Tales of the Ordinary Days

Old Guy (Larry's nickname from cousin Judy) and me From my recent trip to help orchestrate our many life moves We have news. And the best kind - good news. We are on the move again! Our adventure in Boise will come to a close as we ring in the new year. 2020 will bring a change of address to Durango, Colorado. Why you ask? My answer? Pretty much....why not? Life is grand when the world is your oyster and you allow yourself to think that way. So here is the more detailed story on how we came up with Durango... Knowing our short-term rental in Boise was done at the end of the year, Garrett and I discussed our next steps over some cocktails mid-summer. We tentatively decided to stay in Boise for another year, feeling like we hadn't yet experienced all Boise and Idaho had to offer. We have really enjoyed our time here. I summed up my experience in one word - joyful. Holding that thought under our cap, we moved through the summer. I did some work in Colorado in l...

Carol, Cindy, (Shimerda girls-Anna, Sarah, Mary), me, Melanie, Barb, Nicky, LuAnn Picture was taken at Sarah's bridal shower a few years back With every great first meeting, there is a story. The moments in time where lasting relationships begin. This is the case with my neighbors of Elm Circle. Over the last nineteen years, we have co-existed like a close extended family. There were times when we needed each other, but was also the comfort in distance between own homes. My neighbors perfected the art of knowing the difference. Driving away from my home for the last time, I called each of my boys. We shared these years as a family with roots that grew deep. I felt the urge to share the finality of the moment with them. All responded with encouragement, but Grant nailed it with his comment. "Mom, it's really not about the house. It's about the people. I miss the people. You'll miss the people." He was so right. My home was not the same, now empty of...

October 2009 - October 2019 Garrett and I just wrapped an amazing 9 day road trip through Oregon, focusing our travels on the southwestern region of the state. By our calculations (which was basically a combo of loose memory and verification through my flipping through iPhone pictures), this was our sixth annual fall trip together. We started this tradition with hiking the Rocky Mountain National Park in 2014, taking in the beautiful orange aspen leaves and all the great fall mountainous views. The other calculation that came to light was that it was ten years ago when Garrett and I first met. TEN YEARS. Wow. We had to recheck our math on that one too. A lot has happened in our collective lives since that fall day in 2009. By twist of fate, I followed up with Garrett, a presenter at a conference I was attending in Denver ten years ago and so it all began. This was before texting was the prevalent form of communication. I sent him an e-mail on my way out of town and we later se...

______________________________________ April 21, 2019 I’m fat. There, I said it out loud. And I actually feel a lot better now. I can't sugarcoat the situation or convince myself it’s not a big deal. It's my reality. I weigh 158. My Apple scale is accurate. This is my number. Ugh. The picture that pushed me over the edge. I thought I looked good and was shocked when I saw I did not. Grant, my ‘baby’, turned 19 years old a week ago today. All three of my kids were born in April. As we celebrated the birth of the youngest, I was overwhelmed with memories on how I felt post-birthing all those many years ago. Rocking tiny sleeping infants while enjoying outdoor views of the freshness of spring. Blooming tulips, flowering and colorful trees, and first glimpses of long-awaited green grass filled my emotional eye. Every rock of the baby was filled with breasts bursting out of my nursing bra ready for upcoming feedings. My extra layers o...