Life on the High Plains

Today is the day!  The Colorado State University Global Campus class of 2013 graduates.  I'm a member of that class, but I chose not to participate in the ceremony.  I'm not sure why I made that decision--it would have been some kind of recognition for the four long years it took to complete my degree.  I should have had a big party, my sister-in-law in Albuquerque said they would have come up for it.  Thanks Sis!  I never like to be the center of attention, but maybe this time I should have done something to celebrate. Oh well, I'll have my own private, personal ceremony once that piece of paper finally arrives in the mail.  I've got the frame ready, all I need is the diploma. Anyway, all I can say is "Congratulations to me!"

This is one of my favorite spots on earth--Wyoming, near Jackson Hole.  I took this shot when we traveled up there last fall to spend some time with my dad.  If I ever become a millionaire this is where I will live.  In fact, that may be my ranch in the distance.  I'm looking forward to heading up to this part of the country next month for a family reunion. Enjoy your Skywatch Friday !

So this past weekend I was reminded of how far behind I am with my blogging.  There are several stories I've neglected the last few weeks...one of these is Mary's new car. Mary's old Hyundai had gone about as far as it could go...no heat, doors that wouldn't open, hail damage, etc.  She had it for about 10 years and it only had about 60k miles.  Much to my surprise, Mary took it upon herself to go out and find a new car.  She fell in love with the Dodge Avenger.  Yes, I know it's a Dodge...how could anyone fall in love with a Dodge?  The dealer offered Mary a really low amount for her trade-in.  I was proud that she told them "no" and came home without the car. The next day she used the power of craigslist to sell the car herself in a couple hours for twice what the dealership had offered.  It amazes me how this girl can get what she wants when she puts her mind to it. Anyway, that night I took her back to the dealership and she came ...

I love holiday weekends!  After going to school for four years and spending so much time studying, I am really loving all this extra time I have.  This weekend I did some spring cleaning, spent some time with the world's greatest grandson, cooked Irv some yummy food, did a little gardening, watched Irv ride his really bad horse, saw a couple movies, worked on a quilting project, did a little shopping, and packed care packages for Afghanistan. Last night Mary, Jillian, and I had a girls night out.  (We missed having Dana with us, but she was in Vegas staying out until all hours of the morning.)  We started with a pedi and then went to see Gatsby.  I picked out a really pretty turquoise nail color.  Little did I know that when it dried it was going to be more green than turquoise, but I still like it.  Totally out of the box for me. Today I went shopping for some new work out shoes for boot camp.  I've been wanting so...

During the intermission of Sense and Sensibility at the Denver Performing Arts Center (DPAC) last weekend, Jillian and I stepped out onto the veranda for some fresh air.  A music festival was going on in the grassy area of the DPAC.  When Irv and I were here a couple weeks ago there was a Kentucky Derby party going on in this area.   If we turned our heads towards the west, this was the view. Colorado certainly provides some spectacular views for Skywatch Friday .

Wow!  The bills from my recent surgery and hospitalization are starting to flow in.  So far we're up to $43,060.64.  Thank goodness we have such good insurance!  Possible good news--for the last four days my pain level has been about 80% of what it has been the last 22 months.  Could this mean the procedure worked?  I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This has been a crazy week!  The tornado is Oklahoma just really broke my heart.  Maybe it's because I have family in Oklahoma, maybe it's because I have lots of Farm Credit friends in Oklahoma, maybe it's because Oklahoma is great horse country that I've travelled to many times with my 4-H kids.  Most definitely it was because there were tiny little victims who had barely begun to live.  It was heartbreaking and very scary.  It's hard to understand why these things happen, but we have to trust in our God who is the only one who knows the answer.  I'm praying for Oklahoma--for the g...

We had a weekend that was both fun and exhausting. Saturday night Irv, Jillian and I headed up to Denver for the Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley concert. It was a beautiful evening in Denver at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre.  Before the concert we stopped at Hacienda Colorado for some yummy Mexican food.  At the concert Jillian bought me a $9 can of Mike's Hard Lemonade.  The beer was $12 and I think their sales were doing quite well because there were a lot of people feeling pretty good around us.  There was also a familiar aroma in the air.  Being in Colorado where marijuana is legal is kind of odd at times. Joanna Smith and Randy Houser opened the show. Then Dierks cam out and did a fantastic job!  We really enjoyed him.  (Sorry the pictures aren't better--it was too dark.) Finally, Miranda took the stage.  I was so excited to see Miranda.  She's one of my favorites and I knew she did a get live show....