Face Lift

I already need a face lift. The black background is making me feel old with a frown line. It looks so cool on other sites. It's like the little black dress... sometimes it takes trying on a few before you find the right one. But, I love black. I wear black more than any other color. (Slimming) When asked what my favorite color, it's black but I say pink/tan (runners up) so I do not present myself as dark and or morbid, you know gothesque. That has to be a parents nightmare. Little Jimmy wearing eyeliner. Remember Blackie on General Hospital? What a hottie. With apprehension I admit I have Black Betty on my mp3 player. I like Back in Black by ACDC. Mostly because it reminds me of my oldest sister. Valedictorian of her class, tall lanky blond... super smart, rock'en out. Funny. There has never been a better time to be an aunt than when I get to tell my nieces and nephews about their parents when they were young. A couple months ago my Aunt Doe and her husband came to visit my parents for the weekend. I happened to be there also. We spent hours one night talking about my dad. What a special time. I hope all of you have the opportunity to do this with someone special. Finally, with paper and pen I wrote about my dad so I will be able to share it with my kids some day.Have you had the opportunity to do this? What comes to mind when you think of black? TGIF, don't let a black cat cross your path.
***Picture taken today on my drive to Stanley***

I love Halloween!

There is a secret spot in my heart for all the Halloween parties with my friends. A smile crosses my face and maybe a bit of laughter to follow. Year after year, I am amazed at my friends and really impressed with their husbands when it comes their costumes. My favorite costume was not worn by me and it comes from the most unlike person. A friends husband, Greg, surprised all of us one year. She was Wonder Woman and a fabulous one at that. (I wish I had pictures with me, one downside of traveling.) It was in the mid 90's when Howard Stern was in the news a lot. Greg happened to find Howard really funny (oh ick) but this is where his creativity comes in. Since his wife was Wonder Woman she wanted him to be Super Man. Getting a 6'5 man in red tights, any tights... next to impossible. Unless he makes a clay nose like Howard S. and gets a black (creepy) curly wig that is sort of like a mullet. Flying into the party, Super Man is now Super Stern. Honestly one of the funnies, most creative costume! Again this year the same group a friends will howl at the moon as who knows what.

Sunrise...

My first camping trip with Jaige (1 hour out of town) consisted of me sitting on the bed of the Ford F150 with citronella candles circling me while I read, sipped my wine and marveled at being in the presence my very own Hemingway character. Every minute or so I embarked on an insect assassination with my bug spray. We talked, he set up camp, we sat by the fire, I entertained him with my stories. The night went on..... and so did our relationship. Over three years later here I am sleeping in the Clearwater National Forest, Idaho. (1,828 miles away from home.) 5:30 am, the alarm steals natures silence. I lay my head down knowing full well that he will never wake up let alone get up. He likes to sleep. He sleeps best in the woods so I was safe. The night before he had this "great" idea to get up for a sunrise hike... but it was cold, dark and I was still counting my sheep. My shoes were still wet from the 14 mile hike just hours before when we were looking for the hidden lake, and hidden it remains. 7 miles into the hike we gave up and turned around to escape night fall and nurse my bloody feet. Now, with darkness still upon us we tripped, climbed and shivered our way along the path that would eventually lead us to, Graves Peak. Perched on a huge rock, along side of a cliff, wrapped in my Hello Kitty blanket the dawn of a new day, of a new life happened. On bent knee I became a Mrs. A smile crosses my face every time I think of his face, the beautiful words he spoke and the amazing way we became one. Waldon Lakes below, sunrise in my face and hope in my heart. I got the last good guy.....