So we didn't actually make it to the mountains.

Even though we had planned this for months, D had a monkeywrench at work that put us into last-minute booking for a cabin. We couldn't find one that would take a five month old border collie, and we didn't want to board Charlie. So, for the second time this year, we reluctantly stayed home for vacation. And had a great time anyway. Blizzards and work issues -- not equal acts of God, but equally inexorable. We have got to just get in the car and travel somewhere soon. It's getting desperate. Can we hold out until Christmas in New Mexico?

I do have a secret weakness for lame, stay at home vacations. It is just so nice to sleep past dawn and open one eye to watch D take Charlie out of his crate to go outside. He makes waffles, and the smell gets R out of bed and downstairs. I can sleep as long as I like. On Friday we went to a pumpkin patch and ran into her school friend. They were driving by and saw us, and his mom backed her car through the intersection to come over.

Maybe it's because his mom is such a good friend, but I really love this kid. He is very serious--proud but goofy. He reminds me of Ralphie, the "you'll shoot your eye out!" kid from A Christmas Story. Only much more dignified and accomplished, of course--he does Karate, and he can rollerskate backwards.

It was cold and sleety this weekend,turning into snow. So Friday night, we camped out in the living room. We made a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and blew up the air mattress in front of the fire. These are aim-in-the- dark with the flash attachment photos. I love how you just point the camera into the blackness with no idea what will show up.

Charlie had more fun than anyone.

We read scary stories by flashlight and fell asleep. I am tired of the bare fireplace. We can't find a mantel we like, and can afford.

On Saturday, we went to the Highlands neighborhood in North Denver to an art gallery where R's art teacher had a show. We bought two of his prints as an anniversary present to each other.




Because Sunday was our 7th anniversary! We made Halloween cookies to celebrate.

This makes me think of Homer Simpson and his fondness for "floor pie." Charlie was happy about the floor flour.

Serious business. On Sunday, D also took my car to get the headlight fixed, and took Charlie for a walk even though it was snowing hard. What a prince of a man. Tonight I'm thinking about how fun our wedding was, in the basement of St. Joseph's Redemptorist, with the Irish band and the Guinness on tap. Everyone we both love in the same room for a night. Seven years later, not only no regrets, but each day has been happier than the one before. Sometimes cliches are hackneyed because they're true.

Four-Day-Week Bento

No school tomorrow, no work for D, we're off to the mountains!

First Snow, Fall 2009

It did snow earlier in October, but this is the first one that is sticking.





As usual, Charlie is focused intensely on D.

My shutter speed is no match for a border collie puppy, in the snow, from a distance.

He truly is a lunatic. But we were expecting that.

I don't know why this makes me think of The Little Match Girl. If the Little Match Girl had a dog named Crazy-Eyes.

This was one of the nicest days I can remember. D is off work today, tomorrow and Friday. I got up and made breakfast for everyone and lunch for R., and then he drove to school in the snow. I went back to sleep, in our big white bed with the snow falling all around. Then he took me out to lunch here. We had just enough time to walk through downtown Littleton in the snow. We went to this spice shop and this one , and bought lemongrass green curry powder, Vietnamese cinnamon, a "cake mix" blend with anise in it, and some amazing red Turkish Aleppo chile. It smells and tastes like an ancho chile, but fruitier, more vinegar-y and rich. Then we picked R up at school and came home and played in the snow. Of course the day ends with the usual dinner dishes and homework and ironing her dress uniform shirt for Mass tomorrow. We played Scarlatti during dinner and left it on all evening. Maybe that's why it still seems so much better than a regular Wednesday night.