Banalities...

Some days seem to move at a slower pace than others. Today was one of those days where you just seem to float through the day at a leisurely pace and then suddenly the day is gone. I woke up and it was 24 degrees and an inch of snow was on the ground. I let Rio out to do his business, he saw the snow and squatted right there on the deck and made the snow yellow. Lazy damn dog.

I started reading my book mid morning and before I knew it lunch time had rolled around. Time for leftover turkey! After eating I went out to the deck to test the temperature and Rio made another patch of yellow snow before I could stop him. What's the big deal about walking down 6 steps to get to the grass?

So while I'm standing on the deck a coyote slinks across the field next to me and makes his way up the hillside. I watch as he scrapes and digs at the ground, presumably trying to scrounge up lunch and several times he curls up and lays down, but quickly jumps back up to shake his rough coat. He walked like he was being chastised for doing something wrong, all skulking and tail-between-his-legs. Finally he disappeared across the summit of the hill. I hear the coyotes several times a week in the middle of the night.

On our walk today when we reached the park in Old Colorado City, there was a big tent set up and lots of booths so Rio and I went to check it out. They were selling kettle corn and funnel cakes and The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was selling gourmet hot chocolate for $1.50. Too bad I didn't have any cash on me. Inside the tent a Santa Claus in full costume was playing the electric guitar and singing Christmas carols. Okay....

After our walk I returned to my book and received a call from my 24-year old neighbor, Emily, who invited me to go with her and her friends to see Twilight tomorrow night. She's the one who got me hooked on this vampire series of books and I've been eagerly awaiting the movie. They are dressing all in black, painting their nails red and wearing pale makeup and red lipstick. Needless to say I will be wearing jeans and will be lucky if I can even find a black shirt in my closet. I hope I do not feel like the old lady in the group, since everyone but me will be in their early to mid 20s. Sigh.

We are expecting a lot more snow tonight and I have enjoyed a quiet day of turkey leftovers, a blankie, my dog and a good book. Life is good.

Life in a Historic District

I have a new appreciation for the spirit of community and neighbors. Since moving to Old Colorado City the simple act of a walk in the neighborhood brings me a lot of serenity and happiness. I've met all my immediate neighbors, something I never did in 8 years in my old "mostly rentals" neighborhood. And with houses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, like 95% of the ones in my neighborhood, there's this built-in accessibility and openess to each others' lives: small Craftsmen-style homes with big pillars in front and steps and wide half-walls to sit on, little white picket fences that don't keep out the neighbors but encourage visiting, small stone walls perfect for resting on...everyone is out in their yards watering or tending to plants and weeds, the sidewalks are full of people walking to their destination instead of driving, the houses, in some cases, are literally a foot apart from each other. All these things certainly take away a bit of privacy but really encourage getting to know the people who live around you.

I have stopped and talked to people sitting on their front porches in the evening watching the sun set behind Pikes Peak, I've been stopped on the steps of the 140-year old library to be told that a concert in the park was taking place that night, and I've bought lemonade from two little girls on the corner. Simple things, for sure, but ones that just give me such a feeling of contentment and peace at finally owning my own home in a neighborhood that's been thriving like this for over 130 years, people walking, talking, sharing and loving life at the base of Pikes Peak in the most beautiful state in the country :)

Buyer Beware

While walking in my neighborhood the past few weeks I've noticed the progression of an old Victorian house go from old and falling down to old and falling down but you don't know it.

There used to be a FOR SALE sign in front of this old house, probably built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. It's here in the historic district, and the asking price was $140,000. It's in pretty bad shape. The foundation is horribly cracked and crumbling in places, bricks were falling off, a new roof, etc. No telling what the inside looked like, but I've been inside enough of these old houses to be able to guess.

It did mention on the flyer that it was a handyman's dream, so it was obvious this was a house that needed some work. A few weeks later I notice the FOR SALE sign is gone and a handyman truck is parked at the curb. For weeks I've heard hammering inside as I pass and sawhorses in the yard. Last week they were putting plywood on the outside of the house from the ground to about waist-high, effectively covering up that broken foundation. Today when I walk past they have neatly stuccoed the plywood, created a small shelf-like wall all the way around and stuccoed over the crumbling brick and painted it all one color. It obvious this new ledge/shelf will be decorated with pots and garden items and give a warm-and-fuzzy feeling to anyone looking to buy it. What they WON'T see is the crumbling foundation. Who knows what they did in the basement to cover up the foundation from the inside...

When they finish, I'm sure the stucco will be offset with a bright trim on the windows, plants on the new "ledge, and a garden gnome out front to provide some much-needed curb appeal to the old house.

Something about it just makes me sad. And I feel bad for the person who buys it, not knowing what's lurking beneath the embellishments...

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

What a great evening last night. I spent the entire evening watching CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS and emailing back and forth with Jen and friends. It seemed inevitable, didn't it? the speech he made last night and the crowd reaction at Grant Park in Chicago was ridiculously cool and I absolutely adored how, when he finished his speech, Michelle wrapped her arms around him and he whispered "I love you" into her ear and she replied with the same. And then as he left the stage, he was waving to everyone and Michelle waited across the stage for him and then clasped his hand as they exited together. Wow, what a great, new First Family. I'm so excited I can't stand it!