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.

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.

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.

Feel the Love

Most of the quilts I make become gifts for family members. I've designed, pieced, and hand quilted a quilt for each of my grandchildren, except the youngest, when she or he graduated from a crib to a big bed. When I gave my first grandchild his quilt, I didn't know how much he loved it until I was babysitting for him one night when he was about four years old. I sat on his bed with him reading bedtime stories and when I tucked him in he said, "You made this quilt just for me didn't you Grandma." I told him I had. He then said, "When I snuggle under it at night it feels like you're hugging me. I tell myself, 'My grandma loves me.' " What a sweet and lovely thing that was to hear. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about it. I'll keep on making quilts for them and my reward is knowing they feel my love when they snuggle down under those quilts. I'll be starting a quilt for my youngest grandchild soon. She's two, adorable, loving and spunky. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Mother's Day Blessings

I've just returned from staying with three of my darling grandchildren for a week while my daughter and her husband took a trip together. What a joy it was being part of their everyday lives. They are 12, 10 and 7 ... busy with school, friends, sports, music lessons, and more. My son and his wife have three children too (7, 5 and 2) and, joy of joys, these two families live only ten minutes apart. My husband and I live 500 miles from them and when I haven't seen them for awhile, I'm crazy with longing for all of them. That's why I drive or fly to see them as often as I can. I love my life here in the mountains but I'm too far away from my children and grandchildren. What a dilemma! However, I'm grateful for good highways, a reliable car, and direct flights. Most of all, on this Mother's Day, I feel blessed with a wonderful family.