Someone is starting to get comfortable

Rene has come a long way.

She can now spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and enjoy all the love and attention she gets. She now sleeps on my bed. She plays with new dog friends and is starting to take treats from her people friends.

She is definitely coming into her own!

 Rene and her new friend Sammy

Rene taking treats from human friend Greg's hands

The big "3" and Art Nite

Yesterday, Rene turned 3! She had a special day. We woke up, and took a walk at a nearby park. We came home and she opened her gift of 4 new toys-a tennis ball, a squeaky pig, a rope toy and a squeaky ball. I bought her some special peanut butter baked treats and she enjoyed quite a few. We looked outside and saw Rene's friend, Ziggy, playing in "the quad" so we went out and brought Ziggy a treat and played with him for a bit. Last night, I had two friends over for "Art Nite"-my friend, Kristin, and also a gal I met where I volunteer. Rene really showed her personality by running around and even barking. Kristin was able to pet her at one point! She is really coming around. During "Art Nite" we sat around, drank some wine, and did crafty things together. It was a really fun day and evening, and I hope Rene knew it was a special day!

The Birthday Girl

 Getting supplies ready for "Art Nite"

 Rebecca and Kristin

Rene finally getting comfy with people

The big 7-5

I know it isn't cool to advertise a woman's age. But, there are just those milestones that you can't escape. Like, me, facing forty. Or my mom turning seventy-five this weekend.

We had planned for weeks what to do. We meaning Robert, Dad and I. We talked about a surprise party, or a trip to the mountains, or something like that. But, in the end, we opted for cozy time at home and a little time on the farm. The White Fence Farm, that is. We did have a few tricks up our sleeves to make the day super special.

The eve of The Big Day, Saturday afternoon, I took a bouquet of flowers and a few other special treats over to the house while Mom and Dad were at church. I guess, when Mom came home, she was surprised and wondered how those flowers got inside. The next day, her birthday, July 19th started out with a visit from Rene and me and I brought the cake that I ordered with a special birthday wish along with the caramel ribbon gelato that is scrumptious. Rene played in the yard, got in her pool, laid in the grass. She showed Grandma extra special attention. She let Grandpa chase her around the yard. I dropped her off back at home and got ready, heading back to Mom and Dad's for an early dinner a the White Fence Farm. It is a very cute, very down-home restaurant in Littleton/Lakewood with good food, a petting zoo, little gift shops, a candy store, and live music. We wandered around, and then ate, and then listened to a few tunes. Back at our home front, we surprised Mom with a DVD a cousin lovingly put together with pretty much every home movie from Mom's side of the family. We popped it in the DVR and watched much of the DVD, with tears of nostalgia and laughter, both at ourselves from the 1980's and just the fun of it all.

After the DVD we had a lovely cake with "Happy 75th Birthday, Betty!" Iced on top. A few presents here and there. Did I mention it is my parents' anniversary, too? Celebrating 46 years of marriage, my parents' anniversary sometimes gets put aside during birthday festivities. But the years of love and dedication to each other can never be put aside.

 Rene spending some time in the pool

 Drying off in the sun

 A group selfie attempt

 A Mom and Me selfie

 The wonderful couple

 The lovely birthday girl

A peacock who needed to be a part of the festivities

This greyhound was Delta bound

I found out the Palisade Lavender Festival was this weekend. Mom, Dad and I went last year when I lived in Montrose and it was a delightful time. I have been wanting to get to the Western Slope again, and thought this would be the perfect weekend. I texted some friends, who would be around to meet up here and there during my short time on the other slope. I decided it was time for Rene and I to see if we can spend more than an overnight together on a little trip.

Friday we left before 8am to get to Delta by 1pm and visit my previous co-workers at the Delta office. I was listening to a CD from 2005 with KBCO songs on it and as we were driving to Delta Marc Broussard's "Home" came on. "This Greyhound is Delta Bound.." Of course, he was alluding to New Orleans, but it was quite serendipitous fun.

We got to Delta and saw some really great people at the hospice. We spent about an hour there, and Rene tolerated everyone gushing over how beautiful she is pretty well. After an hour of catching up, I headed to Grand Junction to check into the dog friendly hotel I chose, not far from Palisade and a place I have stayed before so I know the creature comforts. Rene found her place comfortably on the couch in the hotel. My friend Beth who lives in GJ picked up some food to go and came to the hotel. She is getting married in August and so it was fun to hear how the plans are going. She and her beau are marrying in Denver, so I get to see her execute all the plans she told me about. Later, we got to see that beautiful Western sky from the windows before Beth had to get home to her sister coming to town. Rene and I woke up early this morning and walked Main Street, something early in the morning seems to be more pleasant with a cool breeze and window shopping than in the hot sun with all the people.

We went to the lavender festival around 9am and I wasn't prepared for all the attention my beautiful girl would get. We were approached from every direction, people wanting to pet her and find out more about greyhounds. I don't know why I thought we could slide under the radar, but look at that face! How could you not want to pet and kiss it?

My friend Jenny who works at the Grand Junction hospice office met us there. We kind of hurried through, as Rene was not really all that comfortable in the crowd. Well, let's just say she was downright miserable. People crowded her on all sides, and at one point she tried to jump up on a table. Thankfully, it wasn't full of expensive lavender goods, but it was the nonverbal communication I needed to get my girl to quieter ground.

Jenny and I found a little spot outside of the festival where we could talk. She is a hospice social worker and went to DU. She is one of those souls who is just unconditionally loving. I hurried our get together and felt like I was acting manic and she just calmly sat there and supported me. Can't you sense her calm nature in her sweet smile?

Rene was pretty much done with it all so we said goodbye to Jenny and headed East. We did stop at an adorable farm stand and got a view of the peach trees in bloom.

I planned for Rene and I to stay in Carbondale because I love the Roaring Fork Valley. We drove to Glenwood and then to Carbondale. We stopped along the way for potty breaks and "eating on the road."

Hotel check-in wasn't until 4pm so we drove around. We went to a park in El Jebel where I captured this relaxing video of the wind blowing through the wildflowers at the park.

We also drove over to Redstone, but I didn't stop for us to get out. Rene had been so overwhelmed during the day I just was happy to "be in" Redstone and feel the artsy fun vibe. I love so much about the Carbondale area, especially the rich landscape and the small houses with fun porches.

We stopped at another walking trail before we could check into the hotel. Rene was kind of over it. Come on Mom!

Now we are all checked into our hotel, and actually tucked away for the night. It was a long day, and Rene had pushed her comfort zones so many times today I am respecting her need to be her own introverted self for the night. But, Shhhh….I don't think this is proper hotel protocol (how will I explain one adult used both queen beds?) but for the moment, my girl is content.

Romeo, Romeo...

The weather is finally co-operating with the summer pleasure of sitting on the patio or porch and enjoying a morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine. This is my first year of such a pleasure on a balcony. When I lived on Clarkson Street I had that nice landscaped yard; in Montrose I had the front porch with the views of the Cimarron's; and in Lowry I have a balcony with a view of trees, buildings, the parking area, and an expansive sky. I didn't sink too much money into decorating the outdoor space this year, wanting to see how it all functions before going too crazy with furniture, or a grill, or a ton of plants. It gets hot and sunny in the morning (welcome, Sun, coming through my curtains at 6am!) and then cool and shady later in the day. I bought some pre-planted pots of geraniums and they have been hanging in there since May. It is a nice little spot for some R&R and I look forward to lots of time spent outside!

Three creatures enjoy the balcony…a garden gnome, an elephant watering can, and a greyhound!

A grief group, a crappy parking lot, and a greyhound who gives a really cold shoulder

Lately, I have been on edge.

Living in Denver has made me feel a little claustrophobic. I listen to news stories about the saturated real estate market, I work at a homeless shelter where I field dozens of calls about shelter and housing (none of which is available), I sit in a lot of traffic, I try to park for festivals or farmer's markets and am lucky to get within a mile, I try to get a bagel and cream cheese on a Saturday morning only to face long, long lines…

Lately, my patience has been thin and things seem out of my control.

It is exactly this sentiment that has led to things being out of control. Something I have learned in my spiritual quest is...that with which I struggle will continue to manifest itself so that I learn from it. And, events in life being outside of my control is something I struggle with. I want things to go my way, always, and when they don't I kinda lose my mind.

And, that lesson, once again, decided to meet me on my "two roads diverged in a wood" path. I left for the final grief group I have been running this past month around 4:45pm. As I hit Quebec and Alameda, the rain started, the sky darkened, and the wind picked up. As I kept driving toward Leetsdale the rain turned to hail, the roads started flooding, and I was hoping I was following tail lights okay in the dark of it all. I called Mom and Dad, screaming into the phone because I couldn't hear over the hail, "What should I do?? Should I keep driving, or pull over??" Dad confidently said, "Pull over, but in a safe spot. Don't park under a tree." So, I pulled over into a parking lot behind a building the next chance I had.

The hail blasted my car for another 15 minutes. Dad would text me any tornado warning updates. I texted my grief group co-faciliator that I couldn't make it, and to just run the group without me. I let the gravity of the situation in, knowing this was one of those make it, or break it, situations. I already had to let my grief group go…the group I have cultivated over the past 6 months, the group that I have so meticulouly planned for…the last night of the group at that, not being able to say goodbye to the amazing people who participated. I started to look around at the parking lot I was in…of all the places to pull over, probably not the best. There was a Fred Loya Law Firm, a Little Caesar's Pizza, a Fantastic Sam's barber shop, and a couple of teenagers making out under the awning in front of me. The parking lot began filling with water. Why couldn't this have been a Whole Foods parking lot? I began seeing my last meal as a Little Caesar's pizza along with a shaved haircut and decided I needed to make my move. Knowing my grief group was covered, and hoping my Subaru was up to the task, I drove through the flood waters and made my way back home. I found neighbors hanging out in the parking garage because of the tornado warning sirens, and I found my girl laying on her bed in a huff, not wanting to pay any attention to the mamas who abandoned her during the tumultuous weather and thunder that was all too assaulting on a sensitive greyhound's well-being.

That which I am trying to fight, will make its presence known until I learn from it.

I think what I learned from this is that life happens. That I need to tap into that inner stillness when all things appear chaotic. Because, truthfully, they aren't really. Things are just chaotic because they are perceived to be. Hey, my grief group members had a great group with my co-facilitator. I got home okay without my car being flooded. Rene wasn't hit by lightening. The parking garage of my condo is a  safe space for escaping a tornado.

All in all, it is all good. I think. Let's see how I feel tomorrow behind that really slow car as I drive to work, 10 minutes late already.

The saga of Rene's paw and another little overnight

For the past month or so, Rene has been limping. It started gradually and then got worse, to the point of hopping on three legs. I made two trips to the vet and both times, neither had a definitive reason why. They would push and prod on her paws and pads and she would barely make a noise. Yet she hobbled around like a limb had been amputated. At first, I thought it was psychological. Rene is a smart girl, and has manipulated me a time or two. I thought maybe her limp came on after I had been forcing her to do all these outings with me. I thought maybe it was her way of saying, "Geez, Mom, what part of the description of Greys as couch potatoes do you not get?"

My mom thought my inklings were a tad unreasonable as well. And, while I still may think a part of it could be true, yesterday I pressed around on her paw pad and did get a little yelp and whimper, which means that something really must be uncomfortable.

But she had been doing pretty well! Over the past week, her limp improved and we were able to take a few longer walks than we had been doing. Until, well, I started pushing her hard again this weekend. Friday, we went to our friend Barbara's house to visit with her and her greyhound, Ellie. Now, Rene seemed to really enjoy that. Sunday, she came with me to the folks' house for Father's Day, and she seemed to settle right into either the shady spot in the backyard or in the guest bedroom. And last night, we had plans to stay up in Dillon on the lake at a pet friendly Best Western. I didn't have to work today, and so I thought another getaway would do us good.

Until, of course, yesterday morning her gimpy limp returned and she was once again hopping around.

At this point, though, I had seen improvement after a few days of rest from a lot of activity so we went anyway. I have come to terms with the fact that, with her limp, our little getaways are filled with a lot of scenic drives and time in the hotel room. It isn't quite the kind of vacation I yearn for…I wanted so bad to walk along the shores of Lake Dillon this morning, which would have been torture for her…but I know that if I am going to have a getaway I need to make some concessions.

And while I did concede-no walks on the shore, dinner in the room with Father's Day leftovers instead of sitting on a patio with a beer and burger, and a poor night's sleep due to her restlessness and me not bringing my own pillows-I think I was able to capture some highlight moments. The first is my all time favorite…"my" night sky. I am enamored with it. I was able to leave Rene in the room for a few minutes and walk aways from the hotel and all the lighting. I just stood there-blanketed by this navy blue velvet and small dots of shimmering light, a half-moon letting me know the sun will rise in the morning. I took a few deep breaths of the mountain air, and this realization came to me…no matter the anxiety I sometimes feel about the day to day, what is constant and for sure is my own inner peace, which, much like the night sky, is always there. I just need to tap into it, like I did last night.

Today, Rene and I drove around mountain towns I may not visit otherwise. Breckenridge, Keystone, Frisco, and Georgetown…unless there would be a reason to go, I probably wouldn't have visited these towns this summer.

And, of course, I got through 3 episodes of Orange is the New Black and I can't wait to get to the next one!

All in all, it is always good to get away, and it is always good to get home. I think Rene shares this sentiment as well! (maybe a little more emphasis on the "get home" part)

This was the view right outside our hotel window. I admit, I used to be a snob about Best Westerns. Now, I see them as a traveler's delight! Always a comfortable place to make home for a few days, with great locations and a darn good complimentary breakfast!

Rene's "new thing" is to lay in grass in the shade. It is a dog-like thing to do. Sometimes greyhounds have to learn to be dogs, and she is getting an A+ in that class!

Lake Dillon, the marina, and a random selfie

Hey! Where'd my ears go? And peek-a-boo Rene, during a bathroom break near Keystone

Along the road to Breckenridge

In Frisco there is a historical museum and park. I couldn't help but take a picture of the Ches's Place pavilion…I loved that nickname for my Chester…and this lovely painted mosaic of my favorite bird!

Finally, a stop in historic Georgetown, one of those places I don't visit often but am reminded I need to!