Happy Friday!
Go Daddy!
That be my step-Daddy, Bill. He is going FAST! He and my Mama both race NASTAR:
NASTAR (an acronym for NAtional STAndard Race) is the world’s largest known recreational ski and snowboard race program. It allows ski or snowboard racers of all ages and abilities, through a handicap system, a way to compare themselves with one another and with the national champion, regardless of when and where they race. Since the program’s beginning in 1968, more than 6 million NASTAR racer days have been recorded. It has been available at more than 100 ski resorts in North America. Many U.S. Ski Team stars got their start ski racing in NASTAR programs.
Hoo…I say HOO-RAH!!! to my folks :) !! They ski nearly every day at Wolf Creek in Colorado. They attend race clinics. They ski fast and well. They have a jar(s) full of NASTAR Gold and Platinum medals. Hee..!
These photos…my Mama took them. It is no easy task. She positioned herself at the course finish line and waited. Action shots are difficult…
Perfect shot, Mama!
Go Daddy!
A good day
I can’t believe it is February 1!
A lovely day here but I didn’t get much work done. I did get to town for some supplies.
At the grocery, I checked out in Rachel’s line…she is my favorite checker…20 something Blackfoot Indian. She has a wonderful warmth and charm and is always interested in what I’m buying and we talk food and recipes.
A couple of years ago, seeing me buy cinnamon sticks in the regular spice jars, she took me to the bulk bins in the natural food section and showed me all the spices and the price advantages. I had never bothered to look.
Today, the bagger person/young man got in on the food conversation. He is very knowledgeable and I let him take my stuff to the car (they always offer) so we could continue. His step-father is a wheat farmer in eastern MT. He feels as I do about the GMO stuff and having worked with it and the seed has a unique (to me) perspective. He said the stuff (gmo seed and all involved with it) is “poison” – they wore haz mat suits for planting!
He was talking as he was putting stuff in the Jeep and then he turned to me and said “Your dog is so beautiful. May I pet him?”. So, I wanted to adopt the kid/young man.
On the way home…
…a favorite group of buildings in the foreground, Big Mountain in the background – lit by sunshine!
A red, red barn in sunshine against the gray of snow in the mountains.
Flathead River from the bridge on the Somers cuttoff (Hwy 82) – another favorite view…and today no traffic so I could stop on the bridge and take this photo.
I came home feeling so good and after unloading took Bear out and we sat in the sunshine for a bit and then walked in the woods before coming in.
This morning…
It still seems like a miracle. It still fills me with Joy – that from how we started, here we are.
It is dusk. It is Friday evening. It was a good day.
My happy list
1. Walking in the woods with Bear (my dog).
2. A morning snuggle with Bob (my cat).
3. Coffee in a dark kitchen (house or motorhome) with just a few undercounter lights glowing.
4. Sitting on the front porch or my chair in the sideyard with a cuppa and Bear and Bob near.
5. Sitting in front of the woodstove with a small fire going
6. Most of the time – my work!…from my home office :)
7. Puttering in the kitchen making anything!
8. Watching the snow fall.
9. Snowshoeing in the woods with my dog (is this a repeat of #1?)
10. Anything… anything quiet, at my home, with Bob and Bear
A blog I sometimes read…a few or several weeks ago…talked about the author’s “happy list” and her desire to do 1 or 2 of the things on her list daily.
Hmmm.
I whipped off my list.
AND…I realized that I do most of them every single day!
Caveat(s). I am single to her married with children. I am 57 to her thirty-something. Still. I am so very grateful that I made the choices I made.
I am a happy person, fortunate through opportunity and choice to be living exactly where I choose and doing things I love 95+% of the time.
It is Friday evening.
I worked until 2:00 today.
Then, Bear and I jumped in the Jeep and headed to town to do some supply gathering.
We stopped on the way at the wild fowl regeneration/public hunting conumdrum (EVERY time I look at the signs, I just wonder??? It is the U.S. Department of the Interior…wild fowl regeneration and public hunting ???) Anyway, it is a beautiful spot and I am guessing that wild fowl hunting is NOT in season as I haven’t seen trucks and bird dogs there for several weeks.
Bear and I walked toward the lake, through a grove of century old Ponderosa Pines…hoar frost from the freezing fog making everything a work of art.
Addendum to the happy list: walking with Bear on a path to a lake in freezing fog.
Project Management
The last 30 years of my working life has involved taking a project from concept to completion. I have worked on various sizes of projects both alone and as part of a team. I realized years ago that I had learned some concepts from project development that have stood me in good stead in other areas of my life.
A large and/or detailed project can seem overwhelming. The typical approach that both I and the current team utilize is to define the broad scope, divide the project up into modules and proceed. For me, that makes the project doable. I don’t worry too much about the WHOLE thing, but concentrate on one module at a time. It is not quite as clear cut as that, but that is the general idea and it is the part of project development that has helped me in my personal life.
When it became clear that Bear needed the TPLO surgery, I first added up all of the weeks of rehab – the time that our lives would be a bit upside down – AND, there was the possibility that the other leg would need the same surgery. (there still is that possibility but the surgeon was more optomistic after the pre-op exam under sedation so we are thinking positive!!)
That first false start – the surgery I thought was scheduled right away – it actually helped me get my head in a better place. Although I did not like Bear having to wait a month, it was a good month and it allowed us to enjoy some gorgeous weather outside together as well as giving me some thinking time to get the house in good order, supplies in and generally just prepare for the post-op. And I started thinking in small chunks of time vs the WHOLE ENTIRE rehab. The time broke down into surgery day, day 1 & 2 post-op, week 1 & 2 post-op, week 3-4, etc. I stopped looking ahead at a long period of time and concentrated on where we were.
And now, here we are 4.5 weeks post-op. Bear is moving easier and in a more normal way every day: Little things like getting up and lying down, backing up, turning in a circle. All are getting better. We are walking on a short leash now vs the belly support. Our outings are more relaxed and more fun for both of us and getting better each day.
Inside, as I put away the Christmas decorations, I got to thinking that moving one of the chairs back in the sunroom would be ok.
While it was nice to shake up the routine and I always find it interesting when I change where I sit and “Oh!” – that’s a nice view – I did on occasion miss my wing back chair for reading.
One thing led to another…
Bob’s room got a mini-makeover as well.
Bob was more worried about where his food dish was than the fact that he had his furniture back.
And while I was situating the furniture and finding pillows and fleece…can of worms!! I ended up going through every closet, every drawer and having a general whole house clear out, straighten up and re-organization.
I remembered there were some old green sheets in the motorhome. As soon as I got the pillow on the right end of the bed all comfy AND color-coordinated…Bear was happy.
I’m happy. I’m happy Bear is doing so well and I’m happy taking the rehab one day at a time.
We head toward the end of week 5 with a bit more normal back but enjoying each step of the way.