There are so many beautiful nearby hikes.
I appreciate that we can easily make a change to our daily
and weekly routine with an early morning hike and sometimes
a picnic as well.
We enjoy living in the mountains!
Hiking makes me feel so alive! Everyone
likes to do different activities with their free
time –
Some people get excited by going shopping
or out to eat – I’m working on getting rid of
stuff and my favorite place to eat is a beautiful
outdoor setting with my husband…
Since my husband retired in January, he’s had the time
to do most of the electronic work to help get our books
out into the world – very exciting!
His Bible Plays for Children has been bought in Italy! My
Mountain Devotional has been bought in Germany and
Mountain Mutts – Joy’s Tale has gone to Australia!!
June 23rd:The window we ordered two months ago arrived!
Bruce researched on-line and asked my in-put.
This new window is replacing the original 40+ year old
window in my writing nook!
Here’s the original window by my computer
Our firewood box is below the window
My husband is carefully separating the window
from the packing materials.
June 27th: after taking the old window out…
Here we go!
We have never seen this view from inside
our home before! It really opens up the space!
He plans to make a firebox to match up with
The ledge of the window, creating a hidden
box and a window seat!
Husband is now working on putting in the insulation
It’s beautiful!
Bleeding hearts are perennials that have
been coming back for years!
We get these huge butterflies –
Swallowtails – like little gifts
Poppies! Stunning perennials!
Our poppies have been coming
back for years!
Fun to see in the different stages
and take pictures…
June 24th ice on the river! We had
temperatures below freezing for two June
nights in a row. The flowers in the garden were fine
but the flowers we had just bought – not yet planted,
most of them froze. We have never experienced such
cold so late in the season here before…climate change…
We were heading home and Bruce
saw this moose!
The wild iris are stunning
June 29th is the anniversary of our 1st date.
This year was 49 years…I was 17 & Bruce was 20
In celebration we had a lovely dinner at the nicest
restaurant in town – appetizers of artichoke – spinach dip
and salmon
My lovely dinner
The owners surprised us with
a beautiful tasty dessert!
So fun to get to read Mountain Mutts – Joy’s Tale
to children in our library – I’ve another reading
set for July and another for in August in the
Crested Butte and Gunnison libraries!
For me a full life, an interesting life, has a number
of different facets…
I work at being happy much of the time – I struggle
with darkness and depression but being out in nature
so much and having different aspects to my life helps
a lot – not only is that much more interesting but if one
part isn’t going great in the moment, I’ve others to
enjoy and work on
Do you work at being happy? How so?
“The most precious gift we can give one another is letting them know they matter.” Julie A R Stephens
julie@handsbestrong.com
I do work at being happy; I don’t think it happens without some “cultivation” from us. I guard my feelings carefully; meaning that, when I see myself slipping into a dark moment, I try to counter that with some “thankya, Lords”. In other words, I think of things that I am blessed with. It usually helps. And I “change the vibes” around me by removing myself from my immediate surroundings. That may mean just getting up and walking from one room to another that is more light-filled. I live in a hotel, and I often stand at our 5th floor lobby window, big and airy, and let the breeze blow in over me. Or I just take a walk outside, stand by the curb, with a fresh cup of coffee or tea, and sometimes, I even hit a high operatic note into the air (it’s downtown San Francisco, nobody minds).
Oh Kamurrah – you are so wise – you are spot on – thank you for that
Some days are easier than others for following that sage advice – for sure walking in nature / in the mountains is my godsend – but sometimes even that doesn’t work – sometimes it’s all I can do to know that, from past experience – the darkest darkness will pass
That doesn’t mean everything is going to be ok – it’s never all going to be ok – it does mean that eventually I can find joy in the moments again and that’s what life is about – finding joy in those moments with love, nature, work – whatever / wherever your joy is found
Hugs sis – and to everyone who struggles with the darkest darkness sometimes – hugs – I care