Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Not so FAQ's #23

Why does it take nearly two years to add a new blog post?

The answer? I've been distracted...distracted in the most wonderful way!


Distracted...after several years of creating and wallowing in my own personal turmoil. (see past posts)

Distracted...finally moving past the past.

Distracted...searching, finding, bonding, loving and marrying this amazing man standing next to me!



Although it didn't feel like it at the time...
...(it rarely does when wallowing)

I can truly say that the journey to get here was worth it...

...finding myself now in this place and time...

...with the man I will love for the rest of my life.






Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...

...'My Sweet Mr. Yellow Pants Man'...

...for distracting me...

...and reminding me just how grand love is!



Monday, October 13, 2014

Not So FAQ's #22






How do you keep up with an incredibly prolific apricot tree?












You pick a big bowl full every day...













Wash, dry, blanch.











Load up the dehydrator.









Crank up the hot water bath for canning...

...even when it's still 95 degrees at 9 pm...


Yield some jars of apricot jam!














And oh - what to do with the little bit left over...

...that won't fill that last little canning jar?




Wait for it...










Wait for it...

Yup!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Airhead & Leo Kottke

Over the years...I've had my share of 'airhead moments'.

I'm sure there are more on the horizon.

I rarely feel embarrassed by them...

...mostly just amused at the level of my naivete.
 
FLASHBACK: MINNESOTA 2006

I was loving my 16-month 'interim' job...

...the kind of job you take between a meltdown from previous job burn-out...

...and before eventually having to go back to a 'real world' job.

I was in that place - a wonderful part-time gig managing the front desk at Meridian Manor...an upscale private-pay assisted living facility in Wayzata, MN.

I loved being there - more than I could ever have imagined!

It was wonderful becoming friends with the residents...

...although always difficult to watch some of my new friends lose their health, their memories, and eventually, their lives.

But it was what it was... ...and it was the way of things.

I had some favorites: Kitty Pillsbury, Dot Kottke & Anna Slupko - 3 of many darling ladies who lived there.

My veteran friend George: an ex-Navy pilot who loved to flip the switch that turned on the lobby's gas fireplace - in July.  He' d also mention that his plane was right outside..in the parking lot.

Paranoid June: who would hide her purse in her apartment oven (long since unplugged) for safe keeping....forgetting she put it there...and always accusing the maintenance guy of stealing it.

And there was Chloe...a 70-pound-soaking-wet...Tasmanian She-Devil...

...who wheeled her ever-present (and always necessary) oxygen tank around in an Umbroller.

For someone so frail and slight of stature...she was an imposing figure...one who could instill fear in many a staff member.

Chloe was crotchety, to say the least, always complaining, and had the distinction of making nearly every office staff member cry - at least once.

So - I made it one of my missions to never let her get to me.

When she'd start going ballistic about something...which was most of the time...

... I'd work extra hard at killing her with kindness - and humor - to hopefully defuse her angst.

Chloe grew up in an "old money" family, who likely always got what she wanted. And yet here she was - attached to an oxygen hose 24/7.

No amount of wealth was able to fix that.

I figured she was probably pretty pissed off by it all...and was mostly just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

So I cut her some slack...told her often how beautiful she looked when she smiled (which was true)...and we became good friends before she passed away.

But....as usual...I've gotten totally off track. Back to my point.

For obvious security reasons - visitors had to ring a door bell to enter the front lobby. I would 'buzz' them in and have them sign the visitor register.

 

One Sunday morning I buzzed a guy in...

....someone I didn't recognize...

...who proceeded to wave me off like a pesky fly.





As he blew through the lobby, around the corner and down a hallway...

...my first reaction was...
"What a Jerk!".

The office staff said it was okay...they knew him.


A short while later - the "Jerk" visitor appeared at the front desk to sign the register.

He kinda sorta mumbled an apology for not stopping by earlier.

He wrote his name...

...Leo Kottke.


 I said...and I quote... 

"Gee...You have the same name as that famous guitar player."
   
He mumbled again - something inaudible...

...and left the building.
 
My friend poked her head from the office door to inform me...

...and I quote...

"Holly, that WAS Leo Kottke."


 Sigh.



About 2 months later I had the opportunity to see Leo again.

As he joined his mother - aka Dot Kottke!! - for Sunday brunch...I told her my "Leo meets airhead" story.  I knew her last name...but never made the connection.

Dot had told me once that her son played the guitar...

...now there's an understatement...

...but she never mentioned his name.

I lobbied that I may not have recognized Leo...and I never placed him in Minnesota...

....but I at least knew of him...which should count for something.

He laughed.   I felt exonerated.


FLASH FORWARD: UTAH 2014


Being the lucky 2nd caller to KRCL radio...

...my sweet Doc Sperry yielded two free tickets for a show in Park City, UT.





We enjoyed dinner at our favorite Irish Pub...and then went to the Egyptian Theatre to see...yes...

...Leo Kottke.

I sent a note back stage - reminding him of the airhead from Meridian Manor in Minnesota - asking if he might have a minute to come out to say hello after the show.

The evening was magical - listening and watching Leo play.  It was an intimate theatre and an intimate performance - informal and engaging.


After Leo left the stage - we waited for a while in our seats.

When the audience had moved to the lobby - the crew said that Leo never came out to greet people...

...just not his thing.


We decided to leave - just as Leo walked back on stage.

He saw us there and said, "You must be Holly".

So - the three of us got to have another good laugh about my Leo Kottke story.

We chatted about his music and travels, who he'd worked with and finally about his mom, Dot: a sweet, lovely and lovable lady.

Dot was eventually moved to a different full-care facility.  What Leo didn't know is that I went to visit her there several times before she passed away. I think he was moved by that.

I also told him I recognized his hands as he played - because they reminded me of Dot's hands.  I think he was moved to hear that too.

In our excitement to talk with him, we forgot to get a photo - but in retrospect...it was okay.

It was enough...and it was perfect.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Not so FAQ's #21

What's one of the cutest marketing ideas ever?






Socks...



..."Lovingly Mismatched".









...I wish I'd thought of that.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Magnifiques Montagnes!

Magnificent Mountains!

The Smokies, the Rockies, the Sierras, the Cascades, the Uintas...

...and the majestic Tetons in western Wyoming!

Popular legend says they were named by French explorers who gazed upon their immense magnificence...and boldly declared them to be.... "The Grand Tetons".

The literal English translation: "The Large Nipples".

...only the French.  Mais Oui!

We spent 3 peaceful nights and 4 glorious days...















 ...canoeing...












 





...portaging...



































...camping...










...hiking...





...and at mealtimes...




...enjoying some of the 'best seats in the house'.













It was the height of the elk breeding season.  The bull elks 'bugled' throughout the night - a misnomer - as it should be called 'screeching'.

If you didn't know what was going on...

...you might half expect Alice's Jabberwocky to swoop across the sky. 





As we sat by the campfire...listening to the bugling of the elk...the full moon rose across the lake.


We enjoyed numerous wildlife sightings: hormone-crazed elk, sweet, calm deer, scolding red squirrels, and a beautiful bald eagle that flew overhead as we canoed across Leigh Lake.

Guests stopped by for breakfast...

...and we had fresh mountain snow to chill our margaritas.

  





 

Food was required to be stored in bear-proof lockers found at each campsite.

Gratefully there were no bear sightings...


...except for some bear prints I saw in the mud.

However - with further scrutinizing - I expertly deduced that Teton bears probably didn't wear Sorels.

(It really did look like a bear paw from a distance...Really!)


Then there was the thieving little mouse who - while we were distracted with roasting the perfect marshmallows - stole the Hershey's chocolate right off of our graham cracker!

Like a true chocoholic...he absconded with the goods in the blink of an eye. We imagined him somewhere in the forest lying belly-up in a chocolate-induced coma.  Touche!

Bottom line...




We didn't want to leave...

                                          ...we want to go back.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Transformation

Instant Gratification...








...in a can!