Day

Sitting here listening to one of my favorite community radio stations, KHOL....so lucky to have community radio in this wonderful valley. It is cold outside, in the teens, but our house feels super insulated, thanks to the hard work this summer. Thoughts of my day, amazed that it is already the last one in November.

--Freezing out this morning...the car didn't want to wake up to take me to Augies.
--Olive and I took our last walk on Putt Putt (because it closes to dogs due to wildlife for four months, starting December 1). She resisted chasing a herd of deer, with my firm assistance, and instead we played the Boo game. So much fun in the snow.
--Took my time getting to work and was busy the whole day with office activities.
--Took twenty minutes to watch this talk on Ted. com that Babs suggested I watch. Pretty cool when your boss takes you away from your work to sit and watch an inspiring talk on schools and creativity.  www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
--Rehearsals....endless for the next two weeks. But fun too. Glad that I am in the production.
--To bed, and my book!

Snowstorm

We are getting pounded by a huge snowstorm that keeps dumping snow in the mountains and in the valley, a cold wind is accompanying it and the roads are quite treacherous. There is something exciting about it all, the first big snowstorm of the year, and the chore of defrosting and scrapping your windshield and shoveling and pushing snow off your driveway is still novel. And when you have a dog and you adventure out into the white, you can't help but love winter. Dogs love snow.

Highlights of my day:

--Working out with my Tuesday group and laughing a lot. Nice to have another female there today. It has been me and the boys.

--Putting on my snowpants and tromping through the drifts with Olive, rolling around in the snow and throwing snowballs.

--Working on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe sets. Getting to make fake logs look like real log with paint...Working with the talented set designer John, who worked at Disney and has all of these amazing tricks up his sleeve to make drops and sets pop on stage.

--Yoga class, which was bliss-filled and has left my body long and pleasantly tired.

--A warm house, with the wood fire blasting.

A Warm Gift on a Cold Winter Night

Opening this gift and reading the inscriptions on the surface brought back so many happy memories from one of the best days of my life. I know that looking at this painting will always make me smile. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, your taste, and your love my dear friend.

Skiing

It was hard to leave the warmth of the house this morning and go outside. Despite my down jacket the air was cold and everything felt frozen and brittle. Even hiking up the steep slope of Mt. Glory, the wind whipping its way under my shell hood, I had my doubts that this was the place that I was supposed to be today, with a lingering cold. Olive's paws grew splayed with frozen snow, and her little face disappeared under a mask of white, making her look like a polar bear cub. My nose was dripping.

But coming down! With skis on and fresh powder underfoot. That magical feeling of turning through fluff, your legs working, but also the effortlessness that gravity supplies with the help of snow. It made me instantly happy that winter was here. I felt a shift in my attitude with the whole season today. And acceptance always feels good.

Hot cocoa at the end and the day was made....

The Next Book....

Robin and I left work today and walked to the bookstore because we have decided that in order to come up with good book club choices we need to feel the books. We are feelers. And it is true. There is something so different about looking at books and reading reviews of those books online compared with physically holding the book in your hand and turning its pages. I don't think I can ever be a Kindle reader. My eyes go googley (like that word!) enough already at the computer, and I don't need to be staring at another piece of technology to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes. Plus, there really is something to be said for holding paper in your fingertips, for the history that resides in books and their making and creation. Maybe I am old-fashioned in this regard, but I am steadfast at least.

Bookstores are so enticing. I can feel my pulse quicken in them, similar to what happens when I walk into a gallery that has an amazing show. I could walk out with piles, and feel thankful that I am such a good library patron or else I would be poor. I have already told Jamie that I feel that money is not wasted on books though, and that we will have large bookshelves, both to house our collection already and make room for books to come.

I am excited to see what our next book club read will be....I will let you know!

Art this Saturday

There is an opening at one of my favorite galleries on Saturday night. One of the artists is Naomi Safran-Hon www.naomisafranhon.com. And I really like her work. She just graduated from Yale....and is already making it.

I love getting lost in the world of artists websites. It is one of my favorite internet pastimes.

Sick

I feel so uninspired to write after this weekend, because I spent most of it in bed. Or reading. Or watching a movie. Or watching the big, fat flakes fall outside the window. Occasionally, when I am not sick, I wish that I was so that I could read, view, daydream. Of course when I really am, it is awful and I wish I was outside, feeling strong and healthy. But this weekend had some high points.

Before I was sick, on Friday night, I went to this amazing show by this burlesque group Yard Dogs Road Show www.yarddogsroadshow.com. Astounding visuals, great vocals, and a good all around time.

Reading my book, Ape House by Sara Gruen, in my bed, under my down comforter. The same author that wrote Like Water for Elephants. That one didn't blow me out of the water, and this one isn't either. But they are both entertaining reads.

Kombucha, something that tastes good to me when I have a cold.

Talking and laughing with my parents.

Feeling the fresh air in my lungs during a walk with Olive.

Watching Sylvia and feeling so sad for the talented Sylvia Plath; she couldn't realize how amazing she was and put so much dependence on a man.

My new book club, a group of five amazing women.

My Patriots winning against one of my least favorite football teams, the Steelers.

My clean sheets on my bed that is beckoning....

Weekend in the Big City of SLC

I missed this blog this weekend. There were many times when I thought to myself, " I need to write this down for the blog, since I won't get to post today". 

I traveled down  to Salt Lake City with friends to meet up with Jamie, who was down there for a conference/training. The big city. It is definitely a city, but really lacks a feeling of hipness for sure, although the surrounding mountains are gorgeous. If you can see through the smog that is, usually present in the valley. No, I make it sound awful. In fact Salt Lake City proper is an interesting mix of people, a population that sticks it to the small towns that surround the city and that exude Mormanism.

Jamie and I stayed at the Hotel Monaco because his work was paying. The Kimpton hotel chains www.kimptonhotels.com are a whole lot of fun, and you can get good rates occasionally. Everything is really funky, colorful decor; they love dogs and encourage you to bring your furry friend (if you don't, you can get a goldfish for your room); they serve wine and cheese every afternoon; and the whole place smells like roses. It was a good time.

Friday: A morning of sleeping until 10am, followed by a leisurely cup of coffee and a stroll to a cafe for brunch. People still have flowers in their gardens and the air is so warm a t-shirt is all you need. I wanted Jamie to get his Tarot cards read at this book store we stopped at, but he didn't. Home material hunting. The daunting store of Ikea, which really is just a bunch of crap that sometimes looks good, and the arrows that you must follow if you want to get out alive. The search for bathtub tile, but not before whipping a louie and returning to the newly opened In and Out Burger....chocolate shake for me, chocolate shake and burger for Jamie. Feels like we are in California with the warm temps and the small fast food chain.

Saturday: A day alone. I walk down to the Gateway Mall in shoes that will eventually give me blisters on both of my little toes. I always get so excited to go shopping. I don't know if it is because I live in a town of little choice, but very quickly the exercise becomes overwhelming and every article of clothing feels like it will fall apart after one wash. Why is everything so cheaply made these days? It makes me angry, because some of it still costs a lot of money. I feel gross most of the day with my consumption, moving with the masses like a herd of sheep, overwhelmed that this is some peoples reality every weekend. I much prefer sticking to the thrift stores, where you can find the designer labels and only pay three dollars. Although, I was really hoping for a pair of boots....Dinner with good friends makes up for it all.

Sunday: A climbing day. A love of mine, as well as a struggle. We traveled up Big Cottonwood Canyon, the city dropping away and making room for red maples and tall pines and rock faces. So beautiful and so peaceful. My mind was not at peace with the climbing process though and I quickly realized a hike by myself was more my speed. It has been so interesting to me to notice my great need recently to be alone. I think that is why I missed Olive so much this weekend, because I was enjoying being alone with only dog-company. Slightly frustrated with my lack of interest in climbing, I made out up along this ridge line, switch backing up and up until the trail crested and I had a view of the entirety of the canyon, snow topped peaks behind. That made up for any frustration.

Whew. Now I am home and it feels good. Just got home from being a ballerina and am excited to climb into my own bed. 

Grey day

Today was the sort of day that I woke up tired. And stayed tired. A damp fog hung in the valley all day, even though the web camera at the top of the Pass showed blue sky and sunshine, and the air felt chilly. I am sitting here, cold, and trying to not focus on what made the day blah, but rather what made it lovely....

Olives cuddle in bed, falling asleep and snoring.

Working out at Ski Fitness and sweating, sweating, sweating.

My warm shower and the smell of clean.

Taking breaks from my computer and talking to co-workers.

A public art meeting that made me excited and motivated to grow our arts community.

The camaraderie at agility class.

The pleasure of cooking good food.

My recent, slightly funny, obsession with listening to cheesy Sue Grafton books on CD (think A is for Alibi).

Looking forward to bed, clean sheets, my comforter and my book club book Room (although it is definitely difficult subject material).

Ballerina & Dog Love

Tonight I was a ballerina for the first time. And I felt stiff and ungraceful, but happy with myself for trying something new. My friend Kate, who I work with, is teaching the Beginning Ballet workshop for five weeks, so I decided to give it a go and work towards one of my dreams, a dream that really only started while working at DW -- to be a dancer. It is hard! Not only is grace and limberness needed, you need to be strong and flexible and sharp. I could feel muscles working that I haven't used, and my feet cramped every time I pointed, indicting that perhaps I don't give my feet enough loving. I am so used to muscling my way through activities, preferring the fast to the more contemplative. It is only recently that I am realizing that my body is really calling out for yoga, pilates, and now, ballet. 

Jamie is in Salt Lake City for the week, so my dinner companion was my latest book that I was close to finishing, A Dog for All Seasons. I know, I know, I write (and talk) incessantly about dogs and my dog in particular. But the reason why is that I can't quite believe that my life was dogless for so long, and I am making up for it now by falling head over heels for Olive. And reading a great deal of dog literature. I was eating broccoli and bawling. Sobbing in fact, because of course I had gotten to the end of the book, which also meant the end of Duncan's doggie life. And it didn't help that Duncan was a border collie, and that the author had loved him like a friend, child, teacher, and student. 

"And dogs show us how to live big. They do everything with gusto, whether it's drinking from the toilet to heading down the driveway for a walk they've taken a thousand times before. Every day is new, every activity is the best. In their company, we're lifted out of our human concerns and remember what it's like to be excited. But here's what strikes me as most important. And it's not about what they give us, but about something we give ourselves. We get to love a dog full out....we get to give our full heart." Patti Sherlock