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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Another week

Well this last week had it's ups and downs. Mark and I went to Jill's at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa for a drink on Wednesday night. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, a bit windy so we sat inside and shared some nachos. We decided to splurge and share the banana split for two.

Well I think it's inappropriately named. It should be banana split for 4. Although our waiter said he can eat the whole thing by himself (after a ride up Boulder Canyon).

Then on Thursday when my weekend begins, I stopped by Contempo NAILS and had a pedicure.

It was my first time in this shop in the Gunbarrel shopping center so I did not know they ddo NOT accept tips on credit/debit cards. Well, I told Thu that I would come back with a tip the next day, which I'm sure she thought this was probably not going to happen. So when I stopped in on Friday she was all smiles. I hope this becomes a good business relationship.

Friday night our small group from Flatirons met at Yvette and James' home in Longmont. They are selling this house and moving to Erie to facilitate family life and work. James has a new job that will have him travelling out of town. Yvette teaches at Erie Middle and her two children still at home, Reed and Whitney both attend Erie schools.

Well it turns out it was celebration of Dan and Yvette's birthdays as well. Dan is older; Yvette would want you to know.

The other couple is Lisa and Chad (his real name is Chester and he's a Boulder native). They are VERY fun and Chad is FUNNY is a big way. He had me laughing all night. Lisa is a flight attendant and she is a CA native so I like her at the get go. She brought a fun drink for the evening (pomegranate juice--one of the "super" foods, vodka--arguably SUPER, with soda, a yummy concoction that left my face numb so I tried to keep my mouth shut just in case my brain was equally numb). It was a good night sharing joys -- Dan and Cheri are celebrating their 25 anniversary on a Caribbean cruise next month -- and sharing what we are learning -- how God is working in our lives to do His good will -- kids, jobs, relationships, etc.

Then Saturday Cody came over to go garage sale-ing with his mom and me. We went to this Twin Club sale and PJ got a change table for Alyssa's room and sling for carrying her. I bought a cute little purple onesy. Next location yielded a shelving unit for the Craig laundry room and a Hot Wheel-type bike.

By now we were starving so we stopped in Louisville Abo's for sustenance. Cody loves pizza, but mostly he like walking around the place. Although he was willing to pose for this photo.

Note the scrapped elbow. He notices the "pain" when he stumbles, but he keeps on going.
We wandered over to Hobby Lobby (after mistakenly going into Big Lots) to buy more denim for the big boy room rug. I think I bought other things, but I can't remember. The sales clerk gave me a 40% discount on the fabric since there was a coupon -- true kindness.

Here it is Sunday another beautiful, sunny, warm, but not hot day. A good conclusion to a restful, pleasant weekend.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

High School and Other Fast Times

Lately I’ve been having some good times with girlfriends, talking about clothes, participating in activities, phone calls for help and advice, quick dining after work to name a few. It caused me think about female friendships and what they mean to me now and what they have meant to me.

High School was the time for hours and hours of my week devoted to time/conversation. Kathy was my best friend in High School. We went to class every day, saw each other between classes since we shared a locker and then called each other after to school to talk about our day or whatever. I’m still amazed we had that much to talk about. It must have been dreams and schemes, at least half of which never materialized.

College was an adjustment. No parents around to monitor activities or selection of friends, but I didn’t get to see my closest friends as often as I would have liked. There was school work, which frankly wasn’t hard until the senior year, but you did have to do it. Times with girlfriends like Melene or Paulette became more event oriented, we went to concerts in the park, movies in Westwood, dinner at the home of grandparents and of course, shopping. There was THE pair of jeans that we all wore which seems weird since we were all shaped differently, some long and lean, some curvy. But those jeans made us all look GOOD.

Dates really entered the picture during college times. Guys change the dynamic. You want to go out, be desired, but who was ready to get into something serious? Apparently most of my friends as they were married and some divorced before I was married at 23 years old. Whew! The advantage of girlfriends when dating is obvious, someone to help you dress for the date, either advice or shared clothes. And then following the date the debrief. There’s nothing like the positive re-enforcement from a friend before you head out with your ego on the line.

Then marriage and family. No husband wants to be girlfriend, besides they don’t remember what everyone was wearing, what was said and what was meant by what was said. But they probably do remember the food. Friends have to be able to pick up where we left off, peppered with lots of grace for forgotten birthdays and other significant events or the relationship falls by the wayside. But those enduring friendships are the meaningful, precious, joyful rewards of living a people focused life. Doing work together from MOPS to PTA to HOA boards, from family camping, picnics at Lake Loveland, or coffee at Starbucks, girlfriends add the conversation, fashion and relationship to any activity.

Aging doesn’t change the need for those comfortable, casual encounters. When a friend says, “relaxing in my bedroom, stretched out on the bed talking about our day in the mountains and planning the next time together reminded me of high school,” or when loaning scarves for a trip to Paris to other friend who says, “Oh, just like a best-friend.”

That’s when you know what James Taylor means when he says “you’ve got a friend.”

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Some things you never learn ...

Well, today I went skate skiing. After running into friends, Libby and Falk, yesterday I was prepared. I had information about the terrain, after the first hill it was "easy." I had ski pants (thanks Mary--I was dry the entire time!)

And I was with 2 GREAT friends on a most beautiful, Colorado day. Kacey invited Liz and I to join her at Eldora ski area, just above Nederland.




None of us were sure what skate skiing was but we were willing to enjoy an hour lesson and find out. Boots on, we were ready.



While I never really did it, being in the mountains trying was very fun. I fell a few times, no pain, good information to know you can fall and get back up. Kacey did GREAT or maybe Peter the instructor just like talking with her :-)



This fall happened just after a great run that I got on film, but for some reason I am unable to upload. Really.

Liz is strong. She just took to the skating technique right away--maybe she really already knew what she was doing.



Did I mention it was a gorgeous day? It was too warm for hats and when you were moving the jackets came off, too.

Then we returned to the "lodge", turned in our skiis, took a couple of pictures




and then headed out for lunch. The Nederland Cafe was our second choice (the pizza place was stinky). We had fun "de-briefing." Good times.