Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

Candy bars. Correction: Mini/"Fun Size" candy bars are way too fun to eat. Mini=size Crunch, 100 Grand, and Butterfingers have gone nicely along with Pumpkin Seeds perfectly seasoned with butter, salt and Worcestershire Sauce. It's Halloween right? It's only respectful to throw the everyday hazards of the healthy diet out the window for the sake of all the little kids in America doing the same thing tonight!

Today has been a Halloween for sure. My friend Jamie, whom I work with at the Perk, wanted to dress up this morning for our customers. So we came up with a style that one customer put quite fitting as "a little bit country, and a little bit rock n' roll." Until Jamie put freckles on my face no one even knew I was dressed up. I guess this is Colorado or something, therefore overalls and cowgirl boots isn't much of a costume.

On the way to and fro work there is a beautiful street that I get to drive down called Nevada Ave. that goes all the way through downtown. I remember driving down this road toward the end of the summer and the street was completely shaded by the leaf filled trees hanging over into the lanes. You can't help but be caught up in the feeling of autumn now. It's so beautiful now that the colorful trees are almost bare of leaves and so perfectly representing the cool and crispy air that just teases you until the next little snow. Here is to share a little bit of that refreshment Nevada Ave. seems to bring me.

But you will never believe who was at the Harvest Hoe Down tonight bouncing around in the bouncing gym thingy that Phyllis (whom you will meet later) and I got to watch over and even (yes, it's true) see fly...Jeffery Gordon!! He surely was the best bouncer out there!!

The Harvest Hoe Down was a sweet, good time. Watching all kids just go circles and circles around this huge jungle gym of a thing and coming down the slide screaming, "YAAAAYYYYY" or "I did it, look Mommy!"

And as earlier, I had mentioned Phyllis. Haha...well here she be. She proudly walked into the Hoe Down with her pants held high and a pep in her step that shook that 'fro and let tha glossy glimmer on her lips shine from every angle the sun would let it! Haha. Phyllis seemed to think that my name was Jane for some reason. I told her that she could call me whatever she thought necessary for the fact her shirt sang true of us country folk being "BIG on the PIG."

I hope that you all had a Happy Halloween too with many trick-or-treat-er's and candy to eat for months!

Mushless Colorado

Can you believe that liver mush does not exist in Colorado? Yes, my quest for liver mush ended quite abruptly after asking the poultry man if they sold any at King Soopers (N.C. equivalent to Harris Teeter), and his response was a, "ummm, liver...I'm sorry what did you call it???" Something to look forward to in the upcoming Christmas visit.

Also, I'm sure that now you are all quite aware that the Colorado Rockies were in the World Series. Though they were swept seemingly easy, making it to the World Series after winning a Wild Card playoff is a big feat! Right before they started game on, a local FOX camera crew wanted to interview Pikes Perk customers at 7 a.m. about their knowledge. First of all nobody wants to be on t.v., secondly there are only a hand full of die hard Rockies fans (I know, it makes no sense coming from a state that only recognizes Tarheel Blue). So what does this mean...I was "the last resort" and had to get interviewed in full Barista wear. Haha. They told me all the answers to the questions before it started thankfully!

P.S. How is Jeff Gordon doing in the points?

Much needed pictures!

The camera cord has been found!!! I don't know how it ended up amongst some sort of recycling bin/futon arm rest story, but it did. So the saying, "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today," must be put into practice. So enjoy Colorado!

Okay, so I think that it was 2 Fridays ago that Raleigh and I met up with her Grandma at Happy Apple Farm to pick us some nice ole' pumpkins. We also got some Gala and Golden Delicious apples. Ummhmm they is good!

Then what happened next?...oh yea. On the way back I realized that the leaves were turning all sorts of fallish colors. It crazy the kinds of things that seems so unreal to you when you have lived around pine trees for the past 2 years.

The next day I think, it looked like it was going to rain hardcore. The massive mountains were hidden behind these downpours of rain. So I ran up above our school rec center to a bench and took a couple shots of...well...rain.

(i don't know if you can see it, but those rock humps in the center left part of the pic are the Garden of the Gods Rocks...crazy huh?)

Then lastly we shall talk about snow. Which real snow, snow falling from the heavens, I have not seen for 3 years. So going on a walk and letting the wet flakes fall on my face and soak the top of my head was necessary. Gosh, I hope that NC gets snow this year. Seriously Cabarrus County would never have school in these conditions.

As a result of all of this, a windshield scraper and new big rug was bought for scrapin' an' insulatin' of course! See, just a couple buys makes it a much easier transition.

Snow and Coffee

Yesterday was the first snow. I can't wait to go buy a camera cord and show yaw pictures. The window in the living room was opened when I woke up revealing covered cars and ground; revealing beauty really. It snowed a good bit of the day, but it didn't snow us in--though it would have in NC!

So Raleigh and I made a day of it. Which even though we live together, it rarely happens. Pastor Kelly had a great sermon on the Daily Pursuit of Redemption then Rals and I went and chatted over coffee/hot chocolate about how important it is to make a daily decision to follow Christ. She said something that has really stuck: "You know, when you think about following Christ for the rest of your life it can seem overwhelming, but you can make that decision today. You can do that. And then when you wake up tomorrow, you can make that decision again." It's fun to think that way. That God would wake us up to mercies renewed, with snow sometimes or even rain, and give the opportunity to be willing to walk with Him today and let tomorrow worry about itself.

One more funny thing (even though the above is somewhat serious) before I have to rush to work. Raleigh has been coughing of late, and yesterday she was getting a little crazy at the coffee shop. So I asked her how she was feeling. Her response, "Well, I am very aware of my throat today."

Haha. She is funny.

Pictures soon I hope!

October 16, 2007

It's so beautiful today. In sitting outside on the front step writing this, all I can hear are the birds chirping and the crispy fall golden-yellow leaves being tossed in the cool breeze. A perfect setting to reflect.

In Autumn, it seems like its the season to celebrate change, and the ending of one thing to start something new. So here are some things that have changed for me being here in CO:

• Thinking more "Green"
• Buying more organic, all-natural foods
• Applying lotion 5 times a day
• A slower pace of life ( which has been hard to say the least)
• Getting involved in a wonderful church -- Vanguard Church
• A greater desire to learn
• Wearing shoes and "closeting" the flip flops.
• Having time to celebrate what is going on the lives of my friends.

These are really just a few things honestly. Also, I have started (well today) a one-year Bible reading plan which I am totally pumped about. The plan takes you chronologically through the Bible, and I am looking forward to seeing how God will move in His scripture in this crazy season of my life.

I've heard that back home in NC that they have hardly gotten any rain. That is so crazy...like level 3 water restrictions. I wish we could take some of this snow on top of Pikes Peak and send it that way, cause I'm sure we gonna have enough. No bonfires for the Pumpkin Carving Contest...what a bummer.

One more thing. My friend Rudy that played soccer at IWU, that I met through Riccara and Raleigh (as you notice all my friends' names start with R), ran the Denver marathon this past weekend and totally qualified for the Boston Marathon in March. Isn't that awesome? She was haulin' that's fo sho!

60 days till NC.

Praise Report!!

Almost every Pikes Perk customer that was asked if they would like whip cream on their coffee drink said...

YES!!!

(So exciting)