This weekend we got a new puppy. Her name is Willow and she is a goldendoodle. She was born June 2 and is 8 weeks old. Not much else to say other than we love her and if you don't see much blogging for awhile, assume it has something to do with this bundle of energy!
I am not a big fan of using chemicals and water to create a perfect lawn. But I have learned the hard way that I will need to do something. While we were in NJ for three weeks the bindweed took over our front lawn. At a quick glance I thought we had some cute little flowers that open to the sunlight and close to the shade....along the lines of Morning Glories. But these weeds curl themselves around all the good plants and strangle them. So for an hour a day I sit outside and pull weeds. Not quite as good as curling up with a good book but I have found it rather relaxing. Especially when someone sits outside to keep me company.
After two days of watering the grass I noticed many of the weeds were not looking so good. I told Laurel that I was really surprised that watering is making such a difference. Laurel said, "Of course. Weeds are made to live in bad conditions. When you make the conditions good it makes the grass happy and the weeds sad." I told her I wished she gave me this weed knowledge last month. And then as I pulled weeds in solitude I thought over her comment and decided it is pretty good parenting advice. Rather than worrying about all the bad things that can happen, just keep watering the good stuff and it will be a lot harder for the weeds to creep in.
I am a sucker for muddled cocktails. But even better than paying $8 or more for one of these while I am out, I like reading cocktail menus for ideas and making my own versions at home. For me the ritual of muddling is half the fun of having the drink. Right now there are so many mint leaves and fresh raspberries in my back yard it just seems a waste not to make a fresh muddled cocktail! Every summer I seem to gravitate towards a couple of stand bys. Here are a few that I have enjoyed this season.
Helentini
Muddled Watermelon and mint, fresh lime , vodka, splash of lemon soda
Strawberry Mojito
Muddled strawberries and mint leaves, rum, splash of lemon soda
Blueberry Lemonade
Muddled blueberries and mint and fresh lime with gin and lemonade
Summer Sunset
Muddled garden fresh raspberries with lemon vodka and lemonade- best enjoyed while watching the sun go down over the mountains.
Note: I do not like my drinks sweet so I do 2oz alcohol, 3 oz of the lemonade or other beverage and anywhere between a half to a whole lime because I like citrus. This may be too much lime for some. I also choose to leave crushed iced in my drink rather than strain it because, after all, hydration is important.
This is not a muddled drink but if you want a tasty garnish for a bloodytini, use a basil leaf with a garden picked cherry tomato or an olive. I had some fresh mozzarella so I added that too.
I just had an awesome visit in NJ with friends and family. It was such a great time and I really wish I could get them all to move out to CO with me. Then there would be no more goodbyes. But I know that is not possible so I will hope something better than United comes along to get us back and forth to each other. After sitting on the runway for over two hours in Newsrk I am really thinking next time my route will be Route 80 but maybe I will settle down soon.
So now that I have been away from home for awhile I am thinking of what I miss in Colorado. Here are some of my favorite things about my new state:
Farmers market: I just love the produce and bread and chips and salsa we get at the farmers market. I also like the view of the mountains while I stroll and the live musical that entertains us. It is big but not too big and the crowds are always just enough to make it feel festive.
Mountain views: I wonder if I will ever tire of the mountain views. I love driving west on Highway 66 with such a wide open view of Longs Peak. Somehow those huge mountains help me keep things in perspective. No matter what I am struggling with, I look up at the view and feel renewed.
Helpfulness: There are helpful people everywhere. Without a doubt NJ locals- do not take offense- it is not a contest and you are plenty helpful. But I find strangers or near strangers are much more helpful in CO. When we were moving into our house someone I work with called and said I have two strong boys, a strong husband and a helpful daughter, we also have a trailer. We can help you move into your house today. Wow! This entire family of five spent their Sunday helping this family they hardly knew move into a house. I felt like the grinch that day when his heart grew three sizes because of the love of others.
Prospect Eats and other outdoors gatherings: Every Monday about a dozen gourmet food trucks surround the perimeter of a park and sell dinner and dessert while a band performs. It is just a happy gathering of people out to hang with friends, enjoy good food and music and enjoy the great outdoors. Sometimes these food trucks also frequent micro brews, parks and festivals. It is a fun way to enjoy great food and the great outdoors at the same time.
Paths: It is so nice to have a planned neighborhood with walking and biking paths. It is fun to walk for miles without dealing with obnoxious cars who have no respect for people trying to get some exercise.
Free camping away from it all: I like the back to basics camping without the sounds of generators. It feels good to see the stars so bright without light pollution dimming them.
Live music: So far my favorite place is Planet Bluegrass in Lyons. I like the Friday night bluegrass in the autumn with a big campfire along the creek. Even more than the live music, I like to see so many people gathered together with genuine happiness and appreciation for the little things- gathering with friends, laughing and dancing.
Cool sessions: This probably has nothing to do specifically with Colorado. But because we cleared our calendar of a lot of commitments by starting in a whole new area it gave us time to explore some new things. The Grey Havens Society is a group of Tolkien readers who meet weekly to discuss all things Middle Earth. We take turns bringing our son who loves the ninety minute conversations. As an added bonus, I find it to bond us and we continue to discuss talking points through out the week. I also enjoy the variety of Yoga classes. In the east my classes were rather sterile, simply progressing through the poses. These classes are almost like a mini retreat with as much nurturing for my spirit as for my muscles.
Manners: Generally speaking I have found my CO students much more polite than the ones in NJ. (Of course dozens of my NJ students were the most rewarding people I could work with. But I have yet to encounter the entitlement of some of the parents and students.) I cannot count how many times my Colorado students have said thank you when I really felt I was just doing my job. They also will sincerely ask about my family or weekends and they really like to hear all about things, just as I do.
I feel connected. Even people like the girl at the coffee shop will say- so do you have anything fun planned for today? And they want to hear. It also makes me realize how expected it is to find time for fun..., it is not all about work. As my colleague said- in the east they live to work, here we work to live and then we go home and LIVE.
Not everything is perfect. Two things I could totally do without are: Weight on license and black smoke. If I had know my weight was actually going to be printed on the front of my license I would not have been so honest! And what is up with these huge gas guzzling trucks that pour out all this black smoke at the red lights. So not cool!
