~HOMEBOUND~

It's incredibly hard for me to stay home on a "ski day" even though I do see the wisdom in that decision. ( That and the fact I had Ski Patrol watching for me, ready to pull my pass if I should decide to make an appearance on the mountain today...thanks to my friend Andrea who's son Brandon, AKA "Hollywood", is a major part of those wonderful "men in red" who bury humans in the snow and then hope the dogs that they have trained will eventually dig them out. They ski with incredible speed and can do it just as well backward as they do forward. They carry men, women and children off the mountain everyday in toboggans, snowmobiles or heaven forbid helicopters and seldom complain about coming back the next day to do it all again. They dynamite slopes that could pose avalanche danger without ever thinking about the risk they are taking themselves. They really are a rather strange bunch of adrenaline junkies that I am glad I have come to know even before last week). I can't tell you how many times I have glanced up at that mountain wondering how the conditions are today and just what I am missing up there. Mostly I just miss hanging with my friends. It is really one of the best parts of my week.

I am going to be gone for the next couple of weeks down near the equator where the mountains don't ever see snow but, the jungles are full of strange creatures that can and will keep me and my camera entertained for I am sure a good many hours! I may not even think about snow the whole time I am there but, I hope when I get back we still have a few more storms that will dump some new powder on those beautiful slopes so that I can get my spring skiing in. THAT is my favorite! To ski without the big bulky coats and to just "float" on top of the soft stuff with the sun shinning down making EVERYTHING sparkle...white puffy clouds and blue sky oh, the thoughts of it almost makes me want to fast forward to April!

Nope, didn't have a whole lot to do today...

~GRATEFUL~

Yesterday was one of those rare mornings when I got to actually enjoy the quiet snowfall. I am usually on the rode in the dark and although it can be quite beautiful at 4:30 in the morning you have a tendency to miss a lot, like how the snow can just hang on the branches of the trees and bushes turning everything into a winter wonderland again. I say this to often but, I love this time of year! I realize that it takes reaching just a little deeper for some of us to find the beauty there but, sometimes it is so incredibly worth the reach. And so it is with many things in my life. At first I may not have been exactly "sold" on someone or something but...as I reached a little deeper I have always found true and lasting friendships and pure, genuine beauty. Yes, I am a little melancholy today, head injuries do that to you I suppose but, having been given the opportunity to stick around for awhile longer I'm going to appreciate even the ordinary, rather mundane things that I would normally take for granted. I make fun of what happened to me because that is just how I am but seriously, I am so grateful to my family of friends new and old, who are continually at my side and my hubby and kids who put up with my pain and know that as sure as the sun comes up in the east...I will do something dumb again in the near future...Dear Guardian Angel...I will continue to wear my helmet :)

~IN THE FOG~

Apparently I had a little accident while making my way to another ski lift on Thursday. I don't remember a thing but, my friends tell me that as I was coming down, picking up speed to make it up to the ramp to the lift to take me up to the other mountain a skier turned in front of me and either clipped my skies or me and down I went...hard...on my head...I have never been knocked unconscious before, but I can now tell you that it is a rather confusing state of mindlessness. No one is really sure how long I was completely "out" but they think it was around 2-3 minutes. All I know is that when I opened my eyes nothing made sense. My friend Dee was asking me questions which apparently I was answering right if they were long term memory questions but, my short term memory had been short circuited by the impact and I had nothin! No one would let me move so, while on my stomach I kept looking up at the lift, it said "Arrowhead". I have skied that mountain for 15 years and "Arrowhead" was pure jibberish! I kept thinking that it was summer and I had been in a mountain biking accident. WEIRD!

My friends said I got to ride down to base with this very cute ski patrol guy! To bad I don't remember any of it! I do remember Dee telling me to smile!!! So strange to be home and wonder how your skies got off your feet, your boots were taken off ( cause they are hard to get off ) your shoes are put on, you fill out reports, and some one drives you home and on the way you stop to see the doctor and you can't remember any of it!

Thanks again to all of my gal pals for really going the extra mile this week and taking care of their "Older" but not "Elderly" sista...not yet anyway! See ya on the slopes next week :)

~SHAUNA'S COOKIES~

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Shauna for the sugar cookie recipe. I believe that it is on its way to becoming my family's new favorite! Cambria and I devoured a half a dozen easily ourselves before realizing that we should probably save some for others. Like you I remember having a recipe like this one a long time ago...Perhaps not quite this good...But somehow misplaced it. It is so nice to have one in my possession again! Mine are not as "pretty" as yours but, maybe I just need to make them a few more times to get the hang of it! Thanks again for sharing! WE LOVE THEM!

I miss you most today.
Bruce R. Clark
2/12/1958 - 5/12/2007

~SUNDANCE~

Funny how a day of skiing can bring out the "kid" in all of us! Oh, how we need that after a long week of working. That is why we call Thursday our "mental health" day. These women are an instant smile. They pick me up ( literally) and have a way of always getting me going on the right track again whether it is skiing or just life in general. This is only about half of our ski group. Maybe next week I can post pictures of the other half! Thanks girls for yet another great day on the slopes!

~MY PERSON~

Chris is my "person", the sister I never had, my best friend and confidante! She is also younger than me...By 6 months! The reason I tell you that is for the longest time I loved being "older" than her...I could sort of show her the ropes so to speak. Help her through the hard times. Be there in the good. You know all that "older than you stuff". Now, the table is turned and I am realizing that I am not all that thrilled with the "older position". I want to trade now.

This is a poem that her friend gave to her for her birthday. I thought it was SO cute that I had to post it on my blog too. (Hope you don't mind Chris!). It makes me feel like I am not so alone in the aging process when I realize that my younger family members are getting stuff from their friends that make fun of their aging processes too :)

MY FORGETTER

My Forgetter's getting better
But my rememberer is broke
To you that may seem funny
But, to me, that is no joke.

For when I'm "here" I'm wondering
If I really should be "there"
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!

Oft times I walk into a room,
Say "what am I here for?"
I wrack my brain, but all in vain
A zero is my score.

At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but, Gee!
The person it is safest from
Generally, is me!

When shopping I may see someone,
Say "Hi" and have a chat,
Then, when the person walks away
I ask myself, "who's that?"

Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
and that isn't any joke!

Let's ride our bikes to the dunes this summer Chris and write our names in the sand and pretend for a little while that we are 17 again!

~RECIPE FOR MOSES BREAD~

Okay, here is the recipe for the bread. I hope that you will take the time to try it because it is REALLY worth it. It looks a little intimidating but it isn't too bad at all. If I can do it anyone can!

Originally printed int he NY Times Nov. 8, 2006
Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 14-20 hours rising :)

3 Cups all purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1/4 tsp. Instant yeast (sometimes called rapid rise yeast for bread machines)

1 1/4 tsp. Salt

1 5/8 cups Water

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed...I use cornmeal

1. The night before you want the bread, combine in a large bowl flour, yeast and salt. Whisk. Add water and stir with a wooden spoon until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or lid if your bowl has one). Let rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours at warm room temperature, 70 degrees.

2. Start this step 3 hours before you want to eat the bread. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes (I just put it back in the bowl with the lid).

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton flour sack towel ( not terry cloth ) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton flour sack towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size. (I haven't found this to be the case exactly, but it still works) and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger..

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 5-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. I spray my pot with "Pam" to make sure the bread comes right out after baking. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look a mess, but that is okay. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes. (Recipe says remove lid and cook another 15 minutes, but I find it is plenty crispy as is). Cool on rack 5 minutes before slicing. Best way to slice is with an electric knife since it is so crusty. If you like it a little more golden brown take the lid off and cook it for the additional 15 min.

Let me know if you try it and how you like it.

~MOSES BREAD~

This is some of the best bread I think that I have ever tasted! The first loaf is a bit pricey at about $80.00...Yea, I'll explain in a minute...However, it is worth every penny. In the long run I think that it will pay for itself :)

Okay, here is the reason that it is expensive to start, it's because you need the pan to cook it in! It has to be a cast iron enamel coated pan. They are NOT CHEAP. It has to be at least a 5 quart with a lid! I found one on sale at Wal*Mart ( I really hate that store and it was a huge sacrifice for me to even try looking there, but, if you want it bad enough you will even go to Wal*Mart). If you are interested in making the investment let me know and I will post the recipe. In the meantime...drool over the picture!

P.S. It is SO much better with butter and honey or jam or jelly or just butter or...

~SUPER BOWL SUNDAY~

I HATE football but, every year the men in my family get all psyched up for the big game. They start doing calisthenics in about December to help prepare their minds and bodies for the extreme exercise that they are going to experience while watching the game and then as a precaution, they tape their ankles right before the teams run out onto the field just to make sure that they themselves remain injury free while jumping up out of their chairs and pounding their fist and stomping feet in excitement or frustration...I've always thought it a bit odd actually, I think that they really think that the players and especially the coaches at times can hear them yelling at them telling them how stupid they are...because you and I both know that my boys know all there is to know about the game of football and of course they know way more than any professional football coach out there!

Me, I cook, and this year someone should have reined me in! Things just kept "growing"! I am not kidding, I could have fed the entire neighborhood! Of course I had much more fun playing with the little ones and talking to the "girls" than watching football. DUH! We ate and ate but, there was still so much left over that everyone ended up taking it home. NICE. Lisa even made football sugar cookies with the "Colt" logo on it. To bad they lost. We really did want Austin Collie to be sporting a Super Bowl ring his first year in the NFL...I hate football why would I care? Seriously, it was a fun day with family. Even if you don't like football you gotta love having everybody around!

~PERSPECTIVE~

I was feeling a bit down today as I sat at lunch with one of my colleagues at the surgical center. I was complaining just a little about how much things have changed and how I really hadn't appreciated how good things were now that they are gone. She simply stated that things ARE still good. I have my health and I have the gospel. Wow, talk about a wake up call...Time to get back to work!