Wind And Waves

My bad mood dissipated! It was like the sun came out and evaporated all the droplets. I stopped by the bookstore, quickly, to buy myself a book 🙂 (the ultimate gift to thyself :-)!) I knew exactly what I wanted because a couple days earlier, I had sat in a bookstore reading it for awhile but ended up not buying it. For the next few days, I thought about it a lot, thats when I knew I really wanted it and it wasn’t just a case of being high on caffeine and interested in anything and everything :-).

The fellow who rang me up, was deaf. Our interaction was completely out of the norm……and I loved every minute of it. A wonderful silence permeated through the interaction of a lot of gesturing and smiling and speaking with our eyes. He introduced himself by pointing to his name tag and smiling. He asked me if I was a “member” by pointing to a poster above him, advertising “membership”. He asked to see my license (I wrote a check) by pointing to my wallet, he asked my phone number by gesturing talking on a phone…………, he asked if I needed a bag by pretending to put my book in an imaginary bag. (no bag for me….no need to waste plastic)

The interaction was so fun and smooth, it made me wonder why we talk. It also made me realize how deeply you can connect over an interaction that, occurs a gazillion times in your life. you could be on autopilot and not really have to be focusing on it.

When I walked out of the bookstore……something was different. I was light on my toes….my mood was gone! I was suddenly very excited about the ominous clouds overhead, where as before I had thought of them as a hindrance to my life. What a delight. Something about gesturing and smiling a lot, as a way of communicating, and speaking with my eyes and trying to understand communication with someone else’s eyes, lifted me right out from underneath the clouds!

A bad mood has creeped over me like the clouds creeping over the land. I wonder will it dissipate as if it was never there….or will it build into a storm? Its interesting taking the objective perspective on yourself. In doing so, it makes me sooo curious about moods. What are they? How does a bad mood build? How does is dissipate? Moods certainly color your outlook on life. Instead of looking through my usual yellow tinted glasses I’m looking through dark grey glasses…….and everything is different!

I was driving and My arrow turned green. [Read more →]

My new friend Matt, has been building this plane for the last two years.  What a project!  And the most exciting thing is that its almost complete.  Ali and I visited him at his hangar at the Longmont airport.  It was an exciting day……Matt and his friend Jim, were firing up the engine for the first time.  To start it you have to  turn the prop “hand props”…which is made of wood. Its a lot of careful,attentive work.  Matt says its a show winner, as it is very rare and has turned out quite well.

Here’s…….Ali!  Its been a blast hanging out with her, going on little adventures together around Colorado :-).  She just finished up a year of teaching students about the environment in a redwood forest in California.  Cool, huh?! It was great hearing her stories.  Ali, you are so fun!

Here is a view of Boulder with the flatirons in the distance.  While Ali and I were climbing them, Matt was flying over them.  Can you see the two white specks on them?  Thats me and Ali 🙂   This photo, compliments of Matt.  Hey Matt? When do I get to fly with you? 🙂

Here are Jim and Matt just about to “prop start” the plane!

My mom and I were chatting in the Living room and she just happened to look out and notice the rainbow. Amazing, huh!? It couldn’t have been placed more perfectly. We ran for our cameras and stared shooting away. I’m hoping to climb the mountain soon and find the pot of gold. Looks like it would be a nice big one. Then I can travel to England,India and Italy!!! My new desired destinations 🙂

I went with my mom up to Winter Park, where her quartet was playing in a wedding. It was taking place in a big wooden lodge at the end of a green valley backed by looming, snow covered mountains. A beautiful spot to get married! In the big wooden lodge (I love big wooden lodges!), they had a coffee shop :-), so while it drizzled outside, I wandered into the coffee shop.

The barrista had the most stunningly, bright,clear,singing blue eyes I had ever seen. It was hard to concentrate on what she was saying because her eyes were speaking louder than her words. And our conversation was really fun. She was telling me that her big dream is to travel to Ireland where she owns a cubic foot of of land! She has a little cottage (dollhouse like) that she got from her kids for Mothers Day (my poor mother received no present from me, doh!). The little cottage (if I understand correctly) burns wood……so smoke comes out of its little chimney. She wants to put her little cottage on her little land, in Ireland,and take pictures! 🙂 Ha! I LOVE talking to people about their dreams and passions! As much dreaming and imagining of – ALL THINGS UNDER THE SUN – , as I do, I NEVER would have thought of this!! Then, she wants to go to the Irish Pubs and meet a good lookin Irish man……..now this, I would have thought of :-). She’s on the 5-year plan for realizing her dreams.

Check out this Article!       New York Times

“If the goal is to earn a living, then, maybe it isn’t really true that 18-year-olds need to be imparted with a sense of panic about getting into college (though they certainly need to learn). Some people are hustled off to college, then to the cubicle, against their own inclinations and natural bents, when they would rather be learning to build things or fix things. One shop teacher suggested to me that “in schools, we create artificial learning environments for our children that they know to be contrived and undeserving of their full attention and engagement. Without the opportunity to learn through the hands, the world remains abstract and distant, and the passions for learning will not be engaged………………………….”

{Thanks Bryan…..I find this soo inspiring! }

I’ve been spending the last few days, exploring this beautiful land via Julia’s Mountain Bike (Thanks Julia, your the best 🙂

Morrison (Red Rocks) is not only home to an amazing concert venue but also a plethora of Mt. Bike trails.  Ride on!  I’m presently, waylaid from getting myself to Moab, largely because of this discovery.

And not to mention, Morrison has great bouldering….!

and great colors……!

Since I’ve been back in Colorado, I’ve been spending a lot of time at my mom’s house in the mountains.  Its soo quiet up here, compared to what I’m used to.  I’ve been walking around in the after trip glow.  Everything is such a treat for my senses.  It feels great to be in familiar territory.  I’m seeing  everything with a slightly different perspective.

My good friends (especially Fred!)  from Moab, took a scenic moto ride to Denver and hung out at my house (my mom’s house) for a couple days.  It was so fun having them here visiting!  It was great sharing my new photos with them and I loved hearing their perspective on things (especially Mel, who had just returned from a trip to Africa)  I also enjoyed the opportunity to be a hostess after so many months of being hosted!

My mom took this photo, just S. of the San Juans on a trip she took last weekend.

Tell me, you don’t LOVE this picture!!  Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for it, my friend Garance took this picture in Mexico.