for the 9-year old that still lives inside me

Good morning everyone out there from us here in snowy and cold Montrose, Colorado.  I could start off by reminding everyone for the zillionth time that I hate snow and cold weather and winter and everything else that goes with it.  But instead of bemoaning the fact that we are still deep inside the worst season of the year for me, I'm going to give thanks for the moisture that has fallen.  The truth is that we need it badly in these parts of the world.  The water we get for our own personal usage comes to us via the Blue Mesa Reservoir about 30 miles away in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Even though it still has water in it, we know that the supply will never be endless.  Every day we hear reports of the severe drought conditions the state of California is under.  The latest I heard yesterday on NPR was the voice of the governor there asking people not only to limit the time they are in the shower but also to flush their toilets less as well.  When I stop to think about it, I should be ashamed of myself for evening uttering one bad word about snow falling.  Oh the things we take for granted!

When I finally settled in here in Colorado last summer, I began to think of things I would like to add to a "Colorado Bucket List".  It took me a while to come up with one mostly because I was having a hard enough time living day to day without being so horribly homesick.  I just wanted to get through the next 24 hours without crying, shoot I didn't even dare to dream about being here now nearly 9 months later.  But I survived and thrived as I grew more comfortable here and eventually I came up with a decent list to work on.  One of those things on the list was "to make a snowman out of Colorado snow". 

I'm not sure why that was so all fired important to me but it was and with the decent snowfall we have on the ground now, it looks like today will be the day.  Normally our snows seem so dry and powdery, definitely not the material a person would usually prefer for creating  a snowman.  This recent snow was different and yesterday I received a text from the nearly 56-year old kid that I live with that said....

"We can make our first snowman this year when we get home tonight.  Should be lots of fun!"

It was late when we got home and since I am not partial to making a snowman after the sun has set without the availability of "glow in the dark snow", I was able to dissuade him from this "rite" of winter until today.  But later on this afternoon, my guess is that if you are looking for us, outside is where we will be and making a snowman is what we shall be doing.  The two of us have a combined age of 114 and I guess if we would like to live to see a combined age of 180, then having fun by playing in the snow is not a half bad idea after all. Pictures to follow~

I celebrated my 58th birthday this past October 26th and I'm grateful for the years that the Lord has given me.  Although I'm not 60 yet, some times when I wake up in the morning I feel more than that.  My joints ache and it takes a while for my body to get to moving.  I have a notion that I should buy stocks in the popular pain reliever Alleve before long.  Time marches on and it takes our bodies with it.  Yet inside of me, within my spirit there still lives the little 9-year old girl that I used to be.  From time to time she makes her presence known to me and the message she sends me is this...."Please let me out today because I would like to have fun."
So today, it shall be so.

Friends, I have a question for you if you don't mind.  Just a show of hands here, "How many of you can't remember the last time that you really had fun?"  Hold on, I'm counting.  Just as I thought.  There were lots of hands held high and if I would have voted, mine would have been raised up as well.  You know how it is.  We get busy with this thing called life and we go to work every day trying to take care of ourselves and our families.  When you get home there is more work to do and then before you know it, shoot it's time to go to bed and start the whole thing over again the next day.  When you stop to consider it, outside of the obvious, why do we live life in such a manner?  Whether I do dishes or not, my sink always seems to be perpetually full of dishes to wash.  Doesn't matter how many times I vacuum the carpet because the end result is that it's going to have to be done again soon.  Beds get made and re-made with the real truth being that a person can go to bed just fine in one that hasn't been made in the first place.  The whole point is, why not today just choose to do one thing that is fun?  Make a memory or two with those that you love.  Call a friend and head out together to some of your favorite places to go.  Even make a snowman.  Your "inner child" will be jumping up and down, squealing with delight.  I dare you to :)

Time to get this day started.  There's a good chance for snow all day long here along the Western Slopes and I don't want to miss out on my chance to have fun in it.  Love to you all my dear family and friends.  You are good people and I'm proud to say that we are friends.

The very first snowman I ever made.  A year ago back in Hutch.  I named her Eleanore and she was even shorter than me.  Now that was fun!

 That guy on the left is just now getting over his "death of pneumonia" and so he will be definitely bundling up well before we go out to do this snowman making thing this afternoon.  Life here is very interesting and trust me, there is never a dull moment.