"Three Pines"

We named our mountain home "Three Pines" when we built it and moved in ten years ago. Although there are numerous pines on our property, the "stars" are three enormous ponderosa pines clustered just south of the house. I would love to know just how old these beauties are. I also want to figure out how tall they are. There must be an easier way than climbing to the top with a tape measure. The bark has beautiful color and texture and a delicious butterscotch/vanilla scent especially during warm weather.

Coldly Beautiful

I'm photographing the beautiful sights I see from every window this morning. It's a cold and beautiful world outside these windows.
Blue and White


Coldly Beautiful


Flicker


High Window


Inside Out


These Chairs are Waiting for Spring

Skiing, Hazardous Roads and Moose

All seven of us, with our ski equipment, piled into our Explorer Friday morning for the 75 minute drive to Eldora Ski Resort for a day of fun. This was the first time skiing for the children (ages 12, 11, and 8) and by lunchtime, they looked like seasoned skiers. The morning was postcard perfect. By afternoon a few snow showers had moved in. We had a wonderful day, one I've added to my "Bliss List!"

We started home about 4 p.m. and had an uneventful drive on scenic Highway 7 until just outside of Estes where we stopped at the end of a line of cars waiting for several stuck vehicles, including a big orange snow plow truck, to be removed from snowy ditches on either side of the road. The snow on the curve at that point had melted then refrozen into a solid sheet of ice causing havoc shortly before we approached. We could see some of what was going on ahead during our 45 minute wait. The police officer at the scene filled us in on what was happening and their plan for getting us all around the curve safely. We slowly and cautiously followed the orange truck which was laying down a thick layer of sand and made it safely home. After a quick stop at home we headed over to Sweet Basilico for a most delicious Italian dinner.

Another highlight of the day was seeing two moose crossing the highway. They are rare on this side of the divide and we've never seen moose in this area before. Unfortunately, my camera was not accessible for a shot. I did get lots of good shots during our day of skiing. I'll be surprised if our daughter's family doesn't make this a yearly event.

They had planned to leave for Omaha this morning but we've had several inches of snow in the last twenty-four hours and it's looking iffy. Wayne is out with his trusty snow blower clearing a path on the driveway.

Colorado Blue Spruce Babies

We planted two Colorado blue spruce babies today - indoors in pots until they are big enough and the weather is warm enough to transplant them outdoors. They will live in a sunny window for now getting plenty of TLC from me.

Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) was adopted as the official state tree by the Colorado General Assembly in 1939. Colorado blue spruce is a beautiful, hardy conifer which thrives in the montane zone of the central and southern Rocky Mountains. We have several in varying sizes growing on our property. They have a gorgeous bluish green cast. For those of us living in Estes Park, Colorado (next door to Rocky Mountain National Park) growing anything, including conifers, is challenging. In addition to the dry climate and poor, rocky soil are the ever present elk who munch on almost anything that grows so fencing is a must, at least until the tree is quite large. Below are images of mature Colorado blue spruce. Aren't they lovely?

A Week I'll Add To My "Bliss List"

My week with the children was joyful. I loved the extended time with them and being fully involved in their day to day routines. Especially memorable were the intimate bedtime conversations with their sweet and funny comments. It was a week I'll add to my "Bliss List."Here are a few of my favorite moments captured in photos.


Parker singing with Wildcat Voices at the Library


Courtney enjoying a sandwich


Valentine's Day fondue


Valentine dress for Carly's doll


Fischer playing basketball


It feels good to be home again in the mountains. We drove on some treacherous stretches of I80 yesterday and saw many cars and trucks off the road (some overturned and some still on their wheels) and miles and miles of bumper to bumper traffic in the east bound lanes crawling along at a snail's pace. Once we got as far as Grand Island, the travel was normal.

Cold Winter Sunset

This is the view to the west from the A's house. The sunsets are often spectacular.

Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf

While caring for my grandchildren, I've had precious little time for knitting. But I did bring my current project and find time to add a few rows each evening after the children are asleep. It's a pattern I found on Purlbee. I haven't done much knitting but I fell in love with the "Lovely Leaf Lace" scarf and was determined to learn how to knit it. Unfortunately, I did a lot of "unknitting" before it got to this point. I reduced the width of the scarf so I could complete it with the one ball of merino/silk yarn that I had purchased at the Wool Market in Estes Park, Colorado last year. The color is a slightly variegated soft jade green.

Turned a Corner

I believe we've finally turned a corner and are well into the grandchildren's routines. Things are going almost smoothly as we work and play our way toward the week-end. The nightly call from our son and daughter-in-law did not leave the youngest in tears and they all LOVED the dinner I prepared, especially the homemade biscuits. The Valantines are made and in the backpacks ready for tomorrow's school Valentine parties. I managed a small but needed nap this afternoon and felt perky for the remainder of the evening.

Fun With the Grandchildren

Wayne and I have been in charge of three of our six grandchildren (our son's children) for two days and I have a renewed appreciation of their mother's and father's energy levels. Wow! I went to bed early and tired last night.

I'm taking a moment to type this post during a brief "down time." Carly and Fischer are at school. Courtney is taking one of her infrequent naps and Wayne is taking one of his frequent naps. The cleaning women are downstairs (they've finished upstairs which is a miracle considering how little the kids had picked up beforehand.) Courtney went to her once a week preschool class this morning and I had a chance to take the advice I frequently gave to mothers of crying children when I was teaching -I peeled her off and left. Apparently that was the right thing to do because she said when I picked her up, "I LOVE preschool!" They had their Valentine party this morning so I'm sure the bag of cards and candy helped her attitude. While Courtney was at preschool, Wayne and I met Jenny for coffee and bagels at Panera's then picked Courtney up and met Jen and Virgil for lunch at Boyd and Charlie's. My life seems to revolve around food.

Wayne is going to Jack's wrestling match this evening. Grace and Parker (two of my daughter's three children) are coming over here to help Carly and Fischer make Valentines. So far we've had two calls from our son and his wife at their Mexican beach resort. Both calls left Courtney sobbing, "I want my mommy." In between calls she seems just fine. I may quit answering the phone. It's cold and windy. Courtney's word for the day is "blustery." She caught on to that one immediately on the walk through the preschool parking lot.

It may not sound like it but we are having a wonderful time.

Valelntine Doll Dresses

We are driving to Omaha, Nebraska tomorrow to stay with three of our grandchildren while our son and his wife spend a week in Mexico. Our daughter, her husband and three children live just ten minutes from our son's house so we'll get to spend time with them as well. We are fortunate that we can see both families in one trip and we make the nine hour trip every five or six weeks. That's as long as I can stand to go without seeing them! I'm taking ideas and materials for several Valentine projects to do with the kids while we're there. They range in age from almost thirteen to three years old - three girls and three boys. I love hearing from their parents how much they are looking forward to our visit because I am too ... I was born to be a grandma!


I made Valentine doll dresses for my eleven and eight year old granddaughters' American Girl dolls. I've made lots of outfits for them. I love sewing for an 18 inch doll and most of my patterns come from books by Joan Hinds I bought several years ago. One is pictured above. When I looked at them recently on Amazon.com, I was stunned at the increase in prices for some of them. I'm glad I bought them when they were reasonably priced. The patterns are easy to sew and make lovely, well-fitting clothes. I know the girls will like them. My three year old granddaughter isn't into dressing her dolls yet and they frequently go naked.

Trail Ridge Quilters

Trail Ridge Quilters met today for our usual Tuesday afternoon gathering. We are a group of women who make quilted items which we sell at several venues during the fall. All the money we make goes to our local hospital in the form of grants of up to $2000. This group of women is like a family. We love doing something worthwhile for a charitable cause and, even more, we love being together, sharing joys, sorrows, information, advice and laughter. One of my projects this year is making Christmas stockings with a removable cuff that can be personalized with an embroidered name. Using the pattern I've designed, I can make eight stockings from two yards of coordinating fabric. I cut out the pieces for eight stockings today - photo to come. When I've put them together, I'll post a pattern.

By the way, the name of our group comes from Trail Ridge Road which is the name for a stretch of U.S. Highway 34, the highest continuous paved highway in the United States. It is located in Rocky Mountain National Park in my beloved Colorado.