Really?

Not a real post, but an admission that'd I've been absent from blogging for nearly a year now. Facebook is easier, so there it is.

No pix, no time

But I will say hello. Hello.
Happenings here.... busy with Telluride TV as I am now the (interim) Executive Director. We have to move our studio which is no small task since it's 25 years worth of equipment, tapes, dvds, and STUFF. Ugh. I had hoped when I moved to Telluride that I didn't have to organize and do a move for a long, long time.

In other news, we just returned from a 4 day trip to Sedona, Arizona. Nice and beautiful, but all in all we both prefer Telluride. The hikes and restaurants were a bit of a let down, but we really enjoyed getting away, especially since it snowed here while we were gone!

I am not sure how to find the time to continue to clean, cook and run my house. Time has become increasingly scarce as my commitments to EMS and Teluride TV have increased. I am now wondering how I did it all with my 60 hr weeks at CNN and a family of five. Calgon, take me away.

Food is Good

Today kicks off a sort of food orgy weekend in honor of the NCAA Tournament. In the crockpot, NC-Style pork for pulled-pork and in the frig, some homemade potato salad is brewing. I'm pretty sure I won't do more than have a taste, it's just not my thing. But it's a lot of fun to cook special things for my basketball obsessed and food crazed husband.

Can email recipes if interested. Enjoy the madness!

I am a Basketball Widow

March Madness has begun, but the Big Dance is not even here yet. Still, that has not stopped my husband from monopolizing both TVs and DVRs to watch these conference tournaments. He has taken a temporary leave of absence from skiing, and has taken up watching round ball more than 12 hours a day. I am banned from the TVs and nearly all normal semblance of life.

I do get into it once the brackets are set, and I can bet against him. He thinks that watching all this basketball helps educate him as to the quality of each team that makes it. I know better. We've been together for nearly 14 years. Even his kids can beat him in Brakectology just based on what cities or colors they like better.

So, instead of lamenting about how I'm being ignored for 30-plus days, I choose to embrace the humor in how I will beat him in my picks for the NCAA Tournament. And still, I will cook Brats, make pulled-pork sandwiches, and pretend like I care about which team has the most McDonald's All Americans and is still floundering (UNC Tarheels)...blah blah blah.

Because at the end of the day, he is still my cute honey.

What are the chances?

Today Jim and I were riding the ski lift with another couple, a fairly common event with pretty typical conversation. Only none of us could have predicted what would follow.

First, the back-story. Jim and I were honeymooning at a small resort in Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands in November of 1999 when suddenly, on a beautiful, sunny day, we were told we must evacuate. Hurricane Lenny was on his way, and it was not safe to stay. The next boat to Tortola (the island we needed to fly out from) was leaving in 20 minutes. We hustled to our room and quickly packed, well crammed our stuff into our bags and high-tailed it onto the small boat. There were two other couples who left with us on that first boat out. One of the men introduced himself as an OB/GYN from Grand Junction, Colorado.

Our experience was surely memorable, but that doctor was the only person we remembered from that chaotic day. Perhaps it was because of our love for Colorado and then the purchase of what was to become our home here in Telluride. In fact, when we first moved here and I went to my new gynecologist in Grand Junction, I asked him if he knew of this guy, though I could not remember his name.

So here we are this morning riding the lift, engaging in idle chit-chat when we learn that this couple is from Grand Junction, and they have a small cabin on Wilson Mesa, not far from where my doc also has a cabin. Jim asked him if he knew of my doctor and he did. In fact, he too was an OB/GYN there. Jim then began to tell him of our adventure and how we evacuated with a guy who was an OB/GYN from Grand Junction, and we can't remember his name, only he could not finish the story. He was interrupted with a very loud "that was me, that was us on that boat!"

Home for and now home from the holidays

Christmas Eve brought us all together at my folks house for a wonderful evening of celebration, eating and laughter. Our granddaughters were especially scrumptious and cute.


Then we celebrated New Year's Eve at my sister and brother in-law's cabin in the North Georgia mountains.

Games and dancing dominated the evening. And a little snuggling with my niece Ryan and nephew Jake (who is now officially going by his middle name "Eli").


I love this picture. We are so excited that Eli is coming to live with us this summer and go to some cool Telluride Academy camp programs.

And then there was "EMT" Ryan, who learned from Aunt Sue how to take blood pressure. She actually does it right!

But come on, she's 11. So there had to be some fun while "manually stabilizing c-spine!"

Here's a rare shot of my sister and I actually wearing some color! We are both big fans of black and brown!

Throughout our stay in the ATL, we got to fight traffic, visit, and do some babysitting. Roxanne, who just turned 2 yrs old, loves books.


And hugs from Mimi.

Is it just me, or do these guys sort of look alike? (Jim & son Justin)

We ended our trip with Kaitlin's move to UGA. She has the actual move-in photos, but we like this one.

And a big thanks to my mom and dad who hosted us (and our two dogs!) for nearly three weeks!

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year to you all, perhaps late, but genuine.

A Cooking Fool

So since the cold weather started a few days ago, I have what feels like a primal instinct to hunker down and cook. There's something about the snow falling, the chill in the air, and the craving for, well, food. And I just love to look at recipes online, read reviews and then somehow blend what I read with my own instincts and taste. Cooking, and at times baking, has become quite the hobby.

This cooking jaunt started with wanting to make Jim a little treat, so I made cranberry bread. That didn't seem to satisfy the urge, so I went on to make a new chicken piccata dish that night and then spent an inordinate amount of time on foodnetwork.com and epicurious.com. What followed was peppermint bark, chocolate fudge, lemon-chicken soup with veggies and pasta, and a homemade tomato sauce for my meatball and spaghetti dinner party Friday night. Not to brag, but I don't think I'll be buying anymore of the jarred tomato sauce that I seemed to be just fine with all of these years. And really I don't have to brag because I have a very appreciative husband who loves to eat. He knows if he piles on the compliments, I'll be spending even more time in the kitchen.