While in New York City for a week, I stayed (or depending on who you talk to – overstayed) at my oldest best friend, Mere’s condo. Her husband, Scott, was a good sport to put up with me for so long. My mornings were significantly different than they are in Denver because of one element – a two-year-old girl named Kingsley.
By 7:30, Kings and I were plopped on the couch, eating our breakfasts watching Elmo’s World. Shockingly I’ve never seen this show that she is obsessed with, nor have I seen The Backyardigans or Yo Gabba Gabba (which I think I needed to be on LSD or something for that show to make sense). Anyway, this temporary morning ritual was actually really fun. Cuddling up with a little munchkin as she dances and laughs her way through a 20-minute show made my day get off on the right start. And Kings – Bryan has you to thank that I’ve been getting up at 5:30 a.m. mountain time – but unfortunately for me, Elmo’s World isn’t on yet…
I recently went back home to Chicago for my Oma’s (German for grandma) 90th surprise birthday party. And was she surprised! (Incidentally, she would NOT be happy with me telling the world her age) Friends and family, some whom she hadn’t seen in years, came to celebrate her. Oma is still tack-sharp, drives her car, tells jokes, has the girls over for cards and makes mean lemon bars. I’m so thankful to have spent so many years with her, learning family history, playing golf and laughing hard.
Here’s to another 90, Oma!
Everyone was watching, waiting for my dad’s car to pull up with Oma in it
Surprise!
My dad, left, uncle and aunt
Oma had some issues blowing out the cake … but got some help
B and I road-tripped it to Santa Fe to celebrate our first anniversary.
We stayed in small cabin and brought Tucker along.
Friday night, we walked along Canyon Road, perusing art galleries, drinking free wine, ducking in and out of the rain.
Saturday we walked around Santa Fe, bought green chile mustard at the farmer’s market, drank some green chile beer and ate a green chile cheddar burger.
Bryan pretended he knew something about cars.
Sunday (our actual wedding anniversary), we went for a 4-mile hike, tried on some vintage cowboy boots, drove to the Jemez mountains, hiked into natural hot springs, relaxed in them while sharing a chilled bottle of 2000 vintage Dom Peringon.
Monday drove through Taos, got vertigo at this gorge and drove through small town Colorado and on home.
Every Wednesday night at 7:30, there is a “Questions Group” that is held at Dazbog Coffee (12th and Clayton – Congress Park). It’s a place where people can come who are struggling with religious questions – people of all backgrounds attend (atheists, Catholics, Muslims, etc.). Pastor Dave Morlan sums it up well on the questions group blog:
“The Question Group is a conversational forum that has met in various locations in Denver for the past four years to discuss hard questions about God, Jesus, the Bible and Christianity. It is an inclusive group that assumes we don’t have it all figured out. The purpose of the group is to help you figure out for yourself what it is you do believe about God and why. Everyone, regardless of one’s beliefs, is welcome to join in the conversation. So if there is something about Christianity that is bothering you, let me know what it is by emailing me. We all have questions – together we can find some answers.”
Again, I shot this for Fellowship Denver. Now for a few photos:
Saturday, B and I woke up all excited to spend time outdoors, go on a hike and soak up the sunshine. We ate a big breakfast and headed up I-70. Well, once we got to our new hiking trail past Evergreen, we realized – oh yeah – it may be 70º in Denver, but it’s still winter here with 2 feet of snow. Since we didn’t bring our snowshoes, we found another trail that this woman was just coming off of.
I would much rather be on a horse on that trail – it was mud central. We hiked for 10 minutes and it was not fun … at all. So down to Denver we went. Then we’re watching Episode 11 of Season 3 Mad Men. If you watch it, you know what I’m talking about when I say Betty was in the middle of confronting Don about his box … AND OUR DVD FROZE. Wouldn’t play. at. all.
So then, we went to Herman’s Hideaway to see our friend Adam’s band Brother’s O’Hair – who rocked it by the way. I mean seriuosly rocked it. They are playing the Hi-Dive April 21, make sure you go. Anywho, B and I had just gotten drinks, found a table and as we sit down, B moves the table and our drinks go crashing to the ground. But really, should the night have ended differently? Ah, oh well, there’s always next Saturday, I guess.
