Our Angel Christmas Tree 2011

I'm suddenly so busy, I can't tell if I'm coming or going. Work added another 12-hour day for which we are grateful, but with my schoolwork and other activities, the days go flying by!

At Walgreens' I found some Christmas tree angels that blink with different colors. Hubby and I loved them so much that we went back and got more.  Here's a video of our tree with music from Celtic Women in the background TV.  We want to get some of their CD's.

I took a video with Jim's iPhone, so no telling how it will look.  If this doesn't show up nicely on the blog, I'll delete it, but some of you will still get it by email.

Hope it's good so you can enjoy our glowing, blinking, angel, Christmas tree.

Take Care on the Journey,
Your friend in life,
~Linda


Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

When The Kids Get Here

Oldest son and sweet fiance' are flying in from Portland.

Youngest son and loving wife are driving from Kansas!

The common phrase at our house right now is ..."When the kids get here..."

Mama Linda is sooo happy and thrilled to have her boys (and girls!) home again! I'm even delaying cleaning projects so they can be done 'just before they get here'. I'm not baking a turkey because in this high altitude, I can't seem to produce a nice pan of soft cookies. But, there's always Heavenly Ham where they have so much more than just select turkey and ham! We'll have some of my favorite dishes, and I've ordered a case of Worthington Chili to share for those cold winter days ahead. (They love mixing in some egg noddles and a can of Special Tomato Sauce. No tomatoes for oldest son.)

I'm sure it's been years since both kids were together for a holiday at home because of the distance apart, and our busy work schedules. (When did that become an excuse?)  LOL  I'd love to keep them here for a month, and I'm sure we'd go many places and get some 'extra heavy" need-some-help, projects done. But, I'll be satisfied to make a sweet little mountain excursion to Estes Park and enjoy chatting around the dining room table.

I'd love to post my favorite photo of the two sons as little kids, but I'm sure they would not appreciate it as I would, so just know that it's a joyful time around here 'waitin' on the kids to get home'.

Take Care on the Journey,
Your (happy) friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Graphic Photo - Ouch!

I tripped on a ramp at a storage unit when stepping off the edge not realizing it was an incline!  I had my shoes on, but still really hurt my foot and fractured the big toe. I fell forward, hard against the back of our car and then on down to the cement, but at least the Saturn imposed most of my bodily bruises, aches, and pain.

Not much one can do about a broken toe but grin and bear it - and work as a busy nurse on CRUTCHES! 

So, here's the evidence...

For even more graphic, you can click on the photos.  LOL

Take Care on the Journey,
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Denver's First Winter Snow of 2011

They've been predicting this first Denver winter storm all week - almost to the minute. What's beautiful about this snow is that it's just softly falling without wind or severe cold. It was 29 degrees this morning. Although my sister in Florida says that 29 degrees is 'very cold", it just makes the snow more special here.

What did we forget to do before the snow?

Hubby's favorite reading spot!



Our house. (Taken with iPhone)

The neighbor's house with more trees..
October 26, 2011

Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda




Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Rocky Mountain - Estes Park 10-19-2011



We got the tourist welcome...

"If you take our picture, we'll take yours"

This time I'm posting our scenic day-trip to Estes Park, CO here on my website before I post to Facebook!  I'm between classes this week, and we are having some perfectly awesome fall days here in Denver, so hubby and I gave some extra food to the pets, refreshed the water dishes, and off we ran for the hills of Highway 119 through the canyons and up 14,000 feet into the national forests of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.



I took over 100 pictures today.
These are some of my favorites.




Hubby (right) waits for me to join him to walk across this bridge.



We found more photo ops on the way home as it was getting dark. When you drive in the mountains, the view is never the same, and coming back is as different as day and night.  A "Rocky" at sunset.



OH, but there was more to this picture than of the setting sun...See the next photo!

Princess, Your Highness, and Ebony, came to greet us!









What else you got?



Me too please...



Funny thing...We didn't know about the horses. We were looking for THIS!
Crags View Geocache!!!!  (Sounds like Craig)



We left the shoe, but added some nice swag to this one.



Of course, it wouldn't be a Estes Park trip without Elk!
We saw at least 25 ladies in this herd.



Now who put that rock up there? And, why the ugly face?

Picnic anyone?
There's gold somewhere under that mountain stream!!!



There's always more mountains to climb tomorrow...





Take Care on the Journey

Your friend in life,

~Linda

Colorado Aspens October 2011




I posted this one on Facebook, but the snow is the first flakes of winter 2011.
You can click on the photo for a close-up view. (You can't do that on FB)

 
Today we took a drive about an hour west of Denver looking for the last of this year's colorful Aspens. My favorite tree next to the flowering Dogwood of Tennessee!


Here are the photos taken as we climbed higher and higher, we ran into the first snow of winter!  When we left Denver, it was a sunny 71 degrees. An hour later, it was snowing and 32 degrees!





We loved the fog in the high mountains.

 



Wonder if there's gold in that creek?

 



That spot of orange (center left) caught my eye.

 


This is where we pulled over to video the Aspen shimmering in the wind.
Next is a video of the bad weather we ran into a few minutes after these pictures were taken... (Sorry, video wouldn't load.)
We turned around when it got 32 degrees outside!



I have a beautiful video of the Aspen's but it won't lead here. I'll go ahead and post the pictures until I can figure it out.

Take Care on the Journey,
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

September Elk at Estes Park and Geocaching

Last week, (September 27, 2011) Jim and I took a drive up to Estes Park, CO for the afternoon. We always find elk in that quaint mountain town where the entrance to the Rocky Mountains opens a whole new world of nature, and the elk are protected.  Today, we did some fun geocaching at Mary's Lake near Estes Park, but only saw one elk up close!
I believe you can click on each photo for a larger close-up.  Enjoy our journey with us.




He was grazing near some workmen who were trying to build a fence.




Cars were lined up with people taking pictures, but he didn't mind.



We found this comfortable buck resting near some camping cabins.



The film was in the camera for about six months, saving this photo from an earlier trip.



These geese were making quite a racket on the lake!



We spent a while searching for a geocache around here!

 

Oh!!! Here's that geocache!



One last look back at the elk holding up progress on the fence.

 Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Rock Polishing - Step One

My birthday gift this year was a rock polisher, and the first step was completed tonight. A solid week of tumbling produced some very nice results. These rocks still have about three weeks of tumbling, pre-polishing and polishing to go, but we think they're going to be awesome!

This is Clear Creek where we collected some of our first stones for polishing.
Hubby Jim helping...



Clear Creek along Highway 6 near Golden, CO

After a week of tumbling...



These stones go back in the tumbler for another three weeks.

Take Care on the Journey
And may it be smooth stones for you!
~Linda


Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

A Video For Bonnie and Friends

I'm sure that no one who reads this blog knows who Bonnie is.  She's a faithful reader, special friend, and good 'mommy' to a precious, beautiful, fur-child who goes to work with her every day.

Most of you have already seen this video on my Facebook, of our little dog and cat at play. I just know that it will make Bonnie's day...  Here DeeDee and Little Paws are having NOISY fun at home.

Take Care on the Journey

Your friend in life,

~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

It's My Birthday and You Are Invited

My friends and family know that I love announcing and sharing my birthday every year.

I just wish the years weren't flying by so very fast! 

Last night hubby and I enjoyed our favorite meal at Olive Garden where we shared the entree and the birthday cake!  We also love those (non--alcoholic) fruit-type drinks with the blue berries on top. Wish I could remember the name, but that's all I had to say for the server to understand completely what we wanted to drink.  It comes in a real tall glass, so you could share that too.

Today I had to work 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but everyone at work celebrated and had fun with me.  I took in some delicious, home made cupcakes slathered with dark chocolate frosting, and I'm baking more for the Sunday crew as I write this.

Oh and Facebook really got in the "happy birthday" mood!  Last count was almost 50 well-wishers!  Almost like a real life PARTY.  lol  (But, I like Facebook kind better.)

My boys called to wish me happy birthday (gifts separate), and my sister and her husband sent the most incredible, edible, fruit arrangement!  I've heard of them (and suspect they are suspiciously expensive), but if you are ever tempted to do the best thing in the world for someone you love, consider THIS.

Because I have to get up at 4:30 a.m. for the next three days, I'm not posting very much tonight, but here's a video we made of our fabulous, delectable,  'edible flowers'. I hope it's clear. It was created with Jim's G4 iPhone.

You can find out more at http://www.ediblearrangements.com/

Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com