Under a Red Roof ·

Slow to Warm

March 21, 2025 in Feeling, Watching by Colleen | Permalink

Remains of the blizzard, pretty that. Also note the flourish of leaf and bud on the fern bush, a reliable early notion of spring. I need it this year.

I have been struggling, for peace some days, mental wellness all along. My usual, every few years, precipitous dip into darkness. My maddening chemistry. Also, this country, of which I used to be ridiculously proud, making enemies of friends, blithely, with impunity, what could possibly go wrong?

I find respite in the usual pockets, the leaf of fern bush above, a porch-full of sun warmth on black clad legs, a Juniper snuffle and wiggle of tail, a Greg kiss and cuddle in the thin light of morning. I’m crafting a playlist of essential-to-me dance songs, a medicine all their own. Essentials, if you will.

In an unusual turn, at least for the Colorado Springs leg of this journey of life, we have seen three movies in an actual theater recently. Entertaining and TWO directed by Steven Soderbergh, which, in the car on the way home from Black Bag (very good, plus Michael Fassbender, whose voice I could put on a loop for more good medicine) made me realize he is probably my favorite director of all time, with such a willingness to try — serious, historical, funny, strange — and does a brilliant job.

A semi-short list for funsies, exclamation points for personal favorites: Sex, Lies, and Video Tape, Out of Sight (!!), The Limey (!), Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven (!!), Solaris (!), Bubble, Che: Part One (!) and Two, Logan Lucky (!), Mosaic (Paul Reubens!), Kimi, Presence.

Also, to plug our favorite local theater since the demise of the Kimball’s Peak Three downtown (sadly, the owner died in 2023), Roadhouse Cinemas is seriously all the things. They have: really good drinks – boozy – margarita, an electric green apple drink whose name evades, and not – a most magical root beer, legit excellent food, even amazing churros! It is also full service to a comfy recliner, which, on a cold winter evening (or any time), can be made warm and toasty with the flick of a button. Why would you go anywhere else?!

Tags: Movies

Just another blizzard…

March 20, 2025 in Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

A sentence starts out like a lone traveler heading into a blizzard at midnight, tilting into the wind, one arm shielding his face, the tails of his thin coat flapping behind him.

Billy Collins

<<>>

Third blizzard in six weeks on Tuesday. Over it…

Tags: Quoting

Dust

February 20, 2025 in Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before–more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.

Charles Dickens

Tags: Quoting

Schedule

February 13, 2025 in Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

To live in a city is to live the life that it was built for, to adapt to its schedule and rhythms, to move within the transit layout made for you during the morning and evening rush, winding through the crowds of fellow commuters. To live in a city is to consume its offerings. To eat at its restaurants. To drink at its bars. To shop at its stores. To pay its sales taxes. To give a dollar to its homeless.

To live in a city is to take part in and to propagate its impossible systems. To wake up. To go to work in the morning. It is also to take pleasure in those systems because, otherwise, who could repeat the same routines, year in, year out?

Ling Ma

Tags: Quoting

Winter Days

February 11, 2025 in Gardening + Nature, Making by Colleen | Permalink

Happy Winter Days! We are blissfully over a very localized blizzard (What do you mean there is no snow on the West side?!) and horrible deep freeze, lasting over a week and preventing any serious Juniper walks. On one occasion, we were out shoveling, and she had to wee, so she bounded out in her usual happy fashion only to realize the subzero temperatures by walking on her hind legs to spare her front paws from freezing. How is that for funny and sad in one gesture?

Here’s a hoot and holler for my best batch of marmalade, ever! As you hopefully can see, I used orange – blood and navel, lemon, and grapefruit, each of which is discernible, a perfectly balanced medley. I also added slivers of zest, as I only wanted the pith from half of the fruits. Good gracious – the color, the texture, the flavor. I am seriously in love with it. Greg is, too.

Costco had giant jars of nacho cheese at a very nice low, low price, so, of course, this nacho lover had to bring some home. I dolled it up with chipotles and pureed beans, this bit of salsa, and, of course, chopped slices of pickled jalapenos, for the perfect distribution of flavor in every bite. Happiness and memories of paper boats with light bulb warmed chips, layers of glorious glop, and fingers crossed for a generous spoonful of peppers when catching a movie at the Westminster Mall as a whipper-snapping teen.

I have really refined my soap-making these past few years, narrowing down my favorite scents and oil blends, even creating a most fabulous shampoo. Those above even have prickly pear juice from our own fruits, which makes for super nourishing bars. I’ve also taken to adding zinc oxide to both for all the skin and hair benefits (scroll down to Table 1 and take note of topical uses).

Further proof that everything in life is a work in progress, I added a little too much zinc to the standard soap, and it leaves a thin film on the bars in between uses. We’ll see if I can make it disappear, peeps!