Across the Divide and into Heaven

Across the Divide and into Heaven (well, Aspen) 

Last weekend I went across the Continental Divide again...second week in a row!
(I crossed at Monarch Pass going to Lake City the week before.)

It was a bit windy. 

And that's not my motorcycle helmet. 

It's the guy's who took my picture. 

This time I crossed at Independence Pass on the way to Aspen. I had been warned that it was another one of those roads where the State of Colorado could/should probably invest in just a few more guard rails. Here's a pic of my GPS. See all those switchbacks? Ten mile an hour speed limits. It definitely required all of my attention.

But o! Once I got to the top...look at the view. Seriously, this has to be one of the prettiest drives I've done in Colorado.

 Sky and mountains and valleys and wildflowers as far as the eye can see. 

At 12,095 feet high, it's a little chilly, even mid day in July. 

 And then I descended into Aspen, passing a sign warning "narrow roads" Ha! What the sign meant was "one lane road, good luck".  But I made it. 

The purpose of my trip to Aspen? 

Friend Ann had a condo there for the month of July and had invited me to come visit. Never having been to Aspen, of course I said "Yes!" I spent the weekend with her and another friend of hers, Julie. Great time. Great company. 

And I LOVED Aspen. Fun and beautiful.

Dinner on Friday night was pizza at Brunelleschi's. Good pizza and even better people watching. Some amazing plastic surgery...and I don't mean that in a good way. 

The Aspen Arts Festival was right outside the front door of the condo on Saturday. The highlight of the show for me was seeing Aaron Sault, the creator of some stunning jewelry and the same guy I won some earrings from a couple of years ago. All of the art was of the highest caliber and I was inspired and amazed many times that day. Back home, I've already been to the bead store, inspired by a necklace I spotted there.

Art galore

Saturday night was another fun restaurant, La Creperie du Village. O my! Restaurant perfection. Aren't we cute? I had crepes, and more crepes.

Cute us. 

Julie, Ann, Me

Cute little perfect French Bistro

Ooolala!

Sunday was breakfast out at Poppycock. A little hole in the wall that had a wait, although we were lucky enough to get there before the big line formed. Eggs Benedict held me over for the hairpin drive home. 

After breakfast, and before I got back in the car, we took a quick trip over to the Benedict Music Tent and Harris Concert Hall. Ann and Julie were meeting friends there later for some chamber music and a picnic. We went early to put chairs out and save a spot. What a beautiful venue. 

Cool Music Tent

I was sad I didn't get to stay for the show. (But I did NOT want to make that drive home after dark, so I willingly skipped...)  And look at this tree. 

Bears climb trees.

Remember that. 

I'm always looking up when I walk.

Know what that is? Bear claw marks. Eek. Fortunately Mr. Bear was not in attendance. 

So three new restaurants. A new city. A new pass over the Continental Divide. 

What a great weekend. 

Karma, Milagros and Me

Karma, Miracles and Me....


Last Friday I was in a mood.  You know. A "woe is me" mood.   Needed things I couldn't find, wanted things I couldn't have. Maybe a little overwhelmed. Hohoho and the Christmas spirit. All that jazz.

In an attempt to put myself in a cheerier mood I drove through McDonald's for an iced tea and paid for the car behind me, too. A random act of kindness. Wasn't sure if it was going to make me feel better, but even if it didn't, I felt like it might bring some good karma.  You never know.

But I was still in a mood driving home.

And then! Milagros. Miracles.

 

These are milagro charms.

For real.

There was a huge box on the back porch from my friend Cathy and inside was a Christmas tree. And for the tree- milagros.
Milagro means miracle. It also means a little charm used as religious offerings, mostly in Latin American countries.
So little milagro charms hung all over this wonderful little tree.  It was beautiful and special and completely and totally unexpected. It was such a treat it made me cry. In a good way.

Karma?

Saturday morning I woke to this email:

"It was great to meet you last weekend at the market in Denver! Congratulations!  You won the pair of earrings!  Just let me know where to send them and I'll get them in the mail. Thank you!!"

Now I enter little give-aways online all the time. I'll stick my name in a jar if there is something I'd like to win.  But do I ever win? Do you? 
I don't.   
But the week before in Denver I wrote my name on a slip of paper and Lo! and Behold! I won some earrings. Fabulous earrings at that. 

Very fun earrings from Aaron Sault Jewelry.

Check out his work. 

Original. Organic. Very cool.

Karma? 

Sunday was my birthday.

I woke up to *snow*.  The first snow of December. 

A dusting of snow.

And the link to the video if you can't see it here. 

I worked, by choice. Why not? I like working.

It was a bit slow but one of the regulars came in and we chatted and I mentioned it was my birthday.
When he left, he said he might stop back by later, before we closed, but that's not unusual. Some people come in twice a day.

And ten minutes to closing here comes this nice gentleman back in the front door with a big box under his arm. It looked like a toy box.  
And he announced "Here is your birthday concert. These guys are going to serenade you. Unfortunately they don't know Happy Birthday but they do know lots of Christmas songs."

Isn't this adorable?

The Birthday Concert

And if, by chance, you can't see this video, click here.

Sorry it's a little blurry.

Totally made me smile.


I came home to presents and cards and flowers and lots of little treats.

Then Bunny and her friend boy took me to dinner. And the restaurant staff sang "Happy Birthday" to me in a wonderfully embarrassing way. (Thank goodness it was early and the restaurant was pretty empty.)

Absolutely a wonderful birthday from start to finish.


So was it all just coincidence?
A milagro?
Karma?

Who knows?
Who cares?

But just in case, I think I'll stick with those random acts of kindness.


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And a poem, given to me by my friend Cherrilla one Christmas probably 37 years ago.
Apparently I've been prone to these moods for a while.
It's copyrighted 1907 but it still holds true some days.

Nobody Cares For Me

I'm just as mad as I can be

For nobody cares for me.

I slapped the cat and banged the dog 

And they don't care for me.

I stubbed my toe on a great hard rock

And jammed my thumb in the door.

But nobody seemed to see

For nobody cares for me. 

Written by M.T. Sheahan.

Sums up those moods pretty nicely.

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I'm traveling at the end of the week.

On Sunday night, the Winter Solstice, there will be a little party so I can see some neighbor friends.
That's No. 31: Have a Solstice Party.

And then there will be Christmas and family and more travel.

Posting may be random. 

But I'm thinking about all of you. 

Merry Christmas.