFTiHNOonJtvYw603-5TqP1Pm9sqt3KKxZElb0xfyd6gQ3Yg1c5pW4oPJQ5y4ytobJrtrEqYdJD4sEHOaoeuE8NiPJB4b1WcNprQwTjJp-Xl8mI5MRUoToC_elhjx01M7Uk/s1600/20170517_163409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj04OA9DnVwFTiHNOonJtvYw603-5TqP1Pm9sqt3KKxZElb0xfyd6gQ3Yg1c5pW4oPJQ5y4ytobJrtrEqYdJD4sEHOaoeuE8NiPJB4b1WcNprQwTjJp-Xl8mI5MRUoToC_elhjx01M7Uk/s640/20170517_163409.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About 5 minutes later, the vet came back in the room and turned on the computer where an x-ray immediately filled the screen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Well, first of all," the vet said. "The x-ray revealed a pellet in Luther's abdomen."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I tried to make sense of that right away, <i>What's a pellet exactly? An owl pellet? What?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The vet went on to explain, they see this sadly too often. Luther had--at some point in his life, who knows when--been shot by a pellet gun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sadness flooded me. I looked at my sweet cat, resting peacefully on the exam table. <i>Who would do that kind of a thing to someone's pet??? Who treated "my boy" that way???</i> I was so sad. I started to cry. I'd never noticed any injuries on him. Luther knows how to use the dog door, but most of the time he stays inside, content to either eat or sleep on my bed. "Someone shot my cat?" "Yes, at some point. Who knows how long it has been there. Obviously it hasn't caused much trouble and is far enough away to seem unrelated to the mass, so I wouldn't worry about having it removed at this time."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But it got worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The x-ray also revealed a decent sized mass in his abdomen. Near or in his small intestine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I mean, you have to assume cancer. Luther is around 70 years old in cat years. It was probably bound to happen some time, if he lived long enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Justin showed up around this point, off of work now. We had to decide. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do we try and get a better idea of what it is with an ultrasound? But that was $500. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do we assume it is lymphoma and put him on trial drugs or see an oncologist for chemotherapy? But that is such a long shot and expensive and we don't even know exactly what the growth is, and he's 70, so how long will be really be extending his life and what quality will that life be on drugs?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We decided for the option that would give us the most answers. We felt we owed old Lu that much. He's been a part of our family since before our family was founded. Exploratory surgery tomorrow {Thursday}. It's twice the cost of the ultrasound, but still very inexpensive as this popular vet is well known for their low pricing. I've been Googling, and some people say their cat's exploratory surgery cost $3,500-$5,000! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But we'll get more answers. The vet will either be calling me to say the growth was found and successfully removed and we could pick up Luther the next day and await biopsy results, or he'd be calling me before finishing the surgery to tell me it was impossible to remove. The latter would mean I'd be making a decision whether or not to wake Lu back up, or to let him rest in peace and avoid a drawn out death. Luther loves eating. And drawing out a death by cancer in the stomach would mean his life would be void of that one joy that is food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I already know what my answer will be. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiyu2gBISizQK-J8squSAQV1uEfM2xGnUbsdY66uWewPciBZkuC7rkhxewBw-wJhe1iN1PoXu9tAHQ49FI1liyfLgG5D_8yoOiwhUcw3bdxtt6VsW3Xw2-B6MvGjEQ_T1Y6NrhCOMkNs/s1600/20170517_172556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiyu2gBISizQK-J8squSAQV1uEfM2xGnUbsdY66uWewPciBZkuC7rkhxewBw-wJhe1iN1PoXu9tAHQ49FI1liyfLgG5D_8yoOiwhUcw3bdxtt6VsW3Xw2-B6MvGjEQ_T1Y6NrhCOMkNs/s640/20170517_172556.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And either way they will biopsy and test the growth so that we'll know for certain what it is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But still, we're praying that the vet will call after removing the growth, and that maybe Luther might still have a bit more time left to annoy me in the morning with his demands to be pet and have his chin scratched. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just want to leave this, though, with a thought about animal companions that has already been on my mind lately...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was recently studying the life of David in the Bible. David was said to be a man after God's own heart. But David sinned when he took the beautiful Bathsheba for himself, and had her husband killed in battle by putting him on the front lines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">David didn't really feel bad about this until he understood his sin through another man's loss. Just go with me on this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text 2Sam-12-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">2 Samuel 12:1 The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> sent Nathan<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8288B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8288B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> to David.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8288C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8288C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> When he came to him,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8288D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8288D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.</span><span class="text 2Sam-12-2" id="en-NIV-8289" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">2 </span>The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,</span> <span class="text 2Sam-12-3" id="en-NIV-8290" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">3 </span>but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text 2Sam-12-4" id="en-NIV-8291" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">4 </span>“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text 2Sam-12-5" id="en-NIV-8292" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>David<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8292E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8292E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> burned with anger<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8292F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8292F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> against the man<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8292G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8292G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and said to Nathan, “As surely as the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> lives,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8292H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8292H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> the man who did this must die!</span> <span class="text 2Sam-12-6" id="en-NIV-8293" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">6 </span>He must pay for that lamb four times over,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-8293I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-8293I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> because he did such a thing and had no pity.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Anyway, David saw what he'd done, that it was just like what the rich man had done to the poor man and he felt bad about that. But that's not my point. I somehow took comfort, in light of our recent mass animal losses, in reading this and seeing that the Word of God acknowledges our possible bonds to our pets. One might think, it's a sheep in a world of starving hurting people, who cares?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But David cared. And David, remember, was a man after God's own heart. So you can be sure, when you're grieving the loss of a pet, that even though it's just a pet and not a person, <i>God cares</i>. I take comfort in this, yes I do. The Bible does not mock that man when it says that ewe was like a daughter to him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I believe He made companion animals for our benefit and joy. And I'm so thankful for Luther, that he has been my annoying morning companion for so many years.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">He's at the hospital and I'm missing his presence on my bed. I'll miss him in the morning. I feel bad that I used to get annoyed at his head-butting me for attention in the morning. I hope he gets to head butt me again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span></div>
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P.S. The rich man who took and killed the ewe = the person who shot my Lu with a pellet gun.</div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-23609903046818984112017-05-14T19:56:00.002-07:002017-05-14T19:59:08.065-07:00Mother's Day 2017<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34280645070/in/dateposted/" title="Mother's Day 2017"><img alt="Mother's Day 2017" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4181/34280645070_70ec512110_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm not one to make a big deal of "Hallmark Holidays" {thought up by gift industries to obligate us to spend money--and that's the truth, I saw a documentary about it} plus they're not personal like birthdays or anniversaries.<br />
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But I won't lie, today as we finished up a barbecue dinner on our back covered deck, I admired the view of my beautiful kids playing in our new yard so much that I ran for the camera and snapped some photos of them at play, while feeling completely blessed to be their mom. Even if they all had dinner on their shirts and dirty feet. Watching my kids enjoy childhood and their siblings is the greatest blessing on this day.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Happy Mother's Day. </span><br />
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I love these gorgeous girls and their baby brother to the moon and back a thousand times over.<br />
God has been good to me.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b> {Even though it's a concocted ploy to get our monies and we should tell our moms we love them every day.}</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather, the cynic</b></span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-67790757700742626432017-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:002017-09-25T12:19:01.059-07:00More Bad News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VQoZOxo_CPH13nep6vjxTABJmfEg-jjftH8aEC8liU7VjOcyj3bgYlWq3Qsif3yQ6y-KcSMZXGv9KRQr-EfsSqn1TMitWbeEMte9et1yifkKXVirKrJEhEjc35WFghXzqztUpC44y-M/s1600/20170422_112958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VQoZOxo_CPH13nep6vjxTABJmfEg-jjftH8aEC8liU7VjOcyj3bgYlWq3Qsif3yQ6y-KcSMZXGv9KRQr-EfsSqn1TMitWbeEMte9et1yifkKXVirKrJEhEjc35WFghXzqztUpC44y-M/s640/20170422_112958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This hurts to write. I don't even really want to write it. I wish it were a disturbing bad dream, but no.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In my last post I detailed how a fox had taken advantage of our chicken coop not being locked down one night, after the chickens had pecked through a wire on their automatic closing coop door. We'd lost a buttercup, and Pearl was injured.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, the next morning Pearl was also found lifeless in a nesting box. The poor thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So there's two chickens down due to nasty Mr. Fox. Or, most likely, <i>Mrs</i>. Fox, and I'll explain that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This morning Justin woke me up with more sadness. This time it was a lot more devastating. Last week's loss was <i>hard</i>, but this was worse.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We're animal people. We love animals.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I know there's a lot of people out there who cannot have pets for various reasons (i.e. they rent, they have allergies, etc.) but every once in a while I'll meet a person who doesn't just not have pets, they disdain pets and animals. A "friend" actually once threatened to kick my cat because she hated cats. And dogs. That friend is no longer in my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">People like that...I just don't trust them. Not because I want to be nasty, but because my gut tells me people who harbor contempt for animals are just off somehow. In their heart. When I meet these types, which isn't often, my gut tells me, <i>Smile, and back away slowly.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I say that, but I'll also admit that this morning I've been fantasizing about waiting up all night on my back porch with a shotgun, and blowing a fox's head off if he dares to appear in my yard.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week after the fox incident, Justin fixed the coop door. Of course he did. He's also been going out every night to double check that the chickens were locked in and safe. Also, our young hatching chicks that we hatched ourselves this spring. They've been out in their own coop of sorts, the old rabbit hutch. Justin even made them a small temporary run so they've been enjoying going out in the sun during the day. Of course we locked them up at night as well. Of course we did.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In hindsight, however, we were fools to not see the vulnerabilities of the rabbit hutch coop. Our permanent cute yellow coop is raised off the ground, there's no digging into it even if a predator gets into the run {which they can, and do}. We designed the coop to be impenetrable to critters.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There's 6ft fence around the big yellow coop, and Sander dug the fence down several inches to discourage digging from both sides--including our dogs trying to dig into the chicken run and the rabbit, Peter, who lived with the chickens, from digging out. We've taken precautions, see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But the rabbit hutch was not secured in that way. I'm sick with grief.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Simply put, last night a fox easily dug under the bottom of the rabbit hutch, and--we think--one by one took our young hatchlings. Justin got up to open up the coops and found there were no more young chickens left. Not a one.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To make our grief even worse, our rabbit Peter was also dead in the chicken coop run. He was still warm when he was found. Apparently he didn't go into the coop last night {rabbits don't do that on instinct, unlike chickens}. He was unharmed, just dead. We believe he was shocked to death, maybe chased by the evil Mrs. Fox. He'd been through so much. I've been spoiling him lately with lots of treats. I'm glad for that. I'm heartbroken he's gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I said no hatched chicks were found, but...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">By some small miracle, Justin found one of our hatchlings--ONE!--hiding near our trash cans. How she got away and escaped the fox and her rabbit hutch coop unscathed we don't know. We're just glad one of our 9 hatching egg chicks survived this massacre.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We're pretty sure it's a hen. The kids named her Hei Hei {after the chicken from Moana}, but after this morning Justin has renamed her Lucky. We weren't sure if it was better to re-home her with the big chickens, who might bully her due to her size, or put her with the little Rainbow Dixie chicks we splurged on at the feed store a couple weeks back. They're in the garage, safe in a large dog kennel with a heat lamp. Lucky might pick on them...but there's 8 of them and we decided that was a safer place for her. Fortunately, she's not picking on the littles at all, but almost looks like their mamma hen. The chicks have all crowded around her and enjoy her feathered warmth.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBb79WmHgcpTN6G3Ql5ITjbUid-Dt6NAHup17Lgh-nNoQuVB-kCVDTjQqG1fUZyt5cwvXvsT1SclFgUiF0BeaRe7KFX-AYiBaEFC3fWSN1EyqQnKuqGlWU7fy4XQErZb-m8i3onjDmt8/s1600/20170502_101848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBb79WmHgcpTN6G3Ql5ITjbUid-Dt6NAHup17Lgh-nNoQuVB-kCVDTjQqG1fUZyt5cwvXvsT1SclFgUiF0BeaRe7KFX-AYiBaEFC3fWSN1EyqQnKuqGlWU7fy4XQErZb-m8i3onjDmt8/s640/20170502_101848.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lucky and her new Rainbow Dixie babies</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We got the Rainbow Dixie chicks because, honestly, chicken fatalities happen and I wanted to hedge our bets in case all our hatched chickens turned out to be roos. Now I'm glad we did, even if it felt a bit crazy at the time to bring another 8 chicks home. They were 50 cents each and when you bought 6, they threw in 2 more for free.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the last week, we've officially lost 10 chickens. And one sweet rabbit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That hurts to write. It's a hard pill to swallow. My emotions are still all over the place--from intense regret to anger to sadness.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week's loss was hard, but today's was worse. I've been crying.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A couple hours after Justin left for work, I saw my neighbor coming up our walk. I knew why she was coming. We'd gone out front to look for anymore escaped miracle chicks, but hadn't found any. My sweet neighbor was working on raking out her beautiful garden bed when she came accross a buried chicken. A bold fox to bury a chicken in broad daylight in a front yard, and the chicken hadn't stiffened with rigor mortis yet. It was my favorite, the first one to hatch. The lavender Orpington whose birth was witnessed on Facebook live. The fox had buried her for later. I'd already counted her as gone, but again this was incredibly hard to see that gorgeous friendly chicken destroyed like this.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So after Googling a bit I learned that this happens in spring. Foxes can take out whole flocks in one fell swoop this way. Most likely, it is a momma fox who has a den with kits nearby. They are emboldened during this time of life, when they have kits to feed, and are more likely to venture into danger to feed their young. Raccoons aren't known to bury kills for later, but foxes are. Who knows where else in the neighborhood my poor chickens are buried? I'm sick with grief. I feel achy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I wish I could have reasoned with her. I wish I could have talked her into taking a duck or goose from the park, an animal no one would notice missing. I wish I could tell her that these chickens were very special to us. They were the 9 chicks that hatched from our first attempt to incubate eggs. I wish she could have understood that, like her kits, we'd been caring for them lovingly since they took their first breaths. This loss is especially hard because we hatched those chicks, and every one was a survivor, damn it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Damn</i> that fox.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And I've had violent thoughts about that fox all morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then, I remember, she'd just doing what she was made to do. And if I blew her head off, those kits would suffer. Also, I don't have a shotgun. Yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We haven't told the kids yet. I'm avoiding it. It was hard enough last week when we thought we'd just lost one chicken. Eisley stamped her feet and got angry. Which I understood, because anger is a secondary emotion, usually caused by grief or fear or pain. She cursed predators and wished they didn't exist. Sensing a need to curb her inclination to be mad at God about it, I told her that her feelings were completely understandable and valid. But if God didn't allow predators to kill, we'd be overrun with mice and rodents and diseases. I hate spiders, I said, but if God hadn't made spiders we'd have no edible vegetables or fruits and wouldn't even be able to go outside for all the bugs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Still. It stinks when the predators get your beloved pets or livestock. It just plain stinks. And I've cried a lot today over it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And I told my husband that I cannot take another loss like this. We're declaring war on that fox. She'll have to hunt elsewhere because I cannot loose another chicken to her. And we won't be getting another bunny because we've agreed we need to be on a pet decline from here on out. But I'm going to miss seeing that sweet bunny all cute and white and plump and hoppy with his chickens.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In a strange way, I'm jealous of those animal haters. How much easier their lives must be, without the grief that comes with loving and losing pets?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But what is that famous saying...better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The benefits of pets and animals on our wellbeing--mental and physical--are well documented.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week I was consoling myself after losing a chicken {later to be two chickens lost} that at least we still had our hatched chicks and Rainbow Dixies. Today I'm going to a bit more of an extreme to cope with my grief: at least our kids are alive and healthy. Always something to have gratitude about. Always. Grief is best tempered with gratitude.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Justin has ordered<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EAFNFJ8/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"> this</a> to help deter foxes. We'll continue to make sure the coop is locked down each night. We're considering and researching all other possible precautions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fool me once, Mrs. Fox, shame on you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fool me twice, Mrs. Fox, shame on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fool me thrice, Mrs. Fox, I'll be buying that shotgun after all. Don't even think about it. Kits or no kits.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I no longer think foxes are very cute. Vicious beasts, more like it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The loss of my precious hatched chicks we've worked so hard on is not something I'll easily get over. I'm sad, angry, and full of regret.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm so sad. This is something chicken keepers have been dealing with since the beginning of time, foxes are. But still. It hurts.</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-634252839604666632017-04-25T13:17:00.000-07:002017-04-25T13:28:43.377-07:00Sly Fox & Kitten in Danger<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b>This is never a welcome sight to a </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b>chicken keeper.</b></span></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34137431301/in/dateposted/" title="20170425_113227"><img alt="20170425_113227" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2860/34137431301_912c58c17c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Most mornings I get a message from Sander that says, <i>Morning love.</i> But today was just <i>Morning</i>, followed by, <i>I have bad news</i>. It felt like I sat there and watched the <i>Justin is typing...</i> animation for an eternity. The first thought that came to my mind was that something has happened to {his} Grandma. She's 99 and has had a few setbacks lately. But no...he wouldn't give really bad news over Facebook messenger.<br />
<br />
Instead, he told me that at 6 a.m. this morning, he woke to the sound of the dog barking and a chicken squawking. The dogs sleep with us so if they're out in the yard barking while we're in bed, we know something is wrong. But I sleep through most things that aren't the apocalypse.<br />
<br />
So I had no idea he'd jumped out of bed and gone to the backyard, found a bunch of feathers, counted our chickens and realized one was missing, and looked over our neighbors fence just in time to see a fox sprinting away. Then he got ready for work and left us all asleep and unaware of the tragedy in the coop that morning.<br />
<br />
So he told me when I was awake, thanks to the kids and their morning energy. Which I do not have any of. Morning energy.<br />
<br />
He came home for an early lunch break and upon further inspection we found that the silly chickens--to their own detriment--had pecked through the wire on the automatic hydraulic coop door Sander installed this spring. Instead of remembering to manually close and open the coop door at morning and night, he had installed this automatic door operator, on a timer, with a solar panel to power it. Smart guy. But it didn't close last night since the chickens disarmed their own security system. And our chickens were sitting ducks for any predator.<br />
<br />
They will peck at anything that resembles a worm. The door was meant to "lockdown" the coop around sundown, as chickens naturally know to get into the coop as the sun starts to set. Just as they know when it's safe to leave as the sun rises.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33458272733/in/dateposted/" title="20170425_113124"><img alt="20170425_113124" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/33458272733_5268c8fd3d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The fox had made off with one of our Sicilian buttercups. They are/were the last two of our original flock. They are/were beautiful, and the most flighty {meaning they should have been the hardest for a predator to catch}, but any chicken is vulnerable really. Especially without a fierce rooster to protect them. Thank goodness for our dogs, though, who've done a decent job keeping most predators at bay. The night we came home and discovered raccoons sleeping in our nesting box was the one night we'd been away with our dogs!<br />
<br />
Poor Pearl, an Easter egger, also apparently was assaulted by Mr. Fox. We couldn't find any bleeding or brokenness, just a large spot of missing feathers. She is clearly in pain as she's balled up with her head pulled in. Chickens only rest like that when in pain or sleeping. The Sicilian buttercup who survived had to be rescued from the fence by my husband. She'd tried to escape through the wire and had gotten herself stuck, poor thing. They're traumatized. I'll have to spoil them with extra mealworms today.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34137437361/in/dateposted/" title="20170425_112826"><img alt="20170425_112826" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2854/34137437361_b2ddc988ff_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So, you see, we really haven't had the best day. Sander inspected our neighbors yard but all they found was a bunch of feathers that continued down the driveway. So our poor buttercup is long gone. This is the sort of thing you can expect to happen from time to time with chickens, sadly. Even in the city, coyotes and raccoons and foxes abound. Animal husbandry is never a thing for the faint of heart. I was devastated when we lost our first chicken, Big Betty. But over time we've lost a handful and it's a little less sad every time. I guess that's how farmers get used to it. They must become desensitized? It's still hard and sad, especially when you have to tell the kids.<br />
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Doesn't it seem that when you're already having one of these types of days, all the rest of the things follow suit? Yep. As if a million feathers weren't enough to clean up, Paxton decided to color himself a Minecraft skeleton.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34137425121/in/dateposted/" title="20170425_121104"><img alt="20170425_121104" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2832/34137425121_774d62e9a9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Then there's Poe. Our adolescent kitten who's been getting himself into tree trouble. And this isn't the 1950s where you could just call the fire department. {Or so our children's books told us.} We wish our cats wouldn't go outdoors in the first place {with foxes about} but they long ago learned to use the necessary dog door and once they get a taste for the outside...<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/34110970622/in/dateposted/" title="20170425_122443"><img alt="20170425_122443" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4184/34110970622_a02ec377f4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<br />
But he's gotten into tree trouble several times now, and we've always been able to rescue him by getting him far enough down to grab him. Until today. I walked out back to water my sprouts and found the girls ready with a rescue blanket while the cat was, this time, perilously close to the weak ends of the branches. He wanted down, but he couldn't figure out how. So I did what most millenial parents would do, and took a video of the rescue while letting my kids handle things. {heh.}<br />
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He's survived the tops of the tree so many times now that I've become desensitized to this as well, and I honestly did not think he'd fall. But he did! And as you can hear in the video, I apparently found it morbidly humorous. I guess after the morning we've had, all I could do was laugh nervously. The girls obviously didn't hold the blanket tight enough, but I think it helped. He's gone up much higher in the tree, but thankfully this time he was only 10 or 12 feet up. <i>Curiosity killed the cat</i> and <i>cats have 9 lives</i> are truly phrases rooted in truth. No worries, he's walking around perfectly fine. And we're going to have to put one of those metal tree things on so he can't get up there again.<br />
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This video is ridiculous:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/idEH10MuoeA" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Happy trails to you. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather</b></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-89573663129745891002017-03-23T13:15:00.001-07:002017-03-23T13:18:54.423-07:00Floating in RiNo<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453086522/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2900/33453086522_bc4e1dd8db_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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You know how sometimes you mention something you heard about to your spouse and say, "I'd like to try it sometime." But you're not really that serious. So then at Christmas when he gets you a gift certificate for that thing--because of all the hints you dropped for gift ideas throughout the year, this is the one he finds a Groupon for--and so now you're financially obligated to do something outside of your comfort zone? You know how that happens sometimes?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Me too.</span></b><br />
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But doing things outside of our comfort zone can also be good for us. I know this, because it helps with my anxiety disorder. Push yourself, be brave. It's good therapy.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>You know what else is good therapy? Floating.</b></span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453078302/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2934/33453078302_312e0e7b64_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Maybe you've heard it called sensory deprivation therapy, but in 2017 we call it floating therapy.</b></span> Yes, that's what I mentioned to Sander only to be presented with a Groupon to do just that. Bless him.<br />
<br />
I'd read about it back in October--apparently it was popular in the 50s and 60s, but is making a comeback with its new name and <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2014/04/04/floating-away-the-science-of-sensory-deprivation-therapy/#.WNQtXzvyuUk">known benefits</a>--and thought it might be something we could do together while in Washington, just the two of us. But we didn't and I forgot about it until Christmas. I'll admit I put it off a bit until Sander reminded me the Groupon expired at the end of March, so I'd better get my float on.<br />
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So last Friday--St. Patrick's Day--I left <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2017/03/a-brand-new-green-for-st-pattys-day.html">our yard work</a> behind and headed to RiNo. When I got there I thought, <i>I don't know if I can do this.</i> Because RiNo is even more hipster saturated than Highland {aka <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland,_Denver"><i>The Highlands</i> as Colorado noobs call it</a>} and so it was crazy busy and loud on a Friday night. When I was a kid, this area was aka The Ghetto. But alas, Gentrification for the win, it's now River North Art District, or RiNo.<br />
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The Denver native that I am is tempted to be irritated at the gentrification of this area, I don't recognize it as classic Denver, with all these new buildings with murals the hipsters with kids make their fantastically dressed little ones pose in front of for Instagram glory. However, I've been there enough to know it's gentrified blessing, having eaten at both Osaka Ramen and Sugarmill {thanks again, Michael!} Which were some of the best meals I've had in Denver. And then there's the art. You <i>can't</i> hate RiNo. It's a legit part of Denver in its own right. Embrace it. It's New Denver. We all knew this was coming.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/32767060984/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2866/32767060984_8b4a6dccc2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I was thinking, however, as I made myself 15 minutes late to my 90 minute float looking for parking, <i>Why am I doing this? How can anyone relax in the heart of RiNo?! There are people everywhere! It's loud! They're all Instagramming their food and craft beers!</i><br />
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Also, it wasn't easy to find and their two customer parking spaces were taken. Luckily, I finally figured out <a href="http://www.samanafloat.com/">Samana Float Center</a> was located in the middle of this building and found a parking space right in front. I didn't know if I'd be able to float for a full 90 minutes either, so I didn't panic at being a little late.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453080322/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2884/33453080322_afda5f38a7_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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They gave me the upstairs "cabin"--which I would recommend for a first timer for sure over their other option of pods--and explained what to do to enjoy my float.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33569023776/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2916/33569023776_9d3f4a4ebe_z.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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A cabin is basically a room with a shower.<br />
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With a door to a tank. No, this isn't Coraline's door. Nor is it a part of <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2016/09/meow-wolf-house-of-eternal-return.html">Meow Wolf</a>.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33569024196/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2928/33569024196_b3c9cb8ffa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Here's the truth: despite all of my anxiety about floating, when I opened that door and looked in at the water, as soon as I saw it I was eager to get into it. It was definitely inviting.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453088992/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3715/33453088992_588c0af42f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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What's so special about floating? You ask. Why can't I just do this in <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2016/02/our-bathroom-remodel-before-after.html">my awesome bathtub</a> at home? You wonder.<br />
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Remember how I said this is sensory deprivation therapy? Floating is not about bathing, it's about experiencing nothing. That's right. The goal is nothing. Except your thoughts, and even then...<br />
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So they give you beeswax-like ear plugs to keep noise and water out, and they provide petroleum jelly to cover any cuts or scratches you have {do not skip this step!} and towels.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453091492/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2887/33453091492_5e6f6e04d0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Then you get in and you can turn off the light if you want {heck no} or leave it on, a subtly color changing spa light. There's also spa music you can turn on or off. I chose to leave it on. And by music I don't so much mean music but more like...spa chimes. Or something.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The water is kept at exactly body temperature, so you're completely comfortable. They put hundreds of pounds of Epsom salt into the water. The result is like that of the Dead Sea, it's so dense with salt that it's buoyant.</b></span> You can't drown in this even if you fall asleep, and you definitely could fall asleep during your float. I got in and found I couldn't really even sit in it like I would a bath, the water pushed my tush up. So the result is a perfect state of weightless comfort. I would have been here weekly during my pregnancies, if it'd been around back then! You are deprived of all sensory stimulation. You can close your eyes and feel like your body isn't there anymore. Even in RiNo.<br />
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There's so many reasons why this is good for you. First, I'm already a big believer in Epsom salts and I regularly bathe with Epsom salt in my tub. It has many known benefits, such as supplying your body with magnesium--which is a crucial need for those of us with depression or anxiety, most of us are deficient--and magnesium is soaked up easily through your skin. It relieves muscle tension and pain. Floating is great for athletes, I'm sure!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>But I also think the sensory deprivation was great for me because I'm an HSP.</b></span> A what? <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ironshrink/201411/the-difference-between-highly-sensitive-and-hypersensitive">A highly sensitive person. NOT to be confused with hypersensitive, and you can read about the difference here.</a> I have a pretty thick skin and am hard to hurt emotionally, although we all have our emotional Achilles heel, don't we? We do. But no, I'm not hypersensitive, I'm highly sensitive.<br />
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Meaning, if I'm watching a movie and my husband is on the other end of the couch bouncing his foot and I can see it from the corner of my eye, it's the same thing as if he were standing by the TV jumping up and down screaming. I cannot concentrate on the movie with him over there screaming. With his foot. Being an HSP has both pros and cons, like most personality traits. It's a very common personality trait, I'm not trying to sound like a Snowflake here. It is <i>not</i> a disorder or anything to be ashamed of:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">HSPs have relative difficulty filtering sounds and other sensory inputs. They’re especially sensitive to subtle stimuli that other people don’t notice...</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">High sensitivity is a biological predisposition traceable to </span><a class="inline-links topic-link" href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/neuroscience" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(153, 153, 153); color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "DejaVu Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s; word-wrap: break-word;" title="Psychology Today looks at brain">brain</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> structures like the reticular activating system. It has little, if anything, to do with emotional sturdiness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">- Psychology Today (</span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ironshrink/201411/the-difference-between-highly-sensitive-and-hypersensitive" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, "dejavu sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">source</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">)</span></blockquote>
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So if you're like me and can easily be overwhelmed by environmental stimuli, this might be a great getaway for you. It's like going to a quiet place, but to the extreme. <b><span style="color: #45818e;">While I was in the tank, I realized that the last time I have felt this way <i>must</i> have been in utero. </span></b><br />
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Toward the end I enjoyed bouncing between one end and the other, and it was a surreal experience. When I got the momentum of the waves going, it created this sensation of being still for a moment, then caught up in the wave of water back and forth--all these bubbles would roll under me like a back massage and suddenly I'd shoot down to the other end and then the same thing would take me back up again after a pause. I don't even know if that makes sense...just try it if you ever float. It takes the tiniest push to get your body drifting. I felt silly. But I was silly relaxed and at peace.<br />
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And yes, I did take my phone in with me. It's waterproof. And I wanted a connection to the outside world still. Plus, I wanted to blog about this experience.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33453089812/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3776/33453089812_bc198629a6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Going into this experience, I was curious to find out whether or not I'd come away thinking I'd do it again or never again.</b></span> I came away thinking I'd definitely do it again. I also decided to get my husband back, because the next day was his 33rd birthday, and I think he'd enjoy this also. So I got him a gift certificate for a 90 minute float.<br />
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When you're done with your float you shower again {you do so before getting in} and trust me, you'll want to, because that salt really sticks to you! They have a post-float area where you can make yourself a mug of tea and hang out for a while. There's also a fully stocked bathroom with a hair dryer and other amenities. It's a well thought out business.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/32767061584/in/album-72157678421112383/" title="Floating in RiNo"><img alt="Floating in RiNo" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2934/32767061584_d63136cde4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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If you're wondering about sanitation--and believe me, I did, so I researched in advance--let me share what I know. First, salt water is extremely sanitary to begin with. Organisms don't grow in water this salty, that's why it's called the Dead Sea. But also, at the end of your float you hear the filter turn on, and they filter the water <i>three times</i>. Finally, they use UV lights to sanitize. So...it's pretty clean. And my skin felt amazing after!<br />
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I'd definitely recommend Samana in RiNo. And they aren't giving me anything to say that. I'm a creature of comfort, so now that I've had such a nice experience there, it's where I'll return.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>So...what do you think? Have you heard of floating before? Would you try it? </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cheers,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather</b></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-57955762845385077802017-03-17T21:11:00.001-07:002017-03-17T21:24:43.439-07:00A Brand New Green for St. Patty's Day!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!</span></div>
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We're not much Irish. More Scottish. But... <i><u>same thing, right?</u></i><br />
{Warning: NEVER say that to a Scot or an Irishman.}<br />
{Seriously. They will punch you.}<br />
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This post is an update on our backyard. <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2017/02/a-cadbury-coop-koi-pond.html">Remember?</a> We've been "rezoning" it so that now we have a larger chicken run, a fenced and gated garden area, and a yard. I mean, we wanted a LEGIT yard. With grass so healthy, and plush, and beautiful that all summer we'll be barefoot and wandering around our <i>yard</i>. Aimlessly, probably.<br />
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The chickens are ingrates. They are not appreciative of our nice new run for them. They did not send a thank you note for their solar powered coop door that keeps them safe from raccoons at night. They give us the stink eye when we're near, because they still think they should have free range of the yard. Also, mealworms daily.<br />
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But no, chickens. You'll eat our garden and you'll continue to poop on our deck. Which has already been nicknamed the Poop Deck thanks to your lot. So deal with it.<br />
{I love you so much, my feathered babies.}<br />
Yeah, you heard me. DEAL WITH IT.<br />
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We've never laid sod before. But we knew two pallets of it was being dumped on our driveway this A.M. and figured it'd probably be an all day job. So we called in reinforcements who have laid sod beore {my in-laws, because of course. what DIY project haven't they done yet? answer: none.}<br />
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By the time I got home from taking the girls to a Leprechaun-hunting, fun-filled day at their enrichment school, they had already unrolled beautiful plush sod out on about half of our new lawn.<br />
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{Turns out, it doesn't take that long. Also, it is <i>highly</i> satisfying to roll new grass out like rugs and see your dirt transformed by a new and improved <i>INSTA-LAWN</i>!}<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>So, you see: we did more than just WEAR green this year for St. Patrick's day. We one-upped you and we <i>installed</i> *A* green this St. Patty's Day. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>*feels smug like a leprechaun*</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>*realizes no one in this photo is wearing green*</b></span><br />
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Although...it's still <i>technically </i>winter in Colorado. So by green...I mean...err? Chartreuse?<br />
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Straw?<br />
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Ugly yellow?<br />
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Oh whatever!!! The point is. The point is this. <i>This year</i> I will step right off by deck into lovely plush sod instead of compacted, lumpy, strange grass from the 1950s. And it <i>was</i> weird! Curly, and short, more like moss. It didn't spread like good [coughcough genetically engineered coughcough] grass should.<br />
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Our new turf is a Texas x Kentucky blue grass hybrid that is exactly as a Colorado transplant should be: cool with an arid climate, partial to shade, drought tolerant, and self heals nicely. Please inform your friends who've recently moved to Denver. All 8 billion of them. And their dogs.<br />
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The ingrates <i>were</i>, however, thankful for the scraps we tossed them.<br />
And the donut Paxton didn't finish.<br />
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And after my husband's do-it-yourself parents had left and we stood, beholding our new, healthy 2017 turf, I said to my husband, "I have wanted this for three years. I now <i>love</i> my yard."<br />
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And he said, "Good."<br />
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Because he's not long-winded. Like some bloggers I know. <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ಠ_ಠ</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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So now we need to protect our investment from the kids for a few weeks while this sod takes root to our backyard farmette.<br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/33346032372/in/dateposted/" title="St. Patty's Day 2017"><img alt="St. Patty's Day 2017" height="180" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3886/33346032372_904bd8f905_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/32658787304/in/dateposted/" title="St. Patty's Day 2017"><img alt="St. Patty's Day 2017" height="180" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3905/32658787304_17f2faa72b_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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But we did have several rolls of earth rug left over. So we decided to take my father-in-law's advice...<br />
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And we did away with the eyesore, the wild rose bed in our front. We left room by the brick wall for those bleeding hearts and lily of the valley to still spring up {every year, bless}. And good thing, since we <i>barely</i> had enough sod to do so.<br />
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And now: the challenge of keeping these pesky pups off our new turf for a few weeks.<br />
Look at Cocoa, sticking her tongue out at me. They're not happy about it.<br />
{Do you recognize this cornhole game from Eisley's<a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2009/08/eisley-first-birthday-party.html"> <i>first birthday party</i> that had an Alice in Wonderland theme?!</a> Still have it!}<br />
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So there you have it.<br />
We <strike>greened</strike> <span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b>chartreused </b></span>harder than you this St. Patrick's day!<br />
Go pinch yourself. ;-)<br />
{Gently.}<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cheers,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Heather</b></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-57820021862767958402017-02-28T12:18:00.001-08:002017-02-28T13:15:04.111-08:00A Series of Unnecessary Events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I posted a bit of a sanctimonious rant on Facebook today. I know, I know.<br />
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I know. I tend to do that.<br />
<br />
Upon further reflection of the issue I recalled an incident from a few years back and thought I'd share the experience. It's part of what has shaped my inner mother bear.<br />
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We were living in our little white rental house, which was a picket fence and stone's throw away from the public elementary school. That elementary school noise was the bane of my existence during those three years of renting there. But on weekends it was delightfully quiet and so we'd skip across the road and play on the playground, which we usually had all to ourselves.<br />
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Paxton was a fairly new baby which means Violet was about three, and Eisley somewhere around five. We had the playground all to ourselves that morning for just about 15 minutes before a woman arrived with her two sons, who looked about 6 and 8 if I had to guess. It was obvious they attended school there. Mom was engrossed in talking to someone on her cell phone.<br />
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Now, there's not judgement there, not yet. I've gotten looks myself in a Chick-Fil-A if I spend 5 minutes looking at my cellphone while my kids eat. I don't judge other parents when I see them do this because I spend 24/7 with my kids. I homeschool them, I'm with them all the time. I always drop my screen to answer questions immediately. But I have no guilt spending minutes on my phone at lunch if my kids are otherwise involved with lunch/playing/talking to each other. I mean, there are 1,440 minutes in a day. How can you judge a parent by watching them for just 20 of those? But I digress.<br />
<br />
All was well and the boys took an interest in my girls who'd been playing on the jungle gym happily. I'm not always a hover mom, but when kids I don't know join mine on a playground, I will hover then, to protect my kids and to protect others <i>from my kids</i>. A little while later, another set of brothers joined us. They were black, which I mention only because it comes up later, you'll see. Their mother and her friend left them to play, and then went to the far side of the school yard where the basketball courts were. They plopped down at a picnic table chat and left their boys to play with their friends.<br />
<br />
While my girls were mostly disinterested in the boys, the boys did seem to try and play with my girls. They were polite, I thought, and being nice to my girls. But I still hovered because I don't trust people I don't know. Honestly. I don't. For good reason, I think you'll see.<br />
<br />
Now after a while, with white mom still very engaged with her cell phone convo about 15 feet away, I was standing directly below Violet and Eisley--making sure they wouldn't tumble off where the fireman's pole was {how their mama broke her arm when she was 5} when I heard the older white boy say something so shocking my jaw dropped open. Right in front of me, to Violet, he said,<br />
<br />
"I'm going to take your diaper off and touch your private parts."<br />
<br />
Before I could recover from my shock and sort out whether that legit just came out of his mouth <i>right in front of me</i> {was he having a brain fart, or was he an especially unwise kid?} he said it again! Again, as if he was expecting a response,<br />
<br />
"I'm going to take your diaper off and touch your private parts."<br />
<br />
<i>To my three year old. </i>White boys were smiling because they found this all very funny, black boys looked as shocked as I was.<br />
<i><br /></i>
I believe in kindness and gentleness and not losing your cool. Patience is something I've had to work on, as well as my temper. I was a different mom even just a few years ago, however. Plus, I am a mother bear at heart. The quickest way to flip my Jekyl/Hyde switch is to mess with my kids.<br />
<br />
Switch was flipped.<br />
<br />
I <i>yelled</i> at this boy in my roughest, ugliest bark, "HEY! You don't EVER talk to girls that way!!! Do you understand me!!??!? That is SO inappropriate!!! YOU GOT THAT?!"<br />
<br />
And then I swung around, prepared to fight the other mama bear. But she was on her cell phone 15 feet away, conversation ongoing. <i>What the heck?!</i> Okay, NOW I was judging that mom. If a stranger was screaming at my kids a few steps away...I'd hang up the dang phone and probably ask her what her damage was. Through her sunglasses, I couldn't tell if she was looking at us or not, but she certainly was facing our direction. In hindsight, it occurs to me that she might have thought I was yelling at <i>my </i>kids that way. But at the time, it didn't occur to me and I was feeling resentful that she hadn't been there to parent her own kid and so here I was doing it. And not so gently. Either way, it ticked me off that she was totally oblivious.<br />
<br />
Switch flipped again.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me!"<br />
<br />
She pulled the phone away from her ear.<br />
<br />
"Do you know what your son just said to my <i>toddler?!" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I told her. Also I told her how repugnant that was to hear come out of a child's mouth and a few other thoughts. I was livid that anyone would threaten my daughter in such a vile, violating way.<br />
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"What? I don't think so, not my son. Did you say that? [Boys shook their head.] No. It must have been <i>those boys</i>."<br />
<br />
She pointed at the two black brothers. The boys who'd been disinterested in my kids, clearly wanted to play with their friends more than my girls. The boys who were polite enough to be shocked when their friend made a disgusting, pervy comment. The boys who also happened to be black, they were now falsely and unfairly accused of something despicable by an adult. It hurt me to see. I cringed, maybe visibly, but certainly inwardly as well. <br />
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And I could not help but think to myself, <i>Why <b>"must"</b> it have been those boys??? Because they're black? </i><br />
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I can not tell you if race motivated her accusation because I can't read minds and for all I know it might have been her pathetic response if two white girls were standing there instead, but I did feel it was a hugely inappropriate response. Not only was she calling me a liar, she was unfairly accusing two kids who probably have grown up with at least some form of racial prejudice already. I cannot know what it's like, but I can only <i>imagine</i> I'd be sensitive to false accusations if I also grew up experiencing racism.<br />
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I honestly did not know whether it would help those boys or hurt them to hear me counter, "Why?! Because they're black?!" So I didn't. But I had their backs, and I told her I was <i>right there</i> when her precious innocent darling verbally sexually assaulted my toddler. That he said it twice. Right in front of me like some little idiot. {Idiotic indeed, but no name-calling took place in real time. I did not call her son an idiot, although I was thinking it.}<br />
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White mom was not as combative as I was and so we left quickly after exchanging a few more pathetic words. Hopefully that little dude will think twice before saying something like that to a girl again. And honestly, that sort of speech is a red flag to me. Either there's been sexual inappropriateness in that kid's life OR he's still curious about the opposite sex and his parents aren't the types to, you know, teach them social manners.<br />
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People love to tell me how socially awkward my homeschooled children will be. Right. Well, that's a ill-researched stereotype, first of all. But if sending my kids to public school means they'll be exposed to this sort of unwanted talk from kids on the playground--probably when a teacher is NOT right there to hear it--I'm pretty glad I'm sparing my kids that sort of social experience homeschool critics insist is so important. No thanks!<br />
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Now, I know there will be some people just as shocked as I, but there are also who take a "boys will be boys" attitude toward this incident. Kids are curious. It's normal. Blah blah blah.<br />
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Well. I disagree. Wholeheartedly.<br />
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I say this as someone who, as a teenager, had an adult man basically scream the same thing {in so many words} at me and my mother during a road rage incident. It was awful. One of the worst moments of my life, waiting for that red light to change so we could escape hearing about how he was going to take our pants off and...you don't need to hear the rest. But it still to this day is the #1 worst memory of my entire life.<br />
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No. I'm sorry some think so little of boys. Boys are perfectly capable of being taught to control themselves and their words. We insult them with this "boys will be boys" attitude. They are capable of learning and employing self control. We do them no favors by rolling our eyes and shrugging our shoulders when they choose to act like little idiots toward girls. Please. I won't have it. Don't defend it. Not my son.<br />
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There've been other incidents too, with boys. And my girls are <i>homeschooled</i>. I'm currently trying to decide whether or not a boy at our homeschool enrichment school on Fridays is crossing the line or not. Hard to say, I'm not there. At best, he can't keep his pinching hands or cheek kisses to himself...I can see how some might think it's endearing when he says he is "going to marry" my daughter. At worst, it's teaching my girls how to expect to be treated and I don't like that.<br />
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Good thing they have a good daddy who takes them on daddy-daughter dates and proactively shows them how a man should treat women. I was raised being told that aggression from boys on the schoolyard is how we know boys like us. Don't you agree this is dangerous? To teach girls to expect aggression as a form of fondness?<br />
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No. That's pretty messed up when you think of it.<br />
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So, today I posted this to Facebook:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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I'm preemptively teaching Paxton to keep his hands to himself, his lips off girls cheeks, and that being playfully aggressive toward girls isn't how we show we like them. Because I shouldn't have to--but have been forced to--teach my daughters how to handle unwanted kisses, touches, and that they don't have to put up with being repeatedly pinched by boys who also tell them they want to marry them.
It's like some parents WANT their sons to have a run-in with a mama bear or something. 😒 You're not doing him any favors if you don't talk to your son about these things, whether you think your darling is capable of such behavior or not.
</blockquote>
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I would also like to say, that Violet has insisted for months that she doesn't want to marry, and wants to live with us when she grows up. I said the same thing at her age, so I don't expect her to keep that promise. But I can see how being told by a boy she IS going to marry him one day is bothersome.<br />
<br />
We talk to our kids. We talk about private parts. We talk about gentle touching with animals and friends. We talk about keeping our hands to ourselves. We talk about talking about inappropriate topics and how to avoid them. We talk about all these things so as to teach our children, so as to protect them and others. AND YOU SHOULD TOO, with your kids. For everyone's sake.<br />
<br />
True social awkwardness doesn't come from homeschooling. It comes from inept parenting.<br />
That's that.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Heather aka Fierce Mama Bear</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-75420971533618042812017-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:002017-02-12T19:01:34.269-08:00A Cadbury Coop & Koi Pond<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Hi.</i></span> What I'm about to show you isn't all pretty...you were warned.<br />
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It's been almost three years since we moved in and Justin built this cute little coop for our chickens. We've had a lot of home projects since then, such as remodeling our main bathroom, but we've set our sights on a new project for 2017. And that would be: making our backyard less...dumpy.<br />
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Seriously, friends, it needs some TLC, our backyard does. In every way. And we have plans and dreams. Or at least, my husband does. Back by our cherry tree, he wants to do a pond this spring. A POND. Which he's done before, actually. Just not for us.<br />
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And he wants KOI. For the POND. I'm a little...I don't know...whelmed at the thought of all this. But at least we agree on this: the coop, raised garden beds, and new sod are all a priority over a pond at the moment.<br />
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So Sander, my husband, placed a big order to be delivered with Home Depot this weekend. And it was really upsetting because they were supposed to deliver at 11 a.m. yesterday, and instead they showed up--after a lot of phone calls--at 4:30 p.m.! Also, they delivered round posts, when Sander ordered square posts. Then the post hole digger he purchased broke the moment he tried to use it so we had to return to Home Depot ourselves for a new one.<br />
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Are you drunk, Home Depot? Yeesh.<br />
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So we're building a larger run for the chickens. Who barely lay eggs anymore because they're OLD BITTIES! And we've sent for hatching eggs this year so we can hatch our own chickens!! Which means we've also sent away for an incubator. This should be interesting. We're going to have tons of chicks {if they hatch} as we ordered a dozen rare breed hatching eggs and a dozen lavender Orpingtons. We will not keep them all. We'll sell/give away extras or perhaps...send some to a butcher, because in case you don't remember, <a href="http://www.lastdayago.com/2015/06/regarding-henry.html">roosters are sort of hard to get rid of</a>. Which I don't like the idea of, but then our butchered chickens would certainly live better short lives than the ones we buy at King Soopers have, if I'm being honest here. But hopefully by late summer we'll be getting more than an egg a day. Freeloaders...<br />
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It's not just a chicken coop anymore anyway. It's a chicken bunny coop. Maybe we should call it a Cadbury coop? Did you know, it turns out, rabbits can live happily with chickens? They also thrive on chicken feed. A Google showed me that lots of chicken keepers do it. Peter had to be neutered, however, because he considered himself a chicken Casanova. It was...BOCKward! Lel.<br />
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So this weekend was LOVELY weather here in Denver {I hear some folks around the country are getting snow dumps right now?} And so we worked on the ugly yard.<br />
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I even made the kids turn off their Minecraft games and come help. Cheap child labor.<br />
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So while Sander dug post holes and filled them with new posts and cement to create a new, nicer, larger chicken run, the kids and I {mostly just I} built some raised garden beds.<br />
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Because I also spent about $15 on seeds for veg and flora {my British audiobooks have been rubbing off on me} at lame Home Depot and by golly, I plan to get my money's worth this year. In the form of cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce.<br />
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So while it's ugly now, I hope--with some luck, child labor, and stupid Home Depot to supply us--that in a couple months I'll be able to show you a rejuvenated yard. With new green, plush grass because our 1950s yard is compacted, lumpy, and has been obliterated by scratching hens, kids, puppies, and whatnot. With a cleaned up, fixed up little chicken coop. With garden beds teeming with veg and flora, oh ho fancy that, a spiffing proper English garden, yeah? And maybe even...I can't believe I'm saying this but when Sander gets a project in his head he obsesses until it comes to fruition...a KOI POND.<br />
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By jove, but that brown spot could use some jolly good aquatic love now, couldn't it?<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Pip pip,</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Heather</i></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-67418811869753793052017-02-01T12:28:00.001-08:002017-09-25T12:06:49.050-07:00Visiting Seattle Again<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30170968273/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5671/30170968273_2eae6c65fd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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We took an early Saturday morning ferry back to Anacortes. There were islands to behold, sailboats, ferries and majestic mountains. Sadly, the one thing I wanted to see, we did not. I had hoped to see an orca, but most pods have left the area by this time of year.<br />
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It's much less unsettling to take a ferry during daylight hours.<br />
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Fascinating stuff to a landlocked state dweller. The sea air does rude things to my hair, but it is good for my body. I can tell.<br />
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My friend, Meghan, said we should stop for a muffin at The Store in Anacortes. Best muffins ever, she said.<br />
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She was right. And I'm not even much of a muffin person. {Always listen to the locals!}<br />
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We were really excited to see Meghan {my college roommate} and her husband, Ryan, later that day. But we stopped at the most touristy place you can find in Seattle besides the Space Needle.<br />
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Pike Place Market is a MUST when you visit Seattle.<br />
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Seattle, do you know how lucky you are to get these floral bouquets for $8-$15 any time you want? In Denver, these would start at $30 and go up from there.<br />
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Since I was last here, I see they've added ornamental lettuce to their arrangements. I love it!<br />
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Let it be known I'm only posting 1% of the dozens of photos I took of these flowers that day.<br />
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We also stopped at the first ever Starbucks, right there at Pike Place, where there was a line out the door and down the street a bit. I picked up a You Are Here mug for Pike Place.<br />
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This place, called the Harbor Steps, between two skyscrapers, after dinner at McCormick's, is where Sander proposed to me in September 2002. We were babies back then. But we knew what we wanted and what was inevitable too, so why put off a marriage you know is going to happen? Seattle, you see, is a part of our story.<br />
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How I wished we could have driven another 40 minutes on I-5 down to Tacoma to see our old stomping grounds and other friends who've moved there, but we were already packing a lot into this trip. The fall colors in Seattle were just as beautiful as they were on Orcas Island.<br />
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We drove to Bellevue and headed into the hills where Meghan and Ryan have a stunning home with equally stunning views.<br />
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You can see downtown Seattle, the Puget Sound, and airplanes and clouds at eye level from their amazing view. Breathtaking! And this photo doesn't do it justice, because the human eye is a much better beholder.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30196732383/in/album-72157672558686253/" width="640"></a><span style="color: black;">Meghan and Ryan showed us around their amazing home, popped open a bottle of wine for us, and then took us to Salty's for dinner. From Salty's, you can see downtown Seattle in all of its nighttime glory from across the sound. Can you spot the Space Needle?</span><br />
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We could hear seals barking.<br />
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Justin and I thought we'd head back and let Meghan and Ryan get back to their lives, but instead they drove us all around Seattle to see some things up close. I had the best time!<br />
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And I finally got to cross the Fremont Troll off my Seattle bucket list. This guy made an appearance in 10 Things I Hate About You {only my favorite teen movie of the 90s} and I'd wanted to see him ever since. His eye is a hubcap, and he is clutching a VW Beetle he just snatched right off the road under the bridge. Extra creepy points for meeting him at night, am I right?<br />
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Meghan and Ryan, it was really good to see your faces again, and to finally see your lovely house!<br />
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Visiting with them and finally getting to see their gorgeous home was a very sweet ending to a really special trip.<br />
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In the morning all we had time for was to rush to the airport in the jukebox on wheels of a car, and grabbed breakfast at Beecher's {another places the locals rave about} for a breakfast sandwich. I was sad to leave, but REALLY EXCITED to see my babies!!!!<br />
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Next time you're in Seattle, there's a Beecher's at both Pike Place and the SeaTac Airport.<br />
You're welcome.<br />
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Woohoo! I got a window for the flight back.<br />
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Goodbye, Seattle. We love you. We'll be back, next time with the kids.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">Cheers,</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-39030102646471933982016-11-13T22:15:00.001-08:002017-09-25T12:07:10.554-07:00Orcas Island <span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Now our day on Orcas Island!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Eastsound, the main town on Orcas Island. If you follow Gilmore Girls, this is like the Pacific Northwest's version of Stars Hollow. Except on an island.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So we left the darling bed & breakfast cottage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hopped in the Mini. {Isn't she cute?}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And drove a few minutes to Eastsound. First we looked at it from the outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While I'm disappointed I never saw a whale {orca pods usually move on by this time of year, only a couple stick around} I got to see a happy starfish! Do you see that orange thing in the middle? Exciting stuff for landlocked state dwellers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no chain restaurant or store in Eastsound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which is wonderful. Just local joints.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like Darvill's Bookstore. The owner learned we were from Denver, and immediately praised our well-loved bookstore, The Tattered Cover, telling us, "That store has done great things for our industry!" Proud moment. And small world, eh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love small town shopping. Especially when you can browse books and see the ocean at the same time.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171092503/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5732/30171092503_022d510be4_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I contemplated us moving here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They even have an Episcopal church with Lutheran services. Hmm...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chimayo?! Been there!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Random wheel barrel of pumpkins in an alley. Because what else do small seaside towns have to put in their alleys?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717673471/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5619/30717673471_f37d8aae77_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But anyway, we couldn't spend too much time shopping because we'd heard there were some other things to marvel at on the island. So we hit the road.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884105281/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5737/30884105281_e1f5c84c7d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And headed for Moran State Park. Moran was a Seattle mayor way back when who got sick and was dying, came to Orcas Island. Long story, but he had to get the state to accept this treasured land from him for all to enjoy. I'm grateful he did. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769757576/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5643/30769757576_38c8f315bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The drive up is just full of stunning, picturesque views. You could see ferries in the distance, and birds of prey swooping around. No wonder the Native Americans treasured this part of the country so. </span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30670864620/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5641/30670864620_a27a021241_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Either you're looking out toward the sea, or in at the lush forest.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336685749/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5567/25336685749_f8d4721774_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What the locals insist on you doing on Orcas Island is going to the top of Mount Constitution. This mountain is 2,400 ft. My hometown sits at more than twice that elevation. Sort of crazy to think about. It's a 4 mile hike up, or a nice drive. On the top is an old stone lookout tower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769746686/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5803/30769746686_ef122453f4_z.jpg" width="481" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's Mount Baker in the distance. Let's get a closer look...</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/22793648408/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5348/22793648408_76a43fdf0a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Closer!</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936986356/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5569/30936986356_e0d05b6000_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See how blessed we were to go on a relatively clear day? Below, with our telephoto lens, we captured multiple Canadian cities. This photo was taken by Sander on the top of the tower, using our telephoto lens, directed what must have been hundreds of miles away. You can see both America and Canada from this point. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336695019/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5729/25336695019_685dcdb860_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we drove some more and parked, and ventured into the forest. Because I wanted to.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806159815/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5618/30806159815_0e03d1c61c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wonder what made this tree fall?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806150925/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5710/30806150925_3c5b3e5106_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The underside was gnarly.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171062683/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5471/30171062683_4bdc17421b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And everything on Orcas Island is covered in moss. Fallen trees give way under your feet. So different than our Rocky Mountains, which are rugged, dry, and hard.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171064583/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5828/30171064583_dfeabbef02_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806160485/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5601/30806160485_fc140049bf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other thing we wanted to see on Orcas Island was Cascade Falls.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336680999/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5794/25336680999_7a4aa981f0_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, you pass Rustic Falls. See how the fall colors were in their full glory during our trip? Bless.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936974656/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5466/30936974656_3f44aafd52_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was at about this point that I was thinking to myself, "<i>Yes!</i> Thank you Justin for taking me here! Thank you for making me do this! I needed this!"</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30670817960/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5624/30670817960_60d946f469_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was so, so good for my soul.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769726786/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5451/30769726786_b1d34c2f90_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5640/30769724186_a5774900ff_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30174639074/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5649/30174639074_b4498a85a7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171046803/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="800" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5465/30171046803_e9e0524b35_c.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we spotted Cascade Falls. And we made our way down, over a bridge, and under some moss covered trees to get a closer look.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769720046/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5703/30769720046_82e9fbd7a1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769717486/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5471/30769717486_a6451754ed_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a 360 shot which doesn't translate well on my blog, but I'm including it to show you that I crossed that fallen tree bridge by myself, and bravely, to get closer to the falls. I wasn't scared of falling. Maybe when you have an anxiety disorder, it's good to get out and regularly push yourself to surpass it?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171030293/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="94" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5681/30171030293_ae3451d1e5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769715436/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5702/30769715436_ff89ebb90e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Needing a late lunch at that point, we hiked back to the car and started searching for a place.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769759976/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5762/30769759976_baa9fafa4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We found ourselves in, not a town, but a community named Olga. It didn't look promising for lunch, and we figured we'd have to head back to the other side of the horseshoe-shaped island.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717686321/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="800" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5543/30717686321_dfa73daaa7_c.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But as Sander drove, I spotted a sign with the word <i>cafe</i>. So we pulled in, not knowing what to expect.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171011113/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5806/30171011113_0517c156f3_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the best sort of vacation experience, friends. When you're hungry and confused, and find some random joint in the middle of nowhere, and decide to try it.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717685141/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="450" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5727/30717685141_1b3befa18e_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Only to have it turn out to be one of <i>the best vacation lunches you've ever had. </i></span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884074721/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5327/30884074721_d42377f865_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The service was amazing. The potato salad was amazing. The sandwich was amazing. The butternut squash soup was amazing. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936969336/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5604/30936969336_bc12148f31_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the raspberry macarons were amazing. If you should ever find yourself on Orcas Island, plan for lunch at the Catkin Cafe. Amazing. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884067901/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5454/30884067901_d6b8579944_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And to think we just happened upon it in the middle of the island, with no signs of life from the outside, only to find several chefs at work out in the open, an amazing menu, and locals living it up on the inside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We tooled around some more, seeing a beach, checking out a couple graveyards, ending up lost in a YMCA camp, and snooping around island neighborhoods while scheming about how we could move there and be happy. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717677681/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5694/30717677681_fdb41609d7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We think.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30937008816/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5481/30937008816_aef6e49ceb_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eventually we made our way back to the French couple at our bed & breakfast, because we'd ordered dinner: salmon in puff pastry, filet steak, a divine salad with a savory sort of French style of dressing <i>I need</i> to recreate, and a dessert of chocolate and pears. </span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30170996663/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5639/30170996663_30d673b77b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We made use of our cottage's hot tub. I saw a shooting star. We both saw lots of stars. then woke up early to have some baked brie in puff pastry for breakfast {oh to be French!} before our host and chef not-unkindly kicked us out because he felt it was his duty to <i>make sure</i> we caught our ferry on time. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30795187486/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5760/30795187486_1b0a257578_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note to self: start figuring out puff pastry. The French know what they're doing with food.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">And on to Seattle...</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-17098470142411811892016-11-13T22:15:00.000-08:002017-12-22T22:01:42.565-08:00Orcas Island <span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Now our day on Orcas Island!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Eastsound, the main town on Orcas Island. If you follow Gilmore Girls, this is like the Pacific Northwest's version of Stars Hollow. Except on an island.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30174728884/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5672/30174728884_e30734aa5d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So we left the darling bed & breakfast cottage.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689299532/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5563/30689299532_00bddedc73_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hopped in the Mini. {Isn't she cute?}</span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689290452/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5560/30689290452_9e5feb87d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And drove a few minutes to Eastsound. First we looked at it from the outside.</span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171098523/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5644/30171098523_88c7c3b2ab_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While I'm disappointed I never saw a whale {orca pods usually move on by this time of year, only a couple stick around} I got to see a happy starfish! Do you see that orange thing in the middle? Exciting stuff for landlocked state dwellers.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689291972/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5681/30689291972_33dfc2db53_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no chain restaurant or store in Eastsound.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336710159/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5608/25336710159_d697ff793b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which is wonderful. Just local joints.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30855935652/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5321/30855935652_eee99522bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like Darvill's Bookstore. The owner learned we were from Denver, and immediately praised our well-loved bookstore, The Tattered Cover, telling us, "That store has done great things for our industry!" Proud moment. And small world, eh?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30972406165/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5689/30972406165_1112e6d08a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love small town shopping. Especially when you can browse books and see the ocean at the same time.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171092503/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5732/30171092503_022d510be4_z.jpg" width="480" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I contemplated us moving here. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884058271/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5697/30884058271_b231ffcb46_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They even have an Episcopal church with Lutheran services. Hmm...</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717663731/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5758/30717663731_0ab820f414_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30505324210/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5582/30505324210_5195ef97b8_z.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chimayo?! Been there!</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884126441/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5704/30884126441_06b643ea6c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717670301/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5676/30717670301_bb1db08fd2_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689226942/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5612/30689226942_c9c3947e0d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Random wheel barrel of pumpkins in an alley. Because what else do small seaside towns have to put in their alleys?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717673471/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5619/30717673471_f37d8aae77_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But anyway, we couldn't spend too much time shopping because we'd heard there were some other things to marvel at on the island. So we hit the road.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884105281/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5737/30884105281_e1f5c84c7d_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And headed for Moran State Park. Moran was a Seattle mayor way back when who got sick and was dying, came to Orcas Island. Long story, but he had to get the state to accept this treasured land from him for all to enjoy. I'm grateful he did. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769757576/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5643/30769757576_38c8f315bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The drive up is just full of stunning, picturesque views. You could see ferries in the distance, and birds of prey swooping around. No wonder the Native Americans treasured this part of the country so. </span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30670864620/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5641/30670864620_a27a021241_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Either you're looking out toward the sea, or in at the lush forest.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336685749/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5567/25336685749_f8d4721774_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What the locals insist on you doing on Orcas Island is going to the top of Mount Constitution. This mountain is 2,400 ft. My hometown sits at more than twice that elevation. Sort of crazy to think about. It's a 4 mile hike up, or a nice drive. On the top is an old stone lookout tower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769746686/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5803/30769746686_ef122453f4_z.jpg" width="481" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's Mount Baker in the distance. Let's get a closer look...</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/22793648408/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5348/22793648408_76a43fdf0a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Closer!</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936986356/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5569/30936986356_e0d05b6000_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See how blessed we were to go on a relatively clear day? Below, with our telephoto lens, we captured multiple Canadian cities. This photo was taken by Sander on the top of the tower, using our telephoto lens, directed what must have been hundreds of miles away. You can see both America and Canada from this point. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336695019/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5729/25336695019_685dcdb860_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we drove some more and parked, and ventured into the forest. Because I wanted to.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806159815/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5618/30806159815_0e03d1c61c_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wonder what made this tree fall?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806150925/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5710/30806150925_3c5b3e5106_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The underside was gnarly.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171062683/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5471/30171062683_4bdc17421b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And everything on Orcas Island is covered in moss. Fallen trees give way under your feet. So different than our Rocky Mountains, which are rugged, dry, and hard.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171064583/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5828/30171064583_dfeabbef02_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806160485/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5601/30806160485_fc140049bf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other thing we wanted to see on Orcas Island was Cascade Falls.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/25336680999/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5794/25336680999_7a4aa981f0_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, you pass Rustic Falls. See how the fall colors were in their full glory during our trip? Bless.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936974656/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5466/30936974656_3f44aafd52_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was at about this point that I was thinking to myself, "<i>Yes!</i> Thank you Justin for taking me here! Thank you for making me do this! I needed this!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30670817960/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5624/30670817960_60d946f469_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was so, so good for my soul.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769726786/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5451/30769726786_b1d34c2f90_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30174639074/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5649/30174639074_b4498a85a7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171046803/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="800" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5465/30171046803_e9e0524b35_c.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then we spotted Cascade Falls. And we made our way down, over a bridge, and under some moss covered trees to get a closer look.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769720046/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5703/30769720046_82e9fbd7a1_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769717486/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5471/30769717486_a6451754ed_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a 360 shot which doesn't translate well on my blog, but I'm including it to show you that I crossed that fallen tree bridge by myself, and bravely, to get closer to the falls. I wasn't scared of falling. Maybe when you have an anxiety disorder, it's good to get out and regularly push yourself to surpass it?</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171030293/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="94" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5681/30171030293_ae3451d1e5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769715436/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5702/30769715436_ff89ebb90e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Needing a late lunch at that point, we hiked back to the car and started searching for a place.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769759976/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5762/30769759976_baa9fafa4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We found ourselves in, not a town, but a community named Olga. It didn't look promising for lunch, and we figured we'd have to head back to the other side of the horseshoe-shaped island.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717686321/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="800" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5543/30717686321_dfa73daaa7_c.jpg" width="450" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But as Sander drove, I spotted a sign with the word <i>cafe</i>. So we pulled in, not knowing what to expect.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171011113/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5806/30171011113_0517c156f3_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the best sort of vacation experience, friends. When you're hungry and confused, and find some random joint in the middle of nowhere, and decide to try it.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717685141/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="450" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5727/30717685141_1b3befa18e_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Only to have it turn out to be one of <i>the best vacation lunches you've ever had. </i></span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884074721/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5327/30884074721_d42377f865_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The service was amazing. The potato salad was amazing. The sandwich was amazing. The butternut squash soup was amazing. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30936969336/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5604/30936969336_bc12148f31_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the raspberry macarons were amazing. If you should ever find yourself on Orcas Island, plan for lunch at the Catkin Cafe. Amazing. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30884067901/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5454/30884067901_d6b8579944_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And to think we just happened upon it in the middle of the island, with no signs of life from the outside, only to find several chefs at work out in the open, an amazing menu, and locals living it up on the inside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We tooled around some more, seeing a beach, checking out a couple graveyards, ending up lost in a YMCA camp, and snooping around island neighborhoods while scheming about how we could move there and be happy. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717677681/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5694/30717677681_fdb41609d7_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We think.</span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30937008816/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5481/30937008816_aef6e49ceb_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eventually we made our way back to the French couple at our bed & breakfast, because we'd ordered dinner: salmon in puff pastry, filet steak, a divine salad with a savory sort of French style of dressing <i>I need</i> to recreate, and a dessert of chocolate and pears. </span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30170996663/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5639/30170996663_30d673b77b_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We made use of our cottage's hot tub. I saw a shooting star. We both saw lots of stars. then woke up early to have some baked brie in puff pastry for breakfast {oh to be French!} before our host and chef not-unkindly kicked us out because he felt it was his duty to <i>make sure</i> we caught our ferry on time. </span><br />
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30795187486/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5760/30795187486_1b0a257578_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note to self: start figuring out puff pastry. The French know what they're doing with food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">And on to Seattle...</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3726963612523301492.post-74486912877372981282016-11-07T22:15:00.000-08:002016-11-08T09:53:15.544-08:00An Airbus, a Mini, and the French Chef of Orcas Island <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769727336/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5773/30769727336_2110b0984b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">When Sander found cheap tickets from DEN to SEA,</span> he asked me, "Would you be willing to go to Seattle with me? Just you and me, without the kids for a few days?" And I said, "No." But I thought about it and it seems like most wives would jump at the chance to get away for a few days with their hubby, especially when they're stay-at-home-moms who homeschool. So I battled my anxiety disorder and told him to buy the tickets. Then I told him to return the tickets, then I told him to buy the kids tickets too or I wasn't going. Then I sucked it up, and left my babies in the care of their grandparents, and told myself everything would be fine and that we would enjoy ourselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">{I also might have told myself that this was the last time I'd ever see them.}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769806586/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5830/30769806586_3e190e5cf1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And we boarded a plane that is the newest, largest Airbus and my husband thought he did good by grabbing seats in the exit row where we'd have more leg room. Sweet of him. Except the newest, largest Airbuses don't have windows in the middle exit rows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769805706/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5332/30769805706_5f067f1307_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I wondered if this was a bad omen, a start to a terrible trip? But hey, lots of leg room and the seats on these newer planes don't recline and so that is a win-win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We landed at Sea-Tac and waited for our Turo rental {which is like Uber but for car rentals, way cheaper than the rental companies} and we waited and waited and stressed because the guy was an hour late. Sander had planned a really nice dinner at one of the best restaurants in Anacortes, but we had almost a two hour drive to get there! And we had to board the last ferry of the night to get to our bed and breakfast on an island! So dinner was ruined and I wondered, again, if this trip was off to a bad start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But we did get to ride in a Mini {Cooper, not van}{50 points if you know which famous blogger I just referenced}. I've always wanted to try one of these cars. {And now that we have, we would never buy one.}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769804276/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5681/30769804276_d36f960f81_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So our dinner plans were ruined, <i>but</i> we did rush up to Anacortes in time to check off some Washington style teriyaki for dinner instead. Quicker and cheaper, at least! Sander and I went to one year of college up here in Tacoma, and there is a large Asian population up here. Basically, what street tacos and Mexican places with awesome green chile is to Colorado, teriyaki and seafood is to Washington. There are a few good teriyaki places in Denver, but in Seattle every strip mall has one or two. And it's REALLY YUMMY. Also after a long day of travel, when I'd planned on having Starbucks no later than 10 a.m., I finally grabbed a cuppa at 8 p.m. This is Washington, birthplace of Starbucks, <i>and yet there were no Starbucks where we were going</i>. Dun dun duuunnn!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689349852/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="240" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5623/30689349852_7351e59118_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689348752/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="240" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5606/30689348752_d710828549_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you ever been on a ferry at night?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's freaky. It's like being in the underworld. We came up to the San Juan Islands when we were in college in 2002! We also took the night ferry, and it was foggy out that time. So creepy! This time, the night was pretty clear, but you still can't see much. Here, we approached one of the ferry ports on one of the islands:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30505426090/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5816/30505426090_c154ef2578_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And since it was the last ferry of the night, also during the time of year when tourism is down, we felt mostly alone on the huge vessel. Most riders are locals who do this daily, and so they take the opportunity to nap in their car. Doesn't this photo kind of remind you of Edward Hopper's <i>Nighthawks</i> painting?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769797926/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5532/30769797926_102de2e71b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We disembarked and drove up the road to a bed & breakfast on Orcas Island. We pulled in and saw a house, and right away a figure approached our car with a flashlight. We'd warned the Frenchman we'd be coming in late. The couple who runs the bed & breakfast was an elderly French couple with thick accents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30196751413/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="640" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5473/30196751413_a922a3b027_z.jpg" width="360" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He showed us to our little cabin, just a stone's throw from his house that sits above a pond and has two more suites for travelers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30196752333/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="360" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5641/30196752333_ce59920cf5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the morning, we got a better look at where we'd slept! It was darling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30505416050/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5765/30505416050_99ea56fe91_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But before taking off, we had breakfast served to us by our French chef hosts. Their handmade croissants and egg & cheese soufflés were amazing. Also apples from his own trees, fruit spread they canned themselves, and garnished with mint from his herb garden. It was hospitality like we've never experienced. All while overlooking a pond covered in lily pads and trying to make sense of a delightfully thick, soft spoken French accent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30505410780/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5659/30505410780_cd77f29f94_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our little house had its own privacy fence, hot tub, and kitchenette. It was full of guestbooks from the past 15 years in which guests gushed about seeing stags in the yard and loving the experience of the French couple's bed and breakfast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30689299532/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5563/30689299532_00bddedc73_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were really eager to get out and explore the island, but we took time to explore their property first. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30717768651/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5816/30717768651_d4c04875a0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Typical Washington. Green, green, green!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30769780776/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5624/30769780776_9efdd0994b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We were blessed also to have the sun out for most of our day on Orcas Island. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30806225465/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5321/30806225465_a257a0f48c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When Sander first planned this trip, and insisted on taking me back to the San Juan Islands for two nights, I moaned about, "What are we going to do on an island all that time? I want to see Seattle!" But he knew what he was doing, and I was about to find out. We got in the Mini {Cooper, not van} and hit the road to see what this horseshoe-shaped island is all about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30505413260/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5573/30505413260_858598ea56_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Boy, do I have some {mostly all green} photos to show you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-flickr-embed="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29713662@N08/30171100783/in/album-72157672558686253/" title="Washington 2016"><img alt="Washington 2016" height="480" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5322/30171100783_412b86ae48_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Au revoir!</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Heather</span><br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13093962932172006220noreply@blogger.com1