Under a Red Roof

Relaxed

March 25, 2019 in Being, Cooking + Baking, Friendship by Colleen | Permalink

Greg and Juniper looking particularly relaxed and happy after a weekend chock full of activity.

Friday night we watched the cousin’s kidlets while they enjoyed a rare evening on the town. There was MUCH play – of the football catching, block building and demolishing, and video gaming variety. There was also Boss Baby (funny!) and pancakes and bedtime stories. Once we tucked the kiddos safely into bed, we binge watched some Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (lives up to its name!) and wished there was ONE single platform for ALL video streaming, as we have zero interest in paying a multitude of fees for our television. Sigh. Incentive for us to watch the kids more often, I suppose!

Up early Saturday morning for a long-awaited visit with some of our besties, Michael and Mary. They brought their dogs, Jesuscito and Lupita, and Juniper thought they were the cat’s pajamas. We can sniff and play all day, inside, outside, run, run, run. Only one thing – do NOT touch my food, okay? Okay. Good.

I made all kinds of goodness – a pork roast, salad, spinach and ricotta gnudi (the flecked with green rolls whose name translates to naked – a jacketless ravioli). The prettiest, hands down, was the delicious orange and fennel cake because, lucky me, blood oranges are still in season and gorgeous, gorgeous!

It was a sleep over, so there was more food adventure in the form of crumpets for breakfast (sore-ee no photo). I had never made them and wondered if I had it all wrong, but they looked right and tasted like WOW! I do believe they will be on a more frequent rotation. Yes, I do.

Did I, after years of swearing I would, remember to take a picture of the four of us? No, because I always get so caught up in the being and doing of fine friendship and cooking and baking that I forget. Even though the camera is close at hand, within eye shot, even. Not the worst to happen, really, so fully immersed in the joy of our togetherness. Yes. But dang, too. I’d like to have us rounded up for the ages. I really, really would.

The End is the Beginning

November 13, 2018 in Friendship, Learning by Colleen | Permalink

Happy Tuesday!

As part of my day rave experience, I received Belong, a book written by Daybreaker co-founder Radha Agrawal. It’s all about creating communities where we feel valued and thrive. By completing a series of written and exploratory exercises, the reader creates the shape of her life by filling it with the people and activities that spark the most joy and connection.

I’d been plugging along with it when a friend texted to say she needed some girl time and really wanted us to hang out. Since I started doing the Belong work, I had some doubts about our relationship. She had a habit of not allowing space for me in conversation and making fun of me or Greg but had other qualities that I enjoyed, so I started to make plans, which sent a flag up for me.

This friend also had a habit of saying I was missed but never seemed to want to do the work of making the connection. It fell on me to choose the date, time, and activity. So, I wondered what would happen if she had the responsibility, offering ideas but leaving the execution to her. This was weeks ago, and I never heard back.

As I am wont to do, I fretted and found ways to make myself the bad actor. Then I looked back on one of the Belong exercises that asks what I do and don’t want in a relationship. I reread the qualities and was gobsmacked to realize she has ALL that I determined were deal breakers. And so I quit, not in an instant, see above(!), but over a few days, culminating by unfriending her on Facebook. I still feel a tad twitchy but know the relationships I am currently building are keepers, where positivity reigns and I am valued equally and treated respectfully.

Thank you, Radha, for helping me get to this place!

Bachelor Buttons

June 4, 2018 in Friendship, Gardening + Nature by Colleen | Permalink

Bachelor buttons and much moving and shaking happening in our neck of the woods! The buttons are considered invasive much of the place, but so quaint and sweetly scented that I forgive them their trespasses. Over the past couple of weeks, we put more plants in the ground and purchased a passel more – I stopped counting at 100. We also rid ourselves of the lawn out front and covered it with most of the 14 yards (!) of bark mulch purchased as of late. The word is transformative, though about 1.5 yards remains in a lump curbside. I’m too pooped to move it today, but sssssoooon! Our nephew Tyler helped us with some of the work, schlepping multiple loads from the landscaping place in his Ford F-150 and around the yard via shovel and wheelbarrow. The truck is nearly the same model we shared with our dear Portland neighbors Pat and Kelly, and made us ever so happy to reminisce about. Good times, brown skin, and sore bodies, my dear peeps! How much closer we are to the finish line now. WOOT!

We’ve also been busy socializing with family and friends, to-ing and fro-ing around town and up yonder to Littleton, walking Juniper less than we ought due to yard work fatigue, and eating poorly out of the same fatigue. That bit of nonsense stops now because I cannot stand a tender tummy one more day! Just as soon as I finish this bit of word-smithing I am heading to the grocery for a mess-o-greens and vegetables.

I had another two peonies bloom and one is on the ready, which makes my heart too happy for words. So, an embarrassment of riches, I suppose, as it usually is around here. I’ll get some before and after photos of the yard up sometime soon.

Here’s hoping you are well and enjoying this soon to be summer time…

Twenty-Five Years Married…

May 29, 2018 in Friendship, Loving, Practicing by Colleen | Permalink

Today is our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Gosh and huzzah, wow, wow, wow, we have come so far together. We are wonderfully strong together, happy together, silly together, mostly wise together, and sometimes stupid together. Most of all, we are crazy in love TOGETHER.

In some ways it is a total surprise, that our lives have cycled through twenty-five years, a mad dream of beauty, wonder, and adventure. Still others, it feels like an eternity. How could there ever be a time when we weren’t practically attached at the hip? The slim space between us the breadth of the universe. That is us, so close, yet so unhindered and free.

It is not always easy, and we have fumbled and blundered, but our LOVE and will for cooperation remains stronger than anything that has wished to see us apart.

Here’s to the next twenty-five years….

Friend

May 10, 2018 in Friendship, Quoting by Colleen | Permalink

How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.

Shel Silverstein

Tags: Quoting